You included almost all of the fragrances you got me to buy from your previous videos which are ganymede, desirtoxic and Burlington1819. So im sure the other houses youve mentioned are indeed good niche houses. Thanks for the recommendations!
Lately I am factoring in bang for buck. If the price is high, a fragrance *should* offer quality and uniqueness. I like your list but I think Roja is offering too little for the money on these both factors and I am on the fence with Maison Francis Kurkdjian (although I do appreciate Gentle Fluidity Silver) and Fragrance du Bois (although I do appreciate Oud Bleu and PM). Great list, and I agree with you leaving PdM out, considering that previously mentioned fence…
I had a persistent gut instinct about Roja that something was just a little...off. When I read the book 'The Ghost Perfumer', the author gave me some tantalising, well-researched, gossipy nuggets of first hand industry information which reassured me that I do have good instincts. Our sixth sense really is the greatest mystery, isn't it? Some people have a stronger connection to this mysterious instinct than others. Now Montale, that's one that fell through my net in this context. I had no idea. Yikes. The industry is full of more ethically questionable conduct than most sweet, naïve consumers could possibly imagine. Certain brands are off the cards for me as soon as a reliable source provides me with deeply unpleasant information. In 2022, we can afford to stick to our guns morally and ethically when it comes to the free market as there's so much out there to choose from.
@@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293 good points there. What really got me is the Montale name drop. What's up with them? I'm curious what you have to say because their Dark Aoud is pretty much one of my favourite scents. Most of their products are damn near beast mode in terms of perfomance that you actually have to be careful with sprays or sometimes just leave the fragrance alone on certain days.
@@NashMav Oh Nash...I feel as disappointed by my discoveries as you will when you read 'The Ghost Perfumer'. I love Intense Cafe and the sister company's 'Red Tobacco', 'Roses Vanille' and 'Black Line'. I know there are loads more Montale and Mancera fragrances I'll fall in lust with but I just can't. I'm going to choose something else. I can't support unethical fruitcakes like Pierre "Montale". Definitely order the book and prepare for the juiciest fragrance related non-fiction book you've ever read. How it got published, I have no idea. I'm glad it did though. There must be so much more out there in the industry that I don't know about when it comes to ethically and morally questionable conduct, and I feel a little jaded and weirded out harbouring this permanent micro-anxiety about it. I feel like I keep losing my innocence when I educate myself because I keep discovering things I wish were not true. I can't unsee things or pretend I don't know...y'know? I guess there are billions of humans out there who just aren't rattled by poor ethics and appalling conduct. It must be a far smoother ride in life in many ways to be one of them. There's so much to choose from so I keep shifting my allegiance if I find alternative options that sit better with my conscience. 😞
I have a suggestion Gerard! Have tried any from the house of Tiziana Terenzi? Andromeda & Orion is what I have. Both smells great, but Andromeda has ridiculous longevity & projection! Nishane Hacivat is a great, kinda mossy, citrus scent & the projection & longevity is insane! I smell it now 12 hours later!
@@lordmalice8368 I was thinking about the 15 ml travel combo WŪLÓNG CHÁ & HACIVAT. However I love Bohemian Lime from Goldfield & Banks, so Hacivat is somewhat redundant. I’m unsure about Tiziana Terenzi. It seems a bit hyped. I’ll consider your suggestions for sampling.
Awesome video Justin. 👍🏾 I agree. The house is Kurkdjian does warrant a deeper examination. MFK may be linear to most but IMO, 80% of that house is note worthy. Maybe not the best atomisers but the juice is stellar.
One thing that came to mind as I was listening to you is the quite apparent improvement in the quality of your videos from the period before Grace and during a happy marriage (May God bless you!). You went on to give us more creative content and unique choices in perfumery.
Massive respect for rightfully including the house of Chris Collins! I get the feeling, most of the YT reviewers are followers of the bigger reviewer channels. I'd choose CC's, Danse Sauvage, and Renaissance, over most of the offerings from those other houses
I sampled Jovoy 21 Conduit St. Fell immediately in love and pulled the trigger on a full bottle. Waited and got a good deal on Max Aroma during one of their sales.
