If you love fruity scents but hate anything overly *sweet* then these 6 rhubarb perfumes will hit the spot

When it comes to finding the best perfume for you, chances are you’ll already be aware of certain notes that you love. For me, it’s musk, vanilla and violet, which are repeat offenders in my signature scents, as well as the powdery perfumes that I find myself gravitating towards time and time again. For you, it might be woodier notes or warming amber scents; however, if you’re partial to a fruity fragrance or a sweet gourmand, then I think this trending note will certainly appeal. Introducing: rhubarb perfumes.

Of course, every year, we see new fragrance trends emerging, but 2025 is certainly proving to be the year of the foodie scent. From pistachio and almond to honey and cherry, the perfume landscape is becoming dominated by a new wave of unexpected gourmand notes. And rhubarb is proving to be the most tempting one of all. Offering up a fresh alternative to the richer, more syrupy notes that tend to define classic gourmand perfumes and the overtly sweet strawberry and citrus scents that dominate the fruity category, rhubarb is subtly sweet with a sharp tartness that lends it a refined edge.

Pairing beautifully with more traditional notes like creamy vanilla or sweet berries, as well as more herbaceous and aromatic notes, rhubarb perfumes are perfect for those seeking a more grown-up approach to their fruity fragrances. Elevated, mouth-watering, but never sugary, I’ve rounded up the six best rhubarb perfumes on the market right now—but it’s safe to say that we can expect more to emerge as we enter the warmer months.

The best rhubarb perfumes

1. Experimental Perfume Club Rose Rhubarb Eau de Parfum

I first discovered this perfume a few years ago at an EPC workshop, where I was able to blend my very own fragrance. I loved this so much that I think the majority of my perfume ended up being made up of this alone—that’s how dreamy it is. I’m a huge fan of rose perfumes anyway (and if you don’t also love the note, then it’s unlikely that this will be for you), but by adding rhubarb to the mix, this perfume becomes a modern iteration of a fruity-floral fragrance. It’s still powdery and soft, as you’d expect from a rose perfume, but the rhubarb is juicy, sweet and tart, so it uplifts the whole perfume and makes it feel fresh, light, and wearable. Honestly, I’d urge you to give this a smell as it’s just so joyful.

2. Parfums de Marly Delina Eau de Parfum

I’m always sceptical of things that go viral on social media, even more so when it’s fragrance as the scents that take off tend to be incredibly sweet and saccharine—so I wasn’t sure that this perfume would be for me. How wrong I was. This is an absolute delight of a fragrance. It’s sweet and feminine, yet it still feels like it makes a statement. At first, there’s that undeniable hit of juicy rhubarb and lychee, but once that settles in, you’re left with a fresh floral bouquet and cosier notes of musk and vetiver. It’s truly beautiful, and despite being popular on TikTok, I love wearing it so much that I don’t care if I smell like everyone else for once.

3. Arkive Headcare Future Bloom Fragrance

I was over the moon when I learned that Arkive Headcare were extending its range of hair care products into the world of fragrance. (Testament indeed to the fact that hair stylist Adam Reed has created some of the best-smelling hair care in the business.) Future Bloom is the same scent that you’ll find infused in the brand’s range of hair treatments (oils, scalp scrubs and treatment masks), and it smells just as good as the original products. It’s bright, cheery and fresh—and smells incredibly expensive despite the £30 price tag. You get all the fruitiness of rhubarb, cassis and mandarin, but there’s a sweetness from vanilla and musk to counterbalance any sharpness. Plus, you can wear it on your skin and your hair, so you’ll smell incredible from top to toe.

4. Floral Street Electric Rhubarb Eau de Parfum

We might still be in the depths of winter, but this effervescent perfume captures the spirit of summer in a bottle. Imagine relaxing with friends in a beautiful English country garden; the sun is in the air, the grass is verdant, and there’s a lush orchard of fruit trees in the distance... Oh, and you’ve just popped a bottle of fizz. This smells exactly like that—bubbly, green and crisp. Think of this as a freshly picked rhubarb rather than one that you’d find in a crumble. It’s tart, herbaceous and instantly uplifting.

5. Prada Infusion de Rhubarbe Eau De Parfum

After smelling it first-hand in the Selfridges beauty hall last month, this homage to rhubarb from Prada has been living in my mind rent-free. Proving that fruity fragrances can be luxurious too, this is a playful and pretty scent that captures all of the jammy sweetness of cooked rhubarb alongside the more elegant green notes of the fruit in its natural form. The addition of a little tartness from green mandarine alongside classic rose and a skin-like white musk accord means that this feels like a modern interpretation of the rhubarb scent—and one that I think will inspire many copycats as the note takes off in 2025. Spectacular.

6. Perfumer H Rhubarb Eau de Parfum

The inspiration behind this scent can be found in the vegetable patch of perfumer Lyn Harris’s grandmother’s garden. She talks of the stalks of pink rhubarb sheltering under green leaves, and it’s these very earthy and verdant aromas that take the forefront in this perfume. Rather than sugary, dessert-like notes, this captures the spirit of an English countryside garden and bottles it. I love the addition of rosemary, vetiver grass and juniper, which gives it a complex herbaceousness—more like a sparkling gin and tonic than a rhubarb tart. However, just because it isn’t sweet doesn't mean that it isn’t delicious. This is the foodie fragrance for those who choose a starter over dessert.