Why Everyone Wants to Smell Like Their Comfort Character

Fragrance has exploded over the last few years, with the range of options to prove it. Now, you can smell like your favorite dessert, a whimsical vegetable, or even your most cherished character. You can thank Squishmallows for that last one: It’s been one year since they turned their beloved, cuddly plushies into something you can actually wear—and their character-inspired fragrances are resonating with consumers in a major way. 

“When it comes to character-inspired beauty, scent that tells a captivating story wins,” says Joel Ronkin, founder and CEO of Blue Meadow Brands. “We treat each featured character not just as a label, but as a creative starting point to build an entire sensory world. That narrative-driven approach makes the fragrance feel deeply personal, creating a meaningful emotional connection. At the same time, while the character and the storytelling provide the emotional entry point, the quality of the fragrance itself is what drives long-term brand loyalty. The overwhelming success has proven that younger consumers have a massive appetite for high-quality fragrance that blends character, storytelling, and self-expression in a way that feels fun, approachable, and joyful.”

In honor of the one-year anniversary of Squishmallows’ fragrance line, read on to learn how the characters were brought to life in olfactive form—and what their popularity means for the fragrance world. 

From Plushie to Perfume

“Since Squishmallows is inherently a sensorial, collectible experience, fragrance offers the perfect opportunity to experience the brand’s DNA in a new, captivating way,” Ronkin says. “The core Squishmallows consumer, ages 12 to 24, is making their first entry into the beauty space—a transition that typically begins with fragrance. By marrying two things this audience already obsesses over (with 83% of Gen Z using fragrance regularly, and Gen Alpha experimenting with fragrance as early as age 8), Squishmallows is able to make that entry into beauty fun, approachable, and aspirational. Fragrance meets young consumers exactly where they are, translating the thrill of collecting physical Squishmallows into the discovery of scents to deepen their connection to the characters they love.” 

To develop the fragrances, Ronkin says the brand focused on what Squishmallows does best: “bringing joy.” They brought four beloved characters—Joelle, Zumirez, Patty, and Cam—to life by embedding this mission into three core components. “First, the bottle features a bulb atomizer that offers the tactile ‘squishability’ fans love with a premium, collectible feel,” he says. “Second, the fragrances are infused with our custom Squishmallows Accord—this accord is combined with Emotiwaves scent technology that elicits feelings of happiness and well-being, as proven by neuroscientific studies. Finally, because collectors derive so much joy from the unique personalities of the Squishmallows they collect, each fragrance is directly inspired by its backstory, creating a deeply personal connection.”

What Does a Squishmallow Smell Like?

Squishmallows partnered with scent innovator DSM-Firmenich and designer Lance McGregor to translate individual characters into fragrance profiles. “As a fragrance developer, I partner closely with the perfumers to capture the essence of each character,” says DSM-Firmenich fragrance development manager Rachael Larsen. “We start by getting to know the character—their personality, interests, and what makes them unique—and then, we get creative in imagining what they might smell like. A key element across the collection is what we call the Squishmallows Accord, a signature blend of fluffy, cozy notes designed to evoke the feeling of hugging a Squishmallow.” 

Different notes were used to capture each character’s personality, interests, and backstory. “That’s what makes the collection so fun,” Larsen says. “We ask: If this character were a fragrance, what would they smell like? Their personality, interests, environment, and even their favorite things can all inspire the ingredients and accords we choose.” 

For example, for Wonder Whirl, perfumer Alex Monet looked to Joelle the Bigfoot, a character who loves exploring and trying new things. To reflect that adventurous spirit, she incorporated ingredients that feel a little unexpected within traditional perfumery, resulting in a juicy, playful blue raspberry accord that feels both nostalgic and completely new. For Pink Possibilities, perfumer Honorine Blanc brought Patty the Cow’s cheerful farmers’ market booth to life with juicy, farm-fresh strawberry and a touch of green kiwi, creating a fragrance that feels bright, natural, and playful. 

Why We Want to Smell Like a Plushie

“I don’t think it’s necessarily about literally smelling like your favorite character—it’s about using fragrance as another way to express yourself,” Larsen says. “If there’s a character whose personality or interests you identify with, wearing a fragrance inspired by them can feel personal and special, almost as if it was created specifically for you or for the mood you’re in. And that can change from day to day: You might feel like one character today, and a completely different one tomorrow. Fragrance gives you the freedom to play with those different sides of yourself.” 

Wanting to smell like your favorite plushie can go much deeper than your love for the character. “Sometimes, we don’t actually want to smell like a literal thing—we want to smell like the feeling we associate with it,” says licensed therapist turned fragrance authority Funmi Monet, LPC. “If your favorite plushie represents softness, sweetness, comfort, or a little escape from adulthood, smelling like that character lets you carry that emotional world with you. It’s almost like wearing a comfort object in an invisible form.” 

