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What are Niche Fragrances

Niche Fragrances – What Are They, What Are The Different Olfactory Families, & What Are Top, Heart and Base Notes?

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%.

pure-essential-oil

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.

niche-fragrances

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.

fragrance-wheel

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

flowers

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 – Rose & Cuir

Frederic Malle – Portrait of a Lady

Frederic Malle – Carnal Flower

Le Labo – Ylang 49

Oriental Fragrances

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.

Christian Dior – Ambre Nuit

Frederic Malle – Promise

Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Baccarat Rouge 540 extrait de parfum

Parfums de Marly – Layton

Woody Fragrances

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.

Kilian – Straight To Heaven

Le Labo – Santal 33

Parfums de Marly – Layton Exclusif

Initio Parfums – Oud For Greatness

Fresh Fragrances

fresh-fragrance

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?

fragrance-pyramid

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!

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Niche Overview

Favorite Niche Fragrance Houses – Roja Parfums

A Brief History of Roja Parfums

Roja Parfums was founded by British perfumer Roja Dove (born Roger Bird). Roja was born in 1956 and his interest in perfume began at a young age. One night, as his mother kissed him goodnight, he could smell her perfume and the scent lingered in his room for a long time. As Roja grew older, he attended the University of Cambridge to study medicine and would eventually drop out to pursue perfume and work with French perfumer Guerlain. Guerlain would eventually be acquired by a larger company, which did not appeal to Roja. So after working for Guerlain for 20 years Roja went on to launch his own custom perfume service, Roja Dove Haute Perfumery, which opened in the luxury British department store Harrods in 2004. Roja Parfums, his own fragrance line, launched in 2011.

Roja Dove is considered to have one of the most significant noses of this century and claims to be able to identify over 800 scents from a single sniff. He uses only the finest raw materials and with high quality come a high price tag. On average, his 1.7 oz fragrances begin at $450. He offers a wide range of scents and appeals to both men and women, as his sales are equally split amongst each demographic.

Below are some of my favorite Roja Dove fragrances, along with their note breakdown.

Elysium Parfum

Elysium is probably his most famous fragrance. It’s an excellent fragrance for the warmer months of the year in spring and summer.

Top notes: Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lime, Lavender, Thyme, Artemisia and Musk

Heart notes: Lily of the Valley, Rose de Mai, Jasmin de Grasse, Apple and Blackcurrant

Base notes: Galbanum, Pink Pepper, Cypriol, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Juniper Berry, Benzoin, Vanilla, Labdanum, Leather, Ambergris and Musk

Purchase Elysium Parfum here

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What I'm Currently Wearing

What Am I Currently Wearing?

Here are the niche fragrances that I’m currently wearing

1. Roja Parfums – Elysium Parfum

roja-elysium-parfum

This fragrance is perfectly suited for the current summer season. The citrus and thyme notes really shine in this one and the thyme makes this fragrance very unique smelling. It’s an extrait de parfum and it’s notes are as follows:

Top notes: lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, lime, lavender, thyme, artemisia & musk

Heart notes: lily of the valley, rose de Mai, jasmin de Grasse, apple & blackcurrant

Base notes: galbanum, pink pepper, cypriol, vetiver, cedarwood, juniper berry, benzoin, vanilla, labdanum, leather, ambergris & musk

Purchase Elysium here

2. Parfums de Marly – Layton Exclusif

parfums-de-marly-layton-exclusif

Layton Exclusif is a fragrance that I feel can be worn all year around. It smells very similar to the original Layton, but with a darker, smokier side. The prominent notes that I get out of this fragrance are vanilla, woody notes, citrus and apple. The scent is very crisp and crowd-pleasing and sure to get you compliments. This is also an extrait de parfum and its notes are as follows:

Top notes: bergamot, grapefruit & apple

Heart notes: geranium, cinnamon, lavender & agarwood (oud)

Base notes: cypriol, guaiac wood, patchouli & vanilla

Purchase Layton Exclusif here

3. Nishane – Ani

nishane-ani

Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla! This is a fragrance with vanilla done right. Probably the second most popular fragrance from the Turkish house of Nishane, after Hacivat, this is a crowd pleaser and hailed as one of the best vanilla scents on the market today. The vast majority of the YouTube reviews I’ve seen have been nothing short of stellar and this one lives up to the hype. The main notes I get are citrus, green notes and vanilla. So if you are in the market for a nice vanilla scent, look no further. This is an extrait de parfum and its notes are as follows:

