Ranking 15 Niche Fragrance Brands

[@Henry-uv9xu]

Dude!!! I followed and LOVED your content on your other channel for several years. I’ve grown to love perfume over the past several years, and it is so cool to see that our interests have converged once more. Wonderful to see you in a healthy place now my friend.

[@CgScents]

Thank you bro! Glad we meet again!

[@jaimelacalle2802]

Creed and Tom Ford are in a unique spot, where they are too pricey and have a lot of outrage, but they have such good blends, and unique timeless bangers. Like a competent villain.

[@bigde131]

Yep. To this day a 20 yr old bois de Portugal still hasn’t been properly cloned lol. Blending makes such a difference. I sprayed mfk on one hand and xerjoff on the other and the difference in blending was so apparent I went to check the entire mfk line. Makes a big difference

[@Tripokaridos22]

Tom Ford Niche ? U know that they make clothes ?

[@jaimelacalle2802]

@@Tripokaridos22 yea tom ford makes clothes, but scents like tobacco vanille, tobacco oud, black orchid, black laqueur are definitely niche in terms of quality and intent.

[@Tripokaridos22]

@@jaimelacalle2802 And Terre by Hermes is not ? I think u get my point

[@jaimelacalle2802]

@@Tripokaridos22 no. Just becaue terre dhermès is fantastic doesnt make it a niche fragrance. Eg original formulation of dior farenheight would be niche, and was considered so at the time.

[@jbkungaming]

I enjoyed Creed perfumes the most. Finally someone who has excellent taste. Subscribed.

[@glamconnor]

amouage is fucking king dude. their quality is objectively so incredible. i have 7 bottles from them and growing

[@CgScents]

What other brands consider ‘Extrait’ Amouage considers normal lol. Like overture man is 31% concentration and is aged for months before even being sent to retail. Their quality is ridiculously good.

[@ryany2882]

Nah not for me. Jubilation XXV is women repellant

[@Snk13_ty]

It's about your own personal journey with fragrances. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions that aren't driven by free bottles. 💯

[@andrei-cosmin.popa85]

Thank you for sharing your personal taste with respect to niche perfume brands. I own several Amouage, a few PDM, a couple of Xerjoff, and one of each of these brands: Creed, Orto Parisi, Nishane, Electimuss. Got a few Amouage and a couple of Creed on my wishlist.

[@remoschmid6525]

Even if i don‘t agree on everything you say, i respect the fact that you‘re being honest and not just keep repeating the same stuff that all the other (paid?!?) „influencers“ are saying. Good video 👍🏼

[@justinrubio2015]

Yo what I used to watch your "what x drug feels like videos" when I first got out of rehab and now years later for the past year I've gotten decently into fragrances now I find you have a fragrance Chanel. Dope

[@CgScents]

We meet again 👊

[@programrecovery]

Do a video "my favorite fragrance from each of my top ten favorite brands"

[@misterelom]

Great list! Creed is still the cream of the crop of niche for me despite them not being as great as they once were. Virgin Island Water is my all time favorite from them, even over the ever-popular Aventus. Amouage has a lot of my personal favorites... Reflection, Beach Hut Man, Interlude. I include Mancera too since they were my intro to niche. Great quality and price points. Never really got into Frederic Malle outside of Carnal Flower and Portrait of a Lady. Parfums De Marly for me has become like the niche version of a designer brand. They have some solid releases but most for me are basic. Not bad but not great either.

[@jusdorange4720]

Le Labo is pronounced luh laah-bo. Roja is pronounced Roger (British pronunciation). Penhaligons is pronounced pen-Hal-iguns. Love the videoo

[@motivation_daily333]

This is what I like about fragrances, everything is subjective and I always like to see peoples opinions of the brands. Like right now im in my just smell good era but like a couple of months ago I was looking for something different and unique. The take you had on Roja is exactly what I think about the brand like they make stuff thats high quality but im not trying to spend like 400-500 dollars for such a small bottle. The ATH brand for me is really good but I agree that the drydowns for the fragrances are really similar. Like I have notorious and Hard candy and when I smell both of the dry downs I cant tell the difference.

[@tombosley3048]

I think what you said at the beginning is so important, thank you for that!

[@America-ev4rk]

I have seen it. The fragrance channels are full of shills. Sell outs. But you my friend, I feel like I can trust you.

