In this post we’ll talk about such a thing as “niche perfumery”. This concept is not very well known to a wide audience, and it is not at all surprising if you do not know what it is. It's time to familiarize yourself with this term and find out how niche perfumery (selective) differs from luxury and ordinary aromas.
What smells of selective perfumery
Do you like smells, and on your home shelf with cosmetics there are several “tasty” bubbles? What are these names?
If we looked into several apartments of an ordinary house in any city, then, most likely, we would meet those names that often appear on television or in gloss. Dior, Dolce Gabanna, Versace ... These names do not leave the pages of magazines, and even children who cannot read, know these words. So, fashion brands that are so famous all over the world are not niche perfumes. It turns out that aromas are classified into three groups, which differ in price, fame and, of course, what they smell like.
Mass market, luxury and niche perfumes
It is true that the engine of commerce is advertising. It is the work of marketers that determines 90% what will be fashionable in the new season and what you will buy from clothes or cosmetics to feel confident. Advertising also promotes perfumes. You are imperceptible to yourself, under the influence of beautiful videos and unusual pictures in the magazine, first of all, approach certain brands in the store and choose something to your taste.
So, the first and most common group of aromas is the mass market, or consumer goods. Such perfumes are most often sold in hypermarkets, cosmetic stores, and due to their great demand, also in small cosmetic shops and crossings. It’s easy to fake such perfumes, and fakes diverge with a bang, because these flavors are known to everyone - from small to large. Smells are not complex, pleasant and easily distinguishable. What is curious, as far back as the last century, fashion houses have been preparing aromas for 2-3 years, and now they release them once a season. It is the mass market that they acquire mainly, it occupies about 75% of the market share.
Luxury perfumes are more expensive than the mass market, but are also widely advertised. As an example, trademarks Chanel and Guerlain can be cited, and aromas are produced most often by fashion houses of clothes. However, jewelry and perfume houses are not far behind, and new smells are one hundred percent consistent with fashion trends. Why is that? The fact is that perfumers involved in product development, before releasing, conduct ambitious research on the audience, identifying preferences and expectations. Who creates luxury perfumes? More often than not, a whole army of creators who strictly follow the prescribed guidelines is behind the new work. Perfumers cannot create and surrender to a rush of soul, because they create a product that will be one hundred percent consistent with the wishes of the client.
Selective - A Brand New Aroma Concept
Niche perfumery is the creation of individuals - perfumers who do not follow anyone's expectations. Perfumes are not great for the price (often niche perfumes can cost as much as luxury novelties cost), but for the “sound” and the ingredients. For selective perfumes, exclusively high-quality raw materials are used, which allows the smell to reveal unexpectedly bright fireworks on the skin - this is what determines the value of the goods. In addition, for some works, expensive elements are used in packaging design, such as gold, special types of wood or precious stones. But unusual packaging is more likely an exception. The first place in selectivity is aroma - it is he who is the determining factor in niche perfumes. The most famous brands among the selectors are Penhaligon's, Jo Malone, Montale, Creed, Le Labo, M. Micallef, Amouage, Parfums de Rosine, Byredo, Fragonard, Frederic Malle, Kilian, Serge Lutens.
On the history of the development of perfumery in the twentieth century
What does “niche perfumery” mean, we have already figured it out, but why did such a branch arise in the “fragrant business”?
To do this, let's go back a bit. Only a hundred years ago, perfumery was the destiny of the elect, or rather people of power and wealthy. But with the development of industrial production, when goods became cheaper and more affordable, perfumes also fell significantly. In the years 50-60, it became available to almost everyone, and a little later, by the nineties, manufacturers began to think about how to convince the buyer to buy their products. Indeed, the offer far exceeded demand, and therefore perfumers began to work in the name of the consumer.
Now perfume houses have ceased to create just something, and began to make a product that meets the wishes of people. Genuine creators who did not want to work within a narrow framework went underground under the name of "selective perfumes."
What is the difference between niche perfumes
So, what are the features in a fragrance industry such as niche perfumery? Shops in Moscow are ready to offer you a selective that has the following characteristics: a special aroma, the best raw materials, almost complete absence of advertising, unusual points of sale.
Fragrance is the first and most important difference between niche perfumes. If the purpose of luxury perfumery and the mass market is to appease the consumer and create the most attractive “sweetie”, the creators of the selectivity do not even think about it. Niche perfumes can have a completely unimaginable “look”, both attractive and repulsive. Imagine notes of wet tobacco, rubber, honey syrup, oud or nut tree, musk - all this is niche perfumery. Reviews on it are very different, because the perfume can embarrass, cause bewilderment, fall in love with itself or push it away, but that is absolutely certain - nobody is indifferent.
