The New Niche: Scents to Smell Next
Avoid smelling like anyone else - discover your new signature with these boutique fragrances
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The New Niche: Scents to Smell Next
Avoid smelling like anyone else - discover your new signature with these boutique fragrances
Fragrance is a funny thing. Innately linked to memory, a particular smell can immediately transport us back to a time and place, or remind us of a person who wore it. This nostalgic quality is a magical thing, but can also leave us reeling in a world of scent associations - conjuring images in our mind or sending us spinning into an alternative universe. When choosing a scent, niche fragrances provide a carte blanche onto which new memories can be drawn. They invite you to explore an unfamiliar road, one full of unexpected twists and turns. Read on to discover some new underground favourites from the Fragrance Lounge.
Read More: Brush up on your terminology with the help of our perfume glossary
Nishane Hacivat Extrait de Parfum, £230 for 50ml
Niche is in the name with Nishane, an Istanbul-based fragrance house known for its decadent, artful scents. A recent addition to the Liberty fragrance assortment, their Hacivat perfume is a favourite amongst fans, who love the bright notes of pineapple and its masculine edge. A potent scent with strong projection, a single spritz will go a long way.
Shop nowLiberty LBTY. Fragrance Ianthe Oud Eau de Parfum, £225 for 100ml
Founder Arthur Lasenby created Liberty as a place to share the beautiful fabrics and rare objects he collected from around the world. This history is encapsulated in our Liberty LBTY. Fragrance collection; seven scents which translate some of Liberty’s most iconic prints into perfume. The latest addition, Ianthe Oud, is a luxurious, woody fragrance designed by perfumer Nicolas Bonneville and inspired by the archival Ianthe print.
Shop nowFugazzi Angel Dust Extrait de Parfum, £175 for 100ml
The name Fugazzi is supposed to imply something mysterious and incomprehensible. It’s this spirit that defines their fragrances, particularly Angel Dust, a perfume which melts onto you when you wear it, creating the ‘you but better’ quality that characterises skin scents like this one. Opening with a peppery note, the dry down is sweet, musky, woody and smooth.
Read More: Next of Skin: Seven Skin Scents to Try
Flora Danica 1761 Eau de Parfum, £86 for 50ml
Copenhagen-based brand Flora Danica takes its name from a botanical encyclopaedia commissioned by King Frederik V in 1752. In 1761, the encyclopaedia was finally finished. This fragrance is named after that year, and contains an adventurous blend of floral, woody notes which nod to the Danish wildlife, as well as the scope and ambition of King Frederik’s magnificent catalogue.
Shop nowL’Atelier Parfum Mystic Leather-Oud Eau de Parfum, £139 for 100ml
Simple and expressive, L’Atelier Parfum is the French fragrance house that’s become a niche favourite with perfumery connoisseurs around the world. Its new fragrance, Mystic Leather-Oud - available exclusively at Liberty - blends the ancient glamour of oud with incense notes. This fragrance is dark and mysterious, best worn when you want to speak volumes, without saying too much.
Shop nowContes de Parfums Shanghai Eau de Parfum, £195 for 100ml
The bright orange bottle and printed cap of this scent gives us a hint about the fragrance inside it - an ode to Shanghai, which captures the city’s blend of modernity and tradition. Opening with juicy notes of Nashi pear, the fragrance also contains Chinese peony and tea leaves, capturing the bright buzz of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.
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