Fragrances come in all sorts of varieties. From men’s to women’s, Eau de Toilette to Eau de Parfum, aromatically fresh to warm spicy. With so many choices it’s easy to become confused. Furthermore, you may have heard of the terms niche and designer. In today’s article we’re going to canvass the differences – by exploring precisely what they are, what makes them special, and some examples.

Let’s define ‘niche fragrances‘

Niche fragrances are made by companies who focus exclusively on creating perfumes. This is contrasted against designer fragrances, which are created by designer brands. Designers do not solely produce perfumes, and usually encompass luxury goods at large – like watches, bags, jewellery, clothing, etc. Designer brands include Chanel, Prada, Tom Ford, and so on.

They are more expensive

Niche brands are smaller and more indie than designer houses, and consequently, their fragrances usually cost more to produce. However, this isn’t always the case, and some niche colognes are more affordable than designer. For example, Guerlain and Mancera are two niche fragrance houses that make scents as affordable as designer brands.

Niche fragrances are more artistic and diverse

Since niche brands focus solely on creating fragrances, they deploy all their resources towards the intricacies of perfume creation. This can result in some rather uncommon and one-of-a-kind aromas.

Designer brands tend to focus on creating mass-appealing scents that are commercially viable, and as such, they are less challenging. Nevertheless, occasionally a designer scent will be released that amazes the market – like Dior Sauvage Elixir.

Now that I’ve mentioned the 3 most important points, I’ll give you some niche fragrance and designer fragrance examples that I recommend.

Niche Fragrance Examples

• Mancera Cedrat Boise – a woody, fruity and leather based scent that is ultra versatile. Created by the niche fragrance house Mancera
• Kilian Black Phantom – a sweet and provocative cologne for men that features notes of dark chocolate and rum. Created by niche fragrance brand By Kilian

Designer Fragrance Examples

• Dior Homme Intense – a powdery, woody, and iris-based sophisticated scent for the modern gent. Created by recognised designer brand Dior
• Versace Dylan Blue – a mysteriously refreshing summer scent for men featuring citruses, violet leaf, and incense. Created by popular designer brand Versace

In Conclusion

Consider yourself across the basics of niche fragrances – what they are, who makes them, and how they differ from designer fragrances. That’s all for today guys, talk soon.

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