Perfume has been driving growth in the beauty industry, defying broader market slowdowns. Fragrance was the fastest-growing beauty category in 2024 (McKinsey, 2025), with prestige fragrance sales increasing by 14% year-over-year (Business of Fashion, 2025) and the global fragrance market is projected to grow 7% in 2025, reaching €42.4 billion (Thred, 2024).
This boom is notably driven by the appetite of Gen Z consumers for fragrances. Circana reports that 73% of Gen Z wear fragrance at least three times per week, and Piper Sandler notes that annual fragrance spending among teenage boys grew by 44% in 2024.
Gen Z’s influence extends beyond traditional perfumes. Body sprays, which saw a 107% sales increase in Europe in 2024, now represent nearly half the market size of women’s EDTs in unit terms (Cosmetic Business, 2025). Meanwhile, niche and luxury fragrances are gaining traction, with brands like Sol de Janeiro (owned by L’Occitane Group) becoming top sellers at Sephora.
Why fragrance resonates with Gen Z
Self-expression and identity
Gen Z treats fragrance as an extension of personal identity rather than a simple grooming product. Unlike previous generations, which often were faithful to a single “signature scent,” Gen Z builds “fragrance wardrobes,” rotating scents based on mood, occasion, or aesthetic. Social media trends like #PerfumeTok and #Smellmaxxing amplify this behaviour, with influencers framing scents as tools for emotional expression.
Wellness and mood enhancement
Functional fragrances, marketed for mood-boosting or stress-relief properties, are gaining popularity. 42% of Gen Z now prioritizes mental health benefits in beauty purchases (Circana, 2024), pushing brands to merge scent with science and self-care.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Cosmic Power collection uses neuroscience-backed scents designed to boost confidence and mood, while Coty’s Adidas collaboration offers “vibe-based” fragrances tied to specific emotions like energy and calm. Bella Hadid’s Orebella line takes this further, blending perfumery with aromatherapy through stress-reducing ingredients like sandalwood and frankincense.
Accessibility and experimentation
Gen Z’s preference for smaller, affordable formats (travel sizes, solids, body mists) lowers the barrier to entry. Circana data shows that growth among 18-24 years old is driven by mini or travel-sized purchases. Dupes which offer affordable alternatives to luxury scents also thrive, with TikTok’s #dupeparfume hashtag amassing 60 million views (Marie Claire, 2025).
Between April 2020 and March 2025 the Google trends index on dupe perfume also increased 8.9-fold. For the most popular perfumes, searches have more than doubled every year for the last 5 years and Baccarat Rouge is the most searched dupe perfume notably following launches of a dupe by Zara.
How brands can capture the opportunity
Innovative formats and experiences
To meet Gen Z’s demand for innovation and sustainability, brands are expanding beyond conventional sprays with creative new formats. Byredo and Glossier have popularized solid perfumes, compact, travel-friendly options that appeal to eco-conscious consumers while delivering long-lasting fragrance. Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Crush Body Mist has become a cult favorite, offering an affordable, playful alternative to traditional perfumes with its tropical gourmand scent. Meanwhile, Jo Loves’ $58 fragrance paintbrushes provide a novel, mess-free application method, blending skincare and scent in a swipeable gel formula.
Successful brands also understand that emotional storytelling, rather than technical fragrance descriptions, resonates with younger consumers who view scent as a form of self-expression and memory preservation. For instance, Phlur’s Missing Person fragrance achieved viral success by mastering Gen Z’s emotional connection to scent. The perfume’s marketing didn’t focus on traditional fragrance notes but instead positioned it as “the scent of someone you miss” triggering powerful nostalgia through relatable scenarios like “cuddling with someone you love.” This narrative approach proved particularly effective on TikTok, where creators shared personal stories about the fragrance evoking memories of past relationships, helping the $72 perfume sell out within hours of launch and amass a 200,000-person waitlist.
Leverage social media authentically
TikTok is the top platform influencing Gen Z fragrance purchases (66%), followed by Instagram (64%) (Business of Fashion, 2025). Brands are leveraging these platforms through innovative, experience-driven campaigns that go beyond traditional advertising. For example Glossier, for its Rêve and Doux launch, shipped locked mystery boxes to select influencers that could only be opened via a code sent on launch day creating anticipation and exclusivity while generating organic buzz. Similarly, Noyz demonstrated emotional intelligence with its World Mental Health Day campaign, establishing an anonymous voicemail system where customers could share unfiltered thoughts and feelings, effectively positioning fragrance as part of a larger wellness conversation.
