Our list of perfumes that are worth going offline for

Word on the street? Offline is the new luxury. Being chronically online can be exhausting. If it’s not another micro trend or the next ‘core,’ it’s Lily-Rose Depp and her buttoned up trenchcoat that are taking up space in our precious minds [editor’s note: this intro was first written in march, but still thinking about her in may]. The constant bombardment of embodied brain-rot has driven us to seek non-visual, analog stimuli. And what better offline interest than something you can only experience IRL: perfume! Fellow Fragrantica lovers, unite. 

What’s a better way to study perfume than with an uncurated, ad-riddled, early-internet fever dream full of olfactory knowledge? Fragrantica — an old school website giving us all an insight into the world of perfume, and the sense that’s definitely not trained enough, scent. Similar to getting lost in the sauce on Japanese reselling platform Buyee, the site’s design might look like a forgotten relic from the early 2010s, but that’s part of the charm. Considering there are literally more astronauts on this world than there are perfumers, for most of us, olfactory literacy comes as a breath of fresh air.

Nowadays, perfume messaging has to be about more than a meaninglessly dramatic performance on the beach and the promise of unwavering pheromones, like it was in the notorious ads in the 00’s. Brands like Le Labo showed consumers were willing to spend serious cash in exchange for more unique, daring perfumes that showcased craftsmanship and ingredients rather than celebrity spokespeople. Marketing-wise, independent perfume brands have been doing their own thing – relying on alternative storytelling tactics and appealing to a much more specific, ultra-niche crowd. Take Jouissance Parfums, for example, a perfume house inspired by feminist erotic literature. Instead of spending millions on a celebrity endorsement, they’ve found success partnering with hyperlocal meme accounts that are making specialised starterpacks of the so-called ‘aspirational class’.

Of course, being very into niche perfumes has already become a meme in itself, (in @socks_house_meetings starter packs there’s a constant placement of some perfume bottle to define someone’s personality). Whether it be through a starterpack, your zodiac sign, a tag-your-type-of-girlfriend-tiktok, or an SSENSE meme: classifying people and their behaviour is always fun. “People come together in their microcosmos even if they feel a sense of embarrassment intermingled with identification”, in the words of Kooyman, the creator of Amsterdam’s @havermelkelite, for the New Yorker. There’s a (guilty?) pleasure in recognising you belong to a demographic based on your quirky little consumption habits.

Naturally, in our search for identity-defining products, we’ve gone ahead and packaged all our favourite finds into a neat little curated list, so you have a place to start on Fragrantica or your local perfumery. If smelling like the feeling of opening a vinted package, the papers of a new magazine, or a comforting bowl of food speaks to you, here are some of our favourite pick ups.

For the people that (wish they) went bankrupt on noir kei ninomiya pieces from the DSM market market sale that take up their entire 24 sqm bedroom:
If you’re visiting Paris, it’s obvious to say: do not sleep on Dover Street Parfums Market. DSMP is known for being built by Comme des Garçons owners Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe. While they’ve curated an incredible amount of unconventional scents, it’s only reasonable to start with the CDG ones. Our favorite bottle seems nameless, but apparently is dubbed ‘Comme des Garcons 2011’ . Shaped like molten glue or a misshapen lightbulb, is a photorealistic scent of industrial glue and brown scotch tape. It’s chemical, it’s succulent, it’s eerie; it’s how I envision the Severance hallways to smell. The glue essence is strangely addictive, with an animalic edge that somehow feels seductive. For those of us working in fashion, constantly surrounded by packaging – Whether it’s going feral and ripping open Vinted parcels on the street while the box has been reused so many times that it’s become invisible under the layers of tape, or shipping out neatly arranged PR gifts in the storage part of the office – this scent feels like a romanticised version of the fashion world’s most mundane piece of office equipment.

And if this anti-attitude to fragrance sparks your interests, CDG’s latest book is the perfect follow-up. In celebration of 30 years of perfume chaos, the book is a deep dive into the brand’s rebellious approach to fragrance and olfactory disruption, accompanied by beautiful product photography.

For the ones who spend their whole summer tanned, barefoot and naked:
Debaser by D.S. & Durga is the olfactory equivalent of a hot, sticky summer – you’re lying next to a city-based body of water you’re not supposed to really swim in, sweat pearls on your skin, and that sun-soaked promise of something deliciously sultry. Thinking of this scent makes your mouth water. The fig here isn’t subtle; it’s bold, juicy, almost edible, almost intoxicating, blending with iris and creamy coconut milk to create a fragrance that’s rich, sun-kissed, and undeniably seductive.

And for a little extra je ne sais quoi? Enter I Don’t Know What. This fragrance enhancer has its own citrusy, woody unisex vibe, but what really sets it apart is how it amps up any fragrance it’s paired with. Perfect for when you want to layer up and create your own signature scent.

For the people that want to spend their summer with a Nokia brick phone:
Speaking of going offline and touching some grass: Le Labo’s Eucalyptus 20 encourages you to do just that—disconnect and explore the world around you. This fragrance is a long-awaited addition to Le Labo’s Classic Collection, inducing those vast, Fata Morgana-inviting, remote places. Inspired by endless sun-baked landscapes and the mirage-like stretch of desert ahead, Eucalyptus 20 transports you to a place where you’ll find yourself yearning for a moment in the shade beneath a tree. With notes of cedarwood, labdanum, eucalyptus, and musk, it’s a grounded, earthy escape that’s the perfect antidote to the virtual world.

Similarly, Hima Jomo celebrates the joy of missing out, reminiscing mountains, faith, and mystical chants.

