Opinions Wanted: Your Go-To Niche Fragrances

[KatieBT]

I hear a lot of chatter in the community about various fragrance brands and formats. It seems that niche fragrances are becoming a hot topic and I'm loving all the brands I learn about from you all! 

We want to celebrate these smaller brands that are truly unique and give you that artisanal, fancy feeling or that sassy, Friday night feeling 😉 

What is your favorite "niche" fragrance brand at Sephora? What about your favorite scent? Don't forget to tell us why!

[LCResz]

A new house that’s recently landed at Neiman Marcus: Mind Games 

I’m excited to try Double Attack, in the black bishop bottle. I have been searching for years for a bitter chocolate and orange scent to replace my beloved Jo Malone, and this may just be the ticket! Has anyone had the chance to try out this house?

[LCResz]

I believe this brand has been mentioned before, but I am currently exploring the Fueguia 1833 line. I picked up Xocoatl and Juan Manuel, but I only did a photo shoot for Xocoatl, as the packaging is identical for both fragrances.

Xocoatl is a sweet, boozy, intoxicating blend of vanilla orchid, cacao, and rum. The vanilla definitely lends a balsamic note to the composition, but it's the rum that is the star of the show. The cacao is only hinted at after everything has dried down and acclimated to your skin, but it does keep things from smelling like you just spilled a bottle of really good rum on yourself! There's a woody heart to this fragrance, as if the oak cask the rum was tapped from is still hanging around, beckoning you to party just a little more. This is what I imagine a rum impresario from the tropics would smell like, smooth and dangerous, refined yet wild at heart. While this leans masculine, anyone can pull this off and feel super confident while rocking it!

Juan Manuel is supposed to be a rose forward scent, but sadly it doesn't read that way on me. I cannot detect the centifolia rose or damask rose, it's all pink pepper and musk, with what I now think of as Fueguia's unspoken woody heart. HOWEVER, if I layer this with something like Lush's Cardamom Coffee or Henry Rose's  Sheep's Clothing, Juan Manuel finally turns into something intriguing. 

Other Fueguia samples I have tried all have a strong cedar/sandalwood/oudiness that is nice but can make getting more than one fragrance from this house unnecessary. 

 

[pocketvenus]

@LCResz This house opened with almost 100 releases so you are correct, there really is no need to try them all. I'd describe them as minute variations on a few related themes. It's an interesting idea, not sure how feasible it is in terms of a business?

[Amber100895]

Love, don’t be shy by Kilian is aaaaaamazing! Also the new after sunset is so sweet just bought it!

[modernwarpaint]

I’m not a fan of Love Don’t be Shy on me, but I’m curious what After Sunset smells like - can you describe it?

[Cyncynn]

I love Gentlewoman! It's a cologne with a nice hint of almond!Juliette Has a Gun Gentlewoman 1.7 oz/ 50 mL Eau de Parfum Spray 

[elisssabeth]

@KatieBT I love @Commodity for their accessibility (they love their Instagram followers) and their range of scents; it's hard to pick, but with the Portfolio, you really don't have to. I'm impressed with the range from @Anonymous and have found a number of exquisite scents. Lastly, I fell in love with @Anonymous a few years ago and think of them as a great introduction to niche scents. Overall: Commodity Mimosa and Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensée.

[Anonymous]

My options. I use Avon Naked Love quite a bit.

[RaquelBT]

My favorite fragrance at this time is the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc. I personally pair it with the Soleil Blanc Shimmering Body Oil and the fragrance lasts all day on me.

