The Ultimate Niche Fragrance Brand Tier List | Men’s Cologne/Perfume Review 2024 / 40 Brands Rated

[@redcojiro97]

Never clicked on a video so fast in my life!! Are you gonna do a designer one too?

[@robes08]

I can, if people like this comment. I'll get it done.

[@caiojorge6390]

​@@robes08 We'd love to see you do it!

[@wutru3142]

@@robes08 Yeah why not? Dior is great!And maybe a niche part 2. There are many good brands left

[@william6509]

@@robes08please do man!

[@RobertPlatinum]

100% I've Been Wanting This Tier List!!!

[@kdot7395]

Guerlain is in a league of their own haha. Satisfied with how quick you put them into S tier.

[@robes08]

It was quick lol

[@arunashamal]

And he didn't even talk about their women's line, which is honestly beyond perfume and approaching poetry levels, L'heure Bleue, Shalimar, Mitsouko, etc...

[@wazzabanzook5028]

@@arunashamalinsolence

[@SymbianBlack]

Been waiting on this for 10 + years

[@ToriZealot]

every day checking ... damn still no Brand Tier List

[@upadityapathak3516]

One of the best tier list I’ve seen that was made purely based on what a reviewer thinks about the frags. Took me back to the good old days You’ll have to get your nose on the the house of Papillon

[@Dongorgon777]

Was waiting for this forever! Thanks Mark! Always wondered what you find interesting.

[@The_Fuzz1]

Guerlain, Kilian and Serge Lutens are probably my three favorite niche brands. Kilian gets some hate, but I love a lot of their fragrances. Back to Black, Single Malt, Angels' Share, Straight to Heaven Extreme, etc. Solid tier list, Marc.

[@robes08]

Thank you. You have great taste!

[@rammul7801]

Half of the brands I either never heard of or didn't get to try. But the half I tried or owned, I agree with your ranking of them 100%. And im with you on Roja being like Creed when it comes to lies.

[@jdeutsch]

Good stuff Marc! Would be happy to see a designer edition!

[@Alithia451]

They are all E tier!

[@RoseBrandyFinn]

Superb format, I’ve really enjoyed watching, and great little overviews of the houses! Thank you :) Lutens, Tom Ford Private Blend, Malle, and Amouage are definitely "S" tier for me too-the perfumery for the soul.

[@wutru3142]

Heads will roll

[@bogdantoneff2693]

YEEEEES! This is what the fragrannce community needs! An unbiased,honest opinion on what's good and what's shit! What a breath of fresh air! Love your content, Marc! Wishing you happy Holidays! ✅

[@Strictlybusiness79]

Overall a solid tier listing. Sure, I may move a couple around but overall I would agree with most of the slotting. Well done and thanks for sharing .

[@robes08]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@Furriner]

Whoa! Bold of you , Marc! Keep it up!

[@OmarZ77]

I knew Serge Lutens and Guerlain would be S-tier. Recently bought Santal Majuscule thanks to your unboxing and absolutely love it.

[@robes08]

Thanks for sharing! Glad you like it!

[@arunashamal]

I have money to buy one bottle for Christmas and I am debating between Santal Majescule vs Gueralin Heritage (Old bottle, not the square one)...Still can't decide, but probably go towards Guerlain

[@runningscents2532]

Nasomatto should be higher but i cant be mad at that list.

[@robes08]

Yea i was kinda 2nd guessing myself in the video a bit too

[@FantasticScents]

Whats up Robes what an excellent idea especially with your insight on these houses!!

[@bell_2016]

Great video Mark!! Thanks! What's your opinion on Rogue Perfumery? You should do a video on indie/less known brands too...

[@wutru3142]

Rogue is fantastic!

[@robes08]

I haven't smelled them yet... yet.

[@nathansmith-nd9nq]

I really enjoyed the format Rob. 🙏

[@ToriZealot]

Great Show! Enjoyed this very much. But so much left to discover, Nicolai, Houbigant, Perris Monte Carlo, Widian, ...

[@robes08]

Some of those brands I need more sniffs.