This video is for me, and this comment took like half an hour. Lol. Wrote my general ideas here at the top, my reflections on the video (and my picks) are below. So generally, if I had to say how many of the brands in this video are in my top 20, I think that number is 9 (Roja, Amouage, BDK, Kilian, MFK, Xerjoff, Nishane, Micallef, Fragrance du Bois). Got more than 20 bottles across these brands, majority by Xerjoff, Kilian or BDK. Will note: Some relevant brands that I didn't see, include my #1 brand which is Initio, as well as Creed, Parfums de Marly, Frederic Malle, Royal Crown and the two budget picks that are Mancera and Montale. I'd have to put more thought into it to get a full list of 20. Roja: Oceania at #1, Sweetie Aoud at #2. I'm probably buying a bottle of Burlington, got a different wearing experience as it just floats, grapefruit still makes it smell like bad BO (same experience with Overture Man). Amouage: Enclave at #1, Crimson Rocks at #2. BDK: Gris Charnel Extrait at #1 (best niche release of 2022), Rouge Smoking at #2. One of my favorite houses, great value proposition. Kilian: Love Apple Brandy, one of my summer go-to's. Straight to Heaven - I have a 7.5ml, but I never wear it. Doesn't feel at home on me, makes me feel old. To me, Kilian is always a gourmand house first. Love so much from them, but I'll give Black Phantom the #1 and Back to Black the #2. Amouroud: Safran Rare at #1, either Silver Birch or Santal des Indes at #2. I'm not as deep into the house as I'd like to be yet, extremely underrated. MFK: As much as MFK is a top brand, MFK doesn't work on my skin. I get 15 minutes max, even from Grand Soir. Xerjoff: My #2 niche house. I wear Alexandria II / A2 as a signature, second favorite is hard to pinpoint, I do like the uniqueness of Ouverture. Nishane: Think this one should be set for most - if you're going obvious picks, they're Ani and Hacivat. For me, I don't wear Aventus-type profiles anymore, I might spritz a spray or two for the gym. So I'll go Ani at #1 and Nefs at #2. Jovoy: I hear a lot about them, but I haven't tried them. M. Micallef: Not many recent releases that are all that good. I guess EdenFalls and DesirToxic, albeit these are obvious picks. Fragrance du Bois: No doubt a top brand. I'm going with Parisian at #1 which is also my #1 rose-oud, and New York 5th Avenue at #2. Left-over brands that I haven't tried / aren't for me: Argos (really bad pricing with no name recognition), Zaharoff (no exposure in Europe), Marc-Antoine Barrois, Chris Collins, Jovoy, Masque Milano, Sarah Baker, Pantheon Roma. Left-over brands with some experience: Memo (nothing special yet; Sintra is a popular copy/take of LDBS from Kilian), Teo Cabanel (nothing special; most scents were feminine) And just to also reflect on the brands that I listed at the top. Initio: Blessed Baraka at #1, either Mystic Experience or Musk Therapy at #2. Creed: Royal Oud at #1, Original Santal at #2. Royal Crown: Sultan at #1, Upper Class at #2. Parfums de Marly: Layton at #1, Sedley at #2. Frederic Malle: The Moon at #1, Promise at #2. Mancera: Aoud Vanille at #1, Black Vanilla at #2.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 Well, I'm not an influencer and the entirety of my collection is bought, so there's not exactly any reason for me to parade around brands that don't have much of a reason for being paraded around. I stick to mainstream niche or niche that is picking up steam or has a source of recognition. There's no doubt in my mind that there is significant bias within the community for several brands that give influencers bottles. I'm not getting no bottles and the brands aren't being carried in many places - that should tell you a whole lot about how reliable some of these references can be.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 When you get a decent ‘feal’ for a fragrance with a tester vial with 3 to 5 trial runs and only 2 ml, how much of a dent does that show in a full bottle? I think any conclusion based on the level you see in the video is nonsensical.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 I guess you jump to conclusions without reading. The only point I made, and I will say it again: decently testing a fragrance will take no more than 2 ml, and you will not see that as a dent in a bottle waved across the camera. You can not draw conclusions with that image. And based on that comment alone, you are typifying me as a UA-cam fragreviewer groopy unable to make my own decisions? Your logic is not flawed, rather absent.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 Mate I'm completely with you. These influencers are gifted bottles and most of them look like they have hardly been sprayed , they are incentivised to promote these brands . People would judge a product completely differently if they had to pay out of their hard earned money. I have only about 12-13 fragrances, most of them are niche but over the years I have either gone through multiple bottles or at least nearly a full bottle of each of my collection. Nearly all of my favourites will not be found of any top 10 list by these influencer , they were discovered by simply testing in stores or sampling . I never blind buy based on what UA-camrs recommend.
I love African Leather. One of my first big niche purchases about 5 years ago when I first got into niche fragrances. Last week I dropped the bottle on my cement floor! It was at least 80% full still before I dropped it. I managed to save about 2Ml from the partial part of the bottom of the bottle that I grabbed before it all drained out.
@@L11M11TeDIV exactly my reaction as it smashed all over the floor. The room did smell really good for a week. Starting to dissipate now though. Luckily it is pretty concentrated so the 2ML I have left may get me a more than a couple wears still.
