Fresh yet powerful, Ellis Brooklyn founder Bee Shapiro wanted her new Worth Avenue scent to “address head-on what a classic cologne means.” The scent’s deep, blue-colored juice—reminiscent of ’90s-era colognes—reinforces that goal.
Like Worth Avenue, which layers typical citrus and lavender notes over an atypical woody base, many of these new colognes offer depth and complexity to the category, says Varghese: “Colognes of 2025 are more faceted in the sense that they still have a fresh structure, but have added undertones of woods, moss, or ambery notes.”
Pink Pepper Is the Note of the Season
Pink pepper is like the Labubu of fragrance notes—it’s everywhere. From luxe perfumes like Balenciaga Extra, mass launches such as Coach Gold, and indie debuts including Bañomaria Finca, pink pepper is the unexpected and ubiquitous note of the season.
Every new pink pepper perfume smells wildly different. Henry Rose French Exist is a lush, sun-speckled floral. Dossier Lost Americana is smoky and full of wintery spices like nutmeg and myrrh. Noyz Only Human is a skin-enhancing musk with a touch of woody sweetness. Orebella Eternal Roots offers a fruity burst of lychee and raspberry paired with smoky woods. What they all have in common, however, is an inexplicable energy and immediacy.
Pink pepper is far from new. DSM-Firmenich first used the extraction in 1995 in Estée Lauder Pleasures. Contrary to its name, pink pepper is not a peppercorn; it’s a dried fruit from the Schinus molle tree, a species native to South America. “The bright berry has a unique, spicy profile that brings a sparkling brightness that enhances the energy of a fragrance,” says Varghese. The note is versatile and multi-faceted, adds Blanc: “It’s easy to use because it has a peppery, woody, citrus facet but is also floral; it helps to give vibrations to the fragrance structure and brings brightness to otherwise dark constructions.”
Pink pepper took off after the success of Pleasures, and its sudden resurgence may speak to today’s mood, says 27 87 founder Romy Kowalewski. “Right now, I think people are drawn to notes that feel sparkling, vibrant, and dynamic, a counterpoint to heaviness,” she explains. “Pink pepper delivers exactly that—an effervescent lift that feels modern, restless, and alive.”
Fragrance Brands Are Letting It Snow
Those dreaming of a winter wonderland can quickly transport themselves there with a spritz of one of many new, snowy-smelling fragrances. Dubbed the “polar plunge trend” by Arielle Shoshanna founders Arielle Shoshanna and Katri Haas, scents like d’Annam Sakura Snow, Imaginary Authors The Language of Glaciers, Serviette Frisson d’Hiver, and Andrea Maack’s Flux all evoke a chilly aroma with snow or ice accords.
Now, anyone who has been skiing or in a snowball fight knows that snow doesn’t have a noticeable smell—it is water, after all. Instead, perfumers re-create the cold, powdery, crunchy, and crystalline qualities of snow through a blend of cooling aromatics, airy musks, and crisp florals. “Aldehydes create a sparkling, airy, soapy, and sometimes edgy impression right on top; aromatic notes like mint or eucalyptus feel sharp, fresh, and instantly cooling,” explains Varghese. “Floral notes like rose oxide, lily of the valley, or even violet leaf, impart a crisp and green effect with a watery chill, while musks at the back feel clean, airy, and skin-like, adding a snow-like softness.”
Fragrance Brands Are Letting It Snow
Says Shoshanna, “I cannot overstate the extent to which gourmands continue to dominate the perfume landscape.” By mid-September, Shoshanna and Haas had already launched four new gourmands at their boutique. Meanwhile, Ulta Beauty customers, Suliafu notes, still can’t get enough of delicious-smelling eau de parfums: “Our guests have been showing a strong preference for gourmand fragrances with warm, comforting notes like vanilla, caramel, and amber,” she says.