This week, I checked in on the arrival of the fragrance layering trend at Bath & Body Works. Additionally, Paula’s Choice doubles down on sports as an official FIFA World Cup sponsor, and NielsenIQ data shows an uptick in social commerce and “quick commerce” among U.S. consumers.
Bath & Body Works gets in on the fragrance layering trend
Why wear one perfume when you can wear two? Fragrance layering has long been a popular way to wear perfume in the Middle East, but as more U.S. consumers adopt fragrance wardrobes in place of a single signature scent, brands are finding ways to capitalize on the trend through discovery kits and single-note scents.
That now includes mall stalwart Bath & Body Works.
In October, Bath & Body Works experimented with a pilot program offering single-note scents intended for layering at 500 stores. The program proved successful enough that, on Thursday, the Ohio-based personal-care brand announced the expansion of its “Blend Bar” to all 1,900 of its stores and its e-commerce site.
“As people are more intentional with what they’re wearing, and I mean that in terms of style and apparel, fragrance really is kind of that completing of the outfit,” said Kristie Lewis, evp of merchandising at Bath & Body Works. “[Fragrance] gives them the ability — and this is why I think layering is important — to kind of change with the mood they’re feeling in the day and express themselves differently based on the outfit that they’re wearing.”
The Blend Bar offers up single-note body creams and travel-sized fine fragrance mists in scents like pistachio and strawberry explicitly designed for layering. In-store displays offer suggestions of popular combos, like the Wild Vanilla mist with Toasted Pistachio body cream, while also encouraging consumers to create their own combinations.
According to the 2026 Fragrance Trends Report from consumer trends agency Spate, fragrance layering’s popularity in Google searches and social media posts was up 63.9% year over year in 2025. On platforms like TikTok, Gen Z fragrance consumers have taken to showcasing their preferred combinations of perfumes, body mists and body lotions, often showcasing layering alongside popular fruity and gourmand scents like vanilla, pistachio and guava.
“Naturally, we really wanted [the Blend Bar] to be something for everyone, which is why you have a broad, effective portfolio. But we are seeing engagement with the younger consumer, which is an intentional play as we’re going after more Gen Z,” said Lewis, who said that vanilla and pistachio, and strawberry and jasmine have been among the most popular layering combos. “We know that they love to curate, and we know that they love fragrance as a way of expression. We know that they love the scent wardrobe idea, so we really wanted to make sure it was broad enough to have something for everyone, but also something appealing enough to bring in Gen Z to our brand.”
Brands have responded to the excitement around layering by marketing and merchandising their scents as bundles and launching new formats to be layered with traditional perfume sprays. In April, Snif launched a “Milk + Cereal Layering Bundle,” offering a mini 2% milk fragrance alongside a trio of body mists inspired by popular breakfast cereals. In February, Sol de Janeiro launched solid perfumes that can be worn alongside the brand’s popular body splashes for added longevity.
But consumers aren’t just looking for more personalized scents; they’re looking for more scents, period. According to market research agency Circana, fragrance remains one of the fastest-growing beauty categories in the U.S. market; mass market fragrance sales were up 16% in the first quarter of 2026, and mini sizes also showed double-digit growth in the prestige segment. Data from e-commerce agency Front Row showed sales of discovery fragrance kits on Amazon were up 81% year over year as of March 2026, totaling $13 million.
There’s a clear benefit for brands, too. Encouraging layering behavior can give consumers additional permission to stack their carts with not merely one scent, but a handful of products. Lewis said Bath & Body Works kept the fragrances at its Blend Bars to a 2.5-fluid-ounce travel size for $8.95, compared to an 8-fluid-ounce full size for $18.95, to better allow customers to purchase multiple scents over committing to one.
The retailer will be expanding the Blend Bar experience in the coming months, including a new navigation experience in July and new scent profiles for the fall. But as far as other future scent combos and formats, Bath & Body Works will take its cues from shoppers.
“What we’re really trying to do here is stay close to the consumer and understand how they are layering,” said Lewis.
Executive moves:
- British pharmacy chain Boots named Alex Baldock CEO. Baldock, who most recently served as CEO of electronics retailer Currys, will take the helm in the fall as Boots gears up for an IPO.
- Charlotte Watson joined R+Co as chief marketing and commercial officer, overseeing global marketing and branding across the R+Co portfolio. Watson has previously served as CMO of Hourglass and Olaplex.
News to know:
- Paula’s Choice was named an official sponsor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Unilever-owned skin-care brand launched a campaign to commemorate the partnership, building on its existing sports investments with the likes of UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd and U.S. rugby Olympian Ilona Maher. The international soccer tournament kicks off in June and will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- Private equity group Boyne Capital took a majority stake in the fragrance brand YZY Fragrances. The investment, the terms of which were not disclosed, will help the affordable, Florida-based fragrance brand expand its distribution.
Stat of the week:
According to NielsenIQ, social commerce growth is outpacing traditional e-commerce growth, with social commerce up 62.9% among U.S. consumers. Quick commerce, which NIQ defines as a retail model that delivers in as little as 30-60 minutes, is up 62.2% in the U.S.
In the headlines:
How milk got into your perfume bottle. Rush Week is the new runway: Why beauty brands are betting big on sororities. A perfume with a whiff of MAGA. The return to long-form: Why YouTube is winning back brands.
Listen in:
On this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, hosts Lexy Lebsack and Sara Spruch-Feiner are joined by senior beauty reporter Emily Jensen to discuss the strategy around Amazon’s beauty sales and assortment, and how it’s attempting to position itself as a prestige beauty retailer on par with the likes of Sephora and Ulta Beauty.
Need a Glossy recap?
Sephora Strategies: With its launch at Sephora U.S., Fugazzi wants to bring luxury fragrance to the masses. The new rules of retail include buying into retail media networks. Why beauty brands are courting readers, gardeners and art-world insiders. Exclusive: CeraVe taps Carmelo Anthony as ‘head coach’ of its new dandruff campaign.
