The perfume industry has its own publicity machine, and everyone knows the best-selling perfumes from the mainstream icons – Chanel, Dior, Hermes, etc. Niche perfume lines also have their own “best perfumes” pecking order, with people quickly being sent to or discovering the niche icons – Frederic Malle, Serge Lutens, Creed, etc.
There are so many small perfume lines that are full of wonderful treasures, but many of them just get lost or don’t get the attention or traction they should have. Maybe it’s a naming problem, packaging or a “too many perfumes” problem.
Whatever it is, here are my top choices for Best Perfumes Not Enough People Know About.
I’ve confined this list to larger perfume lines that have been around for a couple of years, at least. There are a lot of small perfume companies that I would like to see get more attention, but that’s a list that goes on for many pages!
What each of these lines have in common for me is that I eagerly anticipate what they will do next, waiting, Googling, hunting down each new release because I am genuinely interested in what they put out there. For a hardened perfumista, that is no small thing.
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Parfums de Nicolai produces quality perfumes at a reasonable price. List after list of best perfumes will have one of these on it – New York, La Temps d’Une Fete, Number One, Odalisque, this line has something for everyone. Not loud or brash, these are beautifully blended perfumes with interesting touches that take them from pretty and ordinary into something worth spending time with.
Parfum d’Empire – Exploring history through scent. What I love about Parfum d’Empire is the risks they take. There are some perfumes they have done that send me to the corner whimpering (Ambre Russe), but even the scary ones make me deliriously happy. There’s nothing safe about any scent in this line. In a day and age when most mainstream perfume companies won’t release anything before it’s been properly tested and found completely inoffensive to anyone, I have nothing but admiration for a perfume line that does what it wants, offends whoever, then looks up and asks “You Mad?”
Arquiste – This one may be premature because they have gotten a lot of attention, but my fear is they will get lost in the churn of new releases. Their fragrances also explore history, but in more subtle, softer ways. Again, they head into the unsafe zone of making something that is true, even if it isn’t popular. My mind still turns over and over Infanta en Flor, trying to figure it out. Do I like it? Do I hate it? Why can’t I just forget it?
Amouage – Christopher Chong’s hands on the directive reins of this company have been fun to watch. He moved them slowly out of what they were doing while keeping their heritage, then beefed it up with well-thought-out new releases that brought more interest, variety and appeal to this line. There have been a couple of hiccups, but with the releases of Beloved and Interlude, this is a line that is hitting on all eight cylinders. I think we inside the niche world know them well, but this is a perfume house that still has not penetrated far enough into the general public’s perception, for reasons I can’t figure out. They should sit prominently in every upscale department store’s fragrance counter.
Parfums MDCI – For a pricy, luxury line, I love them, I really, really do. Beautifully made and a joy to wear, there are a couple in the line that aren’t really me, but this line has no clunkers. Each scent adds something unique, and every last one of them is beautiful. I could reach blind into a drawer containing MDCI fragrances only, pull out any one of them to wear and know I’ll smell amazing.
Eau d’Italie – from the gorgeous spiced incense vanilla Baume du Doge to the incense-laced Paestum Rose, every fragrance in this line has a reason for being. When you see some lines cranking out fragrance after fragrance, 7, 8, 9, 10 a year, you have to wonder why? Eau d’Italie is a departure from many Italian lines, veering off the bergamot-strewn Italian perfume stew path you normally find as they explore the richer notes that are Italy’s heritage.
Puredistance – uncompromising luxury. With an even higher reach than MDCI, it’s one of the few luxury lines that I look at the price, sigh, but get it. They are beautiful and subtle and weave around your airspace in some magical way, softly smoothing out the rough edges of a harsh world and remaking it into a lovely scented dream. I always feel about 10 years younger and 10x prettier when I put on a Puredistance perfume.
What are your underloved perfume lines and why? I’m going to put together an amazing sample set of a lot of the perfumes from my favorite underappreciated perfume lines as a giveaway. To be entered to win, just leave a comment!
