Why does Gen Z smell like sugar?
This story was originally published in The Highlight, Vox’s member-exclusive magazine. To get early access to member-exclusive stories every month, join the Vox Membership program today. It all seemed to start last summer, when Love Island USA contestant Leah Kateb shared a TikTok video of her fragrance collection, which included Lush’s kettle corn-scented body spray, called Let […]
This story was originally published in The Highlight, Vox’s member-exclusive magazine. To get early access to member-exclusive stories every month, join the Vox Membership program today.
It all seemed to start last summer, when Love Island USA contestant Leah Kateb shared a TikTok video of her fragrance collection, which included Lush’s kettle corn-scented body spray, called Let the Good Times Roll. “You just smell like caramel cake and like you’re ready to be served on a decorated plate,” she told her 4 million followers. Influencers began evangelizing about the sweet, buttery fragrance, noting its ability to attract compliments from strangers.
Only this wasn’t just the case of a cult product going viral. For several months now, my TikTok “For You” page has been flooded with regular consumers wanting to smell delicious.
It still seems like there’s only one desirable way to smell — edible, delectable, like you can literally be eaten. Whether it’s sweet vanilla fragrances, Arabian perfumes featuring tonka beans, or a growing number of pistachio scents, Gen Z’s most visible beauty obsession at the moment is smelling like a bakery.
