The 2026 fragrance trends are in and span everything from evolved gourmands to textural blends

A new year poses the perfect opportunity to expand your scent collection or discover new notes that have yet to make it into your repertoire. And from the outset, the 2026 fragrance trends promise plenty of modern and niche blends - as well as a few returning favourites.

While scent is very much subjective and thus, can't really feel outdated, our tastes do tend to change. As with everything, from your music to your makeup routine, boredom can set in, or you might yearn for a brief change of pace. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes, and in our experience, this can definitely be true even with your favourite long-lasting perfumes. This is where insights into the trendiest and most in-demand blends can come in handy, as perhaps you want to contrast your timeless signature with something more seasonal - like a solar perfume - or embrace a niche note like matcha.

This year, there's definitely no shortage of options, with everything from textural blends and whisper-soft skin scents to jammy berry perfumes set to garner interest. So, if you're keen to kickstart 2026 with a new fragrance - to ward off fatigue around your trusted favourites - these are the 14 themes to explore...

The 14 fragrance trends we'll be scenting everywhere in 2026

Perfumes, no matter if they're rose perfumes or juicy cherry perfumes, are, for all intents and purposes, timeless. If you love it, then that's that. But there is something to be said for following seasonal shifts, and occasionally, the crowd. Fragrance trends, for one, can help to inform your investment, if you're buying online without smelling, are searching for gifts for a perfume lover, or simply want a popular scent that feels cool and modern.

As for last year's roundup, we saw a shift towards tea-inspired blends, like matcha perfumes, as well as a higher demand for skin-scents and nutty notes of pistachio. That's not to say, though, that perfumes that didn't fall into these categories were dated. The trends, like with our manicures and wardrobes, simply reflect the mood, demand, and themes of the season, which you can either follow or observe from a distance.

In 2026's case, though, you may want to follow them, as the predictions are all incredibly chic and intriguing - and that's coming from a self-proclaimed perfume buff. Indeed, there are 14, in particular, that fragrance experts have cited that promise a very good-smelling new year...

Our 2026 fragrance trend matches

Having picked the brains of six leading fragrance founders and experts, I've rounded up three blends to peruse straight away, which I think perfectly reflect the themes and notes of the year - and there's plenty more where they came from.

1. Mature & intelligent gourmands

While gourmands already had quite the revival last year, Floral Street’s Founder, Michelle Feeney, predicts that the genre will take a more mature and sophisticated turn.

"Gourmands are going nowhere - those good-enough-to-eat scents remain irresistible - but in 2026 they’re evolving. We’re seeing them merge with florals to create fragrances with unexpected depth and sophistication. Our Wild Vanilla Orchid is the perfect example: fresh jasmine elevates the sweetness of vanilla, transforming it into something elegant, modern, and utterly luxurious. It’s indulgence, but with a grown-up twist."

Founder of Iggywoo, Richard Saint-Ford, on the other hand, believes we'll see a more textural approach: "The trend I am really passionate about for next year is something I call 'intelligent gourmands’ - sweet notes will become more subtle, more textural, and more adult. Expect vanilla, tonka, and caramel to be dialled down and reconstructed with woods, resins, spices, and florals rather than sugar. Amber will be softened and made luminous by silky, milky lactones rather than layering more sweet tones."

Susan Wai Hnin, Gabar co-founder, adds that, "Modern gourmands are moving away from sugary, syrupy sweetness and leaning into edible-but-not-dessert notes - think roasted sesame, smoked nuts, and even warm chilli pepper. These modern gourmands are textured, savoury and sophisticated."

2. Whisper-soft skin scents

Sheer and soft skin scents will float onto the scene in 2026. As Almira Armstrong, founder of Atelier Lumira, explains: "People are gravitating toward scents that feel like an extension of themselves rather than something worn on top. Think soft musks, subtle woods, airy florals - fragrances that whisper rather than shout. These 'you but better' compositions are becoming the new luxury."

3. Juicy & jammy berries

Last year, we saw strawberry perfumes and raspberry blends have a real moment, and from the looks of it, this appreciation of jammy berry notes isn't waning in 2026.

Feeney says, "Berries are having their moment – playful, vibrant, and full of life. They bring a tangy sweetness that instantly lifts the mood," and recommends Floral Street's Wonderland Peony, as a lovely option for those wanting to embrace the berry movement. Detailing the blend, Feeney describes how, "raspberry flower adds a soft berry nuance, blending seamlessly into the strawberry-jam and candy floss notes."

4. Vintage, powdery florals

Powdery perfumes will continue to be the go-to among those seeking signatures that oscillate between vintage and contemporary elegance. As Feeney notes, "What was once considered old-fashioned is now chic again. Powdery florals, soft musks, and vintage-inspired notes are making a comeback, but with a modern twist."