I didn’t see Tauer perfumes in your article but I did find some new ones to try!
I’m a bit slow on the draw with fragrance–just think “color blind” only with scent. I know what fragrances I don’t like, but I don’t know what it is in them that troubles me. I’ve only tried a few of these niche fragrances because the sheer scope of them leaves me overwhelmed–I barely know where to start! I did get a good sized sample of Atelier Orange Sanguine, and I LOVE that. I think orange makes me happy, but it’s not overwhelming or just as simple as plain orange. I also liked Annick Goutal eau d’Hadrien, but is AG still a niche perfume? At what “crossover” point do they “un-niche” themselves and become mainstream? I love DSH Cafe Noir and some Sarah Horowitz. I rely so much on sites like this to even find some of this fragrance, so thank you for being here! I do like some of the mainstream product but, honestly, I’d rather find something niche for my go-to, signature perfume. I don’t like seeing (or smelling) myself coming and going. It truly is hard to know where to start with all this, but it promises to be a wonderful journey!
I can’t wait to try some of these. I am currently loving SSS’s gorgeous Winter Woods and Roxana Illuminated’s Page 47 and Green Witch. Roxana Villas’ perfumes are like wearing a beautiful gold locket under your sweater that peeks out now and again like a little secret.
What a nice gift to offer, would LOVE to win. I have not tried or even heard of any of these. I did recently purchase and try Sonoma Scents samples. I am in heaven right here with these, especially…Incense Pure.
I know that a few other people have mentioned ELdO, but I’ll add to that group. I do agree that their work is a mixed bag, and I like the newer things better too…but considering how much I’ve heard people complain about too many (mainstream US) perfumes being alike or too safe, plus how much we idealize rebels and pioneers, I’m surprised that they haven’t gotten more mainstream traction. (Granted, I find that many people idealize those with new ideas, then can’t deal with the ideas themselves, but that’s another story, LOL!) If Lady Gaga had wanted a genuinely unique fragrance, she could have hooked up with them instead of producing that hideous grape juice with claws…I can only dream!
I’d also love it if Ormonde Jayne and Olfactive Studion started to get more mainstream North American notice!
Olfactive Studios, grr…I’m sick at the moment, sorry!
As I have only started dabbling (or dabbing) in perfume, I am interested in the niches & what they represent – a more perfume-concentrated experience, rather than the following (not making!) fashion that too many mainstream houses do as required by their accountants or budget necessities.
The main niche perfumer I enjoy is Roxana Illuminated – I love the idea of a real live person making the scents, and the more natural basis of what she does. That the perfumes come with a story explaining what Roxana was trying to do with the scent also makes it an interesting experience.
I was amused once to be stopped & asked what perfume I was wearing by someone who kept talking before I could respond & she said – “its one of those french niches ones isnt, I know its so different” – only to be told that it was Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon. I suppose there is to some people a type of scent that means niche – or more, it’s not the mainstream ones they know, so the assumption is it’s niche…
Ahhh, Patty… Thanks for the enabling! I’ve been at this perfume thing almost forever, and there are STILL so many perfumes and so little time. At this late date, I don’t have a perfume line to recommend – the good ones have all been mentioned. But I’m happy to see SSS get so much love – I love Laurie and her perfumes. Also, I don’t think I’ve sampled any of the Eau d’Italie line! Can you recommend a good place to get samples? 😉
Pardon my butting in but LuckyScent.com carries Eau d’Italie samples—and a bajillion others that I’m working my way through as we speak. 🙂
I’m a relative newbie and am just starting to dip into the niche market. I just recently bought my first in this area, Nasomatto Silver Musk. I plan to get into this market more and more and this article is the perfect jumping off point. Thanks so much for getting this info out there.
Do you offer a bundles of samples to refer the blog topics you post? I’m like Juliette Has A Gun. Some are deeply odd, in a good way.
