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Some fragrance trends maintain their spot at the top for seasons\u2014like vanilla notes\u2014while others are more fleeting and niche, like watermelon. Spate recently predicted the top fragrance trends of 2026 using data insights showing year-over-year growth in interest across Google, TikTok and Instagram. We asked experts to share their takes on the trends and which products they recommend adding to your fragrance wardrobe.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the viral Dubai chocolate phenomenon that took off in 2024 to its growing presence in fine fragrance, pistachio has rapidly emerged as a standout trend. Its unique nutty-creamy profile resonates strongly with today\u2019s craving for comforting gourmand scents,\u201d says perfumer Andrew Everett.<\/p>\n
Head of Product and Scent Development at Snif, Kara Kowalski, notes that \u201cpistachio is currently trending up 852 percent year-over-year in popularity, and it\u2019s no surprise why! The market has taken nutty nuances and turned them into gourmand moments.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNuts like pistachio, almond or hazelnut bring a softer, more elegant gourmand effect: less sugary, less candy-like and much more refined,\u201d says David Benedek, founder and CEO of BDK Parfums, noting pistachio is beloved as a \u201cmore sophisticated alternative to traditional sweet gourmands with a sensual and addictive character. It is giving rise to a new kind of irresistible olfactory addiction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Products to try:<\/strong> D.S. & Durga Pistachio ($225), fine\u2019ry Pistachio Please ($30), LORE Lovely and a little twisted ($92)<\/p>\n \u201cCaramel is a gourmand note that is very versatile and can offer many olfactory characteristics to perfumes,\u201d says Dimitri Weber, founder and CEO of Goldfield & Banks. Kowalski adds that the rise in popularity of caramel fragrance \u201cmakes sense when you look at consumers\u2019 obsession with rich, edible notes that feel comforting and addictive.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Goldfield & Banks Sunset Hour ($222), The 7 Virtues Buttercream Haze ($94), Ellis Brooklyn Queens Caramel ($115)<\/p>\n \u201cHoney is trending because people are craving comfort with substance, warmth that feels embodied and real,\u201d says Douglas Little, founder and perfumer of Heretic Parfum. Kowalski believes the popularity of honey signals a shift toward natural sweetness and textural obsession. \u201cI always felt that honey in fragrance does more for the feel than the scent. It\u2019s golden, skin-like and slightly sensual. Think less candied, more golden glow!\u201d<\/p>\n Little agrees, noting that for him, honey \u201cis not the syrupy, synthetic fantasy that dominates modern perfumery. I have no interest in saccharine \u2018honey\u2019 accords that smell like candy or processed sugar.\u201d Instead, he prefers \u201cmaterial that smells like the hive itself: warm comb, crushed pollen, sun-heated wood and a faint leathery hum of something alive. It isn\u2019t dessert; it\u2019s waxy, textured, almost animal. You can feel the heat of the hive in it.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Snif Honey Suite ($68), Gisou Wild Rose Honey Infused Hair Perfume ($44), Ellis Brooklyn Bee ($115)<\/p>\n \u201cVanilla is a timeless and iconic ingredient in perfumery, celebrated for its warmth, comfort and sensuality. Over the past few years, perfumers have been exploring it in new ways, uncovering facets beyond the classic sweet gourmand style,\u201d says Benedek. \u201cToday, vanilla can be creamy, woody, leathery or even slightly animalic, offering a refined and versatile character that feels modern yet familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n Weber notes that vanilla offers comfort in dark times, making it a particularly relevant note today. Perfumer Jean\u2011Marc Chaillan agrees, noting that its emotional warmth and sensual familiarity help it continue to resonate with consumers across the globe. \u201cVanilla remains one of the strongest, most stable fragrance trends,\u201d notes Kowalski. \u201cAt some point, people will start to crave not just vanilla as a singular note, but ingredient pairings that complement each other. Consumers aren\u2019t looking for a basic clean vanilla, they want skin, toasted, bakery, sensual interpretations.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try:<\/strong> PHLUR Vanilla Skin ($99), GUESS La Mia Bella Vita ($75), BDK Vanille Caviar ($260)<\/p>\n \u201cStrawberry has evolved into a cultural icon with a strong digital and lifestyle presence. The viral \u2018strawberry girl\u2019 look on TikTok has helped transform the fruit into a full beauty aesthetic,\u201d says perfumer Yves Cassar. \u201cOlfactively, strawberries are trending as consumers embrace joyful, juicy gourmand fruits, reflecting the broader acceptance of fruity notes moving from mass consumer products into more premium offerings.