PSA: These Are Going to Be the 26 Trendiest Fragrances in 2024

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Three years ago, I owned exactly two perfumes: Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar, my signature scent I wore every day, and Chanel Chance, my special fragrance for dates and evenings out. And that was all I needed. Or so I thought. Fast-forward to today and my vanity is holding up...108 fragrances. Did I rob a Sephora or accidentally become a hoarder? No (well, actually, no comment on the latter point). It’s just that sometime in the past year, perfume stopped being a predictable department-store product or something your mom might buy you on your birthday. It became a Whole Damn Event—complete with perfume trends, hella new brands, and a growing number of fans.

Like with so many current beauty phenomena, we can thank social media
for this now-cool-again makeover. Influencers are sharing their “fragrance ward­robes” (collections of scents curated by mood, occasion, or personal aesthetic),
#PerfumeTok is a billion-view behemoth, and Gen Z is all about the “sillage” (insider speak for the scent trail a perfume leaves behind). Traditional fragrance houses and indie brands alike have responded with new collections and innovative notes that are contributing to a whole new set of trends. Ahead, I compiled the seven biggest perfume trends of 2024, along with 26 specific scents you have to try (all tested and reviewed by moi, ofc).

Our methodology:

In June 2023, I (Cosmo's beauty editor, hi) compiled a list of the seven biggest perfume trends for 2024. My predictions were based on convos with perfumers and expert noses, meetings with some of the world's top fragrance brands, and personal trend-spotting. Then, our beauty team got to work researching, testing, and reviewing more than 100 different fragrances, body sprays, and perfume oils in each of these trend categories. In August 2023, we narrowed down the list to 50 of our favorites and continued testing until we landed on the these 26 perfumes, aka the best-of-the best for 2024, based on the coming year's biggest scent trends. FYI: We based our picks on longevity, scent profile, price point, packaging, bottle design, and expert insights.

Perfume Trend #1: The Unhinged and Unexpected

Apologies to roses and lilies everywhere, but it’s time to move beyond the basics with weird yet shockingly pleasant aromas inspired by unconventional notes like buttery croissants, Play-Doh (yes, that Play-Doh), lipstick, and hemp leaves.

Crumb Couture

Wanna smell like the fresh, warm croissants at your neighborhood bakery? You literally can with this fragrance, which pairs croissant accord (yup, it's a thing) with wild berry jam notes, sandalwood, and toasted vanilla for a majorly sweet, cozy scent.

Lit Eau de Parfum

This takes green, citrusy scent to a whole new level. Enter: Hemp leaf notes, which give this perfume an earthy, smokey vibe that's fully worthy of a 4:20 spritz (Sry, had to!). And I'm also a huge fan of how affordable this brand is for such a long-lasting fragrance.

Daydream of Hopscotch Eau de Parfum

By Far bottled peak nostalgia with this Playdoh-inspired scent—which actually uses a Playdough accord that smells exactly like the real thing, IMO. But it's also got some adult-y notes (like tonka bean and amber) that lend more to a girl's night than playtime.

Oh Mon Dieu Eau De Parfum

Swiping on a red lipstick before a big meeting or date is the ultimate power stance for me. And this scent, which combines legit lipstick notes (think of your mom's lipstick from the '90s—powdery, rosey, and sweet), plus cognac, leather, and caramel to make it majorly ~sexy~.

Perfume Trend #2: Bottled Therapy

Give your mood a boost with one of these aromatherapy-forward scents. They feature notes like chamomile, lavender, and eucalyptus to promote zen vibes and pair perfectly with herbal tea and a journal.

Rain Tea Eau de Parfum

Like sipping a warm cup of tea in the afternoon, Rain Tea is cozy and comforting. I love spritzing it on a sweater on a rainy day to get a whiff of the chamomile, white tea, honey, and chrysanthemum all day long—not just when I've got a fresh-brewed cup in my hand.