I’m just begining to work my way through a few of the small perfume houses. I’m impressed with the prices at PdN and Ineke and SSS. Why can’t everyone be so affordable?! ; )Thanks for the draw and some great lines to explore,
As you can tell from my screen-name, OJ has gotten a whole lotta love from me! Unfortunately, I have yet to come across anyone who has heard of this line outside the blogosphere (& independently of me!). Thank you for this list… I’ve been circling around the PdEs and PdNs like a vulture. I’m trying to figure out which ones to try! I agree with Jan Last, 1000 Flowers Reglisse Noir is gorgeous. I have yet to try Narcotic Flowers. Thanks for the draw!
Whoops, I missed 1000 Flowers, arghhhh! The Reglisse Noir is my fav winter, and Narcotic Flowers is also good.
I would pick CB I Hate Perfume as underappreciated – at least in the world outside perfume blogs. This line was one of my entries into the niche perfume world!
In terms of magazines, I suspect that they are generally going to talk about things that are available in person rather than mail order, so they`re probably not going for anything more obscure than something that can be purchased from Barneys. I don’t really care if nonfumeheads haven’t heard of a scent or line. Am currently working my way through Parfumerie Generale and I think Soivohle is one of the most interesting lines around.
When I saw this new post, I immediately thought of Parfums de Nicolai. And sure enough, it was included in the list. What I like about this line is the quality of the ingredients and the fact that I do not feel I am getting ripped off. These are classic perfumes, and I must veer towards such, hence my other two favourites in this category are: Jovoy and Teo Cabanel (Luckyscent used to carry the latter, but what happened?).
Eau d’Italie is on my list for next perfume house to be explored. I also love Parfums d’Empire, Parfumerie Generale, and Parfums de Nicolai. I don’t find the fragrances of Amouage and By Kilian to be as wearable, though they are beautifully crafted.
It’s really hard to narrow this down, isn’t it? I would particularly second Parfumerie Generale for its range and skill. That and Aftelier are lines I feel I have neglected and want to spend time with this year. Also DSH and SSS. By Kilian remains indispensable to me, although I admit that my favs are the earlier Calice Beckers (Back to Black, A Taste of Heaven, Liaisons Dangereuses, Pure Oud, and Rose Oud). People complain that the packaging pumps up the price but they also sell travel sets and refills. I would recommend the original L’Oeuvre Noire exploration set to anyone starting to explore perfume or looking for an original signature scent.
Also La Via del Profumo for those who seek natural perfume and the ancient heart of perfume.
I really want to check out some of the houses from your list, especially MDCI. I think, among smaller, indie brands, that SSS and DSH deserve more attention than they get. I don’t love everything they do, but both lines are well represented among my collection. I think DSH Pandora is a masterpiece.
I think Ineke is a great line that is underrated. For a non-indie line, Houbigant.
What a great list! Sadly, I haven’t tried any Amouage scents … must work on that. However, I do love (and own) a few perfumes from PdN house. Would love to sample a few from the other lines mentioned in your great post.
I haven’t tried any of these lines yet, so they are definitely unappreciated by me. All of the names are going on my master list of perfumes to try. If it gets any longer it will circle the globe. Thanks for an interesting post.
Just ordered my discovery set of SSS today and I greatly look forward to receiving it. I have fallen in love with a couple Ineke scents, too. Now I have several more lines to explore. Thanks for the ideas.
My vote would be M. Micallef for (the now impossible to find) Note Vanillee and Gaiac. An expensive line, to be sure, but beautiful. I am longing to try Ylang in Gold. But I also love many perfumes from ELDO, Histoires de Parfums (1740!), Parfumerie Generale and so much other great perfume left to smell. Yippee!
I’d have to agree with all who mentioned Ormonde Jayne – I wish their line was easier to get, but once you try those scents, it’s worth the extra effort to purchase a bottle or decant. Sonoma Scent Studio certainly has a finely crafted array of affordable scents as well. My favorite underappreciated line is Hove’, out of New Orleans. Beautiful scents and body products, reasonable prices – well worth a visit (preferably in person, but their website is wonderful too).
