For those of us who read the tea leaves of scent sales, 2025 is shaping up to be a good year. The “fragrance index”—a kissing cousin of the “lipstick index”—seems to be looking up: For plenty of consumers, fragrance is self-care and perceived as an affordable luxury, so they’ll indulge even in an uncertain economic outlook. Circana reports prestige fragrance sales increased by 6%, to $3.9 billion, in the first half of the year. The growth was partly attributed to new brand launches, highly concentrated eaux de parfum and travel sizes.
They weren’t the only ones. Interparfums Inc.’s 2025 second-quarter and half-year results recorded a 7% year-to-date sales growth in the North American market (one of its largest). The company produces and distributes scents for brands such as MCM, Jimmy Choo and Montblanc. During a recent earnings call for Coty, Chief Financial Officer Laurent Mercier reported prestige fragrances are now a $3.5 billion business for Interparfums. With the success of Burberry Goddess, Cosmic Kylie Jenner and Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild, blockbuster launches will be the focus going forward.