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Influencers Are Bottling Success: Can They Make Fragrance the Next Big Thing? Let's ask Danielle Bernstein?

Camille Roe S.

Photos Courtesy of @weworewhat


The fragrance industry has long been a playground for celebrities, with stars like Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande launching signature scents that rake in millions annually. These fragrances often become a gateway for fans to connect with their idols on a personal level. But with the rise of influencers reshaping modern commerce, the question arises: Can influencers replicate the celebrity playbook and make fragrances a cornerstone of their entrepreneurial ventures?


A Look Back: Celebrity Fragrance Success

Celebrities have transformed fragrances from luxury products into intimate expressions of personality. Iconic launches like Elizabeth Taylor’s White Diamonds in the 1990s set the stage for a multi-billion-dollar industry. These ventures thrived on mass-market appeal, nostalgia, and the idea of bottling the essence of a beloved personality.

The formula worked because celebrities already had massive followings, credibility, and access to robust marketing machines. Their fragrances weren’t just products; they were extensions of their brands, crafted to evoke the glamor or lifestyle fans aspired to emulate.


Influencers Enter the Fragrance Game

In today’s digital era, influencers are modern celebrities, building loyal audiences through relatability and authenticity. Unlike traditional celebrities, influencers foster a sense of community with their followers, making them ideal candidates for launching consumer products.

Influencers like Danielle Bernstein are leading the charge in transforming personal branding into tangible products. Known for her WeWoreWhat fashion empire, which commands $35 million in annual sales, Bernstein entered the fragrance market with her debut scent, WeWoreWhat 001. Created by Robertet perfumer Jérôme Epinette and launched in partnership with Parlux, the fragrance will hit Ulta Beauty in the spring.


Bernstein isn’t alone in this space. Fragrance influencer Funmi Monet has made waves with her own perfume brand and was recently named to Sephora’s 2025 Accelerate Program. Sephora also carries Forvr Mood, the lifestyle brand by beauty YouTuber Jackie Aina, which expanded into fine fragrance in 2024. Dubai-based influencer Mahmoud Sidani, aka Mr. Moudz, launched ByMoudz in December, while Snif, a 2020-founded perfume brand, has embraced influencer collaborations with creators like Emelia O’Toole and Monet McMichael.


Challenges in the Fragrance Industry

Despite their potential, influencers face unique challenges in entering the fragrance world:

  • The Intangible Nature of Fragrance: Unlike makeup or skincare, perfume is difficult to sell online. Without the ability to smell it, consumers rely on branding, descriptions, and reviews.

  • Establishing Credibility: While many influencers have mastered beauty or fashion, fragrance requires expertise in storytelling and evoking emotion through scent.

  • Competition: The market is saturated with big-name brands and celebrity fragrances, making it harder for newcomers to stand out.


Why Influencers Might Succeed

While the challenges are real, influencers bring distinct advantages to the table:

  • Direct Audience Connection: Influencers can engage with their followers directly, co-creating fragrances or crowdsourcing ideas to ensure a product resonates.

  • Niche Branding: Influencers often appeal to specific audiences, allowing them to focus on unique niches like clean beauty, sustainable practices, or gender-neutral scents.

  • E-commerce Savvy: Digital-first creators are adept at leveraging social media and e-commerce to drive product launches and create viral moments.


Pioneers Redefining the Industry

Danielle Bernstein, Funmi Monet, and others are proof that influencers are making strides in the fragrance industry. Their approach—combining personal branding, niche focus, and innovative collaborations—demonstrates the potential for success. Newer brands like Snif are capitalizing on influencer partnerships to expand their reach, showing that influencers can indeed shape the future of fragrance.


The Future of Influencer Fragrances

For influencers to make fragrances a business mainstay, they must lean into their strengths: authenticity, storytelling, and community engagement. Collaborative product development, transparent branding, and addressing sustainability concerns can further differentiate influencer-driven fragrance lines from traditional celebrity products.

As influencers like Danielle Bernstein and Funmi Monet pave the way, the industry is witnessing a shift. While celebrities laid the foundation for fragrance as a business, influencers have the tools and creativity to build on it—offering a modern twist to an age-old industry.


The question isn’t whether influencers can do it—it’s which of them will become the next fragrance icons.

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