Diving Into the World of Niche Fragrances (First Impressions)
So I thought I knew everything I needed to know about fragrance. You buy it at Sephora, right? WRONG lmao. I am such a Sephora stan that I genuinely never considered buying fragrance elsewhere. Of course you can stick to buying perfume at Sephora, but I have never felt super attached to the perfumes I’ve worn. I went out to dinner with my friend Tali the other weekend and she mentioned going to a store that sold niche fragrances nearby and she really liked Parfums de Marly - Delina. I was like, “Wtf is a niche fragrance and who is Parfums de Marly". And me being the way I am, I spent like 10 hours vigorously researching on Google, Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok about niche fragrances. Then I went on my first official niche perfume shopping day with my friend Marly (who has lots of experience with niche fragrance).
A note before reading: It might help for you to understand what I like and don’t like in fragrances so you know how you will relate to my comments about each perfume below. I have found out that I like creamy, powdery, sweet, musky, and woody fragrances. I like bergamot, cherry, pear, ambroxan, pink pepper, black pepper, violet, jasmine, tuberose, rose, orange blossom, saffron, bourbon vanilla, musk, akigalawood®, cedarwood, cashmeran, and sandalwood. I don’t like super floral, super fruity, or really warm/gourmand fragrances that have notes like fig, patchouli, gardenia, iris, blackcurrant, geranium, caramel, or oud. For example: I REALLY like Fugazzi Angel Dust, Diptyque L’Eau Papier, and D.S. & Durga I Don’t Know What. I really DON’T like Initio Oud for Greatness, Initio Narcotic Delight, Maison Crivelli Hibiscus Mahajad, Diptyque L’Ombre dans l’Eau, or BDK Gris Charnel. Hope this helps and enjoy!
A Le Labo store recently opened in Barcelona, so we started there and got a full perfume testing experience.
Main accords: Floral, Sweet, Creamy, Powdery, Woody
Fragrance notes: Jasmine, Tiaré, Tuberose absolute, Lily, Solar note, Bourbon vanilla, Musk, Woods
This is the most floral I will go in a fragrance. Just enough, but not overwhelming and still sweet, not too sharp.
Main accords: Floral, Spicy, Woody, Animal, Oriental
Fragrance notes: Rose, Cedarwood, Cumin, Rose absolute, Gaiac wood, Musk, Cistus, Frankincense, Oud, Vetiver
I thought I didn’t like rose fragrances, but I was wrong. There are also many different types of rose fragrances. I don’t like really mature rose fragrances, but I really like Rose 31 from Le Labo. It’s not overly rose-y and it’s probably the most rose I will tolerate in a fragrance.
Main accords: Woody, Spicy, Green, Leathery, Fresh
Fragrance notes: Australian sandalwood, Leather, Ambrox, Cedarwood, Papyrus, Violet, Cardamom, Iris
I wanted to like this because all the LA influencers recommend it, but it was too woody and too leathery for me.
Main accords: Green, Woody, Creamy, Fresh, Sweet
Fragrance notes: Fig, Cedarwood, Bitter orange, Vetiver, Matcha
I could see this fragrance growing on me over time, but I think the fig and matcha scents just aren’t my favorite.
Main accords: Fresh, Citrus, Floral, Green, Fruity
Fragrance notes: Orange blossom, Petitgrain, Bergamot, Lemon, Musk
I kept coming back to this one because I absolutely love the smell of oranges and orange blossom, but I think I would prefer this more as a room spray instead of a perfume.
Main accords: Animal, Powdery, Sweet, Resinous, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Musk, Cistus, Gurjum balsam, Patchouli, Vanilla, Castoreum, Cinnamon, Civet, Hawthorn, Tonka bean, Birch tar
Again, I really wanted to like this one because I have heard many influencers recommend it, but I think the patchouli throws me off because I really don’t like that smell.
Main accords: Synthetic, Fresh, Woody, Spicy, Fruity
Fragrance notes: Ambroxan, Helvetolide®, Ambrette seed absolute, Moss, Pear, Jasmine
I LOVE ANOTHER 13. It’s your skin but better. It’s subtle but so delicious. I wish it was a little more potent but it smells so amazing. Obsessed. My favorite by far from Le Labo.
Next, we went to the high end retail store called Santa Eulalia and tried all the perfumes mentioned below. These are the majority of the brands they carry, but they also carry Kilian and Tom Ford and a couple others.
