Smellmaxxing Is the Latest Perfume Trend All Over Your FYP

What Is Smellmaxxing?

Smellmaxxing is all about crafting your own signature scent by layering fragrances. “It’s about ‘maxxing’ out your scent,” perfume enthusiast Shelby Coleman tells IPSY. “Layering fragrances helps your scent last longer and creates a concoction that’s unique to you.” Those who “smellmax” often do so to enhance their personal appeal and confidence, leaving a lasting impression on those around them.

Behind the Trend

Coleman says she’s primarily seen teen boys hop on the trend, influenced by scent reviews and layering techniques on TikTok. Fragrance influencers often recommend scents for different occasions, like date night, clubbing, or even going to the gym. Not only does this promote bulking up your scent collection, but it implies that each setting requires its own specific scent. 

“Having your own fragrance collection has become just as important as having your own [clothing] style,” says Coleman. “People are mixing and matching fragrances to express themselves, just like getting dressed.” A personal scent helps those wearing it stand out from a crowd—as does their knowledge of fragrances. Many teens who create videos on smellmaxxing also throw around industry terms like sillage, a French term for how heavily a fragrance lingers in the air. 

While Coleman is a fragrance influencer herself, she credits the smellmaxxing trend to bigger creators like Jeremy Fragrance. Backed by 10 million followers, his videos show him spritzing on obscene amounts of cologne, recommending fragrances to layer together, and even sniffing his fans to see what scent(s) they’re wearing. Such fragrances aren’t drugstore body sprays either—they tout labels from Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior, Tom Ford, and other high-end brands. A quality scent base is considered essential, as smellmaxxing is about enhancing your own musk (and feeling in the know). 

Even if they don’t call it smellmaxxing, young women have dipped their pulse points into the trend too. “Women have created their own signature scents by layering body oils and lotions underneath their chosen fragrance,” says Coleman. Body mists have become popular again too, she adds, pointing to formulas from Sol de Janeiro and Victoria’s Secret. 

At the end of the day, fragrance has become “an experience,” says Coleman. “Fragrance reflects how you’re feeling.” As our most powerful sense, smell is connected to our memories, mood, and identity—giving smellmaxxing a deeper meaning than its surface-level scent.