In Focus: Fragrance

[sephoraadmin2]

Beauty Insiders, it's time for another BeautyTalk mini focus group!

Today we're talking fragrance, and we want to hear from you:

• What does the term “niche perfume” mean to you?

• What does the term “artisanal scent” mean to you?

• How do you think “niche perfumes” or “artisanal scents” are different than other perfumes on the market?

• Which would be interested in learning more about?

Post your feedback in the thread below!

[sjpayne]

Niche to me means geared to a specific group of people.  For a fragrance, maybe niche could mean that it's made for consumers that are already a fan of something?  A Harry Potter-themed fragrance could be considered niche, maybe a scent made to resemble the smell of the Love Potion for Hermione?  I know I'd look into that, even if I wouldn't buy it, because I'm such a big fan.

Artisanal to me means hand-made, although the person making it would probably say hand-crafted.  It makes me think of Panera sandwiches.

Niche perfumes and artisanal scents both sound like ways to squeeze more money out of a consumer.  Niche is a bit more likely to work on me, if it's something I was looking for (see aforementioned Harry Potter perfume).  If I wanted a scent that was "hand-crafted," I'd just make it myself and save the money.  Unless I knew the person making the perfume personally, and they knew what scents I liked.  But then I wouldn't be buying it from Sephora.

I wouldn't necessarily be interested in learning about one or the other.  I know what kind of perfume I like and choose them based on the scent's notes, period.

[roxystar4]

Niche to me would mean small (maybe like geared towards a certain group of people) or a special brand that is focused on producing a certain type of fragrance.  Artisanal makes me think of cheese. Maybe made in small batches? I'm guessing both niche and artisanal fragrances would be different than other scents because they would be produced in smaller quantities and make for a person who is looking for a certain type of scent?

I would be interested in learning more about this. 

[ghkim]

to me a niche perfume is one that is from a smaller more unique brand, not mass produced, not advertised. examples are cb i hate perfume, byredo, frederic malle (although this one is borderline too popular). they have an intellectual appeal as well as a collector's appeal. ingredients tend to more high quality. fragrances tend to be less mainstream - ie, less fruity floral and more unique fragrance combinations.

I'm not quite sure what artisanal fragrances are but they sound like something hand crafted, maybe bespoke.

[itscarin]

I've never heard of "niche perfumes" or "artisanal scents."  In general, I think "niche" refers to a specific subset, and "artisanal" means hand-crafted and in small batches.  Artisanal makes me think of beer and cheese.  I don't have a good nose though, and I don't even know what kinds of scents I like.  I'd be more interested in something that is "niche" more so than something that is "arisanal" because "niche" in that context just means "unique" to me whereas "artisanal" would signify something that's limited edition and not reproducible. 

[lachaton]

Ah, this is so fun! I would love to see Sephora branch out and start carrying some "harder to find" fragrances 🙂 I've noticed the selection getting better and better!

To me, niche perfume has to do with some kind of specialty. I would expect the quality to be very high if a fragrance was labelled a "niche perfume". Artisanal seems similar to me. Maybe a bit more experimental? 

But importantly, both labels signify to me that there's something unique about that fragrance. And I definitely have high expectations! 

[lucyshnoosy]

Mass-market perfume is created to appeal to the broadest number of people possible.  Niche perfumes are  different.  Ingredients are top-quality, and the fragrance is designed by a talented "nose" - in other words, an artist whose medium is scent.  It is about creating a work of art in fragrance.

In many popular mass-market perfumes, the marketing, bottle, and image all receive much more planning, study, and attention than the actual fragrance, which is secondary!   If you really love perfume, that is unthinkable.

Niche perfumes are not celebrity-oriented.  People who create niche perfumes know that the customers who might buy them aren't going to be swayed by a 'cool" image in the ads or by thinking that a movie star wears it.  Niche perfumes are also not derivative; I have noticed that many mass-marketed perfumes are similar to others.    Think of these fragrances like truly fine wines.  Think of the difference between truly excellent chocolate and a chocolate novelty.

One of my absolutely favorite perfumes (and I have many) is a niche perfume: it is Cuir Beluga from Guerlain's L 'Art et la Matière line.  This line uses the highest-quality raw materials and is designed by renowned perfumers.  It is a niche line nested within a larger perfume house.

By the way, high price alone does not make a fragrance a niche perfume!  There are plenty of expensive mass-market scents.  I think niche perfumes appeal to people who are scent aficionados, who truly love perfume and have gradually educated their scent "palates" over time.  They are not impressed by derivative, formulaic perfumes.

