Fragrance Newbie Seeking Suggestions

[Nick Danger]

I'm a 49 year old man who is finally discovering the wonderful world of fragrance. I began with sport scents but am trying to expand my horizons. I'll try to give you an idea of what I've sampled, what I like and what I don't:

Current favorite: Terre d'Hermès Parfum - love the smell, and it's terrific on me.

I also own D.R. Harris Windsor EdT. I know many people say they smell alike, but I detect much more pepper in the Windsor and none of the citrus of TdH. Sadly, Windsor does not last long or project very well. It lasts a few hours at best, and is very close to the skin on me.

The only sport scent I still wear is Channel Allure Homme Sport. It's nothing exciting, but smells nice on me.

Things that didn't work for me:

1. Cartier Roadster Sport - too much Patchouli. I really don't like Patchouli.
2. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver - starts out ok, but after the top notes are gone I notice too much sage (don't like sage either)
3. Dior Eau Sauvage Parfum - just nasty on me.
4. Chanel Égoïste - this was a scrubber. Did not smell good on me at all.

I am waiting on the delivery of a sample of Encre Noir. Very curious about that one.

It's hard to really know what notes I like and work best on me, but I seem to be leaning toward vetiver, pepper, woods and citrus. I don't have a problem with floral scents, as long as they work better on me than Chanel Égoïste. Beyond just Patchouli and sage, I'm unsure about fragrances with a heavy vanilla note or too much cinnamon, clove or nutmeg. I really hate Bay Rum scents.

I'd like to find fragrances that last more than a couple of hours. I don't care that much about sillage, and they don't necessarily have to project like crazy. I don't need to leave a trail of scent behind me.

Does this offer enough starting points to suggest a few new fragrances for me to sample?

Nick

[BillC]

I'm a big fan of Egoiste and Eau Sauvage, like Grey Vetver and haven't tried Roadster. So our noses may not be calibrated the same.

My real advice is to go to the vendor section and find Archerfire's latest thread. He's running a sale - buy a bunch of small decants and build up your experience across the samples. To me, sampling and comparing how I experience the scents against online reviews and conversations is fun and the only way for me to uncover what I like.

FWIW, some specific suggestions:

Vetiver: Guerlain Vetiver - the baseline Vetiver for a lot of us. I tried a bunch of Vetivers and keep coming back here; ELDO Fat Electrician - Vetiver set against vanilla. I didn't expect to like it but I do, different thN other vetivers

Pepper: L'Occitane eau de L'Occitan - black pepper, lavender and burnt wood; Pen's Opus 1870 - pepper, cedar and rose

Woods: Diptyque Tam Dao - Sandalwood and cedar. Nice 'pure' wood, my only complaint is that it's loaded with Iso E Super as is TdH and Encre Noir and they smell very similar to me in the drydown; Dior Leather Oud: smoldering oud and leather, magical

Citrus: I'm not a big citrus fan because I like scents with legs and citrus doesnt last well but a couple I like: Pen's Castile - soapy, clean orange; MFK APOM - orange, amber and cedar, sublimely blended

[Dennard]

I agree with BillC's suggestion of a sample of Guerlain Vetiver. It's my favourite vetiver.

[Lamb Root]

Current favorite: Terre d'Hermès Parfum - love the smell, and it's terrific on me.

Many here say that TdH is simmilar to Red Vetiver by Montale. I like Red Vetiver.
And I like TdH.

The only sport scent I still wear is Channel Allure Homme Sport. It's nothing exciting, but smells nice on me.

That's a good one but please do try Anatheus if you like well done vetiver (from a Chanel).

It's hard to really know what notes I like and work best on me, but I seem to be leaning toward vetiver, pepper, woods and citrus.

vetiver + pepper + citrus = Santa Maria Novella Eva (that's 3 out of 4)
Don't be fooled by the name. This is a light sporty vetiver for a guy. Longevity isn't very good but it isn't bad either.

[skleice]

+1 to ordering through Archerfire. It's the best and cheapest way to try a bunch of scents. You can look up reviews and info on basenotes and see if it sounds like something you'd be into.

[Nick Danger]

I'm a big fan of Egoiste and Eau Sauvage, like Grey Vetver and haven't tried Roadster. So our noses may not be calibrated the same.