[@nabhanmkijs8395]

For me: 1. Commes Des Garcons (For Avignion, men2, rouge, hinoki, wonderoud, laurel) 2. Frederic Malle (for French Lover, Promise, Rose&Cuir, PoAL) 3. Byredo (not really niche but for Oud Immortel-my signature scent) 4. Rogue perfumery (for Bon Monsieur) 5. Nasomatto (for Hindu Grass, Baraonda,Pardon) 6. Marc Antoine Barrois ( for Ganymede) 7. Maison Crivelli (for Ingredients 07/2012) 8. Officine Universelle Buly (for Oud de Medine) 9. Aesop (for Marrakech intense) 10. Diptyque / Jovoy 🫡✌️

[@dparis2172]

Interesting.

[@chlita.1arda]

Try Byredo sellier, my signature scent

[@nabhanmkijs8395]

Yesss, loooove it, had few samples...signature candidate for sure...

[@byishai1]

You need to try Byredo Oud Immortal- probably one of their best masculine woody fragrance

[@diegohernandez6192]

Nasomatto and Orto Parisi require multiple try-outs to really understand them. Those are my favorite niche house and I used to not be fully on board with them. Thankfully, I am lucky to had the chance to try them at nearby local store many times and received many of their samples after having purchased other perfumes. I remember the only ones that were instant love for me at the store was Pardon (which was my first Nasomatto), Narcotic V and Baraonda. With Orto Parisi though, all of them seemed truly challenging at the beginning, but after many many tries they grew on me. Ended up purchasing a bunch of them, Megamare, Bergamask (it has become my favorite perfume ever), Brutus, Couium, Bocannera. From Nasomatto, the only one I'm not fully on board with is Nudiflorum. The other ones like Fantomas, Duro, Blamage, even Sadonaso grew a lot on me. At the moment, I have acquired Pardon, Baraonda, Black afghano, Duro; but thinking about buying either Fantomas or Silver Musk next.

[@robertwinkler8444]

Agree tastes change, my first one was LV Imagination I used to luv it, now a year later I really don't care for it anymore. So I see where you're coming from.

[@O3sidian_cloud]

Appreciate your humbleness and honest opinion. Definitely respect your takes and could resonate with a lot of your points. I especially vibed with what you were saying about a brand “having” you, I recently discovered Meo Fusciuni’s Last Season…. I’ve been got 💀

[@EndersFPS]

100% agree on Byredo. I've tried so many niche brands and I was utterly confused trying Byredo fragrances

[@yosef_adde]

I'd be very interested in your analysis of Mancera... seems to be a good value / performance type of house that gets a lot of hype online.... wondering if it's worth it or not... .thanks for your content.

[@stephenocchipinti3024]

CG! just bought babycat by YSL and loving it. found a sample of 1 million golden oud today that I picked up as well

[@soakedbearrd]

I know many would likely consider it entry niche, but what are your thoughts on mancera? I have a few (and a less amount of montale) and when they hit they hit (sadly the majority are too similar or too synthetic). But it’s a good priced niche with several winners.

[@vlxxrd4866]

I love Creed, but not the price and packaging, there isn't a single Creed I've tried and not liked. I know a lot of people have issues with performance but I don't think that's a very important part of perfumery anyway. Most of the times I'm doing things, it's really only for three, maybe four hours unless I'm at work, and there really aren't many fragrances that project past the three hour point that would be appropriate for work, or Summer. There is something very light and easy going about all of the Creed fragrances that I haven't seen replicated by other houses, and if Creed were to make their fragrances longer lasting, I think it would change how the fragrances smell and are perceived, which I wouldn't like. The only major complaint with Creed I have is how absolutely cheap the boxes are for $495+ fragrances. It's just a white paper box, no fancy packaging, nothing. It's pathetic and doesn't feel like luxury.

[@decalderon]

Congrats on your videos, I really enjoy watching them. Just one question….What is up with the weird noise at the end? Sounds like a goat scream or something.

[@dparis2172]

Yeah. I know it’s not my place but… get rid of that.

[@evanredpotato9601]

You offer a unique perspective that’s worth listening to when it comes to frags……I find that maybe two or three with every niche brands are decent….you have any thoughts on fragrance du bois?

[@golfbuddy1969]

Creed Amouage Xerjoff It is funny that through the ups and downs, and changing tastes, Creed is still great to me. I don’t even really have performance issues with the ones I have. Hidden gems from Day Three Fragrances too!