Invisible Woods Eau de Parfum

Future Society is actually using biotech to reimagine scents we never thought we'd smell again. For example, Invisible Woods was inspired by a flowering tree that went extinct in the Indian mountain range from drought. So, ofc, this perfume has a woody base, but it smells immediately calming from chamomile and eucalyptus, just like spending an afternoon in the woods.

Libre L'Absolu Platine Eau de Parfum

FWIW, I actually wear this perfume to bed most nights. The mix of lavender, vanilla, amber, and aldehydes (smells like linen, "fresh laundry" vibes) legit put me right to sleep—it's so soothing and cozy after a long day.

Le Labo Lavande 31 Eau de Parfum

I started keeping a few samples of this lavender fragrance from Le Labo on my desk at the Cosmo office, because one spritz immediately calms me down amid my usual 2 p.m. anxiety spiral (Therapy doop!). I immediately get the relaxing lavender scent, plus warm amber and light musk.

Perfume Trend #3: Sustainable Selections

Fragrance is finally having its “clean beauty” moment. The highlights? Recyclable packaging, compostable bottle caps, and juice that’s made with upcycled rose and bergamot leftovers.

Boozy Patchouli

I love the freshness of this otherwise spicy patchouli- and pink-pepper-based scent. It actually relies on upcycled rose, which makes use of the scraps that would have just been discarded and sat in a landfill. They actually also use alcohol derived from sugarcane, not corn, which is free of pesticides and GMOs (if you're into that sorta thing).

Venus of Verbena Eau de Parfum

Sana Jardin is a leader in the fragrance industry rn for their sustainability and equity. Yeah, Venus of Verbena is a crisp, leafy-green scent that practically smells like walking through a lush forest. But the best part is that the women harvesting the flowers for the scent are encouraged to use the byproducts to create and sell their own goods in their communities. Plus, the bottles are recyclable and the caps are compostable.

Water Therapy

If the thought of your overconsumption gives you hives like me (!), try Water Therapy. For starters, it's made from entirely responsibly sourced ingredients and features a glass, recyclable bottle. But it also will calm you tf down, thanks to ocean-inspired notes like seaweed and salt.

Perfume Trend #4: Second-Skin Scents

Instead of your perfume entering the room before you, these fragrances sit ultra-close to your skin, only making themselves known when you’re up close and personal with someone.

Santo Wood Eau de Parfum

This perfume perfectly encapsulates the "clean girl aesthetic"—sandalwood and white birch gives it a deep, outdoorsy quality, while black tea, black musk, and eucalyptus keep the scent soft and bright. Dare I say, it pairs perfectly with a crisp white tee and slicked-back bun.

Billie Eau de Parfum

I keep a travel size of Billie in my gym bag to spritz on before and after yoga classes where I don't really need the person next to me to be bombarded by my perfume. The fresh, green notes paired with creamy musk and vanilla just smell like clean clothes, not sweaty, post-workout skin.

Worthy IntenScenual Eau De Parfum

This is one of the most-complimented fragrances in my collection. And it's prob because the notes (including woody notes, white tea, musk, and green leaves) are blended so well that they're barely discernable. It mixes with your body chemistry to develop into a smooth, fresh scent, but will pick up differently on everyone. I, for one, love how sweet it smells on me.

Molecule 01 + Black Tea Fragrance

When I just wanna smell like myself but better, I turn to Escentric Molecules 01. Its main note is iso e super, a synthetic scent that pairs with your skin's natural pheromones to smell woodsy, cozy, and musky. But this new iteration also incorporates black tea to add a subtle herbal vibe that I *love*.

Perfume Trend #5: Sweet Treats

Welcome to the corner of the fragrance biz that’s gone full foodie. Think: pistachio gelato, almond banana bread, fresh-spun cotton candy, and birthday cupcakes.

