Inside Revlon’s Fragrance Strategy with Amber Garrison

The future of fragrance isn’t about what’s in the bottle. It’s about the stories, experiences and cultural moments that surround it. 

The demand for nostalgic scents has surged in the past year, as consumers turn to fragrance to reconnect with feelings of comfort and meaningful memories. And as fragrance becomes a deeper form of personal expression, Happi Top 50 Company Revlon is seeing  key trends emerge across the category from story-driven scent creation to the rise of “feel good” fragrances.

Revlon is leaning into this evolution through strategic licensing accord with artists like Ice Spice and retail brands such as Salt Life, according to Amber Garrison, vice president of Elizabeth Arden and fragrances at Revlon.

Garrison shared more on how the Revlon is innovating in this category.

Happi: What are consumers looking for in their fragrance and why? 

AG: Gone are the days of a single signature scent. Today’s consumers are building fragrance wardrobes much like they build fashion wardrobes, choosing scents based on their mood, mindset, or occasion. We’re also seeing continued growth in layering and fragrance cocktailing, not only with juices but across formats, as consumers create scent experiences that feel uniquely their own. Looking at gourmand fragrances as an example and their steady popularity, we see the category evolving season after season, bringing new excitement and choice to consumers to reflect their ever-evolving tastes, lifestyles, and curiosity. 

That shift is shaping how we think about innovation at Revlon. We’re bringing fragrance into more corners of culture through celebrity, fashion, sportswear, and lifestyle brands, while also reimagining how consumers discover and engage with fragrance. Our recent Ice Spice In Ha Mood launch is a great example. Consumers want fragrance experiences that feel personal, culturally relevant, and interactive. 

It’s an incredibly exciting moment for the category because fragrance has become one of the most powerful and personal forms of self-expression. Our job is to provide consumers with more ways to discover and connect with scent. While many of these ideas start in niche perfumery, there is an exciting opportunity to bring them to new audiences through a broad range of experiences and price points. 

Happi: Tell us about your upcoming fragrance innovations for 2027, including how these partnerships came together? 

AG: We’re so energized by how our fragrance portfolio at Revlon is evolving. Over the past few years, we’ve built a strong foundation through a mix of celebrity and brand licensing partnerships that connect with consumers in authentic, culturally relevant ways. 

A great example is our recent launch of Ice Spice’s debut fragrance, In Ha Mood. We partnered with Ulta Beauty on a Tik Tok Shop Live event featuring Ice herself that generated one of the platform’s highest concurrent viewership moments to date. It was a powerful demonstration of how fragrance discovery is evolving and how we’re rethinking consumer engagement. 

That’s really our approach. We don’t just look for partners with reach; we look for partners with communities. The strongest fragrance brands today are the ones that create genuine cultural connection. 

Happi: Champion, Palm Angels and Salt Life are licensed at Revlon. Can you talk about those projects?

AG: Looking ahead to 2027, we’re bringing that same mindset into premium lifestyle spaces with these brands. 

Champion marks the brand’s first entry into the fragrance category through our global licensing agreement. The collection will feature scents for men and women inspired by Champion’s bold, winning spirit. 

In fashion, Palm Angels sits at the intersection of luxury and street culture. That positioning makes it a natural fit for fragrance. 

And with Salt Life, we’re translating the brand’s coastal lifestyle into scent, capturing the freedom and optimism of life on the water. 

We know that consumers aren’t just buying fragrance; they’re buying into brands, lifestyles, and communities that reflect who they are. That’s what makes these partnerships so compelling. 

Happi: Revlon also recently launched Eternal Aura. What was the brand’s approach to this launch and its significance as Elizabeth Arden’s first flagship fragrance introduction in eight years? 

AG: Eternal Aura marks a major milestone for Elizabeth Arden as the brand’s first fragrance pillar launch in eight years. Eternal Aura represents a new chapter for the brand, honoring 90-plus years of fragrance expertise while also celebrating the dynamism of women today. We started with a simple insight: women wear fragrance just as much for how they want to feel as for how they want to smell. We created Eternal Aura for women navigating what we call the “rush hour of life” when career ambitions, family responsibilities, and personal priorities all converge. In that context, even something as simple as spritzing on a fragrance can become a moment of self-care that helps women reconnect with themselves and carry that sense of well-being into their daily lives. 

That’s what made Leighton Meester such a natural partner for this launch. She authentically embodies the values at the heart of Eternal Aura: confidence, resilience, and a modern, multifaceted view of femininity. Her personal journey as an artist and a woman also embodies the themes of transformation and self-expression that perfectly capture the meaning of Eternal Aura. 

Leighton was deeply involved throughout the campaign, joining us in New York and Madrid to share her love of fragrance and her longtime admiration for the Elizabeth Arden brand. 

Happi: What’s next for fragrance in 2027 and beyond? 

AG: Whether inspired by a destination, a culture, an ingredient, or a mood, consumers are looking for scents that help them feel something and reflect who they are. Capturing olfactive trends at the right moment and sharing them with consumers when they are most eager to explore them will be essential. 

We also expect the category to become increasingly experience-driven through creator content, social commerce, immersive retail and cultural experiences. 

Beyond the juice itself, the category is evolving through format and packaging. Portable, playful options like travel sprays, minis, solids and fragrance accessories are making fragrance more personal, versatile, and integrated into everyday life. 

For Revlon, that means continuing to innovate through strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, and brand experiences that create emotional connections before someone ever takes their first spritz.