Fragrances come in tons of varieties. From men’s to women’s, eau de toilette to eau de parfum, aromatic, fresh, and warm spicy. I drone on forever, and with this many choices it’s easy to become confused. Furthermore, you may also be aware of the terms niche and designer. In today’s article I’m going to bust myths and canvass the differences between the two. Let’s quickly explore what they are, what makes them special, and some examples.

What are ‘niche fragrances‘?

Niche fragrances are scents made by companies who focus exclusively (or majorly) on creating perfumes. This is contrasted against designer fragrances, which are developed 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. Consequently, their fragrances usually cost more to produce. However, this isn’t always the case, and some niche colognes are more affordable than their designer counterparts. 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 fragrances, they deploy all their resources towards the intricacies of perfume production. Thus, the result result can be some rather uncommon and one-of-a-kind aromas.

Designer brands tend to focus on creating mass-appealing scents that are commercially viable. Therefore, they’re usually less challenging and more liked by the average joe. 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 fellas. Let’s speak again soon.