Top notes: bergamot, green notes, blue ginger & pink pepper

Heart notes: blackcurrant, Turkish rose & cardamom

Base notes: patchouli, cedarwood, vanilla, benzoin, ambergris, musk & sandalwood

Purchase Ani here

4. Initio Parfums Prives – Oud For Greatness

initio-parfums-prives-oud-for-greatness

Sexy in a bottle is how I would describe this fragrance. It’s a perfect night time or winter fragrance due to its heavy woody notes. Oud is the main note here to no surprise but it’s more of a tame and Western oud, not the stinky and massive animalic oud. Although this is a parfum and not an extrait de parfum, it’s very potent and a little goes a long way. I typically smell this on my clothes for days after spraying so use moderately. Saffron is also a dominant note here, so because of that it sometimes gets compared to MFK’s Baccarat Rouge 540, although I don’t really think they are too similar and BR540 is much sweeter in my opinion. Here are the notes for Oud For Greatness:

Top notes: lavendar, saffron & nutmeg

Heart notes: natural oud wood & natural agarwood oil

Base notes: patchouli & musks

Purchase Oud For Greatness here

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General Fragrance Knowledge

Why Should I Wear Fragrance?

why-should-i-wear-fragrance

Many people ask why they should wear fragrance at all or get surprised when I tell them how much I spent on a beautiful-smelling niche fragrance. My teenage nephew and niece think I’m crazy since I have a decent sized collection and they have recently witnessed first-hand my several fragrance packages that have arrived in the mail with various samples in them. Today’s blog post will cover some of the reasons as to why people wear fragrances. Fragrance might not be for you for various reasons: maybe you are allergic or have a strong nose and get offended by strong scents and that is obviously totally fine! For others, it is part of who they are and they love their fragrances as they would a pair of shoes or an outfit. This is by no means an exhaustive list since wearing fragrance is a personal thing, let’s get into some of the common reasons to wear fragrance.

To Smell Elegant & Receive Compliments

This is probably the most popular reason as to why people wear fragrances. Many folks get a kick out of it when they receive compliments from strangers or coworkers telling them how good they smell. I’ve definitely received compliments ranging from “Wow, you smell amazing” to “What are you wearing, that smells so good?” It’s a good feeling, especially when you have dropped a couple hundred hard-earned dollars on a top shelf niche fragrance. Also, when reading or watching fragrance reviews, many times the reviewer will devote a category to “complement factor” in which he will give the fragrance a score as to the likelihood you would receive a complement for wearing that particular fragrance.

Personally, I enjoy smelling nice everyday no matter the occasion: whether it be in the office, at the store, at a formal event (especially at these!) or just out and about running errands. After a shower, I definitely enjoy wearing a fragrance to go about my day since it adds a nice layer of personality and freshness to my outfit.

Different seasons and occasions or even moods call for different fragrances. I go into more depth in my niche fragrance overview blog post that is a great starting point if you are just getting into niche fragrances.

To Attract A Partner & Be More Appealing

This is also a very popular reason to wear a fragrance. Many single folks wear fragrances to appeal to and attract potential partners. For this reason, many fragrances are geared towards nighttime wear or dates. If done right, smelling nice definitely can only help your chances to get that date with the person you’ve had your eyes on. Dressing up and pairing your outfit with an elegant, sexy smelling scent is a great way to make a positive first impression since you will hopefully become more appealing and attractive while out on a date.

To Be More Confident & Express Yourself

This kind of ties in with the reason above of potentially attracting a partner and being more attractive. Many people wear a fragrance to feel a sense of confidence. Whether you are at a networking event or on an interview, smelling great can help you feel more sure of yourself and put you in a positive mindset. Just be careful not to over-spray your fragrance before a job interview, especially if you are wearing an extrait de parfum (these fragrances have the highest level of pure fragrance oil in them) since these can be quite potent. I recommend you test the fragrance out on your skin and clothing before ever wearing it for a job interview. The last thing you want to do is ruin your chances of landing your dream job because you over-sprayed your fragrance. Two sprays should probably do it since you don’t want to leave a huge scent trail in front of your potential co-workers and manager!

