The Best Male Fragrances - 2013 Vs 2020
Welcome to our guide about the best men’s fragrance in 2020 and how they compare to those in 2013.
Global Trends - 2013
The Global fragrance industry experienced moderate growth from 2013 up to 2018 where it then began to plateau – even before the pandemic.
During this period, a clear demand for organic or natural premium fragrances is also becoming ever more apparent.
However, despite these trends, male perfume still only made up 34.5% of the total global market value while female fragrances made up over 50%.
Nevertheless, while perfumes (but also fragrance products in general) were previously reserved for the rich, a trend of unique and the high-quality fragrance is now becoming more mainstream as products are at an affordable price point for the average consumer.
Global Trends - 2020
As we have previously mentioned, the number of perfumes released increases year on year but the pandemic led to a decrease from 2862 to 2282 and while unisex perfumes increased their representation to 59.3% from 52.4% the year before, masculine fragrances only represented 12.9% of all perfumes released in 2020.
Male (and female) fragrance charts were topped by oriental fragrances who made up 34.6% of 2020 perfume releases with floral scents coming up a close second at 29.4%.
When we look at men perfume worldwide, woody fragrances were the clear dominant force by making up 36.3% of all masculine fragrance launches. Aromatic Fougere and Woody Oriental follow close behind, making up 30.5% and 21.5% of all male perfume launches respectively.
As one might expect, the international best selling male fragrances have not included any newcomers since 2019, As ever, Sauvage by Christian Dior and Bleu de Chanel are proving themselves year after year to be worthy of their “Titres de Noblesse”.
The innovations in the perfume industry during 2020 can be summarised as ‘Personalisation’ and ‘Made-To-Measure’.
2020 brought with it a desire from perfume wearers to have their own unique fragrances which have birthed a rise in homemade fragrances.
Following the pandemic, there is also a rise in perfumeries offering online (and in-person where possible) appointments to co-create their signature fragrance and to allow customers to feel understood and special as part of ‘the ultimate customer experience’.
As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself because everyone else is taken”. The pandemic has shifted the idea of self-love and self-care to the forefront of everyone’s minds.
The male fragrance industry has responded by allowing far more personalisation than they have previously to ensure that their customers are able to be their ‘best selves’ by wearing a unique cologne to them.
Male perfumes are also now far more transparent in their manufacturing methods – which empathises health as much as their environmental impact.
Global Trends - Country by Country
Now, we would like to invite you on a deep dive to explore the top 2013 male fragrances and the best selling male colognes from 2013 and 2020 in four key counties: the USA, UK, France and Germany.
For each country, we will discuss the olfactory groups, the top and base notes and which types of perfume were popular in 2013 and 2020.
At the end of each breakdown of each country, we have provided a full product description of all of the top male fragrances that we discuss for you to look at and refer back to throughout the article.
We hope you enjoy it!
