10 Niche Perfumes That A) Smell Illegally Good and B) No One Else Is Wearing

If you love to smell really, really good—like, strangers-chase-you-down-the-street-to-ask-what-you’re-wearing good—you’ve come to the right place, especially if you want that status of olfactory charm without sharing it with the rest of the perfume-wearing masses. Of course, we love well-known signature scents from designers like Dior, Gucci, and Tom Ford, and we stand by our statement that every person who wears perfume should own at least one bottle of Chanel in their life (pick your poison here). But there is nothing chicer than finding the ultimate niche perfume that doesn’t hail from a super-famous designer label. If you’re looking for a unique, signature scent, you’re better off trolling the niche perfume market to find your fragrance soul mate. 

Unlike more mainstream perfumes, niche fragrances are produced on a much smaller scale, unavailable in the popular retailers you might spot at the mall, and aren’t household names. (Although, a few on our list may well get there.) Instead, you’ll typically find the best niche perfumes at a fancy fragrance boutique, a perfume specialist, or exclusively through their websites. Some might offer limited selections at super-upscale retailers like Saks, Neiman Marcus, or Bergdorfs. These scents are rare, *usually* expensive, and sometimes even a little bizarre in their inspiration. For example, one brand on our list, Serge Lutens, offers a fragrance inspired by the scent of teeth called Dent de Lait. Yes, really.

If you’re in the mood to find a new signature scent to debut, you’re in luck. Below, we’re sharing 10 of the best niche fragrances (in our opinion, at least), plus a selection of runners-up you might also be into. Keep scrolling! Your next new perfume obsession is waiting to be discovered just below.

Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin Eau de Parfum

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Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

DedCool Fragrance 01 Taunt

We also recommend:

Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

Byredo 1996 Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

Diptyque Fleur de Peau Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

D.S. & Durga Rose Atlantic Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

Henry Rose Windows Down Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

Krigler Lovely Patchouli 55 Classic Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

Le Labo Thé Noir 29 Eau de Parfum

We also recommend:

This post was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Up next: And now, The 17 Most Popular Designer Perfumes of All Time

Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.