“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” That’s what every elementary school teacher tells their students about the weather in March (in the northeast part of the US in the ’90s, at least). At the start of the month, winter weather continues to rage, but by the end, the climate turns softer, milder, and quieter. Coincidentally, the same can be said about spring’s biggest fragrance trends this year, from the powerful, intense iterations of classic eau de parfums launching at the start of the season to the fresher, more naturalistic fruity and floral scents hitting shelves toward the end.

Sitting at both ends of the season’s scent spectrum are the multitude of gourmand-based trends that continue to dominate the market. This ever-popular category—inspired by delicious, edible notes—is here to stay, but it’s expanding in ways that excite perfumers and perfume lovers alike. “A lot of [my followers] have expressed gourmand fatigue,” says content creator Emma B, who runs the Perfumism account on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. “It’s still so popular, but I think people are looking for the next evolution of the category.”

That evolution is in full swing for spring 2025, as perfumers mix a range of edible notes that evoke coziness and sweetness without wrapping you in a big, marshmallow-y hug. “The gourmand category is becoming very diverse,” explains Givaudan perfumer Carine Certain Boin. “It’s not just sticky-sweet fragrances—those are still there, because people love caramel and brown sugar and all those notes—but we’re exploring different directions and new territories, using more and more of what we find in all areas of the kitchen.” For spring that means riffling through the fruit basket, sifting through the spice rack, and tossing in nut and tea notes to create gourmand fragrances that are more gossamer than gooey.

But spring isn’t just about fragrances that smell so good you could eat them: “People are asking for earthy fragrances and specific floral notes like iris, violet, and jasmine,” says Franco Wright, founder of fragrance retailers Luckyscent.com and Scent Bar. “Overall, customers are looking for variety right now.”

To talk us through that variety, we asked these experts and more to share their insight on the diverse range of olfactive trends that are sure to dominate in spring 2025.

Meet the experts:

• Emma B is a Canadian content creator known as Perfumerism, currently attending perfumery school in Paris.
• Carine Certain Boin is a New York City-based perfumer at Givaudan.
• Franco Wright is cofounder of Luckyscent.com and Scent Bar in LA in New York City.
• Ines Guien is the vice president of operations at Dossier Perfumes in New York City.
• Sonia Constant is a Paris-based master perfumer at Givaudan and founder of Ella K Perfumery.
• Bernice Watteau is a perfumer at DSM-Firmenich in New York City.
• Jonnie Swarbrick is creative director of Paris-based brand Fragrance Du Bois.
• Walter Johnsen is a perfumer and the vice president of product development at Interparfums in New York City.
• Arnaud Guggenbuhl is Givaudan's head of marketing, insight, and image based in New York City.

Your favorite scent gets more intense

TikTok asked and perfume companies listened. PerfumeTok’s obsession with “beast mode” fragrances has directly impacted the market, with major brands like Ralph Lauren and Lancôme launching intensified versions of their classic scents. “The consumer [in the online perfume community] wants something long-lasting, powerful, and strong, so there’s definitely an industry push,” says Emma B.

Another online phenomenon might also be fueling this perfume trend: Brat Summer may be over, but its effect on fragrance persists. “Consumers are taking more risk and being loud and experimental with their scent choices,” says Ines Guien, vice president of operations at Dossier, citing Charli XCX’s culture-shifting album as one reason we’re seeing a rise in scents that make a bold statement and push the envelope further.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau de Parfum Intense is a standout among the dozen or so “intense” launches this spring. Inspired by how the original For Her smells in hair hours after spritzing it on, perfumer Sonia Constant played with different types of musk, pushed the woody and vanilla notes, and replaced patchouli with the moss-ier Evernyl molecule, the synthetic version of oakmoss. She even compared the trail of the original vs. the Intense option using technology that pushes the fragrance through a tube to measure its sillage. The result? A very strong, slightly more gourmand version of the iconic eau that Constant describes as “elegant and graceful.”

Perfume's getting a little nutty

Turns out your favorite healthy snack can make really beautiful perfumes too, and the market’s chock full of these options this spring. “We've noticed a nutty note in so many different fragrances,” says Wright, who recently collaborated with perfumer Theodoros Kalotinis on a fragrance for Luckyscent called Almond Tart. “We played up the facets of almond by highlighting the cocoa nuances as well as introducing a buttery-crust accord to complement the nuttiness.”

Almond notes are particularly prevalent, but you may not recognize them right away. “Almond notes can present themselves in many ways,” says DSM-Firmenich perfumer Bernice Watteau. They can have a cherry facet (as in Parfums de Marly Valaya Exclusifs), a warm, roasted quality (Glossier You Rêve), or a candy-like, marzipan impression (Guerlain L’Heure Bleue). That said, almonds are not the only nut note gaining in popularity: Hazelnut, pistachio, and the creamy components of nut butters are all being explored right now, adds Watteau.

