Home Fragrance Trends Forecasts

Just recently I was talking about the latest trend predictions from Pinterest that will be effecting the personal care market this year and added some ‘TrendAroma Trend Notes’ with a bit more background for fragrance marketers.

In this article I’m sharing the home interior and lifestyle trends from the ‘Pinterest Predicts 2023’ report, as they are both key market drivers when it comes to new home scents, and you can see many of them being reflected in new launches in recent Home Fragrance New Product Trend Reports.

Pinterest Trend: All the Raves

Rave culture will reign in the year ahead. As Gen Z and Millennials recover from over two years in lockdown, they’ll take over nightclubs, warehouses and house parties all over the globe. Techno style, rave fashion and house music outfits are all trending up.

Pinterest Trend: Home Front

The backyard has had its moment—it’s time to serve the greeter good. In 2023, the front porch will get the spotlight treatment. Rising searches suggest Boomers and Gen X will adorn their entrances with elaborate decor and embellishments.

Behind the trend

Pinterest Trend: RomCom Core

Move over, barbiecore—there’s a new main character in fashion. In 2023, Gen Z and Millennials will romanticize their closets with slip dresses, tube tops, cargo pants and claw clips. Get ready for a new kind of meet-cute, inspired by your favorite romantic comedies from the 2000s. For Millennials, this might be a nostalgic trend, but for Gen Z, it’s not-stalgic: Who says that just because you didn’t live through it, you can’t live in it?

Behind the Trend

Y2K fashion has been trending for a while. Now, people are chasing more than an aesthetic: They want that main character energy that defined the movie industry in the 2000s. That means upgrading everyday moments and making small habits, like trips to the coffee shop, feel like a scene from their favorite romcom. But this time, they’re the star.

Key Data

2000s girl +235%, Cool girl aesthetic outfits +140%, Pink mini skirt outfit +145%, Rhinestone dress+90% and Summer outfits vintage 90s +150%

TrendAroma Trend Notes

Romantic candles are a go from January onwards and Valentine’s scents have never been more fun! I mean Goose Creek have launched a six candle Scooby Doo range for their 2023’s Valentines collection – maybe to solve the mystery of love? Yankee Candle’s new collection which includes Art in the Park with powerful notes of green apple, fragrant flowers, and a base of soft woods is definitely a throwback to the 90’s – green apple shampoo from The Body Shop anyone – it was like a 90’s staple!

Pinterest Trend: Mush-rooms

Boring homes, be gone. In 2023, Gen Z and Boomers will make room for weirdcore design, mushroom decor and fantasy art in their sacred spaces.

Behind the Trend

During lockdowns, people needed new ways to express themselves creatively without leaving home. So, they turned their bedrooms into creative havens and experimented with aesthetics like “weirdcore decor.” This form of maximalist self-expression will only continue to rise in the year ahead.

Key Data

Fantasy mushroom art +170%, Vintage mushroom decor +35%, Funky house decor +695%, Weirdcore bedroom +540% and DIY mushroom decor +77%.

TrendAroma Trend Notes

There have been loads of new launches that lean towards the weird and wacky, sorry I should say ‘ultra creative’ in home fragrance and slogan candles definitely fit in here, but I’m going literal and thinking about the ‘mush-room’ side of the trend!

To be honest vegetal notes are trending so much in fine fragrance I’m expecting a lot more in home fragrance in the next few year. Loewe did a vegetable based candle range back in 2020 including Beetroot, Coriander and Luscious Pea, whilst DW Home’s 2022 Superfood range included scents like Turmeric Ginger,  Pomegranate Blueberry, Carrot Golden Beets, Avocado Watercress and Blackberry Kale.

From 2023 onwards vegetable notes will open up a whole new sub-category of gourmands – the olfactory opposite of the sugar-dusted releases we are used to now or the ultra garden/herby scents. Creamy cauliflower notes, rich truffle notes and sweetened carrots (maybe teamed with chai) are a few of the new influences.

