Designer fragance that smells like a niche fragrance - for women

My first thought is Bulgari Blu Notte.I'm an iris scent lover and am constantly sampling irises,lately more on the niche end of things.Blu Notte still remains one of the better,more interesting takes on that note of all that I've sampled and can often be found through discounters(dirt cheap!).I'd also add the classic Chanels;the quality far exceeds their prices.And of course,Shalimar-so many niche scents seem to take their inspiration from it.

Haven't had the chance to say it,yet but Happy Wedding and Happy Marriage to you,matildaben!

It is quite difficult for me to explain what 'niche' means to me. I can discern if 'niche' or not, as it is said to be but most of the people, but not so clear for me the formal concept to considerate a perfum as 'niche'...

so, only accordingly to quality exceeding the price (if compared with said to be mainstream or designer well known perfumes), and regardless their price, distribution or firm, I would say:

- Amber Gris - Balmain
- Lookin' to Rock Rita (Crescent Rowe) - Benefit
- Shalimar - Guerlain
- Imperial Opoponax - Les Nereides
- Ivoire - Balmain

only as approaching, so would be much more to be quoted...

Surprised there are not that many responses to this thread.

Two stand out as indisputable niche: Mauboussin de Mauboussin and Mauboussin Histoire d'Eau (Topaze Edition). Both have Lutens-esque feeling about them -- deep, multi-level, ever-changing.

There are certainly more!

Although the labels 'designer' and 'niche' are useful in the context of some discussions to infer the manufacturer's intent in creating the fragrance, where the fragrance is purchased, how it is marketed, etc. there are so many exceptions and a such a large gray area regarding what is 'niche' and what is 'designer' that the distinction simply isn't meaningful. The distinction is especially not meaningful in trying to cross-classify specific perfumes, as in "this designer smells like niche". What one is likely really asking is "what inexpensive and/or mass produced perfumes smell like expensive, limited distribution perfumes?"

The labels 'niche' and 'designer' are riddled with problems. For example Comme des Garcons is a designer fashion house, no different then Chanel or YSL, but CdG fragrances are thought of as 'niche' for a variety of reasons. Houses like Guerlain and Caron eschew both labels as they have perfumes distributed through designer channels (i.e. Shalimar) and other perfumes that are distributed like niche perfumes (i.e. L'Art et la Matiere line). There are then 'designer' houses that have niche lines (i.e. Hermessence, Chanel Exclusifs) and niche houses with mass-produced lines (i.e. ELdOs Editions des Sens line). Even houses that are thought of as niche, let's say Creed, are distributed like designer perfumes through every e-tailer and even outlets like Costco.com.

What is valuable about a discussion like this is the realization that good and bad perfumes can come from anywhere. For example I find L'Instant de Guerlain on par quality-wise and construction-wise with any "niche" perfume. Conversely the Boadicea the Victorious and Brecourt "niche" lines are no better then anything you'd find at a mall perfumania. Of course if you go back a generation, before the advent of the 'niche' perfume concept, one sees that the perfumes of the designer houses like Chanel, Dior, Lanvin, etc. were the 'niche perfumes' of their day, created by the world's best noses and employing the best materials while the drug-store perfumes were the common perfumes of their day.

I'd put Bulgari Black right up there with any niche offering. It's an edgy vanilla with powder and rubber, quirky and very nicely done.

Yes, I agree. I think Dior's Dune and Hypnotic Poison are also quite unusual offerings for a designer house.

Organza Indecence,Estee Lauder Spellbound,Nu YSL ,many Guerlain like Samsara ,Nahema and many-many vintages that are reformulated!

I'm with nineXseven on this one. There are good and bad, unique and unremarkable to be found across the range of outlets, price ranges, and market distribution. I don't really buy into the idea that niche is overall more unique or better quality or more cutting edge, at least my nose doesn't because so many of the niche scents I smell remind me of something else I already own or have smelled at one time. In the end both niche and designer have the same aim, to make more money.

Reading the perfumes people identify with niche leads me to ask whether those recommending the perfumes are familiar with the perfumers behind their suggestions? This may explain why people are recognizing the quality in these fragrances - the perfumers are in many cases known creators of modern niche fragrances.

Yes,I am aware of Alberto Morillas and Jacques Guerlain;one has created niche scents and the other has inspired them.Quality just stands out no matter the market,doesn't it?

Exactly - and this happens quite frequently! To my nose, Amouage Dia is a stripped-down and freshly laundered Chanel No. 5, and I much prefer No.5. Divine's Divine is almost a dupe of Ysatis, except that it's not as good (or original.) And ultra-exclusive and pricey Puredistance's Antonia is the love-child of Balmain's Ivoire (or possibly Vent Vert) and Spellbound. Come to think of it, for the purposes of the question, Balmain is a good example of a designer that offers such singular and high-quality fragrances that even niche-snobs should approve, Vent Vert in particular.


Again, exactly! Designers do it by making more of it, and niche houses do it by charging more for it.

Agree with E. on all the examples. Especially the house of Pierre Balmain.

Grès Cabaret.