which notes do these have in common

[joec22]

For the purpose of finding which notes I like or don't like I've purchased several samples, and my wife's friend has also graciously given several department store samples to the pile. I have about 20 total. I've already tried 4.

L'Occitane Eau des baux - I liked this a lot. I wore it to work, and it was not very detectable, which I like. It has a spicey, then sweet way about it.

Acqua di Parma Colonia - This was also nice, but seemed to fade very fast on me, so next time I will put more on.

Creed Bois du Portugal - This was too much. Since the Acqua di Parma faded after about 3 hours, I put this on, and wore it to the baseball field on Saturday afternoon. I tried to stay away from everyone because I felt like I was in a thick cloud of ??? My wife called this old-man scent and couldn't be near me. I will give the rest of this sample to my dad.

Guerlain Vetiver - Today I'm wearing this at work. Very different than anything I've tried over the years, and I like it. My wife has not commented yet, so will have to try again another day for her. After 7.5 hrs, it is very faint, but that is ok.


I will keep updating, but let me know if you see any similarities in those that I like or don't like. I've circled the 5 or so I'm already afraid to wear at work just from sniffing the bottle. But the others are going to be fun to try.

[joec22]

Today I'm trying Yves L'Homme. Although I like Eau des baux and GV better, I think this is good for rotation. I'm starting to detect a little sweetness, but mostly I would call this a "fresh" modern scent. It seems there are a lot like this on the dept store counters. I don't know how it compares, but I think I will probably choose one between this, di Gio, Lacoste Essentail, and Chrome. I haven't worn those three yet.

I have no idea what notes are in these. I keep trying to look them up on basenotes, but not all are identified there. Creed BDP and this are not identified. Some comments suggest floral in L'Homme. Creed BDP is much more complicated.

[gaj90027]

If basenotes doesn't list the entire note pyramid you should also try the actual perfume company's website. L'Occitane lists all of the fragrance notes on their website as does the Creed Boutique website.

Good luck with your fragrance journey, take it slow, enjoy the ride (and hide those credit cards) :lol:

[joec22]

Well today is acqua di gio day. I don't like it. This was a sample given to us by a department store worker. I know that it is not well-regarded by some, but I wanted to see why it is always on the top fragrance lists, and is so popular around the world. I can see why so many people like it, since it is that typical "fresh/sweet" scent. Maybe the price is targeted well. I don't want to be like everyone else, so I will probably not purchase this one.

For me after 3 hrs, I'm detecting a slight vanilla note maybe. I don't know, my nose is not well trained yet (which is why I've started this thread).

[BillC]

Today I'm trying Yves L'Homme. Although I like Eau des baux and GV better, I think this is good for rotation.

Take your time and only buy things that you really love. I started this a few years ago when I got into wet shaving. I'd never encountered a cologne I liked and didn't really expect to find anything when I started experimenting with frags - but I liked the smells of the shaving products I was using and wanted to extend that experience.

When I first found something I liked it was a revelation - I rushed out and bought it. Then I found another one I liked...

A couple years later I've learned that the breadth and depth of fragrances is amazing and there really are scents that I love. Takes some time to dig them out and sometimes they're crazy expensive. And now I have a list of things I love and would like to buy that gets longer all the time. No room in the budget for things I merely like.

[joec22]

I agree, and haven't bought anything yet except for these samples.

[DavyRay]

I agree, and haven't bought anything yet except for these samples.

Smart man!

[joec22]

Azzaro Chrome was too feminine for me. After several hours I did detect some sweetness at the end. I wouldn't compare it to di Gio, which I do not like, but it's a department store fragrance in the same vein as many others. I thought I would like it on first sniff, but no luck.

Today I'm trying Colonia for the second time. The first attempt I wore to a baseball game, and didn't get enough. This time at the office, it is really working well. It blasts me with lemon and other citrus on application, but after about 15 minutes, it starts morphing. It is very interesting, and maybe a little above me. But I do like it. After a few hours, I now sense some patchouli, but it has this elegance about it I can't describe in words. It is fading fast though, and maybe this is my first really experience with EDC? Do EDC's fade quicker than EDT's?

This sample moves to the left side of the cabinet for scents I like so far. It also promotes AD as I'd now like to try the other 3 AdP options.

[joec22]

Penhaligan Blenheim Bouquet. This stuff is really intense. Not intense in how it projects, but in its complexity. Yet when I look up notes, it seems there are no heart notes. So is it really that complex? At first, like Colonia, I felt like I should be a royal monarch to wear this (or maybe that's just what I've read), but after a while I just felt cool. I sense the pepper note throughout, but the citrus and other notes really bring it closer to what I've been enjoying most about the fragrance samples of the past week. What I like most is this is unlike anything I've tried so far. This moves to the top of my list.

Monsieur de Givenchy, Grey Flannel, and Santos de Cartier. Unfortunately these three are like BdP for me, and I have to shower to get them off. Very strong scents that remind me of the eighties. I don't know if these should be called, "old-man scents", but my wife was raised by her grandmother and spent a lot of time around a "wiser" crowd that wore many of these. So she was turned off on each of these. I will see how my dad likes the remaining samples.

[joec22]

domenico caraceni 1913. I like this one a lot. I have a TSD rose aftershave that I like, but this is completely different. I notice the rose scent throughout but it has some deeper qualities that I can't recognize. It is very elegant, and I think suitable for special occasions. I don't understand the sad/melancholy review from basenotes. I don't know when/if I'll buy it, but I would love to have a bottle.

To summarize - the samples I've really enjoyed so far, maybe the notes they have in common are spicey, citrusy?

Guerlain Vetiver
Penhaligon BB
Acqua di Parma Colonia
Yves L'Homme
L'Occitane Eau des baux


More importantly the samples I really don't like have lavender, violet, cedarwood, basil, and oakmoss?

Monseur de Givenchy
Santos de Cartier
Grey Flannel
Creed BdP

[kingfisher]

... Do EDC's fade quicker than EDT's?

.....

Generally speaking, I would say "yes." EDTs have a higher concentration of fragrance and/or essential oils.


Can't believe you didn't mention the pine note in Blenheim Bouquet. To me it dominates the fragrance. It smells like I'm wearing Pine-Sol.

[joec22]

Can't believe you didn't mention the pine note in Blenheim Bouquet. To me it dominates the fragrance. It smells like I'm wearing Pine-Sol.

I don't know what Pine-Sol smells like. But I liked it, so maybe I should sample Pine-Sol.