What Frag Did You Last Wear That Someone Gave A Thumbs Down?

This question is to all the gents who ever put on a fragrance to only got shot down by the SWMBO, friend, co-worker, acquaintance, or family member. I recently bought some Paul Sebastian from a Marshall's ( I was curious about it) and applied some on which got a double thumbs down from my SWMBO. She told me I smelled like a senior citizen at a bingo hall .

My wife is not wild about a lot of what I wear. For instance, at times she has smelled Pen's Douro on me and hated it, and thought it was way too strong.

On the other hand, she does like some things I think of as difficult scents that many folks might not like because of fecal type notes (i.e., MdM) or fairly sophisticated notes (her main scent is IA L’Orchidée Terrible, the original pressing).

Creed Bois du Portugal. My wife found it too sweet on me, but liked it on someone else. I like BdP, but I tend not to wear scents she doesn't like so I reluctantly sold the bottle.

Imaginary Authors The Cobra and The Canary initially got a thumbs down from the wife, then as the day wore on, she kept smelling me and liked it. She was confused as to whether she loved it or hated it. First time that has ever happened.

Chanel pour Monsieur. My significant other thought I smelled "like an old man" when wearing it.

I personally like this frag a lot though.

The ONLY person that's ever given me negative feedback is my lovely bride. I've discussed her likes and dislikes of my fragrances at length. I've determined that she hates the open of most of my frags, but if she smells it later in the day, it will get the nod of approval. A few that she's hated; Aventus, Guerlain Vetiver, Guerlain Heritage, Chanel Egoiste. This list could go on and on, lol. It does sometimes bum me out that she dislikes sooooo many of the great fragrances that I love. Here's something that will make you laugh, she likes when I wear Animale Animale

sharpen said:

Chanel pour Monsieur. My significant other thought I smelled "like an old man" when wearing it.

I personally like this frag a lot though.

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It's the dry down. This fragrance breaks my heart because the opening is so beautiful and elegant. Then...BAM!

I've realized that many 50s-70s fragrance are sometimes labelled as "old man" because they all have that hint of 60s men's soap. Vintage Eau d'Hermes, vintage Eau Sauvage, Chanel PM, and even vintage Vetiver by Guerlain.

Vetiver is now streamlined. I own both the vintage EdC and the new EdT and I prefer the new EdT by a wide margin. This could be due to the juice aging (vetiver doesn't age well), but the dry down of the vintage is definitely more "1960s" men's soap. It's not a bad thing, but the associations are there nonetheless.

Fragrances from the turn of the century through to the 1940s are actually far enough removed from our collective memory.

It is indeed the drydown of Chanel PM than smells like "old man". I have to say me and HWMBO are in our mid twenties, so it may be that this fragrance just isn't our age yet.

You remind my of my last effort to find a new fragrance. I took SWMBO with me because my last acquisitions were not exactly well received (Alpa Chypre and Alpa Fougere).
We went to some stores with a good collection and I had the following fragrances vetoed:
- Geo F. Trumper Eucris
- GFT Spanish Leather
- Penhaligons English Fern
- Musgo Real Classic
- Alt Innsbruck
- Acqua di Parma
- Creed Aventus
- Creed Green Irish Tweed
- Creed Tabarome
- Hermes Orange Verte
- Bay rum (with the special mention that I am never EVER to buy anything bay rum scented)
- l'Occitane Eau des Baux
- Knize Ten (though she came around a bit on this one upon dry down)
It was a very sad day. Though I must admit not all of these lived up to my own expectations, Eucris for example is a horrid concoction!
The only thing she liked was l'Occitan, but by that time my nose was so desensitized that I couldn't make a decision whether to buy or not.

Awesome responses! Many of my frags that I immediately put on May get a thumbs down initially by the SWMBO but after the dry down, she tells me they smell OK (Habit Rouge, Guerlain Velviter).

I got a scowl, frown and TWO thumbs down from my wife after pulling out my bottle of Diptique Tam Dao. She was mystified after I told her SHE bought it for me for our anniversary two-years ago...

My secret is that when I shop for frags, I take her with me and let her be part of the process. She's not that fussy anyway but I kinda like having her opinion on the matter....works for me!

I'm on the other end of the Aqua scent spectrum, I like my fragrances deep woody with some spice and even a fern. My other half loves most of my fougere - she says it suits my dark olive complexion. So thumbs up to the likes of Azzaro, Tabac, Paco Rabanne (only the vintage not the modern&#8230 on me, oddly though I thought she'd like Eucris but she said it just didn't suit me…and the second sniff turned into a big thumbs down. I don't quite get it myself, but she is never wrong, and I mean NEVER! Bottom-line: will not be buying any GFT Eucris again. I love the subtlety of scents…even those that aren't so subtle

Crag said:

I got a scowl, frown and TWO thumbs down from my wife after pulling out my bottle of Diptique Tam Dao. She was mystified after I told her SHE bought it for me for our anniversary two-years ago...

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You probably looked different to her back then

Here is an interesting one. Used some Speick EDT today. Wife says I smell like a lemony cabbage. She likes the Veg on me too.

Wife hates Tuscan Leather. Says it should smell more manly...

its my my favorite ever and the most manly cologne I've ever smelled.

August West said:

Here is an interesting one. Used some Speick EDT today. Wife says I smell like a lemony cabbage. She likes the Veg on me too.

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Lemony cabbage? Now there's a classic mix!

August West said:

Here is an interesting one. Used some Speick EDT today. Wife says I smell like a lemony cabbage. She likes the Veg on me too.

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mmmmmmm....cabbage

Grey Flannel. Absolutely love it when it turns rainy and cold outside. Wife absolutely abhors it's scent. I wear it to bed sometimes just to jack with her...

Illadelphia said:

Wife hates Tuscan Leather. Says it should smell more manly...

its my my favorite ever and the most manly cologne I've ever smelled.

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Women certainly are funny creatures...My wife loves Tuscan Leather on me. She says it smells "manly...and dangerous". I have read some reviews by guys who say that Tuscan Leather gets too sweet on their skin. I can tell you that does not happen when I wear it.

Grey Flannel (blind buy)...no offense to those who wear it. Both me & my wife though it smelled like moth balls.