Niche Fragrances – What Are They and How Do They Differ From “Designer” Fragrances?
Niche fragrances typically are of higher quality with better ingredients and not found in all of the major retail stores. Due to their higher quality, they will usually last longer on your skin due to the higher concentration of pure oil, but with higher quality and attention to detail comes a higher price tag. The vast majority of niche fragrances are either eau de parfum, with 15-20% fragrance oil or extrait de parfum with 20%-40%.
Niche fragrances are typically more uncommon than the traditional “designer” fragrances you see everywhere, meaning they will smell much more unique and of higher quality. This is not always the case but is typical. Niche houses also focus more on art, creativity and uniqueness as opposed to trying to drive as many sales as possible, which is typical of designer houses (which is why they are in most major retailers and department stores). Designer fragrances can be found at Macy’s or Walgreen’s whereas niche fragrances can be found at high end department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue or their own branded boutiques.
Think of a niche house as a true artist trying to put out quality fragrances that appeal to a small niche vs trying to appeal to everybody. For this reason, niche houses typically don’t churn out a large quantity of product. You will rarely see mass advertising for niche fragrances whereas you will typically always see advertisements for designer fragrances and many times celebrities are paid to promote the fragrance (think Johnny Depp for Christian Dior’s Sauvage).
Different Niche Fragrance Olfactory Families & Some of My Recommendations
Now that we know what niche fragrances are and how they differ from designer fragrances, let’s talk about the different olfactory families of niche fragrances. This is an important aspect of fragrances because if you have a certain type of scent you are looking for based on season or occasion, having a solid knowledge of the olfactory families can make it much easier for you when purchasing a niche fragrance. For example, if you are looking for a great summer fragrance, you will probably want to look into the fresh family of scents whereas if you are looking for a winter fragrance, you will most likely want to look into woody scents.
Some folks further break down these categories but these are the four main families that are generally accepted in the fragrance world.
I also give some of my niche fragrance recommendations in each category below. If you are a newbie and deciding whether or not to purchase a niche fragrance, it is by all means your choice. Some fragrances can be quite expensive so my recommendation is to make sure you can afford it and second, sample it! If you have never purchased a niche fragrance before, I recommend visiting an upscale department store or boutique and asking a lot of questions. At the majority of retailers and boutiques and even online if you purchase direct, they will usually offer you two free samples (typically 2ml each) of your choice. I would recommend that you ask for a sample of the fragrance you intend to purchase and use that sample before opening up the big bottle. That way you can make sure you enjoy the fragrance and if you decide to return or exchange the big bottle, you could easily do so. The stores are typically staffed with very knowledgeable sales reps that can help guide you. If you have a certain occasion you want to smell nice for or a note you are seeking, definitely let them know since that is a great starting point. Also, be careful when purchasing through reseller sites such as eBay or Poshmark. I have purchased a few fragrances from eBay but I always make sure to check the seller feedback to make sure they have high sales volumes and don’t sell any fakes. I also ask the seller questions and have asked for pictures to make sure I’m buying a legit fragrance. Certain brands, such as Creed and Parfums de Marly have a couple distinguishing features to their bottles which make it easy to identify fakes. There are some good YouTube videos out there if you should want to research.
Floral Fragrances
Floral fragrances, as the name implies, are a family of scents composed of dominant flower notes. They can be dominated by one flower or a combination of flowers. The most common type of flower used in niche fragrances is rose, but you can also find many niche houses using geranium, tuberose, violet, jasmine, or lavender. A common misconception is that floral fragrances are only for women, but there are many that are geared toward men or are unisex. When blended with more masculine tones such as wood, floral fragrances can be very pleasant and I own a very nice floral fragrance. The majority of floral fragrances are worn in the spring and summer when flowers are in full bloom.
Frederic Malle – Portrait of a Lady
Frederic Malle – Carnal Flower
Oriental Fragrances
Oriental fragrances typically are comprised of warm, sensual notes. Amber is a typical ingredient used in oriental fragrances, as well as vanilla and musk. It is typical for these ingredients to be mixed with spices to round out the scent. Oriental fragrances can further be broken down into soft oriental and woody oriental, among others. Oriental fragrances typically can be worn all season long and are very versatile, so they can be worn for most occasions.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Baccarat Rouge 540 extrait de parfum
Woody Fragrances
Woody fragrances, as I’m sure you can guess, typically come from woody materials such as trees, bark, moss, pine, or resin. Some common woody ingredients used in niche fragrances include oud, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar wood and pine. Although most woody fragrances are geared toward men, many niche woody fragrances are unisex and can be worn by both men and women. Woody fragrances are typically worn in the colder months during fall and winter but can also make excellent night time scents.
Parfums de Marly – Layton Exclusif
Initio Parfums – Oud For Greatness
Fresh Fragrances
Fresh fragrances will typically smell fresh and bright. They usually are comprised of citrus fruits such as lemon, lime, bergamot, grapefruit and mandarin as well as pineapple, which has become increasingly popular as of late. Also common though are aquatic and fresh, green scents. Fresh scents are worn typically in the warm months of spring and summer and make an excellent choice on a hot day or when out on the beach and near the water.
Nishane – Hacivat (A LOT of hype around this one and rightfully so! It also draws a lot of comparisons to Creed Aventus)
Roja de Parums – Elysium (Thyme as a top note is awesome in this one!)
Creed – Virgin Island Water (Can you say coconut & lime?)
Kilian – Vodka on the Rocks (Smells fresh and might make you thirsty!)
What Are Top, Heart and Base Notes?
Top Notes
Top notes (also known as head notes) are what you immediately smell after initially spraying the fragrance. Although very important since first impressions matter, they typically fade away after about 20 minutes since the notes are composed of light, small molecules and fade away rather quickly. Some common notes include citrus scents as well as floral. The goal of these notes is to immediately smell great and then transition smoothly into the heart notes.
Heart Notes
After the top notes fade away, what you will smell are the heart notes (also known as middle notes). These last longer and can stay on your skin anywhere from one to four hours. The goal of the heart notes is to retain some of the scents from the top notes, while also giving off new scents to round out the fragrance. After the top notes fade, the heart notes remain in effect throughout the life of the fragrance and are an important part of the ensemble of notes. Some popular heart notes include lavender, jasmine, rose, ylang ylang, lemon grass and pepper.
Base Notes
Base notes round out the fragrance combined with the heart notes and last the longest on your skin. They can last anywhere from four to six hours. Since they last the longest on your skin, you should definitely research the base notes before purchasing a niche fragrance because while you may not immediately smell these notes you can bet they will come into full force after the top notes fade away. Some popular base notes include oud (one of my personal faves), amber, patchouli, musk, vanilla, sandalwood and cedar wood.
Each note on its own would most likely not smell that great but when combined with all of the notes that comprise a niche fragrance, you can get a masterpiece. That’s why some niche fragrances simply smell amazing because they are a perfect blend of top, heart and base notes using high-quality ingredients.
Pro tip: if you are feeling creative, you can layer two different fragrances that complement each other well. I personally do that with Creed Aventus and Creed Virgin Island Water. Aventus has pineapple notes and Virgin Island Water has lime and coconut notes, so what you are left with is basically a fragrant blast of piña colada that works perfectly while laying on the beach!
Thank you for stopping by and I hope you found this blog post helpful in your journey into the niche fragrance world. Good luck and stay tuned for future blog posts!