Niche perfumes remain a grey area for lots of fragrance lovers, but we’re on a mission to change that. Before our Night In With Escentual on niche fragrances, we asked you to submit all the questions you have on niche fragrances so Thomas could answer them. Watch it to catch up or scan read the questions raised and answered below…
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What’s your favourite niche fragrance that you haven’t tried yet?
“I’m a big Amouage fanboy, and they’ve changed their creative director, and launched 4 new fragrances that are very different in terms of style.”
Are niche fragrances better than designer?
“Not necessarily… There’re so many different factors, but the simple answer is no as there’s good and bad in both niche and designer fragrances.”
Does niche mean expensive?
“If something is niche, it’s usually made on a smaller scale and tends to be more expensive, but you can get more affordable niche brands like Juliette Has A Gun which would come in at under £100, but everyone has a different budget.”
Does the fact it’s niche hinder sales because people haven’t heard of them?
“It depends on the brand! There’s a following for niche and people are much more interested in fragrance than they’ve ever been.”
“Many fragrance lovers may not know all the fragrances in a brand but may know one. There is data showing that people actually are more likely to purchase one expensive fragrance than more than one from lots of other brands.”
What’s your favourite niche fragrance of all time?
“I have so many, but if I had to choose one, it would be Amouage Gold Woman Eau de Parfum.”
What’s the most popular niche fragrance on Escentual?
“At the moment, Parfums de Marly Delina. If you haven’t tried it, it’s like a milky, jammy rose.” – and over the past 20 years, it’s Comme des Garcons 2 Eau de Parfum.
Do niches have to have complex ingredients and formula to be classified as niche?
“No, they don’t have to. It’s not about the formula; it’s about the distribution of how accessible the brand is. Formulas aren’t public, so it would be difficult to judge it by that as most brands are very secretive about their formulas.”
Why are niche fragrances so expensive?
“A number of factors: a smaller scale means the price of fragrance oil compounds, bottles, and materials will be more expensive because you aren’t producing as much. Niche brands tend to be smaller, so don’t have the infrastructure of larger designer brands like Estee Lauder. They also tend to use more expensive materials, but that’s not a given, and there’s an idea of exclusivity behind a fragrance that is more expensive.”
If you were a niche fragrance, what would you be?
“I see myself as a Juliette who has gun lady vengeance in black velvet with a killer stare or Amouage Gold sat in his pyjamas.”
What’s the difference between a niche fragrance and a fashion fragrance?
“A fashion fragrance would be coming from a fashion house like Dior and niche is typically a smaller brand with limited distribution and is more exclusive.”
Do niche fragrances have a longer expiry date if stored correctly?
“No it makes no difference as they use similar style materials, but make sure you store them correctly, away from heat and light.”
From Parfums de Marly what’s the best-smelling fragrance in Thomas’ opinion?
“Delina is my absolute favourite; I haven’t tried one I love more than that.”
What are you most excited by that you come across least?
“I would like to see more sustainability. I think if you’re a luxurious product you don’t necessarily have to exist. Therefore, niche, well, all perfume brands should start to think about sustainability. I think a lot of them are thinking about them in terms of materials.”
“But, I think one of the biggest things that brands need to think about is the packaging because there is a lot of waste in packaging that doesn’t need to be there.”
What’s one fragrance of 2020 that stood out to you?
“The Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Le Parfum (not niche) fragrance because it was a great adaptation of the barbershop fougere also smells like the original Le Male but more mature.”
Do any fragrance houses have their own manufacturing?
“They do, but for the most part they use larger fragrances to supply them with the compounds.”
Is refillable packaging starting to become a trend?
“Yes – more brands are doing it, and hopefully, this trend will continue.”
Is there any niche brand with a mass-market price range?
“Juliette Has A Gun that overlaps with the pricing of brands such as Dior in terms of price. If you’re buying 100ml Dior fragrance it probably won’t be far off the price of Juliette Has A Gun. Comme des Garcons also feels incredibly niche in its style and approach.”
What are the best niche incense fragrances?
“Amouage has a few, and Comme des Garcons 2 Man is one of the best incense fragrances ever made.”
What niche fragrance would you recommend to someone who hasn’t tried them before?
“I would direct them towards a brand such as Miller Harris because they aren’t weird, wacky and wonderful but if you’ve been wearing mainstream fragrances your whole life, then they’ll feel a little different to what you’re used to.”
What’s your favourite niche fragrance at the moment?
“Miller Harris Wander Through The Parks.”
What’s the best way to keep up with the new fragrances?
“You can always keep up with our blog because we’re talking about new niches on there. As well as reading other blogs on the internet like to see what’s new, Instagram, Youtube and forums where you can chat about niche fragrances.”
What niche perfume would make a good valentines gift?
“One thing with perfume is it’s difficult to buy for someone if you don’t know what he’ll like, so perhaps a discovery set is a good way to do it. Or from our monthly #Escentualscents trial because it contains a selection of different fragrances, they can try” including some from niche brands.
“Annicke 2 by Eight & Bob has a romantic story behind it, and there’s also an Amouage Discovery Set you can get on the website.”
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