There’s nothing quite like the power of perfume to impact your mood in an instant, but with so many to choose from it can be difficult to sort the sublime from the standard. Enter the niche fragrance – a complex, alluring concoction of unexpected notes and layered formulations, that might just become your next signature scent.
Created to cater to a smaller market, niche fragrance brands are all about crafting unique and distinctive profiles that celebrate scent in new and exciting ways.
Made in smaller batches, and sold through boutiques or selective stockists, the brands championing the niche narrative aren’t just seductive – they’re super wearable too.
So whether your beauty cabinet is filled with seasonal selections you reach for throughout the year, or you’ve had the same signature spritz since you were a teen, we guarantee you’ll find something to switch up your scent game in our selects below.
The Best Niche Fragrances To Add To Your Collection
Ormanie Paris Le Passant EDP
$214.50 (usually $429) at Libertine Parfumerie
Fragrance Family: Floral
Though described as “an homage to men’s perfume” this unisex scent is anything but overpowering or overtly heady. Instead, its delicate masculinity is found in base notes of tonka, amyris and vanilla, with a heart of lavender that lifts to top notes of bergamot and tagetes, creating a balanced yet bright fragrance that will linger longer than most.
19-69 Villa Nellcôte EDP
$330 at Incu
Fragrance Family: Fresh & Woods
Cult fragrance brand 19-69 was founded by Swedish artist and product developer Johan Bergelin, in collaboration with artisans from across Scandinavia, France and Italy. Inspired by iconic moments of counterculture through history, the niche fragrances created by 19-69 are as unique as the events they embody, and Villa Nellcôte is no exception. With top notes of grapefruit, bergamot, petitgrain, pink pepper and lemon, a deep violet and black tea heart gives way to a complex base of musk, moss and cedarwood.
What results is an aromatic, floral and refreshing scent with a rebellious edge.
DedCool Aura Fragrance
from $50 at Mecca
Fragrance Family: Floral
The Aura perfume from niche fragrance brand DedCool is at once soft and bright. With top notes of lemon, pear, lotus and cassis, a jasmine and rose middle belies a subtle base of caramel and vanilla, and opens back up to a sweet nostalgic scent that’s unlike anything we’ve worn before.
Retrospect L’extrait De Parfum
$147 at Merit
Fragrance family: Fresh & Floral
Developed in Paris by on of the industry’s most renowned artisans, Merit’s first scent is a seductive take on subtle femininity. With top notes of bergamot and pear, and a heart of jasmine, rosemary and violet, the fragrant blend lingers on the skin to reveal a lightly-spiced undertone of vanilla, musk and earthy moss. But the beauty of Retrospect lies in its unique development, where a first spritz belies a deeper, headier mood that’s at once nuanced and enticingly fresh. Get ready to receive some serious attention with this one – just don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Fragrance Family: Fresh
Inspired by places and spaces around Australia, the unique profiles created by Mihan Aromatics are strikingly indulgent without feeling too overpowering. The Sienna Brume parfum is an ode to city pools – in particular Melbourne’s Fitroy, where the essence of relaxation and leisure finds its fragrant cues in top notes of sea air and bergamot. Dive further down, and middle notes of soft coconut and cucumber give way to a base of vanilla, juniper berry and copaiba, culminating in a swell of refreshing scent.
Ssaint Cosmic Bang EDP
$119 at The Iconic
Fragrance Family: Fresh
If you’re the type who doesn’t fair well with compliments, then it might be best to steer clear of niche fragrance brand SŚAINT, altogether. Because once you start adding any of its scents into your perfume rotation, you’ll be fielding flattering remarks from morning, to night. Cosmic Bang is a vibrant and versatile scent that’s infused with a charismatic energy that feels fresh and flirty. Top notes of fig, bergamot and bay leaf leave an earthy first impression, while a heart of musk, vetiver and cedar, add depth and nuance to the base of hay and tobacco.
Maison Louis Marie No.14 Icila EDP
$162 at Sephora
Fragrance Family: Floral & Fresh
A warm and floral fragrance, Icila is one of Maison Louis Marie’s more nuanced formulations with its invigorating notes of ruby grapefruit and jasmine anchored by dark plum, vanilla and Sakura blossoms. Named for the French word ‘ici’ meaning here, the alluring scent is both complex and elegant, making for a deeply sophisticated blend that’s hard to pass by.
L’Atelier Parfum Exquise Tentation EDP
from $135 at Sephora
Fragrance Family: Floral
When it comes to niche fragrance brands, L’Atelier Parfum is right up there with some of the most individual, captivating and complex scent profiles on the market. And once you encounter the Exquise Tentation EDP, you’ll know why. With its sultry, sweet notes of vanilla, pink berries, bergamot and blackcurrant, its luxurious bouquet belies an intoxicating, yet playful edge that’s guaranteed to have people stopping you on the street to ask what you’re wearing.
Fragrance Family: Floral
For anyone who feels frustrated when a perfume fades just hours into wearing it, then this scent is for you. Crafted to capture the essence of Saint-Raphaël in France, notes of neroli, orange blossom, saffron and clove create a feeling of warmth carried through the air by the soft Mediterranean breeze. The niche fragrance evokes memories of balmy nights and European summers with its captivating bouquet that feels luxuriously layered, but effortlessly fresh.
Orto Parisi Megamare Parfum
$330 at Saison
Fragrance family: Woods & Fresh
This ocean-inspired scent is a must for anyone searching for a long-lasting fragrance with a difference. On first spritz, a bright bergamot and citrus opening unfolds into a complex heart of seaweed, revealing base notes of cedar and musk. Plus, as a parfum extract, Megamare will sit on the skin for up to 24 hours, allowing you to experience the unique aromatics as they develop throughout the day.
Who Is Elijah Chemical Addiction EDP
$135 at Sephora
Fragrance family: Floral & Woods
The latest release from genderless fragrance brand Who Is Elijah is made for those who seek a scent with a difference. Top notes of mandarin and bergamot develop into layers of blackcurrant and uplifting white florals, while a base of blonde woods and musk creates an intoxicating and intricate sensory narrative that’s guaranteed to get people talking.
What Is Considered A Niche Perfume?
A niche perfume, or fragrance, is a type of fragrance that’s generally produced in smaller, more artisanal quantities and sold at smaller boutiques, or exclusive stockists. By nature, the scent profiles tend to be less about mass appeal, and more about creating the type of profile that leans into more complex, or unique notes. Niche fragrances are broadly referred to as indie, boutique, or artisan interchangeably, and stand out from the more mass-produced perfumes largely found in mainstream department stores.
How Do You Find Your Perfect Scent?
Finding the right fragrance for you if an innately personal experience. What one person finds alluring, can deter another entirely, so how do you know when you’ve found ‘the one’? We know that scent is very closely linked to memory and emotion, so quite often, finding the right scent for you can be as easy as thinking about how you want to feel – uplifted, grounded, inviting – and finding the fragrance family that’s most aligned with that intention. For a more in-depth explainer on how to find your signature scent, we’ve asked the experts for their input, here.
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