Here Here!! I pretty much gave up on the frag game lately....I have like 30-35 bottles.....i think its enough for me......i got addicted to purchasing and now i have alot that i like and love......I have freshies for spring summer..my heavy duty ones for fall winter.........hey enough. I have better things to use my money on than keep purchasing. I use my stuff and rotate it..but when you have hundreds of bottles...how much do you really wear it? I made this statement earlier but hey I like good clothes..which i will wear and have a personal style..I like presenting myself well but a scent is cool but if you dont dress "up" then big deal you smell good. I still love fragrance and just yesterday bought a higher end frag but not like i used to...........Thanks for your great content..............Bob
You just completely echoed my own experience. Got the summer and winter fragrances which are safe for work, then a few more niche and gourmand stuff just for my own enjoyment at home. I'm at 35 bottles and that covers everything nicely for a good rotation.
I have 13 fragrances and a few hardly get used. I think 10 quality fragrances is enough to cover all bases ( winter, summer, work, dates, club etc ). Any more is just a waste imo
I think the fragrance game should be focused on wearing something you want to wear. Cologne is an extension of your wardrobe in some sense. Would you wear a weird jacket you didn't like? Probably not. I love a lot of designer fragrances! V&R Spicebomb extreme, BDC, and D&G The One. You don't need to go niche if you don't want to. There are plenty of amazing designer frags.
I'm pretty much done buying fragrances period... both niche and designers. At the beginning of the year I came to the conclusion I have way too many fragrances. Since then I have been slowly downsizing my collection. Despite all that I still enjoy fragrances and watching fragrance reviews on TH-cam.
I really dig your honesty here and its so so soo different than any other youtuber who reviews fragrances. I'm not sure if others will appreciate your honesty but I think you really captured what a lot of us go through when we collect. Personally I think you have something here
Same here..i have a mixture of niche and designers..mostly designers..i have lots of samples and decants of niche which i love but i dont wear niche alot and when i want to i have a 5 or 10ml decant......i dont buy bottles of niche hardly ever..I do have Herod and maybe 3 or 4 others but its mainly designers selected for what i like.......Thanks for your reviews and i do miss your content bro......hope you are doing well..i can tell that you are ga good guy.....i happened to run across your channel today and wanted to send out a hello cause i know you are doing well ..your kind spirit shines through.......all the best bud..Bob
I feel you. I sample so many niches, and which fragrances I get the most compliments on? JPG le male, Joop wow, ck whatever which all can all be had for less than $ 50 USD. And why is that? They work, they are easy to wear, easygoing and learned by the masses. If you smell a fresh lemon you tend to like it, if you smell vanilla, you like it, aquatic? You like it. People like how designers smell. Exceptions apply of course, in both directions. Agree on the Replica line, I just love the ones I have, I keep reaching for them (by the fireplace, soul of the forest, jazz club).
i totally agree ...ive owned several fragnances over the years both niche and designer, while both have their strong points .... the mass people who smell your scent enjoy designer fragrances more and factor that with the cheaper prices youre better off with 3 to 5 quality designers. Brands such as hermes, CH, prada, chanel, dior, and guerlain are great in terms of mass appeal and doesn't hurt the pocket too much for the average joe. With that being said my favourite cologne in terms of wearability and compliment receiver is givenchy play. for some reason i get plenty of compliments everytime i wear some (have to go heavy on the trigger) and i myself find it very pleasing.
Here Here..........i posted a long comment but somehow it didnt go thru..in essence I totally agree w/not spending big cash on and on....on frags. If you have a decent collection..USE IT.
I got into niche to tailor fragrances to my tastes. Really I don't care if it's nice, luxury designer or designer. I fell in love with Dior Privee line and Tom Ford Private Blends. My favorite notes are oud, rose, amber and tobacco which are more available in niche especially natural ingredients like oud. I didn't get into fragrances to impress other people I got into fragrances to change the way I feel. Even today I'm wearing Alexandria Fragrances it's not about niche, just what makes me happy.
This kind of makes me sad .... it reminds me of fashion shows, where the art/clothing is so extreme that really it's only appropriate for the runway, and in no way translates to anything that one could wear in the real, everyday world (without looking completely ridiculous). As a perfumer who works with only high quality - (yes, high price) - naturals, it is part of my job to not only compose creative perfumes, but perfumes that people will adore wearing. After all, we are asking consumers to consider our product in exchange for their valuable dollars, right? I feel like it's sort of lazy, possibly self-absorbed, of niche perfumers to create perfumes that are so "interesting" that they become unwearable. I suppose if they are creating for the sake of history or a collectors item, that is another story, a different intention. This is food for thought and certainly something I will continue to keep in mind. Thanks for the video and sharing your opinions!
ANANDA WILSON, Gather Perfume Art is not meant to be utilitarian. It’s supposed to make you think. Most runway items and Haute Coture isn’t meant for mass sale and production. It’s a form of art, just as the really weird niche fragrances are. You can love them or hate them, but at the end of the day they are what’s pushing the envelope of what fragrances can be.
This was a good video. It helps saving people money who might not have better knowledge, I remember I used to get compliments when I kept it simple and mass appealing fragrances while keeping it most newest. As long as it was simple, people appreciated and liked your presence. And that’s the route I’ll follow too. Thanks for further clarifying it
I have one rule ... I only buy what I love smelling on my skin - simple :D no matter wether it's niche or not. I live in a country where you don't get a lot of compliments anyway hahaha. I smelled some niche fragrances but ended up with designer's only so far. Will get a small bottle of Tom Ford Oud Wood soon though because I love this one.
