Click on each region to learn more about their perfume habits
Wales
Fruity
Eau-fenders with a high number of sprays per application but expenditure is amongst the lowest
- People in Wales are among the highest in terms of how much perfume or aftershave they apply, but like to buy cheap and cheerful fragrances (only spending around £38 a year on perfume while buying an average of 2.25 new fragrances per year)
- They like their scent to be strong with 8 spritzes per application
- Only a quarter of the Welsh population wear perfume daily
- They like to mix up what they wear having a 5-bottle collection of fragrances to choose from
South West
Fruity with woody base notes
Have the lowest number of bottles open and keep their scent subtle
- People in the South West like their scent to be subtle – favouring just 3 spritzes per wear
- And just 17% wear it daily (second lowest)
- They tend to own just two bottles at a time and buy less than one (0.75) per year
- Average annual spend is £42.50 – around £50 below the national average spend
London
Woody-Oriental
Hey big spenders! Londoners spend more but buy a low number of bottles – opting for higher end scents. They have the highest number of people who wear a fragrance daily
- People from London buy less than half the number of bottles per year than the North East and the North West (1.5), but are the third highest spenders in the UK
- They are also the region that tends to wear their signature scents every day (more than half (55%) of people wear perfume daily – the highest in the UK)
- But they use their perfume wisely, spritzing just 4 times
- They own on average 2 bottles
South East / East Anglia
Citrus & Fresh
The six spritz, daily perfume wearers who like their scent to stand out
- People living in the South East and East Anglia like their scent to stand out – they use 6 spritzes per wear
- This goes to explain why they’re the fourth biggest spenders in the UK (£103.50)
- They own on average 5 bottles and buy 2.3 new fragrances per year
- Perfume is a big part of who they are – 39 per cent wear it every day
Midlands
Woody - Floral
Lowest spenders in the UK and lowest daily users
- Midlanders spend the least on perfume across the whole of the country – just £34.50 per year, and this is reflected also in how few purchases they make – less than a bottle on average (0.75)
- And it’s because they seem to save perfume for special occasions with only 15 per cent wearing it every day, and keep hold of their perfumes (perhaps much longer than they should) as they do switch between 2-3 bottles that they have open
- They match the UK average applying 4-5 spritzes per wear
Yorkshire & Humberside
Citrus
Like to throw you off the scent – lowest number of spritzes per application
- People in Yorkshire and Humberside take a more subtle approach to their perfume habits
- Annual spend is below the national average at £73.50 buying just 1.5 bottles a year as an average
- And these tend to last them a while because they only use on average two spritzes per wear – the lowest in the UK! They also have around 3-4 bottles on the go
- A quarter of people in the region do wear perfume or aftershave every day though
North West
Floral – Woody
Spritz to excess – with the highest number of sprays per person
- People in the North West are also big perfume lovers
- They like to spritz the most, ranking the highest in the UK for how much perfume or aftershave they apply each time – at a whopping 8 spritzes per application
- Annual spend is £141 per year – the second highest in the UK - and people buy three new fragrances a year
- They like to have a big collection to choose from, owning on average six bottles at one time
- 4 out of 10 people in the region wear fragrances daily – above the national average of 1/3
North East
Floral - Oriental
Biggest spenders and the best smelling region
- The North East is the best smelling region in the UK!
- People living in the region spend more than double the national average on perfume and aftershave (£188) – buying the highest number of bottles per year (4 bottles)
- They also like to interchange their scent the most using the highest number of different fragrances at one time (7-8)
- 44 per cent wear perfume every day and use on average six spritzes with every wear – both above the UK average
Ireland
Oriental
Ireland is one of the most pungent regions but opt for cheaper perfumes/aftershaves to apply liberally!
- While people living in Ireland tend to be a fairly good representation of the UK average – they do like to lay in on thick applying 7 spritzes per wear – making them the second most pungent individuals in the UK
- People living in the region spend more than double the national average on perfume and aftershave (£188) – buying the highest number of bottles per year (4 bottles)
- Annual spend is slightly below average at £85, opting for bargain bottles of perfume each time (they buy just under 3 bottles per year) that they can use liberally!
- They tend to have 4 bottles open at a time
- And almost 40 per cent wear perfume every day
Scotland
Classic Flora
Like to pick and choose from their fragrance collection but stick to the scent rules
- Applying just three spritzes, people in Scotland like to keep their fragrance subtle
- They own four to five fragrances at a time and buy 1.8 fragrances per year, spending on average £70.20
- Around one third wear perfume daily
Great British
Find out how your region compares to the rest of the UK in terms of smell, spend and spritzing.
Great British
Find out how your region compares to the rest of the UK in terms of smell, spend and spritzing.
Scotland
Classic Flora
Like to pick and choose from their fragrance collection but stick to the scent rules
- Applying just three spritzes, people in Scotland like to keep their fragrance subtle
- They own four to five fragrances at a time and buy 1.8 fragrances per year, spending on average £70.20
- Around one third wear perfume daily
Ireland
Oriental
Ireland is one of the most pungent regions but opt for cheaper perfumes/aftershaves to apply liberally!
