Quote:
Originally Posted by
slycedbred 
I know what you're saying...After hearing about some of these niche scents, I ordered some samples from luckyscent...I got cdg (anbar and vetiver), cedre blanc by someone or another, Mark Birley and Divine l'homme sage...cedre blanc made me gag every time I smelled it, I liked Mark Birley, but it was just like any other generic scent to me. I loved Divine sooo much, but no one else liked it. I desperately wanted to like the cdg's and they did eventually grow on me...But for my purposes it just wasnt practical...and about making a "statement", I'm not so sure because even in the niche market it seems theres just a lot of "copycating" with not much originality. Every comment I see on luckyscent about a certain scent, someone else will be like OMG ____ is just like ____ except worse/better!!!11 And anyways, I don't adhere to the belief that different for the sake of difference is not always (if ever) better...
My conclusion, MOST niche fragrances are like women's "fashion"
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I disagree. I don't think you should give up on niche fragnances all together after smelling only 5 and then not even the 5 better known as the representatives of typical niche. Your wallet will be happier though.
Some "niche" (the definition is not clear cut BTW) houses like Creed have been producing the same fragnance for decades or even centuries (with some reformulations I am sure) and they certainly qualify as classic as opposed to fashionable. Creed has cought some flak lately for promoting their association with celebrities but the celebrities in question are usually long dead and usually the "classier" type.
I think it is the mainstream fragances that are most like "women's fashion". Each celebrity of the moment (Britney Spears, Sarah Jessica Parker, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stephani, Orange County Choppers!!, etc..) feels entitled to license their name to one or more fragnances developed by one of the big cosmetic companies. There are about 200 new fragnaces released each year and most of them just re-hash the same old themes designed to elicit "nice" comments from majority of the population and not offend anyone.
Smaller, "niche" fragance companies can afford to take chances and let their parfumers really go all out. Some people may hate them but noone is left feeling indiffferent. Parfumes Frederic Malle is one example of such a company.
