The fragrances successful men are wearing this year, from expensive Le Labo colognes to Old Spice deodorant

• Fragrances are skyrocketing in popularity, especially those from luxury brands.
• Business Insider asked successful men across industries to name their favorite colognes.
• Le Labo scents were the most popular, followed by options from Jean Paul Gaultier.

What’s that smell?

If you’ve walked through a mall, college campus, or city street recently, you’ve probably gotten more than a few whiffs of cologne.

As Business Insider previously reported, Gen Z is obsessed with smelling good. According to Piper Sandler, teen boys increased their spending on cologne by 26% last spring, and Circana reported that 83% of all young people used some form of fragrance in 2023.

But it’s not just teenagers getting in on the craze. The fragrance industry is booming as a whole.

The Washington Post reported in July that “men and first-time buyers” are among the biggest consumers of scents, leading fragrance to become the fastest-growing category of the prestige beauty market.

And smellmaxxing, the male-led trend of improving appearance and attracting others through scent, took over the social-media feeds of thousands earlier this year.

So, Business Insider reached out to successful men across industries to learn about the fragrances they like and why. Here are their picks.