Wonderful question, R! I'm sure this will prove to evoke interesting comments from everyone!

I was thinking along the same lines just a few weeks ago, and what I have seen is an evolution in my perfume choices/preferences. Previously familiar only with mass-marketed scents (which I was never really fond of, therefore my perfume collection was VERY small), I now can recognize the differences between unique/original fragrances on several levels.
For example, the 2nd tier of my fragrance evolution were lines such as Ebba, Sage, DSH, and the like. While they are perfectly nice scents, I can see that they are somewhat one dimensional. So of course after buying a bunch, I now find myself pushing aside the ones that don't truly make me happy to wear them!
Right now, I have reached the stage where I can appreciate notes and composition more completely (although I still have a LONG way to go!). So now when I sample or purchase perfumes, I know that I am picking based on my what I have learned so far, and these choices have come down to niche fragrances about 90% of the time.

So, I guess my answer is YES! I am a niche snob! But your question on where to put the Guerlains and Carons and the MPGs is a well put one...mass-marketed yes, but most of them are fragrance masterpieces. So are we equating "niche" with "exceptionally made" fragrances?

You know, I think I pretty much define niche by where I have to go to buy it in person. If I can't buy it within 30 minutes of my house (e.g., a basic mall), it is niche to me. If the only department store that carries it is Takashimaya or Bergdorfs, it is niche. Then there are the smaller brands that aren't exactly high end, and that might be in my mall in Sephora: Kai, Ebba, etc. Not sure where they fit, but I guess they're niche too.

Also interesting that you use the term "2nd tier" -- I have a lot of perfumes that I love but think of as 2nd tier. That would include the Guerlain Aqua Allegorias, Calypso, Molinard, Fragonard. Not necessarily masterpieces, but still smells that I love.

Almost all of my favourite scents are from niche houses. Is that because I get a snob-thrill from paying more for a small production scent? I don't think I could rule that possibility out, but I cannot imagine myself shelling out for something I didn't genuinely love, and I find that I get very little of that sense of 'love it!' pleasure from most mainstream scents. They're almost always too pushy, too undiscernable from other mainstream scents, too obvious and too 'cynical', if I can phrase it that way. The ones that have melted my heart with their individuality and 'cheek' are almost all from small houses who aren't scared to say something with their juices. And it's my heart I listen to - not my brain. I think there's a difference between a perfume 'expert' and a perfume lover - many of the scents that L. Turin admires because they're technical triumphs, are scents that I dislike because they come nowhere near my heart. They're simply not smells I want on my body, smells that make me enjoy myself. So I'm going to stick with my niche pleasures, because that's what it's about for me - sensory pleasure - and if a lifetime of sniffing scents has left me too picky and too subtle for the mainstream houses, that's my financial loss and theirs.

I know I'm a snob because of how often I admit in these comments that I haven't even smelled something I'm poking fun at, like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears Curious. You would think I would at least make an effort to smell them! And here LT is talking about Beyond Paradise, which I also haven't smelled. There has to be some snobbery involved.

On the other hand, I simply can't smell EVERYTHING -- look at how many scents are released every year! You have to find a way to guess what is likely to suit you, and for me, that is more often niche. In general whatever I smell in a department store is just too sweet -- sugar, sugar, sugar. Sometimes sweet is good, but often it is just boring.

But I would call LT both a perfume lover and a perfume expert. We just have different tastes.

An absolute yes. I find that to my nose, generally, mainstream scents are dull, unispired, and similar to one another. With me its most surely a "how you gonna keep them down on the farm" situation. Just tell me what mainstream scent is as evocative as Angelique Encens?

Regards,
Steve

Steve, Angelique Encens is a great example. You are never going to get huge numbers of people to appreciate, much less buy, Angelique Encens. And to some extent I also think these are acquired tastes. If I had smelled Angelique Encens 5 years ago, I would have been horrified to learn that anyone would have worn it on their person.

So niche can mean inaccessible -- and therefore more desirable ... and an absence of being over- or mass-marketed. Both of those aspects are attractive to me. But what pulls me toward niche is the actual quality of the fragrance ingredients and concept. I admire those who can analyze a Beyond Paradise (yes, I'm not over that yet) and pull meaning out of its chemistry. I am just assaulted by it. It seems indelicate, overt, homogenized, manufactured. But OJ Ta'if seduces me with its complexity, its fragility, its self-containment, if you will. It is not selling anything. And more niche fragrances than not seem that to me: they are created as beauty for beauty's sake, not a product, not a commodity, not to rack up a conglomerate's fragrance division's sales numbers.

