While perfume is subjective, some notes and concepts appeal to the masses more than others. Much like with fashion trends, a fragrance's popularity can ebb and flow - and according to industry pros, 2026 might not be the year for these particular blends...
If you're keen to invest in a new, long-lasting perfume but want to ensure you're selecting something modern and fresh, the 2026 fragrance trends are an invaluable source of intel. So far, they predict the rise in whisper-soft skin scents, mature gourmands, and textural blends - like cashmere perfumes, for instance. Inevitably, though, as some genres rise in popularity, others must dwindle. And while your scent is very much a personal thing, our tastes do change and so does demand, especially when a new year brings with it so many new launches and style shifts. So, if you're someone who likes to update their signature scent often, you may also want to be aware of the blends that are beginning to feel a tad 'outdated.'
Thus, we've asked the experts for their thoughts on which notes and fragrance styles might be phased out this year - and what to consider investing in instead.
6 'outdated' perfume trends we'll be avoiding in 2026
Now, this isn't to say that you must retire any of your favourite floral fragrances or fruity perfumes if they happen to be cited. Instead, these insights into what is reportedly in and subsequently, what is out can simply help to guide your next scent investment. This is especially true if you're feeling uninspired by your current faithfuls or need direction in what olfactory family to sample next.
At the end of the day, if you love a perfume or a specific genre of scent, then that's all that matters. But if you're looking for some guidance on finding a modern and crowd-pleasing blend, we've enlisted the expertise of three experts and fragrance brand founders.
1. Overly sweet gourmands
While creamy and indulgent, mature gourmands are definitely in for 2026, their sickly sweet and 'toothache'-y counterparts are very much not.
"Looking ahead to 2026, a lot of fragrance feels like it’s hitting saturation rather than pushing forward," says Richard Saint-Ford, Founder of Iggywoo, citing that very obvious sweetness, like frosting and brown sugar notes, are starting to feel very overdone. "Gourmands aren’t disappearing, but the sugar-heavy versions are losing relevance; sweetness now needs contrast, woods or bitterness to feel modern."
Almira Armstrong, Founder of Lumira, agrees, adding that, "Ultra-sugary, 'toothache' gourmands (very syrupy vanilla/caramel/candy) are starting to feel a little over-saturated. Consumers still love comfort, but they’re increasingly looking for sweetness with more texture, contrast, and nuance - less 'dessert,' more 'ingredient-led.'"
INSTEAD TRY: quieter, woody-musk compositions, gourmand notes with depth, like pistachio, rice and lactonic accords and warm, comforting solar scents.
RRP: £150 for 50ml | Notes: green pear, blackcurrant, grape, honeysuckle, peony and rose
Sun-warmed, solar-style scents are set to be a very popular genre in 2026 and this blend from Lumira is a shining example. It blends juicy green pear and grape with warm florals, for a signature that smells both airy and radiant.
RRP: from £35 for 10ml | Notes: vanilla milk musk, toasted coconut, passionflower and cashmerean wood
As mentioned, we're swapping ultra-sweet, sugary blends for creamy, indulgent and more mature-leaning gourmands. This fragrance glows with warm, milky notes of vanilla musk, toasted coconut and a soft, lingering base of cashmerean wood.
2. Novelty dessert-inspired scents
Following a similar thread to sickly-sweet gourmands, dessert-inspired fragrances are also on the way out.
"The appetite is shifting toward grown-up indulgence (more texture, restraint and realism) with toasted, lactonic, woody or boozy notes replacing anything too literal," says Saint-Ford.
As Armstrong previously quipped, 2026's trendy gourmands are "less 'dessert,' more ingredient-led."
RRP: £130 for 100ml | Notes: cold milk accord, skin musk, marshmallow, roasted sesame, mahogany wood and tonka bean
Lactonic accords and more niche notes like sesame are set to be very popular this year, and Commodity's Milk ticks both boxes, as well as being a more creamy take on a gourmand. It's sweet and deliciously warm. It's almost skin scent-like, but with a soft milky and woody quality that is so moreish.
RRP: from £62 for 30ml | Notes: Almond essence, angelica root essence, Madeleine Accord, carrot heart, ambrette absolute, sandalwood, Madagascar Vanilla Pod and musks.
If you love your patisserie perfumes, though and don't want to swap them out, I have a lovely compromise for you: Maison Margiela's Afternoon Delight. While offering a photorealistic scent of freshly-baked madeleines, this perfume still manages to feel lightweight, warm and chic all at once.
3. Niche for niche's sake
Niche perfumes were a hot topic last year, but this year, we'll be steering clear of those that feel like they're just obscure and unique for the sake of it.
Cherry Cheng, Founder of Jouissance, cites that "Overly expressive, unbalanced niche fragrances (niche for niche’s sake)" are on the way out. "Fragrances that prioritise shock over harmony risk feeling faddy. Today’s audience values a niche that balances risk with beauty: daring concepts should remain elegant, coherent, and emotionally engaging."
INSTEAD TRY: "savoury gourmands, where sweetness is tempered with earthy, spicy, or smoky accents, creating depth, sophistication, and emotional resonance," as well as interesting but familiar green notes, like fig and moss.