For the ones who don’t like packaged food, perhaps they want to own a chicken in the future:
On more unusual scents: STORYMFG’s Study of Nature’s Maths is a blend of hay (yes, they used actual hay extract) and calming lavender, earthy undertones, and warm saffron attar, creating a scent that reminds us of shopping at our local eco-store or the feeling of buying tomatoes straight from a farmer on the side of the road. Similar to how they work on their clothing, STORYMFG work with slow, natural craft practices to extract rare scents for their perfume line. What many describe as ‘the smell of the earth after rain’ is made by another standout ingredient: Mitti Attar, a luxury scent distilled from discarded tea vessels. 

For the ones who treat their hangover with a small plate and an orange wine:
If you, like us, have fallen victim of the tomato-leaf craze, then there’s some fragrances that are unmissable. First up: POOL by TSU LANGE YOR, created by Alexandra Monet for the lifestyle brand by Troye Sivan, is a fresh, unisex floral-fruity fragrance with a standout green twist. The opening bursts with raspberry, cucumber, and bergamot and litchi. But it’s the tomato leaf in the heart that steals the show – bringing an unexpected, fresh, and slightly vegetal note, while coriander gives it a sharp herbal edge. Normally, celebrity-started lifestyle brands leave us skeptical at best, but when we first encountered POOL, we were immediately intrigued by Alexandra Monet’s work. Only later did we learn the brand was led by the doe-eyed Australian popstar – and the damage had already been done. It’s too late for us to take back our first impression, it’s simply good.

Of course, we’re sad that Loewe’s tomato-scented soaps and candles aren’t available as perfumes. Best we have to offer is the Malin and Goetz tomato leaf home perfume – umami, fresh, and has that weird way that tomatoes already smell like basil before you even add basil to the Caprese salad? A really fresh and new way to get your home to smell like an Italian holiday. Though it’s not a peach, it’s still giving Call me by your name. (Are tomato scents… queercoded?)

Another lovely Mediterranean scent recommendation is Versatile Paris‘ Rital Date – it’s quite straightforwardly Eurosummer evoking: aromatic pesto, zesty limoncello, sweet & creamy pistachio combine easily for some Amalfi coast daydreaming at your office job.

For those that can’t stop talking about the Banh Mi they had for lunch:
Another lovely perfume from the realm of food is White Rice by D’Annam. Fragrance has a way of evoking more than just memory—it sparks longing and warmth. Reminiscing childhood for some, or a life-altering trip to the East for others, the search for a rice-inspired perfume led to this photorealistic rice scent, which is part of their perfume line based on Vietnamese heritage. (They notably also released a new line based on Japanese scents!)

In the rice realm, Diptyque’s L’eau de Papier is equally interesting. Despite its name, it doesn’t evoke paper, but rather the comforting warmth of sweet, vanilla and almond dessert rice – like the steam from a freshly cooked bowl. Wearing it is like wrapping yourself in cozy nostalgia, a fragrant embrace that feels both familiar and soothing. Even for the vanilla adverse, this scent is HOME.

For the ones that are sweet on the outside but spiky on the inside:
At first Gabar’s Float seems like a simple and easy to love, delicate, feminine floral fragrance — but don’t be fooled by its innocent exterior. Once it settles on the skin, it goes through a surprising transformation. What begins as a light, airy bouquet morphs into something far more seductive—rich amber and deep musk take over, leaning into a bold, almost masculine depth. It stays on the skin for hours, so try this dark force at your own risk. 

For the people that are soft spoken and somehow always have hand sanitiser on them:
If you’re looking for something easily digestible, “clean” scents—fresh, soapy, laundry-like, are always good to have on hand. For a more unconventional route, consider adding a tea scent to this category. Loewe’s Aire Sutileza is the kind of easy, crispy, sporty spring morning scent that’s light, fresh, and just enough to linger without overstaying its welcome. The packaging is noteworthy, offering some incredible photography by Karl Blossfeldt on the boxes that we’ll never be ready to throw out.

Byredo is of course a well-known force in the independent perfume area, but we feel there’s definitely some Blanche-erasure going on amidst the popularity of Mojave Ghost and the other, heavier and more chemical scents Byredo offers. Blanche is an icon in the clean and soapy category, and the hand cream is a nice budget friendly option that has great sillage. Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Petit Matin is also suitable for mornings and office hours: with citrus and clean notes that feel crisp and light, while Aqua Universalis stays in that refreshing, soapy territory while adding a slightly masculine, aquatic note reminiscing a saltwater breeze.

Finally, Shiro’s Savon is a gamechanger. Even in a Japanese izakaya filled with hibachi-grilled-scallops and smoke, this scent will cut through the room. This angelic force has to be known: For just 40 euros, Shiro delivers huge sillage, musk, and a clean, fresh vibe that makes heads turn even in the most scented spaces. Also consider their White Tea scent and their Earl Grey scent, for just that slight extra touch of ‘what is that?!’ on top of ‘fresh’ when you pass by. Additional perks are that they have a really big atomizer.

For the ones that curate their trinket trays and exclusively drink floral beverages:
Thinking of tea fragrances, Joe Malone’s tea line is discontinued but can be found in some second hand markets and is one of the best scents in existence: Joe Malones Silver Needle Tea. It doesn’t really have a lot of tea-notes, it’s more a very punchy and alarmingly addictive Rose scent (with a capital R). Learn from our mistakes though: Finding out your signature scent is a limited edition (and thus, discontinued) after finishing the last drop is one of the biggest heartbreaks you can go through. to not leave you hanging on a sour note, here’s some available options that we’ve found to come close to a bright and realistic rose scent: Dior’s Rose Kabuki (expensive but very strong contender). MFK’s A La Rose and Diptyque’s Eau Rose are also lovely but with less sillage or punch – softer and more fitting for daytime, for the more polite gals among us.