I'd consider the vintage Dior Fahrenheit (1988 to early 2000s) to be a niche fragrance. It was so different from everything else at the time and truly had its own identity. Even now, smelling one of my old bottles is an experience like nothing else.
Absolutely killed it Justin with the examples!!! Great job and I couldn't agree more with your choices. Analytical masterpiece. Keep up the good work!!
I really like how you bring up these thought provoking conversations JC. You are willing to bring it up, not just as your final opinion, but as an open minded person just wanting to talk about different aspects of the fragcomm. While being accepting of any other opinions people may have. Good on you man! ✌️
I totally agree, Justin. Black Orchid is the fragrence that pushed me headfirst into to the wonderful world of "niche." I always appreciate your reccomendations, you always point me in great directions. Keep up the great work, my guy!
The weirdest thing about toy boy is that when you first get it it smells like fresh roses but the more times you wear it you really start to pick up more of the spicy woody and the rose becomes an afterthought.
Appreciate your content J.C. in my opinion the term "Niche" is a word created for the fragcom community for a money 💰 grab. I've been a collector of fragrance from the mid 80's & that term "Niche" is MAJORLY overrated. If the juice smells good & to your liking, does it really matter if the fragrance house also makes jeans 👖 purses 👛 or sweaters 🤔?
I'm glad you said it. I've been buying for 17+ years now and before joining the fragcom 2 years ago. ive always known them as luxury perfumes. because, well, they were always in the "luxury" section. and, what gives it away even more is how the band's themselves constantly keep using the word "luxury". niche to me is something that's limited. only a certain amount made and no copies. there's companies that even destroy what ever is remaining that don't sell so it becomes even more rare and niche. but perfumes, I personally don't think can be niche because there's always something similar out there.
@@mohsinchoudhury85 Luxury is associated with quality and price, so by it's very nature it will appeal to less due to it's high price tag. However there are luxury brands also release mass appealing products (Roja parfum Elysium springs to mind) and not all niche is expensive (Encre Noir),, so it's not simply a money making scam. Niche is an adjective that is simply describing something that is not mass appealing, it's that simple.
I think its just a category to differentiate the style, quality, who has made it, and elements like that. And if it's meant for a smaller group of people tbh
Niche to me just refers to a type of House. If a house specializes in fragrances pretty much only, they are a niche house. Regardless if some of their fragrances are mainstream and some are not. I think we should just stop calling unique, challenging, or non-mass appealing fragrances niche, and just call them what they are. For me I care more about affordable vs higher end vs luxury pricing. And whether or not it is a "safe" fragrance that won't offend or one that is much more interesting and possibly challenging. The "designer/niche" labels are unnecessary to me. Just my opinion.
Nice take Justin! I'm fully in line with your thoughts mate. I truly feel that designer houses can create niche fragrances. From my point of view, niche means that it is for a certain audience! This audience is not about to get compliments because they are passed with that! This audience wears fragrances concerning the scent profile and not for getting compliments!! The fragrances you introduced a absolutely niche quality Justin!!! Keep going mate 👏🏼💪🏾👍🏽🙌🏾👏🏽
Ok, this is how 'I' was brought up in the game. You have Designer, Niche, Indie (Independent houses, like micro brands), and Luxury. Designer is self exclamatory (YSL, Hermés, Versace, etc.). Niche is a fragrance house that only makes fragrances. Creed, Bortnikoff, Bois 1920, Xerjoff, etc.. Indie houses are small, independent houses. The World of Scents, House of Matriarch, etc.. Luxury brands are high end lines from designers. Tom Ford Private Blend, Dior Collection Privé, Armani Privé, etc..
Justin I'm a 52 year old gentleman and I am a subscriber for a reason!! The most prolific statement I have heard you say on your channel was.... QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!!! I'm not a collector but I'm a man who takes great pride in how I present myself to the world. You are one of the great reviewers on UA-cam and I appreciate your take on fragrance content. I love some designer fragrances as well as niche fragrances. Pay no attention to the trolls and negative people!!! Keep doing what your doing because it's needed more than you may realize.🙏🏽🙏🏽👌🏾👌🏾
Very interesting vid , totally understand what your saying, "Designers" releasing fragrances that are for a "niche" part of the market not a crowd pleasers and vice versa for "Niche" releasing designer style fragrances to please the crowd.
A very well spoken guy. I like that. Being able to express your thoughts so precisely on these fragrances is one of the reasons I enjoy watching your content.
Appreciate the insight ! 6 months ago I was more into quantity over quality…I would go in rack stores multiple times a week on the cheapie hunt which is fun because you never know what you’ll find but as I got more into fragrances and also smelling more interesting fragrances I started to stray away from the cheapies and gravitate more towards scents that move me…now I’m at the point of quality over quantity ! Thanks the inspiration !
I understand what you're saying about how you feel with Tom Ford's Black Orchid. Often I find myself not liking a fragrance because it's so different and idk when I would wear it but I keep going back to smell it and thinking about it and I eventually grow to enjoy it.
I agree with other comments - your cerebral musings are a breath of fresh air in this community. I like how you carefully curate and articulate your thoughts especially. A classy gent.
I have both Tom Ford Black Orchid edp and parfum, Noir Extreme, and Noir de Noir. They smell great and very rich. They are huge compliment getters not just that they smell good, but also because they are so unique.
I did start my fragrance journey recently...just bombarded from all sides with the same content but posted with a twist based on the personality of the creator. And I have to admit that I believed the same about you...at first, but your style grew on me just like Terre d'Hermes did for you. I realized that I was on the right track even before watching this type of content - I bought Terre d'hermes EDT in 2015 and Guerlain L'homme Ideal EDP in 2017, again another Terre d'Hermes EDP in 2018 and an Eau Givree 2 weeks ago. I purchased these only based on how they made feel when I first smelled them. So...thank you a lot for being genuine and trying to share your knowledge and experience with everyone. That first video I watched with top 10 PDM's hooked me 😎 And congrats for your wedding, have an awesome honeymoon.
The title itself has confirmed that i have proper understanding from your previous 'related' video. i've commented before : ".. from (some part of) the content, i understand that there are "niches" in Luxury Brands. So it is just common to think there might be "niches" too in Designers Brands.." This time i manage to have more understanding of "niches" in your perspective. if i could give a few example of 'niche' frags within DESIGNERS which i have in my collection, some of it could be: HUGO BOSS Number One HUGO BOSS Boss Bottled Oud Saffron i might be quite clueless about fragrance 'character' though.. i appreciate your thoughts on this.. i am still learning..
