Explaining The Difference Between Designer & Niche Fragrances | Men's Cologne/Perfume Review 2023

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What do we mean by designer fragrances? What do we mean by niche perfumes? Today we visit both definitions and discuss the differences between these two categories. What are your thoughts on the topic? Are you more interested in niche or designer fragrances?
FRAGRANCES FEATURED
Prada Luna Rossa Black
Parfums De Marly PDM Carlisle
Amouage Reflection 45

[@native7876]

Omar my sample of Mr. Maritime came in yesterday and I instantly bought the big bottle great job man you killed it.

[@Snake-filledChimp]

I'm wearing it today - I think it does a really good job riding the line between mass wearability and interesting notes. Omar did well.

[@native7876]

@@Snake-filledChimp I agree it's mass appealing without smelling like everything else. Can't wait to see what's next.

[@OBrien1510]

As someone who only got into fragrance collecting in the past year or so I can say that Omar is absolutely right about buying lots of 20-30 quid bottles instead of a few 100+ bottles. I was only looking at my collection the other day and realised how many pretty cheap fragrances I have that I never wear. Buying fragrances is fun but at this point I would much prefer to have a fragrance collection a quarter the size that is full of high end designer and niche. So to all those budding collectors out there, heed this wise man's words.

[@jso-pw1vy]

I agree with you. As a taxonomic device, the niche designer distinction is problematic and not always useful when discussing fragrances unless you're looking from type of status for wearing a lesser known fragrance. Trying to make a mass appealing perfume does not mean there was no creativity involved, or that the fragrance is not creative. When Jacques Polge created Bleu de Chanel, it was, generally speaking, a new style of fragrance hitting the market. Because it was made by a design house, it doesn't get the same cachet as associated with a mass appealing fragrance created by what we view as a niche house (think Creed or Parfums de Marly). What about the simple definition of a niche house being one that only creates fragrances. Under this view, Guerlain does not fit the definition because it also creates cosmetics. What about Aaron Terrance Hughes? For creativity he clearly is a niche perfumer. But, he creates body lotion and body wash? Does that make him a designer? In a recent live stream he referenced his background in cosmetics and hinted that he may be going in that direction in the future. Does that change how we should view him? Should we take the parent company into account. Acqua di Parma, Maison Frances Kurkdjian, Kilian, LeLabo, Penhaligons, are all considered niche brands. Yet they are each owned by larger corporations with interests beyond fragrances (this list can be made longer, see Creed). Acqua di Parma and Maison Frances Kurkdjian are owned by LVMH. Kilian and Lelabo are owned by Estee Lauder. Penhaligons is owned by Puig. Should they be considered in the same vein as Aaron Terrance Hughes, Ormonde Jayne, or Miguel Matos? And, as you mentioned, there are the higher end lines produced by the designers. Chanels Les Exclusifs, Dior's La Collection Privée, Guerlain's L'Art & La Matiere Collection. Are they designer or niche? By quality and price, I would say niche. Focusing solely on the house, designer. What about Montale and Mancera? Under your first definition, a niche house. Many of their fragrances are considered mass appealing. That would place them under the designer category. What about price? Retail prices place them in line with the costs of many designer perfumes (Mancera's website lists a 120 ml bottle of Cedrat Boise at $180; Chanel's website lists a 100 ml bottle Bleu de Chanel Parfum at $185; Dior's website lists a 100 ml bottle of Sauvage Parfum at $180). Cederat Boise and Sauvage can both be purchased at discounters for much less. Does this mean that Montale and Mancera are not niche? Given the problems associated with this concept, we probably should be spending less attention on whether something is niche or designer. Our focus should probably be on what's in the bottle rather than the label. Of course, this long winded diatribe does not mean that there is no purpose to these distinctions. It may provide some assistance when trying which fragrances to consider. However, we should give these terms more attention than they deserve.

[@owenoghumu2713]

The world has gone crazy. These are all marketing concepts and we’re all here being influenced. At the end of the day, regardless of niche/designer/price tag, wear and cherish what you enjoy wearing and the scents you enjoy. That ultimately is what it’s about

[@pooolish334]

I agree 100%. The market at this point is so blurred that it's almost impossible to determine whether something is niche or not.