- While people living in Ireland tend to be a fairly good representation of the UK average – they do like to lay in on thick applying 7 spritzes per wear – making them the second most pungent individuals in the UK
- People living in the region spend more than double the national average on perfume and aftershave (£188) – buying the highest number of bottles per year (4 bottles)
- Annual spend is slightly below average at £85, opting for bargain bottles of perfume each time (they buy just under 3 bottles per year) that they can use liberally!
- They tend to have 4 bottles open at a time
- And almost 40 per cent wear perfume every day
North East
Floral - Oriental
Biggest spenders and the best smelling region
- The North East is the best smelling region in the UK!
- People living in the region spend more than double the national average on perfume and aftershave (£188) – buying the highest number of bottles per year (4 bottles)
- They also like to interchange their scent the most using the highest number of different fragrances at one time (7-8)
- 44 per cent wear perfume every day and use on average six spritzes with every wear – both above the UK average
North West
Floral – Woody
Spritz to excess – with the highest number of sprays per person
- People in the North West are also big perfume lovers
- They like to spritz the most, ranking the highest in the UK for how much perfume or aftershave they apply each time – at a whopping 8 spritzes per application
- Annual spend is £141 per year – the second highest in the UK - and people buy three new fragrances a year
- They like to have a big collection to choose from, owning on average six bottles at one time
- 4 out of 10 people in the region wear fragrances daily – above the national average of 1/3
Yorkshire & Humberside
Citrus
Like to throw you off the scent – lowest number of spritzes per application
- People in Yorkshire and Humberside take a more subtle approach to their perfume habits
- Annual spend is below the national average at £73.50 buying just 1.5 bottles a year as an average
- And these tend to last them a while because they only use on average two spritzes per wear – the lowest in the UK! They also have around 3-4 bottles on the go
- A quarter of people in the region do wear perfume or aftershave every day though
Midlands
Woody - Floral
Lowest spenders in the UK and lowest daily users
- Midlanders spend the least on perfume across the whole of the country – just £34.50 per year, and this is reflected also in how few purchases they make – less than a bottle on average (0.75)
- And it’s because they seem to save perfume for special occasions with only 15 per cent wearing it every day, and keep hold of their perfumes (perhaps much longer than they should) as they do switch between 2-3 bottles that they have open
- They match the UK average applying 4-5 spritzes per wear
South East / East Anglia
Citrus & Fresh
The six spritz, daily perfume wearers who like their scent to stand out
- People living in the South East and East Anglia like their scent to stand out – they use 6 spritzes per wear
- This goes to explain why they’re the fourth biggest spenders in the UK (£103.50)
- They own on average 5 bottles and buy 2.3 new fragrances per year
- Perfume is a big part of who they are – 39 per cent wear it every day
London
Woody-Oriental
Hey big spenders! Londoners spend more but buy a low number of bottles – opting for higher end scents. They have the highest number of people who wear a fragrance daily
- People from London buy less than half the number of bottles per year than the North East and the North West (1.5), but are the third highest spenders in the UK
- They are also the region that tends to wear their signature scents every day (more than half (55%) of people wear perfume daily – the highest in the UK)
- But they use their perfume wisely, spritzing just 4 times
- They own on average 2 bottles
Wales
Fruity
Eau-fenders with a high number of sprays per application but expenditure is amongst the lowest
- People in Wales are among the highest in terms of how much perfume or aftershave they apply, but like to buy cheap and cheerful fragrances (only spending around £38 a year on perfume while buying an average of 2.25 new fragrances per year)
- They like their scent to be strong with 8 spritzes per application
- Only a quarter of the Welsh population wear perfume daily
- They like to mix up what they wear having a 5-bottle collection of fragrances to choose from
South West
Fruity with woody base notes
Have the lowest number of bottles open and keep their scent subtle
- People in the South West like their scent to be subtle – favouring just 3 spritzes per wear
- And just 17% wear it daily (second lowest)
- They tend to own just two bottles at a time and buy less than one (0.75) per year
- Average annual spend is £42.50 – around £50 below the national average spend
The Great British Fragrance Report
Have you ever wondered why you prefer a particular scent and what influences your decision? At Perfume Direct, we’ve taken a look at how your home region can have an impact on the fragrance you choose and how you use it; with some very interesting results!
Our Great British fragrance map has highlighted just how each area of the country prefers a certain fragrance family, and which perfumes and aftershaves are most commonly purchased. Does your scent preference match where you’re from?
Discovering the most popular fragrances in each region
Carrying out our own research, we set out to discover just how each part of the country buys and uses fragrances. Did you know that the North East buys, uses and owns the most perfume? And did you know that the Midlands spends the least on perfumes and aftershaves?
Our fragrance map found a definitive north and south divide, with the north preferring floral and oriental scents while the south opts for citrus or woody notes. For instance, in the North West, some of the most popular fragrances bought include Gucci Bloom and Marc Jacobs Daisy. In London, the most popular fragrances include Dior Sauvage and Tom Ford Black Orchid.
How much does the country spend on fragrances?
Our fragrance habits are fascinating, with our research revealing that the North West spritz their perfumes the most; usually around 8 times per application. With that in mind, it’s no wonder people in the North West typically buy 3 new fragrances each year.
Other regions, like Yorkshire and Humber, spend below average on perfumes and only spritz them around 2 times per wear.
Do you match your region’s fragrance habits?
Our fragrance map shows just how differently each region values their perfumes and aftershaves. How do your own fragrance preferences compare? Check out the fragrance map and discover our findings!