Couldn’t agree more. I have Noir Extreme, both Black Orchid edp and parfum, and Noir de Noir. They are incredible and very very different. Huge compliment getters, not just because they smell good, but that they are so different and rich.
Man you’re stepping in good territory. On one hand they are niche because they charge a premium and appeal to certain customers. On the other hand they’re seeking to branch out. No one does fragrance just to sell two bottles and cut the deck after that. It’s good to break down that someone houses have different intent with their releases because it makes you respect each release differently.
Moschino Toy Boy out performs most of my niche fragrances. Crazy, yet it does. Smells different and great on my skin. My wife absolutely loves this on me. She also loves YSL L’Homme on me. They don’t smell exactly the same but there is something in Toy Boy that has a hint of an ingredient in L’ Homme that I think my wife is attracted to.
Completely agree , bro. I'm just like you in the sense of wanting to smell "different". Not that I dislike the mainstream scents out there. They smell great. But why buy sauvage or Dylan blue when, although they smell great, they won't elicit conversation besides the random comment. I rocked aoud lemon mint today and felt like a king. I was 110 percent positive that I would not run into anybody that smelled like me. And I was right. Thanks for the content. Always interesting thoughts, my brother. Cartier declaration d un soir encapsulates your theme here. So unique and soooo good
You are spot on about Toy Boy. I came back to it three times at the store. Finally, I decided to buy it. It is weird, crazy, and peppery. But is a long lasting quality powerhouse.
Gucci Guilty Cologne: Juniper berries, cypress, heliotrope, and violet. It’s without question the most "niche" designer fragrance I've ever smelled. It gives me that odd scent profile vibe like Dior Fahrenheit does, but for summer. I love it.
What an interesting video Justin. I completely agree with you. There are designer perfumes that smell niche. A few of my favorites are un jardin sur le nil, Mon Guerlain intense and of course DHI. They will always be in my collection. Can’t disregard a designer perfume when the quality and uniqueness are there.
interesting thoughts. here is what confuses me: isn't every perfume niche? isn't every perfume designer? aren't we too heavily influenced by the brand? how would a fragrance be classified if we just smell it without knowing the brand. our eyes smell the fragrance too, don't they.
absolutely. my words. it doesn't matter what brand, what category, what price tag, is it a dupe or an original, what does the bottle look like. people even complain about the flacons.... the only thing that matters is, what does it smell like for yourself and the people around you. they don't care about these things, they only smell a fragrance. and if it smells like shit, even if its 300 bucks, it still smells like shit. and there are some that smell like shit, but have a great reputation....
To some extent. But a cologne that is blue or oud, or musky, or sweet or fruity is not necessarily niche because it’s mass appealing and accepted. More so black, blue, sweet or fruity, and musky.
It says it right in the word niche, harder to find, for a more acquired taste, not trying to be mass appealing. If I pick a random niche fragrance and a random designer fragrance that you can find in any perfume store it is much more likely that you will be intrigued by the niche parfum. That is not to say that you will like it.
I look for difference makers when I choose a fragrance. It isn’t the only salient factor when I choose a fragrance. I admire your courage in talking about tough definitions. It is also fun.
1. I don't understand folks who need the compartment department of life. Either the fragrance smells good, interesting, complex. Or it doesn't.. based off of one's subjective experience of it. Objectivity and fragrance do not hold hands. 2. Another designer niche scent: Boss Bottled Oud Aromatic. I love this stuff. Skanky The Dreamer. I loved it from first spray though already it has changed over the past month - white florals ala The Dreamer that have now faded to something stickier and heavier but not in a bad way (I think this is the Myrrh). Recommend a sample for your future lists!
Cartier declaration edt i couldn't stand when i first got it because it opens like a blast of body odor but I eventually came back to it. And as it dries down its becomes a beautiful scent
Fantastic job with this and past videos. I am in line with your thoughts. I've been in the fragrance game for the last 28 yrs and I've gotten to the point where I am looking for a fragrance that will captivate me. Compliments are not my sole purpose of wearing a fragrance anymore, It's nice if I do get a compliment, but I'm past that. Within this last year I have gotten rid of most of my designer scents and flankers and I'm looking to add more "niche" fragrances to my collection. I had about 85 bottles in my collection and now I'm down to about 23. I also stopped going out and purchasing a bottle because a reviewer said it is fantastic or is discontinued, I wont fall into that trap again. Keep up the great job!
Great conversation and really like when there is something less mainstream but so enjoyable from a designer brand. I find so many times "oh I've smelled that before or this hasn't changed from the last flanker". Love when there is something fresh and unique. Great job.
never thought about it this way, but I agree. There ARE indeed some niche frags that are really just main stream blue frag types. not a bad thing, but also not so "niche" or "daring". Before I even got through the video, I thought of sedley. Also TF's private collection comes to mind too. They have the niche price tag, and also the scents are quite aggressive
I don’t have much to share, Cause to be honest just about everything you said aligns with how I view this topic as well. Also when you were showing those scents I’m sitting here going yep. Yep. Yep. Niche. Yep. 😂
3:33 - 3:47 i feel the same about Oud Vert Intense from Fragrance Du Bois🧐 i really like it,got a compliment from a girl the 1st night i wore it but..🤷♂ im gonna end up by buying a full bottle eventually, i know it😅
I own a mixture of mainstream designer and niche fragrances. You are right, just because it is a niche brand, the scent is very mainstream and has lower performance. Yet I own some designer/mainstream or beauty brands but some smell more niche with better performance.
Toy Boy gets me compliment after Compliments, just yesterday after church my next door neighbor bought my Toy Boy cologne oil and was amazed at it's smell and purchased it
First of all, I admire that you open the debate and make those of us who look at your content think, in this case about some concepts assumed as obvious in general. I think it is a healthy exercise in every aspect. Now a question: one way to consider a brand as a niche is that they only specialize in perfumes, so can oriental brands like Amaf, Lattafa, etc. be considered as a niche?
Thank you very much for the kind words. I can’t remember if I mentioned it in this video, but in recent videos on this topic, I have said that I now evaluate “mainstream” and “niche” on a fragrance-by-fragrance basis. It just adds more nuance. So any brand is capable of producing both mainstream and more unique, artistic fragrances.
