Are Perfumes the New Fast Fashion?
How viral scents are reshaping the industry
It’s funny how quickly we can clock a fragrance these days. I remember being on the Tube surrounded not by one, not by two, but by at least four people all doused in the same scent: Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540. That carriage could’ve easily and cleverly, doubled as a live campaign for the smoky-sweet fragrance.
What do Baccarat Rouge 540, Phlur’s Missing Person, Le Labo’s Santal 33, Glossier’s You and even Ariana Grande’s Cloud all have in common? They didn’t just sell well, they went viral. We’re talking months-long waiting lists, billions of TikTok views, and sales spiking almost overnight.
Perfume was one of the more private beauty rituals—quiet, intimate, almost a secret. But social media, specifically #PerfumeTok, has flipped that on its head. “Social media platforms have given people a way to share their love of fragrance in a way that truly resonates with others. Video, especially, has democratised discovery,” explains fragrance expert Nick Gilbert, co-founder of UK brand Eau de Boujee and scent house Olfiction.
With six new perfumes launching every day, fragrance is starting to look a lot like fast fashion
On TikTok, hashtags like #PerfumeTok, #BaccaratRouge540 and #dupes rack up billions of views. In 2023, “Perfume” was the most-watched fragrance-related trend worldwide, drawing almost 40 billion views, bringing in a whole new audience to the fragrance world.
The UK fragrance market was valued at £1.74 billion in 2024 and is projected to pass £2 billion by 2029. The growth is powered by Gen Z and millennials, whose relationship with scent has shifted from being an invisible accessory to more of a visible statement. Perfume isn’t just worn anymore—it’s shared, documented, and performed in many ways. With a new customer and social media, the traditional ways of interacting with our scents have changed.
The speed of the fragrance cycle is fast. In the past, a select few fragrances might have defined a decade, think the classics, Chanel, and Mugler. Today, fragrance popularity rises and falls with cultural hype. “Pistachio’s moment as a key accord came and went just as quickly,” Gilbert says. “Tropical fruits were in, out, and now in again.” With almost six new perfumes launching every day, fragrance is starting to look a lot like fast fashion.
Romy Kowalewski, founder of 27 87, agrees there are similarities but stresses the difference. “The rhythm is similar. Fast fashion creates visibility but often without substance. In fragrance, hype can help niche gain exposure, which is positive, but the essence remains personal. Unlike clothes that are worn collectively, perfume connects individually. Choosing a scent is not about following speed; it is about curating presence,” he says.
For brands, virality has rewritten the rulebook. Waiting lists, controlled scarcity, clever storytelling—they’re not just gimmicks, but deliberate strategies to create cultural moments. Yet hype alone doesn’t last; the fragrance itself has to deliver. Baccarat Rouge wasn’t only loved because TikTok adored it. “The originality of the key accord or structure is part of what helps it become and maintain its cultural phenomenon status,” Gilbert stresses.
But the moment a fragrance becomes recognisable everywhere, something shifts. Aamna Lone, chemistry-trained fragrance expert, notes that hyped scents are often quickly dismissed as “basic” or “generic” by consumers. It’s not that the fragrance itself changes, but its social currency does. This is reflective of this new customer, who is seeking out individuality and something special that is unique to them and also cool and trendy. But the irony, with every share, that cool perfumes become less unique.
The viral effect isn’t always negative. A fragrance that explodes in popularity can end up symbolising a particular moment in time. Clara Molloy, co-founder of Memo Paris, describes it as “a way of communicating, both to those we don’t know and those who are close to us… like an emotional clue.” Baccarat Rouge almost revolutionised, who has access to luxe fragrances. Glossier You captured the “clean girl aesthetic.” Le Labo Santal 33 brought niche perfumes to the mainstream.
We’re also seeing a growing appetite for something slower. The olfactory equivalent of slow fashion is on the rise: niche and artisanal fragrances with transparent formulas, sustainable practices and meaningful backstories. Rachel Freeman, National Education Director at Creed, believes that “consumers will start looking for things that make them feel good but also knowing that they have supported a whole community of people from all over the world.”
Yet whether anything can truly stay niche in the age of TikTok is questionable. Kowalewski believes that the category itself will split: “There will be a commercial niche and there will be a more radical niche that pushes boundaries further. The most interesting space lies in how we keep redefining what niche means.” With the rise of AI and independent self taught perfumers, we will see even more change to the culture of this industry.
Maybe the point is that viral perfumes allow us to experiment, to connect, to express. Whether viral or niche, fleeting or enduring, fragrance remains one of the most personal choices we make.