Main accords: Floral, Fresh, Woody, Fruity, Sweet
Fragrance notes: Sapote, Ambrette, Violet, Sandalwood, Magnolia, Musk, Amber, Cedarwood, Vetiver
I wanted to like Mojave Ghost but it just didn’t speak to me:(
Main accords: Woody, Spicy, Fresh, Citrus, Sweet
Fragrance notes: Juniper berry, Lemon, Bergamot, Pepper, Pine needle, Iris, Frankincense, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Amber
Same as Mojave Ghost - this one just didn’t really catch my attention.
Main accords: Fresh, Floral, Synthetic, Powdery, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Aldehydes, Rosa centifolia, Peony, Violet, Musk, Sandalwood
I liked it but I wasn’t thrilled about it.
Main accords: Floral, Fresh, Fruity, Citrus, Sweet
Fragrance notes: Tagetes, Bergamot, Buchu, Lemon, Neroli, Cyclamen, Jasmine, Violet, Musk, Vetiver, Amber, Atlas cedar
This is my favorite scent from Byredo but it’s still not winning out over some of the other scents from other brands I tested out. Still a very beautiful scent!!
Main accords: Fresh, Synthetic, Creamy, Woody, Powdery
Fragrance notes: Aldehydes, Neroli, Black pepper, Peony, Violet, Rose absolute, Musk, Sandalwood, Amberwood, Ambroxan, Cashmeran, Cashmere wood
I was happily surprised when I tried Blanche Absolu and liked it WAY more than the regular Blanche. I would say this is my second favorite from Byredo. Totally different than Bal d’Afrique but both very good.
Main accords: Floral, Sweet, Fruity, Creamy, Spicy
Fragrance notes: White gardenia, Plum, Indian tuberose, Carnation, Honey, Brazilian rosewood
I am quickly finding out I don’t like super floral scents.
Main accords: Sweet, Spicy, Woody, Oriental, Synthetic
Fragrance notes: Freesia, Plum, Amber, Cashmere wood, Bourbon vanilla, Cistus, Musk
I thought I liked vanilla but not like this… maybe it’s the plum and freesia I don’t like??
Main accords: Creamy, Fresh, Sweet, Fruity, Floral
Fragrance notes: White musk, Mandarin orange, Blackcurrant, Pink musk, Bergamot, Indian sandalwood, Magnolia
I LOVE MUSK THERAPY. My favorite from Initio so far. It’s like a perfect mixture of my favorite scents.
Main accords: Woody, Spicy, Oriental, Sweet, Smoky
Fragrance notes: Saffron, Nutmeg, Oud, Musk, Patchouli, Lavender
Icky…. not for me… that damn patchouli and oud
Main accords: Sweet, Spicy, Gourmand, Fruity, Oriental
Fragrance notes: Cherry, Cognac, Tobacco, Black pepper, Hedione, Vanilla, Pink pepper
I wanted to like this because I heard it was like THE ultimate sexy date night scent. Well, I’m confused honestly. Because this is not what I want to smell like on a sexy date night. This is way overly fruity and light in my opinion for a sexy scent.
Main accords: Sweet, Woody, Spicy, Synthetic, Floral
Fragrance notes: Saffron, Ambroxan, Hedione, Virginia cedar
IT’S POPULAR FOR A REASON. BECAUSE IT’S F**KING AMAZING. By far my favorite that I smelled all day. But ain’t no way I’m paying that much for a bottle of perfume. I’ll find a dupe lol.
Main accords: Floral, Sweet, Fruity, Synthetic, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Hibiscus, Blackcurrant, Damask rose absolute Orpur®, Hibiscus tea, Vanilla absolute Orpur®, Vanilla orchid, Ambrette seed absolute, Cinnamon Orpur®, Leather, Pomegranate, Spearmint Orpur®
I am finding out that I am not an overly fruity person either… smells like you put hibiscus and blackcurrant up your nose.
Main accords: Sweet, Floral, Creamy, Powdery, Gourmand
Fragrance notes: Chinese kumquat, Florentine iris, Lime, Lilac, Egyptian jasmine, Violet, Lily of the valley, Zanzibar vanilla, White musk, Cedarwood, Indonesian sandalwood
Was recommended as a simple, beautiful, wedding-day-type fragrance and I can agree. It didn’t blow me away, but I genuinely enjoy it.