Wearable art. Amen!

Regards,
Steve

When I think of the hoops I am willing to jump through to get my hands on the SL Exclusives, it is sort of funny!

I wonder if the ingredients in niche scents are really any "better". I think the answer with OJ is yes. SL -- not so sure. Maybe. And of course, the fragrances on both sides, niche & mainstream, are all made by the same handful of noses & fragrance/flavor companies.

I would say that I am more of a "perfume snob", rather than a "niche snob." I wear everything from the local mall (Tommy Girl--hey, LT loves that one!--,Eternity, B&BW Sparkling Green Apple), to the practically unobtainable (SL Chergui, TC and Rahat, classic Guerlains). I love to talk about perfumes and enjoy reading about them and gathering as much information about notes, perfumers and perfume houses as I can.

Thinking about it, a lot of the fragrances sold by etailers like luckyscent, while "niche," are often lousy one-dimensional attempts at grabbing one's hard-earned money.

So my mantra over the years has evolved from being "exclusive" to becoming more "inclusive." Because, at the end of the day, all that matters is if the fragrance smells good on me!

Tommy Girl is another I haven't even tried! Chandler Burr likes that one too I think.

Agree that there are many, many overpriced niche lines, and the appeal of some of them is lost on me. Never understood the frenzy over Bagutta Life, for instance.

After my initial excitement at discovering niche houses, I've found them, more often than not, small-minded and trend-prone. So shoot me. They often do very nice renditions of traditional fragrance types, but often the fragrances are well-mannered, without surprise, merely pretty. Of course, this applies across the board, mainstream and niche alike, but I'm more disappointed with niche fragrances, maybe because I expected more from them. Many of them I've tried and felt so blah about I simply couldn't even bother to review them on MUA. "This smelled like a nice, light, inoffensive flower." It just doesn't seem worth typing.

I do like the daring scents, the weird ones. I like several Diptyques, some L'Artisans, some Serge Lutens. I was fond of Lea, the way you can be fond of a soft old sweatshirt--you know it isn't classy, but you can't help it. Some of the Frederic Malles have impressed me. I like a couple of Bonds well enough, although many of them feel unfinished. And of course, there's Ormonde Jayne.

But after all the sniffing I've done in my life, what scents, beyond just being fun things to smell once or twice, are wearable? What scents stick with me, what feels like me, what do I come back to again and again? What, when I put it on, smells not like something separate from me but feels like it's emanating directly from my sense of self--a smile instead of a scarf? Three Chanels: No. 19, Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles. Three Guerlains: Vol de Nuit, L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko. A Lanvin: Arpège. One Ormonde Jayne: Ormonde. And, weirdly enough, a Bulgari: Black.

Granted, this list doesn't say much about modern mainstream perfumery, but perhaps that's about my obstinance more than it's about today's scents. At any rate, I've sort of lost my taste for niche perfumery. I still love to smell a new thing, but I don't expect as much as I used to.

T, yes, what immediately strikes me about your list is that Black & Ormonde are your only modern scents.

I agree with "trend-prone". Maybe the niche trends suit me better than the mainstream sweet-fruity trends? I generally like sheer more than heavy, and dry over sweet.

The comfy old sweatshirt category is one I didn't even consider. Mine is probably La Perla Eclix, so there is another mainstream for me.

True--although I read that Lanvin reformulated that Arpege in the '90s or so. I have a bottle of the old stuff, won on eBay, and it smells distinctly different: enormous, room-filling. It impresses me, but I prefer to wear the new one.

Everything is reformulated -- I am sure way more than we know! Have never smelled the real Arpege. I always feel like a heretic for preferring newer versions, but I often do. Vent Vert comes to mind right away.

Yes I am I suppose - perhaps because I adore Ormonde Jayne in particular. Each time I try most designer fragrances I am left cold.
BTW R - had a super photo session at the new Guerlain this afternoon - my third visit this week - am I crazy or what??? Will post the pics on the blog soon.

Mwah and have a super weekend!!

xoxo

N, yay, can't wait to see the pictures!!! And do tell: did you buy anything yet?

Two presents - Quant vient d'Ete and Derby. ;D

PS oops Quand Not Quant! Sheesh!

Still only presents, nothing for you? That is not a good sign for the new offerings!!

