Take Note, These Are The Biggest Fragrance Trends Of 2025
So, whether it’s new ingredients, reimagined classics, fragrance technology or a shift in customer behaviour, there are some fragrance trends that are coming in hot for 2025 and we’re here to dissect them for you.
Here's what’s happening in the wonderful world of fragrance right now:
Hair perfumes are here to stay
Body mists have been growing as a category over the past few years and while hair perfumes aren’t new, more and more brands are expected to lean into the alternative way to wear scent. You only have to look at how popular the Phlur hair and body mists and Sol de Janeiro body mists (which you can also spray into your hair) are and brands would be foolish to ignore the allure of hair perfume.
They’re also attractive to fragrance fans for many other reasons – they are great for layering, they can be more cost effective than buying the Eau de Parfum equivalent and they can still be used on the body allowing them double up as a head-to-toe scenting experience. At Space NK we already have Hermès Barénia Hair Mist 30ml, £47.00, Byredo Gypsy Water Hair Perfume, £60.00 and Diptyque L'Eau Papier Hair Mist, £60.00 in the mix but keep your eyes peeled for more luxury fragrance houses unveiling their own versions soon.
Make way for cherry scents and stone fruit fragrances
With a nod to the gourmand trend, this fruity fragrance category is definitely one to watch. While fruits such as strawberry, pear and apple can be super sweet, cherries have a deeper, riper aroma that plays with woody notes and spicy accords beautifully, transforming the end result into a mature and wearable fragrance. Yes, Sabrina Carpenter’s Cherry Baby may have started the trend, we’ve got Tom Ford Lost Cherry Eau De Parfum, £180.00 and Floral Street Black Lotus Eau de Parfum, £29.00 ready and waiting to be devoured by lovers of the fruit.
Elsewhere, plum, mango, peach and apricot are edging their way to the forefront of fragrance. Phlur meets the brief (as always) with PHLUR Apricot Privée Eau De Parfum, £32.00 and PHLUR Mango Mood Body Mist, £25.00; Juliette Has A Gun Magnolia Bliss Eau de Parfum, £25.00 features mirabelle plum while Byredo Bibliothèque Eau de Parfum, £150.00 blends both peach and plum with leather and patchouli to stop any saccharine qualities.
Florals are the original fragrance shapeshifter
Like most things in fashion and beauty, things ebb and flow and florals have been waiting patiently in the background to re-enter the scent spotlight. That time is now. What’s different in 2025 is that perfumers have been experimenting with new combinations and profiles that offer the wearer surprise and delight, as well as a touch of nostalgia. Wood, amber and leather add a modern but multifaceted twist on traditional notes.
In particular, rose is being reinvented in fresher ways - for example using technologies that create synthetic molecules to recreate how various species of rose smell throughout the day and/or year, or the scent of the rose leaves and stems when they’ve been newly cut. Keen to try some floral fancies? D.S. & DURGA Rose Atlantic, £155.00 combines rose with salt water and white moss for a subtle hint of rose, FREDERIC MALLE Portrait of a Lady Eau de Parfum, £60.00 plays Turkish rose off against sandalwood and intense or try Glossier You Doux Eau De Parfum, £32.00 for a violet-based floral that has a hint of palo santo and myrrh to stop it being overtly powdery.
Expect a technology takeover
We’ll be doing a deep dive into exactly how AI is transforming the fragrance industry but in short, it’s mind-blowing how brands are utilising the technology. For example, mood boosting notes aren’t new – hello lavender and citrus, however while they’re psychological benefits are usually based on years of research and science, new aromachology AI programmes can now single out specific ingredients, colours and olfactory preferences that cue precise emotions in wearers. This is allowing brands to create emotionally intelligent scents which allow you as the wearer to decide your scent on what mood you want to feel, be it relaxed, playful, mysterious or even melancholy.
Technology is also being used to incorporate slow-release molecules into scent. Just like some skincare formulas contain certain ingredients that get to work immediately and some that work over 24 hours, this time-release technology means that the longevity of the scent will be extended further. With one fragranced molecule and one scent-free, the latter works by interacting with your skin’s microbiome. Containing an exact enzyme that’s found in the microbiome, when that enzyme reaches a specific level (via heat or temperature), it activates the fragrance molecule and the scent is released. This means that you’ll continue to get a fresh burst of scent as you go about your daily business. Watch this space for perfumes starting to incorporate this technology from here on in.
Gourmand scents aren’t going anywhere
While cherry does lend itself to the ‘edible’ category (the criteria for gourmands), it’s the sweeter notes of vanilla, caramel, almond, pistachio, marshmallow, honey, cream and coffee that are the recipe for success here. No longer limited to younger or mass audiences, prestige and luxury beauty houses are incorporating nutty notes along with maple syrup and nutmeg into their fragrances to create sophisticated and indulgent aromas that make your skin smell extravagant.
Warm and comforting, it’s no surprise that vanilla is the most nostalgic note in the world. With a chemical structure that our brains find appealing, it subconsciously alerts us to scents we link to comfort and safety like warm, sweet foods and milk (from birth). It also activates olfactory receptors in the brain linked to dopamine release which is the same chemical used for reward and pleasure. It’s why wearing scents with vanilla can make you feel safe, satisfied and even addictive. So now you know!
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