Preference for certain types of fragrances is a personal matter, and many people make effective use of uncommon perfumes and aftershave to help affirm their individuality. Favouring a slightly obscure scent over mainstream brands is one matter - but there are some brands of fragrance whose highly 'unique' nature leads many people to question why they were ever dreamed up in the first place.

Some fragrances incorporate unusual ingredients not typically found in perfumes, such as Biotherm Homme Force which makes use of the strong liquor absinthe, alongside spring water scents. Absinthe also features in

Alcohol is a common ingredient in several well-known perfumes, from the use of amaretto in Cartier's ‘Le Baiser du Dragon’ to rum in Guerlain’s ‘Homme’.and grenadine which makes an appearance in Jean Paul Gaultier's Ma Dame.

Perhaps stranger than drink-based scents are scents styled after food, especially with options such as lobster perfume and bacon fragrance oil being available from online retailers. Perhaps least appealing of all is Eau de Stilton, bottled in 2006 by manufacturers of the cheese as a means for people to smell like the potent dairy product.

Some perfume choices are so unusual that it can be easy to mistake them for jokes, until you see the evidence of the bottle for sale. Believe it or not, a ‘visible’ perfume is available for sale, using spray paint to temporarily color sprayed areas using a disappearing paint solution.

Celebrity endorsements are common in the world of unisex fragrances, with many men and women responding positively to fragrances named after popular icons. However, there are some celebrities whose names don't instantly spring to mind when thinking of fragrances - such as William Shatner, star of Star Trek, whose character Captain James Tiberius Kirk is immortalised with Tiberius aftershave and is fragranced with citron zest and black pepper.

Other peculiar endorsements for fragrances include fast food restaurant Burger King's Flame body spray for men, released in 2008 and boasting an authentic beef smell, and the even weirder Earthworm and Mushroom scents released by the manufacturers of Play Doh.

One of the more unusual fragrance companies to have sprung up in recent times promises to create a perfume based on customers' unique DNA codes, to offer a truly individual scent. Customers can also buy fragrances that are allegedly based on celebrity DNA, including such luminaries as Marilyn Monroe and United States President Barack Obama.

Timothy Jones writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.