[@iamthebrainthatwassparked]

Thanks Marc, great video! Appreciate your insight, hopefully this gets a part two with some more brands!

[@robes08]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

[@libertybell400]

Excellent video Marc. I appreciate the view into your experienced mind. My favorite part was the top hits of each.

[@robes08]

Glad you liked it!

[@Gumption1111]

Most legendary video you've done since 100 top designers!

[@robes08]

Appreciate that! It was a lot of work.

[@beebot]

I still love Ursa from Tiziana Terenze, but you're right ☛ Glad to see Lutens still hanging on! Amouage price hikes were a bit of a shock to me. Thanks for the fun watch 👌

[@Rexy_boss]

in my country amouage costs 120-170$ for 100ml bottle=)

[@Funkincense]

Great content. I really enjoyed it. The list looks good. Even E list has good company. I might make a few moves. I'm baised for sure. I like the london houses just a tidbit more. You got my favs in S tier so I'm happy about that. My feelings are okay for now.

[@Leonard_Washington76]

Oh snap you went ahead and did it 💪🏾!!!

[@robes08]

I did.

[@thehomemadedisease9485]

Dope idea, this is a great direction for you. One suggestion for you, you could position things in the higher and lower ends of the tiers, better to worse in that tier would go from left to right (if you want to get more accurate) could be cool 🤘

[@miroslavdjukic3884]

lets go get them again! Just started can't wait to watch this! First like then watch :) EDIT: Finally Parfum D Empire I am talking about that brand last 10 years to my friends where did it go? Nobody mentions it anymore thanks for bringing it up!

[@robes08]

Thanks for watching and for the like!

[@miroslavdjukic3884]

@@robes08 Thank you sir!

[@wutru3142]

Only vintage Amouage is S Tier Maybe Guerlain

[@wutru3142]

Frederic Malle and Serge Lutens also great

[@wutru3142]

Tom Ford was great just as Creed. Slumberhouse too obscure

[@ToriZealot]

The Opus Line is terrific ... IMHO

[@wutru3142]

@@ToriZealot I love Royal Tobacco and Silver Oud

[@ToriZealot]

@@wutru3142 Yeah!!!

[@shaunshere9960]

Love ya work, designer next please or part two of niche. Also If you throw the casamorati line into the Xerjoff mix there are plenty of bangers and of all different styles so Id move them up a spot or two.

[@and.nowojski.J3.16]

Nice combination of scents and very good classification... but one perfume house should be higher, in my opinion.. Xerjoff - really deserves more appreciation

[@robes08]

Thanks for sharing!

[@georgesandrelouis142]

Interesting video and perspective. It allowed me to discover some brands. As far as the brands that I know; I agree with some and disagree with others. It would be interesting if you could do a tier list based on notes. Like a tier list for leather or oud fragrances.

[@Miss_Dita]

I would enjoy a Tom Ford tier list. Pretty please daddy Santa

[@soakedbearrd]

4000+ fragrance geez man. I have around slightly above 100 and I thought I had a problem 😂. More power to you man do what makes you happy. Btw I respect your honesty and brass to have your own opinion. For my virgin nose, I still like somewhat appealing houses as I have not had the acquired taste yet. But I’ve enjoyed mancera, amouge, xerjoff and le labo. Tom ford and guerlain are solid as well but I don’t know if they fit the niche classification but I could be wrong. Going on that borderline classification I also enjoy Lalique.

[@ryujinzengen6053]

Sad to see Aktinson's in S-tier, there are a few I own that I like a lot (Oud Save the King, The Odd Fellow's Bouquet, 24 All Bond Street, or The Other side of the Oud), the long and strange titles don't help. However I also think a lot of their releases are pretty weak, either non-special scent profiles or very abysmal performance, which is fine inherently, but for the price it is very frustrating. Guerlain in S-tier is always good to see however

[@brenlynch4811]

Cheers Marc fair ranking mate , not an easy task but done consistently with your test drive individual fragrance ratings as I see it 💪👊🤛

[@luism.9737]

Great vid mark!

[@EduardsPutra]

Good content, i support this!

