TikTok’s fragrance boom: why Gen Z men are spending US$400 on Creed cologne

The influencer known as OverSpray Jay has become one of the top sellers of men’s fragrances on TikTok in part by offering his followers a very specific piece of advice: whatever scent they’re wearing, they should spritz themselves 100 times.

His catchphrase: “If you ain’t shining, are you even applying?”

It’s a far cry from how fragrance was marketed in the past to men – and the women who often bought it for them – with campaigns focusing on outdoor pursuits, rippling torsos and smelling “like a man, man”.

Now, the approach is more nuanced. Instead of having one instantly recognisable cologne, men are being encouraged to layer their fragrances, wearing multiple perfumes or colognes at once to create a signature scent. The trend is a boon to cosmetics companies as consumers buy several products instead of just one, often adding lotions, high-end deodorant and body washes to the mix.

Meanwhile, the number of influencers hawking fragrances to men on TikTok has increased around 12-fold from April 2024 through April this year, according to data from Charm.io analysed for Bloomberg News. That far outpaces the eight-fold increase in those marketing to women, the data shows.

Corporations and influencers alike are capitalising on a post-pandemic boom in fragrance in the US, particularly among men. The amount spent on men’s fragrances on TikTok’s shopping platform each month has outpaced that spent on women’s scents for the past two years or so, according to Charm.io, and peaked at US$18 million in sales last November.

Estée Lauder and Puig ended discussions about a potential deal in late May, after months of negotiations.