Nutty notes “bring a caring, nourishing feeling to a fragrance, while also giving you that addictive quality of a gourmand without being sweet,” says Certain Boin. They add an edible dimension to any scent: Hazelnut can skew either creamy and woody or green and woody; almond oil adds an element of sweetness; pistachio often brings a saltiness. Experimental Perfume Club’s cozy Pistachio Haiku combines hazelnut and roasted pistachio for a fragrance so delicately warm and delicious, you’ll be sniffing your wrists and clothes all day long to catch another whiff.

Gourmands borrow from the spice rack

A sprinkle of saffron. A dash of cardamom. A pinch of nutmeg or pink pepper. These common kitchen spices are how perfumers are adding more nuance to the gourmand category. “Exotic spices such as saffron and cardamom further enhance the gourmand palette, offering warmth and depth,” says Jonnie Swarbrick, creative director of Fragrance Du Bois. “The emerging trend reflects the modern gourmand—a balance of indulgence and sophistication that appeals to evolving customer tastes."

No spice is more popular for spring than saffron, popping up in dozens of scents from luxury (Amouage Purpose 50 Extrait de Parfum) to mass market options (Dossier Ambery Rose). The popularity of the note may come, in part, from Givaudan’s new natural saffron extract addition to the perfumer’s palette—which has the company’s perfumers feeling inspired—as well as the Middle East’s current influence on the Western fragrance market.

While we often see saffron in rich, heady, woody fragrances, says Certain Boin, it can also work well in ozonic and even mineral-like scents. “Saffron is an ingredient I love using because it adds a whole other dimension to a fragrance,” says Walter Johnsen, vice president of product development at Interparfums. “It’s more of a savory, edible note than a vanilla, sweet note.”

Brands are spilling a lot of tea

Black or green, Earl Grey or oolong, tea-scented fragrances are spring’s trendiest note. Fresh yet comforting, earthy yet sensual, they offer a beautiful option for a season that can fluctuate from cool and rainy (or even snowy) to glorious and sunny.

Spring’s best tea-based fragrances are incredibly diverse, spanning multiple olfactive categories. Aesop’s new Aurner Eau de Parfum, for instance, combines magnolia leaf with chamomile for a herbaceous floral scent. Jasmine tea mingles with mint and eucalyptus in Arielle Shoshana’s zingy and aromatic Tuesday fragrance, and Jill Sander’s new Black Tea scent is a dizzyingly spicy, smoky amber scent that still manages to feel light and airy—like the warm steam rising up from your morning brew.

All types of tea fragrances are trending (with 7,400 weekly views on TikTok, according to Spate Data), but it is matcha fragrances that are really having a moment for spring 2025. Interest in matcha perfume has surged by 241.1% compared with last year, according to Spate’s Popularity Share Index, a proprietary algorithm that analyzes combined data from Google Search and TikTok.

Matcha is a note that can smell earthy or creamy, but d’Annam’s new Matcha Soft Serve captures both aspects perfectly. At first spritz, it smells like you're whipping up a cup of hot matcha in your kitchen, while the dry down morphs into the sweet, milky aroma of an ice cream-stand waffle cone.

Say cheers to boozy gourmands

Yet another way the gourmand category is expanding? Alcohol—the kind you drink, not the kind used in most fragrances as a solvent. “One of the other ways we’re adding sweetness is with booze,” says Johnsen. “Rums, bourbons, scotches—they bring in a whole new elevation to the edible, gourmand category that’s more sophisticated than using a gummy bear, for example.”

There’s an option out there for everyone, whatever your preferred tipple or olfactive category. In Killian’s Angel Share Paradis, cognac and raspberry liqueur add a syrupy drizzle to an otherwise woody eau de parfum. Fin’ery’s Not Another Cherry relies on amaretto for a seductive sweet kick, while Japanese plum wine adds a whisper of sweetness to d’Annam Tokyo Nights’ dark, smoky amber.

Aldehydes are everywhere

Like oud and chypre, aldehydic fragrances are an old olfactive category (some date the first one back to 1905) that is not just poised for a comeback—it’s already thriving. Merit’s Retrospect fragrance and Dior’s New Look from last year contain aldehydes as primary notes, and Jil Sander’s entire new perfume range centers on aldehydes.

