What does Marshmallow smell like?
Picture a freshly opened bag of marshmallows: soft vanilla sugar, a hint of orange blossom and a cloud-like texture. The accord is about feel as much as flavour. It is lighter than caramel and less toasted than praline. On skin it melts into musks and leaves a powdery sweetness that lingers. Overdosed, it turns cloying fast, especially in summer.
Origin and production
The French word guimauve first meant a plant, Althaea officinalis (marsh mallow), whose sticky root was once used to make the sweet. Modern marshmallows are mostly sugar and gelatin. No extract of the plant smells like the candy. Perfumers build the note from sweet molecules such as ethyl maltol, plus vanillin, orange blossom facets and white musks.
How perfumers use it
A marshmallow accord softens a fruity scent or stretches a vanilla. It sits well with raspberry, pear and orange blossom. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme (2012) places it under raspberry and neroli. Ariana Grande Ari (2015) builds its base around it, with pear and vanilla orchid. Mademoiselle Guerlain (2014) puts it in the heart next to iris, which makes it more powdery than sugary.
How to wear it
Marshmallow belongs to winter and the shoulder seasons, on a sweater rather than in the sun. One or two sprays will do: Ari and Sweet Like Candy last a long time and fill a closed room quickly.