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!

[chocopudding]

I just want to applaud the use of "persnickety" here. 😄

HAHA and I just noticed that you also thought of artisanal bread!!!!! It's lunch time here on my end....

[michelleshops]

Persnickety is one of my favorite words!  I use it whenever possible.  And I love that Ocean Spray commercial for some bizarre reason.  lol!

[notcreative]

I always think of the Ocean Spray commercial whenever I read or hear that word now.  It may be a sign that I watch too much tv.

[kenny]

• To me niche perfumes are for a certain small market, who can appreciate the subtleties and complexities of more unique fragrances, that won't necessarily appeal to everyone.
• To me artisanal perfumes are made in smaller batches with better quality ingredients to create a unique, complex scent.
• I think niche and artisanal scents differ from other perfumes on the market, because they tend to be more complex (which a well trained nose can appreciate more), and they are much more unique than the mass marketed sweet or floral perfumes. Because they of this, I think they can be a bit polarizing, where people love or hate them depending on the notes and they make more of a statement.
• I would love to learn more! I'm not terribly knowledgeable when it comes to scents and I have a hard time picking up and recognizing individual notes. But I'm slowly learning to appreciate more unique and less generic scents.

[ChicDabbler]

• What does the term “niche perfume” mean to you? For me it would mean perfumes with unique scents, like the "gourmand scents" back when it was first popular. Something not just floral, spicy or fruity.

• What does the term “artisanal scent” mean to you? Made in small batches? hand made? contain less harmful or synthetic chemicals. I don't know what it strictly means, but that's what it means to me.

• How do you think “niche perfumes” or “artisanal scents” are different than other perfumes on the market? when niche perfumes become more popular and everyone does it, it's no longer niche. When something is made by machines with minimal human interaction/influence, it's no longer artisanal.

• Which would be interested in learning more about? either as long as it smells good and doesn't have a ridiculous price.

[roxystar4]

I agree with the last point ChicDabbler!

[vegchililover78]

Lots of great responses so far that capture what I was thinking of as niche and artisanal. Definitely curious about both.  I feel like I have a few niche scents, but they are becoming more mainstream like TokyoMilk Dark, Nest, Harvey Prince and potentially Juliette Has a Gun. 

[EvangelineDamon]

• What does the term “niche perfume” mean to you? I think of a "niche perfume" as being a fragrance that is unique and somehow captures the feeling or essence of a memory, a la the fragrances of Maison Martin Margiela or Nest.

• What does the term “artisanal scent” mean to you? I think of an artisanal scent as something that is handcrafted, in small batches with pride. 

• How do you think “niche perfumes” or “artisanal scents” are different than other perfumes on the market? I feel as if brands like Nest, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Maison Martin Margiela, Atelier, are much more complex than your classic perfumes from brands like Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, et cetera. 

• Which would be interested in learning more about? Truthfully, I find them both intriguing. I like being able to pick out the notes from Nest, MMM, & L'Artisan Parfumeur, among others, and am interested in knowing how they come up with the concept, combinations, et cetera..

[Kclr16]

• A niche perfume means it's made for a particular market. That means it will not be liked by everyone, or a lot of people, like a lot of perfumes are meant to be in the market today.

• Artisanal scent means that it is crafted either in batches or with a lot of care/supervision, i.e. not in a factory or mass produced. It is made with mechanisms and processes that are somewhat old fashioned.

• Niche perfumes and artisanal perfumes are not well known, if at all, by a lot of people. They are not highly marketable, they are not widely liked, and they are not easily found.

• I'd prefer to learn more about niche perfumes. 

[melde]

This feels like a quiz I didn't study for!

Since I have nothing else to do, here are my guesses:

Niche perfume, comprised of just a few notes?

Artisanal scent, fancy perfume, like Jo Malone?

They often smell purer, more pure? What is the correct way to say that? Man, I do not feel smart today!

I like learning about anything beauty related, so either (especially since I'm pretty sure I'm way off)!

[jemly]

a niche perfume and artisanal scent, to me, suggest the artistry of fragrance at it's very core. i think of designer fragrances as typically more "classic" while artisanal scents (typically from niche brands) as more cutting edge, avant garde and unique. gender stereotypes when it comes to scents are often disregarded when it comes to niche brands, which is a concept i'm very drawn to as well.

some exceptions are something like maison martin margiela and comme des garcons, which are designer artisanal fragrances. (and i love them and am so happy sephora is carrying a good selection of CDG now !)

i, for one, am very much drawn to niche brands and artisanal scents. i find, personally, these sorts of fragrances are more complex and really create a fresh sort of experience, whereas the more classic designer fragrances / scent combinations are often safer (which is a good thing for a lot of people!) and often offer a more nostalgic experience.

the idea of niche brands and artisanal scents really go hand-in-hand in my experience. but i always want to learn and discover more !

[wendyomgwar]

This is an interesting topic!! I'll be keeping my eye on this thread. I don't want to answer the questions because I genuinely have no idea, but I am interested in learning more about both :)!

