From celebrities to consumers, fragrance 'gatekeeping' is trending

This article was originally published in the Cosmetics Business Fragrance Trend Report. Receive your copy here. 

Celebrities do it, influencers do it, and there are reams of TikTok posts stating why everyone else should.

‘Gatekeeping’ fragrance – keeping your signature perfume secret to prevent others from copying it – is a trend gaining momentum.

On TikTok the phrase ‘Gatekeeping my perfume’ has 24.1 million views and counting, as content creators share tips on everything from which fragrances are ‘worth gatekeeping’ to what to tell people when you don’t want to reveal your signature scent.

But why is signature scent secrecy becoming a trend at all?

Roz Wicks, fragrance trend forecaster and founder of marketing agency TrendAroma, says it stems from the fact that that we are entering a new ‘mass-niche’ era in which niche scents have become more accessible than ever, thanks to social media, specifically #PerfumeTok (with its 5.2 billion views) and fragrance influencers, as well as the increase in scent sampling services.

“As so many people are using their scents to express themselves and craft a specific self-identity that they want to distinguish themselves with, their special scents – often now created by layering scents – are sometimes a closely guarded secret, even from family and friends.”

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