A niche snob?? Non - a fragrance snob - perhaps. Like Tania I expect more from the Niche and can be left cold when they don't deliver. For example, L'Artisan's latest releases. I still enjoy some of their scents but would I run into a building for them - no. I like the idea of the niche houses more than the scents themselves. I look now - after many acquisitions plus trial and error - for fragrances that reflect my personality/personalities more than I do a label but do not ask me when the last time I bought a fragrance in a dept. store was - I guess that is why I say I am a fragrance snob. If it can be mass produced AND obtained - then no- it is not for me. I rather stay with the classic Guerlain which are so distinct and still hold my heart. My other newest love is Ormonde Jayne who made one slip - Sampaquita - which I believe was more commercially driven. Chanel - Bois de Iles, Serge - Tubereuse Criminelle, Caron - Tubereuse - these are worthy of my attention. I wait for the other houses - FM, L'artisan, Italy (smirk) and the rest of the niche to catch up. Distinctive and well-blended are the more important criterion for me. Ah R - another thoughtful question. I look forward to tomorrow.

LOL -- you smirk at all of Italy!! I believe Luca Turin does as well.

Pondering L'Artisans latest releases, and might agree with you. But would go out of my way for Te Pour Un Ete, Jacinthe des Bois and Passage d'Enfer. And would buy again: L'Eau de L'Artisan, Navegar, La Chasse.

Are any of them masterpieces? Well, they're not Bois des Iles. I can see that. Bois des Iles is its own world. But for all that, I wear the L'Artisans more often. Maybe masterpieces don't fit well into my everyday life?

Sorry - on the whole Italy has proven to be a disappointment for fragrance. Thank heavens for the art, fashion, architecture, food and wine - LOL - I would say they are above average on those (Huge LOL). I adore most things Italian (thinking of my own DH)- just waiting for a classic fragrance - at least in my own mind. I do like a couple SMN, Fiori di Capri and Janca but if they were to disappear tomorrow - meh! Take away my pasta and we have a WAR!!! Happy to have made you smile.

Thinking more about this, and some of the big house scents, Chanel Bois des Iles for instance, function almost as niche fragrances. It isn't like you can walk up to any Chanel counter and buy it, and it isn't like they spend any money promoting it.

Whatever! Not worth arguing over the poor Italians either ;-) Meet you in Florence for dinner! My favorite city for steak.

The Gobin Daude scents were too strange for me, and I wasn't surprised Takashimaya has stopped carrying them. When I was an Apres L’Ondee wearer, why buy Detaille’s 1905? I love the top notes of Villoresi’s Donna, but as I already have Caron’s Or et Noir and Creed’s Fleurs du The Roses Bulgares, I don’t feel I NEED to have it. This fall I think I’ll get the Delrae Bois de Paradis and I can’t wait for my Ormond Jayne sampler set to arrive next week.

I think the problem is that a lot of the classic, big name designer scents don't fit or are not potent, or interesting enough for me to go ahead and buy them, or if I do find one I love they are or have become officially discontinued. If the Parfum version of Chanel no. 19 or a stronger Eau de Parfum version of Tocade were distributed here, I’d wear them. If Dior and Coty made original versions of their first six perfumes, I'd buy them all; my personality is not blonde, extroverted and ebullient enough to carry off J'adore, Tommy Girl and Dolce Vita, and I'm not going to wear anything with Jennifer Lopez's name on it, so if I'm a snob, tough cookies. My current top three scents even in this awful New York weather are Bal a Versailles, Vol de Nuit and Musc Ravageur. So two oldies that have fallen into the specialist perfume store and auction market and a niche.

The Gobin Daudes were strange, but I rather liked them, and in fact I am the lucky duck who got Tak's last 2 bottles: Sous le Buis for $19. And that is part of the issue -- I liked them, but at the original $140, they would have had to come home and clean my kitchen too. I just don't pay that much for perfume unless it is out of this world fabulous.

Completely agree on Dior & Coty, and am actually puzzled why they don't release them. Maybe Guerlain will spur them all into digging through the back catalog.

Trying to decide about Jennifer Lopez. Would I buy it if I liked it? I hope so. But apparently I'm too much of a snob to go try it! Hope to rectify that, but I have to admit it would be a hard pill to swallow to have to tell people what I was wearing!

Congratulations on getting the Gobin Daudes at such a low price. I think the $90 + price range of the niche perfumes is a factor in what's stopping me from getting them. For $50-60, I may have even bought Biche dans l'Absinthe and Lyn Harris's Citron Citron and Couer de Fleur. Once they start pricing them at the $90 + level, they're competing with the Caron "urn" scents, Serge Lutens and Frederic Malle for my money -- pretty tough competition.

If you end up liking Glow, just be J. Lo for Halloween and wear it that day. Please post pictures!