Dior Fahrenheit Parfum really is my most niche designer fragrance. I would even say it is more niche than most of my niche fragrances. There is so much crazy stuff going on. And while I rarely ever wear it I think it is a gorgeous creation. A true experience. Sometimes it smells like pure nature, like a hike in the green mountains in the morning after a rainy night. Sometimes it smells like an ashtray with old cigarettes and some sweet nuances. The mandarin is only hinted to balance the rough edges of the rum, the spices (coriander, cumin) and suede. On the other hand there is Dior Homme Parfum. Also one of the more niche type designers and while I love and wear it a lot I cannot imagine this in a tester in a public store. The quality is off the charts. Especially for the price (compared with luxury brands like XerJoff, PdM, Creed, ...).
Hi Justin, I think you have just named master pieces, love this list. Toy Boy is wicked on my wife and love to wear it too. Gucci G. Absolute ahh no need to say anything it’s bombastic for winter. Had Terre Hermes and will buy new bottle as well as Lalique AN all 3 I want to have in my collection. Black Orchid is sick too for cold weather. Amazing stuff on this list.
I totally understand and I agree with you to a certain extent, Justin. You just want to create and maintain your own particular scent profile at times without you smelling like every other release in the market. I mean come on, do we need 15 flankers or versions of Paco Rabanne's 1 million to smell different? I get it. I was going to come at you... but after thinking about it and considering a lot of the points made here, and your own points, you made sense to me. Definitely thought provoking. Well done! 🤜🤛👍
I tried a sample of Dark Lord by Kilian (similar to Gucci Guilty absolute) and even though I can see why people wouldn’t like it; I think dressed up in an all black suit it would work wonders.
I didn't like the Gucci Guilty Absolute at first, very smoky to me but when it dries down, the real presence is felt, it was amongst the darkest in my collection but I found out that I love to wear it when I want to smell mysterious.
I do agree with your take on this. I think perfumery is an art just as music is an art. And consumers of any form of art likes a particular genre generally but likes other genres to a varying degree. I listen to certain music depending on my mood just as I love some particular fragrance depending on my mood and the occasion. I agree that designers can make niche Fragrances and niche houses can make designer smelling fragrances. Great video, keep it coming. Say hi to Grace for us.
I think I’m on the technical definition side. To me, any perfumery that concentrates on fragrances only is a niche brand that makes niche perfume regardless of if it’s challenging or complex or mass appealing. They feel they are bringing something to the table that they find unique or they may have their own particular dna throughout their fragrances. If a designer makes a different fragrance from their norm that isn’t mass appealing doesn’t make it niche to me. It’s still designer. Some niche fragrances do appeal to a lot of people but that wouldn’t change the fact that they are niche. But I understand how you prefer to make your determination of niche.
Don't agree with this fella,, perfume brands that produce just perfumes are specialists in their field but they can produce both mass appealing and niche fragrances. Likewise designer brands can produce niche and mass appealing as well.
@@BKG0730 I think the interesting point of this debate is whether to apply the description of niche to the fragrance house or the actual fragrance. If the house makes only fragrance they are niche, if the house makes many other items they are designer,, simple enough. The question then is do the fragrances themselves fall into the same category depending on what kind of fragrance house made them? I think not, you think they do,,, fair enough, as you say we are all entitled to our opinions, enjoy...
Un jardin sur le Nil is such an attention grabbing unisex spring scent. Could also be a nice holiday scent for warm weather. Side note, completely agree with your points in this video.
Great video JC!! Dont think you'll change anyone's mind...Niche is the same as Ferrari or Lamborghini,its a status symbol and you want everyone to know you have it!!
From my past experience working at Macy's , most designer houses , if they put out a fragrance, outside of their private line, they released that said feagrance with the hope that it will become a mass appealing fragrance ie Gucci Guilty Absolute..... Because the way Moschino advertised Toy Boy, you can tell they was hoping for it to be a mass appealing, money making release.
Great video as always... Totally agree that not every niche fragrance is niche, and some designer frags are... A few you mentioned I agree with : Gucci Guilty Absolute... Yyyyup.. And Fahrenheit Parfum... Fantastic. I am a bit older than you (47 next month) and when Sauvage was released... Please take it from me when I was likely quoted saying: "wow, dior must have a SERIOUS cash flow problem to have allowed this to be sold with their name on it.. " And to use the name SAUVAGE... Keeping in mind that one of the TRUE MASTERPIECES OF MEN'S FRAGRANCES is Eau Sauvage from 19-sixty-something... That was game changing for its time... It's STILL TOTALLY wearable and classy and BEAUTIFUL and... To use the name Sauvage on THAT.. it's both tragedy and farce at the same time... You really nailed it when you said it was a new Era for dior... You also likely don't know the ORIGINAL miss dior (1947) vs the "new" Miss Dior from the last 15 or so years (honestly one of the most horrifying fragrances for women by a venerable designer in decades... Even when you compare it to Lancôme... I'm ranting, sorry... My only disagreement is Issey... Not because it isn't mass appealing and a broad departure from their norm (it is!)... But it smells VERY synthetic to me, which in turn makes me feel it is very cheap... But that's just my interpretation...
Nice Video! Sur le Nil is a masterpiece, i love it. Same with Voyage Edp and Edt. I have Terre edt and like it, very unique but its too strong and mature for me
black orchid makes me sick. My mother wore it and she is an oversprayer and every time she wore it I would instantly get nauseated, I was so relieved when she ran out of it and thought it was too pricy to repurchase
Thank you J.C for another great stay fresh video, i totally agree with you, i think the haters are gonna hate. I would love EGO J.C from the Skits reply to all them haters!😉😂
That Black Orchad is no joke. I own it and the gold bottle. Haven't worn either yet and it's been months since they were bought. Haven't worn Gucci Absolue either, but I own it.
Niche is by definition a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service. Plenty of designer releases ended up becoming niche with time. YSL Kouros is one that comes to mind. The more popular these “niche” brands become the less they are niche. The real word we need to use to describe them is either “independent” or “non-designer” fragrances. Only elitists and gatekeepers like the niche moniker. Oh and PDM is not a niche brand but they have one hell of a marketing department.
