Sweet & Playful: 8 Best Cotton Candy Perfumes

Nothing says playful, sweet, and youthful innocence like the uber-sweet scent of cotton candy. Most of us remember the smell from childhood, burying our noses in a wispy sugar cloud of sweetness.

Cotton candy perfumes are not just cheapies for pre-teen girls anymore. Some high-end designers have taken on the scent to create unique cotton candy perfumes that will appeal to women of all ages.

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What does cotton candy smell like?

First, what does cotton candy smell like? Cotton candy is a confection of fluffy, spun sugar and smells exactly as you would imagine sweet like caramelized sugar, sometimes with additional flavorings such as vanilla or strawberry added in.

It’s most often eaten at circuses, fairs, amusement parks, and other outdoor recreational events and so the scent naturally comes with a feeling of summertime, being outdoors and having fun.

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What are the Best Cotton Candy Perfumes?

Our Top Cotton Candy Pick

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Intense Eau de Parum

A sophisticated French take on cotton candy, La Petite Robe Noire Intense starts out with luscious notes of blueberry cotton candy while patchouli and vanilla give it depth. Launched in 2015, Guerlain’s own in-house nose Thierry Wasser is behind this creation.

The name “the little black dress” is echoed on the packaging with an iconic black dress similar to one worn by Marilyn Monroe. This also indicates the perfumers’ intention to make more upscale and surprisingly versatile cotton candy perfume. La Petite Robe Noire Intense could be worn not only for casual events or dates but even to work. Great sillage and longevity too.

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Best Gourmand Sugar Overload

212 Sexy by Carolina Herrera EDP

If you’re looking for a sumptuous, cotton candy scent, try the oriental floral scent released by Carolina Herrera in 2005 – 212 Sexy. It’s a blend of sweet and floral scents – specifically cotton candy, vanilla, caramel and geranium.

But fear not, this fragrance is still quite subtle and is in fact perfect for everyday use since it also has good longevity.

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Best Celebrity Cotton Candy Perfume

Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande

This candy-inspired perfume from pop star Ariana Grande is everything you’d expect. Sugary and youthful, tender and playful, and mix of fruity and floral. While Sweet Like Candy lives up to its name and is very sweet, it’s not cloying. A great all-around girly celebrity fragrance. Not groundbreaking but enjoyable.

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Best Budget Cotton Candy Perfume

Aqolina Pink Sugar

Cheap, cheerful, and youthful, Aquolina’s Pink Sugar is a perfume that people either love or hate. Yes, it’s not complex or sophisticated. Yes, it’s mainly for women in their teens or twenties.

But it is the perfect cotton candy perfume for young women who want a cheap scent that’s cute, sweet, and has fantastic longevity.

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Pure Cotton Candy

Demeter Cotton Candy Eau de Cologne

If you’re looking for a scent that is pure just-walked-by-the-cotton-candy-stand-at-the-circus and nothing else, try Demeter’s Cotton Candy Cologne. It disappears after about 2 hours but for two hours, it’s a fun and joyful sugar rush that won’t break your wallet.

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Cutest Packaging

Nina Les Monstres Eau De Toilette Spray

If you’re looking for a gift for a cotton candy lover, you can’t do much better than Nina Les Monstres little monster perfume. The fragrance is a fairly standard gourmand with strong notes of cotton candy, praline, and pear.

What really sets it apart is the adorable apple-shaped packaging with illustrated eyes and a huge red pompom by Brazilian artists Ana Strumpf and Guto Requena. Medium sillage but lasts 8+ hours.

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Best for Teens

Body Fantasies Cotton Candy

Body Fantasies Cotton Candy is actually a body spray rather than perfume, but it fulfills everything a young teen or pre-teen fragrance should be. It’s fun, girly, and cheap without smelling cheap. It’s got hints of strawberry and raspberry but is mainly lots of sugar and sweetness.

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Runner-up

Prada Candy EDP

While Prada’s Candy Eau de Parfum is more caramel than cotton candy, it is an iconic fragrance that anyone who likes sweet fragrances should try at least once. Powdery, and youthful, but classy, it has a warmth and depth that make it appropriate for all ages. The main downside is the moderate sillage and longevity.