NICHE PERFUMES FOR CHRISTMAS
The final stretch of the year is approaching once again, with religious traditions and family celebrations. And with them, the long-awaited Christmas presents.
At Daring Light, there are hundreds of proposals to fuel even more Christmas fervour and to make your loved one fall in love with the gift you have carefully chosen.
But many times, it is very difficult for us to choose the best option among so many. That is why I have created a list of 9 Gourmand options for Christmas gifts.
I have discarded Erba Pura by Xerjoff, Green Leather by Daniel Josier, Dolce Q.B. by Adjiumi, and a few others to keep it short.
What could be better than an appetising niche perfume from the Gourmand olfactory family this Christmas season?
Come with me and I will tell you my impressions with each one of them, and above all, I assure you that any of them will be a success.
NINE NICHE PERFUMES TO GIVE AS CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
Black Widow by Daniel Josier.
Let’s start with the quintessential Christmas colour, red. Black Widow by the renowned Daniel Josier is an ideal Christmas option. Its red bottle is beautiful. The stylish red box doesn’t clash with the bottle. And after being surprised by the outside appearance, inside you will find the intoxicating scent of truffle and redcurrant, smeared by a splendid layer of chocolate and freshness of sagebrush. Woody in its drydown it will be a delight to your senses.
Discover it here.
Methexis by Manos Gerakinis.
Describing Methexis means describing daring and innovation. One of the surprises of 2022 in niche perfumery. If you like the aroma of ripe figs, very sweet, together with gourmand notes of excellent quality such as blackcurrant, honey or cocoa, this is the perfume for you.
And it’s not all sweetness, with a milky, ambery and woody base, it’s an excellent choice, which together with its great presentation will be a real explosion of the senses when you smell it.
Discover it here.
White Coffee by Toni Cabal.
Toni Cabal is a renowned perfumer, whom we admire. Not for nothing, we have about fifty references of his eponymous brand, Toni Cabal. I could have showcased other Toni Cabal creations for this entry, such as White Coco (an unctuous, creamy, palatable coconut), White Lemon (a lemon cake in the form of a perfume) or Cinnamon Oud (with a more diffuse, dry-down cinnamon, irresistibly sensual with the oud).
But among the options I considered, White Coffee, contains what Christmas exudes in its copious and delicious meals. White Coffee is an excellent perfume where the main note is coffee, but very soft. Together with the caramel, it will make you feel that your skin smells like those Werther’s Original caramels, but with floral and ambery connotations. A real pleasure.
Discover it here.
La Capitale by Xerjoff.
If you like strawberries, caramel and a base with the most typical notes of the Oriental Olfactory Family, La Capitale is your choice.
With a prominent strawberry, and a peach embraced by it masterfully, feeling but without being the protagonist, it should be noted that along with Atlantis by Somens, here you will find the best representation of strawberry in perfumery.
With an important presence of saffron and leather, it will acquire other directions in the drydown, reaching vanilla notes with a hint of vanilla and benzoin.
Discover it here.
Mabel’s Tooth by Freddie Albrighton.
The story behind this creation is full of affection and love for a family pet. Saying goodbye to a loved one by giving them what they loved the most as their last treat was surely very emotional for Freddie and his family. And precisely at Christmas.
Sweet and bitter at the same time, we feel again that caramel that I described in Toni Cabal’s White Coffee, but in a much darker and earthier way. Masterfully blended with leather and tobacco, extending the initial sweet palate into adult places.
Any Freddie Albrighton creation is highly recommended, but Mabel’s Tooth, has a piece of Freddie’s nostalgia caged inside its composition. Christmas is not the same for everyone, and if you want something adult and sweet, this is your great candidate.
Discover it here.
Elevato³ by Adjiumi.
We were talking about compositions for adults in the previous recommendation. And I will continue with Elevato³, a creation of the highest olfactory maturity. You have to be ready to smell it. It is a perfume for adult and trained noses. Great intoxicating notes, smear this great perfume, and it is truly exquisite.
As a well-known Spanish chocolate advertisement, Valor brand, and its slogan “Adult Pleasure”, says, we could use it for this perfume.
High doses of liqueur at the top, together with a fresh mint, will burst in your first olfactory wave, to slowly unravel the cocoa beans, powerful and extraordinarily realistic due to the extraction, possibly by means of carbon dioxide. Other notes are found in the olfactory pyramid, such as the rose, very present and that strange and really spectacular note of incense, in its drying.
Sweet and wild, as a grown-up pleasure should be.
Discover it here.
Lignum Vitae by Beaufort London.
Delicious perfume from Beaufort London, where the scent of the sea and a kind of citrus sponge cake are fabulous. Not least Lignum wood is known for its unmistakable aroma when sawn, similar to cake or cupcake.
So much love for Lignum wood that all Beaufort London stoppers are made from this aromatic tree.
A very complex pyramid full of nuances that will surely not leave you indifferent.
Discover it here.
Starlight by Xerjoff.
Many times, more than we think, we link events to smells. Such was my case with Starlight by Xerjoff.
In 2021 my son was born, and that day I hurriedly had to apply a perfume when I left the house to go to the hospital. I had just brought Starlight to Daring Light, and I applied it to my skin.
A succession of images fills my mind when I smell it, and the fact is that this perfume did not leave me during the 24 hours we were in childbirth. A warm, enveloping, affectionate and sensual bombshell.
A cardamom really overdimensioned by the bergamot, it bursts as soon as it is applied, becoming woody as it dries down, and feeling very spicy. Starlight has everything a perfume from the Oriental and Gourmand Olfactory Family needs, it is irresistible. And long-lasting too.
Discover it here.
Phloem by Jorum Studio.
Need to step out of your comfort zone and discover a perfume that will totally eclipse you? Creativity in spades is what Euan McCall brings to his creations, both from his own brand Jorum Studio, as well as the collaborations he does outside of it.
Particularly unique and strange in the conception and olfactory notes created or used.
Intense conjunction of red fruits, together with a very energising floral base, due to the freshness felt in a vigorous top note. Oceanic touches I can appreciate, but without knowing precisely why.
A good option if you want to get out of the typical Gourmand.
Discover it here.
Without further ado, I wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year 2023 and that this post has helped you to better balance your cravings. See you in a future Inner Thoughts post.
Health and strength!
Sergio Martínez Anaya.