Five Fall Scent Trends

The competitive fall launch season has begun for the fragrance industry and we’ve spotted some interesting global trends emerging. Beginning September 1^st through December, fragrance houses schedule their biggest launches of the year on ecomm sites and in stores. Most of these fragrances have been on the planning deck for more than two years as the perfumers, research and development teams, marketing executives and social media teams map out detailed plans for the roll-outs. Supply chain issues continue to affect the industry as most of the packaging, bottles and caps are manufactured in China. The ongoing pandemic lockdowns are forcing sourcing departments to scramble to find alternatives. Here’s what Scent Lodge is seeing for Autumn 2022.

Fragrance sales are up 18% year-over-year

According to industry tracking firm NPD, prestige fragrance sales are up an impressive 18% so far this year. Consumers rediscovered a love for scents during the lockdown at home and are indulging this passion by purchasing multiple fragrances for their collections. (Not surprisingly, makeup sales are struggling to regain post-Covid sales numbers.) Fruity-floral and amber-floral compositions are most popular in Canada with female customers. Men continue to enjoy citrus-woody and aromatic-woody colognes with a healthy dose of refreshing citrus.

Star Ingredient: Blackcurrant

If you study the big fragrance launches for her this fall, you’ll notice a common ingredient in many of the eau de parfums: blackcurrant. The distilled absolute of the blackcurrant buds and leaves is known as ‘bourgeons de casis’, a light, fruity-woody note. But it is the tart/sweet aroma of the tiny blackcurrant berry that perfumers are blending into their modern scent formulas.

Blackcurrant is actually a berry grown throughout Europe that has a fruit that looks like a small purple-black grape. Bite into one and you’ll immediately taste a tarte fruit, not unlike a passion fruit with a raspberry-like facet. Bakers love to add dried blackcurrant into baking as the fruit is sweet like grapes with a raisin-like quality.

Eco-conscious Bottles & Fragrances

One of the best fragrance trends for fall 2022 is the continued drive to make fine perfumery sustainable and respectful of the earth. This starts at the very beginning where every single ingredient is studied to ensure it is as green as possible. Alcohol used to transport the scent to your skin is now being produced from sugar cane. Roses, peonies and jasmine are grown and harvested using organic farming techniques to respect the soil and environment. And perfumers are avoiding using the roots and stems of plants wherever possible so that the ingredients are sustainable. Even the bottles and caps are using recycled and green technology. (You won’t see traditional plastic in fragrance gift sets for holiday as the European Union has outlawed it.)

Perfumers Take Centre Stage

The remarkably talented perfumers who create the fragrances we love are slowly getting the recognition they deserve. You’ll notice fewer celebrity spokespeople this Fall as perfumers host virtual and instore events to explain their art and the stories behind the fragrances. This is such a fascinating art and it is nice to finally hear first-hand stories of how the new fragrances were composed.

A Golden-Amber Holiday Season

As we head towards the holiday season, expect to see golden amber  emerge as a key scent trend. Perfumers have rediscovered this classic fragrance ingredient and are using it in new ways – most commonly by pairing it with tonka bean. Amber has a warm, enveloping aroma that blends beautifully with tonka bean which smells like a combination of almond and vanilla. It’s the perfect combination to warm snowy days in Canada.

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