Hey man!!! Wanted to know...I just watched your video on your top 5 Parfums de Marly. I wanted to know two things 1) Whats is your current top 5? 2) Now that you own Jazz Club, do you still find Herod the best tobacco vanilla scent?
Buying a fragrance flanker or a new fragrance doesn’t mean that it smells better or works better for you than a fragrance that was released two years ago... That’s all a fragrance community niche thing... Most folks won’t notice the difference and will only compliment you on how you smell and present yourself. I have niche fragrances that smells great but aren’t even conducive to the weather I live in (hot/humid)... Thus a full bottle isn’t even worth the expense.
I like your idea of looking for high quality designers. I mainly buy niche which I feel is mass appealing and that I personally like and I think others will like too. I think it's hard to go back to designer for me, quality is a big issue for me. I find some of the synthetic ingredients in designers make me feel nauseated
So it appears you’re no longer putting out content but I’ve always liked how you’ve rationalized this hobby. Seems as though you do a lot of soul searching and I’m sure this hobby was a good vessel for you to help “find yourself”. As far as the roots of the hobby is concerned, I think we all got into it for a similar reason, as you’ve stated, to smell good, but also to experience different forms of art of olfactory sense. I am just as comfortable wearing Dior Homme Intense as I am with Dior Sauvage. Or Beach Hut Man as I am wearing Reflection Man. Incense, Oud, Iris, Rose, I find a time and a place to wear them depending on the event or environment. Style also has a lot to do with it, suited up or ripped up Levi’s and a leather jacket. Hope you’re doing well, man!
I think it's easy to find you have over-acquired fragrances - too much of too many to reasonably wear. The more you have to choose from, the more you will find you have that you rarely use. There are still only 24 hours in a day. I now realize there are a lot of fragrances that I only "need" 10-20 mls of to last a couple of years, and I wonder what I will do with a 10-year-old 100-ml bottle down the road.
Niche fragrances are for niche occasions. Since I can only really wear niche a few times a year, there isn't much reason to own a full bottle. A 5-10ml decant is easily enough. Fragrances like Layton and Aventus are exceptions since they have high wearability. On that note though I do find my nose has matured. D&G The One and YSL La Nuit used to be the best smells in the world to me, now they smell a bit synthetic and I prefer higher-end designer/niche instead such as Herod, TF Noir Extreme, Jazz Club, Layton, etc.
couldn't agree more...I have a few of the big expensive niches (Aventus, GIT, Reflection Man, PDM Layton etc.). I love them....they smell great...great projection and sillage....but no better than many designers that I own. I am sitting on about 75 bottles and I do my best to rotate them....but at the end of the day I could probably narrow the list down to 30 and not purchase any more....but I wont...in all reality its fun and my interests and likes change from day to day....so I like having a large collection
Danny Kaminski fact is all those bottles are a complete waste of money , most fragrances are over priced even if you use the whole bottle. Your basically spending the money to decorate your shelves which is pretty sad! Spend money on enjoying life, no one gives a f#ck how many fragrance bottles someone has
Gary Martin I can do whatever I want with my money...fact is I can have as many bottles as I want bc I can afford it...what you may see as a lot of money might not be for everyone.
Because I don’t have 75 fragrance bottles it means I obviously can’t afford it, oh ok 👌 I have better things to do with my life than to sit around dusting unused fragrance bottles....loser
I’m 100% with you man ! I enjoy smelling artistic frags but I don’t want to pay top dollar to enjoy smelling it for a day or 2. As that’s how it usually works because I don’t feel comfortable wearing them out,
so now we have to points of view, do you wear to get compliments, or may be love when people turn heads when you pass by? or do you wear it because you like the fragrance?
Nice talk, I think the problem of people in the fragrance community is the curiosity to smell and try what they hear about from reviewers. For me, I feel my passion to one fragrance is strongly decreased after using it several times and then I start to feel adventure to something else. Its very complicated issue that should reach a point of how to save your money, how to smell as you wish and how to be psychologically satisfied.
So true my friend....probably I have downsize my collection to a 20% ...most of my niche frags. I don’t even wear Because they smell weird to people around me
It has become a hobby to collect fragrances. Not just to smell good anymore. And much like any hobby, you always want new things to add to your collection. Me personally cut back early to avoid this. It's just a scent, unless you are a collector who likes to display the bottles.
Yes.... I see your point.... But for me it Doesn't matter if its designer, niche, artisan, indie or even bespoke. If it smells good on ME and i can afford it ill get it. Thats all that counts in the end. Great video.
fragrences are accessories like watches. so, if you wear tissot you can wear versace, dolce, herrera and etc, but if you wear rolex, you can only wear roja, xerjoff...
Great topic!!! I buy fragrances that I like and will wear. I’m not trying to impress others and I have no need to post that I’m wearing a “far too expensive” niche fragrance online. Quite simply, I buy what I like to smell, be it designer, niche, or clone. When it comes to niche fragrances, I have to ❤️❤️❤️ it to justify paying their prices.
I too have calmed down on the fragrance's as my journey has come full circle. I've found the perfumes i will keep on buying and it's pretty much 8 out of 80 samples and blind buy's. Funny thing is Creed have just announced a colonge version of Aventus so i might have to get a sample..sigh..lol
I think the point of fragrance gets lost in obsessing on buying what you don't have. I'm trying to limit my use to three or four summer that I really like regardless of what everyone else thinks. And three or four winter. Not into having dozens on a shelf.