So, what exactly are aldehydes? Naturally occurring in citrus fruits, coriander, and the UV oxidation of wet laundry left to dry outside, the aldehydes used in perfumery are synthetic molecules that bring a unique sparkle and freshness to fragrances. Depending on the type of molecule, some aldehydes evoke a clean sensation—which explains their rising popularity in the American market, says Watteau—some contribute a watery bitterness or a waxy, soapy quality, while others can evoke hot metal or the impression of a citrus fruit.

Chanel No. 5, the most iconic aldehydic fragrance, contains an intense amount of aldehydes, making it instantly recognizable. In fragrances like Retrospect (sparkly and juicy), New Look (bitter, spicy, and metallic), and Van Cleef & Arpels’ new Musc de Soie (clean and musky), aldehydes are used in smaller amounts to brighten, lift, and amplify other notes, “enhancing the overall composition of the fragrance,” Watteau explains.

Fruity fragrances are getting juicier

The end of 2024 saw a burst of cherry and strawberry scents, but you can expect a new crop of fruits to take over this spring. Phlur’s Golden Rule opens with a juicy splash of mandarin and golden pear. Le Monde Gourmand Nectar de Passion combines tangy pink grapefruit with tropical passion fruit. Room 1015 Jasmine Freak contains mango, while Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild features a unique banana blossom note.

Rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but Prada’s Infusion de Rhubarbe highlights the very fruity aspects of the plant. “Rhubarb adds a tangy, sweet kick to a fragrance,” says Johnsen, who is experimenting with the note for future launches. “As a perfumer, rhubarb is a fun note to play with because there are so many different facets, from the roots to the stalks,” he points out. “But then you can also capture the warm, sweet doughiness of rhubarb when it’s baked.”

In addition to containing a slew of new notes, expect fruity fragrances to smell fresher, juicier, and more naturalistic. “Fruit [fragrances] are evolving,” says Certain Boin. “They are becoming yummier—not like fruit candy, but in a more natural, mouth-watering way.” In addition to capturing the smell of fruit juice, Certain Boin says, perfumes are playing with the idea of fruit-infused water, creating a lighter, sparklier, airier version of fruity fragrances.

Fragrances return to earth

The demand for green, earthy fragrances is growing, as is the category itself. The newest crop of perfumes inspired by the great outdoors isn’t just grassy and leafy or mossy and woody; they blend vegetal notes with florals, musk, amber, and spices to create scents that sometimes defy classic categorization.

“Customers asking for earthy fragrances aren't necessarily seeking a specific note. They want things that smell naturalistic as opposed to ‘perfumey,’” says Wright, who adds that one of Luckyscent’s best-selling musk fragrances, Bruno Acampora Musc, is actually very earthy. “There is a soil/mushroomy note that really brings to mind what an earthy scent can be.” The fragrant fungi can also be found in Earth, one of the aforementioned new Jil Sander perfumes, among aldehydes, patchouli leaves, and two different types of rose for a wholly modern take on a chypre.

Arnaud Guggenbuhl, Givaudan's head of marketing, insight, and image, believes this trend reflects “a broader cultural shift towards appreciating the raw beauty of the natural world, speaking to a deeper desire for authenticity and connection to nature.”

Florals are getting fresher

“The beauty of the flower is never going away,” says David Seth Molz, cofounder and perfumer at D.S. & Durga, whose Brown Flowers eau de parfum dropped on February 28. In spring 2025, floral fragrances aren’t just sticking around, collecting dust on perfume counters, they are flying off the shelves: “Floral perfumes experienced a remarkable resurgence in 2024 that we see continuing into this year,” says Guien.

What’s different about this new batch of florals—which includes Dossier's Orchid and Sandalwood at Dusk and Fragrance du Bois' Brume du Matin—is that they smell more and more like a freshly picked bouquet. Perfumers tell us they’re aiming to truly capture the smell of flowers in nature, rather than leaning on the reimagined floral scents of the past. “The mist in the garden, the dew on the petals—we want a certain fluidity and freshness,” says Certain Boin. “Nothing heavy or opulent.”

That means adjusting the balance of floral accords and integrating other ingredients, such as the aforementioned aldehydes, to bring an airy, ozonic quality to floral creations. By doing that, white florals (jasmine, tuberose, ylang ylang) become more luminous and airy, rose becomes less powdery and more multifaceted, and vintage notes like violet and iris become more transparent. Says Swarbrick of the trend’s direction, “Overall, florals will evolve into dewy, airy profiles that feel contemporary and versatile, offering a modern take on timeless elegance."

Read more about fragrance:

• 24 Best Perfumes for Women, According to Allure Editors
• To Find My Perfect Wedding Perfume, I'm Using These 8 Tips
• Jump Into Spring With a New Signature Scent

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