Selective ingredients
While manufacturers of “ordinary” perfumes are chasing down the cost of a product by choosing the cheapest synthetic components, perfumers of niche products do not think about it at all. Did you know that, like for a good wine, there are peculiarities for each “ingredient” of a good perfume, including the place and time of collection. So, for example, the most “correct” orange tree flowers are harvested in northern Africa or in Morocco. If the perfumer needs a concentrate of a nut tree, then he will go after him to Indonesia. It is raw materials that determine in many respects the price of the future perfume. Some types of selectors appear in a very limited volume due to the inaccessibility of one or another component.
Dress for the king, or about the packaging
Do you want rhinestones and sparkle? Then, specifically for you - luxury perfumes and mass market. Especially for gullible customers, special magazines are made in magazines that tell about how a perfume bottle was created. Funny isn't it? The bottle is on the shelf, while you need the perfume!
As for the selector, perfumers work more on content rather than appearance. Most often, the packaging of niche fragrances looks discreet and inconspicuous, although there are exceptions. An example is the Martina Micallef brand, whose bottles are hand-painted and decorated with stones. Of course, none other than the buyer pays for the packaging.
Supply Volumes
What do you think, how many bubbles are produced with a new fragrance, for example, Nina Ricci? Several tens of thousands, because the goods need to be delivered to all cosmetics stores and hypermarkets! As for the selector, production is directly related to the number of components. If to create an aroma you need raw materials that can be obtained in a limited quantity, then the manufacturer can literally release a few bubbles. Therefore, some types of perfume literally line up.
Points of sale
If you are interested in selective, hurry to a large hypermarket or cosmetics store to buy a fragrance, then you will be disappointed. Niche perfumery at Rive Gauche is not for sale, but you can find it in special boutiques with selective. What are these points of sale?
At its core, boutiques with such aromas are a kind of “caste” among the distribution points of cosmetics. There are not many people in them, and certainly you will not see the queues. In addition, such shops do not pamper customers with promotions and sales. The maximum that a regular customer can count on is that he can get something from the bath collection of the same brand as a gift for the chosen aroma. As a rule, the owner of a boutique knows regular customers personally and a trusting relationship develops between them.
Do not be afraid to go to such a store! If you want to touch the world of niche perfumery, then there you can get acquainted with aromas. However, do not pretend that you are a seasoned buyer, as the seller will immediately figure out you! Better admit that you only want to learn something about niche perfumes.
And what about the price, how much can selective perfumery cost in Moscow? The price of this type of aroma can hardly be lower than 2000 rubles per 20 ml. But you must admit, this is not so much money - just for the same amount you can buy for example 100 ml of a popular and advertised perfume. What to choose is up to you.
Another fundamental difference
Niche and selective perfumes differ from luxury and mass aromas in that they are practically not advertised. This is the case. When you buy a new or popular fragrance that doesn’t leave the glossy pages, you pay for this: approximately 60% for advertising (participation of models and movie stars, a PR company, probnichki in magazines and in stores), 30% for packaging and payment for work creators of smell and only 10% are raw materials.
The situation with niche aromas is completely different, one might say diametrically opposite. The selectivity is practically not advertised, because it is not designed for the mass consumer, and you pay not for advertising and not for the box, but for a truly unique composition.
How to choose a niche perfume for yourself
Niche perfumery at Rive Gauche is not for sale, and in small boutiques with selective probes for all types of perfume will not be. But since such perfumes are completely unusual and you can’t buy for yourself without first testing it, what can you do? Especially for this there are casts. Selective perfumes, due to their high cost, are not available to everyone, and if you have the opportunity to purchase the coveted bubble, then you need to know what you are getting, right?
In online stores and in small boutiques you can buy otlivants. Selective perfumes are simply poured into special small containers (atomizers), with a volume of 2-5 ml. With so much precious liquid in it, you can “test” the fragrance and determine if you like perfume or not.
Is it worth spending money on selective
As we have already found out, niche perfumery is not a cheap pleasure. A reasonable question arises as to whether it is worth spending money on such an exquisite thing as selective. In addition, the smells are very peculiar, and not everyone will like niche perfumes. Simpler brands, such as a mass market or a more expensive luxury, are well recognizable and like by absolutely everyone.
Well, there is no single answer to this question. Addiction to a particular smell speaks of a person’s taste and culture. This is not even about money, since niche perfumes will not cost much more than luxury ones. However, at some point in life, some people simply start to turn back from popular smells, and you want something more individual.
Selective Reviews
Where can I find reviews about vintage or a rare edition of a book? It is clear that on the forum, connoisseurs of such things do not communicate and do not leave comments in chat rooms. Niche perfumery is something that stands above popularity and public opinion. Of course, you can find reviews, such as “yes, this smell is divine,” but what can it tell you?
Remember that the smells of a selector are so unique and individual that you cannot trust someone’s opinion. You should choose a perfume for yourself, following only your taste and desire, and not someone else's advice. Therefore, I want to warn you against studying someone else’s opinion, follow only your own instincts and perceptions. However, be aware that among the wide variety of flavors of the selector you are sure to find something to your liking.