Christmas gifts: 7 niche perfumes to give to those with good taste

If giving a perfume to someone gets a bad reputation, it has the advantage of always being well packaged, of being easy to carry and of always appearing precious, unobtainable until the last moment, of not posing a size problem (unlike clothes) , and to accompany the spoiled person for a long time.

Raw material “Hawk skin”

Through the Falcon Leather perfume, perfumer Aurélien Guichard, who founded his house Matière Première in 2019, was inspired by falconers’ gloves to create a fragrance that smells of leather thanks to the essence of Finnish birch tar. To enhance this perfume, we find saffron at the top and a double heart to evoke the two faces of this material. On one side the smooth full-grain leather thanks to the Andalusian cistus labdanum and on the other the very soft suede side thanks to the benzoin absolute from Laos.

“African dance” by Byredo

Notes of carnation and bergamot at the top, violet in the heart and a base of cedar wood and vetiver… Launched in 2009, the “Bal d’Afrique” perfume composed by the nose Jérôme Epinette is one of the emblematic references of the House Byredo, founded in Stockholm in 2006 by Ben Gorham. This cult fragrance comes in a beautiful limited edition travel size, handcrafted in leather, with an engraved illustration of folk tapestries by Swedish artist John Bauer. A gift to take everywhere with you when you have a traveling spirit.

“Philosiskos” by Dyptique

Behind its name, which may remind you of high school philosophy lessons, this perfume smells entirely of fig. There we find the green freshness of the leaves, the milky flavor of the fruits, but also the density of the white wood. Nothing more natural since his name means “friend of the fig tree” in Greek. To offer to someone with whom you dream of more or less philosophical escapes in the Mediterranean.

“Bloomastral” JUICE

Brigitte Wormser, Thierry de Baschmakoff and Jean-Baptiste Roux together founded the French perfume house JUS (Joyau Unique & Sensoriel) which brings together diverse perfumery talents to create original fragrances. Like Bloomastral, composed by nose Alexandra Carlin, which highlights the Night Gallant. Behind this poetic name hides a variety of jasmine that reveals its scent only after sunset. The perfumer tried to recreate her elegant freshness, accompanying it with osmanthus and sandalwood, giving life to a sunny (and rechargeable) floral perfume. To be offered to a person full of gallantry, day and night.

“Sincronia” by Björk and Berries

The Swedish house Björk and Berries asked itself what makes a beautiful city smell good and tried to capture it in a perfume. The result is this fragrance with the sweet name of “Synchrony” which opens at the top with notes of cinnamon, ginger and cardamom for a very spicy opening, notes of carrot and orris butter in the heart, and a comforting base of patchouli and wood of cedar. An eau de parfum to offer to a lover of big cities who are always (a little) late.

“Yuzu Fou” by Parfum d’Empire

Founded by nose Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, the Parfum d’Empire house has the gift of creating iconoclastic fragrances. As evidenced by “Yuzu Fou” which opens with notes of kumquat and orange, with a heart of yuzu, accompanied by mint, verbena and bamboo for even greater freshness. And to give some structure to all this fruity liveliness, blonde cedar acts as a base, accompanied by neroli for added brightness and white musk to give it a little roundness. To be offered to an intrepid person who is always running in every direction.

“Hermann next to me seemed like a shadow” of the Orange Free State

French perfume house, founded by Etienne de Swardt in 2006, Free State of Orange has the habit of surprising as much for the originality of its fragrances as for their names (such as “Les fleurs du déchet — I am trash”, “ Fucking Palaces”, or even “Fat Electrician”). With its name inspired by a poem by Victor Hugo, “Hermann seemed like a shadow at my side” confirms the rule. Notes of black pepper and blackcurrant buds form the top, rose and incense form the spiritual heart, while vetiver and patchouli serve as the base for this dramatic, cathedral-like fragrance. To be offered to a lover of literature or the silence of churches.