Main accords: Sweet, Spicy, Fresh, Woody, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Saffron, Eucalyptus, Bergamot, Clary sage, Maté, Gaiac wood, Musk, Dry woods
I was surprised by how much I like this one. I need to smell it again to confirm my thoughts.
Main accords: Fruity, Sweet, Citrus, Fresh, Synthetic
Fragrance notes: Amalfi lemon, Brazilian orange, Calabrian bergamot, Ginger, Melon, Green apple, Pear, Clove, Guatemala cardamom, Madagascan cinnamon, White musk, Amber, Bourbon vanilla Woods
I can see why this is a love or hate fragrance. It smells like juicy fruit bubblegum, which I surprisingly really liked. But I probably wouldn’t buy a whole bottle of it because I don’t want to smell like that every day.
Main accords: Fruity, Sweet, Fresh, Synthetic, Floral
Fragrance notes: Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian lemon, Sicilian orange, Fruity notes, White musk, Amber, Bourbon vanilla
Similar to Erba Gold, but different. I prefer Erba Gold.
Main accords: Floral, Fruity, Sweet, Fresh, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Rhubarb, Lychee, Bergamot, Nutmeg, Turkish rose, Peony, Lily of the valley, Cashmeran, Vanilla, White musk, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Vetiver
I really like Delina and I get why it’s their best-seller! But I don’t think I would wear it daily. Maybe just ever-so-slightly too floral for me.
Main accords: Floral, Fresh, Synthetic, Fruity, Citrus
Fragrance notes: White peach, Bergamot, Italian mandarin orange, Orange blossom, Nympheal®, Haitian vetiver, Musk, Ambrofix, Akigalawood®, Vanilla
I think I might like Valaya just a tad more than Delina. I sprayed it on my wrist to see how it would wear on my skin throughout the day and I really liked it. However, I think there’s something just a hint too fruity that I don’t like enough to buy a bottle of it.
Main accords: Sweet, Spicy, Fruity, Woody, Oriental
Fragrance notes: Apple, Lavender, Bergamot, Mandarin orange, Geranium, Jasmine, Violet, Vanilla, Cardamom, Gaiac wood, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Pink pepper
Brittany Broski recommended to try this one (among a few others on this list). And I don’t think I love it. It’s technically a cologne, but it could easily be unisex. I tried to like it but it’s just not my vibe.
Main accords: Citrus, Fresh, Floral, Creamy, Green
Fragrance notes: Lebanese neroli, Tunisian orange blossom absolute, Musk, Comorian ylang-ylang, Italian bergamot
Again, I LOVE orange scents. But I think when the scent is too orange-forward, it turns into a room spray for me. A lovely scent nonetheless.
Main accords: Woody, Fresh, Synthetic, Spicy, Green
Fragrance notes: Akigalawood®, Ambrofix Georgywood®, Nepalese sichuan pepper, Thai basil, Haitian vetiver, Grapefruit, Petalia®, Indonesian patchouli
THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE OF THE DAY. VERY hard to decide, but OMG. Unisex, woody but not overly so, and just amazing. I sprayed it all over my bed and pajamas as soon as I got home. Smells like a luxurious hotel lobby and a hot man, but also you could wear it as a woman.
After Santa Eulalia, we headed to the Diptyque store and had another amazing and personalized perfume testing experience!
Main accords: Powdery, Floral, Fresh, Creamy, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Iris, Musk, Aldehydes, Ambrette seed, Ambrettolide, Pink pepper, Ambergris, Turkish rose
Too floral for meeeeee maybe too “green” - maybe it’s the iris I don’t like. But people say it’s like the older sister to L’Eau Papier. I personally don’t smell it.
Main accords: Green, Floral, Fresh, Fruity, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Blackcurrant leaf, Rose, Blackcurrant bud, Petitgrain
I know a lot of people like this one but I do nottttt…. It quite literally smells like fresh cut flower stems and that’s it.
Main accords: Floral, Fresh, Green, Fruity, Sweet
Fragrance notes: Chamomile, Rosa centifolia absolute, Damask rose, Rosa centifolia, Damask rose absolute, Artichoke, Lychee
Shockingly, I really liked this one. I don’t think it’s my favorite, but a tolerable floral scent for me.