Now this video in particular is music to my ears. Going to have to develope a new wish list after watching this. Appreciate the new nuchie house ideas (at least new to me)
this was a nice list. I on the fence about roja apex. i think it doesn't last long but im trying out a sample. this year i bought roja vetiver + scandal and love them
Great list mate! I agree with most of them... Most perfumes I have from Roja and MFK, 11 perfumes together. I would put Frederic Malle, Profumum Roma and PDM on the list because of their cold weather scents . Frederic Malle is so unique have POAL and Musc Ravageur and so long lasting, Vetiver Extraordinair is great too. Profumum Roma is beast mode and so unique, Acqua di Sale my most complimented summer scent, Dulcis in Fundo is great, Acqua Viva and Orangea too.
Very useful video, specially for the beginners to not waste their money, cause there are lots of even niche brands that are not worth a penny and are reformulated (watered down)
Nice list 😁 My would be: MFK Frederic Malle Roja Creed Electimuss Fragrance du Bois Diptique Nasomatto MDCI Jovoy Jeroboam Theodoros Kalotinis Kilian Histoir de Parfum ELDO Puredistance Wesker I also need to try more PdM and Initio, tho I was not impressed, and also Le Labo, Memo, Byredo, Profumum Roma, Bond n9, Vilhelm Parfumerie, Masque Milano. I tried some of their frags but not enough to rate the house
WOW, I just found your channel love the in-depth info you give on the brands, I use to get a lot of my info from Kevin Samuels a while back but now I will be tuning in to you for sure. thanks so much keep it coming.
Hi Justin, just throwing out an idea for a video: There's lots and lots of lists out there for "starter wardrobes" of fragrances - "5 fragrances for every occasion" or whatnot, but they all focus on temperate climates with four distinct seasons. But there's not many for people who live in more extreme climates, like the tropics of Northern Australia, or the tundra of Norway. Maybe a video on starter wardrobes for different climates would be good?
Great video. Definitely some new fragrances that I will need to get my nose on. Have you tried anything from the house of Widian? I have recently discovered them and the few fragrances I have put my nose on I am really liking the house. Would love to hear your thoughts.
So the Argos fragrances you mentioned... Are they both warm weather scents? Unless the fragrance is really heavy I have a hard time knowing what scent is for what season. I have 4 from Argos *purchased after watching your addictive live stream on the brand. LOL 250 bottles and counting.
Any recommendation for something that only has a hint of sweetness (a touch or none even) that doesn't include: mint, cucumber, coconut, milky, sea salty, canabis or dirty animalic notes. Classy but still as a modern feel.
Wow, what a wonderfully specific request, I love it! I wish I could offer my own feedback as an amuse-bouche whilst you wait for JC to bring out the main course reply comment 😄. I'd love to know what you have really enjoyed wearing and what has really NOT worked for you just to see what direction you're inclined to go in.
@@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293 YSL L'Homme, Creed Himalaya, GIT, TF Beau Jour, BDC Edp, Chanel Egoiste Platinum, A*men Pure Malt, Bentley Black, Prada Intense, Artisan Pure, Givenchy GRP, Argos triumph of bacchus, Guerlain Vetiver, ADG profumo, MB explorer/Legend and Zaragoff Signature pour homme I know many of these are sweet or opposite of what I am looking for. I think I'm a little bored with sweet at the moment.
@@gerardzonjee Great suggestion Gerard! I'm still mulling my contribution over. I'm about to cogitate in a hot, sudsy bath and read a back issue of Nez. Hopefully inspiration will spring forth within the next hour...😄
@@stayfreshproductions Musc Ravageur and Carnal Flower are my standouts from the house. I once wore Musc Ravageur in the freezing cold at a bonfire and I don’t think there is a more perfect scenario to bring that one out
@@willycharles-e1j those are actually two of the three I’ve tried. MR is great. I tried Carnal Flower years ago and it was too much for me. Will need to revisit it. Recently tried Music For a While and I find it interesting. Still have many I want to try.
What kind of fragrances / taste do you have? Naxos is definitely intriguing to me, Let me know what you think! but I bought Mefisto Gentiluomo and it’s not a bad scent, but it’s very green. Like grassy earthy green, and literally does not last for 3 minutes. No not a typo for 30 mins, I mean _three_ minutes. It’s gone after that. I only paid 150 but it was very disappointing.
@@stayfreshproductions bruh, it smells like niche Joop Homme. I checked the notes on the official Xerjoff site and Fragrantica and saw that Naxos and Joop shares 7 notes with each other but not the exact same tobacco note I like the opening tho, it's way different from Joop since the lemon, lavender, and bergamot pops more to my nose while Joop smells more jasmine dominant from the start When it dries down it kinda transforms into the dirty orange opening of Terre De Hermes on my skin. Kinda annoying because I don't really like that part of the scent in TDH but it doesn't last long in Naxos Naxos lasts about 6 hrs on my skin or maybe I've gotten nose blind to it idk. Overall I give it 7/10 👍
@@joeschmidt6597 I like fresh everything year round but I also like boozy amber scents and gourmand scents like chocolate, vanilla, tonka, coffee etc not really a big fan of green scents and herbal scents especially very green scents but the only very green scent I think is ok is Mancera Hindu Kush. Hindu Kush smells like really strong green soap if you spray a lot Dang, that sucks 3 minutes really? Have you asked someone to smell you? Maybe you became nose blind to the scent? 🤔😰 So far Naxos is ok. Just not really what I expected it to be, I'll have to wear it more. It got here yesterday
They’re headache-inducing for me. They’re super super synthetic. I tried almost all of them via decants and all of them are headache-inducing. Nothing niche about them imho.
