Good colognes make you a scent snob

[Phog Allen]

Well, at least a bit snobbish anyway. I certainly felt that way yesterday at a local mall. There was a store there called Perfume Pizazz. Tons of stuff and one wall full of mens scents. Of course I asked the question; "any Trumper, Truefitt, Floris or Penhaligon's?" The obligitory "no" accompanied by a slightly irritated look that said I didn't know what in hell I was talking about followed as usual. The lady was actually very friendly once she settled down to showing me her products. She even seemed genuinely interested in the brands I mentioned. Then the sniffing started. She would apply scents to cotton balls and then hand the over to me to give a sniff. Yuck, yeck, arghhh, and whatever else you can think of was my reaction to 99% of what I sampled. I didn't let this show to her in my expressions but I was sure thinking it. No kidding, almost everything I tried smelled just like everything else at a base level. Either cotton candy sweet or shampoo/conditioner or marine/sweet/candy scents every one! It dang near made me nauseaus. I mean there is no imagination with the newer scents. I'm sure not all designer stuff is so bad but if someone would like to point me toward some of the true designer classics I'm all ears. One of the WORST offenders was this new Davidoff Cool Water(something). It's supposed to be the newest Cool Water offering. It combined all the ingredients I mentioned above. I am ever so grateful to all the forum members over the last few years who turned me on to names like Trumper, Taylor, Truefitt, Floris, and Penhaligon's. You know what? The names just mentioned are really not any more pricey than most of the CRAP that she let me smell at the counter. Let's face it guys, I'm a Celtic/Anglo guy and that's that. Mayhaps some truly nice European edt's like Aqua di Parma will make their way to my toiletry locker but not much of this stuff from American dept. stores. Interestingly, they do have Tabac edt for sale. No tester for it though every other scent did. Does that tell you how many guys really know about this stuff we all obsess over?

Regards, Todd

[Austin]

I have the same experience. Even at stores like Nordstroms, Neiman Marcus and Saks. They carry moderate to expensive lines that smell alike.

[superfly]

One of the WORST offenders was this new Davidoff Cool Water(something).

Regards, Todd

haha, that was exactly what I though of it when I tried couple of days ago... There are a very nice man's scent lately also, just have to be patient. And try them onto your own skin, they smell very different. I limit my spritz with the testers on only two perfumes on each wrist, and try to decide between them through the day... My latest find is Homme by Dior..
.
Nenad

[Scotto]

Great post, Todd, and I agree. The good stuff spoils you. There is no soul to them. The best scents evoke a mood, a memory, etc. Department store trash is just that.

[Phog Allen]

Scotto, you said it a lot more succinctly than I did. Absolutely NO soul.

Regards, todd

[rvbert0]

Have you noticed too that alot of the younger folks anymore don't really seem to respond as well to the colognes you mentioned? I'm 25, and find that most of my female friends like the designer scents, the Aqua Di Gios, Coolwaters, etc, more than say Endymion, Opus 1870, GFT.

[bearbeard]

Its really hard to find those distinct scents that nobody else is wearing.

All I can think of when I am at these places is that commercial where the lady sprays that Tigress perfume in that guys face and then growls like a Tiger. I laughed so hard everytime I saw it.

Yeah, I can't shop for cologne at these kinds of places anymore.

[baald]

i agree with you for the most part, but would just caution agsinst throwing the baby out with the bathwater. there are still some nice fragances available at theese placs, you just have to know what to look for. I mean, you can get proraso at target, right? Ask a SA for help finding shaveing cream though, and they will point you to the aisle of edge. Same with most mainstream fragrance counters. know the chaff from the wheat in those types of frags and you can find something good.

btw - it cracks me up that you hold endymion apart from the rest of the dept store me-toos -- it smells like any of CK etc smell alikes to me, and i suspect it was penhaligon's response to 90's fragrance trends (i believe it was introduced in the mid 90's). Just because it's from an old english fragrance house doesn't mean its an old english fragrance ;)

btw - i wouldn't include neiman's in the same category as other lesser dept stores -- they carry L'artisan, and are picking up serge lutens, among others.

i recommend you check out basenotes.net if you want more info on fragrances. its a treasure trove of fragrance info (unfortunately down right now, grrrr...).

have fun with it :)

baald

[Longwalker]

I rather enjoy the Creed line of fragrances. Himalaya,Green Irish Tweed and my favorite (and my ladies) Original Santal.

