Food-Based Notes
Edible notes have been all around the perfume house these days (pistachio, vanilla, honey, and a lot extra), however this 12 months, they’re taking over a brand new kind. “While vanilla has lengthy been a staple, our perfumers are exploring extra nuanced instructions—equivalent to milks (together with heavy cream), seeds, and nut accords,” says Voelkl.
This would not come as a giant shock as we have been leaning a lot into these mouthwatering notes. In reality, it appears fragrance goes to take the food-inspired fragrances even a step additional: “We’re additionally shifting into savory territory with notes like butter, truffle, and olive. Some of those notes are already on the perfumer palette (like espresso or carrot), whereas others are delivered to life by way of DSM-Firmenich’s proprietary Smell the Taste and NaturePrint applied sciences, designed to evoke sensible textures and sensations,” provides Voelkl.
Light & Airy
On the heels of a gourmand-heavy 12 months, issues could also be shifting the opposite course, particularly for the nice and cozy climate of spring and summer season. “Consumers are gravitating towards mild, crisp, and ethereal scents that evoke playfulness and optimism,” says Voelkl.
And perfume lovers are holding issues mild and ethereal in additional methods than one: Hair and physique mists have taken a robust maintain this 12 months up to now. “This shift can also be influencing format desire,” says Voelkl. “For instance, perfume mists, with their decrease focus and straightforward, breezy utility, are booming. We anticipate this pattern persevering with strongly by way of summer season 2025 and past.”
Voelkl is not the one one noticing the change: “We’re seeing a big rise in innovation throughout scent codecs,” provides Befve. “All-over hair and physique mists proceed to thrive, providing a flexible and impactful approach to put on perfume.”
Sweet Strawberry
Last 12 months, it was all about cherries: Cherry perfume, cherry trend, cherry every thing. This 12 months, we’re seeing the following evolution of fruitiness: strawberry.
“The rise of strawberry as a perfume hero is emblematic of a broader, Gen Alpha-driven pattern towards unfiltered, literal olfactive experiences,” says Befve. “This new era embraces scent profiles which might be daring, recognizable, and emotionally resonant—fragrances that scent precisely like what they declare to be, with out layers of abstraction or subtlety.”
Strawberry, specifically, has emerged as a standout notice, he finds. It’s “universally nostalgic, immediately joyful, and powerfully tied to youth tradition,” Befve says. From Strawberry Shortcake dolls to snacking on infinite strawberries as a toddler, it is no marvel it brings again such fond recollections. “Its playful, juicy character faucets right into a collective reminiscence of sweet, ice cream, cereal, and slushies, providing a sensory shortcut to carefree moments and seasonal enjoyable,” he provides.
What’s extra, the strawberry pattern “speaks to a bigger shift in client habits: a want for perfume that’s emotionally evocative, socially shareable, and above all, simple to like,” explains Befve.
The Premium Perfume Experience
People are hoping to get extra out of their fragrances than ever earlier than. It’s not nearly getting the “you scent superb” praise from a good friend or stranger on the road (although do not get us fallacious, we nonetheless love that); it is also about creating an expertise, standing out, and utilizing new and modern components. Call it a aspect impact of the pandemic after being cooped up inside for months.