[@robes08]

Thank you!

[@laelian]

Great one, and I agree with almost everything. Would have put Tauer, Parfums d’empire (it’s pronounced empear) and byredo higher, EldO and the different company lower. Would love to see more !

[@robes08]

Thanks for watching!

[@mus31]

lets go Marc!!💪💪💪

[@beach_lion]

Oh man ! Epic list. I'm really fond of Atelier Cologne but I respect it lol. I still love Bois Blonds from them during warm sunset evenings. Edit: Is Christopher Chong making perfumes anywhere else? His Amouage creations are my fav perfume era too, S++

[@lukes9684]

"But how low are they gonna go?" That's what HE said!

[@AnotherPerceiver85]

i wanna hear more about off the beaten path niche stuff…. things not available at Nordstrom, Sak’s, Neiman’s, etc….

[@wutru3142]

@@AnotherPerceiver85 You should try Areej le Dore, Bortnikoff, Rogue Perfumery

[@wutru3142]

Areej le Dore Bortnikoff Les Abstraits Rogue Perfumery

[@AnotherPerceiver85]

@@wutru3142 exactly! some amazing stuff in there! wearing Chypre Siam today actually. the public needs more content about the lesser known true modern pillars

[@BabatundeOni-p9o]

Pretty fair ranking, to be honest

[@robes08]

Appreciate it!

[@zfl727]

The Jays are in house 👏 Cheers

[@robes08]

They are!

[@redcojiro97]

I bought a few Rojas at discounters. Thosre prices are outrageous. Discounters make Roja worth it IMO.Have your tried Diaghilev? That fragrance is really something else. Probably the best fragrance I've ever smelled. Way too expensive, though 😅but I'll get it one day.

[@carlover4239]

what do you think about BDK, Royal Crown, and Kajal?

[@pmrp12]

Really great content, thanks for your take! Have you tried anything from Fzotic or Bogue? Very creative and quality niche scents.

[@Lee-ofar]

Nice video! My only disagreement is Andy Tauer. That is a “S” tier for me!

[@brotherkenwin7159]

What do you think about Argos and Mind Games ?

[@arunashamal]

I'm a fragrance boomer like robes08 and got into it around 2009 as well (when Le Male was his top dawg) and my perception of the brands are very similar to this list..too.. I don't get it when people hype Xerjoff and PDM etc too, they were very similar to designers we had back then from the brands like Thierry Mugler for a fraction of the price!

[@WeezyPipes]

What tier is Profumum Roma? That seems like a big omission

[@rod.6707]

I have similar ratings, although Amouage and Tom Ford recently dropped a rank for me ;)

[@jaimelacalle2802]

clicked on this so fast my laptop shattered into a million pieces. Watching and writing this on my samsung smartfridge

[@robes08]

😅✊

[@millionaaar23]

Aw man just saw this as I’m headed to work. Can you please keep this posted for later viewers?

[@robes08]

100% , it'll be there when you have time. Have a good shift at work!

[@millionaaar23]

@@robes08thank you sir looking forward to watching!!!

[@angelcuev6762]

I love this time to set the record straight

[@robes08]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@Roy_Godiksen]

Well, this was a surprising video. Never thought you'd do a video like this😅.❤❤👏🏼👏🏼 Several of my personal favorite brands are missing. I don't know if that is good or bad😅

[@robes08]

If you have time list all the brands missed, a part two could be in the works.

[@Roy_Godiksen]

@robes08 The once i would love to hear your opinion on is: My favorite 4. And my S - B tier: "Zaharoff" S tier. never misses for my tastes. "Hima Jomo" S tier. I've lately been very impressed by their fragrances. Essentially the seasonal series. "Imaginary Authors" A tier. (have great, artistic fragrances). "Alûstre" B Tier. Several magnificent releases. Essentially "In The Shadows of Bergamot" has my heart. These would be my top 4. Mind, I haven't had a lot of experience with a lot of houses. So most on your list I'm unfamiliar with. Which is a great place to find new and interesting brands (new to me). ❤️❤️👏👏

[@kypsunrider5983]

Now you have to do another about..if you buy buy just one out of all these niche houses..wich will it be!

