The fragrance industry in 2026 looks different than it did five years ago, and a lot of that is because of people who never worked at a legacy perfume house. YouTube reviewers, TikTok creators, and celebrities have launched brands, championed overlooked houses, and pulled millions of new people into a category that used to live mostly in department-store counters. This piece walks through the influencer-founded and celebrity-collaboration brands making an impact on the fragrance landscape.
The TikTok and YouTube layer underneath every brand in this piece
Every influencer-founded brand and every creator-house collaboration covered below exists because of audiences built on YouTube and TikTok first. That is not a coincidence. It is the reason this wave is happening at all.
Fragrance is a notoriously difficult category for digital content — you cannot smell a video. For two decades, industry wisdom held that perfume marketing required glossy print, department-store sampling, and celebrity advertising. YouTube and TikTok broke that assumption:
- YouTube long-form reviews (Jeremy Fragrance, Gents Scents, Redolessence, CurlyFragrance, TLTG Reviews, Cal Cologne, Neeb) built trust-per-minute legacy magazine reviewers never achieved. Review channels became the sampling layer for buyers without a Saks counter nearby.
- TikTok shelfies and unboxings turned ownership into visual identity. You cannot transmit smell through a phone, but you can transmit ritual — the bottle, the first spray, the reaction.
- The fragcom feedback loop. Creators review; audience debates; houses iterate. Cycles that used to take years now happen in weeks. That’s why brands like Aromatix can release ten fragrances in 18 months.
- Direct distribution. Jeremy Fragrance ships from fragrance.one. Michella from ryziger.com. Aromatix through Fragrance World retailers. No department-store gatekeeper required.
Jeremy Fragrance — the reviewer-to-founder playbook
Jeremy Williams built the public playbook for turning reviewer authority into a brand. His Jeremy Fragrance YouTube channel is one of the largest dedicated fragrance channels in the world, and the brand name “Jeremy Fragrance” is used for both his creator presence and his company’s public-facing identity.
He founded Fragrance One in 2019 with a novel structure: fragrances designed for specific occasions rather than abstract moods.
- Office for Men (2019) — composed by Alberto Morillas (Acqua di Gio, Flower by Kenzo, Mugler Cologne)
- Date for Men (2019) — Alberto Morillas
- Black Tie (2020) — Alberto Morillas
Sources: Fragrantica Fragrance One designer page, basenotes.com.
His contribution: demonstrated that a creator-reviewer can legitimately partner with top-tier independent perfumers and that creative direction can come from a non-traditional background without compromising the craft. Every influencer-founder brand that followed took a version of this template.
Michella (CurlyFragrance) and Ryziger Parfums — the self-funded creator-founder
Michella, who goes by CurlyFragrance on YouTube, is one of the most influential voices in the fragcom review space, and her launch of Ryziger Parfums is a particularly important case study because the brand is entirely self-funded. Her first release, Attraction Fatale, arrived in 2024.
- Brand: Ryziger Parfums — self-funded, founded by Michella
- First release: Attraction Fatale (2024), Oriental Floral composition
- Perfumer: Christian Carbonnel (aka Chris Maurice)
- Additional perfumer relationships: Philippine Courtière, Christian Provenzano
Sources: Fragrantica Ryziger Parfums designer page, ryziger.com, interviews with Michella.
Why her trajectory matters: she chose the harder path. Rather than co-brand with an existing house or take investment in exchange for creative control, she self-funded and works directly with a roster of respected independent perfumers. That template pushes against the “creator lends name for royalty” default and sets a higher bar for what a reviewer-founded brand can look like.
Mona Kattan and Kayali — Middle Eastern traditions on Sephora shelves
Kayali, founded in 2018 by Mona Kattan, brought Middle Eastern scent-layering tradition into mainstream Western retail without sanding off its identity. “Kayali” translates to “my imagination” in Arabic. The brand builds around layering — wearing multiple fragrances together — a practice familiar in Middle Eastern perfumery for centuries.
- Founded: 2018, initially as an offshoot of Huda Beauty
- Standalone since: February 2025, with General Atlantic private equity backing
- Top-selling release: Vanilla 28
Sources: Kayali’s official site, Wikipedia (Mona Kattan), Cosmetics Business, Huda Beauty / General Atlantic announcement.