[makeupobesessed]

I have to admit, I am clearly perfume illiterate since I have no idea what this means....off to google.

[danimazz]

Disclaimer: My fragrance knowledge is quite limited, but here's what I think:

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

To me, a niche perfume is from a brand that is somewhat obscure.  I feel like it's something difficult to find and really stands apart from designer fragrances that have a large distribution.  A niche perfume would be very unique, well-crafted, and from a brand focussed solely on this one part of the market (not a cosmetic company fragrance or a design house fragrance).  It would be of high quality and not widely distributed.  I would consider a fragrance that is only available from it's own boutique to be a niche fragrance (ex: Fragonard fragrances in France).

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

I think artisanal fragrances have more to do with the actual ingredients. I think these would have unique ingredients or combination of ingredients that would be very difficult to replicate or find a "dupe" for.  Much like artisanal anything, the ingredients would be of the highest quality and production would be by hand, rather than mass produced.  While it would still be a high quality product, I don't think it would necessarily be as inaccessible as a niche perfume.  

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

Supreme quality, small scale production, independent brands.

• Which would be interested in learning more about?

Both! As I said, my knowledge is limited, so the above is just my perception!

[sparklekai]

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

A fragrance that is unique and unlike others on the market

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

something that is handmade with natural ingredients

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

A lot of fragrances seem to be more focused on mass production.  These scents seem to be more custom and exclusive

• Which would be interested in learning more about?

i would be interested in both but i think i lean towards artisanal

[Anonymous]

Hmmm…Interesting questions. Here are my thoughts on the matter.

• What does the term “niche perfume” mean to you?  A scent (or line of them) that blends and emphasizes notes in a unique way, perhaps by bringing typical background aromas to the forefront or mixing those not often combined.

• What does the term “artisanal scent” mean to you? I've honestly never heard that term, but it gives me the impression of small batch, handcrafted scents perhaps made from specially (and most likely locally) cultivated plants and flowers. It does leave me unsure about the expertise of the people performing any of the tasks involved. 

• How do you think “niche perfumes” or “artisanal scents” are different than other perfumes on the market? Both offer an opportunity for uniqueness that I wouldn't expect to find in the big selling, mainstream brands.

• Which would be interested in learning more about? I'm intrigued by both, but as Artisanal is entirely new to me, I'd like to know more about it.

[VioletLavender]

A niche fragrance to me is a fragrance that is unique and suited to a very specific taste.  I would consider an artisanal fragrance to be very high quality and have been produced in a traditional manner, i.e. by hand.  I would assume that niche or artisanal scents would be worn by fragrance aficionados who seek out special scents that the average layperson (me) wouldn’t be aware of.  I would be interested in learning about either of these fragrance categories with a slight preference for the niche category. 🙂

[to90]

I won't put any research into my answer because I'm assuming we're supposed to provide our current impression for marketing purposes lol so excuse my lack of knowledge!

When I think of niche perfumes I assume they'll be less common scents, something that not everyone will like, maybe even experimental scents, but still couture.

Artisanal makes me think hipsters made it, and it will be overpriced and fade quickly. Of course, I know I'm probably wrong.

I think they're different from regular perfumes because they probably won't smell like just candy and flowers, but should have more character.

I'd like to know more about artisanal scents because I now realize I was a little mean to them earlier.

[Anonymous]

A Niche perfume would be an unusual scent blend produced to satisfy a different taste, may not necessarily appeal to a mass market. I would think that I would find an item like this in a high end boutique.

Artisanal would indicate that fine, rare, gourmet ingredients were used (maybe small-batch manufacturing) to create the scents. Companies would most likely be regional and difficult to locate for an individual consumer.

The two would differ in that they could deliver a true signature scent to someone, since it would appeal on a personal level instead of by popularity.

I'm interested in both, and hopefully that Sephora will consider expanding the brands they carry under these 'tags'.

[shapeshifter]

To me, a "niche perfum" is one that caters to a smaller market and includes hard to find scents and scent combinations. A niche perfume isn't going to have a "fruity floral" or a "bright citrus" product. It would most likely be from a smaller brand, as the bigger brands would be more interested in mass appeal.

An artisanal perfume in my mind, would be made by hand. It would have to be a VERY small line, with a lot more explaination of where the ingredients come from, who the perfumer is and all that. It's something I would expect to pay more for.

I'd be interested in learning more about either type, I'm a scent junkie!

[redwagon44]

• To me, "niche perfume" means a fragrance that is exclusive and found at a boutique rather than a general department store. Maybe small batch, hard to find. Unique?
• "Artisanal scent" would mean more small batch, locally made by lesser-known brands. Something you'd find on Etsy. Also unique.
• Both of these, to me, mean something more exclusive that you wouldn't find many people wearing. Something that you could wear to stand out or separate yourself from the crowd
• I would be more interested in 'niche perfumes'. I love the more exclusive perfumes from luxury brands that you can't find in department stores, just their boutiques.