The Business of Smelling Good
How fragrance became the final frontier of self-expression.
As algorithms routinely destroy any semblance of individuality and personal style online, people are looking for new ways to signify taste and self-expression. Autumn’s hottest new shoe, what’s the cocktail of the month, is brat summer still a thing? It all becomes monotonous and uninspiring. Thus, this has brought us to the boom of fragrance in 2024, as scent remains the final frontier of individuality. As fast-fashion becomes a mechanism of conformity, niche fragrances and scent as a whole have emerged as the last bastion of self-expression. Ana Angelic, aptly captures this shift, noting that we wear clothes to “conform” - cycling through trends and styles akin to a video game avatar, as more permanent subcultures erode due to a never-ending platform of inspiration and access to cheap goods. Yet, scent is something inherently, deeply personal, and it’s a vehicle for uniqueness. It feeds into the ‘IYKYK’ mindset, where having a signature scent transcends mere fashion, becoming a statement, a signature, and a way for storytelling in itself.
In this environment, communities like #PerfumeTok and #FragranceTok have flourished. For them, it’s not just about ‘smelling good’, it’s about crafting an olfactory narrative as unique as the individual wearing it. Much like fashion mood boards on Pinterest and TikTok, these collages of scent delve into the intricacies of a smell by associating with increasingly niche, obscure, and complex vibes. This comes from a wider idea of the vibe economy, where our digital worlds are so fractured and chocked full of content that it’s up to users to curate their own experiences (think niche Spotify daylist playlists). These mood boards have most prominently become used for scent, which is incredibly difficult to describe. For example, a moodboard might pair a fur coat, a blurry image of the New York skyline at night, a picture of Kate Moss smoking in the 90s, and a lipstick-stained coffee cup to evoke a sultry, sandalwood infused fragrance. These scent-driven moodboards underscore the craving for intricacy, signalling a shift toward marketing a vibe over a product. For perfume lovers, it’s about world-building, inviting people into the universe their scent would inhabit. You can’t smell through the screen (yet), but these curated images provide a conceptual framework, a way to imagine the feeling or atmosphere the scent could evoke.
The move towards hyper-specificity is part of the rise of the signature scent economy, where one’s fragrance is as much about self-branding (we’re all becoming a brand online, people!) as the clothes we wear or the music we listen to. As our online world becomes clouded with content, individuality (or at least the presence of it), it’s a way to cut through. People are no longer content with standard floral or citrus profiles, instead, they’re chasing complex blends that embody unique personas, from ‘Russian mob wife’ to ‘the feeling of reading a book in a Dark Academia library on a rainy day in Edinburgh’. As I typed that out even, I could somewhat imagine the scent, and could visualise the vibe of a crackling fireplace, leather book covers, and plush couches in dim candlelight. This transition mirrors a cultural shift where consumers, particularly younger ones, use scent to try out different roles or vibes as they go about their day. Pioneering this approach, Maison Margiela’s Replica line names its fragrances not for their scent profiles, but for the experiences they evoke: ‘Jazz Club,’ ‘By the Fireplace,’ or ‘Beach Walk.’
Perfume advertising has long capitalised on this abstraction, leaning into surreal, avant-garde imagery to convey the essence of scent. Take, for instance, Julia Roberts’ iconic ad for La Vie Est Belle, or the cryptic French phrases and shirtless men (and God knows what else) that populate so many high-end perfume commercials. TBH I used to be enamoured by these commercials as a teenager, but couldn’t really put my finger on why. They didn’t make any sense, but simultaneously they did? I was struck by the opulence the ad communicated (even if it often verged on ridiculous). These campaigns often feel more like art films than advertisements; you can’t smell it, but you can imagine its scent when the world around it is built. As the “vibe economy” expands, perfume ads have only become more surreal and hyper-specific, evoking the sensation of being in a Parisian café at dawn or wrapped in cashmere by a fireplace. The goal is not just to describe a scent but to communicate a world, a feeling—a trend that echoes the storytelling central to TikTok and Pinterest communities.