That’s a deep question. But to me, it is a fragrance that is not trying to be anything else. It was created with an artistic sensibility (based on a story, a person, a place, etc), and therefore it is a unique scent.
I think it is hard to name a PdM fragrance that is unique enough to justify its price point. Maybe Galloway, maybe Carlisle, but at €230 per 100 ml it is a hard sell. They do allright in the longevity department, I’ll give you that.
I have never tried roja perfumes because the bottles are kinda ugly to me, too modern and weird. And the name roja sounds cheap and exotic in a bad way 😂
@@stayfreshproductions i watch a lot of your videos if not all and yes i didnt say all but most of them were not purchased so you have to in a way include them here and i'm not saying they are not good
@@mightykimo7304 I have disclosed in many videos that feature some of these fragrances that they were provided to me as gifts. Contrary to popular belief, a free bottle does not buy my allegiance. Why? Because I cannot pay my expenses and support my family with free bottles. I have more fragrances than I could ever need, and I don’t actually need anymore. So if I accept a free bottle, it’s because I believe in the brand and I enjoy their products. But me receiving their products has relatively little value for me. It might have more value for you than it does for me, because it is simply joining my already oversized collection, and will not get worn as much as you might wear it if you bought it yourself.
@@mightykimo7304 deep down you think you know. But you really don’t. Not unless you are a reviewer. But I can’t change the way you think. Only you can do that. All I can say is that assumption is your worst enemy.
You included almost all of the fragrances you got me to buy from your previous videos which are ganymede, desirtoxic and Burlington1819. So im sure the other houses youve mentioned are indeed good niche houses. Thanks for the recommendations!
Lately I am factoring in bang for buck. If the price is high, a fragrance *should* offer quality and uniqueness. I like your list but I think Roja is offering too little for the money on these both factors and I am on the fence with Maison Francis Kurkdjian (although I do appreciate Gentle Fluidity Silver) and Fragrance du Bois (although I do appreciate Oud Bleu and PM). Great list, and I agree with you leaving PdM out, considering that previously mentioned fence…
I had a persistent gut instinct about Roja that something was just a little...off. When I read the book 'The Ghost Perfumer', the author gave me some tantalising, well-researched, gossipy nuggets of first hand industry information which reassured me that I do have good instincts. Our sixth sense really is the greatest mystery, isn't it? Some people have a stronger connection to this mysterious instinct than others. Now Montale, that's one that fell through my net in this context. I had no idea. Yikes. The industry is full of more ethically questionable conduct than most sweet, naïve consumers could possibly imagine. Certain brands are off the cards for me as soon as a reliable source provides me with deeply unpleasant information. In 2022, we can afford to stick to our guns morally and ethically when it comes to the free market as there's so much out there to choose from.
@@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293 good points there. What really got me is the Montale name drop. What's up with them? I'm curious what you have to say because their Dark Aoud is pretty much one of my favourite scents. Most of their products are damn near beast mode in terms of perfomance that you actually have to be careful with sprays or sometimes just leave the fragrance alone on certain days.
@@NashMav Oh Nash...I feel as disappointed by my discoveries as you will when you read 'The Ghost Perfumer'. I love Intense Cafe and the sister company's 'Red Tobacco', 'Roses Vanille' and 'Black Line'. I know there are loads more Montale and Mancera fragrances I'll fall in lust with but I just can't. I'm going to choose something else. I can't support unethical fruitcakes like Pierre "Montale". Definitely order the book and prepare for the juiciest fragrance related non-fiction book you've ever read. How it got published, I have no idea. I'm glad it did though. There must be so much more out there in the industry that I don't know about when it comes to ethically and morally questionable conduct, and I feel a little jaded and weirded out harbouring this permanent micro-anxiety about it. I feel like I keep losing my innocence when I educate myself because I keep discovering things I wish were not true. I can't unsee things or pretend I don't know...y'know? I guess there are billions of humans out there who just aren't rattled by poor ethics and appalling conduct. It must be a far smoother ride in life in many ways to be one of them. There's so much to choose from so I keep shifting my allegiance if I find alternative options that sit better with my conscience. 😞
I have a suggestion Gerard! Have tried any from the house of Tiziana Terenzi? Andromeda & Orion is what I have. Both smells great, but Andromeda has ridiculous longevity & projection! Nishane Hacivat is a great, kinda mossy, citrus scent & the projection & longevity is insane! I smell it now 12 hours later!