Pinterest Trend: Hipstoric Home

In 2023, people will find new ways to honor old stuff in their homes. Got a hand-me-down handy? These searches are helping people combine vintage—often inherited—pieces with their modern styles. Thanks to the Boomers and Gen X driving these trends, antiques have never looked so chic.

Behind the Trend

Looking for ways to make their homes uniquely theirs, Boomers and Gen X are rejecting the mass-produced and re-imagining vintage and hand-me-down pieces. The result? Soulful spaces that merge self-expression and historical nostalgia.

Key Data

Eclectic interior design vintage +850%, Mixing modern and antique furniture +530%, Antique windows repurposed +50%, Maximalist decor vintage +350% and Antique room aesthetic +325%.

TrendAroma Trend Notes

With a ‘soulful and historical aesthetic’ my brain wanders off to leather notes. The new DS Durga Parquet Leather may be inspired by basketball but its notes of orange leather, maplewood, red oak parquet, & fancy sneakers hit all the right notes for the trend. Jo Malone London have also released their Intense Colognes collection in candle format with Myrrh & Tonka and Dark Amber & Gingerlily which sound like a vintage interiors perfect match to me!

Pinterest Trend: The Yolo Years

Sorry kids, Nana’s got plans. In 2023, Boomers and Gen X will plan epic bashes for major milestones, from 100th birthday parties to 50th anniversaries. And Oldbashes are way bigger than bingo—look no further than jubilee cakes and thoughtfully decorated cookies. You know what they’ll say: more years, more reasons to party.

Behind The Trend

The pandemic was a difficult time for everyone. Now that restrictions have eased and normalcy has re-emerged, Boomers and Gen X are determined to make the most of the present moment. Celebrations will take on new meaning for this audience in 2023—and they’re the life of the party.

Key Data

100th birthday party ideas +50%, Golden anniversary party +370%, 50th anniversary cookies decorated +135%, 80th birthday party decorations +85% and Silver jubilee cake 25th anniversary +245%.

TrendAroma Trend Notes

Nana’s gone wild! Queenagers are the new teenagers and everyone is all for the moment and the adventure! Nothing captures ‘moments and memories’ better than a fragrance – it’s why I created the ‘Celebrations and Occasions’ Trend Forecast as consumers find more way to squeeze happiness in and dopamine has never been so important!

So, adventure and destination are the market drivers here, and Bath & Body Works has started 2023 with new launches that are fitting the vibe and include; Sailing in the Mediterranean with notes of ocean sea spray, aloe vera nectar & driftwood, Springtime in Paris with notes of soft peach, lotus blossom and fresh bergamot and Weekend in Rome with notes of bubbly champagne, juicy peach and hints of vanilla.

Pinterest Trend: Now Processing

More ways to feel your feels in 2023. Alternatives to talk therapy are on the rise—like expressive art and music therapy—as well as art journaling, which is up a whopping 37x. Gen Z and Millennials are driving this trend, seeking new, creative ways to work on themselves.

Behind the Trend

In recent years, the conversation around mental wellbeing has entered the cultural zeitgeist. Due to this shift, people will feel empowered to look beyond traditional talk therapy and find the best creative outlets to support themselves—from music to journal writing to expressive art activities.

Key Data

Writing therapy +1840%, Expressive art therapy activities +120%, Music therapy +30%, Journal writing prompts therapy +220% and Art journal therapy +3755%.

TrendAroma Trend Notes

Home scents for wellness are not going to be hard to find in 2023! The latest collection from Paddywax; Flourish includes; Yuzu Woods, Driftwood & Oak, Wild Iris, Green Bamboo and Tobacco Oud. All the diffusers and candle scents have been designed to provide a ‘pleasant energy’ to surroundings.

Supporting the yoga/meditation/therapeutic direction of the trend what better than DW Home’s new Signature Celestial collection with Dahlia Star, Starflower Galaxy, Celestial Orchid, Primrose Moon and Iris Aurora – all gentle florals teamed with ‘an out of this world’ feeling, that’s both creative and artistic.