[@rprentals]

Have you tried the new boss bottled absolu? Best designer release this year

[@Frag-Jitsu]

agreed. about to feature that on my own channel

[@coontune]

I’m roughly half way through this when writing. You’re discussing Xerjoff and their DNA recycling. It made me think about something with my collection. I’m a fragrance collector, but not a house collector. I don’t think I’ll ever just stick to a few houses. I have roughly 80 fragrances and about a quarter of them are niche. I don’t own more than 3 of any niche brand and that is Mancera due to their affordability. I don’t know if I will ever collect a house due to their affordability exact reasons you mentioned about Xerjoff. I just like to look and see what is out there from every brand and go with what scents interest me. The only house I could see myself owning 5+ bottles of is Amouage. I agree wholeheartedly with you on your take of the brand. Thanks for the content 🤝 Edit: As soon as you got to bottom tier I was like please don’t say Initio, simply because I just ordered Blessed Baraka. Was happy you immediately said you liked that one 😂 2nd Edit: Try Nishane Ambra Calabria, green and watery, soft and elegant, slightly warm and sweet. Interesting spring time scent that both you and your wife could wear. Dior is one of my top tier designers as well. Homme Eau, Original, and Parfum are loves of mine. I also really like the Eau Sauvage line, the Parfum and edt. Sauvage isn’t really my jam, but I do need to try Fahrenheit Le Parfum and some of the private line scents. Homme Sport 2017 may be basic, but something in it makes it an absolute love of mine for summer, different than most shower gel blue scents.

[@CgScents]

@@coontune thank you! I relate to where you’re coming from for sure I have the most from Amouage but it’s only 4. Oddly usually the most popular from the houses are the only ones I’ve considered FBW I’ve tried so many samples it’s crazy and it’s really rare I find an underground fragrance that’s truly worth getting. Could be the hype effects my perception but it feels real. I’m glad you got blessed Baraka it isn’t commonly brought up but it’s a good one. It’s actually one of the few underground fragrances that would be more hype worthy than side effect. You’ll see what I mean. It’s really hard to describe the scent which is why I’ve held off on reviewing it 😅. My friends and wife and I can’t describe what it smells like but it’s a freshie for the fall and winter kinda soapy with a guava sweetness. Interesting.

[@coontune]

@@CgScents you have a good perspective on things. I think sometimes when folks get deeper into collecting they try to maximize their experience by buying things such as the Zoologist stuff. But let’s be honest with ourselves, do we want to buy something that we never will wear and have 100ml of it hanging on the shelf? I personally do not and I’m assuming you don’t either. I think that’s why most of the popular stuff is what we end up with, for example Reflection Man from Amouage. I’ll buy that some day and I already know I’ll enjoy it, but something like Myths Man I may not ever buy a bottle of. I’d love some 15 or 30ml of the more unique style scents but god I don’t need 100ml. People do enjoy pretending to be “unique”. It’s kind of like the old mentality of not being a “conformist” or “mainstream is lame”. I don’t need to be a fragrance hipster, I want to buy and wear what I like. That is why I’ll never hate on people who are purely designer lovers, they typically all smell pleasant. I lean more niche in my preferences or at the very least designers that branch out of the norm. Got Prada Amber Pour Homme Intense in this week, really good stuff. I’m really excited for Blessed Baraka. A lot of things I read and saw about it caught my interest. It also was one of the most affordable from the brand in terms of discounters which to me shows its lack of popularity amongst the masses, as you mentioned “hype”. Fall freshie sounds right in my wheelhouse.

[@CgScents]

@@coontune I relate heavily to what you’re saying. I’ve been going hard on Dior Homme Intense myself I love that healthy balance between it smells good and is unique enough to not be redundant but as you said I’ve gotten samples that are praised online for being so great and they smell like a mess. Terroni by orto parisi for example just smells so bad to everyone I’ve shown it to and I don’t even feel like there is a blend it’s a pile of stuff that doesn’t work together. It’s almost like pure abstract art some appreciate it but I’m at a stage where I like a healthy balance of realism and abstract otherwise it feels like someone dumped a bunch of paint buckets on the ground and said ‘this is art.’ I have a rebellious nature that wants to go against the grain and it does fuel a fascination for the counter culture but when actually facing what it’s offering I just felt confused. Everyone has their own taste and preferences I think objectively all fragrance has no value other than what our brain gives it. Some people, my wife included, value their collection of cheapies as much if not more than a niche collector values a $600 fragrance.

[@coontune]

@@CgScents said so very well. And Dior Homme Intense started it all for me with Dior. It flat out just smells good. I like that it isn’t overly masculine and has different sides to it. Could 100% spray it on my partner and think she smells great wearing it. It does have a uniqueness to it, and honestly I think a lot of brands have taken pieces of it, now making it maybe less unique (looking at you Givenchy). You mentioned taste and that’s exactly right. More and more I do this thing called collecting, the more I find out my preference. I’ve had like almost 50 bottles that I’ve either given away or traded that just weren’t to my preference as time went on. As for the paint cans thrown on the floor it’s so true. I’ll go to an art museum or expo and look at it and say “oh wow that’s interesting and different” admiring the art but not really caring for it. In fragrance it’s basically that, it’s a cool painting but I don’t want it hanging in my house. Just like scents, I’ll smell them and be happy I tried the experience, but it doesn’t have a spot in my cabinet.