Kayali’s contribution is visibility. Middle Eastern perfumery — oud, amber, incense, layering — was largely invisible to Western shoppers before. Putting those traditions into Sephora opened the door for the Lattafa, Armaf, and Afnan wave that followed.
Steven Gavrielatos (Redolessence), Navitus, and Vivamor
Steven Gavrielatos built his reputation as Redolessence, a YouTube fragrance reviewer. He serves as Creative Director for:
- Vivamor Parfums — sister brand founded 2018; niche-style compositions at an approachable price
- Navitus Parfums — launched latter half of 2019
Creative direction shared with Max Forti; perfumers include Christian Carbonnel. Sources: navitusparfums.com, vivamorparfums.com, Plezuro Mag interview.
Contribution: the “curator as creator” model. Translating reviewer point-of-view into direct creative-director responsibility built a house that respects niche composition values without the niche price ceiling.
Neeb (Muneeb Alwazeer) and Aromatix × French Avenue — one of the hottest lines in the market right now
The Aromatix × French Avenue collaboration is one of the fastest-moving influencer fragrance stories of 2024-2025. Neeb is Muneeb Alwazeer, a Dubai and Venice Beach-based fragrance creator with ~195,000 Instagram followers. He co-curates the line, which operates as a premium sub-line of French Avenue produced under Fragrance World. The combination of creator curation, Middle Eastern production, and extrait-tier concentration has made Aromatix one of the most-discussed new lines in the fragcom community.
- Launch: 2024 (first releases Royal Taboo and Carnal Desire)
- Line size: 10 fragrances on Fragrantica through 2025 (Royal Taboo, Carnal Desire, Forbidden Fruit, Platine Blanc, Frostbite)
- Perfumer: Shinichiro Oba
- Concentration: 20–25% oil — extrait-tier, 10–12-hour performance advertised
Sources: Fragrantica Aromatix X French Avenue designer page, Emirates Oud, Aromatix YouTube channel.
Ashton Kirkland (Gents Scents) × Michael Malul — seven releases and counting
Ashton Kirkland, who goes by Gents Scents on YouTube, has built one of the most substantial ongoing creator-house collaborations in the market. His partnership with Michael Malul London has produced seven fragrances across multiple release waves since 2021.
- Releases: Jet Black Enigma (2021, initial), Terra Nova, Blue Ridge, West Loop, Edgewater (2023), French Quarter, Arashi Reef
- Design philosophy: mass appeal, wearability, versatility — explicitly not aimed at buyers seeking challenging artistic compositions
Sources: Fragrantica Michael Malul London designer page, basenotes.com threads, release interviews.
Why it matters: rather than a one-off release, Ashton and Michael Malul have built a long-running creator-curated sub-line inside an established house. The seven-release track record over multiple years shows the bridge model can sustain over time.
Cal Cologne with Rayhaan and Maison Asrar — two houses, two distinct collabs
Cal Cologne is distinctive because he has curated fragrances with two separate Middle Eastern houses — Rayhaan and Maison Asrar — producing two distinct fragrances, each on a different inspired-by reference:
- Rayhaan × Cal Cologne Tiger — Cal Cologne Edition (2024). Spicy oriental. Top: Nutmeg, Clove, Lemon. Heart: Milk, Rose, Davana. Base: Amber, Patchouli, Frankincense, Labdanum. Community reception compares it closely to Penhaligon’s Halfeti.
- Maison Asrar × Cal Cologne III Thriller (2026 Extrait). Oriental Woody. Community reception identifies it as an interpretation of YSL 6 Place Saint Sulpice. US$35.
Sources: Fragrantica (Tiger and III Thriller pages), maisonasrar.com, scentadvice.com, Brotherhood of Scent review.
The creator-as-a-service model across multiple houses lets a creator partner with whichever house best fits a given reference.
TLTG Reviews × Zaharoff — the Zed Creators program
TLTG Reviews partners with the Zaharoff fragrance house on their Zed Creators initiative — a structured creator-collaboration program that releases extrait-tier parfums in waves. TLTG’s latest release is Sun-Kissed Island (2025), part of Zed Creators 3.0.
