This week, I checked in on the growing genre of fragrance videos centered on the tactile and mechanical side of perfume packaging. Additionally, Rhode expands its footprint to Latin America, and Summer Fridays is on the hunt for a new CEO.
From magnetized caps to pressurized atomizers, why fragrance content creators are talking about packaging over scents
On PerfumeTok, the fragrance corner of TikTok, a typical review video will break down the olfactive experience of a scent, such as its notes or longevity. But many reviewers, particularly young male fragrance collectors, are rating another side of the fragrance experience: the packaging — specifically, the more mechanical sides, like the quality of a perfume’s atomizer or the satisfying click of a magnetized cap.
“I would say [those videos] are like borderline ASMR,” said Rylan Valdez, director of wholesale at niche fragrance retailer Luckyscent, which operates four Scent Bar stores across New York and Los Angeles. His team sees customers react to the quality of a fragrance’s packaging IRL, too. “The best atomizers disappear into the experience. I think people are looking for a really fine mist. … Especially if it’s pressurized. People are really impressed by that.”
While the quality of a perfume’s actual scent is not immediately apparent through the bottle, tactile components like a soft-touch outer box or a heavy glass bottle can help a brand communicate a more premium experience from the start. And those small flourishes are a useful tool for fragrance content creators looking to stand out. We can’t smell a fragrance through a TikTok video — for now — but the mechanical side of a fragrance, like the fine mist of a quality atomizer, is one of the few aspects that can be communicated through a digital screen.
“Everyone watching those videos has probably sprayed a cologne, so it’s more relatable. It’s like, ‘Oh, I wonder how good my atomizer is,’ instead of, ‘Oh, I need to buy this new cologne,’” said Justin McCombs, a 20-year-old fragrance content creator based in California. One video of his showcasing perfume sprays in front of a ring light has close to 8 million views.
“It is really satisfying, especially when you put [the atomizer] up against the light, and then you can see all the little particles,” said McCombs. “It’s extremely satisfying.”
Many brands source their packaging components from just a handful of suppliers, like the Virginia-based Silgan Dispensing. But there are many small decisions that brands must make on each of those components to add up to a quality experience.
“[The suppliers] have different atomizers to sort of give you how much perfume you want to disperse. I really liked how this cloud one looks and feels. It’s a little bit more expensive, but for me, it’s important. It needs to look good, it needs to spray and function properly. If I have a tube that feels more invisible than your regular PVC tube, then I think that also feels more high-end for people,” said Carlos Arquiste, founder of the New York-based niche perfume brand Arquiste. “The mechanical performance is very important. You want the best delivery of what’s most important, which is the perfume.”
Each brand will have its own needs and preferences on packaging style. But just like certain perfume notes can go in and out of style, there are trends in the packaging world, as well.
“The magnetic cap concept right now is trending so much. And then there’s also this cap that, as soon as it lands, it twists,” said Nourhan Elnaboulsi, procurement and production planning senior manager for Commodity Fragrances. “People are leaning more into high-capacity pumps and the more luxurious feeling when you actually spray the pump, which is the panache feel.”
Those small details can help customers feel a perfume is worth the often steep price.
“A luxury brand usually has a heavier cap, a better pump. The details of everything matter,” said Elnaboulsi. “When you’re paying 150, 200, 300 bucks on a fragrance, you want that feel.”
Thanks to social media, more and more consumers are taking note of those details. A Reddit discussion on Louis Vuitton’s popular Imagination cologne bemoaned the brand’s lack of invisible stems in its clear fragrance bottles. And many of those consumers taking those observations online seem to be young men.
“It is one of those things that the guys really pick up on. Maybe because it’s societal, natural to see how things are built,” said Nick Holmes, co-founder of Chicago niche perfume brand Bianco Profumo. When Holmes launched the brand with his dad in 2023, they went for a simple rectangular bottle but spent extra on a strong magnetic cap and a fine-mist atomizer. While Bianco’s consumer base is evenly split between men and women, Holmes said he sees more male influencers talking about the brand online.
“A lot of influencers have talked about the atomizer,” said Holmes. “That’s one of the things that I’ve noticed they have mentioned the most outside of the cap, but I think it’s because they like spraying it on video. It’s very aesthetically pleasing on camera.”
But while a strong magnet on a cap makes for a good TikTok video, is packaging enough to persuade or dissuade a consumer from buying a perfume? Like with almost everything related to fragrance, it’s a subjective question.
“What gets me really excited is just the smell, for the most part,” said McCombs. “Either way, whether you have a cheap cologne with a not-so-good atomizer or a really expensive premium fragrance bottle and atomizer that has a really nice, smooth effect, it’s still going to get the fragrance out there.”
Executive moves:
- William Smolen is named CEO of Caliray, the first to occupy the role at the California-based beauty brand. Smolen previously held roles at The L’Occitane Group and Make Beauty and was co-founder and CEO of WagWell. Smolen will be tasked with growing the brand through marketing initiatives and creator partnerships.
- John Heffner to step down as CEO of Summer Fridays, where he has held the top role since 2020. He will remain at the company while the brand seeks out his replacement. Prior to joining Summer Fridays, Heffner was CEO of Drybar.
News to know:
- The Estée Lauder Companies to invest in the U.K. as its primary site for candle manufacturing for brands like Jo Malone, Tom Ford and Aerin. On the 60th anniversary of its Whitman manufacturing facility, the cosmetics giant announced it will “integrate select luxury candle and home fragrance capabilities” into the U.K. manufacturing site.
- Rhode expands to Mexico, marking its first entry into Latin America. The Hailey Bieber-founded brand will be sold in Mexico online through its own e-commerce platform. The brand is already available in Canada and the U.K. and will arrive in additional European countries via Sephora in September.
- Givaudan to acquire a majority stake in Spanish fragrance company Eurofragance. The Swiss fragrance and flavors giant will acquire the Barcelona-based company, which specializes in luxury fragrance, for an undisclosed amount.
Stat of the week:
According to NielsenIQ, 14% of lip products are purchased on impulse, compared to 11% for purchases across the cosmetics and nail categories.
In the headlines:
Why is “doomspending” on the rise? Refinery29 alum Paula James-Martinez launches a new teen magazine. Olive Young has landed. Now the battle for K-beauty retail gets real. Are people really making $500k a month on ShopMy?
Listen in:
On this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, the head of UTA’s creators product group, Daniel Landver, joins co-host Sara Spruch-Feiner to discuss how the creator-brand landscape has evolved since he first entered the space in 2015, what separates successful founder-creators from those who struggle and why, in an increasingly crowded market, product quality matters more than follower count.
Need a Glossy recap?
Ulta Beauty to open “experiential” Times Square location in 2027. Glossy Pop Newsletter: The influencers fueling the mass beauty comeback. How Shark Beauty is leveraging community to reach stunning annual growth. Nest New York brings its fragrance-layering strategy to the UK. Sephora is bringing prestige beauty shopping into Google’s AI ecosystem. Phlur names Suni Lee its first-ever celebrity ambassador.