Great video! Gucci Guilty Absolute and Moschino Boy Toy definitely fit that niche category. Both of them grabbed me right away as something outside the box when I first smelled them. I'd include Bentley for Men Intense & Zadig & Voltaire This Is Him as well.
Black orchid on my sweaty 🥵 skin just amazing turns my sweat into this blast of sandalwood amber and florals It’s the only fall fragrance I can’t where when it rains 🤦🏿♂️ for some reason if we have a hot fall rain in Texas this becomes a no go 🙅🏿♂️… but Pure Malt on a Cold rainy day is my go to .
Another designer fragrance that I think is arguably niche, and which captured me the first time I smelled it, is Uomo Noir Absolu by Valentino. It got a decent amount of talk at the end of 2017, when it was released; but it was discontinued within a year and people moved on from it. It opens with a very smooth and warm blend of sandalwood, iris, cinnamon, and incense. After about 20 minutes, the sandalwood and cinnamon step back and the incense remains prominent with the iris still discernable. This is where the fragrance develops a cold feel about it, in a good way. Therefore, while I am an extrovert, I especially like to wear this when I'm feeling a bit introverted and when I'm content to hang back and just listen and watch. Uomo Noir Absolu emulates that mood perfectly, thus is why I would call it niche.
Interesting thoughts… do you place Guerlain l’Homme Ideal EDP and Dior Homme in the same class as their exclusive collection? I think TF Black Orchid can actually be part of his private blend collection. What do you think?
Hey Justin love your content bro! Random question but I’ve been trying to find a video of yours where you mentioned a clone fragrance that you said smelt 1-1 with Chanel allure homme extreme but I’ve not been able to, do you remember which fragrance you were mentioning?
@@stayfreshproductions My only issue with that fragrance has always been the performance, I absolute love the scent but it just dies on my skin after about 4 hours 😭
While I have only tried a few of the ones you spoke about I will say this most of my Niche fragrances have less longevity than my designer ones which for the money of the Niche fragrance is horrible. The main issue I have with designer brands is that most of them dry down to smell the same, but I have a few good ones in my collection. I recently have watched a few of your videos and I like that you talk about fragrances most main stream is not wearing and that's what I'm looking for.
@@stayfreshproductions I have Creed Aventus, SMW, Erolfa, Green Irish Tweed, Royal Oud. Initio Rehab, Bad Baraka, Pdm Layton, Habdan. MFK Silver Fluidity, Oud Satin Mood, and Clive Christian Rock Rose, Molecule 1, Nishane Hacivate, Tiziana Terenza Spirito Fiorentino,and a ton of designer fragrances. I just got into Niche last year. I ordered a sample of Ganymede waiting on its arrival.
it also happened to me with this perfume tom ford black orchid i did not know when i should wear it i thought i was going to feel strange, i finally left this perfume for special occasions, very good longevity
So for those of you in the comments who strictly side with the technical definitions of niche and designer, let me ask you this. Suppose Initio or Roja Dove created a fragrance that was extremely mass appealing, almost to the point of smelling exactly like Bleu de Chanel for example and even went as far as pricing it at under $100 for a 3.4 oz bottle. Would that fragrance still be considered niche or not? The way I see it, the word “niche” has two definitions in terms of fragrances. There’s the first definition, which means that a particular brand specializes in making fragrances. In other words, they have a specific niche within the marketplace. The other definition is in regard to the fragrances themselves. Do they smell in a way that your average consume isn’t likely to appreciate or understand? Are they only located at specific stores or priced at certain amounts that only a specific clientele can purchase them? This is why some brands that many refer to as niche, I call them pseudo niche because they don’t tick off all the boxes in my opinion. Two brands that this applies to, in my opinion, are Creed and PDM because while they’re priced at a high range and you can only find them in higher end retail locations, the vast majority of their fragrances are very mass appealing.
Paving the way for new ideas in the frag community.
I love that you’re bold and like to talk about things that are out of the box.
He's one of the first reviewers I came across in my journey. He has a lot more depth than most of them.
I'd consider the vintage Dior Fahrenheit (1988 to early 2000s) to be a niche fragrance. It was so different from everything else at the time and truly had its own identity. Even now, smelling one of my old bottles is an experience like nothing else.
As always Justin bringing the UA-cam frag to the next level. Great content, keeping it real.
Thanks Mark!
Absolutely killed it Justin with the examples!!! Great job and I couldn't agree more with your choices. Analytical masterpiece. Keep up the good work!!
Thank you!
I really like how you bring up these thought provoking conversations JC. You are willing to bring it up, not just as your final opinion, but as an open minded person just wanting to talk about different aspects of the fragcomm. While being accepting of any other opinions people may have. Good on you man! ✌️
I totally agree, Justin. Black Orchid is the fragrence that pushed me headfirst into to the wonderful world of "niche." I always appreciate your reccomendations, you always point me in great directions. Keep up the great work, my guy!
Niche: "denoting products that appeal to a small, specialized section of the population" As Justin said very simply "not mainstream"
The weirdest thing about toy boy is that when you first get it it smells like fresh roses but the more times you wear it you really start to pick up more of the spicy woody and the rose becomes an afterthought.
Appreciate your content J.C. in my opinion the term "Niche" is a word created for the fragcom community for a money 💰 grab. I've been a collector of fragrance from the mid 80's & that term "Niche" is MAJORLY overrated. If the juice smells good & to your liking, does it really matter if the fragrance house also makes jeans 👖 purses 👛 or sweaters 🤔?
I'm glad you said it. I've been buying for 17+ years now and before joining the fragcom 2 years ago. ive always known them as luxury perfumes. because, well, they were always in the "luxury" section.
and, what gives it away even more is how the band's themselves constantly keep using the word "luxury".
niche to me is something that's limited.
only a certain amount made and no copies.
there's companies that even destroy what ever is remaining that don't sell so it becomes even more rare and niche.
but perfumes, I personally don't think can be niche because there's always something similar out there.
@@mohsinchoudhury85 Luxury is associated with quality and price, so by it's very nature it will appeal to less due to it's high price tag. However there are luxury brands also release mass appealing products (Roja parfum Elysium springs to mind) and not all niche is expensive (Encre Noir),, so it's not simply a money making scam. Niche is an adjective that is simply describing something that is not mass appealing, it's that simple.
@@gazzap6664 they not niche, it's as simple as that.
