By Kimberly Wilson ·Updated February 19, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

I’ve never met a strawberry gourmand I didn’t at least like, which probably says more about me than the fragrance category. 

The 7 Virtues Strawberry Jam smells exactly like its name suggests, and depending on your taste, that’s either a win or not. This is a straightforward gourmand that prioritizes joy over complexity, and after wearing it for the past two weeks, I’ve made peace with the fact that sometimes straightforward is exactly what I need.

The brand built its reputation on thoughtful, nuanced fragrances sourced from communities rebuilding after conflict, which is a mission I deeply respect. Their scents usually reflect that intentionality with careful compositions that unfold slowly. Strawberry Jam feels different. It’s the brand having fun and not overthinking it, and while it’s not their most sophisticated work, it’s become the one I reach for when I just want something easy.

The opening is dessert, plain and simple. There’s a creamy quality that reminds me of whipped frosting on a birthday cake, with enough berry brightness to keep it from feeling heavy. The pistachio is there, but it’s subtle. More of a nutty undertone than anything else. Within the first hour, the scent starts to soften and settle into something that smells like strawberry milk. It’s sweet but not in an overwhelming way that can give you a headache, and it stays close to the skin rather than projecting across a room.

Why I love it: The drydown is probably my favorite, and it’s going to feel familiar if you’ve spent any time in the gourmand space. It lands in the same powdery, marshmallow-soft territory as Kayali’s Yum Boujee Marshmallow, but what makes Strawberry Jam worth owning (even if you already have that one) is the journey it takes to get there. Yum Boujee Marshmallow hits you with that fluffy sweetness immediately and stays there. Strawberry Jam actually gives you a fruity opening with some dimension before it settles into that cozy, close-to-skin sweetness.

I should be honest about what this isn’t. Despite the “jammy” name, this doesn’t smell like actual preserves. The strawberry is more like freeze-dried fruit or the flavoring in a milkshake mix. More of a concentrated, almost chalky sweetness you get from strawberry powder. It’s synthetic, but it works. Some fragrances benefit from that artificial quality because it creates a brightness that natural ingredients can’t always deliver. This is one of them.

The performance has been better than I expected. I wore it through a full workday and could still smell it on my sweater that evening. It doesn’t project aggressively, which I actually appreciate for something this sweet. This is the kind of fragrance people smell when they hug you, not when you walk into a room.

Perfect pairings: Strawberry Jam works beautifully as a layering piece, and I’ve been experimenting with it more than I initially planned. My most successful pairing has been with Kayali Vanilla 28 (because what fragrance doesn’t work well with Vanilla 28?). The brown sugar and amber in Vanilla 28 add warmth and depth to the marshmallow drydown, creating a fuller gourmand experience that feels more intentional than either scent alone.

When I want something lighter for daytime, I’ll layer it with a vanilla body mist—the one from Victoria’s Secret Bare Vanilla works particularly well. It softens the intensity of the strawberry while keeping that sweet, comforting quality. The combination feels lighter and more appropriate for casual settings than wearing Strawberry Jam alone.

The pairing that’s surprised me most is with Prada Candy. The benzoin and caramel in Candy add a warmth and slight powderiness that complements the marshmallow drydown perfectly. Together they create a cozy, tonka-heavy sweetness that feels more sophisticated than Strawberry Jam does on its own. It’s become my go-to combination for evenings when I want something comforting but still put-together.

Final verdict: The 7 Virtues Strawberry Jam won’t appeal to everyone, and that’s fine. If you like fresh or more sophisticated scents, this might feel like too much. But for those of us who light sweet candles and order elaborate coffee drinks without shame, this is a solid addition to a gourmand collection. At $95 for 50ml, the price feels fair for what you’re getting. Not every bottle in my collection needs to be interesting. Some just need to smell good.

The post ESScent Of The Week: The 7 Virtues Strawberry Jam Makes The Case For Fun Over Sophistication appeared first on Essence.

Author: Kimberly Wilson

Read the original article on Essence.