Key Takeaways:
Men’s fragrance has long occupied a paradoxical position within the beauty industry. On one hand, it is among the most commercially dependable categories in prestige fragrance defined by strong brand loyalty, long product lifecycles, and repeat purchasing behavior. On the other, it has resisted the rapid innovation cycles, trend acceleration, and cultural volatility that have come to characterize women’s beauty.
Today, that tension is becoming a strategic advantage. Rather than “lagging behind,” men’s fragrance is evolving according to a distinct set of commercial and cultural rules that are shaped by changing ideas of masculinity, growing scent literacy, and a gradual broadening of what male consumers are willing to wear, without the industry abandoning the behaviors that make the category financially resilient.
Globally, men’s fragrance accounts for an estimated 52% of total fragrance sales in major markets, with premium and luxury outperforming mass. While women’s fragrance may rely heavily on frequent newness, men’s fragrance continues to be driven by loyalty, gifting, and replenishment—factors that provide insulation in uncertain economic conditions.
According to recent industry data, the global men’s fragrance category reached approximately $10.2 billion in 2025, growing steadily over the last half-decade and with the premium segment now more than half of total value, despite representing a much smaller share of unit volume. Industry data also suggests that social media campaigns now account for nearly half of new customer acquisition among top men’s fragrance sellers, and TikTok and Instagram have become primary discovery channels, especially for Gen Z.
Masculine Archetype and Loyalty as a Revenue Engine
Historically, men’s fragrance marketing has been dominated by narrow archetypes: power, seduction, athleticism, and status. While these narratives remain visible, they are no longer sufficient to address the diversity of modern male consumers.
“Whilst we are still seeing the traditional marketing male archetypes of muscle, competitive sports, [and] seducer, we are seeing more nuanced and varied portrayals of masculinity in fragrance marketing,” Christina Kamester, Head of Fragrances at Europe’s Bespoke London, said to BeautyMatter. “We see a whole spectrum of masculine types reflecting the more complex roles, attitudes, and lifestyles of modern men.”
At the luxury level, this shift is not about rejecting masculinity, but redefining its reference points. According to Amandine Pallez, Global Creative & Heritage Director at Bvlgari, masculinity is becoming less performative and more introspective. “Masculinity is shifting progressively from performance and status to individuality and self-alignment,” she told BeautyMatter. “Status is no longer financial but cultural, and it opens the door on craftsmanship, emotions, and much deeper meaningful creativity.”
Crucially, this evolution is happening without destabilizing the commercial foundations of the category. Men’s fragrance remains one of the most reliable revenue drivers for both legacy houses and newer entrants, largely due to entrenched purchasing habits. Male consumers are significantly more likely to repurchase the same fragrance over long periods, creating durable franchises with extended shelf lives.
“While brands and advertising may be embracing a wider representation of male types, the behavior of male fragrance buyers is still perhaps not as adventurous as their female counterparts,” Kamester explained. “The typical male buyer is still more likely to play safe and continually repeat purchases of their existing scents.”
This behavior, often reinforced through gifting, underpins the category’s stability. Valentina Colombo, Perfume Business Unit Managing Director at Bvlgari, succinctly summarized the dynamic to BeautyMatter:. “Strong loyalty.” However, loyalty no longer equates to engagement. Across both prestige and niche, men are becoming more fluent in fragrance language and more intentional in their purchasing decisions.
“Men's knowledge, curiosity on olfactory notes have boomed,” said Pallez. “They better know the perfumery language and thus are building and purchasing their own wardrobe scents versus the one fragrance they used to wear.” This duality—deep loyalty paired with selective expansion—creates a commercially attractive profile: consumers who trade up, diversify gradually, and remain anchored to core brands.