A reviewer said he was given davidoff cool water said he threw it away. But he's drooling over green Irish creed. Now yes there are different but to say he threw cool water away. Just shows snobbery that comes with colognes and reviewers. Thanks for the an upfront non bias review.
I started buying too many and don't wear most so I've stopped buying them except if there is a particular one I really like! Also I do want to smell mass appealing 🙂
PDM started turning me off to niche fragrances. After many samples jazz club/popeye still top my collection. Great topic! Thanks for posting though controversial.
Back in the days designer perfumes were super ballsy, example is Fahrenheit. The reason niche are on the rise is because nowadays designer brands don't come up with unique smells like before. Most people I know who only do niche are for show-off and that status thing n believe me most of them don't know shit about perfumery.
Man those are by far the best notes in perfume oud, leather and incense 🤔 I love how they smell on me and thats the reason I wear them. I have never once ever thought of weather or not someone else would like it or will it offend or turn them off, wear fragrance for you and you alone dont wear them because you want a compliment thats for someone in high school IMO.
To me, I am not into specific notes (oud and tobacco) so I avoid even smelling anything with those because of 95% of time me not liking them. There are a few exceptions only for me. Go with Alexandria Fragrances. The guy who makes them gets them 98% right for prices ranging between $30-$60. On top of that, they outlast the originals always since they re all EDP.
I only buy what I really like and because I like it not what others think and niche is better quality but not always better in longevity or sillage... so they are not always worth the money indeed. Aventus, Herod, Layton, Bal D'afrique or Intoxicated just cannot be copied by designer in my opinion and wish they would have a good clone but so far they are not there
Great and very honest video. I think the main reason people turn into niche is that the designer game became boring. Extremely boring. The designer fragrances DNA is now at its more generic level. Not every niche fragrance is good. Of course not. But only there you can find more well thought and inspired scents. Even Prada L homme that you mentioned has designer written all over it. In the old days designers were what we call now niche. Think of Fahrenheit, Tsar, Kouros, Azzaro pour homme, Aramis. Things in the designer game nowadays hit rock bottom. And it dosnt look its gonna change anytime soon. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
He was getting at the fact that there is a lot of love of the smell of the fragrance itself that one can base buys off of, but often one can forget to consider if you want to smell like the fragrance - which kind of dawns on you after you have bought a dozen niche-bottles and notice that every time you go out, you leave seven of them alone after the first few wearings.
Such an honest and frank video. You are appreciated brother. I'm one of those that can't do most leathers and ouds. Love my freshies though, they just work with my skin and my personality. Peace and be well my friend ✌
I get the point. We spend a lot of money trying to smell unique and rich, but in reality we are not rich and unique. And then comes the everage Joe, who buys a One Milion, Sauvage or Blue De Channel and he gets all the compliments. I bought Narcisso Rodriguez for Him EDT and nobody liked it(I know it's not niche). I wanted to be unique and I ended up being alone and sad 😕
The most succesful niche fragrances smell like designer. Parfums de Marly most famous fragrances smell like designer. Bond no 9 most popular fragrances smell like designer. Roja parfums most popular fragrances like elysium well smell like designer. Amouage’s most popular fragrance reflection man smells like… you guessed it. Really, designer fragrances are just too easy to wear and like. Daring niche fragrances can be off putting and no one wants their 300$+ fragrance to be compared to something bad. I do like how niche fragrances are more brave to create new scents, but ultimately the succesful ones end up smelling like designer fragrances.
I gave up on all of them a few years ago. Got sick of weak reformulated fragrances that don’t perform. Constant useless flankers. Rising prices. Total waste of money
If u have any old fragrances u dont wear anymore like Le Male or anything half empty let me know. I'll buy it for right price. Need to build up my fragrance arsenal
Luca Turin said that reasonable price for 100ml of edp is no more than 120 bucks: “if anybody tells you that exquisite raw materials upped the price, just laugh” 😆
Your a better reviewer than the Og's with videos like this. This review is exactly what I've been saying for a long time. I don't bother with niche. Designer is better they just need to make them stronger that is all
Guys..... Wear what you like and what people around you like. Moreover...... If it costs more than your outfit, Don't waste your money unless the money is Not a Problem. Life is too damn short to worry about shit like how you smell. Designer, indie, shindy, Bhindy, Niche whatever. If you don't like it, Don't buy it.
Always like your reviews, but you and I are heading different direction,I just had enough of designers. I don't buy any fragrance Niche or Designer before trying it. And I don't buy what I can't afford. You know Niche will always be better than most..Cheers!
All I can say is if you want an average scent and smell like everyone else go for it. Niche fragrances, just like any other exclusive product is going to be expensive and different. You will get different compliments if that's what you looking for. I'd rather buy one niche than a couple of designers, which aren't that cheap anyway..For me Niche anyday..Cheers!
All my favorite notes Leather, Oud, Incense! It's simple...if you don't feel right about it maybe it is just not for you! My SOTD...INTERLUDE MAN....priceless!
Man sorry to hear that but to me fragrances are like songs there’s no better song than all the other songs but there’s billions of great songs that most of ears would love to listen to, I think same goes with our noses they like to smell different and good smells and every smell does something different it was never what’s the next best.
If you don't like a particular smell (niche or not), why would you put it on in the first place? I think this is just your issue and it is good you are dealing with it now.
