Refinery 29 Winter Fragrance Trends

Barb Stegemann, Founder & President of The 7 Virtues says "The biggest consumer demand I’m seeing in fragrance is giving the design power back to the client. People don’t just want to buy a perfume anymore; they want to create their own. Consumers are gravitating toward blends that snap together effortlessly, so they can build a brand-new scent without difficulty. They want it simplified, packaged, and fail proof, like following an irresistible recipe.” 

The rise of gourmet-inspired fragrances is accelerating rapidly as we head into 2026, with the global market valued at roughly £24.7 billion in 2025 (and forecast to climb to £41.8 billion by 2035). Online behaviour mirrors this momentum: searches for “foodie fragrances” and “gourmand scents” have surged 139.6% year-on-year, while social data shows even sharper spikes - in October The 7 Virtues launched Buttercream Haze which sold out in 48 hours in over 60 Sephora stores and immediately became the #2 in fragrance on Sephora.com. 

Barb Stegemann continues: "Especially in the gourmand space, the future is all about creating a layer cake effect, stacking notes of vanilla, caramel, fruit, buttercream, and berries so they smell like no one else in the room. To make gourmand more glamorous, people are reaching for deeper notes that add contrast such as santal wood, tonka bean, and musks. It’s the next evolution of personalization, to literally bake your own scent, a fragrance that feels custom, modern, delicious, and uniquely yours.”