@@mohsinchoudhury85 What is not niche?
I think its just a category to differentiate the style, quality, who has made it, and elements like that. And if it's meant for a smaller group of people tbh
Niche to me just refers to a type of House. If a house specializes in fragrances pretty much only, they are a niche house. Regardless if some of their fragrances are mainstream and some are not. I think we should just stop calling unique, challenging, or non-mass appealing fragrances niche, and just call them what they are. For me I care more about affordable vs higher end vs luxury pricing. And whether or not it is a "safe" fragrance that won't offend or one that is much more interesting and possibly challenging. The "designer/niche" labels are unnecessary to me. Just my opinion.
Nice take Justin! I'm fully in line with your thoughts mate. I truly feel that designer houses can create niche fragrances. From my point of view, niche means that it is for a certain audience! This audience is not about to get compliments because they are passed with that! This audience wears fragrances concerning the scent profile and not for getting compliments!!
The fragrances you introduced a absolutely niche quality Justin!!!
Keep going mate 👏🏼💪🏾👍🏽🙌🏾👏🏽
im with you all the way here fella...
Really good examples, you're always nice and polite. Always a pleasure to watch your videos.
Ok, this is how 'I' was brought up in the game. You have Designer, Niche, Indie (Independent houses, like micro brands), and Luxury. Designer is self exclamatory (YSL, Hermés, Versace, etc.). Niche is a fragrance house that only makes fragrances. Creed, Bortnikoff, Bois 1920, Xerjoff, etc.. Indie houses are small, independent houses. The World of Scents, House of Matriarch, etc.. Luxury brands are high end lines from designers. Tom Ford Private Blend, Dior Collection Privé, Armani Privé, etc..
Justin I'm a 52 year old gentleman and I am a subscriber for a reason!! The most prolific statement I have heard you say on your channel was.... QUALITY OVER QUANTITY!!! I'm not a collector but I'm a man who takes great pride in how I present myself to the world. You are one of the great reviewers on UA-cam and I appreciate your take on fragrance content. I love some designer fragrances as well as niche fragrances. Pay no attention to the trolls and negative people!!! Keep doing what your doing because it's needed more than you may realize.🙏🏽🙏🏽👌🏾👌🏾
Thank you! 🙏🏾
Very interesting vid , totally understand what your saying, "Designers" releasing fragrances that are for a "niche" part of the market not a crowd pleasers and vice versa for "Niche" releasing designer style fragrances to please the crowd.
A very well spoken guy. I like that. Being able to express your thoughts so precisely on these fragrances is one of the reasons I enjoy watching your content.
Much appreciated!
I've said for ages that "Boutique" is a much better name for niche perfume houses. Niche in and of itself is just such an inaccurate term
Agree, I tend to use boutique or arthouse a lot, depending.
Or Specialist?
So many markets of products use “boutique” for this categorization, strongly agree with this
Your carefull application of terminology has expanded my fragrance vocabulary significantly
Appreciate the insight ! 6 months ago I was more into quantity over quality…I would go in rack stores multiple times a week on the cheapie hunt which is fun because you never know what you’ll find but as I got more into fragrances and also smelling more interesting fragrances I started to stray away from the cheapies and gravitate more towards scents that move me…now I’m at the point of quality over quantity ! Thanks the inspiration !
I understand what you're saying about how you feel with Tom Ford's Black Orchid. Often I find myself not liking a fragrance because it's so different and idk when I would wear it but I keep going back to smell it and thinking about it and I eventually grow to enjoy it.
I agree with other comments - your cerebral musings are a breath of fresh air in this community. I like how you carefully curate and articulate your thoughts especially. A classy gent.
I have both Tom Ford Black Orchid edp and parfum, Noir Extreme, and Noir de Noir.
They smell great and very rich. They are huge compliment getters not just that they smell good, but also because they are so unique.
I did start my fragrance journey recently...just bombarded from all sides with the same content but posted with a twist based on the personality of the creator. And I have to admit that I believed the same about you...at first, but your style grew on me just like Terre d'Hermes did for you. I realized that I was on the right track even before watching this type of content - I bought Terre d'hermes EDT in 2015 and Guerlain L'homme Ideal EDP in 2017, again another Terre d'Hermes EDP in 2018 and an Eau Givree 2 weeks ago. I purchased these only based on how they made feel when I first smelled them. So...thank you a lot for being genuine and trying to share your knowledge and experience with everyone. That first video I watched with top 10 PDM's hooked me 😎 And congrats for your wedding, have an awesome honeymoon.
Thank you!!
Love the original content my brotha. Very thought provoking. Dont't agree with everything but I appreciate the POV. Peace!
Thanks for your insight on your thoughts about this subject at hand. You put me up on game. Appreciate it, love your videos.
I agree one hundred percent and never thought about it this way until you expressed how you felt. Great episode brother!
Justin i really love your videos
Big hug from Portugal
Keep it up because your are one of the best in the fragrance community !
Bravo! Fantastic list of gems. I'm privileged to own many of them! Thanks for your great video!
Greetings🇬🇷
The title itself has confirmed that i have proper understanding from your previous 'related' video.
i've commented before :
".. from (some part of) the content, i understand that there are "niches" in Luxury Brands.
So it is just common to think there might be "niches" too in Designers Brands.."
This time i manage to have more understanding of "niches" in your perspective.
if i could give a few example of 'niche' frags within DESIGNERS which i have in my collection,
some of it could be:
HUGO BOSS Number One
HUGO BOSS Boss Bottled Oud Saffron
i might be quite clueless about fragrance 'character' though..
i appreciate your thoughts on this..
i am still learning..
To me, Noir Extreme is niche, as are most Tom Ford's. Their trying to be different and for me they work. Great video Justin
Couldn’t agree more. I have Noir Extreme, both Black Orchid edp and parfum, and Noir de Noir. They are incredible and very very different. Huge compliment getters, not just because they smell good, but that they are so different and rich.
Love the direction your content is going. Breaking the mould!
Man you’re stepping in good territory. On one hand they are niche because they charge a premium and appeal to certain customers. On the other hand they’re seeking to branch out. No one does fragrance just to sell two bottles and cut the deck after that. It’s good to break down that someone houses have different intent with their releases because it makes you respect each release differently.
God I have almost all of these lol
Noir Ambre is probaly my fave frag along with Jet Black Platinum
Big up from Toronto gang!
