These fragrance videos went viral on TikTok and, unsurprisingly, sales soared. Will they tempt you?
You might not think that perfumes and TikTok would be compatible bedfellows - tbh we're still waiting for some sort of smell-a-vision to come along to really make fragrance and social media work together. However, in the meantime there is TikTok. And when a hashtag goes big on TikTok, then my goodness does it go big! Up in front with the most amount of views is #perfumetiktok with 2.3 billion views, #perfumetok is just behind with a very respectable 812.2 million views and #fragrancetok has 136 million views and counting.
These hashtags are often described as 'niches', whereby one of the TikTok algorithms places them into a niche or categories so you, the viewer, keep receiving more of the same type of content. Perfumery isn’t alone here - there's #booktok, #fashiontok, #politicstok and even #prisontok – which is pretty much everything you think that hashtag might represent!
In terms of fragrances on TikTok, there's one particular perfume that is leading the way with how consistently it goes viral - Maison Francis Kurkdijan Baccarat Rouge 540. Even though it's hardly an olfactory newbie (it launched in 2015) and it comes with a punchy price tag - a bottle costs £215 - we're under no illusion any spikes in sales have to be as a result of the TikTok hashtag #baccaratrouge540 that has 129 million views! And that is why it's the first perfume we are mentioning….
The viral sensation: Maison Francis Kurkdijan Baccarat Rouge 540, £215
@taylamaaree #stitch with @hannah_ledesma_ genuinely the best perfume in the entire world #perfume #baccaratrouge540 ♬ original sound - tayla maree
This quite outstanding scent is described as 'poetic alchemy', and we honestly couldn't describe it any better ourselves - although Tayla Maree does a great job. Its price tag is reflected by the expensive and luxury ingredients it contains - we're talking saffron and cedar - and whilst many brands have to tried to create cheaper dupes, the original really does stand apart. It's sensual, amber and woody and there's nothing quite else like it.
The perfume dupe that nearly broke TikTok: Zara Red Temptation, £19.99
@mariah.hsz "Have you tried it yet?" #perfumetiktok #zara #zarahaul #baccaratrouge540 #zaraperfume #redtemptation #fragrance #fyp #foryou #unboxing ♬ اووللهه - Dabby | دابي
If you're able to even get your hands on this sell-out scent then we applaud you! The reason for its huge success? Because it's been touted as the closest thing to Baccarat Rouge 540 - which as we already know costs £215 a bottle - but at the bargain price of under £20.
The one that smells like you, but better: Glossier You EDP, £45
@moriahhhhr_ There’s nothing quite like @glossier You #glossierpartner #smellslikeyou #glossieryou ♬ Sia - Xeptemper
The premise behind Glossier You is that you don't wear it to smell like someone else, the notes are part of 'you'. And what great notes they are - there's a good dose of pink pepper for some fruity spice, iris for a very subtle floral moment and then ambrox, which gives it it's sexy skin like aspect. The bottle is as gorgeous as all Glossier products are with an ergonomic dent to make it easy to hold and spritz and it also comes in a refillable solid form too
The oh-so-sweet headturner: Parfums de Marly Delina Eau de Parfum, £210
@theamandamarie_ Reply to @beachlover964 #delina #delinaexclusif #parfumsdemarly #perfumereview ♬ original sound - TheAmandaMarie
Our Digital and Social Media Manager Jemma discovered this fragrance through TikTok and finished it in May! "I would definitely put this on a par with the Baccarat Rouge and Tom Fords of this world, but on a “if you know, you know” basis. It’s a long-lasting floral scent dominated by Turkish rose and it’s sweet yet sexy, alluring and confident. It just oozes ‘main character’ energy. So much so that a very cool Scandi lady approached me on the street in Stockholm a month ago and said, “I’ve been walking behind you for the past five minutes and you smell so good. What is it?“. It was possibly the best compliment ever. Yes, it’s on the pricier side for my budget, but if I had a pound for every time someone complimented me on this scent, I would be quids-in. ”
The luxury scent on a budget: Ariana Grande Cloud EDP, £28
@glow_elements my bf like the scent too! #fyp #cloudbyarianagrande #shopeefinds #cloudperfume #perfumetok #arianagrande ♬ Ex Party - JAYBeatz
Celebrity fragrances used to get quite a bad rep, but this from singer Ariana Grande definitely doesn't fall into that category. Whilst it's been created for her younger fan base, it's not so sugary sweet and saccharine (like many celeb scents) that it wouldn't suit someone with more sophistication and years behind them. It's quite a unique mix of creamy vanilla notes with fruity pear and bergamot and a touch of creme de coconut, but it works. The bottle is cute and twee, which may put you off but teens will love. In fact, this is a great example of a gateway scent for younger children to buy into that their mums and older siblings can enjoy too.
