15 Of The Best Niche Fragrance Brands To Know

15 Of The Best Niche Fragrance Brands To Know

With sales of traditional fragrances falling, niche scents are becoming a big deal these days – because who wants to smell the same as everyone else? Here are 11 boutique houses worth knowing about…

UPDATED DECEMBER 2019

Atelier Bloem

A fragrance house dedicated to colognes, Atelier’s offerings are unisex without being overtly masculine. Ideal for warmer weather, the zesty yet sophisticated fragrances are each blended with precious raw materials and essential oils.

Atelier Cologne

A business born out of the founders' own love story, Atelier’s offerings are unisex without being overtly masculine. Ideal for warmer weather, the zesty yet sophisticated fragrances are each blended with precious raw materials and essential oils.

D.S. & Durga

Looking for something a little different? Keep D.S. & Durga on your radar. Brooklyn-based D.S. is a writer, musician and self-taught perfumer; Durga is an architect and branding guru. Their unique scents are designed to conjure fantastical worlds.

Laboratory Perfumes

In a curated edit of five fragrances and five candles – all inspired by the British countryside – its sophisticated blends are clean, pure, modern and unisex. We also love the apothecary-style glass bottles and clean brown packaging, evoking a perfumer’s laboratory.

Sana Jardin

The eight fragrances in Sana Jardin's line-up are truly unique. Starting by helping female flower harvesters in Morocco to upcycle their floral waste, and ending with the wearer, Sana Jardin aims to empower all women it touches.

Tom Daxon

Tom Daxon grew up with fragrance (his mother was the creative director of Molton Brown) and his eponymous brand is something of a labour of love: the scents he creates are based on personal preferences rather than trends. The heavy glass bottles, complete with black and white labels, will appeal to minimalists, while the fragrances themselves are unisex. His candles are also a cut above.

Vilhelm Parfumerie

Available exclusively in Liberty – the home of niche fragrance brands – Vilhelm Parfumerie is relatively new to the beauty scene but causing quite the stir. The bottles alone are a work of art and the scents inside won’t disappoint – expect bold and heady combinations. Each of the brand’s eight unisex fragrances have real stories behind them, whether it’s a tale from history or an unsent love letter.

Ex Nihilo

Parisian brand Ex Nihilo delivers on luxury, with a refined collection of fragrances that harness some of the most potent ingredients. Each of its perfumes is an investment, but a worthy one – for how long it lasts on the skin and its ability to set you apart from the crowd. Make no mistake, when you wear one of these perfumes, you’ll be stopped in the street for the name of your scent. From rich, heady florals to subtle, warming musks, there’s something for everyone.

Experimental Perfume Club 

This special fragrance house focuses on bespoke scents. Not only does it hold workshops to help people explore and play with ingredients, it also sells its rare perfumes in sets, so you can mix and match to create something tailored to you. A one-of-a-kind offering, it’s the easiest way to invent and build your own fragrance at home – you won’t be disappointed.

L'Artisan Parfumeur

You’re more likely to have spied the distinctive bottles on Instagram than at any beauty hall, as this French fragrance house is an industry-insider favourite. Using natural essences and artisanal notes, its perfumes feel completely unique, offering a scent to suit every personality.

Maison Margiela

Not only are the bottles aesthetically pleasing, the scents inside live up to their hype. The brand started with fragrances back in 1994 and now offers some of the most-loved scents to those in the know. Our favourite? Beach Walk, for its uplifting notes and unisex appeal.

Byredo

From dark, heady evening perfumes to uplifting, citrus scents, you’re guaranteed to find one (or five) that you love. Our two go-tos are Gypsy Water and Blanche – both incredibly fresh and clean.

Santa Eulalia

We recently discovered this brand and became instantly hooked. A Barcelona-based fashion boutique, Santa Eulalia have recently launched their first fragrance collection and it doesn’t disappoint. Depicting different moods, each fragrance is meant to evoke the essence of the city and spirt of the Mediterranean – in short, they’re incredibly fresh with a feminine yet musky edge we love.

Le Labo

Launched in New York in 2006, Le Labo is a no-nonsense brand for fragrance fanatics. Leaning towards masculine notes, the brand’s small collection of scents have been curated by some of the industry’s most iconic figures. While the range is available online, we highly advise you hot-foot it to one of their boutiques, where your chosen scent is freshly blended to order.

Frederic Malle

This Parisian fragrance house hit the beauty world in 2000, with eponymous founder learning his craft at famed perfume lab Roure Bertrand Dupont. Prioritising substance over style, Malle’s cult fragrances are artfully curated with some of the highest quality ingredients. Inspired by romantic tales, these are bold, feminine blends guaranteed to turn heads.

INSPIRATION CREDITS: Instagram.com/maisonmargielafragrances, Instagram.com/sachajuan, Instagram.com/dsanddurga, Instagram.com/experimentalperfumeclub & Instagram.com/lartisanparfumeur
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