[Scotto]

Good point above - you can still find the occasional gem among the junk at the department store. One example is John Varvatos, which I like very much. There are a few others as well. You just have to look hard. It is like finding something good among the hundred of channels on television.

[ouch]

I've been a snob about the scent of food, tobacco, and wine for a long time. Why should cologne be any different? :rolleyes:

[LX_Emergency]

I never cared much for colognes untill I got some nice ones....now it's like looking for a needle in a haystack to find those few "good ones" that are available generally. I know people like Tabac but I don't like the scent. It's very strong and very soapy (or so it seems to me). I was hoping that it would be an affordable alternative to Trumpers Spanish leather but it wasn't.

[Phog Allen]

I've been a snob about the scent of food, tobacco, and wine for a long time. Why should cologne be any different? :rolleyes:

You know what Ouch? You are correct! Please treat yourself to a new bottle of edt. :wink: Indeed, maybe I should have said that it makes you a bit more discerning.

I agree with Baald that many of the newer scents from the "old" houses are an attempt at a nice, safe, and nondescript scent. Floris' Santal is just such a scent. While it is not shampoo-y(what kind of word is that?)or candy scented like others, it's about as "safe" as you can get with a mans scent. My wife says she could wear it easily. I like it but as Scotto would say, it doesn't move me. I will use up the bottle I have including clandestine applications by the wife and will not likely replace it. It's just too powdery and soft. I guess what I'm driving at is that fragrances, like everything else seemingly does not have a good(drugstore scents), better(smallish dept. stores), and best(botiques and upscale like Nieman Markups) structure anymore. It's the same with tools, leather goods, and other items. You either buy bargain basement or best or very near best quality. Items that are supposed to "better but not quite top shelf" are few and FAR between these days. As that goes for fragrances so far(remember, I'm not well versed here)I would include Taylor of Old Bond St. and some of the Musgo scents. They are comfortably in the $20-40 range and give great results for their price. Otherwise, I seem to catch myself only nosing the 65-70 dollar ranges and up. Too bad I don't have the dough to just indulge in them!

Regards, Todd

[Rich C.]

I cannot stand going to stores like Macy's, or the like. I just get so tire thinking of the slog I have to go through just to find a decent cologne. No thanks. This forum has hipped me to great colognes and aftershaves. Why should I endure dross?

[Dave_D]

Interesting, I was recently taking stock of a few 'aquired' tastes that have made their way into my life the past year or so. Up until then I didnt wear cologne, shaved with a Trac II and ate whatever.

I was reminded why I didnt wear cologne when I happened into a department store recently and tested a few offerings, not much to miss there. A few gave me a shudder and a pinch on the nose, nausea would be too strong a word but it was close. The niche and designer scents are considerably more expensive but they are in a different class entirely and, no headache. I only have a few because they are pricey, but I enjoy them.

Same for shaving. I use to shave once or twice a week. Appearances be damned, the shaving options I had then were poor. Since discovering wet shaving I now shave every other day. I like the feeling of a clean shaven face. I also enjoy the artistry of the shave and the link to previous generations of guys and the way they did things.

[jduffy]

I limit my spritz with the testers on only two perfumes on each wrist, and try to decide between them through the day... My latest find is Homme by Dior..
.
Nenad

Do you know what brick and mortar store carries Dior Homme? Nordstrom used to but they no longer do. I'd really like to test it and possibly buy it if it's as good as everyone seems to say it is.

Thanks.

[Queen of Blades]

Have you tried Macy's, Bloomingdales, or Sephora? The Dior site lists all those stores for your area.

[salsadj]

btw - it cracks me up that you hold endymion apart from the rest of the dept store me-toos -- it smells like any of CK etc smell alikes to me, and i suspect it was penhaligon's response to 90's fragrance trends (i believe it was introduced in the mid 90's). Just because it's from an old english fragrance house doesn't mean its an old english fragrance ;)

Thing is, Endymion came out in 2003 :001_smile

[Joedy]

While I do agree that Endymion is reflective of the trend towards what we generally call "Department Store Colognes", one thing that sets it apart is the natural progression and change of the contained essential oils (Frankenscence and Myyrh) throughout the day that you generally don't encounter with fragrance oils which tend to be static.


