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High-end colognes

Someone educate me. I read a lot of posts about how store-bought colognes are not that great and colognes such as "1805" for example are on another level. My current rotation consists of:
-Gucci Envy
-Versace Dreamer
-VS by Versace
-Jaguar (hardly ever use it)
-Boss #6 (one of my favs for some reason)
-Aqua di gio
-Chrome Azzaro
-Cerrutti Image

Am I missing out on something here? Am I using the canned foam equivalent of colognes, when I should be using more sophisticated scents?
 
The most important question should be "Are you happy with what you are using?" If so then you're doing fine.

You'll find there are loads of scents/houses out there that you've probably never heard of and they probably have stuff you would like.

basenotes.com is a great site to find all kinds of scents.
 
For me it's not so much the scents... Though there are exceptions... For example, one of my favorite scents (and for most it's a love it or hate it) is Czech & Speake No. 88... Certainly not a department store cologne. To me, there's nothing that even comes close... However, other "high end" colognes that I wear don't neccesarily smell "better" than other department store scents, but rather it's the uncommon nature of it...

In other words... If you go to a crowded place, how many guys to you pass wearing cool water? Hugo? Tommy? Dare I say it? :eek: Drakkar Noir! :biggrin: etc... The point is, they are all very common BECAUSE they're department store colognes...

It may sound a bit snooty, but for me, having someone go, "*sniff* *sniff* WHOA.. What is that cologne you're wearing???" always brings a smile to my face... Especially when I tell them and they get this weird look on their face because they've never heard of it... The fact that they are "different" than anything that people typically smell brings much more attention to it, and therefore me... ;) :thumbup:
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
Well, the way I take the comments about 'department store colognes', is not about quality so much as about how common they are, and the 'type' of scents they offer. The main theme of this board when approaching colognes is to favour the off-beat and unusual (and often old-fashioned, or at least vintage) colognes over the flavour of the month popular colognes. Rusirius picked up on that in his post just now.

The colognes you listed are all quality items. As far as I can tell, they are also relatively modern and widely-avaiable (I'm trying to avoid saying 'common', but ...). Now, personally I'm a big fan of Burberry Brit ... but I like my Penhaligon's too.

The 'canned foam equivalent'? Well, that's the cheaper colognes that stores stock on shelves, rather than behind glass counters ... but yes you ARE missing out on something too ... not 'better' colognes but 'different'. Some guys here will argue that the difference makes them better, but that's maybe confusing objective quality with subjective preference.
 
I try to find some off the wall stuff that smells good, yet reasonably priced, and the more mysterious the better. You get more comments, and seem more distinct. You can also play the I didn't know what I was buying card if someone doesn't like it. You'll never get the "Oh, that's that (whatever) cologne. I can't stand that because it reminds me of....... . Do you really like that?" It just makes you feel like smelly old carpet.
 
+1 to everything everybody has said. Perfume knowledge is much harder to acquire than shaving knowledge (and much more expensive) as it is way more subjective. You do have quality products, but for example AdG = M3 in my mind. Everybody knows it, a lot of people use it. There are excellent drug store fragrances (IMO, Adidas Moves 0:01, Brut, English Lather) that cost almost nothing. They are good, but everybody knows someone who uses it, and associate that thought with a cheap scent. Still there are people that can really pull those... My father can use EL with better results than any channel or mugler.
One mistake, people often make is confusing expensive scents with quality scents. You could buy a Creed Virgin Island Water ($98 1 oz.) and smell like plain coconut & urine (at least on my skin) or buy Ungaro III ($20 3.4 oz.) and get a much more elegant and sophisticated edt. Creed silver Mountai Water (185 retail) Or yang 30.00 at Perfumeemporium.
I guess I can only say do not let the scent define you. You define the scent.

Edit: Spelling
 
With higher-end fragrances (Creed, L'Artisan, Santa Maria Novella, Chanel, Guerlain, etc.) you usually have a product that has higher quality ingredients, less similarity to other scents, a sense of history, artistry, etc. However, it comes down to YOUR nose and if you would rather wear Aqua Di Gio than Fou D'Absinthe, then you have every right to. My brother wears Clubman and is the best smelling guy in the room!!

In the end it comes down to what you like. I say, if you like it, wear it.

ps - Envy, Chrome and Dreamer are some of the best out there, IMO.
 
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