Yes, and not only the steep price, but the fact that unlike the mainstream scents, you have little or no hope of finding them discounted anywhere.

J Lo for Halloween -- there's an idea! And by then, I'll have the Sarah Jessica Parker option too, LOL....

Psst...the No. 19 parfum, since being discontinued, is being unloaded on websites like Perfumebay. Get it while you can. As for Tocade, I actually found the EDT enormously strong!

Thanks for the Perfumebay tip. The site is better than I thought.

Don't know if you're still checking this, but I thought of your comment just now because I saw Tocade parfum--not even eau de parfum, but the parfum classic strength--on Perfumebay. It's out there.

It is interesting to think about this, especially when confronted with the mass market orientation of some recent designer scents. Granted, given the large number of launches every year, the number of truly unusual scents from the designer lines is small, but if you adjust it by sample size when comparing to what comes out from niche lines, I would say that the picture is not as dire as some (including myself) think. For instance, Angel is a unique fragrance, whatever one may say about it being ubiquitous. Bvlgari consistently produces interesting scents, and so does Donna Karan, Chanel (other than recent Chance). Large houses can afford better ingredients than small ones, and have more talent at their disposal.

A few years ago, I discovered niche lines, and although initially I liked what I tried, over time a strong sense of déjà vu started to set in. Many were pleasant scents, not hardly daring. Many promise a lot, and deliver hardly anything. Of course, there are exceptions.

When I look at my collection, I have a mix of designer scents (Bvlgari Black, Angel, YSL Rive Gauche), classical (just about all classical Guerlains, ending with Chamade; oh, add Ylang et Vanille to that list, Caron, Chanel ending with Coco, Jean Patou, vintage Rochas and Dior, vintage Arpège, to name but some). On the other hand, I have lots of perfumes from Les Parfums de Rosine, Serge Lutens, some from L'Artisan. I am not sure how I would be labeled. Just a fragrance junkie, I guess.

Interesting viewpoint re adjusted sample size, and agree completely with Donna Karan & Bulgari.

Your Guerlain list ends just before mine does, I would include Eau de Guerlain too (1974?). I have more of the Aqua Allegorias, but they are a completely different sort of thing than the regular line. Chanel ends for me at Cristalle EdT. That for me is the issue -- the venerable old houses aren't putting out venerable scents any more. I don't think either Chanel or Guerlain would make the history books based on their post-1980 output.

I would absolutely agree with you, although perhaps Coco Mlle. might be an exception. I find it to be a well-composed fragrance, quite different from the typical thin and fruity-floral of the 1990s trend in general. Well, that's the thing--the trend of the past decade is just the opposite of the 1980s' big and loud. Poison, Samsara, Opium, Paris, Tresor--although many of these are not the fragrances I can see myself wearing (except for Opium, which I like in tiny doses), they are classics. Dior's early 1990s were not bad either--Dune is an innovative scent, much copied. But later in 1990s, everything went minimalist and stark; and then delicate and pink. At first, it is interesting, but after a while it is boring. Perhaps, the change is in the air. As you said in the post above, perhaps Guerlain's reissue attempts inspire others. I would love to see reissued Dior classics.

Yes, Coco Mlle is not a bad scent. Just not me.

But Diorama & Diorling, yes, please!! Would much prefer them to Miss Dior Cherie, although again, I'm making assumptions as I haven't smelled any of the 3. Dune I just got a sample of recently & have to pull it out & try it.

I very well may be, But I don't consider myself one. However, it was me loosing sleep, falling all over myself to finally get my hands on that bottle of The Pink Room. Or looking all over liked a crazed woman for Costes, before finally tracking it down in England. Or, having to have all 5 of my favorite Ormondes right here and now!

I guess that all sounds a bit more like a brat than snob. After all, I own J Lo Glow and Still and I've been know to wear Barbie. If I liked the Olsen Twins' scents I'd wear those too!

I do have mostly niche in my collection, I would say. But I'm not a snob about it, I'm just a ho.
:O)
Victoria O

LOL -- good of you to admit you're just a brat & a ho! Barbie, really? Is it wearable? Honestly, I keep hearing how good Spongebob is, and mean to pick some up for my son one of these days.

I'm more a bottle hoarder, which is so pathetic. Nine times out of ten, I feel pulled towards that which comes housed in cool bottle, rather than judging a scent solely on the juice alone. It's terrible, I know. Clearly I'm not a snob, just a geek.