One thing that is not being said (and it pertains to being a "Scent Snob") is the appreciation of how essential (or "natural") oils have dynamic natures and characteristics that change with duration, body chemistry and with the interaction with other essential oils.

Scent Snobs come to recognize the importance of the High, Mid and Low notes in a fragrance and how these ingredients afect and define the fragrance experience.

When you wear fragrance oil scents (while they might be perfectly and justifiably pleasing), what you get initally is what you retain throughout the day.

One isn't necessarily "better" than the other, but at least an appreciation for the fragrance arts allows you to better understand and appreciate a complex fragrance.

It's interesting how many other tastes mimmick the tendancy towards fragrance appreciation. I am most reminded about quality wines and beers from which, once you've learned to appreciate the differences in the quality of a fine wine and beer, going back to poor concoctions is a trying and dismal experience. Trust me, if you let this sentiment flow from your lips, you will be immediately branded a "Beer Snob" and I can speak from experience.

The way that I look at it is like this: If I am going to experience something, I'd rather experience and enjoy something of quality instead of being forced to compromise my enjoyment with subpar items.

Yes, I'm a Scent (and a Beer) Snob, but at least I'm proud of it for all of the right reasons.

-joedy

[Phog Allen]

The way that I look at it is like this: If I am going to experience something, I'd rather experience and enjoy something of quality instead of being forced to compromise my enjoyment with subpar items.

Yes, I'm a Scent (and a Beer) Snob, but at least I'm proud of it for all of the right reasons.

-joedy

Bravo Joedy! I almost didn't use the word snob in this post because of the negative(rightly I might add)connotation it conjurs up. Discerning would be more appropriate. As I've said so many times on the forums, I'm not well versed in fragrance and make no pretense to be. It's just that after smelling great quality colognes, the posers are pretty easy to spot. While I tend toward the old British houses, a tip on these forums led me to Malle in France. They sent me two testers of their scents. One is Une Rose which is truly the most realisitic and classy rose scent I've ever encountered. It's much too feminine for me so the wife uses it. ONE tiny mist on her neck lasts all day. The other is Noir Epices which is somewhat unisex but I think would tend toward feminine if over applied. It too requires a slight amount and you can smell the quality. Both of these run about $150 per bottle. I feel the rose is worth it and will save my pieces of eight till I can get the wife a bottle. So I am certainly no connesieur but I'm starting to recognise good scents when I see, er...smell them. BTW, agree completely about the beer. If you ever have good beer, you just can't bring yourself to swill the crap.

Regards, Todd

[Sam]

Todd, Malle makes the only wearable vetiver I can stand, Vetiver Orientale. It has a distinct chocolate note and is not earthy. I tried rose scents and Voluer de Roses by L'Artisan is not my cup of tea. One line I think you would like is Serge Lutens. Some scents can be hard to acquire and I had to ship it to England and then to US to get me two bottles of his Fumerie Turque. As much as the shave forums exist for that topic, basenotes is by far the best cologne discussion place I have found

Sam

[Joedy]

True, indeed, Todd.

I have sampled the Malle scents and your observations concur with my own. The Une Rose, in particular, I found to be extremely tenacious and easily lasting through the whole day and night into the next day. Discrete and miserly is the application mindset with this fragrance. I, too, found it too feminine for my tastes, prefering my Elizabethan Rose from Penhaligon's more to my liking (and more of a pure rose essence to my nose.)

I have been duly impressed with the Malle offerings.

One of the surprizing offerings that I encountered was Hermes' Terre. When you read Grapefruit and Cedarwood essential oil contents, it doesn't remotely sound pleasing, but this fragrance pulls it off with class and sophistication. It is one of my favorite fragrances now.

All the more enjoyable, the quest for searching for fine fragrances once you learn to appreciate what the sensations of the scents do for you.