[@coontune]

@@CgScents I’ll stop this long chain if comments, but I gotta know, what is that reeeee you do at the end? As a massive metalcore/hardcore music fan, I appreciate it 😂

[@Alritealritealrite]

Kind of in my fragrance collection I'm getting to wear I'll have a top shelf ( Figuratively) and others I'm lukewarm about. I spray and visit my fragrances often like I'm really getting to know them. For me that's part of the hobby🍻

[@RagnarHoff]

Creed just does it right in my opinion. Highly wearable and not trying too shout out across the room which is why i like them. Acqua di Parma is another brand that does things just right. Off course, not all of them are perfect. Bottom tier for me is actually majority of niche brands that try too hard to either be an art form or focus on longevity and projection. I just want a comforting bubble that stays in my personal space.

[@CgScents]

I think creed uses a lot of naturals or something that makes them smell so great and the cost is performance. I don’t think they can smell as good as they do and be loud. I’ve noticed over the years all the best smelling fragrances are soft. I think things blend better at a lower volume, That’s one theory I have another is a majority of their clientele don’t want to project like that. Times have changed and subtlety is in. People who can afford a $500 fragrance at retail probably don’t want to be perceived as the Cologne guy at a board meeting. I like reasonably strong fragrances currently but that’s just where I’m at I’ve preferred softer ones in the past and I’m likely to change over time. I will always love creed they’re just so classic and perfect.

[@WhistleLad]

Black Saffron by Byredo is actually quite good. Can’t speak on any other offerings from the house, but that fragrance is very nice.

[@English-Gent]

I agree with everything you say. Just wondering what you think of Tom Ford? Also Chanel Les Exclusifs and Andy Tauer?

[@Michael-m2l8b]

I agree with you Creed -less is more Irish Tweed is a complete masterpiece

[@MrDusteybowls]

For me, Creed, PDM and Tom Ford or just designers in niche clothing. Also my favorite house atm is Montale/mancera due to performance for price.

[@Alritealritealrite]

I have on honey aoud right now 🍻 It's one of my favorites from what I own.

[@eb1504]

Tom ford IS designer no?

[@bhuda_finger1004]

​@eb1504 yes!

[@Alritealritealrite]

@@eb1504 Yes and no. Tom Ford also has a private line. Tom Ford does a lot more "niche" perfumery than a lot of actual niche houses. He Says himself that he's not held back by his private line.

[@sharfalor4244]

​@Alritealritealrite TF is owned by Estée Lauder now, he has no input.

[@Eli-i6j]

Byredo is my favorite fragrance house! I adore Gypsy water, Mojave ghost and Bal' D'Afrique. Lots of them are so unique and give me deja vu and they have the best minimalist chic aesthetic. LOATHE Xerjoff and Amouage. For me: 1. Byredo 2. Le labo 3. MFK 4. Creed 5. Zoologist BOTTOM: 14. Xerjoff 15. Amouage

[@FRD-HDD]

Great to see someone telling the bitter truth out loud.

[@Oakmosslover]

Please do a list with designer luxury lines!

[@fragswag6432]

Interesting list! For me Amouage is as well top tier, furthermore I would add Profumum Roma and Ormonde Jayne as top tier.

[@abolajiakilo9356]

nice please can you do a video ranking your Amouage collection? my favourite house is Mancera...size, presentation, scent and lonegevity all slaps!!!

[@CgScents]

Will do! The 4 I’ve liked enough to buy are king blue, interlude black Iris, reflection, and jubilation xxv. I enjoy them in that order with king blue being my favorite (but a lot of people don’t like it lol).

[@raygun1414]

1. Xerjoff 2. Amouage 3. PDM

[@koalakyle19]

My favorite cheapie houses are Banana Republic, Coach, and Lataffa I really like Coach's New York, its a soild blue fragrance that lasts all day

[@soakedbearrd]

For me it has to be Lalique, BR is also good, live vetiver linen, tobacco and tonka, neroli woods and dark cherry and amber. Although I’ll admit their longevity is an issue.