Main accords: Green, Fresh, Fruity, Creamy, Woody
Fragrance notes: Fig, Fig leaf, Fig wood, Black pepper
I wanted to like this one because of the inspiration of Greece, but I think I just don’t like fig scents.
Main accords: Floral, Sweet, Green, Fresh, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Tuberose, Jasmine, Amberwood, Orange blossom
I also wanted to like this one because it’s another one of Brittany’s recommendations, but it’s too floral for me.
Main accords: Creamy, Woody, Powdery, Fresh
Fragrance notes: Rice steam, White musk, Blond woods, Roasted sesame, Mimosa
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEE!!!!!! I’m obsessed I immediately sprayed this on myself when I got home and kept sniffing it all evening. This and Bois Impérial would be a heavenly combination. I’m also not getting the pencil shavings smell that some people notice. Just fresh, musky, sweet, subtle, delicious. Sort of similar to Another 13.
Main accords: Spicy, Sweet, Woody, Smoky, Gourmand
Fragrance notes: Bourbon vanilla, Frankincense, Cypriol, Pink pepper, Calamus
I didn’t think I would like a sweet vanilla scent, but I really like Eau Duelle. I would say it’s my second favorite scent from Diptyque behind L’Eau Papier. I don’t think I would wear it daily because it is slightly too sweet for me, but it’s honestly so delicious and a very grown-up vanilla.
Main accords: Green, Fresh, Floral, Sweet, Aquatic
Fragrance notes: Violet leaf absolute, Bourbon vanilla, Cardamom, Ginger
I really like Lilyphéa! It’s just slightly too fresh/green for me.
Main accords: Fresh, Green, Spicy, Floral, Woody
Fragrance notes: Madagascan mandarin orange, Bourboniana rose absolute, Leek, Sandalwood, Sympep, Calabrian bergamot
I could pass on Corail Oscuro. Not bad, just not my vibe.
Main accords: Woody, Sweet, Spicy, Resinous, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Sandalwood, Tonka bean absolute, Arabica coffee, Cedarwood, Tonka bean resinoid
Another Brittany recommendation! And I love it!!! Not too woody, not too sweet, but the perfect unisex combination of the two. YUM.
Main accords: Spicy, Fresh, Synthetic, Woody, Resinous
Fragrance notes: Labdanum absolute, Pink pepper, Frankincense
Marly took a sample of this one home and I really like the way it smelled on her skin but I wasn’t a huge fan of it on the paper.
Main accords: Citrus, Floral, Fresh, Woody, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Lemon, Moroccan Rosa centifolia absolute, Ambrox, Indonesian patchouli
Again - another rose fragrance that I’m kinda vibing with!!! But not as much as Eau Rose or Rose 31 from Le Labo.
All Yours is a clean skincare store that also carries a lot of niche fragrance brands. The only downside is they didn’t really do a formal perfume testing experience and the bottles were a bit messy. They also don’t provide samples for free or allow you to purchase them in store. You have to do it all online.
BDK Parfums
(I wanted to mention that I will not be purchasing any BDK perfumes due to finding out that they are anti-Palestine and encourage you to find another brand to support).
Main accords: Sweet, Spicy, Smoky, Creamy, Fruity
Fragrance notes: Royal Ann cherry, Almond, Indian pink pepper, Elemi resin, Red mandarin orange, Italian bergamot, Tonka bean absolute, Labdanum absolute, Milk, Peru balsam, Saffron, Ambroxan, Vanilla absolute, Amberwood, Benzoin Siam, Indonesian patchouli, Martinique rum, Nagarmotha, Thai oud
Nice, but I prefer the Rouge Smoking EDP.
Main accords: Sweet, Fruity, Gourmand, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Cherry, Pink pepper, Italian bergamot, Vanilla absolute, Heliotrope, Tonka bean, Ambroxan, Cashmeran, White musk, Labdanum
My favorite from BDK!
Main accords: Spicy, Creamy, Woody, Sweet, Fruity
Fragrance notes: Cardamom, Fig, Black tea, Bourbon vetiver, Orris absolute, Indian sandalwood, Tonka bean absolute
Saw this recommended a lot and I don’t understand why…. no thank you.