Fragrance is also used by some people as a means to express themselves. Think of it as an article of clothing or an accessory. It’s your personal touch that you can add to complete your look. Most folks have a “signature scent” which is a fragrance that they absolutely love and if they had to pick one out their collection and stick with it forever, that’s the one they would choose.

To Evoke A Memory

They say your sense of smell, or olfactory sense, is the strongest of the five human senses. A certain smell in your childhood or from an event can trigger your brain to remember that smell and bring happiness or a sense of peace. I fondly remember my very first fragrance, Cool Water by Davidoff, which is still a staple in the fragrance world. It’s a fresh scent best suited for warmer weather and geared towards men in their 20’s or younger, so at the time it was a perfect gift for me that my oldest brother purchased for me (thank you brother for introducing me to the world of fragrances!). If I were to smell it today, I would be able to immediately identify it. In my Louis Vuitton niche fragrance post, the master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud clearly remembered his mother rubbing rosewater on his face every day to freshen it and he now uses rose in all of the fragrances he produces for Louis Vuitton.

As you can see, there are several reasons to wear fragrance. Obviously there are other reasons and it’s one of those things that is personal. There is no right or wrong reason to wear fragrance and there are several different types of fragrances that appeal to different occasions and moods. So, have fun with it and don’t let anybody deter you from wearing something you enjoy since at the end of the day, it’s a form of expression! Cheers to smelling great 🙂

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Niche Houses

Favorite Niche Fragrance Houses – Louis Vuitton

louis-vuitton-fragrances

Louis Vuitton’s Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud & A Couple Of My Favorite LV Fragrances

Louis Vuitton, the mega fashion house based in Paris, France most recently launched a line of fragrances in 2016. Prior to that, it had been over 70 years since it had released one. Most noted for its top-of-the-line purses, luggage, and leather accessories, Louis Vuitton now joins the list of the top niche fragrance houses since Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud was selected as its master perfumer.

Cavallier-Belletrud was born in the fragrance capital of the world Grasse, France and is the fourth generation perfumer to dedicate himself to the art of perfume making. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all perfumers, so fragrance is in his blood to say the least. At the tender age of 10, he began working in the perfume factories in Grasse during the summers while getting trained by his father on the raw ingredients that make up fragrances. A neat fact about his childhood that he recalls very fondly is that his mother would always apply rosewater to his face and it was his first scent memory as a child. So to this day he uses rose in all of his fragrances.

Cavallier-Belletrud went on to study English and Spanish at the University of Nice in France. Upon graduation he worked several jobs in the fragrance world and as an adult he went on to create fragrances for a who’s who of designers including Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Bulgari, Yves Saint Laurent, Issey Miyake and Tom Ford among several others. He considers his most famous works to be the iconic Acqua di Gio (for men) by Giorgio Armani and L’eau d’Issey (for women) by Issey Miyake. Acqua di Gio was a powerhouse after it’s 1996 release and to this day I still smell this one on men while in public and there have been many variations made of this fragrance ever since. I remember my dad was gifted this fragrance a while back (he also loves wearing fragrances, just not to the geeky extent that I do!) and we went through it pretty quickly since he loved it.

Cavallier-Belletrud was hired by Louis Vuitton in 2012 to be its master perfumer. In 2016, he released the first line of fragrances for the house in over 70 years. Let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. In my opinion, his fragrances are excellent and I have sampled the vast majority of them. I currently own two Louis Vuitton fragrances, Ombre Nomade and L’Immensité and they are two of my favorites in my collection. Below I go more in depth on these two fragrances with the included notes and links to purchase.

Louis Vuitton has tight distribution with their fragrances and I believe they only sell direct via their website and in their physical stores. If you happen to purchase a full fragrance bottle, you will be able to select two samples of your choice. As mentioned in my niche fragrance overview blog post, I recommend you get a sample of the fragrance you plan to purchase so that you can make sure you enjoy it and if for whatever reason you don’t, you are able to return the big bottle without any hassles. I also recommend getting another sample of a fragrance in a different category that can be worn in a different season or occasion to try to mix things up and test out the depth of the fragrance house.

The Louis Vuitton fragrance bottles are of superb quality. They are tall and round shaped with magnetic lids. The atomizer sprayer is of high quality too and you can control the spray stream by adjusting the pressure when pressing. The other thing I absolutely love about the Louis Vuitton fragrances is that you can keep the empty bottle after it’s all used up and take it to a store to get the fragrance refilled for a great discounted price!

