What's That Smell? The Unusual Fragrance Notes Trending For 2023

Pimento. Pistachio. Peyote. Seaweed. Olive oil. Absinthe. Tiramisu. No, these are not the ingredients for a dish from The Menu, nor the inventory of an L.A. art party bar cart. These are perfume notes—all in new, fairly mainstream fragrances but still, they aren’t smells you would normally elect to spritz on your wrists. Coconut and cannabis are everywhere, and evidently a lot of people want to smell like nuts. ​Why such a preponderance of peculiar notes right now? One answer is that there is more competition, which offers breadth for brands to try something new. In 2003 only 581 fragrances were launched globally; in 2021 that number approached 3,000. Another reason is that our nostrils have grown more inquisitive. Consumers are getting much more experimental. They’re interested in what they’re smelling and open to taking risks.  Smaller brands don’t need to appeal to a mass audience. This allows them to push boundaries and play with unexpected notes. Experiencing these more unconventional perfumes broadens people’s tastes and perceptions of what a fragrance can be.

Of course, it’s important that non-­perfume perfume notes aren’t so oddball that they make a scent unwearable. They aren’t there to be daunting, but rather to add richness and character to the perfume. In the end, notes can be merely notions, providing new ways of describing a perfumer’s masterful derring-do. Hence, in synopses of Imaginary Authors scents, you will find tennis balls, mountain fog, orchard dust, and warm sand. Even as you read the words, you can sense the scents tickling your nose.
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It’s important that non-­perfume perfume notes aren’t so oddball that they make a scent unwearable.