Genderless Fragrance: Expansion, Not Erosion
No fragrance is inherently male or female—it is subjective. So, the rise of gender-fluid fragrance has raised questions about whether the men’s category risks dilution, although gender in fragrance has always been a marketing construct to sell products. However, industry leaders largely reject that premise. “Genderless scents have absolutely expanded the men’s fragrance category without a doubt,” said Bryan Edwards, co-founder of Snif, to BeautyMatter. “For a long time, men were given a very narrow, overly masculine playbook. Now there’s so many options.”
At Snif, this insight led to the creation of Notewrks, a men-focused cologne line designed to feel accessible rather than instructional. Its best-selling scent, Room for Dessert, a crème brûlée–forward gourmand, challenges traditional olfactive expectations. “It proves men are willing to try unique scents,” Edwards said. “They just need better options.”
From a formulation standpoint, this openness is reshaping scent profiles without erasing masculine codes. “Woody-floral, spicy-citrus, or amber-fresh blends, even gourmand comfort-driven notes, are rising,” said Pallez, citing examples such as tuberose paired with benzoin and tonka bean, or vanilla grounded by agarwood.
Kamester noted that adoption remains uneven. “Younger males are more likely to make unisex fragrance purchases than older men,” she said, adding that despite increased cross-category influence, the typical male buyer is still very much buying into the male category sector. In other words, genderless fragrance is broadening the funnel, not replacing it.
Unlike women’s fragrance, which often centers on emotional storytelling, men’s fragrance remains closely tied to performance metrics such as longevity. Yet, another less-discussed driver is emerging: collectability. “Men interact with fragrance the same way they collect vinyls or cards,” Edwards explained. “They want the full set, they want it to feel fun.” This insight has influenced packaging and product strategy at Snif, where bottles are designed to be displayed rather than concealed.
Platforms like TikTok have also amplified endorsements, with boys doing shelfies. Accounts like @JeremyFragrance and @Paulreacts, with 10 million and 2.5 million followers on TikTok respectively, are some drivers of this trend. It is notable that in a ranking of all perfume influencers on TikTok, these two occupied the #1 and #2 positions. This behavior helps explain why men’s fragrance does not rely on constant reformulation or trend churn. Men tend to curate small, stable collections, expanding cautiously rather than replacing frequently, favoring brands that reward long-term engagement.
Marketing That Converts Through Trust
Despite the rise of digital discovery, conversion in men’s fragrance remains rooted in credibility and referral. “The main channel remains referral / word of mouth,” said Colombo, “which now reaches another level through social media.” Rather than overtly gendered messaging, brands are increasingly leading with emotion and experience. “At Snif we don’t market to gender, we market to a feeling,” Edwards said. “The fragrance is always the hero.”
Few industry leaders believe men’s fragrance will, or should, mirror women’s beauty. Its slower pace, narrower routines and emphasis on loyalty are structural, not temporary. “I do not think the men’s market will ever fully mirror the women’s market, and that’s a good thing,” said Edwards. “It is growing steadily, but is evolving into its own category with its own rules.”
Future growth will depend less on disruption and more on access, particularly in retail. “Men’s grooming needs real space in retail,” Edwards added. “It shouldn’t be an afterthought.”
As the category matures, the central shift is not necessarily away from masculinity. As Pallez concluded, “The men’s category will not disappear, but what is ending is how the traditional men’s olfactory scents are defining how men should smell.” In a market built on habit, that recalibration may prove to be the most commercially significant evolution of all.
The future of men’s fragrance will likely be defined not by rapid reinvention, but by strategic expansion and refinement of existing strengths. Brands that succeed will do so by balancing heritage with digital native storytelling, leveraging data to optimize retail presence both in physical stores and online discovery platforms, investing in influencer partnerships with clear performance metrics, especially in markets such as the Middle East where men already represent substantial category share.
As the category matures, its commercial logic remains clear. Men’s fragrance grows not by trying to imitate the velocity of women’s beauty, but by leaning into loyalty, cultural nuance, and measured innovation. In an ecosystem shaped by new digital discovery, evolving masculine identities and enduring brand loyalty, men’s fragrance is not playing catch up, but building a strategy that others in beauty would do well to study.
