For the year 2026, a very specific type of perfume is coming back to the forefront and will invade our beauty shelves. Guaranteed time travel.
Making something new out of something old. We thought it would be forever abandoned on our grandmothers’ shelves, a victim of its slightly outdated image. However, it is one of those smells that takes us back, brings back memories and triggers real emotions. Against all expectations, in 2026, this category of fragrances will see a spectacular revival. According to the popularity index platform Spate, it was mentioned more than 167.9 million times per month on social networks, and on Google in 2025. This figure takes into account both views on TikTok, shares on Instagram and consumer queries on the search engine. A true testimony to the striking power of this trend.
Driven by massive growth of 12.7% in just one year, this essence even dethrones vanilla perfumes, which have become extremely popular. Thus, eau de Cologne truly seems to reconcile all generations. Who doesn’t remember seeing a bottle placed in the bathroom at their grandparents’ house? Or to have smelled it on his ancestors when saying hello? Although this return to the forefront may seem surprising, eau de Cologne nevertheless responds to a desire among perfume lovers to return to less overpowering scents. Far from the very dusty memories we have of it (cuckoo 4711 and Mont Saint Michel), this type of fragrance has been able to reinvent itself and modernize thanks to the success of brands like Jo Malone London, a leading figure in this olfactory renewal. Unlike other houses that only swear by eau de parfum, this London brand has built its empire on the art of Cologne. Other brands like Acqua di Parma have also helped restore these waters to their splendor.
But this Cologne 2.0 is also part of the rise in popularity of “layering”, or superposition of odors. Indeed, due to its low concentration of perfume, eau de Cologne is neither overpowering nor strong. It constitutes the ideal base for mixing several juices and thus creating your own olfactory signature. All you have to do is experiment and find the combo that suits you best.
Even more telling, this nice return is perfectly in line with the rise of “Affordable Luxury”, where consumers now favor luxury scents at affordable prices. In this niche, this iconic format excels by nature, proving that ultimate elegance today lies in luxury that is both transparent, efficient and within reach.