@@lordmalice8368 I was thinking about the 15 ml travel combo WŪLÓNG CHÁ & HACIVAT. However I love Bohemian Lime from Goldfield & Banks, so Hacivat is somewhat redundant. I’m unsure about Tiziana Terenzi. It seems a bit hyped. I’ll consider your suggestions for sampling.
Awesome video Justin. 👍🏾
I agree. The house is Kurkdjian does warrant a deeper examination.
MFK may be linear to most but IMO, 80% of that house is note worthy.
Maybe not the best atomisers but the juice is stellar.
Thank you! I agree.
One thing that came to mind as I was listening to you is the quite apparent improvement in the quality of your videos from the period before Grace and during a happy marriage (May God bless you!). You went on to give us more creative content and unique choices in perfumery.
Thank you so much Mohamed.
Thank you for all you do I appreciate I all your videos has you have educated me in the world of mens frgrance . Big up Justin !!!!
Thanks Jorge!
Massive respect for rightfully including the house of Chris Collins! I get the feeling, most of the YT reviewers are followers of the bigger reviewer channels. I'd choose CC's, Danse Sauvage, and Renaissance, over most of the offerings from those other houses
Love their stuff!
Great video with some great choices in there and have a blessed day
I sampled Jovoy 21 Conduit St. Fell immediately in love and pulled the trigger on a full bottle. Waited and got a good deal on Max Aroma during one of their sales.
Angels share is definitely worth picking up
This video is for me, and this comment took like half an hour. Lol. Wrote my general ideas here at the top, my reflections on the video (and my picks) are below. So generally, if I had to say how many of the brands in this video are in my top 20, I think that number is 9 (Roja, Amouage, BDK, Kilian, MFK, Xerjoff, Nishane, Micallef, Fragrance du Bois). Got more than 20 bottles across these brands, majority by Xerjoff, Kilian or BDK.
Will note: Some relevant brands that I didn't see, include my #1 brand which is Initio, as well as Creed, Parfums de Marly, Frederic Malle, Royal Crown and the two budget picks that are Mancera and Montale. I'd have to put more thought into it to get a full list of 20.
Roja: Oceania at #1, Sweetie Aoud at #2. I'm probably buying a bottle of Burlington, got a different wearing experience as it just floats, grapefruit still makes it smell like bad BO (same experience with Overture Man).
Amouage: Enclave at #1, Crimson Rocks at #2.
BDK: Gris Charnel Extrait at #1 (best niche release of 2022), Rouge Smoking at #2. One of my favorite houses, great value proposition.
Kilian: Love Apple Brandy, one of my summer go-to's. Straight to Heaven - I have a 7.5ml, but I never wear it. Doesn't feel at home on me, makes me feel old. To me, Kilian is always a gourmand house first. Love so much from them, but I'll give Black Phantom the #1 and Back to Black the #2.
Amouroud: Safran Rare at #1, either Silver Birch or Santal des Indes at #2. I'm not as deep into the house as I'd like to be yet, extremely underrated.
MFK: As much as MFK is a top brand, MFK doesn't work on my skin. I get 15 minutes max, even from Grand Soir.
Xerjoff: My #2 niche house. I wear Alexandria II / A2 as a signature, second favorite is hard to pinpoint, I do like the uniqueness of Ouverture.
Nishane: Think this one should be set for most - if you're going obvious picks, they're Ani and Hacivat. For me, I don't wear Aventus-type profiles anymore, I might spritz a spray or two for the gym. So I'll go Ani at #1 and Nefs at #2.
Jovoy: I hear a lot about them, but I haven't tried them.
M. Micallef: Not many recent releases that are all that good. I guess EdenFalls and DesirToxic, albeit these are obvious picks.
Fragrance du Bois: No doubt a top brand. I'm going with Parisian at #1 which is also my #1 rose-oud, and New York 5th Avenue at #2.
Left-over brands that I haven't tried / aren't for me: Argos (really bad pricing with no name recognition), Zaharoff (no exposure in Europe), Marc-Antoine Barrois, Chris Collins, Jovoy, Masque Milano, Sarah Baker, Pantheon Roma.
Left-over brands with some experience: Memo (nothing special yet; Sintra is a popular copy/take of LDBS from Kilian), Teo Cabanel (nothing special; most scents were feminine)
And just to also reflect on the brands that I listed at the top.
Initio: Blessed Baraka at #1, either Mystic Experience or Musk Therapy at #2.
Creed: Royal Oud at #1, Original Santal at #2.
Royal Crown: Sultan at #1, Upper Class at #2.
Parfums de Marly: Layton at #1, Sedley at #2.
Frederic Malle: The Moon at #1, Promise at #2.
