I discovered the world of perfumery through designer brands brands but, in recent years, I have been drawn to more niche brands due to their complex blends. Niche fragrances tend to be more expensive and harder to source, however, the skilful blends and high grade ingredients used to produce them make them well worth the price, in my opinion.
Below, in no particular order, are 5 niche fragrances I would recommend to any fragrance enthusiast.
1. Intense Cafe by Montale
If you like YSL’s Black Opium, you will love this. With its deep coffee notes and layered florals, this fragrance will captivate anyone who gets a whiff of it, tried and tested!
2. Baccarat Rouge 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
A very popular fragrance with good reason. It has a very subtle scent that changes over time and lasts for days. The sillage is amazing and it’s great for layering scents. A must have.
3. Instant Crush by Mancera
This best way to describe this spicy fragrance is "delightful". It's got just the right amount of vanilla to make it somewhat sweet yet the various woody notes give it character.
4. Delina by Parfums de Marly
I’m actually not a huge fan of this fragrance but I recommend it because I do understand why it’s in many people’s top 3. The blend of lychee, rose and power is a beautiful combination, however, it’s a tad too girly for me. I may eventually grow to like it, but considering the price point and the size of my current fragrance collection, it can wait.
5. Princess by Kilian
This fragrance is beautifully sweet and perfect as a signature scent. I don’t really like the bottle of this perfume or the others like it in this collection, however they do make for a nice display piece.
Bonus
Tom Ford isn’t a niche perfume brand, but it does have a collection of private blends that aren’t as widely available. 'Oud Wood' is a beautiful and masculine scent that instantly turns heads. My brother also told me that women always comment on it whenever he wears it so that's a good reason as any to make the purchase. LOL!
