In the dynamic world of perfumery, 2025 marks a pivotal year, moving past the simple goal of smelling good towards a deeper pursuit of feeling good. According to legendary perfumer Olivier Cresp, the nose behind iconic scents like Mugler Angel, the defining trend is the dominance of gourmands, noting that six out of every ten fragrances launched in the US fall into this edible category. Yet, Cresp also identifies a powerful emerging counter-trend: a demand for “cleanness, like you’re under a shower,” emphasizing comfort and freshness. This dual focus—on delicious indulgence and pure, unadulterated comfort—underscores a shift in consumer desire. The best new perfumes are no longer just accessories; they are olfactory mood shifters, captured perfectly by the winners of our annual Fragrance Awards, designed to make you feel confident, clean, or young at heart.
The Rise of the Gourmand: Scents Good Enough to Eat
The most significant trend shaping the fragrance market is the overwhelming popularity of gourmand scents, which evoke the comforting, mouth-watering aromas of desserts and sweets.
The category is so prevalent that Olivier Cresp, one of the most influential perfumers in history, has singled it out as the year’s defining movement. Gourmands utilize notes typically associated with food—such as vanilla, caramel, coffee, chocolate, or juicy fruits—to create an enveloping, addictive warmth. The new wave of these scents has evolved significantly, moving far beyond the cloying sweetness of past generations. The latest releases are described as being “far more sophisticated (and less cloying!) than the scents of your teen years,” expertly blending fun and elegant notes. This category, represented in the “Young at Heart” awards, proves that consumers are seeking sensory indulgence and a nostalgic, dessert-inspired lift from their daily fragrance.
The Counter-Trend: Seeking Clean Comfort and Freshness
Contrasting the indulgent gourmands is the powerful, growing demand for scents that evoke purity, hygiene, and immediate physical comfort, driving a new wave of modern, complex florals.
This emerging category centers on a feeling of being “clean and fresh,” replicating the sensory experience of having just stepped out of the shower. Cresp noted the emotional appeal of this trend: “When you’re clean, you feel good. You feel comfortable.” This desire for pristine comfort has rejuvenated the traditional floral category, pushing perfumers to incorporate unusual, sophisticated notes. This year’s award-winning “Clean and Fresh” scents bring a new perspective to botanical fragrance, utilizing notes that are green, powdery, aquatic, spicy, and herbaceous to create a multi-dimensional freshness that is far from one-note. It is a trend that prioritizes wellbeing and a sense of effortless, subtle perfection.
The Confident Aura: Scents That Shape Identity
Beyond indulgence and cleanliness, a key driver in this year’s top fragrances is their ability to act as a personal armor, shifting the wearer’s demeanor and boosting self-assuredness.
The “Cool and Confident” award category is dedicated to perfumes that function as true power scents—fragrances that help the wearer “slip into a stronger, sexier, more confident persona.” These are the olfactory equivalents of a perfectly tailored power suit or a favorite pair of jeans; they are designed to be grounding, sophisticated, and impactful. While the article doesn’t detail the notes, these often rely on rich, complex bases—such as smoky woods, deep musks, or zesty spices—that project authority and command attention. The winners in this category demonstrate that for many consumers, fragrance is a psychological tool, essential for accessing a more assured version of themselves with just a spritz or two.
The Awards Process: Curating Olfactory Excellence
The selection of the year’s best new fragrances is the result of an exhaustive, rigorous testing process led by editors and a hand-picked panel of industry experts and enthusiasts.
To finalize the 55 best new perfumes and fragrances of the year, Bazaar editors undertook an extensive testing process, evaluating more than 1,000 new launches across every beauty category. The winners were chosen not just for their novelty but for their immediate impact—the perfumes that the panel “fell in love with.” For the 2025 Fragrance Awards, the editorial team sought to ensure a comprehensive view by enlisting the help of fragrance experts and perfume superfans (the editors included) to curate the final list. The resulting selection represents the most innovative and emotionally resonant releases of the year, deemed worthy of a spot on any discerning individual’s vanity.
