L’Oréal won big on the Fragrance Foundation Awards last Thursday. But at once within the fragrance category, there aren’t any losers.

The category, which gained steam throughout the pandemic, shows no signs of slowing down. Based on Circana data, prestige fragrance sales grew 13 percent year-to-date through May, with brick-and-mortar sales growing 15 percent. Circana also expects sales to surpass $200 million for Father’s Day this 12 months.

“The category is greater than alive and well,” said Linda Levy, president of the Fragrance Foundation, and the event’s hostess. “We’re seeing that continuing — people will not be just after sex appeal, they’re about how they feel about themselves, and so they’re about wellness.”

That consensus was shared by attendees. Amongst the large winners were Nicolas Hieronimus, chief executive officer of L’Oréal, who was inducted into the Foundation’s Hall of Fame, and IFF master perfumer Anne Flipo, who was the lifetime achievement perfumer honoree.

“Fragrances and music are very similar,” Hieronimus said during his acceptance speech — a nod to the venue, David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center — “They’re crucial emotions, memories, which can be made with you in your good days and bad days.”

The chief used the stage to issue a call to motion for the industry to “join forces within the face of regulatory threats which can be threatening our art, which is about creating fragrances in Europe and in places like California. There are regulations which can be being worked on with little or no scientific background,” he said.

Hieronimus was introduced by face of Armani’s Sí fragrance Cate Blanchett. Prior to taking the stage, Blanchett recalled the primary time she met Hieronimus. “It was 20 years ago in Paris. We were having a general meeting and I assumed it’d be 20 minutes, and it went on for 2 hours,” Blanchett said. “We’re eating in some nondescript cafeteria, and had this great conversation about what was luxury, what was beauty. I’ve now been with Sí for over a decade and his incredible journey inside L’Oréal — we’ve been on this interesting ride together.”

Blanchett also said the corporate has been “very open with me and welcoming into the means of how each iteration of Sí is being barely altered. It’s been fascinating because I’ve learned a lot about how fragrances are considered from idea to actual motion and the fragrance itself. It’s such an ephemeral thing, it’s such a private thing.”

Other L’Oréal winners of the evening include Prada Paradoxe Eau de Parfum, which won two awards, along with Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb induction into the fragrance Hall of Fame. Maison Margiela Replica’s When The Rain Stops was named the Fragrance of the Yr, Universal Prestige.

Paradoxe was especially a thrill for Megan Grant, president of L’Oréal Luxe within the U.S. “It’s all about Prada Paradoxe winning the Consumer Alternative award, since it’s really all in regards to the consumer,” she said, noting that “intense juices proceed to do thoroughly. The category’s crazy — every month we take a look at it, and we are able to’t consider the expansion.”

Nathalie Gerschtein, president of L’Oréal’s consumer division for North America, echoed that. “Fragrances are also driving our growth,” she said. “We’ve at all times been very dedicated to fragrances since it’s such a special category inside beauty — the invisible beauty accessory, and such a tremendous treat.”

Retailers can’t get enough of the category. “Fragrance is doing great. It’s a giant a part of the Ulta Beauty growth strategy, and we’re going to proceed to do best in it and drive latest ways to thrill our guest,” said Dave Kimbell, CEO of Ulta Beauty.

That feeling was cemented by sales during Mother’s and Father’s days, with merchants reporting brisk sales. “We had an impressive Mother’s Day,” said Alison Hahn, senior vice chairman of merchandising, makeup and fragrance, Sephora. “Needless to say, the patrons shopped slightly later this 12 months. However the last 10 days were incredible. The business is great on dot-com and in-stores. Through iconic designer to area of interest and our small incubation brands, all of them hit it out of the park.”

The momentum continues at Macy’s Inc., the most important seller of prestige fragrances within the U.S., said chief merchandising officer Nata Dvir, who noted that brand activations have been particularly resonant.

“The fragrance business continues to be really strong,” she said. “Our customers are so engaged within the experiences that we create, the animation that our partners are in a position to throw, and amazing products. There’s been a lot innovation, latest brands and launches, but in addition numerous the core products proceed to be really strong for us. We’ve also innovated digitally, doing numerous latest marketing campaigns online.”

Brands are keeping pace, too. Stéphane de La Faverie, executive group president on the Estée Lauder Cos., said, “We’ve got been in our ninth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth with fragrances. Each one in every of our fragrances have been having such a tremendous moment, and we see tremendous potential for the long run with each brand.”

Lori Singer, president of Parlux, accepted an award for Billie Eilish’s second fragrance. That license, which Parlux debuted last 12 months, continues to be performing well. “Momentum is implausible. We’re still off-the-charts incredible,” Singer said. “We’re rolling out Eilish with other retailers like Macy’s, and Eilish No. 2 is exclusive to Ulta for a 12 months, and rolling out globally.”

Indie founders report the identical traction. “Mother’s Day was implausible for us,” said Paul Austin, cofounder of LilaNur Parfums. “We did a campaign that was very modern that got a lot of eyeballs. Certainly one of our most successful Instagram campaigns ever. For Father’s Day, we’re heavily promoting our Agar Épicé, which was a scent that was named by Byrdie one of the best [warm] fragrance of 2022.”

Shalini Kumar of luxury brand Shalini commended the sense of community within the room. “You form of work in a type of isolation when you find yourself a founder and a creator. You meet certain people like your retailers, your clients, however it is good to see people here — there’s a warmth and an excitement and energy within the room… that’s crucial thing of events like this. And Linda has just galvanized the entire industry to return together,” she said.

House of Bō’s Bernardo Möller, cofounder and artistic director, said Mother’s Day drove sales to 2 key stock keeping units. “Mother’s Day was implausible, sales were implausible, La Mar and Rosario were favorites,” he said, adding that the success would portend more launches. “We’re also enthusiastic about latest collaborations with perfumers that we’re working on.”

That brand’s Infinitoud, a parfum which launched exclusively with Bergdorf’s last 12 months, was just one in every of many indie launches up for awards. “We’re nominated for fragrance of the 12 months with Santal Calling, which is a fragrance that we launched in the autumn,” said Nelson Sanchez, sales manager and Recent York business coordinator at Ex Nihilo. “Hailey Bieber shouted out Fleur Narcotique and previously three weeks, the quantity of phone calls we’ve gotten — it’s made an impact.”

Chris Collins, of World of Chris Collins, also noted his Lost in Paradise fragrance was up for accolades. “We’re just creating incredible fragrances centered around storytelling,” he said.

Presenters also shared their excitement in regards to the category, though fragrances aren’t their bread and butter. “It’s really cool to be here for a distinct form of event,” said ballerina Misty Copeland, who just premiered her latest film, “Flower,” on the Tribeca Film Festival. Fragrance, she said, “permits you to get into character, get right into a certain mood, and it helps push you there. So many things are connected to scent and fragrance. Performing and putting on fragrance is an element of my ritual.”

Added Vera Wang, also there to present an award, “I like it because this can be a very exciting time in fragrance,” she said. “There may be a lot newness.”