Ombre Nomade

If you know me, I absolutely love oud fragrances and it was love at first sniff with Ombre Nomade. I researched this fragrance and the vast majority of the reviewers had high praise for this one. I ended up caving in and going into a Louis Vuitton store and purchasing a bottle. This fragrance, although an eau de parfum, performs like an extrait since it has great performance with long staying power on the skin and it smells exquisite. Oud definitely is an acquired taste and not everybody likes this scent, but I find it very dark and sexy and this is a night time and cold weather fragrance that smells very elegant. If you enjoy oud, you will want to get your nose on this. This fragrance can be categorized as a woody fragrance and the oud and raspberry are at the forefront of this one and I feel it’s blended to perfection.

Similar to Maison Francis Kurkdjian, the Louis Vuitton website only lists a handful of the ingredients and does not break them down into top, heart and base notes but nevertheless here are the Ombre Nomade notes: oud wood, benzoin tears, incense and raspberry.

Purchase Ombre Nomade Here

L’Immensité

This eau de parfum fragrance is on the other end of the spectrum from Ombre Nomade and is lighter and fresher, so it’s categorized as a fresh fragrance. Similar to Ombre Nomade, I researched this fragrance and it is also one of Louis Vuitton’s most highly rated fragrances by the public. This is a fragrance that is best suited for warmer months but I can also see it being worn all year around. It has a somewhat similar smell to Acqua di Gio, no surprise since it is also created by the master perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, but definitely is more complex and sophisticated. Here are the notes that make up L’Immensité: fresh ginger, grapefruit, labdanum, ambroxan, cascalone and ambergris.

Purchase L’Immensité Here

I also have sampled several other Louis Vuitton fragrances and two of them make my honorable mention list: Nouveau Monde and Sur La Route. Nouveau Monde is oud-based and has similar tones to Ombre Nomade while Sur La Route has a somewhat citrus and leathery smell.

I definitely have my eye on this house and plan to sample more fragrances as soon as more are released!

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Niche Houses

Favorite Niche Fragrance Houses – Maison Francis Kurkdjian

A Brief History of Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Francis Kurkdjian is a French perfumer who was born in Paris to Armenian parents. He has created over 40 fragrances for other houses before he started his company in 2009. He’s produced work for several of the most famous houses including Armani, Versace, Dior, YSL and Ferragamo amongst many others. Perhaps his most famous work prior to starting his house was Le Male, which was created for Jean Paul Gaultier when he was just 26 years old. Francis had an interest in fragrance making at the very young age of 13 and in his early 20’s he studied at Institut Supérieur International du Parfum, de la Cosmétique et de l’Aromatique Alimentaire (ISIPCA) located in Versailles and he also went on to receive his master’s degree.

The brand Maison Francis Kurkdjian was born in 2009, which Franicis co-founded with Marc Chaya, who is president of the fragrance house. Since the launch of his house, he has been churning out very high-quality fragrances that are well-received in the fragrance community. He has won several prestigious awards for his work and rightfully so. I personally own two of his fragrances, Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum and Amyris Homme Extrait de Parfum, and they are probably two of my favorite fragrances in my collection. They smell heavenly like nothing else out there on the market and are of extreme quality. I have also sampled several others and would love to purchase a couple others!

If you happen to follow his Instagram account, he posts videos of his thought process and it’s very interesting watching him work. He’s very passionate, essentially an artist, and he believes in creating stories with his fragrances and not just a scent.

Below is more information on the two fragrances that I have purchased that I absolutely love. I plan to hopefully purchase more of MFK’s fragrances in the future as soon as I get through some of the bottles in my current collection!

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait De Parfum

This oriental fragrance (learn about different fragrance olfactory families here) is perhaps MFK’s most famous and popular fragrance to date, and rightfully so. Back in 2014, the eau de parfum version of Baccarat Rouge 540 was released and two years later the extrait version followed. The difference between the two is the level of pure fragrance oil used, the extrait version has more oil and secondly there are also two ingredients in the extrait version that aren’t in the eau de parfum version: bitter almond from Morocco and musky woody accord. The ingredients listed on the MFK website for the extrait version are: grandiflorum jasmine from Egypt, saffron, bitter almond from Morocco, cedar wood, musky woody accord and ambergris.

