10 Unique Perfumes No One Else Is Wearing Right Now, According To Fragrance Experts

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Baccarat Rouge 540, Le Labo Santal 33 and Phlur Missing Person… One thing all of these perfumes have in common is that they have become cultural phenomena of late. Call it the TikTok effect, but it’s impossible to walk down the street, catch the train or pass a colleague at the office without being enveloped in a fragrant cloud of one — or all three. With notes of saffron (treacly and expensive), jasmine (woody and creamy), and musk (warm and comforting), it’s no wonder they have become certified compliment-earners.

Recently, however, one topic of conversation has dominated meet-ups with beauty editors and my friendship group: Everyone seems to smell the same. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. Perhaps you’ve finally found your signature scent, or maybe you like to be a part of a viral beauty moment. But if you’ve had your fill, I slid into the DMs of a handful of perfume specialists and enthusiasts — the people who live, breathe and sleep fragrance (yes, some even wear it to bed) — to uncover their most unique perfume recommendations.

Here are some under-the-radar fragrances you can almost guarantee no one else is wearing right now.

Tom Ford Soleil Blanc — a heady mix of bergamot, coconut and orange flower — tends to get all the glory, but its darker counterpart is just as moreish, according to Eudora Nwasike, a certified fragrance specialist by The Fragrance Foundation. “This is a glorious entanglement of clean, crispy white florals [think: tuberose and jasmine] on a bed of smooth, sweet and creamy notes of benzoin, labdanum [both fragrant gum resins] and vanilla,” she says. “It is an instant mood lifter on a hot summer’s day.” 

“With the trend towards comforting ‘skin scents’, we are witnessing a proliferation of musky, cosy and milky perfumes on the market,” says perfumologist Anastasia Gostieva, aka Scent Guide on Instagram. “Milk Musk by Molton Brown is one of the finest examples of this trend. It envelops you in a soft, musky-vanilla cloud, but fruity notes of peach and pear make it truly unique, and the woody base gives it character.” 

“This is a citrus-amber blend that smells like rich, golden sunlight,” says self-confessed fragrance fangirl Emelia aka Professor Perfume on Instagram. “It’s for all the citrus lovers out there that want something a bit more bold and vibrant,” — as most citrus fragrances tend to wear off after the first spritz. Bergamot and Italian mandarin give it that initial zesty fizz, but deeper notes of vanilla and rose make it last all day long. 

Penhaligon’s Cairo and Luna always steal the spotlight, but Bewitching Yasmine is criminally underrated. “This is an intoxicating blend of cool yet spicy cardamom, and the sultry smokiness of incense is wrapped in vanilla and a deep, rich oud,” says Nwasike. “It’s bound to imprint you in someone’s mind.” She says that this is a safe place to start if you’re keen to try a perfume with oud (a fragrant, resinous wood particularly popular in Middle Eastern perfume) but don’t want anything too overpowering. 

“This is the perfect October scent,” says Elena Menegaldo aka The Perfume Goddess on Instagram. “It is the perfect mix of summer nostalgia with sparkling lemon and rose notes, but there is a striking realisation that winter is coming soon thanks to the rum and pear.”

"724, a fragrance released by Maison Francis Kurkdjian only last year, is the antithesis of its famous older sister [Baccarat Rouge 540]," says Emma, aka ScentObsessedEmma on Instagram. "It’s a clean white linen shirt out to brunch; it’s the ultimate representation of the 'clean girl/clean boy' aesthetic translated into luxury niche fragrance," she says. The combination of notes, including sparkling aldehydes, white sandalwood and fresh white florals, Emma says, smell "simply luxurious, fresh, and clean, much like the cleanest and most luxe laundry detergent at the most luxurious five-star hotel."

YSL’s viral Black Opium perfume certainly has its place, but if you’re after something a little more unusual, and far less sweet, try Capeline, says Emelia. “This is an absolutely luxurious blend of lily, seawater and vanilla,” she says. “If you want to smell like you have a beach house in the Hamptons, this is the one.”

Nwasike says that this is so good, it’s signature scent-worthy. It occupies a space in the ‘chypre’ fragrance family, which means that it’s woody and earthy. “The floral composition embodies elegance and class. It also has a burst of citrus notes [like bergamot] that is surrounded by floral accords. The exquisite powdery base makes it suitable for any season. It also layers beautifully with woody, fruity or citrus perfumes.”

“Have you ever met someone for the first time and felt the butterflies as you’ve been intrigued by their mystery, but at the same time felt so comfortable around them? This is what I felt the moment I sprayed this scent,” says Menegaldo. It’s all thanks to soothing rosemary, warm, smoked musk, creamy guaiac wood and spicy nutmeg.