When a beloved character moves from something you collect to something you can wear, it becomes an experience. “A plushie is usually associated with softness, safety, familiarity, and sometimes childhood nostalgia,” Monet says. “When that character becomes a fragrance, you’re able to carry that feeling with you in a more personal way. Scent is intimate because it lives on your skin and follows you throughout the day. So instead of your favorite character simply existing in your room or collection, fragrance allows you to almost step into that world and embody the feeling the character represents.” 

Monet believes that’s why these fragrances are resonating with consumers. “Squishmallows already have incredibly strong emotional identities,” she says. “People don’t just buy them because they’re cute. They have names, personalities, stories, and communities built around them. Turning those characters into fragrances gives consumers another way to participate in that universe. It also taps into two huge consumer behaviors happening right now: collecting and personalization. Fragrance has become very collectible, especially among younger consumers, and people increasingly want scents that feel connected to their personality, mood, aesthetic, or interests. A character-inspired fragrance sits perfectly at the intersection of fandom, beauty, nostalgia, and self-expression.” 

How we shop for fragrance is also changing, which is why cozy, nostalgic, gourmand, and emotionally driven scents are on the rise. Perfume is all about creating a feeling now: “There’s something powerful about scent’s ability to transport us,” Larsen says. “A gourmand note can remind you of a favorite dessert, a soft musk can evoke the feeling of clean laundry or freshly washed skin, and a fruity note can bring you right back to something from childhood. Consumers are increasingly looking for fragrances that give them an emotional reaction. It’s becoming less about fitting into a traditional idea of what fragrance should smell like and more about creating an experience for the wearer.” 

The way we talk about perfume has evolved, too. Marketing used to focus on choosing a scent to smell attractive to others, or wanting to project something, like sophistication. Now it’s all about choosing a fragrance because of the way it makes the wearer feel, or how it reflects who they are. “We’ve seen the rise of gourmands, skin scents, milky fragrances, marshmallow notes, and other scents that can feel almost edible or textural,” Monet says. “Those fragrances aren’t necessarily about performing attractiveness for someone else. They can be about creating an emotional experience for yourself. I think that shift is important because fragrance is becoming another form of self-expression. We dress according to our mood, decorate our spaces according to how we want them to feel, and now, people are approaching fragrance the same way.” 

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The Growing Impact

“The fragrances have been a huge success since launch, and we’re seeing incredible demand,” Ronkin says. “The massive positive momentum was reinforced last holiday season with one Squishmallows fragrance being sold every seven seconds. We’re also the number one fragrance brand on Ulta Beauty’s TikTok Shop, which speaks to the excitement and engagement. The demand for the fragrances has been absolutely amazing, and it’s great to see how strongly consumers are embracing the brand in this new category.” 

All of the scents have resonated strongly with consumers, and Ronkin says each has had its moment. “When we first launched with three fragrances, it was a toss-up between Pink Possibilities and Whisked Away as the favorites, but over time, we’ve seen the collection become more evenly matched,” he says. “It speaks to the way consumers are approaching fragrance today. They’re building fragrance wardrobes and collecting different scents to suit different moods, moments, and occasions, rather than looking for just one signature scent. There’s also a strong collectability factor, with consumers wanting to own all of their favorite Squishmallows fragrances and characters. Consumers can gravitate toward different characters and scents depending on what they’re in the mood for, while the fragrances also layer beautifully together, giving them even more ways to mix and match and create a scent that feels uniquely their own.” 

The popularity of Squishmallows scents highlights a current collective appetite for character-inspired fragrance. “They’re fun, playful creations that bring a sense of whimsy to what can traditionally be a very classic and predictable fragrance market,” Larsen says. “I think they also tap into the larger cultural moment around collecting; people are gravitating toward charms and objects that bring personality and small moments of joy into their everyday lives. Squishmallows fragrances translate that same idea into something you can actually wear. There’s an emotional connection to the characters, but there’s also an element of discovery and play that makes the experience feel fresh and unexpected.” 

Monet believes their popularity is linked to a bigger cultural shift in fragrance. “Consumers are increasingly treating scent as part of their identity, rather than something they only wear for special occasions or to appeal to other people,” she says. “We’re also seeing fragrance intersect more with fandom, food, fashion, travel, nostalgia, and pop culture. That opens up a much bigger question than simply, ‘Does this smell good?’ Now it can be, ‘Does this smell like me? Does it remind me of something I love? Does it change my mood?’ To me, that’s one of the most exciting things happening in fragrance right now. People are giving themselves permission to choose scent based on emotion and pleasure, and sometimes, smelling like a cute little plushie is exactly the vibe.”