Recently, I had a conversation with leading fragrance expert Michael Edwards and he noted the increasing number of woody fragrances on the market, far more than in past years.  Has this carried over into sales?  Yes and No. According to Karen Grant, Vice President and Global Beauty Industry Analyst for the NPD Group, "Floral fragrance aren't fading away, but less traditional scents are gaining  more attention from female consumers than ever before. With the emergence of more artisinal scents on the market, women are welcoming the opportunity to experiment and explore different options."

According to NPD, the top five best selling *perfumes for women for 2013 are:

1 Chanel Coco Mademoiselle –  woody oriental (fresh)

2. Chanel no 5 -soft floral (classic)

3. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue -floral (fresh)

4.  Viktor & Rolf FlowerBomb – Woody Oriental (gourmand)

5.-Estee Lauder Beautiful – Floral (classic)

* Fragrance Categories via Michael Edwards Fragrances of the World 2013

woods and green

Photo:Symrise all rights reserves

Although niche and artistic perfumes are a very small percentage (I have read between 3-5 percent) of the estimated 3 billion dollar fragrance business, major Fragrance companies do look for what is new in luxe and niche. According to Doreen Bucher,  Vice President of Fine Fragrance Marketing Symrise N.A, "We create for everyone from the mass market to smaller artisinal brands and the difference is the smaller brands take a less commercial approach. Many olfactive trends start with artistic fragrances which find their way into the broader marketplace and we are seeing a rise of the floral-woody category as well as Citrus/Florals with the renewed interest in Classic and reinvented Eau de Colognes"

–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief