Niche Perfumes, Smoke and Rituals

How I got into the world of niche perfumery and never came back

Being a dark soul, I’ve always had curiosity for odd whimsical things, mysterious rituals, enchanted places, and strange personalities. I figured pretty early in my life that scents were a huge part of my perception of the outer world, and played a significant role in storing memories and recalling emotions connected with them. I always relished smoky, woody, earthy, spicy scents as I grew up experiencing a lot of them – mostly in the natural environment that I was surrounded with. I spent pretty much of my childhood in a rural area with unlimited access to woods, grasses, homegrown food… and cathedral incenses.

As I grew older –  or better to say, into a young girl – I started discovering the world of the mainstream perfumery. Well back then, it wasn’t even “mainstream” – it was all I knew. And… I wasn’t super excited about it. Every time I went to a department store, I was offered flowery powdery sweet fragrances that were supposed (so I was told) to accentuate the femininity. They smelled very much alike to me – I did not understand why my choices were so limited.

When I was first introduced to niche perfumery, my understanding of fragrances changed forever

It was really a liberation of some kind. I no longer had to stick with just roses, lilies and jasmines (speaking hyperbolically, of course) and had all the access to daring, unusual, avantgarde compositions that amused my imagination. Those perfumes were not very easy to find, often crafted in small batches, and I actually was quite happy to receive lots of compliments on my “unique” perfumes while wearing them.

So what is actually a niche perfume?

To make it simple, I’ll give it a description consisting of three distinctive characteristics:

1. Niche perfumes are produced on noticeably smaller scale and sold mostly in selected and specialized artisanal boutiques. Please note there is a difference between “limited edition” of perfumes sold occasionally (for example, for holidays) by big houses or companies, and small batch production based on the fact that the high-quality materials used in niche perfumes are often naturally derived, and are only available in limited quantities.
2. With that said, the quality of ingredients is the second important thing to know about niche fragrances. Mainstream perfumes, in order to be mass produced and to offer a lower price, tend to be composed of cheaper, synthetic versions of materials, and often are more diluted (oh, not all of them of course, but there is a trend for sure), while niche fragrances might be more expensive, but in return you would be enjoying a composition of potent, highly concentrated raw ingredients that last longer and just simply convey that idea of a “luxurious” scent.
3. Niche perfumers are less limited by regulations and marketing strategies of the mainstream companies and brands, and therefore are more liberal and independent-minded in creating unique, exclusive and extravagant scents.

Of course, it isn’t an exact definition (and can there even be one when it comes to the world of perfumery?), so you are welcome to share your thoughts in comments. I believe that, as you get yourself acquainted with perfumes that can possibly fall into a category of “niche”, your own definition and understanding of them can actually change, and not even once, but several, several times.

To me personally, the existence of niche perfumery means I can finally indulge myself in strange but beautiful scents that are a perfect match for my personality. It means that I can find the ones that are the most dark, atmospheric and decadent. It also makes it possible to appreciate such an amazing variety of notes and combinations, awaken the most hidden memories associated with unusual for mainstream perfumes – but usual for our everyday life scents, and finally, stretch the horizon of olfactory senses.

And here are my statements and the main ideas behind creating this website dedicated to niche and artisanal perfumery:

• I love sharing my passion of niche perfumes with people that I know (and with the ones that I don’t know – yet). I really enjoy introducing them to something they never experienced before and getting the “wow” feedback – “I never even thought perfumes could smell like that”. I intend to strive to continually “wow” you with the most interesting fragrant finds.
• I will do my best on sharing with you all the practical information on “what, when and where” to the best of my knowledge.
• As I myself enjoy the “dark”, heavy, smoky scents the most, I will mainly focus on the corresponding groups of notes, however I will deviate from that path occasionally if I consider something worth your (and my) attention.
• I admire the concept and idea behind the Japanese Koh-Do incense ceremony. I do believe that meditative concentration on the moment and having the “being here and now” state of mind can be achieved through the unhurried contemplation of scent. I also very much encourage the verbal and poetical communication of your impressions of the scents. The conversation following the testing of a new fragrance should really go beyond just simple “like” and “don’t like”.
• I take all the pictures for this website myself, as I also do believe in visual way of communicating the feelings evoked by experiencing the scent.
• I do believe that the great and talented perfumers that stand behind their fragrant creations should be recognized and appreciated much, much more – not less than musicians or artists or cinema directors, as they give just as much inspiration for millions of people wearing their perfumes.

And I always welcome and enjoy your feedback, and if you don’t feel like leaving one – please subscribe, send a like my way, or share it (don’t forget to credit).