It may be that our skin is more different than our noses. I liked both Egoiste and Eau Sauvage when I smelled them sprayed on paper in the store. Then I got samples, and they smelled awful on me.

Many here say that TdH is simmilar to Red Vetiver by Montale. I like Red Vetiver.
And I like TdH.

That's a good one but please do try Anatheus if you like well done vetiver (from a Chanel).

vetiver + pepper + citrus = Santa Maria Novella Eva (that's 3 out of 4)
Don't be fooled by the name. This is a light sporty vetiver for a guy. Longevity isn't very good but it isn't bad either.

I've already got a decant order in with Archerfire that should arrive in the next day or two. Along with Encre Noir, I also ordered a decant of Red Vetiver. Definitely interested to smell both of them, since neither are available at Sephora (my usual source for samples.)

Santa Maria Novella Eva sounds intriguing. Not sure where to get a sample of that one, but I'll check online.

I agree with BillC's suggestion of a sample of Guerlain Vetiver. It's my favourite vetiver.

Guerlain Vetiver is on my to-test list. Garry's Sample Shop had it the last time I looked.

How about Chanel Sycomore? Someone on Basenotes suggested I try that one. I know it's listed as a feminine fragrance, but I've noticed that a lot of guys here and on Basenotes seem to like it.

Nick

[toaf]

i wanted to love grey vetiver but just couldnt do it.
glad i didnt blind buy that

[BillC]

Chanel Sycamore is very similar to Encre Noir. I find Sycamore a little lighter, more refined - but there's no denying the similarities. Question is always, "is Sycamore worth twice the cost of Encre Noir?" I have decants of both and prefer the Chanel.

With regards to it being a 'feminine' fragrance: I'm not a gender warrior like some of the folks on basenotes. I understand what people (at least people from the US, with similar cultural heritage) mean by 'feminine.' And I'm a big, southern guy - girly scents dont 'fit' me well. All that said, I own, wear and like Sycamore no matter how Chanel labels it. ;-)

[Matt555]

It's hard to really know what notes I like and work best on me...

You and me both!

[Nick Danger]

Chanel Sycamore is very similar to Encre Noir. I find Sycamore a little lighter, more refined - but there's no denying the similarities. Question is always, "is Sycamore worth twice the cost of Encre Noir?" I have decants of both and prefer the Chanel.

Thanks for the comments! Sounds like I should wait for my Encre Noir decant to arrive, and then wander over to the Chanel store on Michigan Avenue (just a few blocks from where I live) to give Sycomore a sniff. How is the longevity of the Chanel for you? I've heard the Encre Noir is really long-lasting.

Nick

[Nick Danger]

i wanted to love grey vetiver but just couldnt do it.

It certainly started off nicely. I loved the top note. But later - phew! It turned foul on me. The spice seemed to overpower the vetiver.

Nick

[tehtimmeh]

I'm liking the Guerlain Vet and Sycomore recommendations. Two of the absolute best vetivers out there. Both very well blended yet extremely different from each other.

Sycomore has some similarity to EN, with the exception the they turned the ISO E Super down about 100 notches. It's not nearly as synthetic, but still dark and smokey.

For something greener look to Malle's Extraordinaire. It has a great citrus in the top notes.

[erickson]

It's hard to really know what notes I like and work best on me, but I seem to be leaning toward vetiver, pepper, woods and citrus. I don't have a problem with floral scents, as long as they work better on me than Chanel Égoïste. Beyond just Patchouli and sage, I'm unsure about fragrances with a heavy vanilla note or too much cinnamon, clove or nutmeg. I really hate Bay Rum scents.

Eastwest Bottlers Moonshine - (sample)
Borsari Acqua Classica EDT - (sample)
Yardley Citrus & Woods - (sample)

[Talltexan]

Nick,

I just tried polo (green bottle) for the first time and I love it! Also checkout:

D&G The One
Brooks Brothers Classic
Brooks Brothers New York Gentleman ( My favorite)
Hani Mori

i have all these fragrances check them out at your favorite store. The brooks brothers you'd have to try at their store though.

Let me know if you have any recommendations or find one you love I should try! I'm 32 by the way. Rock on!