I refuse to smirk at all of Italy, though. I mean, Theorema? Awesome. Also, while I'm terribly unimpressed by some of Compagnia Delle Indie's stuff, I am inordinately fond of their I Ragazzi Della CDI Donna, which is fresh, soft, and lovely. And the J&E Atkinsons line of I Coloniali has some interesting creations, though the Cananga di Java (per donna) is the only one I've bought thus far. It's raw sexuality in a bottle.

Interesting. Maybe because I try almost everything out of a sample vial or decant, I'm not so influenced by the bottle, although I hate to buy something really ugly, and I am disappointed when I don't love something in a pretty bottle, like Chinatown.

Theorema is gorgeous, and I know Luca Turin has said nice things about it too. Funny though, I don't really think of it as Italian. It doesn't smell Italian. CDI I have never heard of! I Coloniali I must look into again, I thought I heard the whole line was discontinued, am I wrong?

I Coloniali is the newer line being made. I Distillati is the discontinued Atikinsons line. Well, insofar as I know.

Yes -- I'm sure that is right. It is hard to keep it all straight!

I should add that this is why I find samples strangely depressing sometimes - no purty bottle! Again, terrible, I know.

If it were all the bottle, I'd be living in Niki de Saint Phalle, which I actually don't even like. Looking at my collection now, and it is not impressive bottle-wise. Nothing really stunning at all.

A comment from LaureAnne, who tried to post this but kept getting an error message -- this site has been up & down all day:

Yes. And no. There are whole niche houses that I don't like at all. MPG, l'Artisan, the Different Company, for starters. Sometimes the niche ones are so shamelessly crass in asserting their specialness (Serge Lutens is the prime example for me) that I dislike them on principle. JAR is another of this type, but I can't abide either house's scents, so it makes it easier to say eh to their whole kits 'n kaboodles. I don't like most mass-produced stuff, whether it be in perfume or any other area. I do like well-made, brilliant and distinctive (Ormonde Jayne) or well-made and modest (Cote Bastide,some ElizW), though. I like the middle range well-mades like Parfums de Nicolai , Susanne Lang, Creative Universe, Detaille and Santa Maria Novella, though not all of their scents. I will always like Guerlain and Chanel even though I go in and out of love with various of their scents. So I am a snob, just not a complete snob. And I draw the line at uber snobbist houses (which are paradoxically, I guess, vulgar in my mind)--you know who I'm talkin' about.
Grinchy G

GG: LOL -- I guess I like everything. There is not a single brand mentioned in your post that I don't have at least one decant from the line, with the exception of JAR, JAR decants being rather rare, obviously, and it is doubtful I'll be buying bottles any time soon. Yes, the uber snobbist houses annoy me, but not so much that I don't want to smell everything they make.

I think in some ways I am and in others I'm not. Anytime I go to Marshalls, more often than not I come home with a fragrance. It doesn't hurt paying under $20 for a fragrance and if I don't like it, I'll pass it on.

With niche fragrances I'm more hesitant to cave because of the prices but once I do I am glad that I did although I have been swayed in the past with discount codes and gifts with purchase.

There are times when I love a fragrance that contains a certain note until I smell that note in a different (and more often than not) better fragrance so the original one gets buried beneath the newer one.

Works of art indeed and they are always open for interpretation whether priced at $499 or $4.99!

Marshalls & TJ Maxx are such a temptation! I am also more hesitant to cave on a more expensive scent, but will over time spend the same amount on cheaper bottles at discount stores. It annoys me!

Wow, R! Is this a record number of comments or what?!? Just here late, after yet another of ds' baseball games (and a losing one at that!), to throw in my opinion about fragrance snobbery.

For me, it's pretty simple. I like what I like, and my tastes change frequently.

I don't want to smell like everyone else and I don't want to wear a scent that is similar to a half-dozen other non-descript fragrances. That causes me to avoid many department store perfumes.

The scents I like are frequently tied to childhood (or teenage, hence my affinity for patchouli) memories.

I'm not one for mass-marketed movies or books - I always seek out the quirky and unusual ones. Independent films are much more interesting and thought-provoking than the over-hyped ones that are only made to make money. Same thing with books - you won't catch me reading a Danielle Steele novel!

I guess I approach fragrance in the same way. I like those, simple or complex, that are produced more for their art and beauty than for their revenue-generating capacity.

OK, I'm a scent snob.

Hi K! I don't have to worry so much about smelling like everyone else where I live -- it isn't even all that often that I smell perfume on anyone. But interesting comparison to books & movies. I think I like quirky too, and I like to be surprised. I am not often surprised by new mainstream fragrances.

And hope ds wins the next one!!