Mancera: Aoud Vanille at #1, Black Vanilla at #2.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 Well, I'm not an influencer and the entirety of my collection is bought, so there's not exactly any reason for me to parade around brands that don't have much of a reason for being paraded around. I stick to mainstream niche or niche that is picking up steam or has a source of recognition. There's no doubt in my mind that there is significant bias within the community for several brands that give influencers bottles. I'm not getting no bottles and the brands aren't being carried in many places - that should tell you a whole lot about how reliable some of these references can be.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 When you get a decent ‘feal’ for a fragrance with a tester vial with 3 to 5 trial runs and only 2 ml, how much of a dent does that show in a full bottle? I think any conclusion based on the level you see in the video is nonsensical.
Flawed?
@@fragrance_is_key8106 I guess you jump to conclusions without reading. The only point I made, and I will say it again: decently testing a fragrance will take no more than 2 ml, and you will not see that as a dent in a bottle waved across the camera. You can not draw conclusions with that image. And based on that comment alone, you are typifying me as a UA-cam fragreviewer groopy unable to make my own decisions? Your logic is not flawed, rather absent.
@@fragrance_is_key8106 Mate I'm completely with you. These influencers are gifted bottles and most of them look like they have hardly been sprayed , they are incentivised to promote these brands . People would judge a product completely differently if they had to pay out of their hard earned money. I have only about 12-13 fragrances, most of them are niche but over the years I have either gone through multiple bottles or at least nearly a full bottle of each of my collection. Nearly all of my favourites will not be found of any top 10 list by these influencer , they were discovered by simply testing in stores or sampling . I never blind buy based on what UA-camrs recommend.
Great advice!!
I love African Leather. One of my first big niche purchases about 5 years ago when I first got into niche fragrances. Last week I dropped the bottle on my cement floor! It was at least 80% full still before I dropped it. I managed to save about 2Ml from the partial part of the bottom of the bottle that I grabbed before it all drained out.
Damn it ! 😭
😢
@@L11M11TeDIV exactly my reaction as it smashed all over the floor. The room did smell really good for a week. Starting to dissipate now though. Luckily it is pretty concentrated so the 2ML I have left may get me a more than a couple wears still.
That's terrible!
Beautiful fragrances, beautiful view. A "hail" here from Brazil to you brother. 😀
Now this video in particular is music to my ears. Going to have to develope a new wish list after watching this.
Appreciate the new nuchie house ideas (at least new to me)
Great job 👌🏿 Great list Justin. Appreciate you
Thank you Dwyon
this was a nice list. I on the fence about roja apex. i think it doesn't last long but im trying out a sample. this year i bought roja vetiver + scandal and love them
Wow, what an awesome list 👌🏾. All worth owning for sure. Cheers Justin
Thanks George!
Good stuff! Appreciate the vid.
Thanks for watching!
Copeland ! Wow man there was a lot thoughts behind this video. Thank you
Thank you Ivan!
I really enjoyed this video, Justin! I found a few new fragrances I want to sample now, thanks!
Thanks Tony!
this was quite an undertaking! truly excellent! (and you made my hand itch again, hee hee!)
Thank you! That itchy hand of yours! :)
Great list mate! I agree with most of them...
Most perfumes I have from Roja and MFK, 11 perfumes together.
I would put Frederic Malle, Profumum Roma and PDM on the list because of their cold weather scents .
Frederic Malle is so unique have POAL and Musc Ravageur and so long lasting, Vetiver Extraordinair is great too.
Profumum Roma is beast mode and so unique, Acqua di Sale my most complimented summer scent, Dulcis in Fundo is great, Acqua Viva and Orangea too.
Thank you! I need to try more from FM and PR.
@@stayfreshproductions great scents...unique and beastly 😎
Really helpful , thanks!
Very useful video, specially for the beginners to not waste their money, cause there are lots of even niche brands that are not worth a penny and are reformulated (watered down)
Nice list 😁
My would be:
MFK
Frederic Malle
Roja
Creed
Electimuss
Fragrance du Bois
Diptique
Nasomatto
MDCI
Jovoy
Jeroboam
Theodoros Kalotinis
Kilian
Histoir de Parfum
ELDO
Puredistance
Wesker
I also need to try more PdM and Initio, tho I was not impressed, and also Le Labo, Memo, Byredo, Profumum Roma, Bond n9, Vilhelm Parfumerie, Masque Milano. I tried some of their frags but not enough to rate the house
Jovoy is a brand I discovered and I love. Remember Me is my favorite, following by Incident Diplomatique. Xerjoff as well. I plan to buy Muse soon.
Zaharoff too!
Remember Me is awesome!
WOW, I just found your channel love the in-depth info you give on the brands, I use to get a lot of my info from Kevin Samuels a while back but now I will be tuning in to you for sure. thanks so much keep it coming.
Really appreciate you.
Hey bro Justin, great selection yeah I have most of them also great fragrances and have a wonderful week peace ✌️
Thank you bro
🏆🏆 those pronunciations were clean my guy.
