Tired of samey vanillas and floral scents? These varied and uncommon signatures are sure to set you apart from the crowd...
While the classics, like vanilla and citrus-centric fragrances, will never fail you, sometimes the occasion - or just your mood - calls for a change. These six niche perfumes offer a refreshing departure from mainstream and over-done blends, for a distinctive and head-turning impression...
The list of best long-lasting perfumes boasts a myriad of signatures, some you'll no doubt have heard of and some, perhaps you haven't. And while we all often have a tendency to veer towards the familiar, finding an unusual and lesser-known scent can be quite the game-changer. After all, there's nothing worse than bumping into someone wearing the same fragrance as you - even if said fragrance is touted as one of the best perfumes for women. Our scent is a very intimate and personal thing and thus, your everyday aroma should reflect this.
So, to that end, we've rounded up a host of unique and unconventional scents, all guaranteed to bring both character and compliments with every spritz.
6 stylish and niche perfume to add to your collection
If you're looking to breathe some new life into your perfume collection, opting for less conventional scent profiles is definitely a great place to start. If you're a lover of vanilla perfumes for instance, a similarly sweet but more rich and nutty pistachio scent might hit all the right notes (pardon the pun), while fans of classic florals - like jasmine and rose - might enjoy the more musky and powdery dry down of an iris perfume.
The choices are truly endless, with everything from milk perfumes to crisp and fresh scents available but, to help narrow down your search for the perfect niche aroma, allow us to present six for your consideration...
Maison Margiela Replica By The Fireplace EDT
RRP: from £60 for 30ml | Notes: clove oil, pink pepper, orange flower, chestnut accord, gaiac wood oil, cashmeran, vanilla accord and Peru balsam
Woman&home's Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson adores this scent, especially when the autumn/winter months roll back around: "It's no exaggeration when I say that this perfume smells like a crackling fire, bottled. It's warm and woody, paired with this chic and oh-so-cosy smokiness that really clings to the skin." If you're already a fan, Naomi also recommends the brand's Jazz Club perfume (at Sephora) for a very unique signature.
Who should buy it: those who prefer woody blends and unisex scents
Maison Crivelli Hibiscus Mahajad Extrait De Parfum
RRP: £205 for 50ml | Notes: spearmint, cinnamon, Damask rose, hibiscus, leather, vanilla and ambrette musk
The perfume comes with high acclaim from our Digital Beauty Writer, Sennen Prickett, who dubs it almost indescribable. She quips that the first spritz didn't blow her away but the dry down, now that was a different story. It's floral - with hints of rose and hibiscus - paired with spicy and warm twists of cinnamon and leather.
Who should buy it: those who love scents that noticeably develop and change throughout the day
RRP: from £62 for 50ml | Notes: pink pepper, iris and ambrox
While it is a popular and well-known favourite, Glossier You is designed to smell slightly different on everyone who wears it, thus making it the epitome of a signature and with its musky and powdery quality, it's certainly what we would consider a niche scent. Plus it's also perfect for layering with other perfumes, creating an elevated and multi-faceted impression.
Who should buy it: those who prefer subtle, 'skin'-like aromas.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 EDP
RRP: from £155 for 35ml | Notes: jasmine, saffron, amberwood, fir resin and cedar
A favourite of our Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar, Baccarat Rouge 540 combines soft and sweet florals with distinctive hints of saffron and warm woods. It's multi-dimensional and being that it's on the most premium side, you're unlikely to bump into a fellow 540-wearer very often.
Who should buy it: those who gravitate towards warm florals and woody signatures
Escentric Molecule Molecule 01
RRP: £115 for 100ml | Notes: Iso E Super
This scent is one of the first to spring to mind when we think of a niche perfume, as not only is the scent hard to pin down, but the concept behind it is also pretty unique. Boasting just one note, this fragrance clings to the skin, creating a very subtle but universally flattering aroma that, while it might go under the radar to your senses at some points in the day, will definitely endear itself to others...
Who should buy it: someone who really wants to stand out from the crowd without opting for an overpowering signature.
Vilhelm Parfumerie Room Service EDP
RRP: £220 for 100ml | Notes: mandarin nectar, blackberry, pink orchid, bamboo, violet, black amber, musk and sandalwood
Known to be a favourite in Victoria Beckham's perfume collection, this scent expertly blends sharp notes of citrus with musky hints and creamy amber, for a complex fragrance that is intimate and complex.
Who should buy it: anyone who is in the market for a long-lasting perfume that is both perfect for evening and everyday wear.
What constitutes a niche perfume?
Now this is quite subjective but as far as we're concerned, it's a scent that boasts notes that aren't necessarily mainstream - spearmint for example, or saffron, ambrette and clove - and so is hard to pin down from just one whiff.
As for finding one out of the plethora of perfume options out there, we would say that the most common scent types are florals - specifically jasmine and rose perfume - vanilla scents (and fragrances with vanilla as a base note), fruity perfumes and warm and woody blends. Common base notes, which are the aromas that typically linger the longest also include; jasmine, vanilla, amber, patchouli, cedarwood and sandalwood. So, if you're looking for a fragrance that is more unusual and quote-on-quote niche, sussing out a blend that doesn't feature - or at least features few of - these common favourites is a good place to start.