At initial spray, the extrait version smells sweet, almost like cherry & strawberry perfectly mixed with almond and light woody tones. It kind of reminds me of the dessert marzipan mixed with berries, which I love 🙂 After about 30 mins to an hour though, the woody tones kick in a little more and the sweetness is somewhat toned down. This fragrance will last several hours on your skin and even longer if you spray it on your clothing. I have worn it to work and have sprayed it on my shirt and the next day i could still smell the fragrance. You will definitely receive compliments while wearing this masterpiece of a fragrance. MFK does not list the top, heart and base notes on its website, most likely to try to limit the number of copy-cat products made but I may be wrong.

This is a very elegant and sexy smelling fragrance that can be worn year-round and it is also unisex. I’ve smelled it on women before and it is quite lovely. I personally have not smelled the eau de parfum version but from the reviews I’ve seen, it is not as rich and complex but is a bit more transparent and doesn’t last as long on your skin/clothing.

You can purchase Baccarat Rouge here:

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum

Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

Amyris Homme Extrait de Parfum

Amyris Homme can be categorized as a woody fragrance. The MFK website lists the ingredients used as: mandarin oil from Sicily, cinnamon oil from Ceylon, saffron accord, iris oil from Florence, amyris oil from the Caribbean, vanilla accord and tonka beans absolute from Brazil. So you can see, there are a variety of top-notch ingredients used in this fragrance to give a full and complex scent. 

Amyris itself comes from the wood of the Amyris balsamifera tree and has a woody scent, hence its categorization as a woody fragrance. 

For me, the mandarin, cinnamon, vanilla and tonka beans really shine in this one. It smells very sophisticated and has a lot of depth and I can see this one pairing well for date night or in the colder months since it has a very warm smell. 

The difference between the extrait de parfum and the eau de toilette is that two ingredients are swapped. The extrait has vanilla accord and cinnamon oil not present in the eau de parfum whereas the eau de toilette has rosemary oil and cedarwood oil not present in the extrait.

You can purchase Amyris Homme here:

Amyris Homme Extrait de Parfum

Amyris Homme Eau de Toilette

Categories
Niche Houses

Favorite Niche Fragrance Houses – Frederic Malle

Frederic-Malle-Niche-Fragrance

A Brief History of Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

Frederic Malle, born in Paris, is a name that is well-known in the niche fragrance industry. Having a nose for fine scents runs in his family’s blood, as his grandfather founded Parfums Christian Dior and his mother was Art Director of Parfums Christian Dior. Frederic had his first professional job while working as an assistant at Roure Bertrand Dupont, which is a company that produces raw materials used in the fragrance industry. Then in the year 2000, Malle launched his company, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. What makes his company unique is that Malle does not personally create the fragrances himself, he instead hires some of the finest perfumers in the world and acts as an “editor” or advisor to the perfumers who he considers the “authors.” He sometimes is very involved in the creation of a fragrance and other times he is practically non-existent. One thing that I respect Frederic Malle for is that he features the perfumer’s name on the bottle and a picture and brief bio of the perfumer on the back of the packaging box, which most houses do not do. At the time of this writing, Frederic Malle has produced thirty two fragrances.

Frederic Malle is truly passionate about the fragrances that bear his name and has said a couple things in one of his interviews that really stood out to me. He said “wearing a perfume is an essential part of elegance” and that “it sometimes takes 1-2 years to produce a fragrance.” That just goes to show how dedicated he is to his craft. He also said that a perfume should be “chic, timeless and very sexy.” But probably the most important thing I grasped from his interview was when he said that his grandfather (who founded Parfums Christian Dior) died at a young age and so his mother told him that perfume is important in life because it was her life. He goes on to say that “perfume was probably a way to maintain an exchange with her father.” That’s very powerful and you can tell that perfume not only runs in his blood, but he respects and is dedicated to perfume due its deep roots within his family. He goes on to say that it’s his “quest to create the great classics of tomorrow.” Well I can tell you that with his mindset and love for fragrance, he is surely on his way to achieve that quest and I absolutely adore his work.

