This article was originally published in the Fragrance Trend Report. Receive your copy here
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Mass production and overconsumption are real issues facing the beauty industry, with the fragrance market, in particular, being overrun with new launches. Whether it’s the flanker frenzy – with brands launching franchise additions from the most concentrated elixirs to light body mists – or the rapid development cycles of dupe brands as they keep up with the latest trends, there has been a recent surge in new fragrance launches that outpaces NPD cycles not only in skin care and make-up, but the fragrance category’s previous cycles too.
Approximately 6,000 new fragrances were estimated to have launched in 2025, according to figures quoted in an article in Le Monde. Before 2019, the annual figure was 2,500.
It is little wonder, then, that there is a backlash of sorts, a counter-trend that is on the rise: slow perfumery.
According to fragrance supplier Carvansons, who highlighted the trend in its Fragrance Trends Spring-Summer 2026-27 report, slow perfumery “emphasises savouring moments, connecting with scent and respecting nature, leading to more complex, long-lasting perfumes with a story.”
Carson Kitzmiller, Associate Principal Analyst, Beauty and Personal Care at Mintel adds that “slow perfumery places intention and craft at the centre of fragrance creation and it prioritises considered ingredient sourcing, longer development timelines and transparency in how fragrances are made, rather than frequent launches driven by short-term trends.”
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