22-07-2025
Bananas for banana: the surprising new trend in perfume
When the sun's out, we tend to lean towards citrusy scents that enliven, invigorate, and immediately transport us to the coastline – think juicy bergamot, neroli, lemon and fig. But not this year, not summer 2025 when there's an unusual tropical fruit that's trending: banana.
Yes, the fruit most of you probably have in your kitchen right now could well be popping up in your perfume. Searches across Google and TikTok for banana fragrances are up by 46.8 per cent compared to last year and the hashtag #bananaperfume has racked up over 6.6 million views.
Gourmands, as a fragrance category, have also gained traction over the past 12 months. Vanilla has been leading the charge but caramel, coconut, cherry, rum and chocolate are becoming more customary aromas with audiences of every age, and now banana is being cited as the new 'it' note. 'We're all craving a playful olfactory twist,' explains Jun Lim, founder of perfume brand BornToStandOut. 'And that's where banana delivers. Its creamy, quirky sweetness hits the spot, and what used to feel like a joke, now feels fresh.'
According to perfumers, banana is incredibly versatile as a note and blends well with other fragrance families – from florals and spices to musks and amber, to other gourmand flavours, be it tropical fruits like pineapple and guava or sweet treats like honey and vanilla.
Of course, you can't distil a banana as you would a flower or other fruits to create absolutes and essential oils, so the scent is made up of synthetic molecules, which gives perfumers even more freedom to get creative. It's also why not all banana fragrances smell like a Knickerbocker Glory and can be surprisingly grown-up, wearable and modern.
Offering escapism, nostalgia and originality, banana perfumes are perfect if you like your fragrance wardrobe on the quirkier side. Plus, what a great talking point if someone asks you what scent you're wearing. Will we still be going bonkers over bananas come winter? Who knows. Romy Kowalewski, founder of Barcelona-based perfume house 27 87, thinks this is just the beginning: 'We're at the early exploration of what this note can become and banana is ushering in what feels like a new chapter for tropical scents. Think of how pistachio went from niche fascination to mainstream darling. I believe banana is on a similar trajectory and is an evolving note with elegance and edge.'
Interested to see which scents we're going bananas for? These are the ones that have real 'a-peel':