These campaigns succeeded by creating shareable moments that resonated with Gen Z’s desire for authentic connection and participation in brand narratives, rather than passive consumption of product messaging.
Embrace gender neutrality and nostalgia
Unisex offerings like Juliette Has a Gun’s provocative “Not a Perfume” and Bon Parfumeur’s numbered, gender-neutral scent system are gaining traction by aligning with younger consumers’ fluid approach to identity with these brands seeing a 32% increase in Gen Z purchasers last year alone (ESW, 2025).
Simultaneously, gourmand fragrances are experiencing a renaissance, with Tom Ford’s Vanilla Sex becoming a cult favorite by reimagining the classic vanilla note through a sensual, contemporary lens, while Chanel’s Chance Eau Splendide broke sales records by incorporating unexpected raspberry accords that evoke childhood memories of summer berries (Vanilla Paradise, 2025).
This dual trend reflects Gen Z’s complex relationship with scent: they seek both the comfort of nostalgic, edible-inspired fragrances and the progressive appeal of gender-inclusive formulations, forcing brands to innovate.
Key challenges
Balancing accessibility and premiumization
Gen Z’s preference for affordable experiences through minis and dupes presents both a challenge and opportunity for luxury fragrance brands. While 78% of Gen Z consumers start their fragrance journey with travel-sized products (Circana 2025), successful brands are implementing clever strategies to convert these samplers into full-size buyers.
Lottie London’s collaboration with Netlix show Outer Banks is a good example: by releasing limited-edition fragrances tied to the hit show’s aesthetic, they created collector’s appeal that drove fans to purchase both the 50ml and 100ml sizes.
Similarly, exclusive retail partnerships are proving effective: Ulta’s “Guild” program, which offers early access to new luxury launches, has increased full-size conversions by 22% among Gen Z shoppers (Business of Fashion 2025). Brands like Kayali have mastered this transition by offering curated “wardrobe” sets that allow gradual trading up from 10ml travel sprays to full bottles.
The key lies in creating perceived value beyond the juice itself: whether through collectible packaging, experiential unboxings, or scent customization options that justify the premium price point for younger consumers who typically look for accessibility.
Sustaining engagement beyond trends
Gen Z’s fleeting attention span and rapid trend cycles force fragrance brands to innovate at unprecedented speed while maintaining authentic connections with their customers.
The solution lies in marrying timeless values with innovation as demonstrated by Givaudan’s reinvention of classic aldehydes for a generation that associates them with “clean linen” freshness rather than vintage perfumery. Meanwhile, indie brands like Filigree & Shadow build lasting relevance by embedding social commentary into their products, such as their “Laughing With a Mouth Full of Blood” scent that references reproductive rights.
Successful brands are adopting a “modular innovation” strategy, maintaining core value propositions (sustainability, inclusivity) while regularly introducing limited-edition, collaborative collections, and format innovations to satisfy Gen Z’s craving for both consistency and discovery.
Takeaways
The fragrance industry stands at a crossroads where success demands both innovation and authenticity. To win Gen Z brands must:
1 – Prioritize versatile formats like solids and oils that cater to eco-conscious, on-the-go lifestyles while enabling personalization through scent layering.
2 – Offer compelling storytelling that positions fragrances as vehicles for emotional expression, rather than mere commodities, will resonate with this values-driven generation.
3 – Adopt a D2C approach, blending e-commerce with immersive retail experiences, to meet their demand for discovery and participation.
4 – Remain culturally agile, continuously adapting to emerging aesthetics like “clean girl” minimalism or the “quiet luxury” movement while anticipating ingredient trends from boozy accords to sleep-enhancing blends.
This generation’s approach to fragrance represents not just a passing trend, but a fundamental redefinition of scent’s role in personal identity and wellbeing. Ultimately, the future of perfume lies in breaking conventions while staying true to Gen Z’s values of self-expression and wellness.
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