Whether it’s a classic white button-down shirt, a dirty martini, or a pair of Levi’s 501 jeans, there’s nothing wrong with liking the same things as everyone else. After all, most of them are mainstream for a reason; they’re pretty damn good. However, if there’s one facet of life to take the path less travelled, it’s fragrance.
While Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s cult-favourite Baccarat Rouge 540 is inarguably a compliment magnet and Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia Cologne is beloved by all who smell it (including, apparently, the Duchess of Cambridge), there’s a certain sense of first-world world shame experienced when encountering someone who smells, well, just like you.
For those who take a little petty pride in others being unable to guess what fragrance you’re wearing, an uncommon scent is the way forward. Though the typical school of thought may dictate that uncommon or unique scents are only produced by the nichest of fragrance houses, even the more popular brands and mass-market designer releases often have a scent or two that have managed to travel under the radar.
A list for those who find pleasure in olfactory originality, these are the 13 best uncommon and unique fragrances for women.
The best uncommon fragrances for mysterious women
Who is she?? I don’t know. She might not either. But she sure does smell good. Here’s what she’s wearing.
1. Vilhelm Parfumerie Morning Chess
Price: $315AUD
A seductive take on summer. Inspired by founder Jan Vilhelm Ahlgren’s childhood summers spent on the Swedish coast, Vilhelm Parfumerie Morning Chess balances out lush verdant notes with leathery, animalic ones.
What’s the vibe? Fresh and dark aren’t usually descriptors that sit side-by-side, but they manage to co-exist harmoniously in Morning Chess. Slightly masculine and very luxurious, it’s the ideal scent for those looking to deviate from the masses.
Brand: Vilhelm Parfumerie
Olfactory family: Aromatic
Scent notes: bergamot, Tuscan leather, galbanum, patchouli, black amber
2. Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower
Price: $431AUD
What’s the vibe? Bright and floral yet seductive and nuanced, Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower is an almost dirty take on white florals. Tuberose and jasmine are balanced out by creamy coconut and a touch of crisp eucalyptus, and underscored with warm white musk. The olfactory embodiment of having an affair in a secluded garden.
Brand: Frédéric Malle
Olfactory family: Floral
Scent notes: tuberose, eucalyptus, jasmine, coconut, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, white musk, melon, bergamot
3. Maison Margiela Bubble Bath
Price: $235AUD
Maison Margiela scents are far from devoid of admirers, with Jazz Club and By The Fireplace among some of the most frequently recommended fragrances.
What’s the vibe? Maison Margiela Bubble Bath takes a different approach to seduction — capturing the relaxing feeling of languishing in a warm bath. Pure, innocent, and a little naive, it’s an intimate and calming perfume that’s both comforting and clean.
Brand: Maison Margiela
Olfactory family: Floral Woody Musk
Scent notes: soap bubbles accord, pink pepper, bergamot, rose, lavender, jasmine, coconut, patchouli, white musk
4. Acqua di Parma Yuzu
Price: $508AUD
Vibrant and almost bubbly, this warm citrus scent is positively delectable. Japanese yuzu fruit lends it a soft, bittersweet note, while white florals add sweetness. An uplifting and invigorating fragrance.
What’s the vibe? Olfactory proof that you don’t always have to be dark and moody to be mysterious, Acqua di Parma Yuzu creates mystique by eschewing typically used citruses like bergamot and lemon and sourcing its bubbly fizziness from yuzu. She’s like the girl who’s the life of the party, but upon reflection the next day you realise she never actually told you anything about herself…
Brand: Acqua di Parma
Olfactory family: Citrus Aromatic
Scent notes: yuzu, bergamot, Sichuan pepper, lotus, mimosa, violet leaves, jasmine, musk, liquorice, sandalwood
5. Serge Lutens L’orpheline
Price: $228AUD
Despite its musky, ambery notes, Serge Lutens L’orpheline is unexpectedly dark and ethereal.
What’s the vibe? Contemplative, cold, rather gothic, and a little bit lonely, it’s likely the most niche uncommon fragrance on this list; catering to those who find solitude seductive.
Brand: Serge Lutens
Olfactory family: Oriental Woody
Scent notes: spices, incense, musk, frankincense, aldehydes, cedarwood, ambergris, cashmeran
6. Byredo Tobacco Mandarin
Price: $539AUD
A carnal blend of citrus, spices, leather, and tobacco, Byredo Tobacco Mandarin is sharp and heady.
What’s the vibe? A slightly masculine scent, it’s reminiscent of an old-world men’s club in the Orient.