Thank you bro.
Hi Justin, just throwing out an idea for a video: There's lots and lots of lists out there for "starter wardrobes" of fragrances - "5 fragrances for every occasion" or whatnot, but they all focus on temperate climates with four distinct seasons. But there's not many for people who live in more extreme climates, like the tropics of Northern Australia, or the tundra of Norway. Maybe a video on starter wardrobes for different climates would be good?
Not a bad idea.
that’s some fire stuff!!!
Some superb picks. Nice job.
Thank you kindly
Great content Justin 👌.I will definitely sample M.A.B Ganymede now available in South Africa 🇿🇦.
Thank you! I hope you can try it.
@@stayfreshproductions hey brother wow I just sampled it now, are you reading my mind? Love it.
Love the lineup!
Thank you Theresa!
Fabulous review ❤
Thank you!
Great video as usual! DesirToxic is still the best recommendation I have ever received from a fragrance youtuber. Thank you Justin!
Love it!
Check out the house For the Scent of it Wasteland Warrior, Forbidden Fig, and Blackwood Sun.
I've smelled some of them, great stuff
Great video bro
I'm curious to see your take on Penhaligon's now.
I have a couple and love them. Not sure why they didn't make the video.
I was about to ask the same... love my Halfeti and will be happy to wear it in fall ;)
Doing the Lord's work, man. Evangelical Fragrance preaching. Yes!!! 😅🙌🏾
haha!!
Great video. Definitely some new fragrances that I will need to get my nose on. Have you tried anything from the house of Widian? I have recently discovered them and the few fragrances I have put my nose on I am really liking the house. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I haven't tried them!
What up J?... you've most definitely put me up on game💯 STAY FRESH!!!!! "THUMBS UP"🥊🔔
What up bro!
A2 designer-y? That's an interesting take😂... First I've heard that.
Good video bro👍🏾
Thanks bro!
It honestly reminds me a bit of something like Armani Code. No shade!
@@stayfreshproductions I feel you fam... You're killin it right now👍🏾
Good morning from Goldendale.
Sotd is Citrus grandis from Chris Collins.
I still need to get my nose on Argos!
Your the man Justin
You are!
Nice video
Chris Collins Danse Sauvage is good. The first time my dad smelt it he said it smelt expensive. Have you tried Royal Crown Upper Class?
I haven't tried any Royal Crowns yet!
So the Argos fragrances you mentioned... Are they both warm weather scents? Unless the fragrance is really heavy I have a hard time knowing what scent is for what season. I have 4 from Argos *purchased after watching your addictive live stream on the brand. LOL 250 bottles and counting.
Nah, as I said the first one (Brivido) is more warm weather than Adonis. Both are fantastic.
@@stayfreshproductions you are right. I have (Brivido) on now in Hot Lanta and it smells great!
Desire toxic is fire 🔥
Any recommendation for something that only has a hint of sweetness (a touch or none even) that doesn't include: mint, cucumber, coconut, milky, sea salty, canabis or dirty animalic notes.
Classy but still as a modern feel.
Wow, what a wonderfully specific request, I love it! I wish I could offer my own feedback as an amuse-bouche whilst you wait for JC to bring out the main course reply comment 😄. I'd love to know what you have really enjoyed wearing and what has really NOT worked for you just to see what direction you're inclined to go in.
@@ciganyweaverandherperiwink6293 YSL L'Homme, Creed Himalaya, GIT, TF Beau Jour, BDC Edp, Chanel Egoiste Platinum, A*men Pure Malt, Bentley Black, Prada Intense, Artisan Pure, Givenchy GRP, Argos triumph of bacchus, Guerlain Vetiver, ADG profumo, MB explorer/Legend and Zaragoff Signature pour homme
I know many of these are sweet or opposite of what I am looking for.
I think I'm a little bored with sweet at the moment.
I think you need to try the mentioned Ganymede by Marc Antoine Barrois. It checks all your boxes, except how you might interpret ‘classy’.
@@gerardzonjee Great suggestion Gerard! I'm still mulling my contribution over. I'm about to cogitate in a hot, sudsy bath and read a back issue of Nez. Hopefully inspiration will spring forth within the next hour...😄
@@gerardzonjee I'll see if I can check it out thanks
PdM has to be a staple on my list, but I respect your opinion. Herod alone 🥹. Amouage however …
I really enjoy PDM. I have several of them. I just don't consider their fragrances to be unique enough for the price.
What do you think about V Canto?
Haven't tried it!
No Frederic Malle??? They may be expensive but the quality is worth every dollar IMO
I don’t own any. I’ve sampled some and enjoy them, but I haven’t truly worn them. So I can’t sincerely speak about the brand just yet.
