4 min read
My cousin Carlin loves every single food there is—except one. She won’t touch bananas. In fact, if you eat one near her, she’ll politely ask you to throw out the peel in another room. The smell alone triggers migraines and makes her “irrationally irritable” (her words).
Unfortunately, this spring may be a tough one for Carlin, scent-wise. Banana has emerged as an unlikely fragrance trend, appearing in new perfumes from several brands, including Juliette Has a Gun, Ellis Brooklyn, and Marc Jacobs.
“I can’t imagine being on the train near someone wearing one,” she told me when I broke the news. “Why would anyone think that’s a good idea?”
But many apparently do: As elevated gourmands and fruity accords reign in 2026 perfumery, banana in its many iterations—caramelized, green, blossom—is the It note du jour.
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In hindsight, the groundwork was laid last year: Prada Beauty’s banana-yellow lip balms were all over Instagram (and even had a cameo in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” music video). Glossier, too, had a banana pudding Balm Dotcom, in collaboration with Magnolia Bakery. And body care brand Soft Services debuted its cult-favorite Buffing Bar in a Green Banana scent. It was, as some dubbed it, a “banana girl summer.”
Fragrance was the obvious next frontier. “The trend is everywhere: from fashion campaigns and curated pop‑ups to protein blends, lip balms, and of course, fragrances and candles,” says Patricia Hidalgo, VP perfumer at IFF, who used a fresh banana note in Bath & Body Works’ popular Main Street Bakery candle.
Still, there’s a very real argument that the industry could have sat this one out. It’s not just my cousin: Though not quite as severe, my boyfriend also has a banana aversion, as do at least two other friends. It’s apparently fairly common; the fruit even makes some people gag.
But let’s say you do like bananas, as I do: Attaining a “natural” banana note is arguably impossible. Because you can’t zest a banana or squeeze the pulp for juice, the aroma has to be recreated with synthetics—namely, a compound called isoamyl acetate—to approximate the scent and flavor profile.
In the description for Banana Rush, perfumer Romano Ricci says he chose to use banana because it’s “overlooked.”
Then there’s the sunscreen of it all. The traditionally tropical eau de SPF relies heavily on coconut and banana, which some may find unappealing for a daily scent. That being said, Vacation leaned into that fact when creating their sunscreen-inspired eau de toilette, intended to “transport you poolside.”
Even beyond the kitsch factor, there is a demographic for banana perfume.
Ellis Brooklyn recently reissued its previously limited-edition Banana Milkshake body mist after customers sold it out in two weeks. “We were super surprised by that,” founder and CEO Bee Shapiro tells Bazaar, adding that reactions were polarizing: “I find it interesting that the reviews sometimes said there was not enough banana, and some would say too much banana.”
Ellis Brooklyn BANANA MILKSHAKE Hair and Body Fragrance Mist
Ellis Brooklyn ISLA SIRENA Eau de Parfum
In addition to the body mist, the brand has two other banana fragrances: Guava Granita, which debuted last year, and its latest,Isla Sirena. The latter features an innovative note called Banana Firad: “It’s a new way to do a banana note that feels more fresh and realistic,” explains Shapiro, reinforcing that traditional banana notes are sourced from the food industry. “This is why a lot of banana notes tend to read [like] Laffy Taffy or Runts candy.”
While Shapiro says that the banana “is more of an accent” in Isla Sirena, its presence is hard to miss. @itsmirandajames on TikTok called it a “jump scare,” though she added, “upon smelling the way that it’s blended, it’s really pleasant.”
The type of banana note in a perfume may be key to embracing it. “Green banana has a crisp, fresh, almost airy greenness that adds brightness to a fragrance, sometimes even leaning into more masculine tonalities,” explains Hidalgo. “Caramelized banana offers a decadent side with creamy sweetness, perfect for adding richness and edible warmth. Banana blossom sits in between: It has a green floral aspect with a soft creaminess, making it a great bridge between freshness and indulgence.”
It’s banana blossom that gets a starring role in Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild, which also features jasmine and vetiver. According to Hidalgo, pairing banana with certain florals can also enhance some of their own natural fruitiness. “Banana notes help amplify the natural banana‑like undertones of tropical flowers like jasmine or tiare,” she says. In fact, the perfumer insists “many people enjoy banana without realizing it,” because of the florals’ natural banana-ness.
Hidalgo adds that it also pairs beautifully with coconut and vanilla, two notes in Kayali Maui in a Bottle Sweet Banana | 37, first released ahead of the trend back in 2024. The scent generally has good reviews, with many saying it hardly smells of banana at all.
Of the banana fragrances available, Kayali’s is the one I would personally choose. I text Carlin a link and ask how she would feel if I wore it around her.
“I would wonder what made you wake up and choose violence,” she responds. “But we’d have to have that conversation sitting far away from each other.”
