I Tried 4 of 5 of Those Niche Perfume Brands

And here are my honest thoughts...

I have to admit: when I wrote that letter on “5 Niche Perfume Brands I Really Want to Try”, I already had a bit of a bias. Don’t get me wrong, I love a household name when it comes to fragrance. Chanel No. 5 and Coco Mademoiselle are classics for a reason. But niche houses have always held a special place in my heart. It’s no secret it continues to be a growing category, so much so, that even the once niche houses aren’t so niche anymore. As much as we all want to smell undeniably intoxicating, there’s something particularly tantilizing about smelling ✨unlike everyone else✨. There’s a specific type of chill that comes over your body when it discovers a fragrance you can’t just scoop at your local Sephora. There’s time put into the curation, effort, and sampling that goes into adding the perfect one.

The five houses I recommended in my previous letter were admittedly a few I already had a sneaking suspicion I might love due to all of the buzz and excitement I’d been hearing from the peanut gallery on TikTok and the rest of the Internet. When I finally got my hands on a few bottles to experience IRL, I must admit I was surprised, and perhaps not in the ways you may have expected. Let’s dive into the reviews.

Régime des Fleurs

Rating: 4/5 (★★★★☆)

EDPs I Sampled: Little Flower, Là-Bas, Falling Trees, Tears, Rock River Melody

Full-size Product I Added to My Collection: Tears, $240 (75ml)

Standout Qualities: Spot-on, almost photorealistic qualities of the vignettes each fragrance attempts to capture; packaging that elicits art on your shelves; wearable scents that are supremely special, but also universally loved.

I have to admit I’ve had a virtual crush on Régimes des Fleurs every since Rebecca from Nashville’s own The Green Ray announced she was carrying the line (Music City is starving for fragrance). At first glance, you have to wonder if it’s just another pretty face. With luxurious glass bottles that look like handheld pieces of art with round tops and delicate, crest-like labels, there’s no denying Régimes des Fleurs is beautiful. Upon deeper investigation, however, one uncovers the line is founded by unquestionably stylish Alia Raza, with fragrances created in collaboration with giants of the craft such as Dominique Ropion and icons like Chloe Sevigny. Suddenly what seemed too good to be true begins to coalesce with other elements of the brand in a beautiful dance of thoughtful choices, and you realize you may have just stumbled across a true masterpiece of our time.

I mean it when I say I loved every fragrance I sampled from Régimes des Fleurs, which is why I think it’s perfect for niche lovers, but universal enough to be widely adored too. In the end, I opted to add a full-size bottle of one of the line’s bestsellers, Tears, because I was so curious how one might capture and bottle the essence of sadness—the heartache, catharsis, and nostalgia. But if there’s one thing about RDF I’ve learned, it’s not to doubt the intentionality behind what they do. The brand did, in fact, manage to create a very sad scent, and somehow also have it wear very beautifully. This epitomizes the core of the brand to a tee as told in their own words: disruptive and iconoclastic. If you have friends who love fragrance, any EDP from the line would make such a thoughtful and elevated gift. The price point is certainly on the more luxurious end, even for niche and especially for the amount of product you receive, so I would recommend the discovery set before you make any firm commitments. My only complaint is that I wish the fragrances lasted longer.

If you’re looking for more information, I speak more to the brand on TikTok.

Snif

Rating: 2/5 (★★☆☆☆)

Products I Sampled: Golden Ticket, Off The Grid (candle), Sweet Ash (candle)

Price Point: $65 (30ml fragrance), $46 (8.5 oz candle)

Standout Qualities: A try-before-you-buy system that isn’t without kinks, but makes it easier to test scents before you commit; friendly price point for accessibility into the world of niche; a modern, trend-forward brand looking to shake up the industry

Snif was another house I found myself excited to try due to all of the excellent reviews on TikTok. I should have known an app catered heavily to a younger following would produce a lot of hype around a trendier brand. Don’t get me wrong: I like Snif. And I think the brand does a lot of things right, especially for a newer company entering a category with so much longstanding historic tradition. But when placed against some of the other houses in this review, I can’t quite say it had everything I personally look for when it comes to a standout niche fragrance house.