This is a tricky area. I think if someone has an honest criticism of a niche/indie perfume, they should feel free to post it. Nobody is immune to criticism, nor should they be. What I always refrain from is just bashing something. There are indies that I don’t care for – could be personal taste or I think they put out too much stuff too quickly with not enough effort in each one or they don’t have a cohesive theme or reason for what they are doing, but those are the same criticisms I have of some brands.
We a long time ago deliberately decided if we don’t have something nice to say about either an individual perfume from a small company or the whole line, we just shut up. We don’t even take that many shots at the big guys, except when they just make me mad, but they don’t even notice us little gnats bashing ourselves against their great big retail windows. Chanel could care less that I think Coco Noir is just uninspired dreck, and Marc Jacobs will never notice the three sales of Dot and Lola he doesn’t get because we have endlessly gone on and on about how horrific they are.
What we do know is that a bad review of an entire line by us, in a very small community, can hurt a brand that is still very young. If someone asks me about a line, I’d be honest and tell them if I liked it or not and why, but I won’t go out of my way to criticize something they do. What I will do is heap praise on the things I find that I love in the indies. I don’t review anything from small brands unless I really do love it.
I’m never sure if that’s the right way to go exactly, but it’s one that lets me sleep at night.
I greatly appreciate the time you took to give a really thoughtful answer to my question earlier. This is a good model for all of us; it gives every chance to the small and new houses, and I can still cut loose on Angel when I feel like it because Thierry Mugler is too busy counting his billions to care. For that matter, it’s a good model for life. Give a chance to the new and small, and the successful and prosperous can take their lumps with the rest of us.
I’m relatively new to this wonderland I’ve ended up in after falling down the perfume rabbit hole. Unfortunately, I have yet to try any scents from the lines you mentioned except for Lyric Woman from Amouage which just wasn’t a good match for me. I do really appreciate your article, however, as it’s just really confusing knowing what’s niche, what’s new, who is worth watching, etc. Now I have a list of companies (outside of the big ones and those well-known like SL) to investigate. And obviously, not having tried many from these companies, I’d love to be entered in the draw so I might win some 🙂 Thanks for the draw!
Most of the ones I would suggest have already been named: Divine, Delrae,Etat Libre d’Orange, Histoires de Parfums, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier and Olfactive Studios. Divine’s extraits of Divine and L’Ame Soeur have not even been mentioned on the blogs, yet they are so beautiful.
Unfortunately Amouage is over-appreciated by me (though I definitely under-appreciate the prices). Jubilation 25, Lyric Woman, Epic Woman, vintage Ubar—sigh. I’ve consciously avoided a lot of the other lines you mentioned due to their prices (the most reasonable is PdN, of course).
My underappreciated gem is Histoires des Parfums – a bit like Parfums d’Empire they tell wonderfull stories through their scents. Thanks to HdP I’ve learned to love tuberose (the Animale, of course!) while their Ambrarem and Petroleum still leave me torn between which of their oud variations I love more… I’ve recently tried the Editions Rare 2012 collection (Veni, Vidi, Vici) and can’t wait to resniff these three beauties with all those weird and unusual versions of spices, incenses and liquors…
I need to try Eau d’Italie again…I sampled Sienne l’Hiver and wanted to love it, but the olive just didn’t do much for me! I love both PDN and Parfums d’Empire though.
To me, there’s a massive difference between underappreciated in terms of the general public where I live (nobody I know has ever even heard of Annick Goutal, much less L’Artisan or Frederic Malle or the Chanel Exclusifs or Hermès – comes from living in the wilds of Canada) and underappreciated for perfumistas. On my own list of lines to explore in the coming year are Divine, Miller Harris and Histories de Parfums, and I don’t hear a lot of buzz about those in perfumista circles.
