Some say fashion and beauty are nothing without fragrance. Perfume is the invisible exclamation point to any esthetic ritual. Specific fragrances dress up or down any look for different parts of the day, from morning until midnight. And they are the silent accessory we all love.
The realm of fragrance is full of mystery, fantasy, imagination. And moods. We wear perfume to leave a lingering trail of our passage. Molecules of scent are physical particles that pass through others’ noses to stimulate nerve cells, called olfactory sensory neurons, that are then interpreted by the brain — essentially creating a memory — to leave an emotional imprint of ourselves in their lives. Even if for a fleeting — perhaps ignored — moment.
How important is fragrance in the cosmetics industry? According to Fact MR, a provider of syndicated and custom market research reports, global sales of perfumes were estimated to be US$ 40.4 Billion in 2022, while worldwide perfume consumption accounted for around 9% share of the global beauty market in 2021.
But First… A Little Bit of History
The word perfume comes from the Latin phrase, “per” meaning “thorough” and “fumus” meaning “smoke.” The first perfumes in the history of humanity were produced by the Mesopotamians about 4,000 years ago, and were mainly composed of a variety of resins and woods. Frankincense, sandalwood, patchouli and oud are among those that are still used in some trending 21st century fragrances. The first liquid forms of perfume were produced in Ancient Greece. But it was the development of distillation by the Arabs that made fragrance production commercially viable. An entire industry based on the pleasures procured by scent was born in France, in the seventeenth century.
Dr. Joe Schwarcz, from McGill university’s Office for Science and Society, explains in an article about the history of perfume how, as with art and industry, perfume underwent radical changes in the nineteenth century.
Evolving trends in fashion and the development of chemistry laid the foundations for modern perfumery. At the turn of the 20th century, perfume was mainly derived from a single-flower fragrance, or note — more on that later. But all of that changed with the advent of synthetic fragrances. Chanel No. 5 (simply called that because it was the fifth sample Coco Chanel was asked to sniff) was the first perfume created by applying modern chemical principles, and to be made with synthetic essences.
Like Music, But for Scent
Like a musical composition, perfume uses singular notes that are in harmony to form an aromatic creation, usually made up of top, middle/heart and base notes, each referring to how quickly a scent dissipates. These notes can take a one-dimensional aroma and make it more complex and thoughtfully crafted.
Top notes are what you smell for the first 10-15 minutes after you apply a fragrance. Mid/heart notes appear 30 minutes to one hour later. Base notes are the ones that linger on the longest — essentially what stays on your skin for the rest of the day. All three top, mid and base compose the scent pyramid.
Today, fragrances are extremely varied and contain many natural and synthetic components. Some fragrances are richly complex while others are extremely minimal, sometimes composed of one scent. Case in point: This is Not a Perfume, from niche perfumer Juliette Has a Gun, containing one single note called Cetalox (a synthetic ambergris). By the way, the name of the brand comes from Shakespeare’s heroine who uses fragrance as her weapon of choice.
For those wishing to delve more deeply into non-traditional scents, the brand Demeter Fragrance Library offers over 200 different cologne concentration fragrances based on “everyday” scents such as chocolate mint, dirt, salt air, play-doh and tomato. Oh the fun of wearing, say, Funeral Parlour to a wedding!
If, traditionally, perfume was associated with finding your signature scent among the complicated, majestic and glamour perfumes offered by prestige beauty houses (Chanel, Dior, Guerlain…), fragrance is now much more casual and revolves around your emotion of the moment. For Gen Z, it’s about creating a wardrobe of fragrances, to be used as an extension of your feelings, outfits and moods.
Fragrance Trends in the TikTok Era
Popular scents wax and wane in the world of fragrance. Like prints, colours and silhouettes in fashion and beauty, too! If vanilla was trending hard in the Y2K era and then took a sharp dip in the following decades, it’s back with a vengeance. Gourmands (those sweet, chocolatey, praline smells) are also top favourites right now. According to Kyra’s 2022 State of Beauty report, Gen-Z’s top three scents and fragrance profiles are vanilla, rose and fruity.
On TikTok, there is a very strong community of fragrance lovers using the hashtag PerfumeTok, ranging from casual collectors to full-time influencers that can make or break a fragrance in particular, or an emerging scent trend.
#PerfumeTok has 506 million views, while #PerfumeTikTok has over 1.7B views. It makes sense then that Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s wildly popular and sweet Baccarat Rouge 540 was the original viral TikTok perfume back in 2020. Pssst… If you’re looking for a dupe to the lavish, luxe fragrance here are a few.
Fragrances for Summer 2023
There are some hardcore perfume fans who believe fragrance is a seasonal affair, with some scents belonging in a cool climate and others under a tropical vibe. Whatever your belief, here are some cool scents to try on this summer.
-Nostalgic summer scents: think light-hearted, feel-good vibes inspired by sunny days. Driven by TikTok trends and a longing for simpler times, Gen Z and millennials are looking for nostalgia-fuelled scents with oceanic, salty notes.
-Modern florals: Definitely not your grandma’s florals. We’re seeing a mix of flowers with unusual notes for a cool unexpected twist. Think damask rose with cassis and matcha, iris paired with fig, and tuberose alongside pepper and suede. A prime example: Love Don’t Be Shy by Kilian Paris.
-Genderless fragrances for all: Traditionally, perfume houses have made separate fragrances for men and women. Some brands continue to do so. But now, the new trend is to create fragrances that can be worn by anyone, and the world of unisex fragrances is full of beautiful perfumes to be discovered. Think Tom Ford, Maison Margiela, and Atelier Cologne.
These are just some of the many exciting perfume trends to look out for in 2023. Whether you want a nostalgic summer scent or a truly modern take on florals, there’s something for you out there. Depending on your ‘fit and mood, of course!
