Lokum smells like pure indulgence—imagine biting into Turkish delight dusted with powdered sugar, then adding warm spices and a whisper of rose. It's sweetly floral yet gourmand, with creamy, almost buttery undertones reminiscent of vanilla fudge melting on your tongue. There's a delicate powderiness to it, like confectioner's sugar, combined with subtle spice warmth (cinnamon, clove) and an intoxicating floral sweetness that feels both comforting and slightly exotic. It's dessert you can wear.
Lokum is a modern fragrance note, not a single natural ingredient but rather a carefully constructed gourmand accord. Perfumers blend synthetic molecules—primarily aliphatic aldehydes, vanillin, and creamy iso E Super—with rose absolutes and spice molecules to recreate the olfactory essence of the Middle Eastern confection. It emerged in the late 20th century as part of gourmand fragrance's boom, reflecting perfumery's shift toward edible-smelling compositions that blur the line between scent and cuisine.
Lokum functions as a heart or base note, providing warmth and sweetness that anchors compositions. Perfumers use it to create nostalgic, comfort-driven fragrances with immediate gourmand appeal. It bridges floral and sweet notes elegantly, adding complexity without heaviness, and works beautifully in oriental, amber, and chypre frameworks.
Surprising harmonies