Tired of the same old scents everyone seems to be spritzing? Craving a fragrance that reflects your individuality? Look no further, for Hip & Healthy has uncovered six lesser-known, unique fragrances that will leave you smelling sublime – and not like everyone else.  These hidden gems offer captivating scents, premium ingredients, and the chance to discover your signature fragrance that won’t be mistaken for your friend’s latest buy. You’re welcome.

Ex Nihilo

Forget stereotypes and mass personalisation. EX NIHILO, a young Parisian house born in 2013, offers a bold alternative. Inspired by the city’s timeless elegance and the spirit of the avant-garde, it redefines luxury fragrance. The brand’s vision? To create personalised luxury through exquisite craftsmanship and the finest ingredients. It throws out the rule book, giving perfumers a “Carte Blanche” approach to empower them to create without constraints. Imagine the finest ingredients, pushed to their limits in a relentless pursuit of olfactory innovation. Here, the only rule is to break the mould. 

Try: ‘Fleur Narcotique’, aka the next best thing to covering yourself in fresh blooms. Packing a serious petal punch with notes of peony, orange blossom, jasmine, and petalia, it also boasts fruity accents of peach and lychee as well as warm woods and a hint of musk to make for a delicate and feminine yet intriguing and captivating scent. Hey, if it’s good enough for Hailey Bieber…

Matiere Premiere

Aurelien Guichard’s French fragrance house, Matiere Premiere (meaning “raw material”), celebrates the singular beauty of nature’s finest ingredients. He’s the only perfumer to grow his own ingredients, and his farm in Grasse cultivates thousands of rose centifolias and tuberoses which you’ll find in many of his creations. Each fragrance spotlights a single hero ingredient, used at its most potent and captivating level. Sourced from ethical and organic farms with an emphasis on excellence, these creations boast up to 92% natural ingredients. Plus they’re vegan, phthalate-free, and free from colouring agents.

Try: ‘Vanilla Powder’, a fragrance that redefines the classic note. Madagascan vanilla absolute radiates a sumptuously warm and creamy aroma while contrasting white Palo Santo wood adds a touch of smoky intrigue. Dark, velvety vanilla deepens the experience, a whisper of coconut powder adds a hint of tropical whimsy. Because who said vanilla was boring?

Vyrao

Functional fragrances are taking the beauty world by storm, offering a one-two punch of olfactory delight and targeted wellness benefits. They’re scents that smell good and do good, packed with carefully curated ingredients proven to affect mood and energy levels to leave you feeling (and smelling) better with just a spritz. Vyrao is the world’s first brand to blend energetic healing with master perfumery. Their organic, ethically sourced scents are designed to unlock positive emotions and elevate your mood and even come with a supercharged diamond crystal, known for its mind-clearing, energy-raising powers.

Try: ‘Witchy Woo’, a magical potion bottled up for the modern-day mystic. Created using plant and flower remedies, there’s white musk for clarity, grounding sandalwood, cinnamon, and black pepper for anxiety relief, and Moroccan orris absolute to promote courage and creativity.

D.S. & DURGA

Forget cookie-cutter scents. D.S. & Durga, a Brooklyn-born fragrance house, is anything but ordinary. This creative duo – a writer-musician-turned-perfumer (D.S.) and an architect-branding guru (Durga) – elevates fragrance to an art form. Where memories meet melody: Imagine aromas that transport you to fantastical worlds, conjuring the essence of music and cherished memories.  D.S. & Durga’s unique, refined fragrances capture the spirit of the American wilderness, a bustling Mumbai street market, or a bygone era – all bottled for your olfactory adventure.

Try: ‘Steamed Rainbow’, a seriously playful fragrance bursts with colour, capturing the essence of a rainbow in a bottle. Violet’s soft sweetness mingles with the delicate notes of almond flower and juicy mandarin, while the weightless touch of water vapour evokes the image of a rainbow rising after a summer shower. The bottle alone will put a smile on your face.

Jusbox Perfumes

Jusbox Perfumes translates music into emotions through fragrance. Inspired by music icons and genres, from Aretha Franklin to David Bowie, chilled-out beach tunes to rock and roll, each scent unlocks memories with a touch of Italy. Some of the world’s most renowned perfumers create these long-lasting, intense fragrances using the finest ingredients and raw materials. The packaging? A tribute to music itself, from record-inspired bottles to lyric booklets. Jusbox: where music meets perfume, and your soul takes flight.

Try: ‘14 Hour Dream’, an olfactory ode to the legendary 1967 Technicolor Dream festival and the birth of psychedelic rock. Master perfumer Antoine Lie creates a multi-sensory experience that bypasses fleeting top notes. Instead, ‘14 Hour Dream’ plunges you straight into the heart of the experience. Luscious vanilla mingles with earthy patchouli, evoking the warmth, freedom, and sensuality of those unforgettable summer days filled with kaleidoscopic lights, dancing bodies and mind-bending rhythms.

Floraïku

Floraïku Paris captures the essence of fleeting moments, where Asian elegance meets French perfumery. Imagine fragrances named after haikus – tiny poems capturing the beauty of a sunrise, the whisper of spring, or the blossoming of love. These evocative scents are more than just aromas; they’re invitations to rituals. Inspired by Asian traditions, Floraïku’s collections pay homage to the enchantment of nature. Think calming tea ceremonies, the meditative burn of incense, and the delicate beauty of floral offerings. All housed in some of the most beautiful bottles we’ve ever seen.

Try: ‘One Umbrella for Two’. Imagine the poetry of a traditional Japanese wagasa umbrella, its dragon motif a symbol of strength and protection, with a delicate fragrance beneath it. This aromatic-fruity elixir invites you to share a special moment. Blackcurrant absolute bursts with juicy sweetness, while invigorating genmaicha tea adds a touch of green earthiness. The warm embrace of cedarwood completes the fragrance, leaving a dry, woody trail.

words by Frankie Rozwadowska