[@d3tached205]

I love Mancera.

[@seanp7871]

😂 they’re so shit m8

[@robes08]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@Namo81]

Niceeee 👍👍👍😃😃 loved it

[@robes08]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@sharfalor4244]

Womens version please.

[@Mario-lj3cd]

Trash no.9

[@MuddyGreenMonster]

Don't upset me, as I was already in a bad mood when I pressed play! I'll let you know if I've turned greener in 50 mins.........OK, 50 mins later & I'm still the same shade of green. By & large I agree. A couple up & couple down a tier maybe. I certainly agree that Guerlain are at the top of the pyramid in a Godly tier all of their own.

[@robes08]

Happy we didn't get you into Hulk mode. Much love!

[@pandafragrance]

This almost makes up for half a decade of no seasonal lists. Almost. I would recommend trying more Roja stuff. The prices can approach reasonable on secondary and the quality is better than most. Like Creed, it’s popular to shit on Roja but the quality isn’t really matched by most houses and, like you, I’ve tested thousands of scents over the decades.

[@Robbbobb91]

I'm sure Clive Christian will be over the moon being labelled as English perfumery - he's Scottish. 😅 Personally, I do well with Terenzi and have picked up many at very good prices. I really like Ursa and Arkagas. Out of your listing, the one I disagree with the most personally (obviously it's subjective) is Creed. They're good, but the prices for what they are is way too high. Historically very good, but having tried many lately they're certainly not worth the coin. Viking is excellent, but it's so short lived it's unbelievable. Tom Ford I personally think are pretty overrated, but the discontinued Noir Anthracite is phenomenally good. Probably B tier for me overall. Great video though, thoroughly enjoyed it. 👍

[@SeanHH1986]

As much as i hate the f.b.b...the possibly fake nose listings...and the extreme price.... the only thing i totally disagree with is the roja in the D tier with tom ford in the S tier. Amouage in the S tier has the exact same fbb and extreme pricing, though i love them very much. At least the christopher chong era stuff when they took chances. Creed is in the A tier for example...theyve been cheapening fragrances ingredients and increasing prices for a while now. I dunno, alot of what you said i agree with but i feel like jokingly asking you where roja hurt you lol. just conversing, ill still watch basically all of your videos haha. Hope you have a good holiday!

[@robes08]

To be fair I really gave Amouage the S tier because of the masterpieces of Epic Man, Memoir Man, Interlude Man, Jubilation XXV Man which were all before the FBB. Roja I've smelled several and only two have spoken to me so the low score is justified within my journey. That may changes in a few years. Thank you for the support !

[@wutru3142]

..Sunshine Man, Beach Hut Man, Overture Man, Interlude Black Iris Man, Lyric Man, Gold Man, Myths Man, Reflection 45, Rose Incense, Royal Tobacco, Silver Oud. Amouage has more masterpieces then any other house. They don’t even come close!

[@ach6961]

Good video but diptyque should be at least b tier

[@MrLimaify]

I would put Creed lower

[@FantasticScents]

What about French Riviera ?

[@mierezsaturday1452]

Astonishing.

[@robes08]

💪

[@ANGRY2MATO]

You may have to update that intro depending on how that case goes lololol

[@robes08]

I was thinking of switching to "all about the benjamins" by Bad boy, we will see how it goes.

[@looneydesi]

All Hail Dark Lord 🙏

[@maxdiesel4217]

Im shocked you're not a big fan of Mancera Hindu Kush, warming incense.

[@DavideV101]

Now u surprise me

[@michaelbullock8011]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Mr.Cologne]

I was in the gym last place for me 😂😂😂😂

[@robes08]

I appreciate you going hard getting those gains.

[@Mr.Cologne]

@ 🤜🤛

[@Leonard_Washington76]

PDM not being S tier….. IM TRIGGERED 🤣

[@robes08]

Isn't everyone?

[@JaredWilson-t8t]

How could you forget Profumum Roma bro?!? Cmon mann lol

[@robes08]

I was drunk, apparently.

