Was 2025 really as bad as many felt it was? One thing, in particular, stuck with me: scarcely a day without a media-fueled crisis – and a summer that wasn't really a summer. Aside from that, I experienced the year as surprisingly calm, almost a little boring. No great highs, no deep lows. More of a steady plod.
My impression of the 2025 fragrance trends was similarly sober. Truly exciting things were rare. Besides cherry, mango, and other tropical fruits, pistachio fragrances were particularly in focus – an echo of the "Dubai chocolate" hype that had caused record sales in the Christmas business the previous year. However, contrary to many expectations, significantly fewer people subsequently wanted to permanently smell of sweet pistachio cream and croquant chocolate. Gourmand was a theme, but the direction shifted noticeably: away from the extremely sweet, towards salty, spicy – or even "umami-like" facets, with depth, warmth, and an almost savory appeal.
Overall, in retrospect, one thing stands out: the best-selling perfumes are intense and present. Performance and sillage continue to play a major role. This is also reflected in the "Aus Liebe zum Duft" bestsellers: from Bois Impérial and Ganymede to Guidance or Blonde Amber – the 2025 bestsellers are not olfactory lightweights and mark the room with an intense sillage. In this respect, perfume is still a statement for many this year. To be seen – or rather: smelled – is relevant, and fragrances serve as amplifiers of one's personality and presence.
It is also striking how strongly masculine-coded fragrance notes such as wood, frankincense, amber, or musk shaped sales success. Whether men were still the industry's sales drivers in 2025 or whether women are increasingly deliberately choosing masculine fragrance profiles cannot be said unequivocally. After all, the mega-seller Bois Impérial by Essential Parfums is conceptually a classic unisex fragrance.
On the other hand, a second, almost contradictory trend in the luxury and niche fragrance segment clearly emerged: price awareness. The fact that Essential Parfums was the best-selling brand at Aus Liebe zum Duft in 2025, primarily thanks to Bois Impérial, speaks volumes. We don't abstain, but we weigh our options. What was in demand were not generic crowd-pleasing concepts, but quality, idea, and originality in a price segment that many can afford. In 2025, people calculated – without losing their standards.
As always, exceptions prove the rule. At least, if you play in the seemingly untouchable lifestyle elite league: Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian was again one of the consistent top sellers at Aus Liebe zum Duft this year. Despite countless dupes. Despite fatigue. Despite influencer and online criticism, Baccarat Rouge has long been a status marker and identifier. If you're going to get it, you want the original – no matter the cost.
By the way, the much-vaunted – and by me much-loved – segment of "Clean" and "Skin Scents" certainly exists in parallel. While these fragrances did not dominate sales, they did provide one or two positive surprises, such as Love-O-Matic by Room 1015. Another, rather quiet, but long-lasting trend emerged with Genetic Bliss by 27 87 Perfumes: layering. Fragrance is thought of here in a modular way; synthetic molecules are specifically used as amplifiers or bases to build individual scent signatures – instead of buying them ready-made.
Interestingly, classics like Musc Ravageur, Avignon, or Tihota by Indult showed remarkable stability. Less out of nostalgia than out of trust. These fragrances don't need to convince anyone. They stand for themselves.
If we project the signals from 2025 forward, much suggests the coming year will bring:
– clearer concepts
– less olfactory overdesign
– a well-thought-out balance of idea and pricing
And here it gets personal. After a year mostly characterized by intensity and presence, I wish for 2026 more intelligent, contemporary concepts – and innovatively designed packaging. New brands like Chambre 52 or Sabé Masson show great potential: less through spectacular loudness than through an individual signature and clear branding. Impact can also arise quietly – it doesn't have to scream to be relevant.
Perhaps that is the real outlook: The question is not whether louder or quieter – the answer is: more conscious.
With that in mind, I wish you all the best for 2026.