@@stayfreshproductions Musc Ravageur and Carnal Flower are my standouts from the house. I once wore Musc Ravageur in the freezing cold at a bonfire and I don’t think there is a more perfect scenario to bring that one out
@@willycharles-e1j those are actually two of the three I’ve tried. MR is great. I tried Carnal Flower years ago and it was too much for me. Will need to revisit it. Recently tried Music For a While and I find it interesting. Still have many I want to try.
This! I’ve been so consistently impressed by Frederic Malle. Portrait of a Lady especially is a masterpiece. 🙌🏻
Hey, Justin - you are TEASING me. Way too many out there. Soo much of the public are ignorant when it comes to true scents. We solder on.
Haha! :)
More to sample😊
:)
I blind bought my first Xerjoff recently. I chose Naxos. A UA-camr said to just blind buy it so I was like "Okie dokie" so I did. I hope it's good 🤔😂😰
What kind of fragrances / taste do you have? Naxos is definitely intriguing to me, Let me know what you think! but I bought Mefisto Gentiluomo and it’s not a bad scent, but it’s very green. Like grassy earthy green, and literally does not last for 3 minutes. No not a typo for 30 mins, I mean _three_ minutes. It’s gone after that. I only paid 150 but it was very disappointing.
Oh boy...should have gotten a sample first...but I hope you like it!
@@stayfreshproductions bruh, it smells like niche Joop Homme. I checked the notes on the official Xerjoff site and Fragrantica and saw that Naxos and Joop shares 7 notes with each other but not the exact same tobacco note
I like the opening tho, it's way different from Joop since the lemon, lavender, and bergamot pops more to my nose while Joop smells more jasmine dominant from the start
When it dries down it kinda transforms into the dirty orange opening of Terre De Hermes on my skin. Kinda annoying because I don't really like that part of the scent in TDH but it doesn't last long in Naxos
Naxos lasts about 6 hrs on my skin or maybe I've gotten nose blind to it idk. Overall I give it 7/10 👍
@@joeschmidt6597 I like fresh everything year round but I also like boozy amber scents and gourmand scents like chocolate, vanilla, tonka, coffee etc not really a big fan of green scents and herbal scents especially very green scents but the only very green scent I think is ok is Mancera Hindu Kush. Hindu Kush smells like really strong green soap if you spray a lot
Dang, that sucks 3 minutes really? Have you asked someone to smell you? Maybe you became nose blind to the scent? 🤔😰
So far Naxos is ok. Just not really what I expected it to be, I'll have to wear it more. It got here yesterday
I love Montale. Very affordable niche and their fragrances are powerful and long lasting 😋
They’re headache-inducing for me. They’re super super synthetic. I tried almost all of them via decants and all of them are headache-inducing. Nothing niche about them imho.
Popular opinion: Fragrances are luxury items. No niche fragrances are worth the money, ever.
Do you.
@Justin Copeland if you can only keep 5 fragrances for life and you cant change what would it be ?
That is an evil question.
😆
@@stayfreshproductions so what would it be if you get rid of everything and just keep 5 that would be a good video
Yeah Fragrance Du Bois is ridiculously expensive!
What makes a niche fragrance "niche" in your opinion?
That’s a deep question. But to me, it is a fragrance that is not trying to be anything else. It was created with an artistic sensibility (based on a story, a person, a place, etc), and therefore it is a unique scent.
Can’t do a quality niche house vid without Parfum De Marly!
I think it is hard to name a PdM fragrance that is unique enough to justify its price point. Maybe Galloway, maybe Carlisle, but at €230 per 100 ml it is a hard sell. They do allright in the longevity department, I’ll give you that.
Just did...
I have never tried roja perfumes because the bottles are kinda ugly to me, too modern and weird. And the name roja sounds cheap and exotic in a bad way 😂
💯
most of the fragrances were sent to you or the brand that u promote for always not an honest list
You sound certain…are you sure about that?
@@stayfreshproductions i watch a lot of your videos if not all and yes i didnt say all but most of them were not purchased so you have to in a way include them here and i'm not saying they are not good
@@mightykimo7304 I have disclosed in many videos that feature some of these fragrances that they were provided to me as gifts.
Contrary to popular belief, a free bottle does not buy my allegiance. Why? Because I cannot pay my expenses and support my family with free bottles. I have more fragrances than I could ever need, and I don’t actually need anymore. So if I accept a free bottle, it’s because I believe in the brand and I enjoy their products.
But me receiving their products has relatively little value for me. It might have more value for you than it does for me, because it is simply joining my already oversized collection, and will not get worn as much as you might wear it if you bought it yourself.
@@stayfreshproductions deep down you know.
@@mightykimo7304 deep down you think you know. But you really don’t. Not unless you are a reviewer. But I can’t change the way you think. Only you can do that.
All I can say is that assumption is your worst enemy.
You may need a mortgage to buy (all) these fragrances.
No need to look at bottle prices when you should be sampling first! 😎