Overall, the home fragrance market is set for positive growth well into 2027 onwards. Tracking how people live their lives and the ways in which they decorate their home provide key insights into how fragrance trends develop, and already we are seeing new collections launch fitting around these Pinterest predictions. If definitely looks to be another interesting year of fragrance trend tracking! 

Download a Home Fragrance Trend Forecast to find out what’s next on the trend radar for 2024, or sign up to a New Product Trend Report for on-shelf innovation and trend development insights.

For a category deep dive in to home fragrance and air care, with new trend driving products, and future fragrance focused predictions, get in touch and ask for a bespoke project proposal.

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Roz Wicks
December 3, 2022

The home fragrance scene

Looking back over 2022, we can see another year of positive growth for home fragrance. The upsurge that started in 2020 as scented spaces became so vital to wellbeing has continued.

On the UK high-street we have a few shops that come to mind when we talk about own brand home fragrance collections, such as; Next, Marks and Spencer, H&M and Zara Home. We also have some amazing fragrance collections in supermarkets including Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys as well as some great shops from John Lewis to Liberty’s to go and browse to our noses delight!

New launches and fragrance collections that are launched throughout the year are sent each month to subscribers of the ‘New Product Trend Report’ for Home Fragrance. By the end of the year the report has mapped well over 1500 new global launches, collections and scents within the sector making it easier to track trends and identify themes.

A year of home fragrance trend mapping at Zara

Zara are a trendy, fast fashion store and this translates into their home fragrance range which keeps pace with their interior trend collections, that swap in and out around five times a year  – meaning there is always something new to smell.

For me one of the things that stands out about Zara home fragrances is the sophistication of their ranges in both packaging and scent collections. Looking back over 2022 we have seen some novel collections following trends that cross over from fine fragrance and prestige personal care.

Let’s talk trends and scents

This year the home fragrance market has had numerous trend drivers, including wellbeing, comfort, nostalgia and scent memories, travel and destination and nature. These trends have been reflected in Zara’s new home fragrance collections, as the brand reacts quickly to market demand.

Zara Home Fragrance Trend: All about Flowers

The Bloom Collection which launched in early Spring captures the key flowers and botanical notes of 2022 including Iris (a big note for now and for the next few years – linked to skin musks and the ‘clean comfort’ trend, Orange Blossom (this ingredient note is a huge trend – linked to wellbeing and positivity), Tuberose and Magnolia (both key white florals that were everywhere in fine fragrance).

The collection included;

Tuberose: The elegance of tuberose turns into a stroll through a garden of white flowers. A captivating blend of freshly cut flowers with a touch of green and citrus notes.

Royal Garden: A majestic garden that awakens the senses with floral and fruity notes. The mix of wild roses, woody notes and orange blossom make this fragrance a tribute to floral richness.

Iris: Fresh citrus notes forestall an iridescent floral heart that coalesce with woody notes of cedar and patchouli. Iris is a captivating, warm and balsamic fragrance; a composition that maintains its aroma over time.

Blooming Magnolia: A floral fragrance dominated by magnolia and accompanied by subtle fruity hints of tangerine and peach nectar.

This wasn’t the only floral collection the also brand launched Poppy Fields, Silk Peony, Luscious Camellia and Mimosa Sublime, described as “Charming floral fragrances to create welcoming environments”.

Orchidee Lumiere, Aqua Bergamota, Tuberose and Magnetic Ylang were described as “Magnetic and mysterious, a selection of new fragrances with floral notes and citrus sparkling touches” when the entered the store and online shop in early summer.

Then (following the trend for trans-seasonal and amber influenced summer scents) the brand launched Waterlily & Cedar Musk and Bergamot & Rose Leather, billed as a “new aromatic floral selection. Leathery, oriental and powdery fragrances”.

Zara Home Fragrance Trend: Woods & Spices

Woody notes have become a huge hit in perfumery over the last year – linked to wellbeing, comfort and moved the genderless fragrance sector onto new horizons.

