In the Know(s): 3 Fragrance Trends Everyone Will Be Spritzing in 2026
According to industry experts, you can expect some kitchen staples to be making their way into fragrance bottles.
New years often bring new routines and discoveries, and that becomes extra evident in beauty rituals. A previously-untried lipstick shade or a fresh scent become simple reminders of the power of new beginnings.
In 2026, fragrances are expected to get deeper, more personal, and even wilder. Looking to get ahead of the curve? Keep an eye out for these trends—and the bottles to include in your wishlists.
1. Fragrances will move past experimentation and toward identity.
“Personalization will be a trend,” says COTY Fragrances brand manager Dana Laxa, which oversees iconic fragrance brands like Gucci, Hugo Boss, and Marc Jacobs. And we’re not just talking about engraving your name on a bottle. “It’s personalization through layering, combining scents, and creating your own signature scent,” she adds.
The key to fragrance layering is having a flexible base to work with. “Start with a sturdy base and add layers of more delicate, complementary elements,” advises Filipina perfumer Bernadette Lim in a previous interview with Allure Philippines. Allure recommends D.S. & Durga’s I Don’t Know What Eau de Parfum, a musky fragrance that “enhances any scent.”
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In keeping with personal expression, fragrances in 2026 will not just be limited to the skin or body. “Hair mists are definitely something that I’m seeing can be bigger in the next few years,” says Luxasia general brand manager Celeste Valencia.
2. People will want to start smelling less like everyone else.
Gone are the days when everybody wanted to wear Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue or Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. “We used to look for scents that are fresh and citrusy,” explains Tin Conde, Luxasia head of education. “But now, [Gen Z] is looking for something gourmand. The more unique the scent, the stronger it is, the more intense it is—that’s [the fragrance] for them.”
From Tom Ford’s decadent Lost Cherry to LUSH’s cozy-smelling Sticky Dates, here are seven gourmand fragrances worth trying.
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3. The year’s unexpected trending ingredients are those we often cook with.
“Ginger, in the Philippines, is not a usual ingredient in fragrances,” says Laxa. “But ginger has this personality of being warm, being spicy, so it really creates a powerful—but balanced scent.” Other interesting ingredients to be on the lookout for are “pistachio, milk, and rice,” adds Conde.
You can find ginger in Boss Bottled Beyond Eau de Parfum and pistachio in KAYALI Yum Pistachio Gelato 33.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The three dominant fragrance trends in 2026 are identity-driven personalization through scent layering, the rise of gourmand and intensely unique fragrances over fresh and citrus profiles, and the emergence of unexpected culinary ingredients — particularly ginger, pistachio, milk, and rice — as featured fragrance notes. Industry experts from COTY Fragrances and Luxasia point to these as the defining shifts of the year.
Fragrance layering is the practice of combining multiple scents on the skin to create a personal, signature fragrance rather than wearing a single product. The technique involves starting with a sturdy, flexible base — such as a musky or neutral eau de parfum — then adding lighter, complementary layers on top. The goal is a scent combination that reads as uniquely one’s own rather than recognizable from a single bottle.
Fragrance industry educators note that younger consumers — particularly Gen Z — are moving away from widely worn fresh and citrus profiles in favor of more unusual, intense, and edible-smelling scents. Gourmand fragrances, which evoke food ingredients like dried fruit, caramel, and vanilla, appeal to a desire for individuality and sensory distinctiveness rather than approachability or mass-market wearability.
Ginger, pistachio, milk, and rice are emerging as notable trending fragrance ingredients in 2026, according to industry experts. Ginger in particular — not historically common in Philippine fragrance culture — is gaining ground for its warm, spicy character that adds depth and balance to a composition. Pistachio is appearing in niche and designer launches, with KAYALI’s Yum Pistachio Gelato 33 cited as a reference point.
Hair mists are fragrance products formulated specifically for application to hair rather than skin, designed to carry scent through movement and last throughout the day. Industry experts indicate the category is positioned for significant growth in the coming years, as consumers seek to extend their fragrance presence beyond the body and incorporate scent into more aspects of their personal expression and grooming routine.