[@Leonard_Washington76]

We want a “Panty Dropper” video list 🤣!!!

[@robes08]

Liz Claiborne - Curve. Period

[@william6509]

Tom ford isnt S tier and thats a fact. However, i understand your bias

[@robes08]

Fact perhaps in your world. My video is opinionated and you are open to yours however I don't see how that's fact. However, I understand your bias.

[@GoranAbraxas]

Xerjoff is S tier all day, every day. Smell (quality) wise, only Amouage and FM can compete with them. Creed should be way lower, Roja also, Byredo too, Bond is F tier, PdM too. Mancera should be C tier. Ah, it's all subjective in the end. If you go just by the objectively quantifiable things (cost, longevity, originality, brand image) most of these would be F tier.

[@jonstern7511]

"British Perfumery is not for me". Good God what an inappropriate generalisation. There isn't just one type of British Perfume. There's everything from historic classic houses like Trumper, Floris and Penhaligons up to the present like Ormonde Jayne, Miller Harris and such like. What a strange blanket dismissal 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@robes08]

I don't think it's inappropriate at all. It's fact for my journey and in this list, all british brands were lower than C tier for me, does that mean I won't discover more ? Not at all. I look forward to discovering more from British brands.

[@jonstern7511]

@@robes08 it was the way you phrased it

[@Alithia451]

All these noobs. :) Heeley: Oranges and lemons say the bells at St Clements, Menthe Fraiche. Atelier cologne: Vanilla incensee. Different company: Sel de vetiver

[@wutru3142]

How could you forget F tier Royal Crown?😂

[@robes08]

I have no idea, epic fail.

[@TheFragranceDecantBoutique]

❤

[@Jakoub.A]

No Royal Crown on this Tier List? haahaha

[@robes08]

Totally forgot about them lol. F Tier looks lonely now without them.

[@blebem]

Fragrance One -> SS+ Tier

[@wutru3142]

SS because he’s German?🥶

[@jzed9138]

I think you hurt some feelings with this video Serge fanboy 😅

[@Effect_]

Tom Ford isnt a niche brand.

[@robes08]

They indeed are not, I touched upon that in the video.

[@soakedbearrd]

Neither is guerlain

[@robes08]

@@soakedbearrd and touched upon that also in the video.

[@soakedbearrd]

@@robes08 watching the video now I’m like half way through. Classification is overrated anyway, for me the difference between niche and non niche is usually price 🤣

[@seanp7871]

Think you were being kind to PMD should be down further. H tier

[@seanp7871]

I with you I think the nasomatto line is more interesting then the O/P

[@robes08]

I was being as fair as I could.

[@Chiefn-ly7yr]

👏🏽🍿😀

[@dwyaneohmar9418]

This whole Video is RAGE BAIT!! Laughable

[@DanielsFragranceJournal]

Just to be clear, Xerjoff, Killian & Parfums de marley should definitely be F tier. :)))

[@millionaaar23]

I haven’t liked any of the Killian I smelled but what is your criticism of pdm? I think a lot smell nice but they make too many fragrances

[@DanielsFragranceJournal]

@@millionaaar23 i have the same opinion as Robes, but i'm more harsh. Pbm and Xerjoff for my nose have to be the most synthetic and designer level brands. At least from xerjoff i can name 2-3 fragrances i like, but from PBM i don't like anything at all. I can name 10 designer fragrances that cost like 30% of what PBM asks, and those fragrances will put any pbm to shame.

[@espenstephensen1800]

@@DanielsFragranceJournalwhat perfumes from Xerjoff do you like, and what are your best designers? Just curious

[@DanielsFragranceJournal]

@@espenstephensen1800 from Xerjoff i liked Homme, Luxor, Ilm and Reinassance. And for designers i like the classics like, kouros, antaeus, eau sauvage, polo green, givenchy gentleman, adg essenza. But even Dior homme parfum is more niche than everything from PBM

[@ToriZealot]

@@DanielsFragranceJournal I love Nisean ... but that is of course discontinued by pdm