A list of independent Australian and New Zealand fragrance brands we love
IMAGE VIA @Perdristatperfumes/instagram
WORDS BY AMY FOCIC AND FASHION JOURNAL
Your guide to the best local perfumes.
I don’t think I’m alone in feeling smug when someone tells me that I smell good. This smugness is particularly heightened if I’m asked by a stranger what perfume I’m wearing (probably By The Fireplace by Maison Margiela, at the risk of sounding basic).
Always on the hunt for more compliment-inducing fragrances to add to my collection, I’ve realised in my searching that Australian and New Zealand brands are often missing from perfume recommendations on the internet, and undeservedly so.
We like nosy people. Don’t be shy, head to our Beauty section for more.
We love championing independent, local brands and we aren’t ones to gate-keep, so go ahead and enjoy this growing list of Australian and New Zealand fragrance labels.
Odesse
View this post on Instagram
Odesse is one of the few fragrance brands to offer solid perfume. Its version is pretty luxurious, plus it’s wax-based, Australian-made and refillable, so you can feel good while smelling great.
Perdrisat
View this post on Instagram
Relatively new to the world of perfume, Melbourne brand Pedrisat’s focus is on quality rather than quantity, and as such, each perfume is released in a limited run. The first release consisted of only 20 bottles, so keep your eyes peeled for the next exclusive fragrance the brand releases.
Who is Elijah
View this post on Instagram
Cruelty-free and hand-filled in Sydney, Who is Elijah perfumes are crafted with ethics and sustainability front of mind. The brand’s modern, clean-cut aesthetic shines through in its scents too, making it ideal for any minimalist.
Curionoir
View this post on Instagram
Curionoir is a Māori-owned fragrance brand based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Founder Tiffany Witehira draws on her own past to respond to the rich, varied history of perfumery, aiming to produce sensory experiences that trigger and create memories using the traditions of past relatives.
Orok
View this post on Instagram
Orok Fragrances was founded in 2023 by John Domjan to share narratives of queer joy, diversity, adversity and resilience. Taking inspiration from Melbourne’s gay nightlife with “the smell of a rave: sweat, amyl” the resulting fragrances are anything but ordinary.
Váhy
View this post on Instagram
Váhy is a Melbourne-based, natural fragrance house producing genderless perfumes with scents created here in Australia. The brand has a passion for honesty in its products, offering a full list of the ingredients behind each perfume and ensuring all are natural, organic and cruelty-free.
Abel
View this post on Instagram
Founded by a former winemaker, New Zealand-based company Abel makes forward-thinking, 100 per cent natural fragrances without harsh petrochemicals. With minimal new launches, Abel’s range is a considered edit of genderless scents inspired by nature: think salty ocean swims, crisp green woods, the stillness after summer rain.
Ficifolia
View this post on Instagram
Melbourne-born brand Ficifolia creates scents inspired by iconic Australian cities. Fragrances like Intermission, Out of Office and Rose Street play on our olfactive senses to transport us back to our favourite places, people, memories and traditions.
Roemy
View this post on Instagram
With a focus on building a sustainable and inclusive fragrance label, Roemy makes perfume you can feel good about. Its scents have names like Halcyon and Solstice, and they capture different memories – a fresh morning dip in a lake, an autumn sunset.
Aerway
View this post on Instagram
Based in Sydney, Aerway makes innovative ‘functional fragrances’ to influence your mood. Each scent is made using specific combinations of aromatic compounds that activate neural pathways associated with cognitive and emotional states – like productivity, relaxation or happiness. Exclusively available online, it’s best to start with a sample kit.
Ssaint
View this post on Instagram
Gender-neutral and cruelty-free, Ssaint perfumes are consciously made, inspired by landscapes across the world and olfactory memories. Cosmic Bang – with notes of tobacco, cedar and bergamot – sounds intoxicating.
Orb Oils
View this post on Instagram
Orb Oils makes genderless, oil-based fragrances that are designed to be multipurpose. Not only can your Orb Oil perfume be dabbed onto pulse points, but it can be used in your oil diffuser or added to your bath.
Goldfield and Banks
View this post on Instagram
Using Australian native botanicals and inspired by Australia’s landscape, Goldfield and Banks perfumes are a delight for the senses. Its perfume concentrates are housed in eye-catching bottles with names like Southern Bloom and Velvet Splendour.
Loess
View this post on Instagram
Sydney-based brand Loess is passionate about creating ethical and sustainable fragrances. Its vegan-friendly, cruelty-free perfumes are made from high-quality natural ingredients, and its bespoke bottles are recyclable.
Mihan Aromatics
View this post on Instagram
We all love the way the earth smells after it rains, right? In a stroke of genius, Mihan Aromatics has bottled this intoxicating scent for you to spritz to your heart’s content, rain or shine. Don’t look past the brand’s Guilty Story perfume either, a sweet yet woody concoction.
Grandiflora
View this post on Instagram
Grandiflora may have started as a florist, but it’s this background that inspired the brand’s foray into personal fragrance. Think the essence of flowers distilled into perfumes, that are anything but simple. Plus, they don’t look bad on your bedside table either.
Recreation
View this post on Instagram
Based in Bondi Beach, Recreation’s scents are made in Australia and champion natural ingredients. Its evocatively-named perfumes – like At Night We Dance – are sure to make for the perfect signature scent.
The Raconteur
View this post on Instagram
I’d hazard a guess that those who have experienced an Australian summer share a nostalgia for this season, and the good folks at The Raconteur have transformed this nostalgia into a perfume. The Raconteur makes candles and reed diffusers too, in case you need some more intoxicating fragrance in your life.
Ayu
View this post on Instagram
Ayu is an Australian-based brand crafting artisan scent blends like Black Musk, Sage and Smoking Rose. Each perfume is made to evoke a certain kind of energy – calm, invigorated, sensual or uplifting. Ayu provides ethically-sourced, rich scents for those seeking to shroud themselves in the warmth and spice.
Cygnet Perfumery
View this post on Instagram
With a focus on the harmony between nature and body, Cygnet Perfumery is the Australian brand taking ‘plant-based’ to a whole other level. Our fine fragrances are handcrafted from the highest quality natural ingredients. The brand’s perfume base of Spiritus Vini, a natural grape alcohol, is distilled in the Barossa Valley from 100 per cent Australian grapes and wine residuals.
For advice on finding your signature scent, try this.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
