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The fastest-growing beauty category for 2025 isn’t a new styling tool or a viral hack—it’s fragrance. More than ever, clients are shopping with their senses. In fact, smell is now the number-one purchase driver in hair care, with an 82% positive sentiment, according to recent market research. Consumers love products that channel high-end perfumes or luxury salon experiences, and leading brands like Moroccanoil, Kenra Professional, OUAI, and amika are driving that satisfaction.
So, what does this mean for stylists and salon owners? It’s time to look at scent not just as a “bonus,” but as a business builder.
Scent as a Salon Experience
For amika, the power of fragrance is more than just a pleasing note—it’s an emotional anchor that is synonymous with the brand itself. Known for its signature scent of bright fruits layered with warm gourmand and wood, the brand has finally bottled it into a standalone product: amika:aura hair + body mist. “The launch of amika:aura is about elevating the salon experience into something clients truly feel,” explains Nilofer Vahora, amika’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’ve always believed that haircare is emotional, and scent plays a powerful role in that. With aura, we’re giving stylists a new tool to turn the everyday into the unforgettable.”
That emotional connection is what clients remember long after they leave your chair—35% of haircare conversations online are driven by scent, underscoring its importance in purchase decisions.
Transforming Services Into Rituals
Today’s clients are looking for more than results—they want rituals. amika designed aura to integrate seamlessly into salon services: “Whether it’s misted over a warm towel, layered into a blowout, or offered as a take-home recommendation, aura adds an emotional layer to every service,” says Vahora. “Scent anchors memory. When it’s connected to a standout service, it becomes part of what clients associate with feeling their best—and why they return.”
For stylists, this makes fragrance a retail accelerator in the salon. When a client connects with the scent during a service, they’re more likely to purchase that product to re-create the feeling at home.
Innovation Meets Education
Of course, balancing long-lasting fragrance with high-performance formulas isn’t simple. With aura, the brand has created what Vahora calls a “complete pro ecosystem” to support stylists—complete with in-salon testers, service bundles, pro sampling, and digital education resources that make weaving aura into services second nature.
“Stylists were the first to experience amika:aura—and their creativity continues to shape how it lives behind the chair,” Vahora shares. “This isn’t just a new SKU—it’s a new way to connect with clients, differentiate your services, and build something they’ll remember.”
Why This Matters for Pros
Scent is no longer a secondary benefit—it’s a powerful tool to set your services apart, boost retail, and keep clients coming back. Here’s a recap on how to put fragrance to work in your salon:
- Layer scent into every touchpoint—misted over a warm towel, added to a blowout, or incorporated into styling—so clients leave with a memorable, multi-sensory experience.
- Use signature scents to create a distinct memory that links your salon to how clients feel at their best.
- Introduce fragrance as a take-home ritual; clients who love the in-salon scent are more likely to purchase products to recreate it at home.
- Educate clients behind the chair on sensory benefits and layering techniques of scent-infused products—this storytelling makes clients feel informed and invested.
- Utilize your resources like in-salon testers, sample kits, and digital education materials from brands like to seamlessly integrate scent into services.
By thoughtfully incorporating fragrance, stylists can lock in loyalty, spark retail, and turn every appointment into an unforgettable, signature moment.