Thanks, R, they won the double-header the next day!

Woo hoo, way to go!!!

chanel no. 19 is being discontinued?

No. I think maybe they are just not distributing the parfum in the US now? Not really sure and hope someone else will respond, but I know they are not discontinuing no. 19.

The only version of Chanel no. 19 that's available in the US is the eau de toilette which doesn't really do justice to the perfume, which Luca Turin has characterized as "a jungle in a greenhouse."

I forget where I read in the past 6 months, that it's been getting even more difficult for the perfume houses to obtain prime galbanum (a major component of No. 19 and the currently discontinued Vol de Nuit) from Iran, which maybe a reason why one can't get the more potent versions of No. 19 now, or it could simply be that they're misunderestimating the tastes of the American Chanel customer.

Thanks for the thread and this provocative question, R! I used to think of myself as an equal-opportunity fragrance lover, but maybe I am a niche snob. In my collection I have drugstore fragrances (Cherry Vanilla!), department-store fragrances (Kenzo, Safari, YSL things), more exclusive lines like CDG and Fragonard, and the uber-niche, like Serge Lutens and Bond No. 9.

Sometimes I reach for my more expensive and exclusive fragrances because I think to myself "I've paid a fortune for this huge bottle of Le Parfum De Therese and therefore I should wear that one and not my TJMaxx bottle of Zita." And then, some days, I think, well, this cheapie bottle is worthy! I'm all over the place with fragrances.

It's been a joy to read this thread!

Hi P! I keep reading about Safari lately and have to track that down, along with the Cherry Vanilla.

Funny but I think I do the opposite -- I think, this Therese was expensive, and I'd better not use to much because I can't afford to replace it! It is silly, since it will just go bad if I don't use it up.

How interesting this has been! I was, at first, bowled over by the previously-undiscovered-by-me niche market and felt somehow lacking that I'd never even heard of most of them, let alone tried them and went a little insane for awhile.

However, I learned a great deal about perfume and about myself and it all boils down to this: I like what I like and I'm proud to admit it, whether it's Ambre Sultan or Cinnabar. I have discovered I generally like my perfume to "hurt a little" and so (maybe this is because of where I live, I don't know) I definitely don't smell myself coming and going. And I confess I do roll my eyes when someone is telling me they've just discovered "Jess" and isn't it just fabulous... But I'll try (and wear, if I like it) anything, except I do draw the line at Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, because I just can't stand them.

Thanks once again for some fascinating reading.

Hi G, Now I am very curious by what you mean by "hurt a little"?

I think I will try anything too, and will definitely wear anything I like. I am still much more likely to go out of my way to get my hands on a sample of a niche scent. Part of that might be snobbery, but another part is definitely the thrill of the chase.

LOL! I meant that many of the scents I like are hard to wear, especially if one prefers light, delicate concoctions -- I put something like Tabac Blond under my friend's nose and she recoils! And to your point, I confess I guess I do like knowing I've sniffed and worn things others have never even heard of.

I get it -- the joy of horrifying others with your choice in personal fragrance, LOL!

i’m guilty of the joy-of-horrifying-others thing too! i get a secret thrill from the indole in heavy flower scents – the ‘fecal’ quality that many people react to so negatively makes me feel like a sophisticated connoisseur. my brother (who ironically loves truffles and french cheese, both of which are definitely acquired tastes that can offend the uninitiated) has asked me not to wear l’artisan tubereuse when i go over to his house, and my sister gets migraines from tocca touch - this is somehow thrilling to me! (in an unrelated note, am i the only one who doesn’t smell even a hint of tuberose in creed’s tubereuse indiana? i adore the scent, but to me it’s all powdery amber and stephanotis, and not indolic at all).

i am definitely a ‘snob’ - but i think it’s good to be discerning! for me it's the bottle as well as the brand. i love the packaging for l'artisan (modern and whimsical) and creed (ornate but tasteful), and that makes me more likely to try (and buy) their fragrances. i normally wouldn’t get excited about a violet scent, but in the l’artisan bottle (the regular one, not the limited edition ones which i find cheap-looking) it becomes attractive. frederic malle packaging is nice and minimalist, as is serge lutens. mpg bottles are truly stunning…but i can’t bring myself to buy them because of that garish faux crystal on the cap! i guess that's a measure of how important the look of the bottle is to me. why spend 100+ dollars on something that will look tacky in my bedroom or bathroom?

recently i was browsing luckyscent and despite being curious about a lot of the scents, i only ordered samples of the ones whose bottles i liked – again, i have to like the scent and the packaging or else i just don’t feel comfortable buying something.