-joedy

[Sam]

Joedy, while I could not wrap my nose around the Terre, I do appreciate its craftsmanship. Some of the scents that are in the Macy's - I call them the designer series - seem formulaic. That is, they have scent strips in magazines and one is kinda like the other. They do not evolve much. I can not imagine Calvin Klein doing up a rose scent and trying to evoke a memory or an image or a visualization of a concept. I can imagine Malle searching the world for the right breed of roses and pouring over other notes until he can bring out a certain aspect of the rose. Maybe I am wrong, but I would like to think that the Guerlains and the Malles are trying to express something artistically, through the medium of fragrance, and that the designers are branching out to have a cologne to expand their line, ala the Vera Wangs and the Varvators, people who are clothing designers at the core and then spread out

Sam

[russellnyc]

I think what has drawn me to the more venerated (if not necessarily more expensive) scents has been their reliance on recognizable ingredients. Lavender, rose, citrus, and sandalwood in particular have excited me, but this also includes dominant-note mixed fragrances like T&H clove/nutmeg/citrus Trafalgar, which I hated at first but which now I find to be complex and delicious. I stopped in Sephora the other day to pick up something for my wife, and with the exception of Hermes (one of the very few that makes its own scents from scratch), which is somewhat botanical and focused, I found pretty much everything to smell manufactured and artificial, in particular the water scents mentioned elsewhere. It's the naturally occurring ingedients of the more old-world scents that appeals to me. It doesn't hurt that the scents I like are NEVER the types of smells I catch while walking past people on the subway platform.

[Phog Allen]

Todd, Malle makes the only wearable vetiver I can stand, Vetiver Orientale. It has a distinct chocolate note and is not earthy. I tried rose scents and Voluer de Roses by L'Artisan is not my cup of tea. One line I think you would like is Serge Lutens. Some scents can be hard to acquire and I had to ship it to England and then to US to get me two bottles of his Fumerie Turque. As much as the shave forums exist for that topic, basenotes is by far the best cologne discussion place I have found

Sam

Hi Sam. This is good information. I have only smelled one Vetiver scent and that was Arran Aromatics shave cream. I'm sure it's a synthetic fragrance oil scented product so is probably not indicitive of a true vetiver. It does not impress scent wise but is a superb shave lather. I doubt I'd care for most vetiver scents as a smokiness in a cologne doesn't interest me much. However, if the Malle version is somewhat softened by the chocolate note, then it may indeed be worth try. I normally do NOT like any food scent notes in my fragrances but I could see how this combo could work. Interesting.

I agree with you about Basenotes. It's overwhelming sometimes with all the info and I've come to realise that some of the people posting reviews could not possibly be trying some of the scents they are reviewing. Still, it's a great resource.

Regards, Todd

[Phog Allen]

prefering my Elizabethan Rose from Penhaligon's

So far, the best rose I've tried is Floris' #89. It is not a single note rose so the Penhaligon Elizabethan may warrant a testing.


When you read Grapefruit and Cedarwood essential oil contents, it doesn't remotely sound pleasing, but this fragrance pulls it off with class and sophistication.

I learned very quickly that grapefruit is one of the most underated citrus scents out there. It gives the crispness of lime or lemon but with a softer presence. I can easily see a grapefruit/cedarwood combo smelling quite nice. Thanks again for the heads up.

Regards, Todd

[Phog Allen]

Russell you are so right. I will check out the Hermes.

Regards ,Todd

[russellnyc]

could not possibly be trying some of the scents they are reviewing

LOL, if true this is very rascally!

[Phog Allen]

Well heck Russell. Let me clarify since someone is bound to be offended if I don't. I realise there are guys out there who literally have hundreds of colognes. No problem with reviews but I'm talking about a review that will come in that describes the scent as 100% opposite of either the listed ingredient notes or the majority consensus from the other reviewers. I'm not talking nuances, just way out there descriptions. Usually a big negative. It just seems that a lot of these come from somone who wanted to jump in the conversation.

Regards, Todd

[JohnP]

Thanks to people on these forums I'm ruined for most colognes.
I've also noticed my tastes are changing.
OBTW for vetiver lovers out there, L'Occitane vetyver is very nice, or if you like the straight up vetiver scent, Casswell-Massey is straight vetiver once the initial alcohol dries away. Good stuff and not a lot of money.
John P.

[acoldspoon]

Have you noticed too that alot of the younger folks anymore don't really seem to respond as well to the colognes you mentioned? I'm 25, and find that most of my female friends like the designer scents, the Aqua Di Gios, Coolwaters, etc, more than say Endymion, Opus 1870, GFT. I can tell you from personal experiance that this depends a lot on the young woman in question and the man wearing the scent. I've worn Opus 1870 to college with nice effect. I'm 36 so it is a little easier to pull off at school, but I did wear St Johns Bay Rum throughout my 20's when everyone else was wearing "designer" brands. Worked VERY well for me back then too. Dare to stand out from the crowd young man. The women who recognise this kind of confidence will make it worth the effort.:wink2:

[TimmyBoston]

Its really hard to find those distinct scents that nobody else is wearing.




