Dessert you can wear: KST Scent’s Korean foodie perfumes turn Dubai chocolate and street snacks into skin-close warmth

On a cold day, there’s nothing like holding a freshly griddled pancake filled with warm, gooey caramelized nuts. That comforting warmth can lift your spirits for the whole day. Now, independent fragrance brand KST Scent, founded by Korean creative director Kael Jeong and American perfumer James Nguyen, has bottled that feeling in its new gourmand collection, “Memories & Moments from Korea.”

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KST Scent, an independent fragrance brand that blends queer freedom with the warmth of Seoul

Founded in Korea, KST Scent is an independent Korean fragrance brand led by LGBTQ+ founders and grounded in a spirit of freedom and inclusivity. The team believes fragrance is more than adornment; it can carry collective emotions. Rather than the assertive character of traditional perfumes, KST Scent favors scents that are “skin-close, gentle, and warm,” allowing them to meld with body heat and create a natural, intimate sense of comfort. This gourmand collection draws on everyday Korean food memories to evoke a carefree, childlike feeling.

Hotteok and banana milk: 4 buzzworthy scents that bottle childhood memories

1. Banana Milk Coffee (Banana Milk Coffee): The fragrance opens with ripe banana, mellow soy milk, and marigold, followed by rich coffee essential oil, ylang-ylang, and labdanum. Creamy musk and sandalwood (Ebanol) round out the base. On skin, it settles into a warm, nuanced banana latte: sweet without becoming cloying, and comforting enough for everyday wear.

2. Hotteok (Sweet-Filled Pancake): This fragrance gently recreates a caramel-filled pancake fresh off the griddle on a winter street. Warm cinnamon leaf and roasted nuts open the scent, followed by soft, chewy glutinous rice flour and black locust blossom. Sesame, dark brown sugar, and warm woods bring it to a close. Spritz it on a cold day for a sweet, soft warmth that feels deeply reassuring.

3. Dujjonku (Dubai Chocolate Mochi): Inspired by Dubai chocolate mochi cookies (두바이 쫀득쿠키), which have recently taken Seoul by storm, this scent opens with slightly bitter cocoa powder and pistachio kataifi pastry. Roasted barley tea and jujube lend a warm, toasty sweetness at the heart, while white chocolate and vanilla finish the composition. Tea notes and a hint of bitterness keep it from becoming overly sweet.

4. Melon Pop (Honeydew Ice Pop): With a nostalgic summer feel, this fragrance opens with honeydew ice cream and green tea. At its heart are the sun-warmed scent of sunscreen and white hibiscus, while the base leaves behind sea salt, the dry woodiness of an ice pop stick, and milky musk.

Many women hesitate over gourmand fragrances, worried that too much sweetness can feel less sophisticated. KST Scent balances the sugar with grains, roasted tea notes, and dry woods, allowing body heat to bring out a skin-close malt warmth and a clean skin scent. What might seem like a sweet, sticky street snack is transformed through a refined fragrance composition into something airy and relaxed. It’s a subtle yet appealing finishing touch for the daily commute or a leisurely weekend afternoon.

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