This article was originally published in the Fragrance Trend Report. Receive your copy here
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‘Vanilla girl’ fragrances are still going strong, as are ‘clean girl’ (aka skin scents). But there’s also a raft of newer aesthetic trends like ‘gourmand girly’ (from honey scents through to pistachio), ‘fruit girl’ (cue notes of raspberry, strawberry, cherry, peach and pomegranate), ‘granny chic’ (violet and lavender scents), and ‘whimsy girl’ (playful, nostalgic fragrances).
Aligning fragrance with lifestyle aesthetics has become a highly effective storytelling technique in the digital world, fuelling not only the discovery of perfumes, but sales too. For Gen Z in particular, fragrance is no longer just a product – it’s an extension of identity, mood and daily ritual, says Roz Wicks, founder of TrendAroma Marketing, and platforms “like TikTok have transformed discovery from note-led education (top, heart, base) into vibe-led storytelling (‘clean girl’, ‘vanilla girl’, ‘gourmandguy’ and ‘that girl before 9am’).”
“Fragrance is becoming increasingly visual,” adds Arnaud Guggenbuhl, Head of Global Marketing, Insight and Image, Fine Fragrances at Givaudan. “For Gen Z and now Gen Alpha, scent is often discovered and consumed without even smelling it – through social shopping, digital storytelling, or soon within virtual worlds and video games.”
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