I tend to like the niche fragrances that the niche snobs think are boring. I prefer something more wearable, which is usually what they say is boring. I prefer niche just cause i think it smells higher quality, never been about the exclusivity of it. I do enjoy some high quality designers, but I can't do the cheapies most of the time cause it'll end up being worse than the niche that I don't feel comfortable wearing, I just won't want to wear it at all cause it's total garbage.
costs Chanel 11 dollars for the ingredients in No. 5 / Dior Sauvage and blue colognes are 40 percent Ambroxan which is 20 dollars or less for 200 ml ...I say buy CLONES...niche designers are a rip off
Bro I totally disagreed with you because designer smells similar and cheap 😂 I do like niche and designer too but niche does step up game and create unique perfume where designer still continue creating soapy and freshly shower gel vibe
Just wanted to add, I think it is too easy to get caught up in all the different DNA out there. And thinking oh I better have an Oud or a tropical, etc even though they may not be great off your skin. I know I like and get the most comments from boozy, cardamom frags and a summer clean frag that doesn't smell like a sweet fruit salad or coconut. So why even go there?
Dude I'm where you are at but I didn't dive too deep in the niche world I have about 10. I just wanna smell good the more I collected I realized I like high quality designers the best and niche with mass appeal ... I'm not the oud guy that wants artistic deep stanky ass shit ... If I can find artistic mass appealing niche and designers I'll buy that. I watch what's his name ...AC if you want good fragrances that guy I trust dark skin European reviewer his channel is Smells good or something like that... Dude is an expert
Niche fragrances are NOT for people who would expect a stranger on the street to stop and start talking to them about their smell. Niche is for self assured people who make a statement. Others can follow should they decide to do so or they can continue buying Aqua di Gio. People who are using niche are trend makers, not followers.
so it's for ppl to make a statement to whom exactly? You say that it's not so ppl will talk to them about their scent and then you say it's for ppl to make a statement, isn't that a contradiction? How can others follow if nobody ever talks to them about their fragrance? I'd say most of your statement is delusional, there's a reason why AdG has been so popular and made money, using your little premise about trend makers it would actually be more true if you said "People who wear Designer Fragrances are Trend Makers" AdG is the most successful men's fragrance of the past 20 years? Wouldn't that mean since it's creation it's been setting the trend in men's fragrance?
No, a trend is a trend. AdG is a MAINSTREAM (just like a McDonald's meal) as opposed to a "trend". McDonalds is visited by millions every day, it's a mainstream eatery. "Freshii" meal is a trend. A "trend" doesn't last for 20 years by definition.
...but they absolutely are! Example: Aventus was introduced in 2010, right away we have so many clones... Of course not all of them have the same effect, some are crap, but still there are many examples when a niche fragranced is cloned. Cloning is the proof of a trend, don't you think?
How many niche fragrances do what Aventus has done though? I don't even think of it as niche most times even though it is hahah, same can be said about Dior Sauvage, ADG, the One, Paco Rabanne etc
2:30-2:31 Too expensive... end of the video....even if you have a lot of money 💰 this type of “hobby” is useless, no profit, no real benefits whatsoever.. just ask yourself how many bottles do you finish without buying a new bottle in between? If the answer is zero then something is wrong! I heard all your reasons and still think, in my humble opinion(not hater), is not worthy, might as well sell decants of popular fragrance and NOW you are making more sense of your hobbie/addiction. Nice topic tho. Keep it up!
Prada l'homme is not artistry. Is it pleasant? Yes, but quite boring and owned by Tom, Dick and Harry. I agree that many niche fragrances are horrible smelling abominations with high price tags.
One more time: the message isn't to give up on niche fragrances, the message is to recognize why you collect fragrances in the first place :)
This was a great breath of fresh air, I appreciate your honesty and thoughts!
Wear what you love! Not what people tell you you should like!
You are right! I mean the same
How many niche perfumer you own?
Here Here!! I pretty much gave up on the frag game lately....I have like 30-35 bottles.....i think its enough for me......i got addicted to purchasing and now i have alot that i like and love......I have freshies for spring summer..my heavy duty ones for fall winter.........hey enough. I have better things to use my money on than keep purchasing. I use my stuff and rotate it..but when you have hundreds of bottles...how much do you really wear it? I made this statement earlier but hey I like good clothes..which i will wear and have a personal style..I like presenting myself well but a scent is cool but if you dont dress "up" then big deal you smell good. I still love fragrance and just yesterday bought a higher end frag but not like i used to...........Thanks for your great content..............Bob
I have to make sue that I can wear all of my fragrances it's tough even after selling half of them
You just completely echoed my own experience. Got the summer and winter fragrances which are safe for work, then a few more niche and gourmand stuff just for my own enjoyment at home. I'm at 35 bottles and that covers everything nicely for a good rotation.
Sounds like you've got a great rotation all set up, thanks for stopping by man always appreciate it!
I have 13 fragrances and a few hardly get used. I think 10 quality fragrances is enough to cover all bases ( winter, summer, work, dates, club etc ). Any more is just a waste imo
I think the fragrance game should be focused on wearing something you want to wear. Cologne is an extension of your wardrobe in some sense. Would you wear a weird jacket you didn't like? Probably not.
I love a lot of designer fragrances! V&R Spicebomb extreme, BDC, and D&G The One. You don't need to go niche if you don't want to. There are plenty of amazing designer frags.
100% man, whatever works for the individual!
I'm pretty much done buying fragrances period... both niche and designers. At the beginning of the year I came to the conclusion I have way too many fragrances. Since then I have been slowly downsizing my collection. Despite all that I still enjoy fragrances and watching fragrance reviews on TH-cam.
Nice!
One of the most realistic and honest videos about this world, thank you
Yes, please do a collection video. It would be great to see a very personal/no filler collection.
It's coming!
Thank you sir for being brutally honest
Glad you liked it!