Moschino Toy Boy out performs most of my niche fragrances. Crazy, yet it does. Smells different and great on my skin. My wife absolutely loves this on me. She also loves YSL L’Homme on me. They don’t smell exactly the same but there is something in Toy Boy that has a hint of an ingredient in L’ Homme that I think my wife is attracted to.
Completely agree , bro. I'm just like you in the sense of wanting to smell "different". Not that I dislike the mainstream scents out there. They smell great. But why buy sauvage or Dylan blue when, although they smell great, they won't elicit conversation besides the random comment. I rocked aoud lemon mint today and felt like a king.
I was 110 percent positive that I would not run into anybody that smelled like me. And I was right. Thanks for the content. Always interesting thoughts, my brother.
Cartier declaration d un soir encapsulates your theme here. So unique and soooo good
I bet on Dior Fahrenheit Parfum...
Though I haven’t tried Black Orchid EDP, the Parfum is one of my favorite fragrances. I wear it very often and it’s so unique to me.
Great video! I’m from Brazil and I love your channel!
Thank you Léo!
We can all disagree in fragances but we can agree that your saxo 🎷 intros are 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Justin, You really know what you talking about. Am on your Tab. I can concur 100%.....You the man....
Thank you
You are spot on about Toy Boy. I came back to it three times at the store. Finally, I decided to buy it. It is weird, crazy, and peppery. But is a long lasting quality powerhouse.
Glad you dig it!
Gucci Guilty Cologne: Juniper berries, cypress, heliotrope, and violet.
It’s without question the most "niche" designer fragrance I've ever smelled.
It gives me that odd scent profile vibe like Dior Fahrenheit does, but for summer. I love it.
It was a very elegant review ,like always .! not all of us want to come for you . Keep up the great work .
Thank you, Nathan!
What an interesting video Justin. I completely agree with you. There are designer perfumes that smell niche. A few of my favorites are un jardin sur le nil, Mon Guerlain intense and of course DHI. They will always be in my collection. Can’t disregard a designer perfume when the quality and uniqueness are there.
interesting thoughts. here is what confuses me: isn't every perfume niche? isn't every perfume designer? aren't we too heavily influenced by the brand? how would a fragrance be classified if we just smell it without knowing the brand. our eyes smell the fragrance too, don't they.
absolutely. my words. it doesn't matter what brand, what category, what price tag, is it a dupe or an original, what does the bottle look like. people even complain about the flacons.... the only thing that matters is, what does it smell like for yourself and the people around you. they don't care about these things, they only smell a fragrance. and if it smells like shit, even if its 300 bucks, it still smells like shit. and there are some that smell like shit, but have a great reputation....
To some extent. But a cologne that is blue or oud, or musky, or sweet or fruity is not necessarily niche because it’s mass appealing and accepted. More so black, blue, sweet or fruity, and musky.
It says it right in the word niche, harder to find, for a more acquired taste, not trying to be mass appealing. If I pick a random niche fragrance and a random designer fragrance that you can find in any perfume store it is much more likely that you will be intrigued by the niche parfum. That is not to say that you will like it.
Another unique fragrance theme approach. Enjoyed it very much, Thanks!
Definitely agree with Black Orchid. I do enjoy the smell but everyone I know does not.
I look for difference makers when I choose a fragrance. It isn’t the only salient factor when I choose a fragrance. I admire your courage in talking about tough definitions. It is also fun.
I agree brother. it’s unbelievable that you have to be so clear, and people still don’t get the point.
Great list and I enjoyed it and have a blessed night
1. I don't understand folks who need the compartment department of life. Either the fragrance smells good, interesting, complex. Or it doesn't.. based off of one's subjective experience of it. Objectivity and fragrance do not hold hands.
2. Another designer niche scent: Boss Bottled Oud Aromatic. I love this stuff. Skanky The Dreamer. I loved it from first spray though already it has changed over the past month - white florals ala The Dreamer that have now faded to something stickier and heavier but not in a bad way (I think this is the Myrrh). Recommend a sample for your future lists!
Cartier declaration edt i couldn't stand when i first got it because it opens like a blast of body odor but I eventually came back to it. And as it dries down its becomes a beautiful scent
Great video! I have 3 from this video and have my eyes on a few others
Fantastic job with this and past videos. I am in line with your thoughts. I've been in the fragrance game for the last 28 yrs and I've gotten to the point where I am looking for a fragrance that will captivate me. Compliments are not my sole purpose of wearing a fragrance anymore, It's nice if I do get a compliment, but I'm past that. Within this last year I have gotten rid of most of my designer scents and flankers and I'm looking to add more "niche" fragrances to my collection. I had about 85 bottles in my collection and now I'm down to about 23. I also stopped going out and purchasing a bottle because a reviewer said it is fantastic or is discontinued, I wont fall into that trap again. Keep up the great job!
Great conversation and really like when there is something less mainstream but so enjoyable from a designer brand. I find so many times "oh I've smelled that before or this hasn't changed from the last flanker". Love when there is something fresh and unique. Great job.
Thanks Rob! 🙏🏾
@@stayfreshproductions always Justin
never thought about it this way, but I agree. There ARE indeed some niche frags that are really just main stream blue frag types. not a bad thing, but also not so "niche" or "daring". Before I even got through the video, I thought of sedley. Also TF's private collection comes to mind too. They have the niche price tag, and also the scents are quite aggressive
These are bomb choices for designers 💣. I definitely see what you mean by niche-like quality
Totally agree with you Justin. For me 'Niche' should be based on the quality and the uniqueness of the fragrance, not the brand itself.
I don’t have much to share,
Cause to be honest just about everything you said aligns with how I view this topic as well.
Also when you were showing those scents I’m sitting here going yep. Yep. Yep. Niche. Yep. 😂
I just got Gucci absolute. Smells crazy but I’m sure I will appreciate it more over time. I smell like an auto mechanic right now wearing it
3:33 - 3:47 i feel the same about Oud Vert Intense from Fragrance Du Bois🧐 i really like it,got a compliment from a girl the 1st night i wore it but..🤷♂ im gonna end up by buying a full bottle eventually, i know it😅
How does Justin not have 100k followers yet!? Amazing content
Great video Justin! Greetings from Netherlands
I received toyboy as a gift, it dragged me into this world, now i have an obsession I could have lived without. Damn i love fragrances
Excellent video! I’m learning more the ‘real meaning’ of NICHE. Thank you Justin!