[@guayaquilindependiente8763]

That’s why náutica voyage is not a good option… I have loved perfumery since I was a kid, my dad always had a Chanel in his collection or Le Male… man, he’s always had good taste. He got me my first Acqua di Gio… I have an old 2003 bottle that I have a few ml worth and is just a nice memory. Quality over quantity is what I’ve always been taught. Cheap stuff never ends up being great, not talking about buying a $300 perfume, but save up a little and go for a Versace maybe, or save a little more and go for a Chanel, maybe an Acqua di Parma.

[@travisn346]

I'll always have an Allure and Acqua Di Gio.

[@LE_NOMAD90]

I agree! I'm slowly getting into Niche as the Designers I have are nice but are piling up. I'll be saving my pennies to elevate my collection.

[@muzim8931]

Good man. You and I are thinking along the same lines. All the best brother.

[@borjaroman3361]

I insist: Omar is one of the best reviewers - I am already sick of the “10 fragrances for live” “10 fragrances to go to the toilet”, “my 10 essentials….”

[@fabricebahati5691]

He is the best

[@muzim8931]

This is more creative and refreshing to be quite honest.

[@blanckq]

I've amassed 30 bottles of designer releases and cheapies within a year of starting my journey, and my aim was to build a portfolio of scents to train my nose before I go ahead and buy a niche fragrance. Reason is that I fear I might purchase one and not "understand it enough" to fully appreciate it, if that's makes sense. Negative or indifferent first reactions can be hard to get over so I'd rather I find my footing and what I enjoy before investing a good sum of money into elegant and thoughtful perfumery that deserves respect.

[@georgematijevic5486]

I completely agree, I have had a lot of perfumes which consisted of cheaper frags which I started with and hardly used, so I sold a lot of them on ebay for a tidy profit to purchase more niche perfumes and it makes me appreciate the art of them even more. A recent purchase of mine is GDK Gris Charnel, just another level of perfumery which you would never get in designer perfumes!

[@Peterr1]

I started my fragrance journey early this year with Dior then YSL but today… today Nishane ANI arrived and i started to realise how much of an difference niche is. The smoothness itself is just unbeliavable and the performance… wow

[@kareem.10]

Best breakdown anywhere on the internet. I read/viewed much content before coming across Omar's explanation. Great job!

[@hydra__yt]

Hey Omar, ive been a casual viewer of your channel for over a year now. And while i do like your current style of video and editing, i just want you to bring back Bedroom Perfumery, and that is (in my opinion) the best series youve ever made, the laid back style and lack of "restraints" for what you talk about are definitely what makes the series amazing. So what do you think?

[@wraithmanxiv]

my take: half of the collection is designer/clone for mindlessly blasting on 10-20 sprays (i'm oversprayer), another half is niche, so i can appreciate the work of art and all the perfume stages (opening, mid, drydown)

[@deaddogtony1677]

I didn’t listen to your advice regarding getting too much of the same, I’ve got a lot of cross over fragrances and I pretty much use the same ones every time, you should do a video, like my 10 perfect 10 out of 10 fragrances to cover every scenario, I think I’ll get rid of most of mine and just go for quality so I’m actually using them all

[@lgeiger]

All 3 answers together in the beginning make a niche fragrance in my opinion. Every fragrance is a form of creativity, even designer fragrances. And yes, niche fragrances are basically designed for the luxury market simply due to their price tag. I actually do not know a niche brand that sells anything else than perfume. I recently bought a bottle of Percival by the way, haha. Parfums de Marly in general is not the classic niche brand in my opinion. A lot of their stuff is quite easy to like. What I like about niche brands is that you smell more unique, because most people will not dive as deep into fragrances.

[@elijennings]

I've always had an appreciation for scents but have only just now started to buy full bottles. I know it might not be everyone's choice, but my first purchase this past week was a 100ml bottle of Le Labo's Baie 19. Tried a sample and I was absolutely captivated by the smell and instantly knew I needed a bottle. I will eventually start collecting a few designer bottles (YSL Y EDP is most likely my next purchase) but I personally do not feel bad spending the extra coin on a scent I absolutely love, and more importantly will USE. Definitely prefer one $350 bottle that I'll run dry instead of 3 $100 bottles that will sit for years before emptying. Really appreciate these videos Omar! They have been immensely helpful.