Brand: Byredo
Olfactory family: Oriental Spicy
Scent notes: mandarin, coriander, cumin, tobacco, leather, labdanum, olibanum, oud, sandalwood
7. Issey Miyake L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme Intense
Price: from $59.95AUD
What’s the vibe? Akin to sipping lemonade in the library of an abandoned mansion after the rain. A fresh opening of sparkling yuzu, bergamot, and mandarin makes way for a woody and earthy heart of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, which are underscored by papyrus, incense, amber, and powdery benzoin. Smokey and decidedly mysterious, it’s an intense yet intimate scent that some will appreciate and many will remember.
Brand: Issey Miyake
Olfactory family: Woody Spicy
Scent notes: bergamot, mandarin, yuzu, orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, saffron, cardamom, incense, papyrus, ambergris, benzoin, amber
8. Masque Milano Russian Tea
Price: from $199.95AUD
What’s the vibe? For when you want to smell like a sexy Eastern European oligarch who’s crossing the country by horse-drawn carriage and stopped for a cup of tea on the road as a storm rages outside. Like strong black tea sweetened with raspberry jam, with notes of leather and birch wafting in the air.
Brand: Masque Milano
Olfactory family: Aromatic Spicy
Scent notes: mint, black pepper, raspberry, black tea, magnolia, everlasting flower, leather, incense, birchwood, labdanum
9. Lalique Encre Noire
Price: $59.95AUD
What’s the vibe? The olfactory equivalent of lying on the forest floor after rainfall. But thankfully less wet. Skewed slightly masculine, this woody aromatic scent is dark, brooding, and contemplative.
Brand: Lalique
Olfactory family: Woody Aromatic
Scent notes: cypress, vetiver, cashmere woods, musk
10. Boy Smells Violet Ends
Price: $185AUD
A strong burst of violet opens into almost nightclub-esque seediness, the air thick with smoke, incense, and leather.
What’s the vibe? A bit like Anora. Or Pretty Woman with an unhappy ending.
Brand: Boy Smells
Olfactory family: Woody Floral Musk
Scent notes: rhubarb, bergamot, black pepper, black tea, tobacco leaf, incense, white birch, tanned leather, smoked papyrus
11. Clive Christian Jump Up And Kiss Me Hedonistic
Price: $875AUD
Deriving its name from a flower used to evoke amour in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Clive Christian Jump Up And Kiss Me Hedonistic is designed with seduction in mind. An aphrodisiac blend of smoky tobacco and energising mate is combined with sweet fruit and florals to create a warm, faintly exotic scent.
What’s the vibe? Unapologetically sexy. Bold, confident, and borderline masculine, dark cherries draw you in and warm tobacco and mate tea keep you there. Amber and leather contribute an additive quality that keeps you smelling your own skin all night.
Brand: Clive Christian
Olfactory family: Amber Woody
Scent notes: bergamot, grapefruit, neroli, mate tea, black cherry, tobacco, clary sage, iris, labdanum, tonka, leather, vanilla, amber
12. L’Artisan Parfumeur Mémoire de Roses
Price: from $330AUD
Roses, done differently. For a refreshing take on everyone’s go-to romantic floral, look no further than this scent by niche French fragrance house L’Artisan Parfumeur. Mémoire de Roses celebrates the beauty and complexity of the rose by paring it back, with the addition of citrus rather than headier notes allowing the purity of the rose to shine through. Mandarin, bergamot, and a light cotton musk keep this fragrance fresh, light, and distinctly feminine.
What’s the vibe? Delicate and indefinable. For the kind of woman who will welcome you with open arms when you’re there, but won’t miss you when you’re gone.
Brand: L’Artisan Parfumeur
Olfactory family: Floral
Scent notes: bergamot, mandarin, orange, rose, musk
13. Comme des Garcons Incense Avignon
Price: $155AUD
Incense in fragrances often leans more Indian or Arabic, but Comme des Garcons Incense Avignon takes another route and bottles up the distinct smell of incense used in Catholic churches. It’s a contemplative, cold, and a little morose; a fragrance for a woman with a mysterious backstory who recently quit her corporate job and moved to a small town for ~ unknown ~ reasons.
What’s the vibe? Sitting in a sparse abandoned church after a sermon you didn’t pay attention to, the final inch of incense about to burn out. It starts to rain outside.
Brand: Comme des Garçons
Olfactory family: Woody Aromatic
Scent notes: chamomile, cistus oil, elemi, incense, vanilla, patchouli, palisander, ambrette seeds
Words by T. Angel
