If you thought that 2025 was big for the fragrance category, just wait for 2026. Already, there’s been some bold moves from major and niche houses alike – upcycled ingredients, lots of gourmands, food-adjacent notes and specialised hair perfume. Dior have even imagined its viral Lip Oil into a delicious personal perfume. All this, and it’s only January.
There’s no better time to update your perfume wardrobe (or, find a new signature). Fortunately, we’ve got the best new fragrances of 2026 listed below – all guaranteed to solicit compliments and ‘what are you wearing’ questions from strangers.
Dior Addict Rosy Glow
This is deliciously sheer – it smells like youth, pink flowers and dessert. There’s notes of lychee and dulce de leche for anyone who wants to smell edible.
DedCool Mochi Milk
More food-adjacent fragrance, but this time the powdery sweetness of mochi. Imagine milk, sweet rice, marshmallow and cosy vanilla. A gourmand dream.
Tom Ford Fig Erotique
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 91 Perfume Mist
The reign of Sol de Janeiro continues, this time in the form of Cheirosa 91. In a word, it smells like a holiday – juicy passionfruit, sticky honey, pink rose, pistachio cream and sandalwood.
Gorgeous Nothings I Eau de Parfum
Gorgeous Nothings is a new brand from beauty industry veteran Avigon Belle Paphitis (her dad was one of the original founders of Aesop, but she’s built her own career consulting to indie brands like Monastery Made and Strange Luxury). The first launch (coming in Feb) is Volume 1, a perfume by Pierre Negrin and inspired by dancers backstage – hair spray, powder, skin, silk, wood. The fragrance is made almost entirely out of upcycled and synthetic ingredients, too. A slow but sustainable beauty house.
Kérastase Gloss Absolu Le Perfume Hair Perfume
If you’re a die hard fan of the Kérastase Gloss Absolu Glaze Drops, you can now wear it as a hair perfume. The beautiful rose scent has been amplified with notes of bergamot, vanilla and lemon for hair that smells subtle but amazing. Consider 2026 the year of hair perfume.
Dries Van Noten Havana Gold
Dries has made a name for itself in fragrance – not only is the packaging some of the most impactful, but the scents themselves are just as memorable as they are unusual. Havana Gold is a nighttime blend of liquorice, tobacco, mandarin, cinnamon and leather.