[@michaelbullock8011]

Great video and I enjoyed it and I like PDM CARLISLE and Prada Luna Rosa black and I'm going to try Amouage Reflection Man 45 and have a blessed day

[@tomasburian6550]

Hey bro, just wanted to say that I got Montblanc Individuel and Al Haramain Excellent, fragrances that you recommended in one of your older videos and they are all total bangers, despite only being EdT. Absolutely great buy for the asking price. Heavily underrated.

[@adamsbike]

Just picked up a bottle of PDM Layton today, very nice one

[@hardikshah4983]

I really impress by your explanation. Such a simple but absolutely meaningful explanation. I always keep watching your videos as you give your unbiased opinion. Thank you.

[@FlorinGN]

Really good explanation. And I'd say it's common sense, but... now I know all these aspects because you mentioned them :D One thing about niche fragrances is that you cannot for the love of God find samples or reviews. I've been searching for a review for fragrances like Eisenberg Secret series... no way. Just a few on Fragrantica, but... when people analyze niche fragrances and say they smell manly and sweet, to me that sounds like a rotgut review.

[@zodiac909]

This man broke it down perfectly.

[@mixedpleasure4324]

Niche is usually way more interesting but i still do buy designers also just bought Invictus Victory Elixir and Phantom Parfum

[@spencerstevens7454]

Great video Omar. You have defined what a niche fragrance is, and I think the private line from Tom ford, etc is more a bridge between the niche and the designer Markets, they want to to produce luxury niche style products but they want it to have that designer popularity for the $'s

[@muzim8931]

Great video and idea. I only have designer fragrances thus far but already have a fair idea of what my first niche fragrance will be.

[@daniellabuda7744]

Well, Omar I have chosen all 3 answers xDDD I agree about creativity for sure, however, some niche houses evaluate modern niche perfumery, that is well built, but quite basic, for example Le Labo Ambrette 9. (my subjective opinion) 6:57 I love this xDD I find selective perfumery and private lines as a niche answer of designer brands in general. I find Private Blend of TF definitely a niche shelf of a perfume.

[@rickvargas9944]

My man posting great content! TY for introducing this fragrance journey!

[@rickvargas9944]

Still waiting for initio content hahaha

[@Principemostprincipe]

Hi Omar. If i buy designer fragrances i do only buy niche quality( gucci intense oud, Kenzo edp, dhi..) otherwise i get only niche. Regarding clones i do not buy them except they are either discontinued or clone is better than original( alexandria forbidden plum, CDNIM LE, alexandria black panther) designers private line can be niche and not. Armani private line is less or more niche. For example Tom ford - neroli portofino is not niche at all but noir de noir is.

[@antonioneves7538]

Hey, Omar Could you please make a video speaking about the alexandria fragrances you already tried, and what original fragrances they correspond to? I think it would be a very interesting video!

[@NiKoJlaY]

Normally I buy Niche , because I like to smell original even if this is not the best option and not everyone around would like my choice. Plus, some designers costs much more expensive then niche like Mancera, Montale just because designers can afford to pay billions to Johnny Depp or other famous people just for marketing but after we have to pay ~ 200£ for a Dior or CHanel that is nothing special inside by quality and ingredients. I buy designers only in duty free for a decent price or when they're on discount at discounters. Designers fragrances are made to be liked by 90% of people and they just don't let the perfumer to use his talent and skills on maximum, but niche houses like Amouage as I heard gives all freedom to the perfumer to create something special and interesting. IMHO designers perfumes are 90% business and 10% art, niche are 40% business and 60 % art, that's how I feel.

[@jts4248]

Also like pdm that is my favorite house

[@Zero_fanz]

Nowadays everything is going business 😅 nothing for god sake ❤

[@plaubelmakina8916]

Thanks Oma,r for taking us to school today!

