From signature scents to full collections: Why perfume culture is growing in Kenya

For many young Kenyans, perfume is no longer just a fragrance, but confidence in a bottle; a way to change your vibe as easily as you change your clothes, whether it’s a bold scent for a big meeting or a sweet vanilla fragrance for a Sunday brunch.

“You don’t have to smell like your problems,” says Brian, a Nairobi-based office worker with a growing collection of nine perfumes.

Like many fragrance enthusiasts today, Brian no longer relies on a single signature scent.

Instead, he rotates between multiple fragrances depending on the weather, occasion, mood, and even how he wants to be perceived.

“When your scent introduces you before you even speak, it changes how you carry yourself. It’s like a boost of confidence,” he said.

According to Brian, different perfumes create different impressions, with stronger scents often associated with confidence and softer fragrances feeling calmer and more relaxed.

To him, perfume has become an accessory, something as intentional as a watch or a carefully curated outfit.

What was once considered a luxury reserved for special occasions is now evolving into a growing culture of fragrance collecting among young Kenyans.

From Arab perfumes and scent layering to TikTok fragrance reviews and “what are you wearing?” scents, many consumers are now building collections of their own.

Popular fragrance content creator Hassan Hussein, popularly known online as @sanseinscents, says social media has played a major role in transforming perfume culture from a niche interest into a growing online trend among young people.

He explains that platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have made fragrances feel more accessible and aspirational, with many people now discovering perfumes through online reviews, aesthetic packaging, and influencer recommendations.

“If people see someone with a collection of 10 or even 100 perfumes online, they also want to be part of that trend,” he said.

Hassan noted that many buyers now make “blind purchases” based purely on online recommendations without ever smelling the fragrance themselves first.

He also believes the rise of affordable Middle Eastern perfumes has significantly contributed to the growth of perfume collections among young people.

“They’re affordable, long-lasting, and people feel like they can now own multiple scents without spending too much,” he said.

Beyond trends, Hassan says fragrances have also become closely tied to confidence and self-expression. “People want to be remembered as the person who always smells good,” he added.

That accessibility is exactly what drew Josephine Waithera into perfume collecting.

She says the rise of affordable Arab fragrances has made it easier for people to enjoy luxury-smelling scents without the high designer price tags.

With a growing collection of about 12 perfumes, Waithera says owning multiple fragrances no longer feels out of reach.

“You don’t really have to break the bank to smell good anymore,” she said.

According to her, layering perfumes and experimenting with different scents has also become part of the experience.

“I like smelling edible, so I gravitate towards vanilla scents because they pair well with almost everything,” she added.

Not everyone, however, is drawn to growing perfume collections.

According to Gloria and Sylvester, who are both university students, one signature scent is more than enough.

Gloria says she prefers sticking to a single fragrance she strongly identifies with rather than constantly switching between different perfumes.

“Once I find a scent I really love, I stick with it. Why fix what’s not broken?” she said.

She added that even when she buys other perfumes, she always finds herself reaching for the same scent because of the familiarity and attachment she has built with it.

Sylvester also shares similar sentiments, saying he prefers having one consistent fragrance rather than owning multiple perfumes because he likes being associated with a particular scent.

The growing interest in perfume collections is also being reflected in consumer buying habits.

Faiza, owner of The Beauty Cabin, says more customers are now purchasing multiple perfumes suited for different settings and experiences instead of sticking to one signature scent.

She notes that the growing accessibility of affordable fragrances has made it easier for consumers to experiment with scents without spending excessively.

According to her, social media and changing fragrance trends have also encouraged more people to explore perfume collections and scent layering.

“Perfume trends spread very quickly online through influencers, reviews, and lifestyle content,” she said.

As perfume culture continues to grow both online and offline, fragrances are becoming more than just beauty products for many young Kenyans.

From confidence and self-expression to memory and personal identity, perfume is increasingly being treated as a way for people to express themselves, one scent at a time.