Highlights October 2024

In the last three years, the fragrance category has experienced growth like never before. Consultants and experts are trying to decipher consumer behaviour.

According to Circana US, the fragrance category is the fastest-growing segment in the luxury beauty sector, with a 13% increase in the first quarter of 2024. This rise is described as "unprecedented" by analysts from the consultancy. Euromonitor's data from Europe aligns with this: double-digit growth every year since the end of the pandemic.
What is driving this boom? There are several reasons. On one hand, changes in consumption patterns after the pandemic. Consumers returned to social life eager to enjoy and indulge themselves, many with savings accumulated during their time spent at home.
On the other hand, new buyers are entering the markets, including men and younger consumers (Generation Z and Alpha), who are focusing on high-end options, gift sets and body sprays.
"At Coty, we are seeing younger consumers crave authentic interactions, dynamic storytelling, and products that promote self-expression," says Sue Nabi, CEO of the company, explaining the phenomenon that has driven fragrances across all price ranges.
For his part, Fabrizio Freda, CEO of Estée Lauder, notes that younger shoppers now have up to eight fragrances.
Circana corroborates these observations with data: among buyers aged 25-44, sales have skyrocketed by 19%, although it's worth noting that this starts from a small base in the younger group.

All indicators agree that the fragrance category is growing, driven by greater market penetration, increased usage, and a trend towards premiumisation.
The question looming over the perfume sector is how long this progression will last. "The mass consumer is more likely to cut back on spending on beauty products due to rising prices," says Larissa Jensen, senior vice president of beauty and consultant at Circana.
How can interest in fragrances be sustained? The key factor in the luxury segment, notes the Circana expert, is value. For lower-priced items, a more elevated retail experience is essential.

The Academy of Perfume in Spain has presented its 2024 awards in a ceremony that highlights the positive trend of the fragrance category, not only in Spain but globally.
With 178 nominations, the 17th edition of the Academy of Perfume Awards has set a record for participation in a year that, as Juan Pedro Abeniacar, president of the Foundation, pointed out, has expanded to 29 Perfume Academics following the addition of seven new members last May.
"Spain is a powerhouse in the world of perfume; it is the second largest global exporter of perfumery and cosmetics, after France. This industry exports more than the wine, oil and footwear sectors and employs over 300,000 people in this country", he reminded.
In addition, during his speech before the awards ceremony, he proposed an idea that the Academy would like to promote internationally: the creation of a register for the intellectual property of fragrances.

List of Winners Academy of Perfume Awards 2024
Men's Perfume of the Year: Gentleman Society EDP, Givenchy (LVMH).
Perfumers: Maïa Lernout and Karine Dubreuil.
Women's Perfume of the Year: Un Jardin à Cynthère, Hermès (Puig).
Perfumer: Christine Nagel
Best Iconic Men's Perfume: 4711, Mäurer & Wirtz (Farlabo).
Perfumer: Wilhelm Müelhens.
Best Iconic Women's Perfume: Opium, YSL Beauty (L'Oréal Luxury).
Perfumers: Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac.
Best Niche Perfume: Eau The Audacity, Penhaligon's (Puig).
Perfumer: Dominique Ropion.
Best Collection Perfume: Dioriviera, Christian Dior (LVMH).
Perfumer: Francis Kurkdjian.
Best Lifestyle Men's Perfume: Bold Instinct, David Beckham (Coty).
Perfumer: Jean-Christophe Hérault.
Best Lifestyle Women's Perfume: Red, Shakira (Puig).
Perfumer: Fanny Bal.
Best Men's Design: Cryogène Code, Ladenac.
Best Women's Design: A Floral Verse Collection The Alchemist's Garden, Gucci (Coty).
Best Men's Campaign: Le Male Elixir, Jean Paul Gaultier (Puig).
Best Women's Campaign: Loewe Botanical Rainbow Campaign 2023 (LVMH).
Sustainability and Innovation Award: Fundación Todolí Citrus.

Spate's annual Fragrance Trends Report 2024 reveals consumer preferences in perfuming. What are the main trends right now?
Edible Inspiration: Notes and accords that evoke food are easily identifiable and relate to pleasurable moments that bring comfort. Gourmand perfumes remain trendy but with new twists toward less sweet nuances introducing new notes related to matcha, mint, and watermelon, for example.
Convenience Formats: There is growing interest in travel-sized perfumes and roll-ons. Additionally, complementary products like shower gels, body lotions, body sprays, and hair mists are very appealing.
High-End: Independent brands are experiencing rapid growth alongside designer brands, prompting companies to expand their high-positioning lines for differentiation and a more satisfying luxury experience.

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham is hosting an exhibition that connects art and perfume, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the Pre-Raphaelite art movement.
Thanks to AirParfum technology, which does not damage artworks or saturate the atmosphere with fragrance, visitors can discover what some of the most significant paintings from this artistic movement smell like, where aroma is present through flowers, clothing, and incense burners, among other references.
The exhibition is curated by Christina Bradstreet and was initiated by Artphilia, through its founder and director Antje Kiewell. It has been created in collaboration with Puig, where perfumer Gregorio Sola Vela, along with Camille Latron, developed three special fragrances for two paintings:
Simeon Solomon's a Saint of the Eastern Church: This fragrance uses essential oil of incense, playing with chiaroscuro by adding a bit of myrrh to enhance brightness. Dark amber woods provide contrast, while golden effects are reflected with white flowers and creamy, soft amber notes.
Sir John Everett Millais's Rainbow: Built around a heart of fresh grass mixed with damp earth, this fragrance features a soft accord of reeds, bulrushes, and drainage ditches. A watery note combined with a lemony earth note enhances the contrast between freshness and earthy aroma.
Sir John Everett Millais's The Blind Girl: The fragrance starts with a white cotton accord where aldehydes merge with a touch of citrus and aromatic notes that enhance the brightness of the blind girl. The top note blends into an accord of transparent white flowers accompanied by soft, clean woods. An ingredient provides a warm skin scent, reminiscent of fresh bread mixed with warm, velvety cotton flowers. Dark, smoky woods evoke the muddy aspect of the clothing, while animal notes interpret the scent of poverty.


Scent and the Art of the Pre-Raphaelites

Where?
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts (Birmingham, UK)
When?
Until January 25, 2025.
Free Admission

Two French perfumers witness pivotal moments in the 20th-century history, and their creations do as well. This is the game proposed in the book The Scent of Empires, Chanel No. 5 and Red Moscow, by Karl Schlögel.
A few years before the Russian Revolution, Moscow-based perfumers Ernest Beaux and Aguste Michel were commissioned to create a special fragrance to celebrate the tricentennial of the Romanov dynasty. After the fall of the tsars, Beaux returned to France, where he met Coco Chanel, while Michel stayed in Russia, becoming a key figure in establishing the Soviet perfume industry.
The formula for the imperial perfume was not lost, leading to two iconic fragrances: Chanel No. 5 and Red Moscow, symbols of two conflicting worlds.
In this intriguing narrative, Karl Schlögel explores the past to offer a unique perspective on the struggle for power in a transformative era, demonstrating that a simple drop of perfume can encapsulate part of the turbulent history of the 20th century.