I don't go above 3 bottles of fragrances. Anything above that, I give one or two out. I am okay with 2 or three bottles. My opinion.
I really dig your honesty here and its so so soo different than any other youtuber who reviews fragrances. I'm not sure if others will appreciate your honesty but I think you really captured what a lot of us go through when we collect.
Personally I think you have something here
Thanks, I appreciate that :) glad to hear it hit home for you!
Same here..i have a mixture of niche and designers..mostly designers..i have lots of samples and decants of niche which i love but i dont wear niche alot and when i want to i have a 5 or 10ml decant......i dont buy bottles of niche hardly ever..I do have Herod and maybe 3 or 4 others but its mainly designers selected for what i like.......Thanks for your reviews and i do miss your content bro......hope you are doing well..i can tell that you are ga good guy.....i happened to run across your channel today and wanted to send out a hello cause i know you are doing well ..your kind spirit shines through.......all the best bud..Bob
I feel you. I sample so many niches, and which fragrances I get the most compliments on? JPG le male, Joop wow, ck whatever which all can all be had for less than $ 50 USD. And why is that? They work, they are easy to wear, easygoing and learned by the masses. If you smell a fresh lemon you tend to like it, if you smell vanilla, you like it, aquatic? You like it. People like how designers smell. Exceptions apply of course, in both directions. Agree on the Replica line, I just love the ones I have, I keep reaching for them (by the fireplace, soul of the forest, jazz club).
i totally agree ...ive owned several fragnances over the years both niche and designer, while both have their strong points .... the mass people who smell your scent enjoy designer fragrances more and factor that with the cheaper prices youre better off with 3 to 5 quality designers. Brands such as hermes, CH, prada, chanel, dior, and guerlain are great in terms of mass appeal and doesn't hurt the pocket too much for the average joe.
With that being said my favourite cologne in terms of wearability and compliment receiver is givenchy play. for some reason i get plenty of compliments everytime i wear some (have to go heavy on the trigger) and i myself find it very pleasing.
Here Here..........i posted a long comment but somehow it didnt go thru..in essence I totally agree w/not spending big cash on and on....on frags. If you have a decent collection..USE IT.
I got into niche to tailor fragrances to my tastes. Really I don't care if it's nice, luxury designer or designer. I fell in love with Dior Privee line and Tom Ford Private Blends. My favorite notes are oud, rose, amber and tobacco which are more available in niche especially natural ingredients like oud. I didn't get into fragrances to impress other people I got into fragrances to change the way I feel. Even today I'm wearing Alexandria Fragrances it's not about niche, just what makes me happy.
100% man
👍for tom ford, by the way not good Sillage in my opinion.
This kind of makes me sad .... it reminds me of fashion shows, where the art/clothing is so extreme that really it's only appropriate for the runway, and in no way translates to anything that one could wear in the real, everyday world (without looking completely ridiculous). As a perfumer who works with only high quality - (yes, high price) - naturals, it is part of my job to not only compose creative perfumes, but perfumes that people will adore wearing. After all, we are asking consumers to consider our product in exchange for their valuable dollars, right? I feel like it's sort of lazy, possibly self-absorbed, of niche perfumers to create perfumes that are so "interesting" that they become unwearable. I suppose if they are creating for the sake of history or a collectors item, that is another story, a different intention.
This is food for thought and certainly something I will continue to keep in mind. Thanks for the video and sharing your opinions!
ANANDA WILSON, Gather Perfume Art is not meant to be utilitarian. It’s supposed to make you think. Most runway items and Haute Coture isn’t meant for mass sale and production. It’s a form of art, just as the really weird niche fragrances are. You can love them or hate them, but at the end of the day they are what’s pushing the envelope of what fragrances can be.
This was a good video. It helps saving people money who might not have better knowledge, I remember I used to get compliments when I kept it simple and mass appealing fragrances while keeping it most newest. As long as it was simple, people appreciated and liked your presence. And that’s the route I’ll follow too. Thanks for further clarifying it
Great video man, keep up the great work. I hope you have a great day.
Thanks same to you!
I have one rule ... I only buy what I love smelling on my skin - simple :D no matter wether it's niche or not. I live in a country where you don't get a lot of compliments anyway hahaha.
I smelled some niche fragrances but ended up with designer's only so far. Will get a small bottle of Tom Ford Oud Wood soon though because I love this one.
Ro Man Same here. Where I live, people don’t compliment much.
In the words of the great Al....."I respect that"
Hahah thanks!
Hey man!!! Wanted to know...I just watched your video on your top 5 Parfums de Marly. I wanted to know two things
1) Whats is your current top 5?
2) Now that you own Jazz Club, do you still find Herod the best tobacco vanilla scent?
Very interesting video. Fair points! I sometime feels that collecting perfumes can generate lots of stress.
There's a fine line between artistic unique creations, and wearability and practicality...
Not everyone gets the balance
Yes.
Buying a fragrance flanker or a new fragrance doesn’t mean that it smells better or works better for you than a fragrance that was released two years ago... That’s all a fragrance community niche thing... Most folks won’t notice the difference and will only compliment you on how you smell and present yourself. I have niche fragrances that smells great but aren’t even conducive to the weather I live in (hot/humid)... Thus a full bottle isn’t even worth the expense.
Agreed!
I’m with you about designer over niche. I went to Chicago smelling some niche scents that everyone raves about, and they smelled weird to me.
