New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- Vanilla melts, caramel popcorn, coffee cookies, peach sorbet, black grape, caramel crunch, strawberry. even jalebis, masala chai and espresso have a new destination in a growing number of Indian homes: the dresser, not the dining table or kitchen counter.

Welcome to the "gourmand" trend in Indian cosmetics and beauty products which is delivering best-sellers with fragrances of popular foods and drinks. The trend of these scents, often layered, making their way into skin creams, lip balm, and fragrances began a few years ago-today, they have carved a distinct and fast-growing niche. The segment is buzzing with new, specialized companies- some growing revenues multi-fold year on year-backed by heavy duty venture capit...