I own a mixture of mainstream designer and niche fragrances. You are right, just because it is a niche brand, the scent is very mainstream and has lower performance. Yet I own some designer/mainstream or beauty brands but some smell more niche with better performance.
Hey Justin. Agree. Own almost all you mentioned.
Just picked up Issey Miyake Noir Ambre and it's Good. Thank You. Take Care.
Toy Boy gets me compliment after Compliments, just yesterday after church my next door neighbor bought my Toy Boy cologne oil and was amazed at it's smell and purchased it
First of all, I admire that you open the debate and make those of us who look at your content think, in this case about some concepts assumed as obvious in general. I think it is a healthy exercise in every aspect. Now a question: one way to consider a brand as a niche is that they only specialize in perfumes, so can oriental brands like Amaf, Lattafa, etc. be considered as a niche?
Thank you very much for the kind words.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it in this video, but in recent videos on this topic, I have said that I now evaluate “mainstream” and “niche” on a fragrance-by-fragrance basis. It just adds more nuance. So any brand is capable of producing both mainstream and more unique, artistic fragrances.
Dior Fahrenheit Parfum really is my most niche designer fragrance. I would even say it is more niche than most of my niche fragrances. There is so much crazy stuff going on. And while I rarely ever wear it I think it is a gorgeous creation. A true experience. Sometimes it smells like pure nature, like a hike in the green mountains in the morning after a rainy night. Sometimes it smells like an ashtray with old cigarettes and some sweet nuances. The mandarin is only hinted to balance the rough edges of the rum, the spices (coriander, cumin) and suede.
On the other hand there is Dior Homme Parfum. Also one of the more niche type designers and while I love and wear it a lot I cannot imagine this in a tester in a public store. The quality is off the charts. Especially for the price (compared with luxury brands like XerJoff, PdM, Creed, ...).
Hi Justin, I think you have just named master pieces, love this list. Toy Boy is wicked on my wife and love to wear it too. Gucci G. Absolute ahh no need to say anything it’s bombastic for winter. Had Terre Hermes and will buy new bottle as well as Lalique AN all 3 I want to have in my collection. Black Orchid is sick too for cold weather. Amazing stuff on this list.
Toy Boy, my favorite! ❤
I totally understand and I agree with you to a certain extent, Justin. You just want to create and maintain your own particular scent profile at times without you smelling like every other release in the market. I mean come on, do we need 15 flankers or versions of Paco Rabanne's 1 million to smell different? I get it. I was going to come at you... but after thinking about it and considering a lot of the points made here, and your own points, you made sense to me. Definitely thought provoking. Well done! 🤜🤛👍
Really appreciate you considering my points, Joseph 🙏🏾
I tried a sample of Dark Lord by Kilian (similar to Gucci Guilty absolute) and even though I can see why people wouldn’t like it; I think dressed up in an all black suit it would work wonders.
I didn't like the Gucci Guilty Absolute at first, very smoky to me but when it dries down, the real presence is felt, it was amongst the darkest in my collection but I found out that I love to wear it when I want to smell mysterious.
I do agree with your take on this. I think perfumery is an art just as music is an art. And consumers of any form of art likes a particular genre generally but likes other genres to a varying degree. I listen to certain music depending on my mood just as I love some particular fragrance depending on my mood and the occasion. I agree that designers can make niche Fragrances and niche houses can make designer smelling fragrances. Great video, keep it coming. Say hi to Grace for us.
I think I’m on the technical definition side. To me, any perfumery that concentrates on fragrances only is a niche brand that makes niche perfume regardless of if it’s challenging or complex or mass appealing. They feel they are bringing something to the table that they find unique or they may have their own particular dna throughout their fragrances. If a designer makes a different fragrance from their norm that isn’t mass appealing doesn’t make it niche to me. It’s still designer. Some niche fragrances do appeal to a lot of people but that wouldn’t change the fact that they are niche. But I understand how you prefer to make your determination of niche.
What about MFK, Juliette has a Gun, Imaginary Authors?
Don't agree with this fella,, perfume brands that produce just perfumes are specialists in their field but they can produce both mass appealing and niche fragrances. Likewise designer brands can produce niche and mass appealing as well.
@@boogiedaddy3434 I still would consider them niche since candles and lotions and oil’s are fragrant and usually the same scent as the perfumes
@@gazzap6664 your opinion as you are entitled to
@@BKG0730 I think the interesting point of this debate is whether to apply the description of niche to the fragrance house or the actual fragrance. If the house makes only fragrance they are niche, if the house makes many other items they are designer,, simple enough. The question then is do the fragrances themselves fall into the same category depending on what kind of fragrance house made them? I think not, you think they do,,, fair enough, as you say we are all entitled to our opinions, enjoy...
Un jardin sur le Nil is such an attention grabbing unisex spring scent. Could also be a nice holiday scent for warm weather. Side note, completely agree with your points in this video.
Great video JC!! Dont think you'll change anyone's mind...Niche is the same as Ferrari or Lamborghini,its a status symbol and you want everyone to know you have it!!
From my past experience working at Macy's , most designer houses , if they put out a fragrance, outside of their private line, they released that said feagrance with the hope that it will become a mass appealing fragrance ie Gucci Guilty Absolute..... Because the way Moschino advertised Toy Boy, you can tell they was hoping for it to be a mass appealing, money making release.
Great video as always... Totally agree that not every niche fragrance is niche, and some designer frags are... A few you mentioned I agree with : Gucci Guilty Absolute... Yyyyup.. And Fahrenheit Parfum... Fantastic. I am a bit older than you (47 next month) and when Sauvage was released... Please take it from me when I was likely quoted saying: "wow, dior must have a SERIOUS cash flow problem to have allowed this to be sold with their name on it.. " And to use the name SAUVAGE... Keeping in mind that one of the TRUE MASTERPIECES OF MEN'S FRAGRANCES is Eau Sauvage from 19-sixty-something... That was game changing for its time... It's STILL TOTALLY wearable and classy and BEAUTIFUL and... To use the name Sauvage on THAT.. it's both tragedy and farce at the same time... You really nailed it when you said it was a new Era for dior... You also likely don't know the ORIGINAL miss dior (1947) vs the "new" Miss Dior from the last 15 or so years (honestly one of the most horrifying fragrances for women by a venerable designer in decades... Even when you compare it to Lancôme... I'm ranting, sorry... My only disagreement is Issey... Not because it isn't mass appealing and a broad departure from their norm (it is!)... But it smells VERY synthetic to me, which in turn makes me feel it is very cheap... But that's just my interpretation...