That's what I'm always looking for and at department stores, you certainly aren't going to get it. Thank goodness for Scotto, so I can actually sample some good stuff.

[tryphon]

Let's face it guys, I'm a Celtic/Anglo guy and that's that. Mayhaps some truly nice European edt's like Aqua di Parma will make their way to my toiletry locker but not much of this stuff from American dept. stores.
Regards, Todd
For a classic mediterranean scent with a superb pedigree, you should try Acqua di Selva by Visconti di Modrone. It is my favorite italian scent.
Another excellent scent from the same people is Victor Cologne.
If you google it, you can usually find some good deals on both these classic scents from the late 1940's/early 1950's.

[Phog Allen]

Thank you tryphon. I will keep those in mind. BTW, I am most envious(in a good way)of your toiletries collection.

Regards, Todd

[rvbert0]

I just picked up a bottle of Gucci Envy, does anyone else like this scent? I've read some folks compare it to Floris Santal, but I find the Envy to be much much stronger of a scent, and only slight comparisons IMO.

[Austin]

I just picked up a bottle of Gucci Envy, does anyone else like this scent? I've read some folks compare it to Floris Santal, but I find the Envy to be much much stronger of a scent, and only slight comparisons IMO.

I've worn it before and found it different to Floris. Floris is more refined. Envy is more in your face. Envy is a good evening scent.

[icecow]

Here's a few barriers I'm up against when I try to find good scents.

1. The colognes smell like crap after they are first sprayed. I can't get a good idea of what the cologne is really like until the alcohol wears off.
2. There's only so many scents I can become familiar with in one sampling (#1 makes this even trickier).
3. I havent concluded all department store cologne is crap, but I find it much easier to figure out what I think of a cologne when I'm somewhere else away from the cologne counter where so many smells subtlely blend together. The ghosts of other colognes make it hard to form an opinion on the one I'm trying.

[Dapper_Dave]

My biggest drive in finding a good fragrance was that I did not want to wear what everyone else was wearing. I decided I would not buy anything that was not made by a true fragrance house, Guerlain or Creed, for example.

What I find most pleasurable about truly great fragrances is that they can be layered, and I don't mean in the usual sense, using different items of similar scent, shave cream, a/s, body soap, and lotion. A well made fragrance, a fragrance made of quality materials, can be combined with another well made fragrance to create a truly unique scent.

For example, if I'm feeling a bit rakish, a splash of something citrus-ey such as Neroli Savage or Citrus Bigarrade on top of something a bit more serious such as Bois du Portugal usually does the trick. If I'm feeling the dandy I prefer a single note floral on top of a citrus based scent.

I hope I've given a new idea to someone and they can find some pleasure in it.

Good luck with the experiments!

David

[Jimmyfresno]

There is a full 500 ml bottle of D. R. Harris Sandalwood Aftershave on ebay a few days (ends October 12 or 13?} Harris Fans should go and grab it up, its worth the price. D. R. Harris is scarce enough but That huge size is impossible to find in the US, but I don't think anyone will realize and it will go unsold. mad2:

I agree completely that the mall type stores offer only things that make you smell like a guy in a mall. A dude at the gym was wearing "Curve" the other day and a mist of it got on me while he was spraying it and I wanted to hang my body out of the car window as I drove home. They all contain this sickening note that I call the "trashy discoteque accord." Once the top notes of lime or slight floral wear off, you're left with this sickly weet chemical amber basenote that ends up needing to air your stale disco smell off badger:
In the more traditional ranges, I like the D.R. Harris line of aftershaves. I ended up over-purchasing the Sandalwood aftershave which I use every day. It's hard to find in this country so I decided to hoard it and bought much more than I needed.

I myself like the lighter, unidrectional scents. Just got Comme Des Garcons Incense series, Quarzazate, probably the strangest and favorite scent I have experienced. Incense (in the perfume world's interpretation of that scent) and spice. Even some nice rubber in it which sounds strange but works. Edgy and urban.

