'Smellmaxxing' & Frag Heads – Intermediate English Lesson

Guardian Weekly

'Smellmaxxing' & Frag Heads: the Gen Z Perfume Boom

Level: B1–B2 Time: 60 min Focus: Gerunds

TEXT:

📋 Overview

1Warmer

2Key Words

3Comprehension

4Key Language

5Discussion

6Writing Task

📰 Article

HIGHLIGHT:

The Guardian · 30 June 2025

'Smellmaxxing' and 'frag heads': how the gen Z perfume boom came up roses for indie brands

The global fragrance market is bigger than ever as small makers are buoyed by PerfumeTok – and teenage boys

Alice Fisher · © Guardian News and Media 2025

1"Will the girl who I just met at the perfume store please comment the perfume you recommended," wrote Chappell Roan on Instagram last month. "You said it smelled like lipstick." The post went viral and the scent – Girl of the Year by the Los Angeles perfume house Thin Wild Mercury – instantly sold out. The brand is one of a growing set of perfumers reinventing scent for new fragrance fans.

2The global fragrance market is the biggest it has ever been and still growing. This growth is driven by gen Z and millennials. PerfumeTok drove 45 per cent of social media scent sales in the US by 2023. Instead of a dab behind the ear, they prefer scent layering – wearing two or more perfumes at the same time – and scent wardrobing (matching fragrances to different occasions).

3Teenage boys have become surprising cognoscenti when it comes to luxury aftershave. The TikTok term for scent layering in this age group is "smellmaxxing", a buzzword that became so prevalent that the New York Times defined it last year as a "term for enhancing one's musk".

4While previous generations were satisfied with scent juggernauts such as CK One, Le Male, Poison or Opium, an emerging group of "frag heads" wants more. The idea of personalising your scent – smellmaxxing or scent layering – is key for them. Still, what 16-year-old can afford to layer a £90 Loewe scent with something marginally cheaper from Armani?

5As luxury scents boomed post-pandemic, so too did dupes – replicas of designer products. Offering luxury style at low prices, dupes feel more Robin Hood than guilty secret. Some new brands started providing vegan or cruelty-free alternatives to blockbuster fragrances.

6As well as dupes, "niche perfumes" gained traction. While cosmetics giants such as Coty, Guerlain and Estée Lauder have dominated since the early 20th century, independent pioneers appeared who followed their instincts and taste rather than market research. Brands such as Le Labo, Sol de Janeiro and Byredo changed the game – Le Labo's Santal 33 was the fashion circle's signature scent and a Santal 26 candle appeared in Beyoncé's Lemonade film in 2016.

7Indie companies looked to creators who had taught themselves to blend new scents. As the industry traditionally requires a chemistry degree, a spell at a (preferably French) perfume school then an apprenticeship at a fragrance house, this influx of new blood has been a huge shakeup.

8Independent perfumers can bring a bit more imagination to the process. The British scent company Earl of East recently collaborated with the musician Bon Iver, who they asked to do a blind smell test, then used his answers to create a custom scent inspired by his latest album. The resulting range of mood mists and candles instantly sold out.

9Paul Firmin, a co-founder of Earl of East, thinks the lack of formal education behind the brand is a strength. It started as a hobby and a market stall but is now stocked globally. It holds workshops for customers who want to make their own perfumes.

10Another autodidact is Maya Njie, a Swedish-born, UK-based perfumer, who started her fragrance house in 2016. She was inspired by family photo albums; holiday snaps of Gambian beaches led to her perfume Tropica, which combines sea salt, pineapple and coconut.

11If you're looking for the smell of lipstick, sun cream from a day at the beach, smoking in a car, or have some other olfactory fantasy, this new generation of self-taught perfumers are waiting to play it out for you.

📋

Lesson Overview

Article Summary

This article explores a new trend in perfumes — as independent creators experiment with unusual smells, and younger generations reinvent the ways they wear fragrance.

Level

Intermediate (B1–B2)

Time

~60 minutes

Skills

Reading, Writing, Speaking

Language Focus

Use of the Gerund

👈 The article is always visible on the left. Use the tabs to navigate. Select text and choose a highlight colour to mark it.

Lesson Activities

1
Warmer – Discussion questions about perfume and personal scent
2
Key Words – Match 15 definitions; fill-in-the-blank sentences
3
Comprehension – 10 open questions about the article
4
Key Language – Gerund rules + sentence completion + gerund matching
5
Discussion – Three statements to debate
6
Writing Task – Create a signature perfume for a celebrity

Warmer

Discuss these questions with a partner.

🌸

Which smell would you most like on someone: flowers, citrus, soap or leather? Why?

🧪

Have you (or someone you know) experimented with different perfumes or aftershaves?

💭

How do you decide which perfume(s) or aftershave(s) to wear?

Your notes

Key Words

a. Match the correct word to each definition

Find each word in the article (marked in bold) to read it in context. Then type the correct word.

blendboombrandscognoscentienhancingfragrancesinspiredinstinctsjuggernautsmatchingnichepersonalisingpioneersreplicasscent

copies of something, often made to look the same as the original —

a smell, especially a nice one —

a mixture of different things combined together —

to grow or become very successful very quickly —

companies that make and sell products under a special name —

people who know a lot about a special subject —

natural feelings or reactions that guide behaviour —

very large and powerful companies or products —

going well together or being the same —

10.

making something better or stronger —

11.

pleasant smells, often from perfumes or flowers —

12.

made someone feel a strong desire to do something creative —

13.

special and small, made for a particular group of people —

14.

making something special for one person —

15.

people who are first to do something new —

Answer Key (a):

replicas
scent
blend
boom
brands
cognoscenti
instincts
juggernauts
matching
enhancing
fragrances
inspired
niche
personalising
pioneers

b. Complete the sentences

Complete the sentences with words from part a. You may have to change the form of the word.