another big factor is exclusivity - i remember when i only found l'artisan scents at the hidden aedes de venustas, and now they seem to be at every department store in new york. when i found out that the l.a. store kitson carried creed and mpg, i was appalled! i really dislike the idea of wearing the same perfume as someone who would buy a handbag designed by nicki hilton. similarly, sometimes i love a scent and its bottle (marc jacobs is an example) but don’t love the idea of wearing something that can be found in every mall in america. this is something i’m trying to work on...i keep trying to tell myself, what’s wrong with wearing the same thing as someone else? this is not an artistocracy and i’m not royalty…but still it somehow annoys me when i walk by someone on the street wearing one of ‘my’ perfumes! i admit (reluctantly) that i like the smell of michael kors, but I just won’t wear something that common. ditto for beyond paradise, which, if i found it in some little shop unknown to most of humanity, I would probably really like!!

another quirk i have is with names of scents. a good name means so much - who could resist a perfume called fracas? similarly, if the bottle says ‘tubereuse’ or ‘gardenia’ on it, i usually have to own it. the words are just so pretty…am I crazy?? (one exception is annick goutal - as romantic as the bottles are and as much as i want to love gardenia passion, i dislike the scent’s dusty drydown enough to avoid it.)

ps - just looked at a picture of the niki de saint phalle bottle and it is indeed brilliant! now i'm curious about the scent...

pps - whoa - i'm sorry for writing so much!

Hi bluegardenia,

Agree about the faux gemstones on the MPG bottles, have never liked them, but personally I much prefer the L'Artisan limited edition bottles over the regular. I loved the silk flowers on Verte Violette! The regular L'Artisan bottles, maybe because I have so many of them, look boring to me.

But don't much care about exclusivity -- I wish more people would wear my fragrances, because then I'd never have to smell things I didn't like, LOL! And can't say I care about the bottle overly, since my perfumes are all stored in cabinets to avoid exposure to light. I would love to own a few vintage Guerlain bottles just for display, but it isn't likely that I'll ever be willing to pay for them. But the Niki de Saint Phalle -- if it is ever at TJ Maxx, will certainly buy it!

actually you're right, the limited verte violette bottle was pretty -- but some of the other limited l'artisan bottles i could do without!

I think I'm more of a perfume junkie than a snob.

I'm envious of those of you who can wear the classic scents from Houses like Guerlain & Chanel, because I can't - they just smell awful on my skin. I have tried and tried to love Mitsouko, L'Heure Bue, No5 etc, but they just don't work with my chemistry.

I find that I like a handful of mass-marketed scents, a handful of niche scents, and a sprinkling of classics (Arpege, some Carons, Patou 1000, Rochas come to mind). L'Artisan & Annick Goutal are modern nich lines that suit me well.

Of the mass-marketed scents, I am fond of EL Pleasures, several of the Lauren fragrances, and for some reason I really like Lancome's Attraction (maybe because its not too sweet). There are several scents from Dior that work wonderfully on me as well.

Probably the most "common" mass-marketed scent I wear is "W" for Women by Bannana Republic! I have sniffed many expensive fragrances, and in all honesty I believe this to be my HG scent!! Its soft, feminine, comforting, and appropriate to wear anyplace anytime.

So basically the bottom line is that if it smells good on me, & makes me feel good, I'll wear it! My only caveat is that I refuse to wear celebrity concoctions, and will not buy something in an ugly bottle. I'm a sucker for beautiful bottles!

I just read somewhere that "W" is Bobbi Brown's favorite scent. The "perfect" scent, in fact. I've got to try this out next time I'm near a BR.

I am adding W to my list too! I didn't know BR did fragrances.

It is interesting how many people have commented that they won't buy celebrity fragrances. Obviously we are all in the minority since they are such huge sellers! Agree about a really ugly bottle too. If it is hideous, I will just collect samples or decants rather than buy it.

Hey R - I just figure that celeb scents are for "the masses". People who don't think, just do something because a celeb tells them to. Let those monkeys wear their insipid celeb scents and leave the good stuff for us. BTW, speaking of "celebs", something's Cumming your way!

(And a guilty confession - I do love to wear my Wal-Mart MaryKate/Ashley "purple" body spray. It's been discontinued for several years, but it's a nice comfy scent. I can't believe I admitted this on NST!)

Mary Kate & Ashley!!! Yes, you are brave to admit it, LOL...but again, never smelled it, so for all I know it is the next best thing. Will be waiting for Cumming...ack, the puns are endless.

