Perfume has never been more present than in 2025: bottles following one another on TikTok, personal collections growing, specialized boutiques overflowing with new products. At the start of 2026, the industry is looking for how to keep perfume desirable without losing consumers in this abundance.
Paris is at the center of this reflection, between the opening of the Estée Lauder workshop, called , and the which is already working on innovation in perfumery 2026.
2025, the year when perfume changes scale
According to the economic press, around 6,000 new perfumes were launched in 2025, compared to nearly 2,500 before 2019, a sign that the prestige category has become a driving force for large groups.
At The Estée Lauder Companies, overall turnover fell by 8% in 2025, while fragrances grew to reach 2.5 billion euros, or just over 17% of sales.
A Parisian workshop to accelerate perfume innovation
On October 14, 2025, Estée Lauder inaugurated a research and innovation workshop of nearly 2,000 m² in the 2nd arrondissement, bringing together creation, marketing and development for its perfume brands, from Tom Ford to Frédéric Malle.
For Stéphane de la Faverie, general director, the priority is explicit. , we can read in an interview given to the media Usine Nouvelle. At the same time, he announced that he would cut up to 7,000 positions, rather in order to make . At the helm of the workshop, Lucas Nanini talks about a , designed to reduce development times by 30 to 50% thanks to data, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, a supercritical CO2 extractor and fragrance evaluation booths.
Fragrance Innovation Summit: what 2026 is preparing
Every year in Paris, it brings together composition houses, brands and manufacturers for a 360° reflection on the creation, production, marketing and retail of fine perfumery. The 2025 edition highlighted AI, neuroscience and emotional design, new scented gestures, more responsible packaging, biodegradable microcapsules and even the capture of VOCs from the skin.
Implicitly the priorities of perfume innovation 2026 emerge: phygital experiences from the web to the point of sale, olfactory scenographies, travel formats, light mists, but also more accessible niche perfumery. The next edition, announced for November 25, 2026, should further push these exchanges between creators, scientists and industrialists, with a direct impact on what will be released in stores.
What are the areas of perfume innovation for 2026?
AI, neuroscience, sustainability, new nomadic gestures and phygital experiences will structure innovation in perfumery in 2026.
Why is Paris a perfume hub?
Paris concentrates Estée Lauder’s house of perfumes, Cosmetic Valley and the Fragrance Innovation Summit, forming a unique ecosystem of creation and experimentation.
How does AI accelerate perfume creation?
By modeling olfactory preferences and guiding testing, AI can reduce development times for new fragrances by 30 to 50%.