The statement fragrance: Tom Ford Lost Cherry, £240
@jurysfragrance Cherry vibes all over! #jurysfragrance #fragrancearmy #fragrancetok #tomford #tomfordlostcherry #lostcherry #fragrancereview #fragrance ♬ Alone With You - Arz
As with all Tom Ford fragrances, this is a true unisex scent. Dripping in lots of edible notes such as cherry, plum, vanilla, cinnamon and bitter almond - it is sexy and just that little bit too much (meant in the best way possible). It's quite a punchy scent so it's definitely more for those that want to make a statement or wear something that is different from everyone else so we can totally understand why it's gone viral.
The sweet take on oud: Kayali Vanilla 28 EDP , £84
@travaulyawallace Another Vanilla Option #fragrance #fragrancereview #fragrancetiktok #fypシ @kayali ♬ original sound - Travaulya Wallace
If you didn't know, Kayali is the fragrance brainchild of makeup guru, Huda Kattan and her sister Mona. Kayali is an Arabic word that means 'imagination and generally, the fragrances are inspired by the middle east. However, this one doesn't have any of the oud notes that are perhaps more typical of that genre. There is some amber and musk which gives it the sensuality as well as lots of different vanilla types and some brown sugar thrown in for good measure. But the best way to describe this scent, as you can see from Travaulya Wallace's reaction, is wow!
The sophisticated gender neutral one: Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club, £99
@scentifiedbyesma A smokey but sophisticated beauty (watch till the end for the rating) #maisonmargiela #replicaperfume #jazzclub #perfume #fyp #TKMaxxTalentShow ♬ original sound - Nifè
The idea behind this scent is that with one spray you will be transported back to a dark, smoky, boozy New York jazz club in the 1920s. And you know what? It does just that. This is all thanks to the combination of the tobacco leaf, the hint of rum and Neroli and Sage. It's the idea of your best night out, bottled.
The perfume to make you smell like Rihanna: Kilian Love, Don't Be Shy Eau de Parfum, £185
@imani.shani Okay y’all, mondays are for perfume. INDEFINITELY. More details on my Instagram #perfume #perfumetiktok #fragrancereview ♬ Milkshake (Instrumental) - Kelis
As Imani shares in her video, this is apparently one of the fragrances that Rihanna wears. And if it's good enough for Riri then...
It is a sweet scent - thanks in part to the marshmallow sugar note - but there is still a grown-up sophistication to it. Plus it's refillable, which makes our hearts sing.
The going out-out one: Yves Saint Laurent Libre EDP , was £80 now £72
@perfumed.to.death Reply to @xfloorjansen7 SOTD YSL Libre - such a classic, do you agree or disagree? #perfume #SOTD #YSL #ysllibre #fragrance #perfumetok ♬ Vivaldi - Winter - Allegro - Essential Band
With a campaign that was fronted by singer, Dua Lipa - this is a punchy, powerful fragrance. Pearl from Perfumed To Death describes it as 'absolute elegance' and the perfect perfume for the professional, but we think it's more multi-faceted than that. It would suit your sassy best friend, your glamorous Aunt or for when you need that extra bit of va-va-voom when you're sitting at home in your trackies.
The delicious one: Billie Eilish Eilish EDP, £29
@mikaylanogueira The @BILLIE EILISH fragrance is incredibly warm and inviting. Truly love it for this winter season! CODY LOVES IT! #perfume #fragrance ♬ original sound - Mikayla Nogueira
Of course, kooky Billie Eilish wasn't going to have a regular perfume bottle like everyone else. Instead, she has a metallic bust, which has hugely divided opinion in the GTG office but obviously not the general public as it's sold out twice. We were, however, very much united in our admiration for the scent. As Mikayla says in her video 'it's woodsy and vanilla', which is a great description. It definitely creates a sort of caramelly vibe, but what really struck us all was its amazing staying power, which for its price point is excellent.
The fruity one: Burberry Her EDP, £74
@hebesy Reply to @emzy315 what does Burberry Her smell like to you? #perfume #perfumetiktok #fragrancereview #burberry #burberryher #her #baccaratrouge540 #maisonfranciskurkdjian @Burberry ♬ Simply The Best by Billianne - Billianne
Created by perfumer extraordinaire, Francis Kurkdjian who is the nose behind the fragrance we keep coming back to, that's right - Baccarat Rouge 540 - a lot of people thought this was going to be another dupe for the iconic fragrance, but we agree with Hebesy as we don't think they're similar at all. This is a lot lighter, fruitier and commercial and there's nothing wrong with that at all.
The all-rounder: Byredo Gypsy Water, £127
Created to be a homage to Romany life, this unisex cult fragrance combines outdoorsy notes of pine and sandalwood as well as subtle moments of citrus to cut through any heaviness. It smells just as fresh and relevant now as it did when it launched 14 years ago.
@annatatlin Dream perfume #byredo #luxuryperfume #perfumetok #gypsywater <a title="♬ original sound - Baloogoob