[@JAYMOAP]

Great channel

[@kai-tan6098]

Can you give a review of Valentino anatomy of dreams? Personally behind the seen is the more interesting one, tho all of them are very safe as a heads up

[@genata13]

Again excellent video. I agree with you about the "famous" fragrance streamers - when I started watching fragrance streamers on youtube I started with the most prominent ones Gent Scents, Aromatix, Redolessence etc. I quickly (actually not that quickly tbh) realized that their deal is to pump fragrances up with stuff like - top 10 fragrances women love on men, or using language this will get you noticed, top 10 first date fragrances. That's why I started watching "niche" youtubers (pun intended) like you and Seldomly Often (I was surprised when you mentioned that you also watch him), you approach fragrances differently - in your case you are brutally honest on what you dont like but your wife gives sometimes counter arguments/different view point. On the video - I disagree with Creed, because I think that lately they have lost their way - there is no creativity it is all in the past, and unlike you I have more positive than negative experiences with Xerjoff.

[@slayemgaming]

Mancera is my favourite house for what they offer at its price.

[@GaVoHD]

If i'd rank them by the number of bottles it would be: 1.Amouage 2. Acqua di Parma 3. Xerjoff 4. Tom Ford 5. Creed But if i'd rank them by quality and preference it would be: 1. Amouage 2. AUM Perfumes 3. Pana Dora 4. Sospiro & Acqua di Parma 5. Byredo & Profvmvm Roma

[@spinQubit]

Penhaligon: sartorial is dope and the only one I've tried from the house. It's a modern take on the Brut dna; sort of like how Viking modernizes old spice dna. Nishane: B-612 and Papilefiko are fire. You may enjoy Safran Colognise; it's quite unique, but didn't do it for me.

[@CgScents]

Yeah I forgot about sartorial that one is nice. I like Safran Colognise honestly from what I’ve tried of Nishane they’ve all been really good I didn’t like Fan Your Flames but I respect it

[@masaiwhite5933]

Amouage do need time for basic noses to get to grips with,if under 30 most of their frags won't appeal yet.Tom ford have some bangers as do creed,just wish they kept the older power and stopped being so weak in most of their ranges now.I have got into initio through paragon,b baraka and side effect.Issey miyake have some stunners but designer realm and cheap as chips.

[@evanredpotato9601]

Reflection 45 is great…plus you can get it for 285-300 on the grey market

[@eb1504]

I actually dislike perfume that have no changes from opening to drydown. For example, some from diptyque, initio, roja

[@WhistleLad]

Byerley by Parfums de Marley is ELITE

[@TonnyRespect]

Curious what your thoughts are on Montale/Mancera.

[@CgScents]

I really need to try more I got Arabian Tonka and plan to try it out I like Red Tobacco but that’s all I’ve tried

[@TonnyRespect]

@@CgScents yeah they didn’t blow my mind off but I feel like they are clearly taking their own place in the niche perfumery and worth trying. They also offer 1,5 ml sample on their website which is cool

[@gtothee5723]

Cmon CG, give Roja more love. Apex, Scandal, Diaghilev…

[@rogervalencia2623]

What about Atlinsons?

[@808thampire]

Having Le Labo as top tier and Byredo on bottom tier is insane lol. I feel like the brands are so similar to each other.

[@CgScents]

Really? I just get soap from Byredo and Le Labo has had some of the most challenging things I’ve tried. Santal 33, Oud 27, Labdanum 18, Gaiac 10, Patchoulli 24… some Le labos im not even brave enough to wear to an office and I wear some pretty challenging stuff lol.

[@808thampire]

@CgScents To me they're both minimalist style brands. I feel like Blanche is like Byredo's Another 13. You're probably right about Le Lebo being more challenging overall. But I feel like both brands are competing for the same demographic.

[@YungTris27]

Le Labo I feel tries to stick to simplicity. Extremely wearable scents. Baie 19 and Matcha 26 (super calming) are beautiful scents. Love that house. Wouldn’t mind a Santal 26 Candle

[@badbunny3138]

Bro try Byredo night veils collection

[@BonitoFlakes24]

I fully agree with initio. I feel like the entire brand is a money grab. But as far as Byredo, a lot of women’s products copy their scents especially mojaveghost so that comparison is fair. But I do think nobody talks about their deeper offerings, they have a lot to hidden gems bc I feel like only women wear their fresher scents

[@3mKay]

Not sure if its just me but I just dont vibe well with TF, there is a certain style that I feel just doesnt suit me well with their fragrance. With Lelabo, I like them but prices are outrageous for what they are offering, looking forward to try Amouage

[@EvanDJackson]

I got a sample of Amouage Reflection 45 expecting it to project and last, but the performance was terrible even with over 6 sprays. It became a skin scent within 30 min. The smell itself is incredible, but the drydown and performance is awful in my opinion.

