Celebrity perfumes are seemingly a right of passage. An essential item in any teenage bedroom, filling the air with the inescapable clouds of candy floss and hope. They allow our younger selves to truly believe we are nailing that Britney Spears choreography, that the first verse of “Super Bass” has never sounded better and that we and Arianna Grande are one and the same.

And now this year’s pop princess of choice, Sabrina Carpenter, has joined the party with a new perfume to add to our rotation. Dubbed this year’s It-girl, the American popstar has been churning out hit after hit with earwigs like “Espresso“ and more recently “Please Please Please”, which is about her current relationship with Irish actor Barry Keoghan of Saltburn fame.

But, it seems like it’s not just music that Carpenter is sweet on, as the singer has now launched a follow-up to her successful debut fragrance, Sweet Tooth. Now she gives us Sweet Tooth: Caramel Dream. Speaking of the new scent, the singer said: “I believe in the power of storytelling through music and various art forms. Perfume, to me, is an emotional extension of my music and personal world, and it allows me to create a stronger connection with my fans.”

Sabrina Carpenter’s public persona and image have been closely tied with the sweeter things in life, with her sweet-tooth and cheeky disposition being well-documented. And it’s safe to say her fragrances both look and smell accordingly saccharine.

How we tested Sweet Tooth: Caramel Dream by Sabrina Carpenter

Our tester in action, spritzing Sabrina Carpenter’s newest perfume (The Independent / Ella Duggan)

To quote Sabrina Carpenter herself: “Soft skin and I perfumed it for ya”. Our tester was able to get their hands on this tasty-looking perfume ahead of its official launch today. Dousing themselves in the stuff, they paid close attention to how the smell wore, how long it lasted and what those around them thought of it. They also made note of how much it made them feel like an award-winning international pop star, but that may be slightly subjective.

Sweet Tooth: Caramel Dream eau de parfum

Sabrina Carpenter sweet tooth caramel dream perfume review indybest

Size: 30 ml

Type: Eau de parfum

Keynotes: Caramelised amber, patchouli, dark chocolate bean, vanilla and fluffy musk

Why we love it

Well-balanced

A nice dose of spice to break up the sweetness

Super fun packaging

Feels summery

Perfect for those wanting a sweet perfume

Take note

Borders on sickly sweet, better to use less than more

On first impressions, this perfume looks good enough to eat. Mimicking the original Sweet Tooth perfume, the bottle is playfully shaped like an all-American chocolate bar. This Willy Wonka-esque theme continues into the perfume itself. The most powerful scent that comes through is delicious smooth cocoa butter, most likely due to the combination of dark chocolate bean and vanilla. Many of the ingredients have also been caramelised, such as amber and sugared lemons to further this roasted sweetness. The scent reminded our tester of something akin to a beachy tanning product, definitely a summertime scent.

Our tester is not always the biggest fan of sweet-smelling perfumes, but as far as they go, Caramel Dream is surprisingly well-balanced. It is unapologetically girly and feminine but with a stronger, more musky presentation. The initial overpowering sweetness soon subsides to give way to a hint of musk and spice towards the end, producing images of sultry, long summer nights. To avoid the scent becoming too sickly and overpowering, we suggest a lighter spritz and not to douse yourself too generously as it is certainly a heavier perfume than we are used to.

This depth does however lend itself to being a longer-lasting perfume and we continued to get a whiff of caramel and cocoa throughout the day. Upon catching a hint of the spray, one of our tester’s housemates asked who was baking, despite having sprayed the perfume a good few hours earlier, showing it to be a sweet treat in more ways than one. For a lighter and more on-the-go option this perfume also comes in a body mist, which is ideal for chucking in a gym bag or keeping on your desk.

The perfume and body mist are available as of today, both in-store and online.

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The verdict: Sweet Tooth: Caramel Dream by Sabrina Carpenter

As the name suggests this is certainly a sweet perfume and the packaging and branding do little to suggest otherwise.

If you, much like Sabrina Carpenter, are someone who likes the sweeter things in life, then this is for you. We see this perfume being right at home in a beach bag or by the pool this summer and, while we appreciate the musky spicy twist, we would have loved a little more of it to create a more diverse and complex profile. But for less than £40, we think it’s a great pick to help you embrace your inner pop princess.

For more sweet smellig options this year, check out our picks for the best perfume deals to shop at LookFantastic