Perfume undoubtedly experiences trends and movements. There are many reasons for changing appetites, partly due to consumer interests, demand for more sophisticated or personalised fragrances, regulations around the types of ingredients used in perfume production, and expectations about how long a perfume should last.
Compiled by the experts in all things scent at Parfum Muse, we’ll learn about this year’s most influential trends in scents, colognes, and fragrances and ensure you get ahead of the crowds when it’s time to invest in a new perfume.
Quiet Luxury: Subtle, Understated Modern Perfume
When we considered the most noteworthy trends to discuss, the first thing that came to mind was ‘quiet luxury’. In a far cry from the once opulent, heavily branded designer clothes, bags, and shoes we’d have seen in fashion meccas like London, Paris, and New York, the elite has pared everything back so that only those in the know will recognise a high-end brand.
The same focus applies to perfumes, where a lightly applied scent works perfectly alongside minimalist fashion, discreet branding, and low-key hairstyles—rather than the huge blow-dries and stand-out makeup from previous seasons.
Perfumes to Try for a Quiet Luxury Feel
Consumers want perfumes that make them smell and feel like the top 1%, even if they are heading for a normal day at work – but aspirational style is key. Here are a few recommendations:
- Almost any scent from Parfums de Marly – a brand inspired by Louis XV’s ‘perfumed court’. The Safanad Eau de Parfum, with orange and pear top notes and a woody amber and vanilla base, is a scent of luxury, and the Athalia Eau de Parfum is a sultry, powdery perfume with musk underneath incense and bitter orange.
- High-Frequency Eau de Parfum by Initio Parfums Prives is a heady, French-manufactured perfume that blends heliotrope, jasmine, magnolia, almond, and sandalwood to create a mesmerising effect.
- 1270 Eau de Parfum from Parfums Frapin – a unisex fragrance that evolves over the hours of wear and is based on the complex, delicious profile of La Folle Blanche, a tart, rich wine often served at fine dining establishments.
Each of these incredible scents packs a punch, so a small spritz around the collarbone is plenty to attract attention and ensure your fabulous fragrance suits the most refined outfit choice.
You can also accessorise to make your perfume more prevalent, using jewellery and styling to mimic the theme of your chosen fragrance for the ultimate put-together look.
Aquatics for Romance, With a Hint of Tropical Sea Salt
Aquatic fragrances have made a huge comeback, and although aqua, marine, and salty accents are typically popular in spring and summer, they’re often overshadowed by more classic light, summery florals.
For a taste of the exotic, today’s perfume connoisseurs are looking for deeper, more interesting scents that step outside the ordinary.
Marine and aquatic scents are a little more uplifting, energetic, and invigorating than a floral perfume, but also easy to wear – with a few spritzes to freshen your mood for an everyday routine or a slightly heavier application for a summer dinner, party with friends, or outdoor celebration.
Summery Aquatic Scent Recommendations
We love the Pacific Rock Moss Perfume Concentrate from Goldfield & Banks. It’s an intriguing blend of lemon and aquatic accord with rock moss, sage, musk, amber, and cedarwood for a robust yet refreshing base that feels like a summer evening dipping your toes into a rockpool somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Salina Eau de Parfum is a great option, with top notes of marine salt and pine needles that mimic a summer’s evening stroll along an Italian coastline – the perfume is inspired by Salina Island, just north of Sicily, with an artful blend of heat, saltwater and sweetness. Hot sand, myrtle, lavender, wormwood and marine heart notes add depth, with a base of cedar, vanilla and musk that make this aquatic scent a little richer and more intense.
Do you like the idea of bringing the scent of the ocean into your home? This trend has extended into tasteful home fragrances with some amazing options.
The Rooftop Scented Candle from La Maison J.U.S is a brilliant option, designed to smell like a rooftop party far about the lights of a Parisian summer street or Tokyo evening, or the divine Biancofiore Room Diffuser, a wonderful scent from Laboratorio Olfattivo, is based around marine accord, coconut, ‘four o’clock’ and watermelon – it’s delectable and delicate in a suave bottle you’ll be happy to leave on display.
Evocative Fragrances Based on Memories and Science
Perfume manufacturing has become increasingly technologically advanced, more efficient, and sustainable. Thousands of notes and accents have been replaced with like-for-like alternatives, avoiding the use of animal or plant products in high-end scents.
Along with these shifts, top perfumiers have been experimenting with fragrances that tug on our memory strings and tap into the power of our olfactory senses.
Examples include:
- Notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, spice, and sweetness that feel like home baking.
- Leathery, smoky aniseed fragrances that mimic a subtle scent of cigar smoke.
- Unusual fragrances that smell heavenly, with barely discernible hints of coffee or caramel, designed to make us feel warm, comfy and soothed.
Smoky, deep scent profiles have also become an emerging trend for the year ahead, so there’s little doubt these less usual fragrances are now extremely popular. They provide a scent that reminds you of leather-bound seats, dimly lit wine bars, and softly swirling smoke.
Suggested Memory-Evoking Smoky Modern Scents
Ciel D’Orage Eau de Parfum is a good example, produced by Ojar. This fragrance is based around Oud but uses suede, patchouli, pine, vetiver, saffron, and artemisia to create an unexpected and special scent.
Laboratorio Olfattivo’s Nerotic Eau de Parfum is another contender. Its base features a leather accord and smoky notes, along with woody, coriander, saffron, bergamot, and red fruits. The intoxicating scent is seriously addictive.