[@Niscenssefragrance]

Where would Serge Lutens be in (they have cheap & super expensive line)

[@silentsir2446]

We have very similar noses. I also think Roja's are hard to get into. Nice, very upscale, but sometimes seem too raw or something. I think its due to the amount of notes he uses. Most of the Roja fragrances I've smelled never felt completely cohesive; which is understandable for fragrances with so many notes. I also am underwhelmed by that flat chalky smell that most Initios dry down to. Dont get the hype behind Side Effect either. I also get the bbq smoke smell from guaiac wood. (Thought it was just me who made that association with guaiac wood)...and Im a big fan of creeds clean, well blended simplicity & refinement too, and since Im not a performance junkie, I dont mind respraying any fragrance that I really like.

[@joeycalvillo1888]

Top 5 Houses 1. Maison Crivelli 2. Nasomatto 3. Xerjoff 4. Nishane 5. Maison Francis

[@bryanryan4504]

My favorite is Amouage hands down

[@JT-rx1eo]

I agree with you on Creed (classic). My favorite. And agree on the recent direction of the brand. It's over. The Olivier Creed house DNA has passed into history. They're like every other conveyor belt brand now. No thanks. I like Acqua di Parma and Serge Lutens too. I like Penhaligon's more than you do, and like Raja more also.. I don't like Nishane nor Parfums de Marly much. My favorite designer brand is Tom Ford, easily.

[@reboot4357]

Santal 33 and another 13 are masterpieces. You still a youngin man give it another 10-15 years and your nose will mature with your age hopefully

[@CgScents]

I love Santal 33 a lot of people don’t including people I know in my personal life. It’s a pretty polarizing introduction to a brand. I think Noir 29 or Bergamot 22 are a better introduction but they’re less popular.

[@soakedbearrd]

The only one I tried that I really like was the lavender one. I definitely want to check out the bergamot one as well.

[@ethanrrs]

ill give my opinions on these houses too amouage is probably my favorite of this list, but i have them separated by creative direction era. my fav is the chris chong era, then the vintage era, lastly the renaud salmon era. chong pretty much released nonstop bangers, while salmon's approach is more laid back in modern trends and western inspiration. BUT there are a few modern bangers. silver oud is in my top 5 all time amouage, maybe even higher. frederic malle is hit or miss for me as well but their bangers are amazing, its just the modern ones use a bit too many nuclear aromachemicals for my liking. promise being an example i don't love le labo personally, but thats probably bc over here in NYC their smells are EVERYWHERE in the wild- one walk in brooklyn or manhattan and you'll have smelled santal and matcha and another and noir 15 times over. very pedestrian to me and im sick of a ton of them lol for me xerjoff and pdm and even modern creed are in those walk into the mall's luxury department store and grab something mass appealing and for the name value. alessandro gualtieri stuff is hit or miss for me, his style is basing things around overdoses of NUCLEAR aromachemicals (like 30-50% of the formula when conventionally theyre used in like 0.1-1% proportions) so if he uses an aromachemical i can't stand... then that stuff needs to be as far away from me as possible! MFK is very innovative and trendsetting for modern french style perfumery- simple formula lists with complex ratios of really strong aromachemicals to give a balanced approach. but because of that when a formula leaks online you'll see just how simple it is, kind of like le labo's lol. initio is a pdm side house and i'm meh on them. tried to like paragon but too candysweet for me. roja is way too bougie feeling for what he offers. the aesthetic and snobbiness of it turns me off so much to begin with. ATH, i've only tried a couple but i don't like his personal taste too much. great videos on his reviews though! lol. penhaligons is nice. nothing too much more than that lol byredo is in that same luxury space as le labo chic nyc gurl stuff. meh. bond 9 is so tacky to me yuck. nishane is cool! try out some more of their stuff! memo seems to be more popular in the EU, seldomly often talks about them as a common department store brand.

[@WhiteRangerTP]

I personally find many niche fragrances giving old dusty vibes. I dont know. When it comes to PDM the only ones i can stand are Layton, Herod, Oajan and Althair. Creed is more friendly and i find myself enjoying many of their fragrances, including stuff like viking. I tried xerjof naxos which everyone talk about and just found it disgusting a bit. Too much old medicine vibes for me. In my opinion, The best niche level fragrance i got to smell so far, is 1 million golden oud. Anyone who is laughing at my statement, never smelled the fragrance. I want to hear from someone that smelled it, saying its not niche quality. Its amazing

[@tjpfz6]

