Most perfumes are made by giant conglomerates, are filled with chemicals and make everyone smell alike. Not for us. But then we learned of small niche perfumers, and we were instantly seduced. These tiny, under-the-radar perfumeries craft beautiful scents from natural ingredients. There are many of these new small batch perfumers (and all of them seem to reside in Brooklyn for some reason), but at Habits, our favorites are MCMC, Nova, and CB I Hate Perfume

            Don’t expect your grandmother’s Chanel #5. These are unisex, earthy, musky, pheromone-triggering scents that are as complex and layered as fine wine. Take NOVA’s Beige perfume, which they describe as  “like the incense, balsamic air of ancient woods”. Or CB I hate Perfume’s, At The Beach, which triggers memories for me of summer heat, chlorine-filled swimming pools, and spicy sweat. We also love MCMC’s Hunter, which was inspired by a guitar-playing, Vermont-dwelling friend of perfumer Anne McClain.

            Best of all, these perfumes smell different on everyone, and change and grow the longer they stay on your skin. These are subtle scents that make you want to linger and get closer. 

 For more information, check out these links about small batch perfumeries:

Refinery 29's Fresh Fragrances

NY Times "Six Perfumers Describe the One They Love, Through Smell"

Martha Stewart's Stand Out With a Small Batch

Fashionista's Five Under the Radar Perfumes You Need to Know About