R, if I only knew you never tried it, a little Mary Kate & Ashley could've been Cumming along too. :=)

Oh my. Unpleasant mind picture. Have come up with several possible replies, but this is a family website and I'm afraid to post any of them, LOL!

BR actually has 2 fragrances for women - "W" and another called "Classic". There are aslo accompanying body lotions for each.

I think they are both really nice, but to me "W" is really an outstanding soft floral. I have never been able to find a complete list of the notes anywhere, but I believe it has just a touch of lily and some hyacinth.

It's floral without being sweet or cloying, (NO fruity notes). To me this scent is like a strand of pearls or a classic sweater set: perfect in any circumstance. I love it so much that I sometimes spray a little on my pillow before I go to sleep. Fingers crossed that its never discontinued. Do give it a try if you're wandering by a BR!

Thanks! I was very surprised last time I was in Eddie Bauer to see that they have several fragrances too. Maybe all the chain stores do and I just don't notice. Will definitely look for W.

Interesting thread.
One issue I haven't seen mentioned yet, is that, at least for me, designer scents tend to turn bad on me way more often than niche scents. It probably has something to do with the quality of the ingredients.
For example, I like (and did own at some point) Hugo by Hugo Boss, the green apple scent. It starts of nice and fresh, but after an hour or so I get a 'this cologne has been sitting in the sun for a few months' note. And it's so overpowering it actually give me a headache. THis seems to happen with quite a few desinger scents. So until about a year ago I only owned about 4 scents. And then I discovered Basenotes.net which resulted in a visit to Aedes, my first purchase of a niche scent (Diptyque Virgilio) and a quickly developing fragrance addiction.

I also think that niche houses make scents that are a lot more interesting than desingers, but of course, I don't want to pretend I've tried all designer scents, especially the classics. Still need to sample some more scents by Hermes, Caron, Chanel....

I don't know that designer scents turn on me more often, but will certainly agree with "overpowering". Many people complain that the niche scents are too light & sheer, but as a rule I would rather have light & sheer over sweet & heavy.

Diptyque Virgilio is another great example of a scent that would not be likely to find a mass following at a mainstream department store.

sorry sorry(falling in the door late again,coffee-stained)--great question. i'm more of a perfume slob than a perfume snob. an ignatius reilly of perfume, you might say. i don't care how much (or how little) it costs, about the purported elusiveness of ingredients, or about the erudition of the house. i'm driven by nostalgia, zeal, and plain perverseness. someone just mentioned angelique encens- - the 1000ml bottle cost me more than my rent. gorgeous, crucial. but what about smitty? some forgotten cheapo from my mother's disco-dancing days, only a third of the bottle left and i'm inconsolable! i've no caution about prosaic or celeb. stuff either. if britney's brew smells good, a rose by any other name, you know? (haven't tried it, but i'm open). grandpop' drugstore stuff in a turquoise/gold bottle called 4711? Klassy. one last thing: ormonde jayne's tolu is miraculous in it's dusky frankincense moxie. who could be a niche snob after that?

LOL at "an ignatius reilly of perfume"! And now I will be forever curious about Smitty ;-)

Interesting...like others, I prefer to find a perfume that's created with care, and that's not commonly known. My taste has never been mainstream for movies, music, or fashion, so it makes sense that my taste in fragrance is also far from mainstream.

However, if something smells good to me, then I'll wear it. I still wear my Dior J'adore which is oft-panned for being an unoriginal mainstream scent. And I think J.Lo's Miami Glow is pretty nice, although I wouldn't wear it myself. Yes, a lot of the niche/boutique scents are overrated (I actually haven't been impressed with Serge Lutens other than Un Lys and Fleurs d'Oranger, although admittedly I have many exclusives yet to try). Still, my deepest appreciation is for the complex, artistic classics (Caron and Guerlain) and several creative, funky, and innovative niche scents (L'artisan, several by Frederic Malle, CdG). I've always been bored by cookie-cutter pretty scents...my favorite fragrances have just a little bit of something weird or shocking or even ugly, and few mainstream fragrances fit that bill. Again, that's my taste in art and music, so I'm pretty consistent in that regard.

Interesting that like Karenska above, you equate your taste in perfume to your taste in other things, like art & music. I really had never thought of it that way. I do tend to like offbeat music & movies.

And Miami Glow is yet another I haven't even tried. Am going to have to spend a day at the local mall soon and catch up on "mainstream".

I don't care whether a perfume is mainstream or niche for my personal enjoyment but I like the idea of buying indie brands. It's about supporting the Mom-n-Pop shops to me.