Hitting all the right notes

Niche perfumes are finding success in a mass-produced world, and these brands have risen to highly coveted status.

In recent years, niche perfume brands have expanded their presence in Singapore. Just this year alone, French fragrance house L'Artisan Parfumeur opened its first South-east Asian store in Takashimaya. Meanwhile, multi-label luxury beauty boutique Escentials unveiled its newest outlet in Ion Orchard.

But how do they differ from their mainstream counterparts? A spokesperson from distributor Luxasia Group shares that unlike mainstream perfumes designed for broad appeal, niche fragrances prioritise individuality over ubiquity, and are crafted in limited quantities by "passionate and innovative perfumers".

Another point of distinction is the dialogues established between these small-batch perfume brands and their consumers. "People are on a quest for sincerity and authenticity, and this is exactly what L'Artisan Parfumeur proposes: to go back to the essence of creation in perfumery, detached from marketing demands, and instead offer a sincere and organic olfactory dialogue with the perfumer," says Reyes Lezcano Penalva, general manager of L'Artisan Parfumeur.