RRP: £180 for 50ml | Notes: fresh-cut lilies, cumin, pressed powder, heliotrope, orris, and musk
For a fragrance that is niche but tells a story with every luxe note, Jouissance, as a brand, offers an array of contemporary fragrances, but with powdery perfumes being particularly popular this year, we recommend Les Cahiers Secrets. It's sensual and vintage-y, blending classic florals, like lilies, with pressed powder notes and orris.
RRP: from £74 for 50ml | Notes: tangerine, Sichuan pepper, rose, jasmine, tiramisu accord, patchouli, ylang ylang, espresso beans, cocoa beans and guaiacwood
If you love a spicy, rich sort of fragrance, this one from Floral Street blends Sichuan pepper with a tiramisu accord, ylang ylang and espresso beans to create a scent that is smoky and perfectly edgy. It's unusual but so chic, ideal as an alluring evening perfume.
4. One-dimensional 'power' perfumes
According to Armstrong, "Overly loud, linear 'power perfumes' (one-note intensity without shape or story) can feel dated as customers lean toward wearable, intimate signatures that still feel distinctive."
INSTEAD TRY: trendy soft and powdery skin scents or multifaceted, long-lasting perfumes that boast timeless notes like Chanel No.5.
RRP: from £160 for 75ml | Notes: Musk, iris, ambrette, pink berries
A beautiful take on a skin scent, Diptyque's Fleur de Peau marries soft, powdery iris with intimate and warming notes of musk and ambrette. It's spicy but delicate, ideal for everyday wear.
RRP: £45 for 30ml | Notes: Iso E Super
Regarded as one of the best skin-like scents on the market thanks to its single note anatomy, which translates slightly differently on everyone's skin, it's a great choice for those seeking a subtle signature that is uniquely them.
5. Cheap dupes
Now, don't get us wrong, nothing beats finding one of the best cheap perfumes that ticks all the right notes with you, but when it comes to dupes of very iconic scents, Cheng predicts that these imitations will become less popular. Instead, investing in high-quality ingredients and more conscious brands that offer something contemporary, elevated or timeless will become the focus.
Speaking on cheaper dupes of iconic fragrances, Cheng says, "While accessible, these can dilute originality and make signature scents feel less aspirational. Consumers are increasingly seeking unique, identity and narrative-driven fragrances that offer a sense of individuality rather than a mass-market imitation."
INSTEAD TRY: investing in brands that use concentrated and more premium ingredients, and those that prioritise brand identity, storytelling and luxury - like the best Diptyque perfumes, for instance, or Penhaligon's perfumes and niche blends from Jouissance.
RRP: from £172 for 50ml | Notes: Violet Accord, Cardamom, Iris, Papyrus, Ambrox, Cedarwood, Leather, Sandalwood
A chic woody-floral, Le Labo's Santal 33's quality ingredients and luxury appeal can never be replicated. It's an iconic scent for a reason, and while pricey, its timeless, spiced scent really lingers and seems to suit every occasion and setting.
RRP: from £85 for 50ml | Notes: blackcurrant, ylang ylang and cedarwood
As mentioned, sunny scents are in, and this blend from Penhaligon's is a lovely take. Its blend of blackcurrant, ylang ylang and cedarwood really does smell like sun-warmed skin mingled with suncream. It's lightweight and radiant, exactly what you want in the summertime.
6. Berry perfumes
As someone who has been monitoring and reporting on fragrances for some time now, I also have a few predictions for the year ahead, one of which being that berry perfumes will dwindle in popularity. Last year brought a burst in demand for cherry perfumes and raspberry fragrances, but I think softer, more unusual fruits like apricot, fig, passionfruit, melon and lychee will begin to take their place. Peach perfumes are also proving popular, thanks to their juicy opening but soft, almost fluffy dry down. To me, they feel more nuanced and interesting, compared to more sugary and sharp berry scents.
Indeed, more jammy sorts of fragrances are tipped amongst the trends this year, but they're softer and balanced with uplifting florals and other bright, juicy fruits, not just sickly-sweet berry hints.
Saint-Ford actually shares my sentiments, "Fruit remains big, but cherry as the default 'cool' note is not forward thinking if it's just standard cherry. What feels fresher are more life-like fruits like lychee, mango or wild strawberry, where you smell the skin and flesh of the fruit rather than syrup."
INSTEAD TRY: scents with a medley of fruit notes - fresher or tropical takes, like mango, peach and wild strawberry.
RRP: from £175 for 30ml | Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, nympheal, vetiver, akigalawood, ambrofix and musk
Blending skin-like musk notes with soft florals and a juicy burst of peach, Valaya is truly ethereal. It's powdery, sheer and sweet all at once, ideal for those who love fruity perfumes but are seeking something more elevated and luxe.
RRP: £140 for 100ml | Notes: wild strawberry, amber accord, violet leaf and bluebell
Oscillating between juicy and green, Molton Brown's Wild Strawberry is a great example of a modern berry-style scent that feels fresh, not dated. It's dewy and bright, not sugary but still, that strawberry hint is clear and very intriguing.