[@tangerine2xx17]

Great Video Omar, could you perhaps do more Videos about layering combinations? Would be quite interesting

[@Crypt0n1an]

OK this is getting really stupid at this point. If fragrantica is right then people need to stop using niche as the alternative to designer since by their definition designer fragrances can be niche and niche houses can produce non niche fragrances. The definition of niche is "a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service". As such niche can mean non mainstream or it could also mean focusing solely on fragrances. Does that mean that designers can produce niche fragrances? Well, if a fragrance isn't a big seller and caters to an eclectic taste then that qualifies as niche by the first interpretation. Also what do we call fragrance houses that exclusively deal in fragrances but are pretty mainstream like Guerlain and at this point Creed and a bunch of others if we are to use the first interpretation? There is another way of looking at it where you could consider perfume houses that are solely focusing on fragrances, niche, by the second interpretation. Anything other than what I've outlined above is utter gibberish. Words have meaning and it is important for language to be precise and efficient. As such if we are to go by the first interpretation(ie non mainstream) then designer fragrances can be niche and so called niche houses can produce non niche fragrances. We would also need to come up with a word to differentiate designer houses from exclusive perfume houses. I feel this interpretation is a little messy and overly complicates things. If we just use the word niche to mean perfume houses that deal exclusively in fragrance this is consistent with the definition of niche(a specialized segment of the market). Perfume is a fashion item, as are clothes hand bags sunglasses etc. Designer houses deal in ALL fashion items, perfume houses deal exclusively in perfume ergo they are a niche company. All this mumbo jumbo about creativity and alternative perfumery has nothing to do with niche. Designers often have produced unique fragrances and I've seen niche companies produce very bland mainstream stuff. Also there are extremely expensive niche houses and some quite affordable ones, extremely expensive designer fragrances and some very cheap ones. That is just a matter of price or degree of exclusivity. So to simplify things there are designer fragrances, designer prive/exclusive lines, niche houses or exclusive(ie expensive) niche houses. If you want to be even more nuanced you could further break things down into mainstream or alternative fragrances, high quality or low quality fragrances(which both designers and niche houses can produce). PS: Fragrantica is not the arbiter of all things perfume nor are they the perfume dictionary. I find their definition quite silly and clumsy particularly since the fragrance world is broken down into niche and designer in the minds of most people. This implies they are or ought to be mutually exclusive, a designer cannot be niche and a niche cannot be a designer. As such fragrantica's definition is self contradictory.

[@ronmimi3282]

Spot on!

[@ronmimi3282]

Dyptique and Replica are considered niche but they are not too expensive....they are just a bit expensive compared to the price of BDC edp....and BDC is not considered as niche by these youtube perfume vloggers

[@Crypt0n1an]

@@ronmimi3282 Very good points! I'll tell you I have not yet found a logically sound and well defined definition of niche so far. I'm starting to get the impression that due to the popularity of niche in the past decade or two they purposely keep the definition vague in order to be able to smuggle in whatever fragrance or fragrance house they want through and claim it is niche so that they can bump up their sales and gain street cred. According to wikipedia: "Niche perfume is an alternative to mass perfume production. Niche is limited by the clientele and therefore with a limited sale range, thus the goal of niche houses is not to sell as much as possible. [1]" What a stupid definition. NO company goes into business in order to "not sell as much as possible". But anyway in a sense they are saying niche is non mainstream and implying a more exclusive hard to find product, but further down they say: "These companies are generally smaller than the major fragrance firms like Coty Inc., Puig, and Firmenich, but bigger than "indie perfume" lines that are generally owned and operated by the perfumer themselves. " First of all Firminich is not a perfume company they are a perfume oil formulation and production company. They do not have a retail store that sells perfumes. They win contracts with retail perfume companies in order to produce their perfumes for them. Secondly, according to this, niche is a non-mainstream fragrance with low sales but somehow Indie houses don't count? Just utterly moronic. So niche is some bastardized combination of pricey(thereby high quality), hard to find, but at the same time with low sales and creative(thereby "art house" and or indie?) but NOT necessarily exclusive to perfume only companies(certainly not those perfumer owned indie stores) meaning that designer houses can also produce niche fragrances? It is a bloody hot mess mate and I'm certain at this point that this bastardization of the definition is so that designer houses can join in the niche bandwagon somehow. Basically niche is whatever they decide it is. I say keep it simple, niche is any company that deals exclusively in perfume related products. An interesting example would be Guerlain that while also selling lipstick and make-up an argument could be made that perfume does go into those products and so they qualify as niche. I'm not entirely convinced but that is an interesting case that deserves more scrutiny. Other than cases like that niche would be super easy to define and identify and continue to be used as it traditionally has been, in contrast to designer perfumes.

