If you’re a little tired of yet another billboard or video featuring a celebrity fronting a perfume that every second person around you will be wearing or already wears, you’re not alone. What’s often hard about shopping for a new perfume is that it’s supposed to be an incredibly personal decision—your scent walks in before you. And even then, it’s often the bottle, the ambassador, or simply #FragTok hype that gets people to add to cart. Instead of stocking up on Santal 33 or the latest viral gourmand yet again, consider investing in a scent so genuinely niche, it may become one that’s uniquely yours. Fair warning, you will be asked about what you’re wearing—the decision to gatekeep or not is up to you.
Thin Wild Mercury
Singer Chappel Roan set off an Instagram- and TikTok-wide hunt for a Thin Wild Mercury fragrance she tried in the Los Angeles store that smelled like lipstick, but didn’t remember the name of. The fragrance in question, Girl of the Year, sold out, and we’re not surprised. Beyond the social media frenzy, the scent contains notes of lipstick, smoker’s leather jacket, sandalwood and vintage fur, inspired by quintessential Hollywood It Girls. The brand houses two distinct fragrance sets with four blends each—The New York and Los Angeles Collections—which can be purchased individually or as discovery sets. A treat for the smellmaxxers.
Instagram; shop on shopthinwildmercury.com
Vyrao
If you’re in your wellness era, consider giving neuroscience-driven perfume house Vyrao a shot. Think plant extracts that come with proven healing powers to amplify the emotion of your choice, created by London-based fashion-tastemaker-turned-wellness-entrepreneur Yasmin Sewell. While Ludeaux promises a sensuality boost (featuring a hint of latex, even); Mamajuju brings together spices along with wet clay to evoke earthy, grounding rain; and Sun Ræ is bottled sunshine for a dose of happiness. It’s no surprise that crystals are part of the package too—the 50ml bottles come with a charged Herkimer diamond crystal to further enhance the energy kick. And the same scents are available for your space in the form of candles and incense.
Argos Fragrances
When was the last time you bought a hand painted perfume bottle? American brand Argos takes storytelling to the next level with totem-like ornate flacons, inspired by stories and existing artworks from Greek and Roman mythology. Fire And Desire Vulcan’s Revenge is based on Vulcan, the god of fire, discovering the affair between his wife Venus and her lover Mars, and the blend captures the scene with feminine tuberose, intense pink pepper and cashmere wood at the heart, and a powerful base concoction featuring the big guns: vanilla, musk, oud and sandalwood.
Instagram; shop on argosfragrances.com
Xinú
In 2025, Estée Lauder Companies made a minority investment in Xinú, a luxury fragrance brand from Mexico with a strong Latin American influence. Think half-moon-shaped bottles with wooden tops, loaded with local ingredients like salt and mezcal in Aguamadera, Mexican tuberose in OroNardo, and tobacco in Ummo.
Instagram; shop on xinuperfumes.com
The Joon Shop
An Indian owned, Korean-made solid perfume brand, The Joon Shop doesn’t ask you to overthink your scent. With three straightforward options (Citrus Woody, Floral Spicy and Clean Fruity), all alcohol-free and made with natural extracts, it’s the kind of fragrance you’ll love to use, and then use some more over the course of the day. The chic, lipstick-like metal casing makes it even more handbag worthy. Consider these to be modern day versions of essential oil roll-ons.
Instagram; shop on thejoonshop.com
Borntostandout
While the bottles may have a minimalistic design, it’s Korean brand Borntostandout’s fragrance names and notes that do all the talking. There’s Naked Laundry, Drunk Lovers, Angels’ Powder, Dirty Rice and Fig Porn. And the notes that feature through these? The likes of nail polish, brandy, icing sugar, basmati rice, and sensual milk. It’s fun, a little eyebrow-raising, and intriguing enough to want to try them all. We get exactly why L’Oréal’s bought into a piece of the pie.
Instagram; shop on borntostandout.com
Commodity Fragrances
If you’ve found yourself in a position where you loved a fragrance but it either felt too intense, or not intense enough, check out American perfumery Commodity. Each of their eight core scents is available in three “projections” based on how much space you prefer your fragrance to take up. For instance, if you’re exploring their scent Paper, you can try ‘Personal’ with amber notes and a low throw marked by a ‘-’ after the name. The ‘Expressive’ version, simply called Paper, features sandalwood as the hero. The ‘Bold’ projection is Paper+, with vetiver and wood taking centre stage. Their apothecary-style Editions collection—exclusive to their New York flagship store—is worth a sniff too.
Instagram; shop on commodityfragrances.com
