Fragrance > Trends | Perfumer & Flavorist

ScentFest SF Makes a Big First Impression

More than 4,000 fragrance lovers, 100+ niche brands and a who’s who of perfumery converged in San Francisco for the inaugural ScentFest SF, signaling the growing appetite—and cultural momentum—behind independent and niche fragrance.

Fragrance is stepping out from the broader personal care ingredient mix with the launch of the Fragrance Zone at in-cosmetics Asia 2026, reflecting the growing role of scent in product differentiation, mood and self-expression across APAC.

Fragrance Gets Its Own Spotlight at in-cosmetics Asia

A new Fragrance Awards program will add a competitive element, with international fragrance experts judging innovations showcased in the Scent Bar and attendees voting for their favorites.

'[L]arger/international customers require compliance to foreign standards such as Leaping Bunny, EU standards compliance, etc.,' says Cohere Beauty's John Nolfi. '[T]he trend is more about being able to support 'clean' formulations with some data.'

Cohere Beauty Rides Fragrance Boom With Speed, Scale and Flexible Formats

Notably, the Cedar Grove site runs on 85% solar power, adding a sustainability angle to a fragrance operation designed for both flexibility and scale.

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According to iRomaScents, its technology can identify fragrance preferences and deliver personalized recommendations in under a minute. The company says the platform has demonstrated conversion rates of more than 90%, compared with the typical 5% to 10% conversion rates associated with conventional fragrance retail.

How AI Actually Picks Your Fragrance

'Japan offers an extraordinary cultural vocabulary that remains largely untapped globally,' says Joseph Lattarulo, senior vice president and general manager at Takasago. 'Sacred woods from legendary forests. Tea rituals from Japan to China. Traditional gastronomy. Seasonality. Architecture. Craftsmanship. Thousands of emotional stories waiting to become fragrances.'

Takasago Partners With Handcraft to Create the Scent of Global J-Pop

'Over the past year, Eurofragance has taken a decisive step forward in its evolution, combining a customer-centric approach with innovation and sustainability, driving significant economic growth,' says CEO Joan Pere Jiménez.

Eurofragance’s Next Chapter: Scaling Innovation in the New Era of Fragrance

The activation also serves as a showcase for dsm-firmenich's expanding technology platform. Building on more than a century of floral innovation—from early breakthroughs such as Iralia, Wardia and Hedione—the company highlights how modern technologies including Firgood extraction, NaturePrint capture and the new captive ingredient Heliobliss are enabling perfumers to create more nuanced, sustainable and expressive floral signatures.

dsm-firmenich Uses Global Art Platform to Reframe Floral Perfumery and Spotlight Next-Generation Ingredients

Behind AXE’s Strategic Return to Fine Fragrance with a FIFA World Cup 2026 Partnership

Global Cosmetic Industry speaks with Caroline Gregory, Global Brand Director of AXE/Lynx, on partnering with FIFA World Cup 2026, the launch and the return to fine fragrance.

Developed in partnership with IFF perfumer Andrew Everett and using a number of the company's key ingredients, Studio Rose centers on a simple philosophy: living life through 'rose-colored glasses.'

How Julia Rose Siegler Built a Fragrance Brand Around Life's Moments

The brand reflects the growing consumer appetite for fragrance wardrobes, emotional storytelling and identity-driven scent choices.

In practical terms, businesses are looking for flavorists, application scientists, sensory specialists and formulation experts who can work with stevia variants, Reb M, thaumatin, sweet proteins, sweetness enhancers, bitterness blockers, masking systems, fibers, fats and texturants to rebuild a complete product experience.

Five Specialist Skills Driving Real Hiring Activity in Flavor and Fragrance

Pet food, fragrance compliance and texture innovation are reshaping F&F hiring priorities right now.

Visiting Patina's booth at WPC. Founded by artist-perfumer Sean Raspet and engineer Laura Sisson, the company is building a machine-learning–driven platform called Sense1 that models how molecules interact with human olfactory receptors. Its goal is to replace today’s language-based system of describing smells (like “floral” or “woody”) with a biological “code of smell” that can precisely represent and predict scent at the molecular level.

Editor’s Note: What I Learned at the 2026 World Perfumery Congress

The industry is adapting amid a rise in tech, ingredient innovation and a market boom.

'The not always knowing where a fragrance formula will evolve into continues to make the art of perfumery interesting,' says Thomas Siedel, senior perfumer at Agilex Fragrances.

Embracing the Unexpected: Thomas Siedel on Creativity and the Craft of Perfumery

Thomas Siedel, senior perfumer at Agilex Fragrances, reflects on his career.

Instead of relying on fragrance vocabulary—which many consumers struggle to articulate—the platform attempts to infer olfactive preferences from visual taste.

Jo Malone Taps Pinterest Data for Fragrance Discovery in Latest AI Personalization Play

Estée Lauder's new Scent Scanner signals a shift from fragrance quizzes to visual-intent decoding, turning mood boards into scent recommendations.

With Roblox attracting more than 150 million daily users, Garden Makers gives Givaudan a direct channel to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers, positioning fragrance as both a creative and educational pursuit.

Givaudan Brings Perfumery to Roblox With Launch of Garden Makers

Garden Makers gives Givaudan a direct channel to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers.

Overall, this year’s Esxence signaled a category at a crossroads: expanding rapidly in scale and creativity, but increasingly challenged by oversaturation and the need to sustain meaning in an overcrowded fragrance landscape.

Esxence 2026: “Sensing the World” Signals a New Era of Scale, Storytelling, and Scent Saturation in Artistic Perfumery

Brands leaned heavily into immersive activation strategies to drive engagement.

Satoshi Masamura, president and CEO, Takasago

Takasago Targets High-Growth Markets, Doubles Down on Innovation and Regional Expansion

Symrise CEO Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot.

Symrise Strengthens Fragrance Leadership with Strong Results, AI-Driven Innovation and Global Creative Expansion

Navigating volatility, delivering emotional benefits and sustainable materials, and the implications of augmented creativity.

Julien Maubert, Global Head of Fragrance Division & Sustainability at Robertet

Robertet Enters New Era of Growth, Innovation and Leadership

'As digital olfaction technology continues to advance, we believe it will significantly expand the palette of safe and sustainable fragrance ingredients available to perfumers, while making fragrance development faster and more responsible overall,' says Wiltschko.

Osmo Accelerates Fragrance Innovation Through AI, Molecular Discovery and Scalable 'Olfactory Intelligence' Platform