Niche perfumes often like to head into uncharted territories. The more bizarre the scent, the more fragheads go crazy for them. At times, however, we think that some of these should downright be banned. From fragrance notes boasting accords of meat, secretions, asphalt, and out-of-this-world “drowned moonflower”, here are some of the weirdest niche perfumes that money can actually buy. A fair warning though: we might not recommend wearing some of these on public transportation.
Etat Libre d’Orange – Sécrétions Magnifiques
Notes: Sweat, saliva, blood, sperm.
We’re starting off strong with the one weird niche perfume that you can actually get here in Malaysia. The notes themselves already hint at what it may smell like, and as someone who has personally smelled this, I can confirm that it does smell like a man’s ejaculation. But is that all it smells like? The original websites tells us that “a jolt of aldehydes and adrenaline unsettles your convictions, before iris and sandalwood soften the fall of expectation.”
The first whiff certainly gives you quite the visceral reaction, but this review on Fragrantica sums up the nicer part of the fragrance: “…but after an hour after you spray it on your skin it becomes a super complex and lovely, almost floral scent.”
RM550 | Shop here
Toskovat’ – Inexcusable Evil
Notes: Gunpowder, ozonic notes, iodine, blood, flowers, copaiba balm, cypriol oil, guaiac wood, concrete, rain notes, incense, sandalwood.
Most niche perfumes begin with a story, a memory, or an experience. Inexcusable Evil is all three: inspired by the trauma of war and the evil of man. Perfumer David-Lev Jipa-Slivinschi created Inexcusable Evil as a scented interpretation of the recent adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. That’s where you get notes of gunpowder, iodine, and blood before it settles into sandalwood and…concrete. As a reviewer mentions, “…made the mistake of trying it with a friend who was absolutely repulsed by it. Tried washing it off, but to my delight and her disgust, it turned into a sharp, bloody, and meaty scent, almost like an open wound.”
RM1,329 | Shop here
Ataraxia Perfumery – Spinal Fluid
Notes: Steam, fire, salty tears, gasoline, rotten flesh, dried blood, spinal fluid, ash, clear skies, bluebell flowers.
What do you think spinal fluid smells like? According to Ataraxia, it’s this precise perfume. Steamy, salty tears, rotten flesh, ash, dried blood, and spinal fluid are among the “accords” of this fragrance, but its actual composition includes myrrh, rose, seaweed, and tuberose. It’s another scent that’s inspired by the devastation of war—some even say it encompasses the Attack on Titan fictional universe—but this particular review best sums it up: “This made me physically ill. It made my stomach turn. It smells like a wound filled with pus, festering under an old bandage.”
Filippo Sorcinelli – Vento Forte Extrait de Parfum
Notes: Suedral, calone, oak moss, mud, isobutyl quinolein, wind.
Mud and wet moss. Described as an “aromatic aquatic fragrance”, Vento Forte is likened to a verse in the Bible, specifically from Exodus 14:21. “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea dry. And the sea was divided.”
Essentially, smelling this fragrance should feel like walking through the parted Red Sea. In reality? Some describe it as a “dark, wet, mouldy basement“, or that they’ve been “dead for 40 years“. It’s a concept, for sure.
Strangers Parfumerie – Sombre
Notes: Vomit accord, mould accord, nocturnal animals accord, pus, mud, sweat, champagne, orris butter, jasmine, tuberose, rose.
Vomit? Mould? Mud, sweat, and…champagne? Buckle in everyone, you’re in for a ride with this perfume. Sombre by Strangers Parfumerie is one of the most disgusting fragrances out there, just by these notes. The only question is, why? Why would anyone bottle the most horrible smells known to man as a perfume? To find out the answer, we look to the original website, where the creator says that the perfume was inspired by the haunting darkness and psychological intensity of the film “Sombre” by Philippe Grandrieux, a psychological thriller that follows Jean, a serial killer who travels across France, targeting young women.
“In the art of perfumery, creativity and innovation are highly valued, and there should be no rigid boundaries that limit the exploration of new ideas and unconventional scent combinations,” says the website. It surely is unconventional. A review on Reddit reads: “First sniff is sparkling champagne. Second sniff (0.5 seconds after) is champagne has been violently rejected by the human body. Not just any vomit, this is luxury vomit. Like someone ate a bouquet of jasmine and roses, rolled in wet soil, chased it with twelve glasses of champagne, and immediately regretted every life decision.”
Adi Ale Van Behind Her Eyes – Unspoken Potion
Notes: Castoreum, cumin, blood, immortelle, pistachio, nagarmotha, saffron, mushroom, jasmine, rose, patchouli, and myrrh.
Honestly, we give this fragrance points for a really pretty bottle. Each piece is handmade in Romania, which makes it all the more special. The fragrance notes don’t seem all that bad either, with the exception of blood. That is, until you find out that castoreum is a strongly scented oily secretion from the castor sacs of mature beavers that they use with urine to mark their territory.
Beaver urine. You’re going to smell like blood and beaver urine.
To be fair, it doesn’t actually smell that bad. Reviews have said it smells boozy, something like whisky, while to others, they got a saccharine, bubblegum smell from the combination of saffron and pistachio, while the Bulgarian rose offers a nice commonality before settling into an earthy, mushroom scent.
RM1,637 | Shop here
House of Nineteen Eighty Four – Ajna
Notes: Money, pink pepper, juniper, cannabis, tolu balsam, jasmine, tobacco, Laotian oud, Mysore sandalwood, oud, Malaysian oud, Australian sandalwood, and cedarwood.
Lana Del Rey’s song “Money Power Glory” comes to mind when smelling this. Literal money accords, a whole lot of oud, and something illegal for our local market, even though reviews say that you can’t actually smell it upon spritz. The combination of oud makes for a very luxurious, lasting fragrance built on the grounds of nostalgia.
RM1,732 | Shop here
KST Scent – Pocha Bar
Notes: Sizzling food, soy sauce, beer, ambroxan, sugar
Picture this: You’re in Seoul, it’s cold out, and you find yourself entering a pocha—a casual Korean street food tent—to find some warmth. Inside, it’s smoky and humid with the smell of sizzling food in the air mingling with the soy sauce brushed over meat, people clinking glasses of beer, and generally having a good time.
That’s precisely what Pocha Bar by KST Scent aims to recreate. What’s interesting is that there’s also a steam accord in this, which reviewers say absolutely hits the mark. This Fragrantica review sums it up: “Dries down and smells very sugary, but not as powerful as other gourmands. Smells like napkins at dim sum, steamed bread. The soy sauce note is strong and very singular. Love it.”
RM322 | Shop here
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