Five Under-the-Radar Perfumers You Need to Know

I’m always on the hunt for a signature scent. Something that smells undeniably like me. And since seasonal shifts mean whole new color palettes and beauty regimens, what better time than now to find a new perfume to reinvent myself? Plus, I recently took a perfumery class, which piqued my curiosity about how professional perfumers work.

I set out to meet some of the most inventive niche perfumers, who are making small batches of perfume that last for a few seasons, until it’s time to create something new. In today’s world of mass marketing and celebrity fragrances, finding a niche scent that no one else knows about feels even more special. Frederick Bouchardy, a founder of the Elements Perfume Showcase (a twice-yearly event which is a great place to discover new fragrances) and Joya perfumes, summed it up best. “I want to do this for a long time. I want it to not be everywhere,” he said. “I want people who love it to not smell it on everyone else.”

HYLNDS by D.S. & Durga, Spirit of the Glen, $180

Scent Story: David Moltz, the nose behind D.S. & Durga, just launched a new line called HYLNDS. His travels and hikes yield some of his greatest discoveries. “I want to be able to make a story. I want someone to close their eyes and smell and be brought to that specific time and place,” Moltz said. “I’m really into doing tremendous amounts of historical research. I try to figure out aromatic cues that might help paint that picture.”

Smells Like: The accords in this scent are inspired by all aspects of whiskey production. It “opens fresh and fruity, releases oak in the heart, and finishes with rich, vanillic wood reminiscent of The Glenlivet 18.”

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