I am jumping in here with both well-manicured feet (just did ’em :-D) to say how much I love the Parfums d’Empire line. I fell in love with it visually, first (I am such a color-whore)…there is nothing more likely to catch my attention that a line with different colored juice/tassels/labels…can’t help it – they just moooove my soul!)….I fell in love with Eau de Gloire (the color), then Eau Suave for the juice…and it was off to the races! Every one of them, whether to my taste or not, is done well.
xoxoA
My favorite niche perfume house is Soivohle. Even the ones I can’t stand, at least they elicit a strong reaction. Blood Oranges and Vetiver is my favorite outdoor scent, while Journeyman is an incredible leather and Harbinger one of the few florals I reach for regularly. Meerschaum is a rich, deep tobacco, while Oud Lacquer is my number one special occasion scent. Nonsweet chocolate and quality oud. Amazing!
Lizz K’s brilliant post on Ambre Russe (and SSS’s Ambre Noir) has made me think of one of my other favourite niche lines –
Ortigia Sicillia – i really like a lot of their stuff but their Ambra Nera perfume is an absolute favourite of mine – a beautiful smoky, woody, slightly bitter Amber. Perfect for winter. Love it!
I’d add Etat Libre d’Orange and The Different Company. Though I don’t think either line is consistently brilliant, I do think they both have some awesome highs. And even the spectacular lows are noteworthy (at least in the case of ELDO). I don’t think Amouage should be on the list in terms of its availability in London at least. It’s pretty much the first thing you see when you walk into the main entrance of Selfridges and it’s in Harrods and Les Senteurs and has a standalone boutique. If you compare that to, say, L’Artisan Perfumeur, which has a standalone boutique and a limited range in Harrods, Fenwicks, Liberty and maybe John Lewis, it’s not all that different. Whereas, aside from Parfum de Nicolai’s tiny boutique, I can’t think of anywhere in London you can buy that range.
This is just the kind of post that a niche newborn needs! I have yet to try any Amouage, but I am hoping that some will find its way to me soon…
Love this post! Reminds me that I still hav so much more to look forward to in the world of perfume. Haven’t tried ANY of these lines…sigh. But they are now on my “to sample” list. I might also add Lostmarch and CBIHP to this. Both have found a special place in my fragrance wardrobe and I look forard to any new releases.
PdN is a great line, Le temps d’un fete is one of my favourites! I would add Ormonde Jayne, which gets enough perfumista love but should be better known by the general public. The whole line is wonderful, but I love especially Tolu, Frangipani, Woman and Ta’if.
Micallef is an unappreciated (or under-appreciated) line in my book. While Mon Parfum is one of my all time favorites, Ylang is quickly moving up the list. The scents well done and I can appreciate what they’re trying to do even when I don’t love them enough to buy a full bottle. Not a big fan of the fancy-schmancy bottles, however. While small and indie, Liz Zorn’s Soivohle deserves more love. Or maybe it’s more that perfume lovers deserve to know this line.
Divine, for sure….starting to think Lisa D and I are Scent Twins of some sort, because I have never heard anyone else mention L’Infante from that line, and it’s one of my favorites! Also think Delrae should get more mainstream love, and I am glad Bruno Acampora are releasing EdPs now, because I have never even seen them mentioned on the blogs and I think they’re awesome scents. Also really love Yosh Han and Keiko Mecheri.
Perhaps we DO need to do a post to pimp our favorite smaller houses? I love Laurie Stern’s deep rich scents (Sweet Pea & Velvet Purrfumery) Roxana’s awesome stuff and also the ladies who between them have done the Aroma M line, Cherry Bomb Killer line, and Immortal Mine. Was also really impressed by my recent sample purchase from A Wing and A Prayer.
Isn’t L’Infante lovely? If you can bear immortelle, try to get your hands on a sample of L’etre Aime – Femme, which I thought was stunning. In a good way, of course.
Tammy, have you tried Immortal Mine? It’s got a great looking bottle.
Lawd yes, child. I blew through a large sample from their etsy shop and am hoping they don’t run out before I can save my pennies for a FB. That bottle is gorgeous and of course I am a notorious bottle whore, but I seriously love the juice. I love oils.
