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QCS Monaco = RR XXX?

I traded for some QCS SC samples from beeranon (thanks again), and obviously opened them up right away to get a whiff of all of them. I noticed that Monaco has a very familiar scent. It took me a couple more sniffs, but then it hit me... XXX. Dead ringers IMO. Judging by the scent descriptions, I wouldn't have guessed that. Then today I was reading the blind cream test thread and noticed that the tester thought XXX was a sandalwood scent, and that is one of the scents in the description for Monaco. I wouldn't have guessed sandalwood when smelling either of these, but there you have it.

Anyone else picked up on that with these two?

Anyway, I used the Monaco today. Very solid. Face lathered using just the amount of cream stuck to the lid, and had enough for almost 3 passes (third pass was thin, but very slick). I wasn't originally planning on going for BBS with that third pass, but the shave had gone so well up to that point that I decided to push my luck. Great shave.
 
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I no longer have my Esquire sample, but I didn't think it smelled anything like XXX. From XXX, all I get is a lot of Bergamot. Esquire seemed more complex.
 
Oops... I checked just now and I mixed up the names. I meant Monaco. That's the one that's very XXXesque.
 
The thread is a little confusing because in the title he says "Esquire" but in the body he says "Monaco." He goes on to clarify that it is, indeed, the Monaco that he thinks smells like XXX, which, in turn, apparently smells like Aqua di Parma.

I've smelled neither XXX nor ADP, so I can't opine.


Monaco smells kinda like pickles to me.
 
The thread is a little confusing because in the title he says "Esquire" but in the body he says "Monaco." He goes on to clarify that it is, indeed, the Monaco that he thinks smells like XXX, which, in turn, apparently smells like Aqua di Parma.

I've smelled neither XXX nor ADP, so I can't opine.


Monaco smells kinda like pickles to me.
Yeah, I'm not very smart so I couldn't figure out how to edit the actual thread title instead of just the post title. :lol:
 
Yeah, I was looking at the scents for Esquire yesterday when it was Monaco that I should have been looking at.

Well, Matthew is the man what makes the Monaco, so he would know... :laugh:

jpipes3, I'd love to ride to the rescue on this one, but the Monaco sample you have is the only one I had, so I've got nothing to smell for a comparison. I went to my Evernote database for creams and for Monaco it reads: "Can't describe it well, but I really like the scent, especially after lathering. Not sure how I'm going to narrow QCS down to two or three scents."

I think it must be the citrus notes that are linking the two. That has always been the first scent I get from XXX.
 
Thanks, I've been looking to buy from QCS and was specifically looking at the Monaco. Sounds like it creates lather quite well. The only thing I'd like to know before I buy it myself, do you like how it smells? Is it a good scent?
 
Monaco (like many of the QCS scents) smells and performs great. Monaco is one of the better ones in my opinion. Great stuff.
 
Man my nose must be way off. I get bubble gum from Monaco, the LOTH gets citrus though.

Bubble gum? Really?

am I the only one who gets PICKLES from this scent? It's not exactly like a pickle, obviously, but there's something of a pickle note in it, to my nose. Maybe I'm crazy.
 
I think we all appear a little crazy to others when it comes to scents. Look at this thread... same soap, one guy says bubble gum and one guy says pickles. Haha.
 
Bubble gum? Really?

am I the only one who gets PICKLES from this scent? It's not exactly like a pickle, obviously, but there's something of a pickle note in it, to my nose. Maybe I'm crazy.

If Monaco is anything like XXX, I could understand it. Pickles have that tartness in front with the underlying spices. XXX is the same way, the tartness is just citric instead of vinegar. I could see getting confused on it, especially if I'd been eating pickles shortly before my first whiff.
 
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