To me, artisanal means something made by an individual or a very, very small company.  The batches are smaller, the ingredients are carefully chosen and high quality, and the fragrance designs are interesting and thoughtfully developed.

I am interested in both types!

And yes, I am a perfumista.  🙂

[michelle164]

I dont know a lot about perfumes but for me a "niche perfume " is a scent that is not mass produced and somehow unique due to its ingredients or the inspiration. I have only seen the artisanal perfume label on Etsy, where it seems to be a more personalized scent catered to the person. 

Lately I have been interested in more niche brands like Jo Malone (mixing scents is great!) and Bond no 9 perfumes than the general fragrances you see at a department store for example. Also I recently had a chance to play with the scents from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab which was very interesting. I am interested in any scents that are out of the ordinary, its nice to have a signature scent no one else has. 

[SydBristow]

I saw the questions and didn't look at any answers because I didn't want them to affect my reply. 🙂 Because I have no idea what niche or artisan perfumes are, but "niche" to me means a special segment of something, perhaps a group of fragrances based on one main unique ingredient? To me, I feel like "artisan" is hand-crafted or created in a very personal way with a lot of pride and attention, putting quality first that is worth more to acquire it.

How might these differ from others on the market? Niche might be a bit more specific, especially if it's based on one unique ingredient or made for a specific demographic. Depends on the niche. Artisan to me is like a microbrew beer 🙂 instead of a larger brew. Smaller lots, higher quality, and often lots of special releases.

what might I be interests in learning more about? I love exploring fragrances but it's so hit or miss on what I might like. Right now I'm really into a line that has very light but fresh scents, very natural. It has been showing me how a line of perfumes can differ from others on the market and how appealing it can be. So generally, I just wish I could learn more about fragrances, the "notes" and would love to try a fragrance IQ to help steer me on what I might like. 🙂

[Anonymous]

Well, in my opinion the niche fragrances are those made by smaller producers in smaller quantities. The artisanal fragrances are those made by old traditional methods. In both cases those fragrances tend to be less mainstream and may seem as more exclusive as the quantities tend to be limited by the very nature of the little company or method to produce it. Prices tend to be higher as well, as they produce less but need to profit from it. I kind of want to know what both terms mean in the industry now.

I like the idea of a perfume kind of special and exclusive, but frankly, a perfume can smell very different from a person to another, so I just look at one which works on my skin, if mainstream, niche or whatever I really don't care much.

[hydee77]

• What does the term “niche perfume” mean to you? Niche perfume means to me a perfume that is created by an independent brand that isn't marketed to mass consumers.  Sort of like indie music.

• What does the term “artisanal scent” mean to you?  Artisanal scent means to me a scent that is crafted by maybe essential oils and/or notes that are a little more refined in nature.

• How do you think “niche perfumes” or “artisanal scents” are different than other perfumes on the market?  I think that niche perfumes and artisanal scents offer something unique rather than other perfumes on the market.  If you find one you like, chances are no one else is wearing it.  After trying a few brands and from using "mainstream" scents in the past, they are worth a look.

• Which would be interested in learning more about?  Both! 🙂

[AllyKatVA]

What does the term “niche perfume” mean to you?

I actually think of a perfume that most people would NOT like. Probably not what the label is trying to convey, but that is my first thought.

What does the term “artisanal scent” mean to you?

Potentially snooty? Marketed to hipsters with more money than sense? It sounds like something made by a craftsman, someone who is looking to make art rather than a product., but the term artisanal seems to have been co-opted and now often just means made in small batches/by a small company/having limited appeal/look this is special!!!! marketing.

How do you think “niche perfumes” or “artisanal scents” are different than other perfumes on the market?

I am probably going to offend or annoy people with my opinion, but it strikes me as marketing jargon in most cases. I think if someone really knows what they are doing in making perfume, they are going to be employed by at least one major company, so if a really small outfit is making scents, I doubt the products are going to have much complexity or depth to them. I think the terms are trying to convey a sense of exclusivity and quality, hoping to appeal to people's desire to belong, to "be in on it", and the current craze of only buying products made at a small farmhouse in rural New Hampshire run by barefoot hippie nuns who make their own wine and paint pottery under a full moon while riding rainbow-farting unicorns that are only fed organic, free-range, cage-free, gluten-free vegetarian, vegetable-based feed.

Which would be interested in learning more about?

Even though I am clearly a cranky jerk this evening, I would probably still read an article about either.

[shadetertiary]

😄 I'm so glad I'm not the only one who assumes "niche" and "artisanal" are just pretentious "make you feel special" terms!!

