The fragrance boom is nowhere near over
The fragrance boom can be traced back to the bust of the category in 2020, when the pandemic first hit. At the time, fragrance was the beauty category hit the hardest, said Larissa Jensen, svp and global beauty industry advisor at Circana.
But then, something crazy happened. In August of 2020, fragrance sales saw a sudden jump, and from there, they kept growing until fragrance became the only category to end 2020 “in the positive,” Jensen said. Since then, it’s been on a steady upward trajectory. “The growth rate has remained in the positive double digits. … It’s unprecedented, really,” Jensen said. It should also be noted that fragrance is currently the only beauty category where the prestige market consistently dominates the mass market.
This year, according to Circana data through September, year-over-year sales of prestige fragrance increased 14% in dollars and 12% in units. And luxury fragrance sales increased 15%. Fragrance was the fastest-growing beauty category in 2024.
It’s a trend that Maria Salcedo, svp of merchandising at Ulta Beauty, has observed firsthand. “The pandemic was highly influential to the category — it heightened all our senses. As a result, many consumers turned to fragrances for comfort, sensorial stimulation, emotional connection and a way to define your mood, which strengthened the category across perfumes and home scents,” she said.
In tandem with this phenomenon, people were stuck at home and took to TikTok, where #PerfumeTok became a phenomenon and proved its ability to drive sales. Influencers including Mikayla Nogueira drove scents like Phlur’s Missing Person to sell out in 2022. And this year, social media helped the new brand Noyz to sell out of its DTC stock of its popular vanilla-driven scent, Unmute.
Phlur had another viral moment this year. After launching in October 2023, its Vanilla Skin body spray ($24-$38) went viral when a stripper on TikTok gave the product credit for helping her earn better tips. Given its success and virality, the brand launched the scent in a more concentrated eau de parfum ($99) in June 2024. This October, Phlur launched its first deodorant, featuring the same gourmand scent.
The story echoes many current fragrance trends, including body sprays. Since 2023, body sprays have been having a moment. “The demographic that’s growing the most [for body sprays] is households with children under 18,” Jensen said. Younger customers also drive sales of discovery sets as they seek to build “fragrance wardrobes,” Salcedo said. Perfume discovery sets ranked No. 8 on market research firm Spate’s 2025 Beauty Trends Report. “That younger customer is more open and adventurous,” said Liza Amlani, founder of consultancy firm Retail Strategy Group, noting that older generations remain more likely to stick to a signature scent.
Phlur’s recent virality also reflects the demand for gourmand scents. According to Spate’s 2025 Beauty Trends Report, the gourmand trend is expected to hold firm in 2025. The perfume notes expected to grow the most include watermelon, caramel, matcha, marshmallow and vanilla. “In 2025, we’ll see a continuation of the gourmand trend with some nuance and sophistication,” said Carol Han Pyle, founder of indie perfume and candle brand Nette. “Instead of being hit in the face with very strong, artificial vanilla scents, for example, we’ll see more interesting notes like bitter almond, juicy lemon and bergamot, real vanilla, cocoa, and bread, or toast. I also think citrus will have a moment.”
As fragrance becomes more and more popular and further permeates the lives of consumers, it’s becoming — like many other categories in beauty — further “skinified” — see: Phlur’s launch of its Vanilla Skin deodorant.
“We’re not only looking at the fragrance trend as an individual thing, but we’re also looking at the ecosystem that’s coming up around the trend — we see all these supporting characters coming into play,” said Addison Cain, insights and marketing lead at market research company Spate. “People now want fragrance in their body wash and their body lotion. It’s a great signal of a category that’s performing really well and will continue to do so. People are taking it as a source of inspiration — not only for their fragrance routines, but also for the other parts of their routine.”
Fragrance brought in new beauty consumers this year. Ulta Beauty saw sales of fragrances spike among teen boys, “especially our prestige offerings of cologne,” Salcedo said. And fragrance is often one of the first beauty categories younger consumers explore, she said. “Notable standouts” have included Dior Sauvage, Valentino Uomo Born In Roma, Jean Paul Gautier Le Male Elixir, Armani Stronger Than You and Rabanne Phantom. “A key driver with this particular guest is unique, playful and artistic bottle designs. [That includes] Jean Paul Gautier’s iconic body silhouette, Rabanne’s futuristic robot figurine, Armani’s and Dior’s more elevated and sophisticated packaging, and Valentino’s sensorial texture,” she said.
According to Oshiya Savur, CMO at Maesa, noted that this trend reflects “a generational shift in how scent is viewed — not simply as a luxury, but also as a core element of personal identity.” Maesa is the parent company of perfume brand Fine’ry, known for its dupes of popular fragrances, and Frenshe, Ashley Tisdale’s sensorially-driven body-care collection, among other beauty brands.
Flankers have always been a way for fragrances to become franchises, and this year was no exception. Glossier launched its first two for its bestselling scent, You: You Rêve and You Doux ($78 each). The original You scent — the brand’s first-ever fragrance — launched in 2017. The brand also introduced a $45 body butter in the original You scent this year. According to a rep for the brand, direct-to-consumer and retail demand for the product was 50% higher than projected, and on launch day, Glossier was the leading brand on Sephora’s website based on sales.
Some reports have shown that growth in fragrance has begun to slow — Glossy reported on LVMH’s earnings in October, when it reported 3% sales growth in fragrance for the third quarter of 2024, as opposed to 7% for the first quarter of 2023. Yet the category remains one to be excited about. Jensen said, “We continue to remain bullish on [fragrance], and we are anticipating that growth will continue through 2027 for prestige fragrances. It will temper. … We don’t anticipate double-digit growth in 2026 and 2027, but we are forecasting double-digit growth for 2025.”