Big Just…you took the words out of my mouth!
Nice Video! Sur le Nil is a masterpiece, i love it. Same with Voyage Edp and Edt. I have Terre edt and like it, very unique but its too strong and mature for me
For me „Niche“ is everything Absence the Mainstream … the price is not the reason … if they make designer Chlothings is not the reason
black orchid makes me sick. My mother wore it and she is an oversprayer and every time she wore it I would instantly get nauseated, I was so relieved when she ran out of it and thought it was too pricy to repurchase
It’s definitely strong!
Big JC dropping more knowledge bombs on us fragheads
Thank you J.C for another great stay fresh video, i totally agree with you, i think the haters are gonna hate.
I would love EGO J.C from the Skits reply to all them haters!😉😂
🤣🤣😅
For me a niche fragrance is something with lots of depth . Something that changes on your skin & takes you on a journey.
I agree!
That Black Orchad is no joke. I own it and the gold bottle. Haven't worn either yet and it's been months since they were bought. Haven't worn Gucci Absolue either, but I own it.
Keep on what you are doing bro. ….. chill… laid back… cool…. I like it.
I appreciate that
Niche is by definition a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service. Plenty of designer releases ended up becoming niche with time. YSL Kouros is one that comes to mind. The more popular these “niche” brands become the less they are niche. The real word we need to use to describe them is either “independent” or “non-designer” fragrances. Only elitists and gatekeepers like the niche moniker. Oh and PDM is not a niche brand but they have one hell of a marketing department.
Ive always considered PDM to be a luxury house more than a niche
Great video! Gucci Guilty Absolute and Moschino Boy Toy definitely fit that niche category. Both of them grabbed me right away as something outside the box when I first smelled them. I'd include Bentley for Men Intense & Zadig & Voltaire This Is Him as well.
Black orchid on my sweaty 🥵 skin just amazing turns my sweat into this blast of sandalwood amber and florals It’s the only fall fragrance I can’t where when it rains 🤦🏿♂️ for some reason if we have a hot fall rain in Texas this becomes a no go 🙅🏿♂️… but Pure Malt on a Cold rainy day is my go to .
Another designer fragrance that I think is arguably niche, and which captured me the first time I smelled it, is Uomo Noir Absolu by Valentino. It got a decent amount of talk at the end of 2017, when it was released; but it was discontinued within a year and people moved on from it. It opens with a very smooth and warm blend of sandalwood, iris, cinnamon, and incense. After about 20 minutes, the sandalwood and cinnamon step back and the incense remains prominent with the iris still discernable. This is where the fragrance develops a cold feel about it, in a good way. Therefore, while I am an extrovert, I especially like to wear this when I'm feeling a bit introverted and when I'm content to hang back and just listen and watch. Uomo Noir Absolu emulates that mood perfectly, thus is why I would call it niche.
That one is special.
I felt that way about toy boy already, and dior homme. For sure niche audience instead of mainstream!
Interesting thoughts… do you place Guerlain l’Homme Ideal EDP and Dior Homme in the same class as their exclusive collection? I think TF Black Orchid can actually be part of his private blend collection. What do you think?
I wouldn't place L'Homme Ideal EDP in Guerlain's exclusive collection, but I would do so with Dior Homme and Black Orchid.
Hey Justin love your content bro! Random question but I’ve been trying to find a video of yours where you mentioned a clone fragrance that you said smelt 1-1 with Chanel allure homme extreme but I’ve not been able to, do you remember which fragrance you were mentioning?
I do remember which one it was and at this point I would not recommend it.
@@stayfreshproductions ahhh so would you recommend just saving up and getting the Chanel?
@@anubis812 I’d recommend sampling it to make sure you love it. If you’ve already tried it and love it, then it’s worth saving for.
@@stayfreshproductions My only issue with that fragrance has always been the performance, I absolute love the scent but it just dies on my skin after about 4 hours 😭
While I have only tried a few of the ones you spoke about I will say this most of my Niche fragrances have less longevity than my designer ones which for the money of the Niche fragrance is horrible. The main issue I have with designer brands is that most of them dry down to smell the same, but I have a few good ones in my collection. I recently have watched a few of your videos and I like that you talk about fragrances most main stream is not wearing and that's what I'm looking for.
Which niche fragrances do you have?
@@stayfreshproductions I have Creed Aventus, SMW, Erolfa, Green Irish Tweed, Royal Oud. Initio Rehab, Bad Baraka, Pdm Layton, Habdan. MFK Silver Fluidity, Oud Satin Mood, and Clive Christian Rock Rose, Molecule 1, Nishane Hacivate, Tiziana Terenza Spirito Fiorentino,and a ton of designer fragrances. I just got into Niche last year. I ordered a sample of Ganymede waiting on its arrival.
it also happened to me with this perfume tom ford black orchid i did not know when i should wear it i thought i was going to feel strange, i finally left this perfume for special occasions, very good longevity
I am absolutely with you and your definition of a niche perfume.
Thank you 🙏🏾
So for those of you in the comments who strictly side with the technical definitions of niche and designer, let me ask you this. Suppose Initio or Roja Dove created a fragrance that was extremely mass appealing, almost to the point of smelling exactly like Bleu de Chanel for example and even went as far as pricing it at under $100 for a 3.4 oz bottle. Would that fragrance still be considered niche or not?
The way I see it, the word “niche” has two definitions in terms of fragrances. There’s the first definition, which means that a particular brand specializes in making fragrances. In other words, they have a specific niche within the marketplace. The other definition is in regard to the fragrances themselves. Do they smell in a way that your average consume isn’t likely to appreciate or understand? Are they only located at specific stores or priced at certain amounts that only a specific clientele can purchase them?
This is why some brands that many refer to as niche, I call them pseudo niche because they don’t tick off all the boxes in my opinion. Two brands that this applies to, in my opinion, are Creed and PDM because while they’re priced at a high range and you can only find them in higher end retail locations, the vast majority of their fragrances are very mass appealing.