As a fairly new entrant into the world of fragrances, I’ve taken my own sweet time to understand different fragrance families, notes and even concepts like layering. Throughout this entire journey, I’ve been lucky enough to try out a variety of fragrances, right from luxury designer labels to homegrown fragrances. As much as I enjoy using a designer fragrance that has a cult following around the world, I find homegrown and niche fragrances more intriguing.
I’d credit the storytelling here; homegrown brands are somehow able to invoke feelings of nostalgia, yearning and even familiarity. These homegrown fragrances always manage to get specific signature scents right, especially ones with Indian roots. Rose, agarwood, herbs and spices are often found in your all-time favourite scents and guess where they find their roots? Right here in India. Even though western fragrances are the first choice for most, owing to big marketing spends that offer them visibility, homegrown fragrances aren’t far behind.
Homegrown fragrance brands to consider —
Naso Profumi
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Naso Profumi needs no introduction, to fragrance amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Created by Astha Suri to stay true to the art of ancient Indian perfumery with a youthful approach, Naso has been at the forefront of the Indian perfumery scene for as long as we can remember. Their artisanal blends of scent feature pure extracts from various herbs and spices such as mint, oudh, pepper and even rose. These extracts that often have Indian roots are blended with global ingredients in order to give birth to a unique scent. Naso Profumi strives to make the entire process sustainable by ensuring that every aspect right from production to packaging is consciously done.
Bombay Perfumery
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Ever come across nostalgia in a bottle? Bombay Perfumery will deliver that to you, beautifully. Manan Gandhi’s idea of creating individualistic scents which invoke nostalgia and make you ponder about certain memories has been an extremely well-received one. Intertwining Indian roots with their South Asian counterparts, Bombay Perfumery’s scents feature notes of jasmine, musk and even patchouli sourced from Indonesia. What sets them apart is the unique olfactory experience these scents created when they take you back to a city. For instance, Madurai Talkies will transport you to Madurai in a jiffy with its floral notes of jasmine.
ISAK
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A fragrance house which goes back 160 years, ISAK Fragrances is a Lucknow-based perfumery that creates niche fragrances using culturally-rich Awadhi scents that are native to Lucknow and blends these all meticulously by hand. With traditional infusion and distillation techniques, Isak’s artistry is unparalleled in the sense that their handcrafted fragrances find their roots in the royal legacy of the Nawab. With a plethora of scents that display notes of flowers, fruits and even various woods, Isak’s fragrances cater to multiple occasions.
Ajmal Perfumes
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Not only has Ajmal Perfumes created a legacy for themselves right here at home, but they’ve also managed to master the game of global domination. Fragrance enthusiasts worldwide unanimously reach out to Ajmal for all of their ittar needs. Renowned for their pure oudh scents, as opposed to the synthetic ones offered by rivals, Ajmal’s collection of perfumes spans every fragrance family out there. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing, aquatic scent or an intensely gripping one, there’s a perfume for every choice and in every budget too!
Kastoor
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Giving an ode to the fragrance culture of India along with wanting to modernize the way society perceives scents, Kastoor was born. A luxury perfumery that creates ‘modern ittars’, Kastoor is on a mission to put India on the global fragrance map by making use of Indian fragrance notes as opposed to the western ones. Dispelling the popular notion that ittars can prove to be intense for regular use, Kastoor’s products can be used throughout the day, no headaches we assure you!