I was first introduced to Frederic Malle at Neiman Marcus late last year. I happened to be returning a different fragrance and was approached by a sales rep from Frederic Malle. I was skeptical at first since I had not heard of Frederic Malle but after smelling various samples, I was awestruck. The fragrances were very unique smelling and lasted a very long time on my skin – a symbol of quality. I ended up purchasing Promise and Rose & Cuir and a few months later I ended up purchasing Music For A While after falling in love with the sample. I have been very happy with my Frederic Malle fragrances and even though my fragrances from this house are eau de parfum, they perform like extrait de parfum since they have a strong projection and last so long on my skin.

Music For A While

Music For A While, created by Carlos Benaïm, in my opinion can be categorized as a sweet oriental, although I can’t confirm this 100%, and can be worn year-round. To learn more about the different niche fragrance olfactory categories please read my intro to niche fragrances blog post that goes into more detail.

Pineapple and lavender really shine in this fragrance and it definitely gets a lot of compliments. I have read some negative comments though with the majority of the negative feedback around its sweetness and strong projection. As previously mentioned, Frederic Malle uses quality ingredients and the vast majority of his fragrances have a strong projection and this could be off-putting for some people, especially if you overspray. As I always stress, make sure to sample the fragrance before purchasing a bottle since it can be a sizeable investment. It’s best to spray the fragrance on your skin and let it sit for several hours to make sure you enjoy the top, heart, and base notes.

Top notes: lemon, mandarin and bergamot

Heart note: lavender

Base notes: patchouli, labdanum, vanilla and “tinted by a touch of pineapple”

Purchase Music For A While Here

Promise

Promise can be categorized as an oriental fragrance that has a strong apple accord, mixed with rose and woody tones. It’s a Middle Eastern-inspired fragrance that is best suited for colder weather or formal events. This is definitely a very sophisticated and masculine fragrance that is geared toward the mature man. Again, the ingredients used here are of high quality and this will last on your skin and clothing for a long time.

Top notes: Pink pepper, rosemary oil and apple accord

Heart notes: Bulgarian rose oil, Turkish rose absolute and clove oil

Base notes: Patchouli heart, ambroxan, labdanum and cypriol heart

Purchase Promise Here

Rose & Cuir

Rose & Cuir, which means rose & leather in French, as its name implies is a floral rose fragrance with leathery notes. The two notes pair very well together in this fragrance and this is one that can be worn by both men and women. I think it works well in warmer months during the summer due to it’s floral scent.

Top notes: geranium, blackcurrant and bourbon geranium 

Heart notes: vetiver and cedar

Base note: leather accord

Purchase Rose & Cuir Here

Categories
Niche Houses

Favorite Niche Fragrance Houses – Creed

creed-niche-fragrance-house

A Brief History Of The House Of Creed

The house of Creed has a long history that spans over two and a half centuries. It was founded in England in 1760 by James Creed to provide the English Court with custom made clothing, scented leather gloves, and fragrances commissioned by King George III. The king would use the scented leather gloves while horseback riding and loved the scent so much that he commissioned James Creed to create a fragrance for him. In 1781, Creed’s first fragrance was created, Royal English Leather. It is said to be a mix of ambergris, mandarin and sandalwood.

In 1824, Henry Creed II was born and was the third generation perfumer of the house. He was considered the most innovative perfumer of the house and helped expand the Creed brand throughout Europe. In 1854, the house officially moved to Paris, France in order to be at the center of the fashion & beauty industry. Fast forward to 1970 and Creed officially made its niche fragrances available to the public under the tutelage of Olivier Creed, sixth generation of the Creed family. It would be in 2010 where Olivier created its most famous and best-selling fragrance to date, Aventus. 

Creed continues to churn out excellent fragrances and is very well-known in the industry. The thing that stands out for me is that fact that the business has remained in the family for over 250 years, which is quite impressive.

For me, Creed makes superb fresh fragrances using high-quality ingredients. I personally own three Creed fragrances: Aventus, Royal Oud and Virgin Island Water and have tested several others. 

Fun fact – the following celebrities wear or have worn Creed fragrances: Jay-Z and the late David Bowie and Frank Sinatra.

Aventus

Aventus is an excellent fresh fragrance that is super popular in the fragrance community. Please read my blog post to learn more about the different niche olfactory families.

These are the notes that make up Aventus:

Top notes: bergamot, blackcurrant leaves, apple and pineapple. The pineapple really shines in this fragrance and is the note I notice the most.