[spotspotcat]

Niche perfume means to me a perfume that is marketed to a specific group.  Like a Subaru is marketed to a specific group.

An artisanal scent means to me a scent that contains more unique and higher quality ingredients and that is more thoughtfully crafted.

I think these types of perfumes are different because they would not be encountered on many people on any given day.

I'd be interested in hearing more about both.

[shoppiturt]

When I think of niche perfumes, I think of indie brands/brands that sell on Etsy or rely a lot on word of mouth advertising, and of perfumes with really unusual scents.

Artisanal scents (which I'm not sure I've actually  heard of before! gasp! 😧 ), they sound like high-end, exclusive and well-/hand-crafted perfumes. I don't think that niche & artisanal perfumes have to be exclusive of one another, either.

I think the big difference between the two is that you're probably less likely to have heard of the artisanal and niche perfume brands/scents. They could also be more/less expensive than known brands/scents. The packaging may not be as eye-catching, and they may also be harder to come by (availability).

I wouldn't mind knowing more about both, but I guess if I had to pick I'd go with artisanal. I am kind of basing this off my own ill-informed conclusions of what I think artisanal scents are, lol.

[candacebt]

Btw folks, this is NOT a quiz (lol some of your responses about not researching or studying are pretty great, I love my BTers). 

We just wanted to get your honest, off the cuff, first impression of what each term means to *you* personally. That's why it's a focus group! 

🙂

[vchotia]

Niche perfumes tend to be more high-end and not targeted for the masses, IMO. They might have higher quality ingredients and often create smaller batches than commercial perfumes.

Artisanal is more hand-crafted, I think. It's not something that you can get anywhere. They have limited quantities, smaller batches. I'm thinking in terms of clothing, but to me, it's the difference between buying clothing at department stores versus purchasing something on etsy. Perhaps that's an oversimplification though.

I would love it if sephora had a niche or artisanal perfume section, or at least started carrying more of these types of products.

[gingerblack]

In my opinion, a niche perfume is a perfume that would target a certain group of people, instead of the general population. When I hear artisanal scent, I think of a perfume that has high-quality, natural ingredients. I could be completely wrong but that is what comes to mind. I think artisanal scents can be niche perfumes, but I don't think all of them have to be. I might have to think about that one more. I don't think all niche perfumes are artisanal scents though. I would consider a celebrity fragrance to be a niche perfume. I think niche perfumes are different from others on the market because they have a specific target audience, and I think artisanal scents are different because they are higher quality and use better ingredients. Once again, could be completely wrong. I am not overly into perfume, but it would be interesting to learn more. 

[calamityjane85]

Well to me niche perfume means only a certain amount of people would enjoy it, and artisanal would be a very crafted and well put together scent. They are different from others on the market in that they target specific customers and have certain people in mind. I would be interested in both because I am a scent-o-holic. I love unisex, floral, candy-sugar gourmand, dark and woodsy ... all of the above! 

[chocopudding]

Ooh, that's an interesting topic. Never thought much about it until now.

To me, niche perfume indicates that perhaps it's a smaller market, not as heavily advertised, probably for more distinguished tastes (i.e. might have notes that are unusual).

Artisanal scent indicates that there might be more care put into producing the perfume, perhaps in smaller batches, or the brand is focused on just perfume/scent making. The scent may or may not be as complex as other fragrances on the market. I would expect the quality of the ingredients to be better, but would also expect the scents to be pricier to reflect that.  (Kind of like artisanal breads versus loaves you can find at a supermarket.)

The two probably overlap quite a bit! I would be interested in finding out in how some niche/artisanal perfumes are made, and do the prices reflect the quality (are they made with say, concretes and absolutes versus synthetics?).

[michelleshops]

To me, "niche perfume" means something that doesn't cater to the general population.  While it does call to mind smaller, more expensive companies, I think that a perfume giant can create a niche perfume.  

As for 'artisanal scent', I interpret that as something that have very cultured ingredients, probably sold in very limited batches.  A flower that can only grow at a certain climate or that only yields one bloom per plant and is therefore hard to mass produce seems like a key ingredient.    

I think they differ from other perfumes by having a more persnickety clientele.  People that are willing to spend more time and money to find a scent they love that is also unique.  I (happily) think "niche" perfumes are becoming much more available and common.  Personally, I don't like sickly sweet scents and prefer deeper, unique ones.  

I would be interested in learning more about both!  These are just my off the cuff thoughts and I will be researching further.  If I had to choose one, I would choose to learn more about "niche perfumes".  I think the word "artisanal" is becoming muddied and has lost a lot of the pull it once did for me.  I mean Wendy's had artisanal bread!