Main accords: Floral, Sweet, Creamy, Spicy, Fruity
Fragrance notes: Egyptian geranium, Pink pepper, Indian tuberose, Comorian ylang-ylang, Egyptian jasmine, Jasmine sambac, Iris, Bourbon vanilla, Cashmeran, Sandalwood, Sumatran benzoin, Cypress, Singapore patchouli, Somalian frankincense
I am discovering that I also really enjoy tuberose scents!
Main accords: Sweet, Floral, Fruity, Creamy, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Italian mandarine Orpur®, Pear Italian bergamot, Moroccan orange blossom absolute Orpur®, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose absolute Orpur®, Praliné, Bourbon vanilla absolute, Sandalwood, Akigalawood®
This was nice! But not stealing the show or anything.
Main accords: Sweet, Spicy, Floral, Oriental, Smoky
Fragrance notes: Plum, Madagascan pink pepper, Italian lemon, Turkish rose absolute, Chocolate, Madagascan cinnamon, Spanish labdanum, Balkans tobacco absolute, Indonesian patchouli, Vanilla
Same as Gris Charnel - very recommended online. But NOT for me.
Main accords: Spicy, Animal, Leathery, Sweet, Resinous
Fragrance notes: Spices, Orris butter, Carnation, Castoreum, Costus, Leather, Musk, Mysore sandalwood, Peru balsam, Tolu balm, Tonka bean, Ambergris, Black pepper, Tree moss, Vanilla, Bulgarian rose, Grapefruit, Lavender
I really enjoyed this one!! Sort of the same family as Another 13 and L’Eau Papier.
Main accords: Sweet, Fruity, Creamy, Floral, Animal
Fragrance notes: Coconut, Pineapple, Ambergris, Benzoin, Immortelle, Vanilla, Iris, Labdanum, Mimosa, Sandalwood, Civet, Myrrh, Rose
I am open to salty beachy scents, but this one wasn’t the kind I would gravitate towards.
Main accords: Earthy, Spicy, Resinous, Woody, Oriental
Fragrance notes: Citrus fruits, Indonesian patchouli, Geranium, Cistus, Rose, Amber, Vanilla, Musk
Omg wtf no thanks. Ew. That damn patchouli.
Main accords: Sweet, Gourmand, Smoky, Resinous, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Pink pepper, Frankincense, Amber, Vanilla
Not bad! But honestly quite boring in comparison to all the other fragrances that I was liking. Smells the closest to a designer fragrance from Sephora in my opinion.
Main accords: Sweet, Gourmand, Creamy, Powdery, Synthetic
Fragrance notes: Caramel, Coumarin, Honey, Vanilla, White musk
Very delicious! Didn’t think I would like a gourmand. But actually I think the gourmand part is what I don’t like about it. As soon as I sniffed out the caramel note, I was put off. It goes well with the overall scent profile, but I don’t really like how latte-ish and sweet it is.
Main accords: Sweet, Floral, Creamy, Synthetic, Fruity
Fragrance notes: Dihydromyrcenol, Marine notes, Exotic notes, Raspberry, Violet, Vanillin, Ambroxan
Was not a huge fan tbh..
Main accords: Fresh, Aquatic, Green, Citrus, Synthetic
Fragrance notes: Orange, Red mandarin orange, Elemi resin, Grass, Green cedar, Almond blossom, Mist note, Vetiver, Violet
Had to smell this one only because it’s more of a concept fragrance - and they really captured the smell of a “steamed rainbow” perfectly! It paints a picture immediately and it’s a very cool scent just to smell. But girl idk who would ever actually wear this for real. It smells like rain and grass.
Main accords: Synthetic, Woody, Fresh, Spicy, Green
Fragrance notes: Bergamot, ISO-E-Super, Vetiveryl acetate, Ambrox, Civettone, Firsantol®
AMAZING 10/10. Up there with Another 13 and L’Eau Papier for me. I don’t know if I could choose a favorite. They are all so amazing. But wow. Wowwwwww this one is amazing.
Main accords: Citrus, Fruity, Fresh, Woody, Synthetic
Fragrance notes: Orange, Citrus notes, Bergamot, ISO-E-Super, Musk, Oakmoss, White amber, Ambrette, Blackcurrant
Another orange scent that was recommended online! Stunning smell, but not a skin fragrance for me. Get that on my couch and my bed! I don’t really want to walk around smelling like an open bag of oranges.
