What’s that smell? Floral, soapy, powdery, with a hint of musk – scents that probably remind you of your sweet grandma’s living room. Well, you’re not wrong, although you’re probably smelling them on somebody a lot younger because grandma perfumes are Gen Z’s new, and unexpected, fragrance obsession.

Forgoing fresh, citrus, or vanilla scents in favour of vintage classics, grandma perfumes are popping up all over TikTok at the moment. But what does it mean? ‘You smell like a grandma’ doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment… “To me, a grandma fragrance simply refers to a vintage scent that people often associate with an older generation – I don’t view it as a negative term,” says Camryn Kim, AKA TikTok fragrance aficionado Cammy Reviews. “It can actually be quite meaningful when said with kindness. It reminds me of my grandmothers, both of whom have incredible taste that’s been really influential in shaping my own.”

Courtesy of Camryn Kim

For these fragrances, you’ll be looking for notes including: ylang-ylang, rose, cumin, civet, and heavy aldehydes. “Notes that were especially popular in the latter half of the 20th century,” Cammy explains. Modern interpretations that layer florals and spicy notes also give what she describes as “grandma fragrance energy”.

It’s an interesting about-turn from the good-enough-to-eat gourmand fragrances that you’ll have been seeing everywhere recently – a sweet selection of marshmallow, caramel, honey, brown sugar, and chocolate scents. But why are grandma perfumes the antidote? “People have grown tired of perfumes that smell like specific real-world things,” says Cammy on the switch. “There’s a kind of magic in wearing a fragrance that smells like nothing else. It speaks to a broader cultural moment – a contrarian stance that resonates with many millennials and Gen Z. People are increasingly drawn to things that feel intentional or nostalgic, as a way of rejecting trends that come off as empty or performative.”