[moviemaniac]

I simply *have* to resurrect this thread :wink:

I go along with the general opinion here. I've never cared about cologne or EdT until a few weeks ago. So I went into several perfume stores in the next big city. When I got back home, I felt depressed. Most of all the EdTs I had tried that afternoon were "mainstream" ones you can smell at every corner. Indistinctive, sweet as candy - in one word: unacceptable. Of course I didn't end up buying one of these Boss-, Lagerfeld- or whatever- fragrances but I hadn't given up the hope. This week I ordered some english shaving creams and -soaps from an Austrian store stocking the 3Ts and some others and I also got some samples of different EdCs. I sniffed and was in love, one smelled better than the other, distinctive, manly fragrances they were and not that mainstream-metrosexual stuff (no offense meant) I've sniffed in the perfume-stores.
I ended up ordering 2 bottles from Taylor: Eton and Mr. Taylor and I'll get me a bottle of Penhaligon's English Fern for my birthday.
Sometimes it's a positive thing to be a snob :tongue:

[Phog Allen]

Hello moviemaniac. Yes, this little passion of ours will make you a snob or is it that we are now more discerning? I tend toward the latter. Like you, I've noticed this candy/sweet/water/ocean/shampoo note that seems to pervade almost all of the scents from our American department stores. This is not a knock on things American. Most of these scents proudly proclaim themselves to be Europeans of some sort. Ehh. It's just marketing. Stick with ANY house that is over 50-75 years old and you are bound to find a real gem.

I'd kind of forgotten about this thread and was pleasantly surprised to see it resurrected. Since my initial posting, I've discovered the Vetyver by L'occitane. Superb stuff. One of the few continental scent houses I think I could enjoy. The L'occitane scents AVOID the water/shampoo/candy treatment that most dept. store scents seem to favour these days. Your pick of the Penhaligon English Fern is a good one. Unless there is just a total disagreement between your body chemistry and nose, you'll like this one a lot. It's everything Lauren's Polo should have been. It just did it a number of decades earlier. BTW, I love your signature line.

Regards, Todd

[shifts]

Todd, Malle makes the only wearable vetiver I can stand, Vetiver Orientale. It has a distinct chocolate note and is not earthy. I tried rose scents and Voluer de Roses by L'Artisan is not my cup of tea. One line I think you would like is Serge Lutens. Some scents can be hard to acquire and I had to ship it to England and then to US to get me two bottles of his Fumerie Turque. As much as the shave forums exist for that topic, basenotes is by far the best cologne discussion place I have found

Sam

I think you are mixing up your references here Sam. The only vetiver Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle has is the Vétiver Extraordinaire. It is indeed superb and the only Frederic Malle fragrance I've purchased so far, so I give you right there. But chocolate? There is no chocolate in sight in Vétiver Extraordinaire, very clean vetiver though, clean and wet like. Damp like a forest floor in the fall.

I don't know if there might be some chocolate in Vetiver Orientale, but there might be since that do exist as well, but under Serge Lutens' name.

[shifts]

I can imagine Malle searching the world for the right breed of roses and pouring over other notes until he can bring out a certain aspect of the rose. Maybe I am wrong, but I would like to think that the Guerlains and the Malles are trying to express something artistically...

Quoting you again Sam, I hope it is alright. I just want to shed some light on this Frederic Malle business as it is one of my favorite fragrance houses. The deal with Frederic Malle is that he, the person, gives perfume noses complete creative freedom when they begin their composing for him. They do whatever they want to do. Edouard Fléchier who created Une Rose (and also Lys Méditerranée for Frederic Malle) would be the guy who "poured" the rose over the other notes.

This is what I like best about this company, that the noses responsible for the fragrances are given both the well deserved props and attention. It has nothing to do with their own trademark (well it does in the end I guess, but you know).

Frederic Malle himself has nothing to do with the composing of the fragrances here as far as I know. Not in the traditional sense of blending etc. at least.

[crowdog]

Have any of you custom designed a fragrance for yourselves? I know there are a few places where you can choose the notes yourself, and the price is pretty comparable to a higher priced scent.