I like your idea of looking for high quality designers. I mainly buy niche which I feel is mass appealing and that I personally like and I think others will like too. I think it's hard to go back to designer for me, quality is a big issue for me. I find some of the synthetic ingredients in designers make me feel nauseated
So it appears you’re no longer putting out content but I’ve always liked how you’ve rationalized this hobby. Seems as though you do a lot of soul searching and I’m sure this hobby was a good vessel for you to help “find yourself”. As far as the roots of the hobby is concerned, I think we all got into it for a similar reason, as you’ve stated, to smell good, but also to experience different forms of art of olfactory sense. I am just as comfortable wearing Dior Homme Intense as I am with Dior Sauvage. Or Beach Hut Man as I am wearing Reflection Man. Incense, Oud, Iris, Rose, I find a time and a place to wear them depending on the event or environment. Style also has a lot to do with it, suited up or ripped up Levi’s and a leather jacket. Hope you’re doing well, man!
i dont know why i keep collecting... eats a ton of cash. same with my shoe collection
I think it's easy to find you have over-acquired fragrances - too much of too many to reasonably wear. The more you have to choose from, the more you will find you have that you rarely use. There are still only 24 hours in a day. I now realize there are a lot of fragrances that I only "need" 10-20 mls of to last a couple of years, and I wonder what I will do with a 10-year-old 100-ml bottle down the road.
Niche fragrances are for niche occasions. Since I can only really wear niche a few times a year, there isn't much reason to own a full bottle. A 5-10ml decant is easily enough. Fragrances like Layton and Aventus are exceptions since they have high wearability.
On that note though I do find my nose has matured. D&G The One and YSL La Nuit used to be the best smells in the world to me, now they smell a bit synthetic and I prefer higher-end designer/niche instead such as Herod, TF Noir Extreme, Jazz Club, Layton, etc.
couldn't agree more...I have a few of the big expensive niches (Aventus, GIT, Reflection Man, PDM Layton etc.). I love them....they smell great...great projection and sillage....but no better than many designers that I own. I am sitting on about 75 bottles and I do my best to rotate them....but at the end of the day I could probably narrow the list down to 30 and not purchase any more....but I wont...in all reality its fun and my interests and likes change from day to day....so I like having a large collection
Danny Kaminski fact is all those bottles are a complete waste of money , most fragrances are over priced even if you use the whole bottle. Your basically spending the money to decorate your shelves which is pretty sad!
Spend money on enjoying life, no one gives a f#ck how many fragrance bottles someone has
Gary Martin I can do whatever I want with my money...fact is I can have as many bottles as I want bc I can afford it...what you may see as a lot of money might not be for everyone.
Because I don’t have 75 fragrance bottles it means I obviously can’t afford it, oh ok 👌
I have better things to do with my life than to sit around dusting unused fragrance bottles....loser
Gary Martin look how mad you are at a person you don’t even know.. you’re a grown man who plays Minecraft....clearly I’m the loser.
Dior Homme Parfum is a Niche in the designer realm in my opinion! Whats your take on it?
I’m 100% with you man ! I enjoy smelling artistic frags but I don’t want to pay top dollar to enjoy smelling it for a day or 2. As that’s how it usually works because I don’t feel comfortable wearing them out,
so now we have to points of view, do you wear to get compliments, or may be love when people turn heads when you pass by? or do you wear it because you like the fragrance?
An excellently-argued disquisition on the vagaries and enmeshments of our collective fragrance partialities, dude. 🤓
Nice talk, I think the problem of people in the fragrance community is the curiosity to smell and try what they hear about from reviewers. For me, I feel my passion to one fragrance is strongly decreased after using it several times and then I start to feel adventure to something else. Its very complicated issue that should reach a point of how to save your money, how to smell as you wish and how to be psychologically satisfied.
I know what you mean, hard to stay loyal hahah!
So true my friend....probably I have downsize my collection to a 20% ...most of my niche frags. I don’t even wear Because they smell weird to people around me
Nice!
It has become a hobby to collect fragrances. Not just to smell good anymore. And much like any hobby, you always want new things to add to your collection. Me personally cut back early to avoid this. It's just a scent, unless you are a collector who likes to display the bottles.
Yes.... I see your point.... But for me it Doesn't matter if its designer, niche, artisan, indie or even bespoke. If it smells good on ME and i can afford it ill get it. Thats all that counts in the end. Great video.
Probably your best video yet
Thanks!
Finally a reviewer that’s honest, I love designers more than let’s say Creeds!!
I can’t even rock Tom Ford, I don’t like them
fragrences are accessories like watches. so, if you wear tissot you can wear versace, dolce, herrera and etc, but if you wear rolex, you can only wear roja, xerjoff...
Makes sense but I disagree kind of, something high quality with the Rolex would be fitting but if it stinks to you don't wear it
man i agree 100 percent with all you said,, i have a few niche but theyre hard to wear and im not a suit guy so i rarely wear them.
Great topic!!! I buy fragrances that I like and will wear. I’m not trying to impress others and I have no need to post that I’m wearing a “far too expensive” niche fragrance online. Quite simply, I buy what I like to smell, be it designer, niche, or clone. When it comes to niche fragrances, I have to ❤️❤️❤️ it to justify paying their prices.
Great philosophy man!
I too have calmed down on the fragrance's as my journey has come full circle. I've found the perfumes i will keep on buying and it's pretty much 8 out of 80 samples and blind buy's.
Funny thing is Creed have just announced a colonge version of Aventus so i might have to get a sample..sigh..lol
I think the point of fragrance gets lost in obsessing on buying what you don't have. I'm trying to limit my use to three or four summer that I really like regardless of what everyone else thinks. And three or four winter. Not into having dozens on a shelf.
Nice video Bro! This really helped me out a lot. I enjoy your reviews. Keep up the good work
Thanks man!