- Release: Sun-Kissed Island (2025), Parfum Extrait, 60ml
- Perfumer: Claude Dir
- Positioning: Tropical florals, marine notes, tequila accord, coconut-forward summer profile
Sources: Fragrantica (Sun-Kissed Island Zaharoff page), Parfumo, zaharoff.com, announcement content from World of Zaharoff and TLTG Reviews.
The Zed Creators model turns creator collaborations into a house-led publishing platform with recurring waves — a different approach than Michael Malul’s long-running single-creator series with Gents Scents or Snif’s rotating creator slate.
Bella Hadid and Orebella — formulation innovation
Bella Hadid launched Orebella in May 2024 in the US. The contribution isn’t the celebrity name — it’s the formulation. Orebella uses a bi-phase formula blending fine fragrance with aromatherapy essential oils and hydrating skincare ingredients.
- Perfumer: Clément Gavarry
- Fragrance houses: Firmenich and Robertet
- Formulation: Alcohol-free, bi-phase, trademarked “Ôrəlixir” base (snow mushroom + camellia/almond/olive/jojoba/shea)
Sources: Business of Fashion, Fashionista, Hollywood Reporter, Who What Wear, V Magazine.
The industry contribution is the “skinification” of fragrance — treating perfume as skincare-adjacent. Other houses are now releasing alcohol-free and skin-nurturing formulations in response.
The rest of the creator-founder field
- Jackie Aina — FORVR Mood. Lifestyle/candle brand; expanded into fine fragrance in 2024 with I Am Her and You’re Local. Cross-pollinates beauty-community sensibility into fine fragrance.
- Funmi Monet — Influxious. Perfume reviewer turned founder.
Celebrity collaborations with niche houses
- Demi Rawling × Fragrance Du Bois. Minuit et Demi — gourmand collab with a respected niche house.
- Charli D’Amelio — Born Dreamer. TikTok-scale audience into fragrance.
- Addison Rae — AF, Chill, Hyped. Mood-named line; lowers barrier for new buyers.
- Emelia O’Toole (Professor Perfume) × Snif — Vow Factor. Part of Snif’s defined creator-collab strategy.
Narciso Rodriguez — the designer-as-brand reference point
Narciso Rodriguez sits separately: his fragrance house carries his own name because he is the designer and creative identity — the Francis Kurkdjian, Kilian Hennessy, Frederic Malle model of founder-identity houses. Today’s creators and celebrities are increasingly building in that tradition rather than just licensing their name out.
What all of this means for the industry
- New audiences. People who would never have walked into a Sephora fragrance counter are now buying fine fragrance because a creator or celebrity they trust made it accessible.
- Lowered barriers to fragrance education. A beginner today can learn more in two hours of YouTube than a department-store shopper learned in ten years.
- Bypassed gatekeeping. Direct-to-consumer creator brands circumvent legacy retail bottlenecks.
- New formulation formats. Orebella’s bi-phase, Kayali’s layering, Fragrance One’s occasion-specific structuring — each expands what a perfume can mean.
- Spotlight on Middle Eastern perfumery. Kayali made layering visible. Aromatix puts Shinichiro Oba with a UAE extrait line. Cal Cologne works with Rayhaan and Maison Asrar. Each gives Middle Eastern houses fair representation.
- New trust models. Creator authority and community validation replace the old department-store trust model.
Any industry that welcomes new voices gets better over time. The fragrance industry in 2026 is more diverse, accessible, and honest than a decade ago — and the influencers and celebrity founders above are a meaningful part of why.
FAQ
Are influencer fragrances as good as designer fragrances?
Quality is judged fragrance by fragrance. Creator-founded brands work with top-tier perfumers (Alberto Morillas, Christian Carbonnel, Clément Gavarry) whose portfolios include legacy designer classics.
Why has this category grown so fast?
Social media lowered the cost of building fragrance audiences; Middle Eastern production made high-quality composition affordable; changing retail made non-traditional launches viable.
Is Kayali still part of Huda Beauty?
No. Since February 2025, Kayali operates as a standalone business with Mona Kattan as CEO, backed by General Atlantic.
How do I know if an influencer fragrance is right for me?
Sample before buying. Give heart and base notes at least two hours to develop (see our guide to judging a fragrance properly).
Exploring creator fragrances? Browse the full catalog, or use our Two-Way Scent Match tool.