\u201d <\/p>\n Kowalski agrees, noting as fruity notes continue to trend, \u201cconsumers want juicy, dessert-inspired fruits that feel nostalgic and grown up all in one.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Oscar de la Renta New York ($120), Notewrks Room for Dessert ($74), The 7 Virtues Strawberry Jam ($94)<\/p>\n \u201cWatermelon has been a favorite of mine forever, and it never quite gets its flowers,\u201d says Kowalski. \u201cNow, it\u2019s up 158 percent year-over-year, reflecting a demand for bright, juicy fruit that feels fresh, dewy and delicious.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Snif Swede Tooth ($68), NEST New York Watermelon Peony Perfume Oil ($108), Boy Smells Water Melons ($38)<\/p>\n Little describes oud as \u201cprimal,\u201d which is part of its appeal. \u201cIt resonates because it reminds us we are not just observers of nature, we are part of it,\u201d he adds. \u201cTrue oud forms when agarwood becomes infected by a specific fungus; in defense, the tree produces a dark, resin-saturated heartwood. That resin, once distilled, is oud, the scent of infection, resistance and transformation,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n Although oud is trending, its popularity isn\u2019t about status, says Little; it\u2019s about instinct. \u201cWe live in a sterilized, filtered culture, and animalic oud breaks that illusion. It reconnects us to the mammal beneath the polish.\u201d <\/p>\n The Middle Eastern note that has found its way to global fame over time is \u201cextreme, evocative and transportive, making any perfume with oud a true journey with thousands of stories,\u201d says Weber. Not to mention, oud is known for smelling expensive and luxurious, making it feel like a worthwhile investment, he adds.<\/p>\n \u201cNaturally, oud is deeply woody, animalic and powerful, which can be overwhelming for some,\u201d says Benedek. By combining it with fruit, the fragrance gains roundness, softness and approachability, making it more \u2018digestible\u2019 for regions discovering or rediscovering oud.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Heretic Dragon\u2019s Blood ($165), Tom Ford Oud Wood ($300), Dior Oud Ispahan ($220)<\/p>\n \u201cCitrus notes such as bergamot capture the consumer desire for clean, uplifting sensations and bergamot, with its citrusy yet subtly fruity facets, perfectly meets expectations for a modern freshness with a touch of brightness,\u201d says Chaillan.<\/p>\n Kowalski notes that bergamot is in most fragrances but rarely gets to be the headliner. With the note up 90 percent year-over-year, it looks promising that consumers are interested in citrus notes that haven\u2019t always been at the forefront, says Kowalski, who notes bergamot is also great because it\u2019s so versatile and easy to layer.<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Vyrao I Am Verdant ($190) <\/strong>Notewrks Sunny Is a Feeling ($74), Henry Rose Windows Down ($120)<\/p>\n \u201cThis ingredient crept through the ranks for years,\u201d says Kowalski. \u201cIt\u2019s not an easy ingredient to develop around. It can be polarizing at times, but consumers are embracing it! It\u2019s an ingredient we\u2019ve likely been smelling for a while without knowing what it is. Think of the sun lotions we reach for every summer. Banana or banana flower accords are often woven into those nostalgic beachy profiles.\u201d<\/p>\n Products to try: <\/strong>Esas Paradis ($225), Snif Hazel Split ($34), Ellis Brooklyn Banana Milkshake Hair and Body Fragrance Mist ($39)<\/p>\n Rounding out the top 10, matcha notes are up more than 173 percent year-over-year, signaling growing interest in fresh, earthy green tea scents. It seems matcha is becoming increasingly mainstream in both lattes and perfumes.<\/p>\n Products: <\/strong>PHLUR Matcha Milk Hair and Body Mist ($39), Le Labo Th\u00e9 Matcha 26 ($240), Nette Th\u00e9 Vanille ($140)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nCaramel<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Honey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Vanilla<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Strawberry<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Watermelon<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Oud<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Bergamot<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Banana<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Matcha<\/strong><\/h2>\n