With the rise of niche fragrance, we’ve also seen a rise in popularity of more unique fragrance notes – things that, up until recently didn’t have leading roles in perfumery. People are wanting to be more adventurous, and to be honest we are the perfect place to do that because we love enabling fragrance exploits here at Lore.
Like fashion, the fragrance world goes round in circles. Trends are always popping back up and we love that there is often a new interpretation of classic and different notes.
So for 2024, we have already noticed some big trends emerging. Some of them started in 2023 and are still going strong, some are completely new and very exciting, so read on for all the 2024 trends in our world of niche perfumery.
Also worth noting is that this year we’ve noticed that people are wanting more size variety and options, so yes, most of these fragrances also come in a variety of sizes (and in turn, prices). So you can try them in mini options first to ensure it is true love before committing, and also build out your fragrance wardrobe gradually. Because yes, having a full fragrance wardrobe is also in style (and this is something we hope NEVER goes away)!
Vanilla
I mean, who can go past the classic note of vanilla? But, what we are seeing is that vanilla is being elevated from the vanilla you already know and love. Vanilla is being redefined as a silky, rich, and luxuriously earthy scent.
It’s smelling expensive and we are loving it. We’re talking woody vanilla, leathery vanilla, spicy vanilla and smoky vanilla. You’re still going to smell good enough to eat, but vanilla has a new level of depth.
It is grown up and is wrapped in richer notes to complement and temper the sweetness. We are getting the dark and delicious vanilla pod rather than a sweet, synthetic vanilla in 2024. It’s mysteriously decadent and leaves the most tantalizing scent trail (not to mention lasting on the skin for hours upon hours).
Cherry
Yep, she’s still here!
After exploding onto the fragrance world over 22/23, Cherry is still going strong, so we think that cherry is here to stay. We love that cherry is being styled as slightly edgier than its previous incarnations – interesting blends are being used to cut through the sweetness of the cherry.
We’ve got smoke and leather giving some grit. And then we have molecular notes punctuating cherry and giving it a cloudy kinda fluffy feel around you. It’s all good and we thoroughly recommend that you get amongst this cherry trend cos it ain’t going anywhere just yet.
Peach
Oh the sweet, juiciness of a peach! She’s such a happy note, so we are loving this summery, playful fruity vibe.
Peach notes generally smell sweet, juicy, smooth and fleshy. It creates an overall velvety sensation to fragrance, kinda like the feel of its skin, we get a soft peach fuzz coziness initially followed by a burst of delightful juiciness as the fragrance gets going and we take a proper bite.
Peach gives so much life to fragrances and is a wonderful note to reach for when you want to infuse a little sweet sunshine in your day.
Watermelon
And to round out our fruity favourites that certainly seem to be doing the fragrance rounds right now, we have watermelon. Now, this isn’t in too many fragrances (yet!) but we are predicting big things for this fruity note.
While 90’s fashion is having a resurgence, so too are 90’s fragrances. And when we say 90’s fragrances, we mean those fruity, playful, androgynous scents (and we’re also talking those classic celebrity fragrances that were all the rage in the 90’s. Britney, Paris, JLo, we’re looking at you).
They’re a little nostalgic and a touch childlike but 2024’s take brings new levels of depth and darker notes to amplify and contrast that watermelon note.
Lactonic
Milky notes – there’s always something incredibly comforting about those creamy, gentle, milky notes in fragrance.
Perhaps it has to do with the world being in such a disheartening state right now, but we are noticing more and more people with the desire to wear something that is the fragrant equivalent of a soothing, warm hug. And that, quite often, is a milky scent.
Our theory is that lactonic scents do something subconsciously to us where we revert to our baby selves and the comfort we felt while being nursed.
But getting back to the note itself, lactonic notes are generally quite creamy, they can smell a bit gourmand but not particularly sweet. Sometimes a little musky. Always good!
Paper
Ok, so we’re talking papery notes, and while these aren’t an official fragrance note, there are certain notes in perfumery that can establish that paper kind of smell.
Think of the scent of an old book shop, opening a wonderful second hand book – you get a musky, vanilla-esque scent. And then there is the scent of high quality GSM art paper; sandalwood meets the rubbery, green, powdery iris tones meets the aromatic freshness of papyrus. Tempted yet?
This is such an interesting note that we have noticed in the niche perfume world for a while now. And as with most things niche, they start small, then more and more people begin paying attention, and there you have it, a trend is born.
Ink
Now that we’ve done paper, how can we not compliment that with ink.
But the two notes don’t necessarily go hand in hand because inky notes in fragrance are very much still sitting in the niche realm and not exactly beginning to pop up in the mainstream world of fragrance as much.
Inky notes generally feature in more obscure scents that really make the niche world of perfumery so groundbreaking, adventurous, and of course, SO much fun.
Traditionally made from carbon, fat and water, ink has a sooty and resinous scent. In fragrance, it is an entirely synthetic note created from various blends of molecules and some natural ingredients including oakmoss and camphor. Whether combined with smooth suede, rough parchment, or salty plum, an ink note lends a soft metallic and oddly addictive tone.
More Bestsellers
Those are just some of the notes we’ve noticed popping up more and more, but to see more of what’s popular at Lore, you can explore our bestsellers: