Why sensory beauty is trending: The science of scents, flavours and emotions
Scents, flavours and emotions are shaping sensory beauty, creating immersive experiences that connect memory, desire and emotion in every product
Before you even see it, you feel it. A delicate whisper of vanilla drifts through the air, rose awakens the thrill of first love, and zesty citrus sparks memories of sun-drenched summers long gone. Today, beauty is no longer defined by bottles, powders or potions; it’s an immersive experience—a living memory, a mood that unfolds with every touch, scent, and glance.
This is more than nostalgia; it’s neuroscience in action, and the beauty industry is perfecting the art of sensory storytelling. That faint, sugary fragrance lights up the limbic system—the part of the brain where emotion and memory reside—transforming every texture and note into a meticulous alchemy of formula and feeling.
Designed to stir desire and awaken the senses, modern beauty captivates not just the eye but the heart and mind, leaving a lasting emotional imprint. These evolving sensory experiences are redefining how we connect with products on a deeper level.
The Rise of Sensory Beauty: How Scent, Touch and Emotion Shape What We Buy
For most of history, the beauty industry has been primarily a visual experience—from glowing skin to colour palettes and sleek packaging. Today, brands are exploring the full sensory spectrum.
For example, a lip balm scented with berries and vanilla doesn’t just smell delightful; it triggers dopamine, the brain’s “feel-good” chemical.
The art of sensory seduction isn’t just anecdotal; it’s backed by data. Research from Harvard University and the Yale School of Management shows that multisensory marketing can enhance emotional connection and even change how consumers perceive product performance. Studies indicate that 73% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product when they feel emotionally connected to it, while 67% recall brands more effectively when multisensory elements are included.
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Harvard and Yale studies confirm it: multisensory marketing strengthens emotional connection, boosts recall, and increases consumer purchase intent
From Peach Gloss to Dessert Skincare: Inside the Food-Flavoured Beauty Boom
Food cues have become one of the most powerful tools in modern sensory marketing. The pairing of food and beauty—once unlikely—has evolved into a captivating collaboration. Two distinct worlds now blend in creative and surprising ways. These partnerships go far beyond novelty: they reflect a shift in how beauty brands connect with consumers, tapping into cultural cravings, trending flavours, and stories that are both imaginative and deeply engaging.
A gloss that tastes like peach or a moisturiser infused with your favourite ice cream scent sparks instant familiarity, building emotional attachment. This strategy is everywhere: Lineage’s collaboration with Baskin-Robbins transformed lip care into dessert, offering flavour-inspired beauty products such as ice cream-flavoured sleeping masks and balms that blur the line between skincare and gastronomy. Each variant—from Mint Chocolate Chip to Berry Sherbet—was designed to stimulate appetite and nostalgia, turning a nightly ritual into a fully immersive sensory experience.
Similarly, Too Faced’s Chocolate Soleil bronzer and Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Glow line use dessert-inspired scents and visuals to evoke comfort, freshness, and joy. These products aren’t just choices; they’re emotional triggers that activate dopamine responses linked to food.
From “glazed doughnut skin” to “Mochi blush” and “latte makeup,” beauty brands are discovering that the fastest way to spark emotion is through the palate. Far beyond a visual trend, food is a feeling that consumers can almost taste, bridging memory, emotion, and desire.
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From latte makeup to Mochi blush, food-scented beauty products trigger dopamine, turning self-care into a sensory pleasure experience
Emotional Beauty: The Psychology Powering Today’s Most Viral Trends
As innovative as these collaborations between food and beauty may appear, they are underpinned by a strategy deeply rooted in psychology. By engaging multiple senses, brands forge stronger emotional connections with their audiences while shaping cultural trends and movements.
Food, in particular, adds layers of cultural familiarity and nostalgia, providing a comforting, non-intrusive way to evoke emotion and spark curiosity.
Studies published in The Journal of Consumer Research show that novel crossovers capture greater attention and interest, drawing consumers in and influencing purchasing decisions.
By tapping into both emotion and memory, brands can turn fleeting interest into lasting loyalty, deepening relationships with consumers. That’s why sensory engagement is both a marketing tactic and a psychological tool, making beauty products memorable long after they’re used.
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By merging emotion and memory, sensory beauty marketing builds brand loyalty and transforms fleeting trends into lasting consumer relationships
Next-Gen Beauty: AI, Multisensory Experiences and the Future of Emotional Branding
As consumers increasingly crave authenticity and emotional resonance, sensory marketing is evolving from a simple campaign tactic into the very foundation of brand identity. What began with scent and texture is now expanding into a holistic multisensory ecosystem, designed to create deeper, more personal bonds with audiences.
The next frontier is already emerging at the crossroads of beauty, technology, and innovation. Tools such as AI are driving hyper-personalised experiences, tailoring products and services to individual preferences.
In retail, the transformation is equally profound: stores are becoming immersive sensorial playgrounds, where scent, sound, and touch work together to engage the whole body—not just the eyes.
The future of beauty won’t be defined solely by formulas or aesthetics, but by feelings. The sector will move, respond, and adapt, transforming every cosmetic, fragrance or interaction into an experience that speaks directly to the senses. In an industry once driven by image, what truly endures now is the emotional impact—a product’s power to make us feel, remember, and connect.
Namrata Dogra
Master’s in Fashion Promotion, Communication & Digital Media, Paris