Yum Pistachio Gelato 33 Eau De Parfum Intense

Reminder: I have over 100 perfumes on my dresser at home (and even more at the office, whoops). And I've gone through half a bottle of this smooth, gelato-inspired perfume in the last six months. I can still smell it on my skin hours later, and apparently so can my dates, who've been complimenting me left and right on how delicious I smell. 😎

J'adore L'Or Eau de Parfum

On the surface, you might think this perfume is loaded with powdery, soft florals (the notes are exclusively orange blossom, damascena rose, and grandiflorum jasmine). But the jasmine in this scent is majorly sweet, pulling in notes of almond, mango, and banana, which fully make me smell like a banana-cream tart every time I spray this on. But like... the most expensive tart ever, of course.

Bake Eau de Parfum

Lemme explain to you how truly decadent Akro Bake smells: Picture the best sugary, vanilla cupcake you've had, covered in lemon-cream frosting, served with a side of rum-covered pralines. Yup, it's "I want to take a bite out of you" good.

Boardwalk Delight Eau de Parfum

I love giving myself a lil taste of summer all year 'round, especially with this perfume from Skylar. It's like walking down a crowded boardwalk with an extra-sweet cotton candy in hand on a 70-degree day. Oh, and you get a lil whiff of your coconut-y SPF in between bites (shout-out vanilla and coconut milk notes).

Perfume Trend #6: Not Your Grandma's Musks

As in these aren’t the powdery “make you cough” blends you’d find lingering in dust-covered bottles. The new musks skew fresh, soft, and surprisingly modern, courtesy of added fruity and floral notes.

Father Figure Eau de Parfum

I am fully obsessed with how juicy and clean this perfume smells. It could have really leaned into the powdery musk note, but instead, it's got sweet fig, dark patchouli, and green cassis, making it the 2024 version of a musky floral. Def signature scent-worthy for me.

Smiley Face Garden Fragrance

Dedcool is always going to take a note and make it smell 10x cooler. Case in point: Smiley Face Garden, which turns a traditional rosey, musk fragrance into a cottagecore dream. Instead of a powdery, fresh scent, it goes way more earthy and grounding (see: guaiac wood, sandalwood, and cedarwood).

Myriad Eau de Parfum

I am fully aware this perfume is $$$$, but when I say it lasts for days, I mean it. Myriad is definitely powdery and musky (hi, oud and Bulgarian rose), but it's brought into the 21st century with some sweet cocoa notes and spicy saffron. Did I mention the sillage is impeccable? You'll make an impression the second you step off the elevator, but without all the cloying and headaches.

Tutti Twilly d'Hermès Eau de Parfum

The next best thing to a Hermès Twilly scarf? This fruity, floral perfume. Sure, there's musk in the base, but all it does is make this bright, flowery scent smell a bit more sophisticated and enveloping. And I can't lie: Having a Hermès bottle on my vanity does magically make me feel more like a classy lady, okay?!

Perfume Trend #7: Cosmic Chaos

Is it a Full Moon or is it just your perfume? These scents are all about otherworldy vibes, so expect them to smell crisp and clean (like the air during said Full Moon) but also a little bit mysterious, thanks to smoky wood and earthy sandalwood notes.

Moon Dust Eau de Parfum

This scent is a whole damn journey, which is exactly how I imagine traveling to the moon feels! The jasmine and grapefruit base is bright and floral, before turning sharp with peppermint, and finally landing at a woodsy palo santo/vetiver vibe on the dry down. It's totally unlike any other perfume I've ever smelled (and you know I've smelled a lot).

Moon Flower Extrait de Parfum

A blooming garden, but like, at 3 a.m. walking the streets of West Hollywood in a pair of platforms... or at least that's how I picture Moon Flower. Moss, musk, and patchouli inevitably smell deep and grungey, but once the scent mixes with a slew of crisp, bright floral notes, it has a hot date-night vibe for me.

Moondance Eau de Parfum

I'm not normally a floral lover, but this perfume is giving me full on Bridgerton vibes from bottle to scent. It's undeniably rosey and fresh, but has some sandalwood in the base for a hell of a lot longer longevity than a usual one-note flowery fragrance. It has a je-ne-sais-quoi that I can't quite figure out, but damn, do I love it!

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