Marty

[moviemaniac]

Hello moviemaniac. Yes, this little passion of ours will make you a snob or is it that we are now more discerning? I tend toward the latter.
I too prefer the word "discerning", "snob" sounds so negative. Maybe "scent connoisseur" would be the best way to describe us - the association with lovers of fine wines, cigars, whiskies etc. would be just. (count me in on all of those :001_wub: )



This is not a knock on things American. Most of these scents proudly proclaim themselves to be Europeans of some sort.
America, European - whatever. Here in Europe the stuff that claims to be "American" is the same stuff you're maybe referring to as "European". Anyway, as long as every singer, dancer, designer, actor and the likes continue to have to use their name for cheap, indistinctive fragrances there won't be a change - many people just buy stuff because of the well-known name (and/or because everyone else buys it) and are willing to pay horrendous, unjustified amounts of money for it and there is no difference in that whether you live in Europe or America or Asia or wherever else.
But I found it to not only be a "problem" of the big department stores. Even all of those specialised perfume-stores I visited only (or mainly) had this mainstream-stuff, one smelling worse than the other. And all those fragrances that differed were either extremely (or, better: insanely) expensive ( :scared: ) or the type of "old-man-scent" I as a 21-year-old can't possibly wear.



Your pick of the Penhaligon English Fern is a good one. Unless there is just a total disagreement between your body chemistry and nose, you'll like this one a lot. It's everything Lauren's Polo should have been. It just did it a number of decades earlier.
I really like that one - I've got a sample here. Somewhere on this forum I read "like a walk across the english countryside" - perfect for me and surely a scent (hardly) no one else wears for miles around (like the two Taylors I've ordered) :001_tt2:




BTW, I love your signature line.

Thank you kindly :cool:

kind greetings,
Klaus

[Just Mike]

Since I took up "cologne collecting" my collection has grown to over 100 bottles. Along the way I've learned a few lessons. One is that the more different scents I used, the more trained my nose gets - and a bias developed causing me to "like" a very wide variety of colognes. That can be costly. Another thing that happened to me was that I found my self on a quest for the perfect scent, "holy grail" if you will. Also costly. Blind buying can also be costly. I never buy blind anymore. As far as pre-testing goes, if you work at it (Internet helps a lot) you can a lot of free or cheap samples sent to you. When you sample at the store limit your samples to two or three a day or your sniffer gets overwhelmed and you don't get get a true sample scent. Also spray samples on your arm then walk around for a while. Over time you'll get a more accurate picture of what the scent will be like. Forums like this are a great place to do homework so that you don't make redundant purchases. There are a lot of instances in which fragrances are very close to the point in which if you have one you really don't need to add the other. Finally, be an educated buyer. On scents that are readliy available take advantage of the Internet (but be careful there too). In the end warehouse space is a WHOLE LOT cheaper than mall space. This is why the Internet guys can sell the stuff cheaper.

Hope this info is helpful.

Cheers...

Mike

[Phog Allen]

Good post Mike. When I posted this little topic I had no idea that it would generate so many repsonses. I'm tickled pink that I am not alone. I agree with you. The more you sniff, the more discerning your nose becomes. While I try to follow my own advice about not settling on certain types of items just because of familiarity, I will say that fragrance is one of those categories where it's VERY hard not to do so. While finding scents you really like the best is kind of hard, you will discover a whole BUNCH that you don't like right away. At least for me. I quickly discovered that the ocean water/shampoo scented stuff is not for me. I know that's a generalisation but you get the drift with most of these cheaper dept. store scents.Eckkk. I am much more in tune with the English houses. Especially their older scents. I would however like to try the Mouchoir de Monsieur sometime. It sounds like a dandy. I would also agree with you that buying blind is almost a guaranteed failure unless you really trust other reviewers to have a similar nose to your own. Decants are the way to go. I make myself stay out of the B&B decant store for fear of losing my home. SWMBO already gives me a crosswise glance whenever another package shows up.

Regards,Todd

[netsurfr]

With my addition to straight shaving, I introduced scents back into my routine. I had avoided them since high school since I did not find the typical scents I received for birthdays or Christmas appealing and sometimes had allergic reactions to them.
I am now loving the smell in the morning of a good scent after my straight shave and so is my lovely wife.

Steve

[TightLines]

I also was looking for a signature scent. I ran across this site (luckyscent.com). The products seem to be predominantly european and described as parfums, regardless of the (either/or/both) gender classification. I was looking for something clean and crisp and purchased several samples with very good service. Perhaps someone can decipher the cologne/parfum terminology, or is it just a matter of semantics and $$$.