Selecting a perfume is very personal. It’s so intimate, in fact, that some people refuse to share their signature scent to prevent the It-fragrance effect—when everyone is all of a sudden spritzing the exact same scent—from happening. There are so many fragrances on the market, and with new iterations from beloved fragrance houses continuing to pop up, keeping up with the newness isn’t always easy. So we reached out to Daniel Patrick Giles, the founder of luxury fragrance brand Perfumehead, to get the details on all things fragrance trends here and now.
What’s trending in the world of fragrance? Well, Giles says it’s all about emotional impact right now. “The trend that will stay and, in some ways, change the industry is how scent is fulfilling a huge role with emotional benefits,” he tells us. “Whether that’s well-being or self-expression, scent is now a tool on how you feel about yourself. This trend is changing how the customer experiences scent and how scent fits into their lives.”
In addition to getting all the feels from our fragrances, a few important fragrance trends (and mainstays) are orbiting the industry. Keep reading for more.
Before you rethink that iconic It fragrance you discovered via your favorite TikToker, don’t. There is plenty of room on your vanity for a range of perfumes, including those that everyone raves about. (Essentially, they’ll just always be on-trend.)
“There will always be an It ingredient or note everyone is talking about,” Giles notes (pun intended). But that doesn’t mean you have to push your signature fragrance to the back of your perfume tray. Instead, try layering fragrances to give an iconic scent some extra oomph and personalization.
Throughout the beauty industry, sustainability is on everyone’s lips. Giles says the fragrance pillar is no different. “The next big trend in fragrance is how technology is driving innovation,” he tells us. “As the plant world becomes more heavily impacted by climate, technology is driving incredible innovation through extraction technologies and renewable processes, green chemistry, and biotechnology. This will set the industry up for the future and ensure we are protecting Mother Nature while still having access to beautiful scents.”
Unisex fragrances are among our favorites because they tend to be more balanced. Lucky for anyone else who loves sporting a unisex scent, Giles says they’re here to stay. “There’s no turning back,” he shares. “This is a movement and one of the most exciting things happening in fragrance. The modern fragrance consumer isn’t shopping by gender. They don’t think of gender in their decision process. They’re purchasing fragrance based on how it makes them feel, not on the idea that ‘this scent is only for a woman, and this scent is only for a man.'”
The OGs will forever have a place in the world of fragrance trends. And when we say OG, we mean what Giles says are “classics that always work.” Think: vanilla, rose, sandalwood, musk, amber, and bergamot. However, he does note there is an uptick in the mixing of masculine and feminine notes together.
Fragrance will always be an extension of how we represent ourselves. However, as we learn more about brands, it can be harder to find a scent everyone hasn’t discovered. Well, that’s only if you don’t know where to look. “The fragrance consumer is looking for individuality in their scents,” Giles shares. So how do you create an exclusive signature fragrance? Layering.
“One of the best ways to create a signature fragrance is to layer two fragrances together,” he says. He also says this will take some work, so don’t be afraid to connect with an expert to guide you in the right direction. He also suggests investing in premium artisanal fragrance brands, as they tend to create the most unique and innovative scents on the market.
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