Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande is basically dessert in a bottle – and honestly, I’m not mad about it. This $70 fragrance captures that sugar rush feeling you get from diving into your favorite candy stash, but with enough sophistication to keep you from feeling like you raided a kid’s Halloween bag.
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The Pop Star Behind the Sweetness
Ariana Grande launched Sweet Like Candy in 2016, cementing her place in the celebrity fragrance game. While most pop stars were playing it safe with generic florals, Ariana went full gourmand – and it totally worked. This was one of her earlier fragrance releases, but it helped establish her as someone who actually *gets* what her fans want to smell like.
The brand has become known for affordable, accessible scents that don’t sacrifice quality for price point. Sweet Like Candy sits right in that sweet spot (pun intended) where you get legitimate performance without the designer price tag.
Breaking Down Those Candy Shop Notes
The opening hits you with juicy pear and raspberry, backed by Italian bergamot that keeps things from going full-on fruit cocktail. It’s like biting into a perfectly ripe pear while someone’s making raspberry jam in the background.
Then the heart kicks in with whipped cream and marshmallow – and here’s where things get interesting. The Turkish rose prevents this from becoming straight-up dessert by adding a sophisticated floral element that actually works with the gourmand notes instead of fighting them.
The base is where Sweet Like Candy gets its staying power: vanilla orchid, cashmere musk, and creamy sandalwood. That sandalwood is doing serious work here, grounding all that sweetness so you don’t feel like you’re wearing cake frosting.
Who’s This Sweet Symphony For?
If you’re the type who orders dessert first and wears pink unironically, this is your fragrance. Sweet Like Candy is perfect for anyone who wants to smell approachable and fun without being boring. Think confident but not intimidating, sweet but not naive.
This isn’t for fragrance snobs who turn their noses up at anything that doesn’t come in a minimalist black bottle. But if you’ve ever gotten a compliment on your vanilla body spray and thought “I need more of this energy,” Sweet Like Candy is your upgrade.
When and Where I’d Wear This
Sweet Like Candy shines in fall and winter when that gourmand warmth feels like a cozy hug. It’s perfect for casual dates, shopping trips, or anytime you want to feel like the main character in a rom-com.
I wouldn’t reach for this in blazing summer heat – it can feel heavy when it’s 90 degrees out. But for cooler spring days or air-conditioned summer nights? Absolutely.
Skip it for formal office settings unless your workplace is super casual. This is more coffee shop than conference room, and that’s perfectly fine.
Packaging That Actually Gets It Right
The bottle is unapologetically cute – a pink-hued cube with rounded edges that literally looks like a piece of candy. The cap is this translucent dome with a jeweled collar that catches the light beautifully.
Some people might find it too juvenile, but honestly? The packaging perfectly matches the fragrance inside. It’s playful, fun, and sits pretty on any vanity. Plus, that cube shape makes it super stable – no tipping over in your bag.
How It Performs on Skin
Here’s where Sweet Like Candy really delivers for the price point. You’re looking at 6-8 hours of solid wear time, which is impressive for a celebrity fragrance. The projection is moderate to strong – people will notice you without being overwhelmed.
The scent evolves beautifully throughout the day. That initial fruit bomb mellows into the creamy heart, then settles into a soft, musky vanilla that’s absolutely addictive. I’ve had people ask what I’m wearing hours after application.
One thing to note: it performs better on moisturized skin. Dry skin seems to eat up those top notes faster.
What Works (And What Doesn’t)
Pros:
- Excellent longevity for the price range
- Complex enough to stay interesting all day
- Gets tons of compliments
- Perfect gourmand for beginners
- Bottle design is genuinely cute
- Doesn’t smell cheap despite affordable price
Cons:
- Can be too sweet for some tastes
- Not suitable for professional settings
- Heavy in hot weather
- Packaging might feel too young for some
- Limited versatility across occasions
The Rest of the Sweet Collection
If you fall in love with Sweet Like Candy, check out Cloud and Thank U, Next from Ariana’s line. Cloud offers a more sophisticated take on gourmand scents, while Thank U, Next brings in more fruity elements. None of them are exactly similar, but they all share that approachable, sweet DNA.
My Final Take
Sweet Like Candy is a solid choice if you want something genuinely sweet without being cloying. It’s not trying to be the most unique fragrance ever made, and that’s okay – sometimes you just want to smell like happiness and sugar.
At $70, it’s positioned slightly higher than some celebrity fragrances, but the performance justifies the price. Plus, a little goes a long way with this one.
If you’re on the fence about gourmand fragrances, this is actually a great entry point. It’s sweet enough to satisfy candy lovers but sophisticated enough that you won’t feel like you’re wearing body spray. And honestly? In a world full of boring, safe scents, there’s something refreshing about a fragrance that just wants to make you smile.