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(Image credit: The Vault) Share Copy link Facebook X Pinterest Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Fragrance has always possessed a somewhat intangible power. It can announce someone's arrival, suggest the nuance of a person's style, and become as recognisable a part of their identity as the clothes they wear. Perhaps most remarkably, it can transport us back in time, evoking a long-forgotten memory, a particular place or a person we once knew.
For decades, the ultimate goal was to find 'the one': a signature scent that captured the essence of who we were becoming, so synonymous with our identity that others would recognise us by it. But as the way we discover, buy and wear perfume evolves, so too does our relationship with the idea of being monogamous to one scent.
"I think fragrance is increasingly being developed around the experience people want to have, not simply the identity they want to project," explains Kelly Reade, CEO of The Fragrance Foundation UK . "That doesn't mean identity has disappeared; fragrance will always be deeply personal and incredibly emotional. But the conversation has broadened."
The way we discover fragrance has changed almost as dramatically as the way we wear it. A 2026 Scento fragrance market report claims 46% of perfume purchases begin with TikTok, where fragrances are increasingly presented as part of a complete look or lifestyle, rather than a standalone product.
Crucially, this constant exposure to new fragrances encourages discovery and experimentation, rather than the lifelong loyalty once associated with finding a signature scent.
There's also a clear age divide in perfume monogamy. According to Scento's research, Gen Z perfume buyers own an average of 8-10 scents, whereas Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) stick to three at most. "There is a surge of customers who also use fragrance as a way to express how they are feeling or who they want to be that day," says Sophie Wayman, Category Director at Space NK . "That being said, we still see a huge number of our customers buying repeatedly into firm favourites from brands like Diptyque or Byredo ."
"Fragrance has become much more like fashion. We don't wear the same outfit every day, so why should we wear the same scent? For me, that is one of the most exciting shifts in the category. It gives people permission to experiment, to play with different facets of their personality and to choose fragrance according to how they feel," says Reade.
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Of course, using fragrance to inhabit a different identity is hardly a new phenomenon. Award-winning perfumer Azzi Glasser has even created bespoke fragrances to help actors inhabit their characters. For Helena Bonham Carter's portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter, she devised a scent combining narcotic florals, oud and vetiver—an olfactory extension of the character's identity.
The shift is also changing what we expect fragrance to do for us. Rather than simply communicating something about our identity to others, we're increasingly choosing perfumes for how they make us feel. "We are seeing scent explored through mood, memory, place and atmosphere. Think about the difference between choosing a perfume that feels like you and choosing a scent that makes you feel more confident, relaxed or energised. Both are powerful, but they serve different purposes," says Reade.
Ex-luxury fashion buyer Yasmin Sewell launched Vyrao in 2021, a range of fragrances built around the relationship between scent and emotion. Fragrances such as Free 00 and the Sixth are positioned around feelings of sensuality, liberation and mindfulness, rather than a particular fragrance family.
Similarly, The Nue and Co . has developed fragrances intended to serve as sensory cues for different emotional stages, designed to be worn individually or layered. "I think people are giving fragrance a more personal role in their lives," says Jules Miller, founder of Nue and Co. "Alongside 'Does this smell like me?' there's another question: 'How do I want to feel today?' That opens up so many possibilities for how we wear it."
Maison Margiela's Replica collection, a favourite among fashion insiders, takes a similarly experiential approach, with fragrances designed to evoke specific places and moments. When the Rain Stops recalls the freshness of the outdoors after a downpour, while Whispers in the Library conjures the atmosphere of an old library through warm, woody notes .
Our expanding fragrance wardrobes aren't limited to traditional eaux de parfum, either. From scented hair mists , to body sprays and layering fragrances , there are increasingly more ways to incorporate scent into our daily routines.
Hairstylist Sam McKnight, for example, recently expanded his haircare collection with a dedicated hair fragrance , developed around the scent created with perfumer Lyn Harris. "Hair perfume creates a different experience to wearing fragrance on the skin," says McKnight. "Hair moves with you throughout the day, so you catch subtle moments of scent as it moves around you, which feels incredibly personal."
And perhaps that's the real evolution of the signature scent. Rather than abandoning the idea of a fragrance that feels distinctly ours, we're simply becoming less interested in being defined by just one. A signature scent might still exist—but increasingly, it belongs to a particular mood, moment or version of ourselves, rather than a lifetime.
Emma Strenner Author & Journalist Emma Strenner is a journalist, author and creative consultant with over 20 years of experience covering beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle. She has held editorial positions at Vogue , ELLE , Net-a-Porter and Stylist , and contributed to The Times , Condé Nast Traveller and The Telegraph . Her debut novel, My Other Heart , was published in 2025.
Source: Fashion
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