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This narrative-driven marketing has only been amplified by TikTok’s influence on the fragrance world. With #PerfumeTok amassing over 2.3 billion views, TikTok has become a powerful platform for fragrance discovery, where even niche brands, like Phlur and Maison Millais, offering experimental scents that mimic mossy woods or motor oil can gain cult status overnight. Videos breaking down scent profiles, or crafting moodboards around specific vibes, have inspired millions to make blind buys, based solely on the narrative woven around the fragrance. In this new wave of consumers, there is a rejection of mainstream commercial scents in favour of more niche, experimental options—an act of rebellion against the cookie-cutter appeal of most luxury brands.
With #PerfumeTok amassing over 2.3 billion views, TikTok has become a powerful platform for fragrance discovery
Even deeper into the uniqueness-frontier, scents have evolved from being powerful to being ‘your scent but better.’ Historically, perfume was used by the nobility to mask odours (it was a real stinky time) during the Black Plague, where bathing was dangerous for potential infections. This, in turn, made loud, overpowering scents inherently aspirational and luxurious. That is, until, we came by the trend of ‘quiet luxury’, moving away from the brash and logo-obsessed era of the 2010s, and into a more understated ‘IYKYK’ idea of luxury in the 2020s. Similarly to how makeup changed from bold to demure (sorry) in the 2010s, scents have gravitated away from being head-turning and overpowering, like say Baccarat Rouge or Dior Sauvage, to smelling natural. Glossier You, one of the best selling budget perfumes from zeitgeist-y teens and young adults, functions to be “your scent but better,” adapting to each individual wearer. This isn’t a million miles away from their makeup and skincare ethos, which is all about “your skin but better,” and made it a natural, successful fit for the company. Another example is the rise of pheromone perfumes, with videos mentioning pheromone perfumes garnering 3.6 million average weekly views—a 121% increase year over year. This viral interest has also propelled Amazon’s fragrance business, particularly with pheromone perfumes like Pure Instinct’s roll-on perfume ‘Crave’, which nets nearly $300,000 in monthly sales. Even Estee Lauder has announced an exclusive partnership with Dresden University of Technology to study perfume, scent, and the emotions it evokes, signalling a shift to advertising scents in a more functional way. They currently have a dazzling roster of brands, from Le Labo to Balmain, from Mac, to The Ordinary, so it will be fascinating to see what arises from this.
Ultimately, the fragrance industry is BOOMING, valued at $64.4 billion in 2023 and expected to grow by 7% to $68.9 billion in 2024. The sector’s growth has been driven in part by first-time buyers and an expanding men’s market, with teen boys’ spending on fragrance rising 26% in 2023 alone. This surge is emblematic of a larger shift: perfume, once seen as a luxury, has become an alternative form of self-expression and identity construction.
Luxury fashion brands, too, have taken note, with Bottega Veneta launching a new fragrance line amid a larger trend of high-end brands expanding into the fragrance space. With fashion flailing over the past year, beauty—and fragrance in particular—has become the new “lipstick effect,” an entry-level product that offers consumers a gateway into the world of luxury. And it’s not just the packaging that’s drawing attention. Brands are increasingly creating perfumes with functional properties, like Bella Hadid’s Orabella, which blends mood-boosting ingredients with earthy scents, reflecting a growing trend toward health and wellness in fragrance.
Ultimately, the fragrance industry is BOOMING, valued at $64.4 billion in 2023 and expected to grow by 7% to $68.9 billion in 2024.
The spike in interest of fragrance, as well as the idea of trialling out signature scents, has led to the rise of ‘dupe’ (or ‘inspired’) sites like Noted Aromas or Dossier. As it’s nearly impossible to trademark a scent (who can really own the scent of ‘jasmine’), low-cost alternatives are cropping up. One could say fast fashion of fragrance, one could see it as a way to trial out new scents without superfluous consumption of £350+ bottles (I personally found my new favourite scent through a discovery pack from Noted Aromas, I stan them!).
As consumers grow more discerning, they’re not just looking for a scent—they’re seeking an experience, a mood, or even a role to play in their everyday lives. Whether it’s through DIY mood boards on TikTok or abstract advertising campaigns, the perfume industry is rapidly evolving, embracing a future where scent is more than a product—it’s a narrative, a vibe, and a deeply personal form of self-expression.