This perfume is a(n) of flowers and spices, so it smells both sweet and warm.

The independent perfume business after the popularity of TikTok videos.

Le Labo is a luxury perfume that sells unique and expensive fragrances.

Only a true can recognise each ingredient in a complex perfume.

Scent layering is a way of perfume to make it last longer and smell stronger.

The gentle of her perfume reminded him of a garden full of roses after the rain.

She was by the smell of the beach to create a perfume called Tropica.

Independent perfumers tend to trust their and not follow the traditional rules.

Big names like Chanel and Dior are that dominate the global market.

10.

He enjoys his perfume to his clothes, with different scents for different styles.

11.

Their company makes perfumes that appeal to a specific small group of people.

12.

Teenagers are their scents by mixing two or three perfumes.

13.

The of independent perfume introduced new smells like lipstick or sun cream.

14.

The market is full of of expensive perfumes, but they often don't last as long.

15.

When he entered the room, he immediately noticed the of vanilla cookies.

Answer Key (b):

blend
boomed
brand
cognoscenti
enhancing
scent
inspired
instincts
juggernauts
matching
niche
personalising
pioneers
replicas
scent / fragrance

Comprehension Check

Answer the questions using information from the article.

1.Which perfume sold out after a viral Chappell Roan Instagram post?

2.Which age groups are influencing the growth of the global fragrance market?

3.What is 'scent layering' and how is it different from traditional perfume use?

4.What is important to a frag head?

5.Why might it be difficult for a 16-year-old to layer luxury scents?

6.What are 'dupes' and why do people buy them?

7.Which celebrity film featured a product made by Le Labo?

8.What makes independent perfumers like Earl of East and Maya Njie different from traditional perfumers?

9.What inspired Maya Njie to create fragrances?

10.According to the article, what kind of unusual scents are perfumers making now?

Answer Key:

Girl of the Year by Thin Wild Mercury (the Los Angeles perfume house)
Gen Z and millennials
Scent layering means wearing two or more perfumes at the same time. Traditional use was just a dab behind the ear.
Personalising their scent — smellmaxxing or scent layering
Luxury scents are very expensive (e.g. £90 for one Loewe scent)
Dupes are replicas of designer products at low prices. People buy them for luxury style without the cost.
Beyoncé's Lemonade (2016)
They are self-taught / autodidacts — they did not go to perfume school or follow formal training
Family photo albums and holiday snaps of Gambian beaches
Unusual everyday smells: lipstick, sun cream, smoking in a car

Key Language: Gerunds

a. Match the rules with the examples from the article

Read the three rules for using gerunds. Then match each rule (1–3) to the correct example (a–c) from the article.

When to use a gerund	Examples from the article
1. After certain verbs, e.g. enjoy, start, mind
2. After prepositions, e.g. for, in, of
3. As the subject or object of a sentence

a. The idea of personalising your scent is key for them.
b. Offering luxury style at low prices, dupes feel more Robin Hood than guilty secret.
c. Some new brands started providing vegan or cruelty-free alternatives.

Answer Key (a):

→ c (started providing)
→ a (idea of personalising)
→ b (Offering luxury style… – subject of sentence)

b. Complete with a gerund from the box

Complete each sentence with the correct gerund. Then match the sentence to one of the three rules above (write 1, 2, or 3).

creatingexperimentingincludinglearninglosingmarketingpersonalisingsharingsmellmaxxing

Many young people enjoy with scent layering.

Independent brands started vegan and cruelty-free perfumes.

Frag heads believe in the importance of your scent.

She thanked him for her perfume recommendations on Instagram.

how to mix different scents can be exciting for beginners.

The brand gave unexpected ingredients in their perfumes a lot of thought.

Some luxury brands don't mind customers to companies that make dupes.

They succeeded in their product to younger audiences through TikTok.

has become a popular trend among teenage boys.

Answer Key (b):

experimenting (Rule 1 – after enjoy)
including (Rule 1 – after started)
personalising (Rule 2 – after of)
sharing (Rule 2 – after for)
Learning (Rule 3 – subject)
creating (Rule 3 – object of gave)
losing (Rule 1 – after mind)
marketing (Rule 2 – after in)
Smellmaxxing (Rule 3 – subject)

c. Finish the sentences

Complete these sentences with your own ideas. Use a gerund.

Smellmaxxing has become popular because…

I enjoy wearing perfumes / aftershaves that smell like…

Discussion

Discuss these statements with a partner or in small groups. Do you agree or disagree?

⚖️

There should be different types of smells for men and women.

👃

You can always tell if someone is not wearing an original, luxury brand perfume.

🌍

These new styles of perfume have opened up a world of possibilities.

Your notes

Writing Task: Create a Celebrity Perfume

Imagine you are responsible for creating a signature perfume for a celebrity. Choose a famous person and decide which smells best represent them. Then design and describe the product.

💡 Language tip: Include gerunds in your description. Use the model below for inspiration: "Moroccan Mist is ideal for showing your inner power. Mixing spicy smells with woody notes, it is great for making an intense first impression."

Intensity

light & airy strong & powerful intense subtle

Smells

floral woody fruity spicy fresh aquatic

Plan your perfume

Celebrity chosen

Perfume name & concept

Description (use gerunds!)

Where would it sell?

b. Give a presentation

Present your perfume to the class. Imagine you are presenting it directly to the celebrity. Describe what it smells like, what it represents, and the effect it will have on people. Include gerunds in your presentation.

'Smellmaxxing' & 'Frag Heads': The Gen Z Perfume Boom