5. Narrative Scent Storytelling

This year, perfume will be so much more than a skin-scenter. We won't look to them just for their expertly crafted notes or chic aroma, but for their story and the persona they surround us in with every spritz.

"Fragrance continues to evolve as a medium for storytelling and self-expression," says Jouissance founder, Cherry Cheng, "drawing inspiration from literature, cinema, music, art, and both mainstream and underground subcultures - be it niche literary references or the club scene.

"In 2026, I see perfumers and brand founders deepening this narrative approach, creating immersive, multi-layered scents that resonate culturally and emotionally - wearable stories that evoke memory, place, and identity."

6. Materiality and texture

From cashmere perfumes and blends that capture the vintage and familiar feel of tweed (like Penhaligon's The Cut) to hints of metal, 'materiality and texture' will be big themes among this year's trending fragrances.

"Just as fashion is embracing tactility, cashmere, suede, structured cotton, fragrance is moving the same way," says Armstrong. "We will see more perfumes inspired by materials: smooth woods, fibres, metals, stone. These scents are grounded, architectural and beautifully modern."

7. Sunlight as a scent profile

Solar perfumes will be back in a big way this year, but according to Armstrong, they'll be far more nuanced than we've seen before.

"We are already seeing early movement here: fragrances that bottle the feeling of warmth, golden light, or time spent outdoors. Not simply 'fresh' or 'solar,' but more nuanced - gilded citrus, warm florals, radiant amber. It’s the desire for optimism, escapism, and emotional brightness, captured through scent."

8. Ritual-based fragrance layering

Layering and doing so not just with your eau de parfums and toilettes, but with your body care and home scents, is set to be a popular practice in 2026.

"Fragrance is becoming part of a broader sensory ritual, from body care to home to personal scent. Customers will increasingly build layered olfactory wardrobes: a lotion that sets the tone, a perfume oil for closeness, an eau de parfum to complete the mood. It reflects the desire for consistency and comfort throughout one’s day," says Armstrong.

9. A celebration of niche

Romy Kowalewski, founder of 27 87 believes that this year will mark a new age and understanding of niche fragrances.

"We have thousands of molecules and a market that finally understands that chemistry can be an art form. Yet most launches still feel like variations of the same idea. In that sense, perfumery is still in its stone age.

"By 2026 niche will split into two directions. On one side, you will have a lifestyle niche that looks and talks like niche perfume, but behaves like mainstream. On the other side, you will have brands that really experiment. Fewer notes. Sharper structures. Synthetics used with pride. Scents that think in texture, skin, and time instead of in old perfume families," says Kowalewski, adding that, " People will choose fragrances the way they choose a point of view. Close to the skin, intelligent, adaptable. Less costume, more presence.

"This is where we have been heading with 27 87 from the beginning. The interesting work starts when you stop asking what sold last year and start asking what the present moment actually smells like."

10. Beyond the Bottle

This year, we'll see fragrance break from its bottled confines. Cheng says, "Perfume is moving beyond its traditional vessel. Expect fragrances to appear in jewellery, paper goods, ceramics, and bespoke glassware, often through collaborations between perfumers and master artisans. These formats transform scent into a multi-sensory experience, inviting interaction, intimacy, and engagement beyond the simple spritz."

11. Quality Naturals

Cheng also predicts that there will be more of a drive for rare, complex and high-quality ingredients - the sort that cannot be easily duplicated.

"With the market flooded by cheap dupes, there is a growing demand for authentic, complex natural ingredients - materials too intricate to be replicated. In 2026, rare, layered, and powerful naturals will define true luxury in perfumery, offering depth, personality, and olfactory richness that cannot be copied."

12. Post-Gourmand

While gourmands are set to be an overarching theme this year, we'll also see a more nuanced evolution of the traditional, almost edible notes. "The gourmand trend evolves into something more nuanced: fragrances inspired by travel and the sensory essence of place, yet grounded in local, often unexpected, ingredients," says Cheng: "These scents evoke distant landscapes while celebrating regional specificity, creating compositions that are adventurous, evocative, and deeply personal."

13. Nutty facets

From almond to pistachio perfumes, nutty notes will continue to dominate, according to Feeney. "We’re seeing other types of nutty, creamy ingredients take prominence. Nuts can bring fragrances to a new level of sophistication. "

14. Conscious luxury

Armstrong feels like we'll all become more considered and intentional with which luxury fragrances we invest in. "Customers care deeply about quality and consideration. The future of luxury fragrance lies in transparency, sustainable materials, and craftsmanship that endures. As a B Corp, this philosophy informs everything we do at LUMIRA, and I believe it will only grow stronger across the industry."