Beauty / news
Designer Beauty’s Men’s Fragrance Battle Intensifies as YSL Leads U.S. Market
Designer beauty brands are stepping up their competition for male fragrance shoppers. New data shows men’s prestige fragrance sales are rising while women’s remain flat, with YSL Beauty currently holding the top spot in the U.S.
Market researcher Circana reports that men’s fragrance sales in the U.S. grew 7 percent in dollars and 3 percent in units during the first half of 2026, while prestige women’s fragrance sales were flat in the same period. The growth reflects a broader normalization of beauty routines among teen boys and men, fueled in part by TikTok.
YSL Beauty has emerged as the leading men’s fragrance brand in the U.S., taking the number-one spot in 2025 and maintaining it since. The brand’s Myslf franchise, which launched in 2023, has been a major driver, alongside YSL Y, a top-five men’s franchise in the country.
Despite YSL’s brand-level lead, Dior’s Sauvage remains the top men’s fragrance franchise in the U.S., a position it has long held globally. However, the competitive landscape is shifting, with Valentino Uomo now ranking second behind Sauvage.
“There’s been a lot of movement from YSL and Valentino that has created some of the rank shifts that are taking place,” said Larissa Jensen, global beauty industry adviser at Circana.
Both YSL Beauty and Valentino Beauty are licensed by L’Oréal, which counts five brands in the U.S. men’s fragrance top 10 — the most of any conglomerate on the leaderboard. As new players gain share and blockbuster launches continue, the category is becoming increasingly fragmented.