I’m always surprised that no one outside of the ‘perfume world’ has heard of Miller Harris, Tauer, and Montale, though Montale in particular releases WAY to many perfumes at a time. Completely agree with a lot of the other suggestions.
The only fragrance house I have tried from your list is Amouage. I loved the Interlude for men, but the woman was just a little too much. I would love to try any of these lines. I think Olfactive Studio did a great job with their fragrances, deserves more recognition, and I am looking forward to the new release.
Interlude Woman takes some experience – not that YOU have to be experienced; rather, it takes several experiences of it. At least, imo. When I first tried it, I thought ‘oh, WHOA! Coffee? Lemons? Together??’, whereas the IMan was pretty much explainable on first sniff. But after my 3rd try of IWoman, I finally ‘got’ it. And now I am in love.
Looks like I have some sampling to do. Thank goodness for this post and all its replies. Now I have some ideas about where to focus my attention. There are just so many perfumes and so little time.
Great post! As sort of a “perfumista lite” I have just begun my journey of discovering what lies beyond the mass market, so I have at least heard of most of these and I’m working my way through sampling some of them now. I love reading the comments with other names/brands, it just keeps expanding my horizon!
I’m completely new to the world of perfume, and it’s very difficult to try scents out at home, as my husband has an *extremely* sensitive nose, combined with allergies and sinus problems, and hates just about everything I try. I dabbed on a tiny sample of Gucci Envy last week and he literally couldn’t stay in the apartment. So I try to experiment when he’s not home, or when I’m out, or else (if I just can’t wait) I put the TEENIEST bit on my wrist and hide inside a big sweater, rolling back the cuff to secretly snuff at my wrist every five minutes or so. But then, one morning, I put on just a drop of Vero Profumo Rubj EDP… and half an hour later he looked up from across the room and said, “THAT smells good.” Nuff said! Saving up for a bottle!
Slumberhouse, Odriù, Roxana Illuminated Perfume…for me these are underrated brands, Amouage, Puredistance, etc are getting tons of attention from de blogosphere! Yes, they’re not Dior or Chanel, obviously, but there are more “under the radar” houses than the listed above!
Thank you for the draw.
Another great post; thanks, Patty, and thanks, commenters, on all the suggestions. For me, I think “underappreciated” means I just haven’t gotten around to trying that particular line… Although I have to say that the two perfumes I’ve tried from PdN have underwhelmed me. As much love as this line gets, I’m thinking I just haven’t tried the right ones for me yet.
I want to add Lostmarch as a favorite line of mine – not so edgy (like Parfum d’Empire), nor complex (like MDCI) nor classic (like Nicolai), but unusual, simple offering that smell wonderful. They also have nice soaps, shower gels and lotions and new fragrance mists for textiles and paper which I can’t wait to try. So many great small lines out there…
Naturals perfumes!! La Via Del Profumo (AbdesSalaam Attar/Dominique Dubrana, have you tried his Tabac?), For Strange Women, Nicolas De Barry… Oh, well, maybe I shouldn’t name De Barry cause I only started to explore some of his stuff but, well, it’s beautiful… Sharini, Sonoma Scent Studio, Illuminated Perfumes… !! Natural and artisan perfumes!! What can I say!? I stopped buying petrochemicals!! 😛
Have you tried the Floracopeia line of products? I recently bought the Champa Infused Almond Oil and a dram of Cape Chamomile. Wow! These are definitely not cheap, but you certainly get very high quality for the price. I’ve been using the Champa oil after bathing and simply enjoying that wonderful scent. It’s perfect for a situation where you want to relish a fragrance, but don’t want to project to others. I also love the labels, very appealing for apothecary bottles.
Les Nereides, MPG, and SSS are my favorite underappreciated lines. Some of my most loved fragrances are from these lines.
Just curious. What do you think of Jour Ensoleille? I was very taken aback by the initial rush of REALLY BIG orange blossom, but after less than an hour it settled down into a sunny and beautiful scent that kept me company for hours. It seems made for a sunny early fall. I’m very interested in how it comes across to other people.