I moved to Colombia late 2024, to a most beautiful location, a town, which is a world heritage site, 2,000 metres up in one of The Andes ´cordilleras´. After dragging my wonderful Colombian wife around the world for over 20 years it was time to return to her home and to the family farm.

We have at least 70 different species of plants and trees on our property. My favourites are always the pink pepper trees and their astonishing fragrance. I tend to carry crushed leaves around with me with orange blossom / petitgrain in my pocket.

Along with enjoying the wonderful bureaucracy of becoming established here, I have also been trying to learn fragrance tastes and trends across all product categories. Plus, of course those in other Latin American countries. I have visited many in the past, but I was immediately reminded how tastes and trends differ from country to country. This region is not homogeneous. Something I think conveniently forgotten with the ´imposed trends´ from the big perfume makers of the USA, Spain etc. There is an explosion of new fragrance creativity in the key hubs of Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Colombia, Paraguay and Uruguay are not too far behind.

Niche fragrance across the region may still be in its infancy but consumers have a lot of fragrance knowledge and disposable income. Local niche brands are becoming established alongside brands from the US, Europe and Australia.

I was going to name this article, The ¨Next¨ Fragrance Frontier…but we are already there as I am learning. It is not ´next´, it is happening now! Traditional mainstream luxury fragrance, ´masstige´ is still doing well but is under increasing pressure from new fragrance influences. Niche is just one.

In Europe and to a lesser extent, the US, niche fragrance has hit saturation point. There were 6,000+ fragrances launched last year across all fragrance categories. Even with dedicated niche fragrance stores like Jovoy and Boots standalone fragrance store in London, there is not enough shelf space to go round. I advise would-be niche companies constantly; yes, you need an excellent online presence, but you should also try and have your own physical space somewhere. You must establish a physical connection with your consumer. That applies here too.

In some ways niche fragrance in Latin America, feels like where Europe was in 2010 with local niche houses launching exciting new fragrances, some influenced by local ingredients, others with a great story. In other ways brands have had to jump quickly to ´Be Memorable´. A good story is not enough. I am indebted to Eduardo Garcia de Alba of MyScentJourney, Mexico to give me a great insight into product and fragrance trends.

So, we can potentially see great growth for niche fragrance in Latin America but there are, for me, three other factors and pressures which the designers and owners must take into consideration when creating and launching fragrances.

These affect niche companies as well as the traditional perfume companies.

The first. The big perfume conglomerates are trying to stay ahead of the curve.

Puig is staying relevant by supporting and promoting their Spanish heritage through Carolina Herrera and other brands, as well as acquiring popular local brands.

Estee Lauder have invested in a local niche fragrance brand Xinu in Mexico. They have seen the need to invest early in niche here.

With L´Oreal´s considerable presence in the region, it cannot be long before they too invest in a niche fragrance company as they have in other regions.

There are other pressures which niche fragrance in Europe and the US didn't encounter as they were becoming established.

The second factor. There is an invasion of Middle Eastern fragrance brands driven by social media, with easy availability on Amazon, Argentina´s Mercado Libre and Jomashop. I can buy my favourite Ajmal fragrance (Amber Wood) on Mercado Libre and receive it within a week. Others include Armaf, Rasasi, Al Haramain, Afnan, and Ahmed Al Maghribi.

Despite Brazil´s high tariffs, these are still considered affordable brands. Eloisa Mello, head of fine fragrance for IFF, Latin America, told me iconic Brazilian brands, Natura and O Boticario are targeting this trend with their own style of Middle Eastern fragrances.

The Middle Eastern brands are excellently promoted and are also offered at hugely discounted prices on Jomashop (along with Fragrance du Bois, Roja Dove and Goldfield and Banks). My first thought when I saw that many Middle Eastern brands were here; Do Latin Americans really like the heavier Middle Eastern style of fragrances? The answer is yes. In fact, Mexican niche consumers like intense fragrances and edgy woods. As do Colombians. I wondered about my favourite ingredient Oud. Can they really like that? Maybe not the deep intense Oud but it is well liked across the region. They don't really know about the story or the origins but they enjoy the note.

And then comes Lattafa, the global phenomenon driven by Tik Tok, Instagram and Google. I was smelling fragrances in the airport in Bogota a few months ago. I asked the salesperson what their best-selling brand was. No prizes for guessing. I was quite shocked, but I learned fast. Most shoppers don't just happen upon Lattafa. They know exactly what they want because it is so well promoted through social media.

This brings me to the third factor and pressure facing niche fragrance and mainstream here. The spectre of dupes. So, does this really affect niche fragrance so much? It is hard to say but as in other regions, it is a growing trend. Dupe shops are springing up everywhere. Even dupes of Lattafa fragrances are being sold in dupe shops.

The Latin American niche fragrance market is growing and evolving quickly.

With the above pressures and influences, my feeling is that niche could well evolve differently to Europe or the US.

For part II, I plan to go deeper into the niche brands across the region. Their stories, their fragrances and what makes a successful brand in Latin America. And most importantly, what it takes to be sustainable in a market becoming more competitive by the day.