Main accords: Woody, Powdery, Creamy, Spicy, Synthetic
Fragrance notes: Cashmeran, Cashmere, Pepper, Crystal amber, Calabrian bergamot
HOLY DEAR LORD ABOVE. I can’t decide. But this one might have been my favorite of the day for “buying a whole bottle, wearing every day”. Bois Impérial is up there too but they are quite different from each other. But I would EASILY buy a bottle of each and alternate days. Holy cow. No notes. AMAZING.
Main accords: Woody, Powdery, Smoky, Spicy, Floral
Fragrance notes: Orris butter, Black tea, Lapsang, Souchong tea, Musk, Sandalwood, Kyoto moss
It’s not bad but smells like books and tea. It’s a cool scent but not for me!
Main accords: Spicy, Oriental, Sweet, Woody, Gourmand
Fragrance notes: Rum, Cocoa, Cypriol, Patchouli, Tonka bean, Cashmere wood, Gaiac wood, Musk, Sandalwood, Clearwood™
This one didn’t stick out to me… but I see the patchouli sitting there in the description and I don’t like it.
Main accords: Creamy, Woody, Sweet, Floral, Spicy
Fragrance notes: Almond, Bergamot, Basmati rice, Milk, Peony, Sandalwood, Cetalox®, Musk, Cedar, Vetiver
Really liked this one! Marly picked it out and it was one of her favorites of the day. Similar to Angel Dust and L’Eau Papier, but I prefer those ones.
Main accords: Sweet, Creamy, Floral, Fruity, Citrus
Fragrance notes: Italian bergamot, Madagascan ylang-ylang, Orange blossom, Coconut milk, Pistachio, Indian cardamom, Vanilla, Musk, Venezuelan tonka bean
If you need a c*nty beach club scent for summer - this is your girl!!! Marly and I loved this one. But we also like the smell of sunscreen-y tropical scents. If you can get down with that, you will LOVE this one. A must have for summer at the beach.
Last stop of the day was a quick one to Perfumería Júlia simply because I wanted to smell a few from Nishane. It was worth the stop!
Main accords: Sweet, Floral, Fruity, Creamy, Gourmand
Fragrance notes: Tuberose, Peach, Mandarin orange, Gardenia, Iris, Jasmine, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver
HAD to try this one because of how much it was recommended online. I get why! It’s a gorgeous scent. I’ll need to try it again to complete my opinion. But I think there’s something in it that slightly turns me off. Is that iris and gardenia in the description? Girl get out of my fragrance.
Main accords: Sweet, Citrus, Fruity, Spicy, Creamy
Fragrance notes: Honeydew melon, Lemon, Aquatic notes, Bergamot, Blue ginger, Cardamom, Pink pepper, Blackcurrant, Green apple, Patchouli, Rose, Sage, Lavender, Cashmere wood, Vanilla, White musk, Sandalwood, Ambergris, Cedarwood
Also very highly recommended online! And I get why. I just don’t think I like it enough to keep coming back to it. Wait is that patchouli in there….
Main accords: Floral, Creamy, Fresh, Green, Powdery
Fragrance notes: Ylang-ylang, Mandarin orange, Indian tuberose absolute, Violet, Lipstick, Amber, Musk, Sandalwood
LOVE!! Specifically the “X” version. I tried both and prefer the “X”. Looking at the notes, I would have thought it would be too floral for me. But nope I love it and need to smell it again to confirm.
Main accords: Fruity, Sweet, Floral, Fresh, Gourmand
Fragrance notes: Blackcurrant, Mandarin orange, Ambrox, Peach, Praliné, Water lily, Jasmine, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Peony, Vanilla, Lychee
The saleswoman at Júlia randomly grabbed this one while we were at the Nishane section and thought I’d like it. And I did! It’s not a brand I was familiar with prior to going on my perfume shopping day, but I was happily surprised! I need to smell it again to get a better idea of what I like about it.
To summarize - there is definitely a difference between designer and niche fragrances. And now I can tell the difference. Designer fragrances (like those sold at Sephora) have a distinct “designer” smell to them that I can’t really describe. Now that I’ve smelled all these niche fragrances, I really can’t go back. I just ordered like 20 samples in the mail of all the scents I liked and some that weren’t available in store to try. I’ll post an updated blog post once I’ve tried them all and gotten to properly try them on the skin!