Man.. sorry to see you leave, Larry. All the best in future endeavors.
A reviewer said he was given davidoff cool water said he threw it away.
But he's drooling over green Irish creed.
Now yes there are different but to say he threw cool water away. Just shows snobbery that comes with colognes and reviewers.
Thanks for the an upfront non bias review.
Beard game strong 💪, great watch, love that you're not snobby about niche at all
Hahaha thanks!
I started buying too many and don't wear most so I've stopped buying them except if there is a particular one I really like! Also I do want to smell mass appealing 🙂
PDM started turning me off to niche fragrances. After many samples jazz club/popeye still top my collection. Great topic! Thanks for posting though controversial.
Thank you for being the voice of reason in this oftentimes mad hobby 👍
Back in the days designer perfumes were super ballsy, example is Fahrenheit. The reason niche are on the rise is because nowadays designer brands don't come up with unique smells like before. Most people I know who only do niche are for show-off and that status thing n believe me most of them don't know shit about perfumery.
Very good point!
Good video Jeremy! Interesting insights ✌️
awesome honest vid man! Subbed
Man those are by far the best notes in perfume oud, leather and incense 🤔 I love how they smell on me and thats the reason I wear them. I have never once ever thought of weather or not someone else would like it or will it offend or turn them off, wear fragrance for you and you alone dont wear them because you want a compliment thats for someone in high school IMO.
To me, I am not into specific notes (oud and tobacco) so I avoid even smelling anything with those because of 95% of time me not liking them. There are a few exceptions only for me. Go with Alexandria Fragrances. The guy who makes them gets them 98% right for prices ranging between $30-$60. On top of that, they outlast the originals always since they re all EDP.
Well said, right on, agreed on all of the above 😎
Thanks :)
I only buy what I really like and because I like it not what others think and niche is better quality but not always better in longevity or sillage... so they are not always worth the money indeed. Aventus, Herod, Layton, Bal D'afrique or Intoxicated just cannot be copied by designer in my opinion and wish they would have a good clone but so far they are not there
Great and very honest video. I think the main reason people turn into niche is that the designer game became boring. Extremely boring. The designer fragrances DNA is now at its more generic level. Not every niche fragrance is good. Of course not. But only there you can find more well thought and inspired scents. Even Prada L homme that you mentioned has designer written all over it. In the old days designers were what we call now niche. Think of Fahrenheit, Tsar, Kouros, Azzaro pour homme, Aramis. Things in the designer game nowadays hit rock bottom. And it dosnt look its gonna change anytime soon. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
This whole video sort of begs the question: why do you think you were buying fragrances that smelled like something you didn't want to smell like?
He was getting at the fact that there is a lot of love of the smell of the fragrance itself that one can base buys off of, but often one can forget to consider if you want to smell like the fragrance - which kind of dawns on you after you have bought a dozen niche-bottles and notice that every time you go out, you leave seven of them alone after the first few wearings.
Such an honest and frank video. You are appreciated brother. I'm one of those that can't do most leathers and ouds. Love my freshies though, they just work with my skin and my personality. Peace and be well my friend ✌
Glad you enjoyed!
I get the point.
We spend a lot of money trying to smell unique and rich, but in reality we are not rich and unique. And then comes the everage Joe, who buys a One Milion, Sauvage or Blue De Channel and he gets all the compliments. I bought Narcisso Rodriguez for Him EDT and nobody liked it(I know it's not niche). I wanted to be unique and I ended up being alone and sad 😕
The most succesful niche fragrances smell like designer. Parfums de Marly most famous fragrances smell like designer. Bond no 9 most popular fragrances smell like designer. Roja parfums most popular fragrances like elysium well smell like designer. Amouage’s most popular fragrance reflection man smells like… you guessed it. Really, designer fragrances are just too easy to wear and like. Daring niche fragrances can be off putting and no one wants their 300$+ fragrance to be compared to something bad. I do like how niche fragrances are more brave to create new scents, but ultimately the succesful ones end up smelling like designer fragrances.
This is your best video till date
I gave up on all of them a few years ago. Got sick of weak reformulated fragrances that don’t perform. Constant useless flankers. Rising prices. Total waste of money
If u have any old fragrances u dont wear anymore like Le Male or anything half empty let me know. I'll buy it for right price. Need to build up my fragrance arsenal
Luca Turin said that reasonable price for 100ml of edp is no more than 120 bucks: “if anybody tells you that exquisite raw materials upped the price, just laugh” 😆
Good point lol
He also said he doesn't wear fragrance.
I just got Floris Honey Oud! Whats your input on it if you've tried it?
Your a better reviewer than the Og's with videos like this. This review is exactly what I've been saying for a long time. I don't bother with niche. Designer is better they just need to make them stronger that is all
Thank you!
Guys..... Wear what you like and what people around you like. Moreover...... If it costs more than your outfit, Don't waste your money unless the money is Not a Problem. Life is too damn short to worry about shit like how you smell. Designer, indie, shindy, Bhindy, Niche whatever. If you don't like it, Don't buy it.
Always like your reviews, but you and I are heading different direction,I just had enough of designers. I don't buy any fragrance Niche or Designer before trying it. And I don't buy what I can't afford. You know Niche will always be better than most..Cheers!
Depends on your definition of "better" ;)
All I can say is if you want an average scent and smell like everyone else go for it. Niche fragrances, just like any other exclusive product is going to be expensive and different. You will get different compliments if that's what you looking for. I'd rather buy one niche than a couple of designers, which aren't that cheap anyway..For me Niche anyday..Cheers!