Cedarwood and sandalwood have been this years clear favourites in launches such Kenzo Memori Cèdre Secret using the warmth of cedarwood, Jennifer Lopez One with cedarwood oil, clearwood prisma and sandalwood,  Boss The Scent Le Parfum with Akigalawood, Creed Wind Flowers with sandalwood and Michael Kors Super Gorgeous with atlas cedar and sandalwood.

As we moved through Spring, Summer and into early Autumn the woody notes theme followed through from the fine fragrance sector, as Zara pulled sophisticated scent inspiration from the key category.

Zara Wild Bamboo fused exotic fruits and woody facets, Zara Cardamom & Clove Woods was an opulent wood, whilst the Zara Sandalwood collection was described as “a fusion of the most captivating warm spices highlighted by cardamom and elegant woods. A fragrance that reveals itself through smoky sandalwood that lasts thanks to amber and violet. A spiritual gift to feel you are at home no matter where you are”. 

Keeping with the woods + wellbeing trend Zara Palo Santo was described as “An essence inspired by burning palo santo, used to expel negative energies, accompanied by a spicy touch of pepper and cloves”.

Heading into Autumn and Winter the brand launched; Incense Leather, Cuir Nuit and Oriental Light: “Warm and spicy; perfect for the cold winter days these fragrances are made to relax and disconnect”.

They then followed up with Winter Pine and Leather Amber: Energetic and spicy these fragrance are made to awaken the mind. Incense mystic swirls and cozy woody signatures.

Zara Home Fragrance Trend: The ultimate gourmand comforts

At the beginning of 2022 the brand launched a chocolate collection which echoed the new (and very chocolate-y) Yes I Am Delicious by Cacharel – quite an unusual choice for a home fragrance, but 2022 saw a lot of gourmand inspired collections driven by the nostalgia and comfort trend.

For Winter and Christmas the brand launched it’s yearly signature collection: Salted Caramel and Gingerbread with this years new edition: Chimney.

Salted Caramel: A delicious aroma of caramel with notes of vanilla and nut butter, unexpectedly contrasting with a boldy salty touch

Chimney: The perfect representation of a family gathered around the warmth of a fireplace. The notes evoke the smell of firewood with leather and woody birch.

Gingerbread: The smell of freshly baked gingerbread biscuits and soft notes of cinnamon and spices.. create a warm and cosy atmosphere with our sweetest fragrance.

They also launched a decadent Tobacco & Miel (honey). The fragrance opens with a spicy and refined scent of saffron enveloped by the warm notes of the rum. An intense heart reflects the scent of tobacco that is paradoxically blended with the subtlety of light floral notes. Bold and sensual, the base leaves an unforgettable wake thanks to notes of patchouli, vetiver and agarwood.  

Signature & Icon Collections

Most brands have core and signature collections which means consumers can always be assured of getting their favourite scents throughout the year. Zara released both a new icons collection and new premium signature collections this year.

Zara Home Our Icons Collection

This range is the newest release of ‘core’ fragrances by Zara. Most ranges in the UK and Europe tend to have a core collection of between 4-6 fragrances which are available all year round as a signature collection. This range is more sophisticated – although it contains a vanilla, a cotton and a white floral type – all of the best selling/most popular notes. Fragrances include; Dark Amber, Absolute Linen, Light Cotton, White Jasmine, Black Vanilla and Poetic Mind.

The Signature Collection 1

The freshness of eucalyptus and the sweetness of fig combined with woody notes and tobacco flower in this premium collection and the brand launched a new style of diffuser – lava rocks with a fragrance oil alongside and perfume gun style room sprays (reminiscent of Rituals room sprays).

For more trend insights and new product information sign up below to a 3, 6 or 12 month New Product Trend Report for Home Fragrance.

For a category deep dive, with new trend driving products, and future fragrance focused predictions get in touch and ask for a bespoke project proposal.

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