Heart notes: pinkberries, birch, patchouli and jasmine

Base notes: musk, oakmoss, ambergris and vanilla

Purchase Aventus Here

Royal Oud

Royal Oud is a spicy, woody fragrance and is a very sophisticated scent, best suited for mature men for use during formal occasions, date night or when you would like to make a statement. Please read my oud niche fragrance blog post if you haven’t done so already to learn more about this unique and precious ingredient. Oud is an ingredient with a distinct smell that is regarded very highly in the industry. This is one of my favorite oud fragrances and should not disappoint!

These are the notes that make up Royal Oud:

Top notes: lemon, pinkberries and bergamot

Heart notes: cedar, galbanum and angelica roots

Base notes: sandalwood, oud and tonkin musk

Purchase Royal Oud Here

Virgin Island Water

Virgin Island Water is a fresh fragrance with citrus and coconut tones that makes for an excellent summer fragrance. If you are feeling creative, you can layer on equal parts Aventus with Virgin Island Water to concoct what smells like a piña colada! But don’t worry, you won’t smell like you are drunk by any means, it actually smells quite lovely. Either combined or on it’s own, this is a great fragrance that I personally just purchased very recently and have enjoyed wearing it very much during these hot summer days.

These are the notes that make up Virgin Island Water:

Top notes: Sicilian white bergamot, Jamaican lime and Sicilian mandarin

Heart Notes: hibiscus, ylang ylang and Indian jasmine

Base Notes: Tonkin musk and tropical wood

Purchase Virgin Island Water Here

Categories
Popular Notes

Oud – What Is It, Where Does It Come From, Why Is It So Expensive & How Is It Used in Niche Fragrances?

What is Oud (Agarwood) And Where Does It Come From?

Oud, also known as agarwood, is very common in the Middle East but comes primarily from Southeast Asia. Oud is produced in the Aquilaria tree when it becomes infected, typically from insects. Other things such as thunderstorms can cause openings in the tree’s bark, which give entry to microorganisms to enter the tree. Fungus or mold develops in the tree and the tree produces a thick, dark resin called oud to fight off infection. It is said that only 10% of the trees are able to produce oud, which makes it much more of a valuable ingredient. The bark around where the oud is produced is then carved off and these wood chips are then used to produce oud that is used in niche fragrances.

Why Is Oud So Expensive?

In the Middle East, it is held in high regard and it is used in temples kind of like an incense and it is also known as “black gold” there due to it’s expensive price. There are several varieties but high-quality oud can be more expensive than gold in weight. On the extreme side, the best oud can cost upwards of almost $10million per kilogram! There are even some very wealthy individuals out there that have personal oud scouts that travel throughout the world to find the best oud for their personal consumption.

Due to its unique scent and high dollar value, the Aquilaria tree has been put on the endangered species list and even cartels have invaded forests with guns to chop down trees to sell on the black market. An excellent YouTube video can be found here that gives a great overview of oud and goes more in depth.

How Is Oud Used In Niche Fragrances?

Oud has become increasingly popular over the last 10 years and it will be interesting to see if it will still remain popular due to the scarcity of oud. My guess is that eventually oud will be produced in a lab once the supply becomes more scarce or depleted. 

When used in niche fragrances, oud is typically used as a base note. Due to its high value, most perfumers will want the oud scent to shine in their niche fragrances. Oud is a difficult and powerful ingredient to work with because on its own, it has a very animalic smell, almost as if you are in a barn. Therefore, oud must be mixed with a careful hand with other high-quality notes in order to produce a fine-smelling fragrance. One ingredient that is commonly mixed with oud is rose. It is even said it has taken many years for certain perfumers to master working with oud.

Before purchasing an oud fragrance, I recommend you sample it first to get a feel for the fragrance and scent. Oud has a very unique scent but when mixed properly, it can smell heavenly. Oud for me personally is probably my favorite note in a niche fragrance since whenever I wear it I feel a sense of confidence. I think it’s best suited for night time or a formal event, as well as in the colder months during fall/winter. Below are some of my favorite oud fragrances.

Some Of My Favorite Niche Oud Fragrances

Initio Parfums – Oud For Greatness

Creed – Royal Oud 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Oud Silk Mood Extrait de Parfum

Maison Francis Kurkdjian – Oud Extrait de Parfum

Tom Ford – Oud Wood (this was my first niche fragrance purchase!)

Louis Vuitton – Ombre Nomade