Let’s start with what I like: The branding is well-done. It’s minimalistic, but curated and reminds me of the younger, Gen Z sister of some of the other houses on the list. I also think it’s priced correctly. It’s not as wallet-friendly as something like Fine’ry, but I also think the quality of the product is more elevated. Snif also has a great try-before-you-buy system, where they include smaller samples in your order to burn and wear before committing. Thus, you only pay for what you keep. Of everything I tested, I really did enjoy the candles, especially Off The Grid, and think they’re a good bang for your buck. I also think the younger demographic in your life would think Snif is really cool. The brand is innovative, but I don’t think it’s catered toward the more sophisticated fragrance lovers of the world. To me, both the brand and the scents it produces feel a bit more entry-level when put up against some of these other houses and mavens in the industry.

Fine’ry

Rating: 2/5 (★★☆☆☆)

EDPs I Sampled: I’m A Musk, Not Another Cherry, Sweet On The Outside, Without A Trace

Full-size Product I Added to My Collection: I’m A Musk, $29.99 (2.02 oz)

Standout Qualities: Price per milliliter is unmatched; Lands pretty closely to the fragrances it’s trying to emulate; convenience

I, as much as anyone else, recognize the world of niche fragrance can get wildly expensive. Therefore I’m always interested in “dupes” or options that smell like their more expensive counterparts for a fraction of the cost. I may have high standards, but I can also be practical. That’s precisely why Fine’ry piqued my interest in the first place. While other brands might try to conceal their motives, Fine’ry almost blatantly declares, “We’re trying to give you a more affordable option of all those expensive fragrances you love!” And if that’s what you’re looking for, I think they do a good job.

To give you a tangible example, Another 13 is one of my favorite fragrances from the house Le Labo. But when it came time to restock this mainstay in my collection, I gritted my teeth looking at the $230 price tag in comparison to the $30 one offered for .32oz more product by Fine’ry. So I succumbed and popped into my nearest Target to buy the clearly cheaper option. Much to my surprise: it’s dangerously close. Not exact, which I speak to a lot in other videos on the Internet, but close enough to justify saving $200. Will I still restock Another 13? Absolutely; it’s that special and while the two are similar, they are not the same. As I bide my time, Fine’ry makes it easy to “get the feel” of some popular fragrances for a fraction of the cost (although not as easy as one might think because like so many other popular items on TikTok, the Internet has caught wind and the aisles often look ravaged by doomsday-preppers in the wake of an apocalypse). The staying power and sillage are almost non-existent, but that might just be a conversation for another day.

If you’re looking for more information, I speak more to the brand on YouTube and TikTok.

Maison Crivelli

Rating: 5/5 (★★★★★)

EDPs I Sampled: Iris Malikhân and Tubéreuse Astrale

Full-size Product I Added to My Collection: Iris Malikhân, $260 (3.4 oz)

Standout Qualities: Undeniably distinctive fragrance experience where each scent feels special; luxurious price point that actually matches the quality of the product you receive; innovative and unexpected fragrances you won’t find anywhere else.

Of all the houses I spoke to in my previous letter, Maison Crivelli may just be the one I was most intrigued by. Partly because I was introduced to the brand by a fragrance reviewer I trust and respect that stated Iris Malikhân smelled like “generational wealth”, but perhaps even more so because while the brand hasn’t been around long (having been founded in 2018 by Thibaud Crivelli), its roots are in the sensorial experience and have an appreciation for the energy of fragrance. Crivelli understands that perfume isn’t just about smell, but all the other senses too. And it’s really apparent when you see products in their roster modeled after the scent the Milky Way and shooting stars, or a walking safari.

Maison Crivelli is special. I knew it from the moment I first raised Iris Malikhân to my nose. Iris, which can sometimes feel powdery and dated, is inviting and surprisingly almost vegetal at first sniff. When paired with vanilla and leather, the story is enigmatic and intoxicating. Each fragrance I sampled from the line was so thoughtful, and there’s something about this house that gives you the firm body-knowing that no detail was spared (perhaps because they concoct each of their creations without a time limit). What’s more, each scent lasts all evening and into the next day, giving that wow-factor I think we all crave in our collection.

If you’re looking for more information, I speak more to the brand on YouTube and TikTok.

Visit my ShopMy to browse all the niche fragrances mentioned. Are there any other niche houses you’ve been curious about and want me to review next?