I like this video. I went through a siilar thing with wine.
Well said.
Why buy niche fragrances you don't like?!?
All my favorite notes Leather, Oud, Incense! It's simple...if you don't feel right about it maybe it is just not for you! My SOTD...INTERLUDE MAN....priceless!
Man sorry to hear that but to me fragrances are like songs there’s no better song than all the other songs but there’s billions of great songs that most of ears would love to listen to, I think same goes with our noses they like to smell different and good smells and every smell does something different it was never what’s the next best.
Zara Tobacco Collection. Fantastic fragrance for just around $20.00
True!
Yea the average girl or person will appreciate u simply smelling great. Nomatter how expensive or what brand it is..
If you don't like a particular smell (niche or not), why would you put it on in the first place? I think this is just your issue and it is good you are dealing with it now.
There's a difference between liking how something smells and liking it on your skin
I am totally with you on that
I tend to like the niche fragrances that the niche snobs think are boring. I prefer something more wearable, which is usually what they say is boring. I prefer niche just cause i think it smells higher quality, never been about the exclusivity of it. I do enjoy some high quality designers, but I can't do the cheapies most of the time cause it'll end up being worse than the niche that I don't feel comfortable wearing, I just won't want to wear it at all cause it's total garbage.
That's fair, if it smells good wear it!
Incense Oud actually smells damn good
Only one thing that I disagree，smell oud and incense from someone is good and pleasing actually.
Good video btw :)
costs Chanel 11 dollars for the ingredients in No. 5 / Dior Sauvage and blue colognes are 40 percent Ambroxan which is 20 dollars or less for 200 ml ...I say buy CLONES...niche designers are a rip off
this was a much-needed video.
Glad you liked it!
Amen brother
Glad you liked it!
incense and oud hunh?, you talking about Amouage aren't you brotha
Bro I totally disagreed with you because designer smells similar and cheap 😂 I do like niche and designer too but niche does step up game and create unique perfume where designer still continue creating soapy and freshly shower gel vibe
Designer, cheapie, niche, I don’t understand why anyone would pay money for a fragrance they will not use.
Agreed!
can u do a video on top 10 office fragrances, I have prada lhomme its the best but its too expensive for me. Any cheaper similar fragrances i can use?
I can do that, Moschino Uomo might be worth a try
I Agree with you Bro 100%. It's supposed to make you happy, point #1. Excellent vid. BTW can I buy NIO off you then lol 😂😂😂😎
important wake up call!
Just wanted to add, I think it is too easy to get caught up in all the different DNA out there. And thinking oh I better have an Oud or a tropical, etc even though they may not be great off your skin. I know I like and get the most comments from boozy, cardamom frags and a summer clean frag that doesn't smell like a sweet fruit salad or coconut. So why even go there?
heyyyyy i finally got a compliment with prada l'homme the other day lol
Nice hahah
Dude I'm where you are at but I didn't dive too deep in the niche world I have about 10. I just wanna smell good the more I collected I realized I like high quality designers the best and niche with mass appeal ... I'm not the oud guy that wants artistic deep stanky ass shit ... If I can find artistic mass appealing niche and designers I'll buy that.
I watch what's his name ...AC if you want good fragrances that guy I trust dark skin European reviewer his channel is Smells good or something like that... Dude is an expert
Niche fragrances are NOT for people who would expect a stranger on the street to stop and start talking to them about their smell. Niche is for self assured people who make a statement. Others can follow should they decide to do so or they can continue buying Aqua di Gio. People who are using niche are trend makers, not followers.
so it's for ppl to make a statement to whom exactly? You say that it's not so ppl will talk to them about their scent and then you say it's for ppl to make a statement, isn't that a contradiction? How can others follow if nobody ever talks to them about their fragrance? I'd say most of your statement is delusional, there's a reason why AdG has been so popular and made money, using your little premise about trend makers it would actually be more true if you said "People who wear Designer Fragrances are Trend Makers" AdG is the most successful men's fragrance of the past 20 years? Wouldn't that mean since it's creation it's been setting the trend in men's fragrance?
No, a trend is a trend. AdG is a MAINSTREAM (just like a McDonald's meal) as opposed to a "trend". McDonalds is visited by millions every day, it's a mainstream eatery. "Freshii" meal is a trend. A "trend" doesn't last for 20 years by definition.
Imo niche doesn't work as "trendsetting" the same way being hipster doesn't work for them, it's not authentic and they know it
...but they absolutely are! Example: Aventus was introduced in 2010, right away we have so many clones... Of course not all of them have the same effect, some are crap, but still there are many examples when a niche fragranced is cloned. Cloning is the proof of a trend, don't you think?
How many niche fragrances do what Aventus has done though? I don't even think of it as niche most times even though it is hahah, same can be said about Dior Sauvage, ADG, the One, Paco Rabanne etc
Dua gets close enough for me ☺️😉👌
2:30-2:31 Too expensive... end of the video....even if you have a lot of money 💰 this type of “hobby” is useless, no profit, no real benefits whatsoever.. just ask yourself how many bottles do you finish without buying a new bottle in between? If the answer is zero then something is wrong! I heard all your reasons and still think, in my humble opinion(not hater), is not worthy, might as well sell decants of popular fragrance and NOW you are making more sense of your hobbie/addiction. Nice topic tho. Keep it up!
Facts brother!!!
Thanks!
Prada l'homme is not artistry. Is it pleasant? Yes, but quite boring and owned by Tom, Dick and Harry. I agree that many niche fragrances are horrible smelling abominations with high price tags.