I honestly don't wear that duo everyday because it might break the bank (LOL), but here are other fragrances that I love wearing daily: 

• Kenzo KENZO World Eau de Parfum
• Tocca Florence
• Chloe Fleur de Parfum

I usually switch between these three and stick to one per month. 🙂

 https://www.sephora.com/product/soleil-blanc-P406526 

https://www.sephora.com/product/soleil-blanc-shimmering-body-oil-P406527?icid2=use%20it%20with:p4065...

https://www.sephora.com/product/kenzo-world-eau-de-parfum-P416388?skuId=1913813&icid2=products%20gri...

https://www.sephora.com/product/florence-P38221?skuId=963306&icid2=products%20grid:p38221

https://www.sephora.com/product/fleur-de-parfum-P412367?skuId=1854595&icid2=products%20grid:p412367

Best Regards,

❤️ Raquel 

[Vmaster]

@KatieBT My favorite niche at Sephora is By Kilian. My favorite fragrance from that house (which Sephora sadly does not carry) is Apple Brandy. Why? Because it smells absolutely amazing - a boozy gourmand. My second favorite from By Kilian is Straight to Heaven Extreme because it takes the original mediocre Straight to Heaven and makes it awesome.

[Cloudburst2000]

Apple Brandy is my favorite Kilian scent too.  However, it will never be carried by Sephora as it is a New York Exclusive...either buy it at New York boutique or from Kilian online.  I think these are the only places you can buy it.

[blackkitty2014]

@Vmaster, your statement "takes the original mediocre Straight to Heaven and makes it awesome" cracked me up.  

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster- it's been forever and a day since I smelled Apple Brandy but I remember liking it. By extreme, is this the White Cristal version or is that something else?

[Vmaster]

@pocketvenus- Only the regular version has "white cristal" on a silver label. The extreme version has a gold label and lacks the words "white cristal". The extreme version smells better, as well as having a lot better longevity and projection.

[pocketvenus]

@Vmaster- Thanks for the explanation... Kilian seems to release a lot of fragrance upgrades!

[ignarly]

Looks like you've had a lot of replies - it really depends on your chemistry and what works with someone! 

I wear unisex fragrances - right now my 'signature' is Tom Ford Black Orchid, wait a moment, and some TokyoMilk Dark Tainted Love on my neck to sweeten it up a little for warmer weather, daytime, or a more casual night. Daytime - I do a 'Spray, Delay, and Walk Away' a la Queer Eye haha. It's perfectly feminine, powerful, mysterious, and sweet. Also something to consider - fragrances and their notes change throughout the day/night. 

I'm sorry if this is pedantic...I just read most of the responses and saw it was an overwhelming amount of 'likes.' This is my first post and I've been all about fragrances for a while sooooo maybe this will help someone. 

It also depends on the season. I'm picky when it comes to Vetiver but it's often great for summer and not too 'office.' I used to be into my Guerlain Vetiver but I recently bought the Commodity Vetiver and I LOVE IT. It's going to be perfect for the warmer months. 

I love seeing everyone else's responses! This is fun!

[Samtian]

Histories De Parfumes is my favorite brand ever! I can't pick a favorite, I love too many.

[Zvezdochka]

@KatieBT great thread. I really enjoyed reading various opinions. For me Atelier Cologne parfumé House was a revelation. I love their use of citrus in various scents. I feel like a fool that I passed their store so many times in Paris and never walked in. I love their color scheme and those beautiful cards with short stories they add to every parfumé (even samples). My favorite scents of theirs are California Clementine, Citron D’érable, Cèdre Atlas, Pomelo, Bergamot Soleil, .well you see it’s a long list 😊 I recently tried and really enjoyed Commodity’s Nectar and Clean’s Citron Fig. I am someone who easily gets migraines from certain scents. Anything heavy, powdery, overly sweet gives a migraine in minutes. But the scents I listed here have never caused me any troubles.

[Commodity]

Hi @Zvezdochka. So happy to read that you enjoyed Nectar! As it seems you love citrus scents, have you had a chance to try Mimosa? Mimosa is like a marriage of bubbly champagne and tangy citruses with notes of sheer jasmine, blood orange and mandarin. It’s delicious 🙂

[Zvezdochka]

@Commodity I have not, but now I definitely want to check it out. I do love fresh citrus scents but if there is Champaign involved...that sounds like an absolute perfection 🧚🏼‍♀️ Thank you for your recommendation