For me and MY taste.... Top: Amouage Xerjoff Fredric malle Nasomatto orto Parisi Mid: zoologist MFK creed PDM/Initio bottom: byredo penhaligons ATH Roja lelabo

[@tjpfz6]

Try the more hidden xerjoffs, Syphonium, Tempest, Aurum, Holysm. Everyone loves the naxos, lira, 40knots etc... But look into the "k line" Xerjoff has a ton of good stuff just can't follow the hype. They're other offerings are more in line with amouage imo

[@flop7217]

i have a similar problem with xerjoff. i sampled like all of them. and they do great in presentation and they obviously are god tier in marketing but i find so many xerjoffs useless sweet. so often very much honey. i had naxos but over time it was just a sweet fragrance to me. now i only have a travelspray of alexandria II. i actually don't have a favourite brand. i own 12 bottles of perfume (fixed limit - i sell one if i add one) and i don't own the same brand twice

[@Frenchieeeee]

Creed is expensive but you know what you're getting.

[@RetroMusic]

Amouage Fragrance de Bois Roja ARGOS

[@yasseralg3928]

My favourites: Creed - Greed Irish Tweed, Royal Oud Amouage - Reflection Man, Interlude Black Iris PDM - Haltane, Godolphin Tom Ford - Oud Wood, Tobacco Vanilla, Tuscan Leather Kilian - Intoxicated Clive Christian - C Woody Leather (This one smells majestic!) My least favourite: MFK - They are beast mode, but they smell too feminine for me Niche I have not tried: Le Labo Initio

[@CgScents]

I relate a lot to your list a lot of my favorites mentioned. If you try Le Labo start with The Noir 29 I think you’d like that one. It’s hard to think of an Initio worth trying tbh I think you’d be disappointed. How would you compare Godolphin to Tuscan leather?

[@yasseralg3928]

@@CgScents Thanks for the reply. In terms of Godolphin vs TL, I'd say I prefer TL more, but Godolphin is more fruity, and it is unique in this sense. My wife prefers it over TL. So maybe it is a leathery scent that the opposite sex appreciates more than TL. Thanks for your recommendation on Le Labo's Noir 29, I will try it for sure.

[@diegobrando1467]

Are you the guy who had the video about his addiction issues?

[@CgScents]

@@diegobrando1467 probably was me

[@diegobrando1467]

I knew I recognized your voice glad your doing well man

[@ChristianAndrew1.4]

Nasomatto is far from Mid Tier man... Sophisticated , incredible blending , elegant and longevity that won't let anyone down. High end perfumery in a nutshell.

[@Alritealritealrite]

@@ChristianAndrew1.4 He can give his opinion. He just said it in the beginning of the video how different people have different opinions.

[@ChristianAndrew1.4]

@@Alritealritealrite Indeed... and I did the same. Gave mine. Hence what a comment section is designed for. Opinions and conversation.

[@initdialog]

Serge Lutens is a great house.

[@wangflop]

Familiar face. Didn't expect to see you in in a parfum video. For me Xerjoff is the one with the most hits. Ivory Route, 40 Knots, Starlight, Apollonia. They're always high quality, almost on the same level as Amouage. Which is a brand I also love, but some of their parfums contain notes I perceive out of tune.

[@tom23245]

My biggest criticism with the fragrance industry is actually how expensive the scents are. There is legitimately no functional reason for any 100ml of fragrance to cost over $100 retail. Yes, this includes every possible conceivable cost to selling the fragrance. The rest of the price is pure profit.

[@CgScents]

I think creed was acquired for $3.8 billion with the intention of making money so that says a lot. There’s designing original fragrances, marketing, and infrastructure which does cost but I agree with you they obviously overcharge. There’s a sad reality now where people equate value to cost and a lot of enjoyment of a fragrance is psychological. The quality from a lot of sub $100 fragrances isn’t actually inferior but there’s a difference of perception which I believe governs a lot of how much someone enjoys something. Objectively it’s all scented alcohol the rest is up to perception. Just my two cents.

[@JT-rx1eo]

It's all about lux economics. Creating and maintaining a perception of luxury and exclusivity is what it's all about. Brands do that with clothing and other lines too.

[@CgScents]

@@JT-rx1eo yeah it’s very prevalent with fragrances. I was talking to a legitimate perfumer that said they all use synthetics and there’s not really a difference in quality of material between a $20 and $500 fragrance that it’s all perceptual. I obviously thought he was full of it but he is a legitimate expert with credentials and I’m just following what I have read online. My wife preferred Mont Blanc Individuel ($20) to Original Santal ($500) in a blind comparison so 🤷‍♂️. I keep that kind of stuff in mind. The reality is price doesn’t actually equate value. I value some of my $30 fragrances more than my more expensive ones. No one needs to spend a bunch of money to value something that’s all a choice people make.