[@ronmimi3282]

@@Crypt0n1an today, the definition of Niche is something pricey....10x pricey than designer perfumes....something tgat they say is not mass appealing and relatively...something that masses tgat coudlnt afford....and as what i am seeing...niche as defined presentky is something that these youtube perfume vloggers would preferabky pick because they are "experts" and "knowledgeable" when it comes to fragrance.... niche is for experts not for amateurs as they want to imply 😅

[@Crypt0n1an]

@@ronmimi3282 Exactly right!

[@Itcoy]

Thank you

[@ShadowRegis]

Awesome as usual, thanks for the video Omar 😊

[@jts4248]

Love your videos man. Yes you said that right I love carlisle man. I love parfum de marly I can't wait to try their new one coming in September. I also love what you are doing and I'm going to order both of your fragrance can't wait to try them

[@loring8299]

Omar please do top 10 fragrances for roadmen👍

[@AKMautla]

😭😭😂

[@abuzubayr1584]

And it’s not only 10% vs 45% of perfume , it’s also the quality of the pure perfume , there is varying quality of aroma chemicals before we even get to the natural ingredients and absolutes

[@ajayisimisola3407]

I have a lot of designers perfume. After this. I think i would move to niche. The designers also sometimes don't come cheap. Also, could you suggest niche perfumes for women

[@wimgeuens8433]

Talking about the things that matter in parfumery, and not some lists comprised of "buy this one if you want to smell like donkey". Thank you for this video !

[@cassiusorientalis4998]

This is really informative as a newcomer to perfumery. I only started wearing fragrances a year ago and I'm already niche-curious. Omar, do you have any fragrance recommendations for people who live in tropical parts of Australia like me where it's humid almost every day of the year? Cheers king

[@dimitarapostolov9788]

Omar, please layer Prada L'homme Intense with Luna Rossa Black in your next layering video! ❤

[@lynncripe5931]

Really interesting and informative. Thank you!

[@bitcoinfightclubvegas1615]

Digging My Mr Maritime……😎 My new 10 out of 10…..👍 Summer ☀️ Time Signature Scent 🎉…… 🙏 Thx Omar for elevating tha game ……💪🏻 🍻 Cheers from tha Desert 🏜️…….

[@davidwatkins2826]

Niche - a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.

[@eddiezamora4300]

Omar you need to sample Clive Christian rock rose, game changer

[@moneyparhar]

This is off topic. I bought frank oliver oud venellie and oud for touch. Sprayed on both wrists before went to sleep. Still smelling in morning then went to water park took bunch of rides. I still smell both fragrances on my wrists. It was still thier before I took shower. That was all night and till 6pm. Very strong fragrances.

[@sng8811]

Niche should not only be special and high quality but also have value retention proposition. PdM Layton and Carlisle are such. Maybe not other individuals that make their overpriced ones.

[@veneroantonio905]

Love the video Omar 🫶

[@cuttingedgevintage]

All of the cheapies and clones I bought at the start of my journey get no wear now that I have some high end designers and good niche. I learned fast that instead of buying a bunch of cheap scents I can invest in one or two niche and absolutely love it and truly enjoy wearing them. Also saving your best scents is ridiculous. For collectors, if you have more than 5-10 bottles you will never finish them so wear the hell out of them.

[@armorking9h5]

best fragrance KZbinr 👍🏼

[@TheFragranceDecantBoutique]

Fabulous review ❤

[@ajaj3025]

Great job. Thanks

[@Alakai123]

Hi Omar, when can I buy your fragrances here in Hawaii?

