Recent Trends in the Fragrance Industry
Androgeny (andro) and non-binary (enbie) are gender-fluid or gender-neutral expressions of individuality, applicable regardless of gender orientation or identity. In other words, adopters may be asexual, bisexual, homosexual, straight, or anywhere in between. Some identify as trans men, trans women, or cisgender. Many choose androgeny to reject societal and cultural gender division expectations or to enjoy a bit of rebellious, unisex ambiguity. Androgeny can encompass dress, lifestyle, and even personal products such as fragrances.
What Is Androgynous Style?
A gender-neutral style avoids gender stereotypes. Gender blurring means sticking with grayscale shades except for color accents and avoiding tight clothing emphasizing shape. Instead, androgynous people choose loose bottoms and oversized uppers. Gender-fluid women may wear suits, ties, blazers, and a crew cut, while an enbie man may choose a skirt, heels, and eyeliner. Critically, the external appearance – clothes and mannerisms – does not define gender in predictable ways. With fashion a powerful vehicle of personal expression, future-forward brands are designing unisex clothing to flatter all three “genders”.
Beyond fashion, androgyny also means that gender-stereotypical products are no longer restricted explicitly to males or females. Instead, andro males can enjoy perfume, while endie females can splash on cologne. Perfume producers are developing un-gendered fragrances to leverage this seachange and attract and appeal to everyone. Fragrance mixing means innovators can juxtapose conventional with eccentric, soft with dark, and strong with floral – balancing Mars with Venus.
The Future of Fragrance?
According to statistics, half of Millennials no longer believe in gender, with unisex fragrance launches having grown from 17% of all launches in 2010 to 51% in 2018 and no sign of slowing1. As a result, leading personal care media company, Happi, reports that online searches for gender-defying blends have increased by 43%, with the fragrance market segment predicted to reach $190 million by 20252.
What Are Genderless Perfumes?
Floral or fruit-heavy extracts are historically considered feminine and spicy, while leather or woody notes are more masculine. However, manufacturers are innovating with inclusive and more widely appealing universal scent blends and profiles instead of creating traditional gender-differentiating aromas using conformist male or female-associated constituents.
The first of this kind – Clavin Klein’s CK One – was developed a quarter of a century ago (now joined by CK All), with several luxury brands such as Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (MHLV) and Chanel following suit. Today, among Harper’s Bazaar, CNN, and British GQ listed favorites are Maison Margiela, Orpheon, Tom Ford, Jo Malone London, Malin+Goetz, Bella Freud, Boy Smells, Byredo, Snif, and of course, Chanel.
The Scent of Sexless Sensuality
Asexual scent notes are bright and symmetrical. They include citrus, almond, jasmine, neroli, musk, or pheromones. Unexpected combinations can consist of woody with florals or sweet with smoky. In addition, neutral and fresh fabric-inspired blends and tones can include linen, cotton, and velvet, with notes of freesia, blonde woods, and clean citrus.
Also trending are contemporary embers and ambers, embracing incense and smokes – cedar and sandalwood, warming spices such as clove, and balsam or labdanum notes. The fruity blends are sensual and heady, showcasing orchid, vanilla, gardenia, and patchouli essences.
Perfumes have long relied on synthetic or a hybrid component mix. In contrast, inclusive brands are leaning more toward natural, organic molecules for more transparent labeling, greener manufacturing, and cleaner results. As a result, innovative andro and endie scent creators are turning to Advanced Biotech’s reliably sourced and pure fragrance molecules.
Embrace Gender-Agnostic Originality With Advanced Biotech
Advanced Biotech’s comprehensive collection of natural aroma ingredients is plant-based and EU-certified. The range includes high-quality essential oils and isolates, absolutes, oleoresins, pyrazines, and other natural extracts and aromatics. Browse our selection of odor molecules today and place your order. Please contact us for more information.
1 https://www.alphaaromatics.com/blog/unisex-fragrances/
2 https://www.flavorchem.com/trends/unisex-fragrances-are-more-inclusive-than-ever/