[@JT-rx1eo]

​@@CgScents That said, Creed scents SMELL more natural and higher quality to me.

[@seanp7871]

I also get terrible performance from jub 25 .

[@soakedbearrd]

It’s lasts a long time on me 8 hours, but the projection isn’t strong, which is fine for me because I do get a 1 foot scent bubble.

[@seanp7871]

@@soakedbearrd yeah not me 4 hours. This definitely my worst Amouage for performance.

[@soakedbearrd]

@@seanp7871 yeah when compared to others in the line, it’s definitely more subtle.

[@reboot4357]

Triple aged batch is def different than last years absolu aventus TAB is deeper and def last longer

[@CgScents]

Then why didn’t they make the original like that? Doesn’t make sense to me to charge $600 for 75ml on a product they could have made better.

[@patchulistripes]

Doesn’t make sense to me either, why is there no triple batch on the European creed bottle of absolu aventus?

[@WilliamMiller-nr5gb]

My favorites are Zaharoff, Amouage, Xerjoff, PDM, and Nishane. Creed has died. Roja never born.

[@tom23245]

4:07 If the world is willing to pay you $100 million USD this year if you started cranking out one 30 minute video a day purely because of your name, would you do it? Anyone who says "No" is lying. That's the spot Creed is in now.

[@CgScents]

I agree I’m not resentful it is what it is. Some of the schemey stuff is annoying but no one’s forcing me to buy it and I still value their classics.

[@yaro-8]

And the final stage between switching brands and keep byuin new ones, sometimes is, you get so tired of it all you ll stop wearing em all together.🙂..I did , for like 5-6-yrs..one day i came home an my 10 year old son told me he was made fun of at his hockey because his dad wore a cologne..I stopped wearing anything for yrs..hes a teenager now and we share this hobby..but honestly, I can see myself not wear a damn thing again and not care..either way. I still, from time to time, question the purpose of it, from my perspective, ..grown ass men discussing what cologne to wear..but then again, its a hobby like any other

[@CgScents]

I relate to you on that. I’ve had times where I stopped caring completely and while I enjoy the hobby now I don’t care that much. Some people take it way too serious for me lol. It helps me be honest to remember someone saying my ‘nose is broken’ isn’t actually an insult and it’s ultimately just scented water I can 100% live without.

[@iluvj00]

dont get mad lets have fun: Creed: niche noob king... Aventus King of designer freshie noobs Le Labo: fragrance for liberal new yorkers and westerners who travel to 3rd world countries and stay on AirBnB gentrifing those spots. Parfums de Marly and Initio: worst value alongside creed. Oud for Greatness most overrated fragrance in the "influencer" sphere. PdM designer stuff made with better ingredients. Xerjoff: Redundant releases, like Montale but pricier. now seriously: My top tier is Amouage, Boadicea The Victorious, Orto Parisi, Nishane, Bond no.9, Xerjoff mid tier is: Montale, Thomas Kosmala, juliette has a gun, Liquides Imaginaires, Penhaligon's I still have an entire universe of niche houses to explore! But these are the ones I own and tested.

[@kilmarmondragon3278]

Creed has been sold twice

[@lynlim7887]

Xerjoff and pdm is more high tier than le labo, naxos and layton are all time masterpiece. Iommi is awesome. Le labo is more for the feminine side of things

[@zendariuskincaid5205]

lol my least favorite niche houses are CREED & Amouge 😂😂😂😂😂😂 not even lying

[@Yes-Yes1]

Performance, performance, performance. If I am paying over $100, I want my fragrance to last an entire day. These companies need to learn.

[@Capone2121]

Creed was bought by a big corporation about a year ago ever since their quality is shit

[@maverickgrrm3523]

the popular Creed Aventus is expensive and the longevity is trash.

[@ดริ๊งปกคํา]

Le labo😢 no no no😂

[@amaterasublack3519]

Roja is not worthy , too overprice. Xerjoff is worthy.

[@lukes9684]

The word 'niche' means nothing anymore.

[@s.bornand5424]

Lelabo sucks hard bro. The only take of yours I totally disagree with!!!

[@CgScents]

A lot of people don’t like them I don’t get it at all. I love their fragrances. All I can do is be honest if I try to be agreeable it’s a shit channel IMO but I was well aware a lot of people hate Le Labo.

Xerjoff king

[@ryany2882]

My favourite house is creed the worst one is frederic malle I find them all old smelling & overrated. Also don't like le labo