[@SchoolOfScent]

It’s looking unlikely, my recommendation is picking up our releases if you’re ever in continental US, as we’re limited to ground shipping

[@Alakai123]

@@SchoolOfScent Shucks, I’ll be in Texas in December and will try then, thanks Omar

[@jhastin5591]

Hi out of topic question... If I have half a bottle of la nuit de l'homme and half a bottle of molecule 01 and mixed them together, will it destroy the fragrance? Not layer but mix

[@tangerine2xx17]

Can‘t wait for „I bought every Clive Christian Fragrance do you don‘t have to“

[@shayan.rahman_]

Are Tom Ford private blend collection and Armani prive class as niche or still designer?

[@Sofia-hg2mb]

Hi, Can i ask you a White gardenia petals (illuminum) or fortitude (boadicea) review? thanks

[@johnjohannes5954]

GG Omar! Have your heard about the PDM new reformulation ? Is the quality dropped?

[@eternal-n-blessed]

Allure homme sport extreme is cheap for you then dude you’re rich

[@ronmimi3282]

He made a lot of money from his youtube channel that's why Chanel is just cheap for him and niche are just affordable 😅

[@stephenbrown5149]

Lets just buy WHAT WE LIKE REGARDLESS OF PRICE NAME OR WHEREVER IS NICHE OR DESIGNER AND BOLLOCKS TO WHAT OTHERS SAY

[@chill_fugu]

Can you maybe explain in another video what does "private blend" of a designer house mean? 🤔

[@SchoolOfScent]

don't think it needs one, I personally think private line of designer houses should be considered niche.

[@kingsbless4484]

Omar, which should I go for :blue De channel edp or ysl Y edp?

[@SchoolOfScent]

bdc imo

[@markvon9727]

Designer vs Niche = marketing hype, AKA nothing.

[@Benshafran]

the funny thing is, I bought a lot of niche perfumes but I used them very rarely, and in the end it wasted

[@haydenharry9726]

Your damn right brother

[@calum9759]

Should I get Dior homme 2020 or Dior homme sport for a versatile scent as a 16yr old

[@SchoolOfScent]

I don’t like Dior Homme 2020 personally, but I think it would suit your age more between the two

[@calum9759]

@@SchoolOfScent thanks bro love the videos btw

[@janmejaysingh1742]

Top G

[@alejandroxan]

Where can I send you a pic of my fragrance collection so you can roast it? Lol

[@Flaciast]

Je vous trouve beaucoup de discernement et même du goût dans le choix des eaux. Par contre, je ne suis pas tout à fait convaincu de vos explications. Je partirai du modèle économique, de la diffusion des produits, de la clientèle visée, de l'image de marque, de la capacité à maintenir la production sans la cesser et sans trop la reformuler. Il semble qu'il y a la dichotomie designer/niche et sélective/collection. C'est même plus complexe que cela encore ... Il y a trop de contre-exemples...

[@snubbii9276]

sometimes it is hard to justify the uplift the niche frags give. I have Prada LR Black which in the context with many designer offerings seems to be great value even a good compromise. Why spend more when as you say it is only for yourself. That said my only niche is Aoud lemon mint and the rest of mid level designers with lots of clones used to pad out for daily wears. A clear divions of cheap workhorses with the pricier designers taking up the specials occasions etc

[@ramoneregal8317]

Yeh Private Lines are niche usually.

[@fredo.thelin]

Nice beard

[@NiKoJlaY]

Beard meets fragrances 😁

[@C.frmMia]

I got child support to pay .. is Lattafa a Niche brand

[@gamalielcenteno4801]

👍👍👍👍

[@Oher58]

I think most of Dior/TF and etc private blend are cash 💰 grabs. Some I would say are more niche and makes sense. But for example Dior Eden Roc is not at all niche.

[@justme19852]

I think u already did similar video 😮

[@fabianschindelknechtli7154]

Same thought... 🤔

[@SchoolOfScent]

as a short not as a long video

[@RedPolitics1776]

Andrew Tate?

[@vladimirart758]

Niche this days are not good at all

[@joseg8498]

I'll say all of the above....

[@christopherhicks1413]

Great video as always, and agree with @jaecollins