Question:
I'll be sitting for my respiratory therapist licenses coming up in May (Actually in April, but they're not really "active" until post-graduation on 5/12. In honor of the occasion, I'm looking into getting myself a Creed and/or other niche to add to my collection.
So I'm going to start sampling, but I'm not exactly keen on trying to hunt down and order -every- available Creed sample, much less every random niche frag out there... So, was hoping some of the experts could help me narrow it down to 5-6 to sample based on my wardrobe/preferences.
I currently have a vial of Erolfa en route, so 1 is covered.
My attraction to the dark, woody, masculine scents has Bois du Portugal standing pretty strongly as another option.
Not really that interested in GIT -- It seems to be the 'Most Common' Creed. Between that and the Cool Water associations, I'm not -really- that intrigued at the moment.
My thoughts on my wardrobe and samples I've tried:
Quorum: Still love it. The Quorum drydown can have me huffing deep snorts of my wrist in public, still.
Guerlain Vetiver: Swiftly becoming my favorite, and it's what I wear most often. Poor Quorum will have to get used to being pushed down the list. That afternoon refresher spritz, giving a fresh re-waft of citrus -- It's hard for me to understand how some people hate this. (Not impossible, though. I can't stomach Kouros, and I know people adore it.)
D&G PH: I like this, though it's fairly common. I don't wear it that often, really -- Occasionally when I do manage to force myself out of the house between class and clinicals to socialize. My girlfriend -loves- it, so it's got that going for it.
Trussardi Uomo: I like the scent, but rarely find occasion to wear it. It seems rather formal, for one, and I'm still sort of on the fence about the floral notes.
Michael Kors: I keep sampling this, and it's -really- growing on me. Spices, booze, tobacco. Rich, alluring scent to my nose.
L'Eau D'Issey: Not quite sold. It's a nice enough scent, with perma-longevity on my skin, but doesn't really strike me as unique from others I've sampled -aside- from that longevity.
Appreciate the time 'n assistance.

Answer:
Dark and woody, you say?
Here are a few you might like to try:
Rebellius (Ayala Moriel)
Palais Jamais (Etro)
Piper Nigrum (Lorenzo Villoresi)
Aoud Cuir Arabie (Montale)
Parfum d'Habit (Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier)
Cuir Ottoman (Parfum d'Empire)
Royal English Leather (Creed)
Oh, and of course Santal Noble (Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier)
Have a look at the reviews for some insight into all of these.

Answer:
Silver Mountain Water & Neroli Sauvage are pretty outstanding. Worth a test IMO. Good luck.

Answer:
Too much Quorum or Piper Nigrum and we'll all be in need of your professional services Ditto my favorite sinus rocket, Jacomo de Jacomo.
So, you like dark, woodsy masculine scents?
Check out the " Alpha Male Fragrances? " thread on this page; go to the 'Reviews' section and see which ones fall in the 'dark woods' category.
I'll only add "Salvador" by Salvador Dali to that list.
(Not to be confused with "Salvador Dali" by Salvador Dali which is--beyond darkness)
"Salvador" is not niche, but it is discontinued, though well worth the search.
Guerlian is my favorite all round vetiver, as well. However for evenings or rainy days you might give a whiff to Creed's Original Vetiver or L'Occitane, respectively.
Cheers,
(and congratulations)
Mario.

Answer:
Creed's Vintage Tabarome is out-of-this-world great and so is Frederick Malle's Musc Ravageur.

Answer:
Querelle by Parfumerie Generale
the scent I wish my boyfriend was wearing right now!
http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/detai...34513&section=
woody and dark yet warm fragrance contains a brillant heart of black cumin from Iran, myrrh and cinnamon, vetiver from Haiti, incense, oakmoss and deep ambergris
Inspired by Jean Genet’s brutal and erotic tale of hidden desires and violence, Querelle is a scent of supreme elegance and forceful sensuality. The top notes of citruses, black caraway and cinnamon are darkly-spicy and earthy. The heart of the scent is a brooding, passionate blend of myrrh and incense. The note of vetiver, which runs like a green-earthy, raw leitmotif throughout the composition, becomes most prominent in the base, where, combined with incense, oakmoss and ambergris, it smells dark and beautiful, and a little wicked, like a malevolent root dug up in an enchanted forest. Strange, refined and incredibly compelling, Querelle is unlike any other scent we have ever encountered, and might just be the most interesting Parfumerie Generale creation to date.

Private Collection: Querelle notes
citrus, Iranian black caraway, myrrh, cinnamon, Haitian vetiver, incense, oakmoss, ambergris

Answer:
Others might disagree, but I would say that Creed is not the best place to look for dark, woodsy scents. Some of the recommendations so far have been pretty good though. Hmmm... I'm going to go ahead and point you in the direction of Comme de Garcons Incense Series Kyoto. Dark, manly, woodsy, fantastic. Something like CDG 2 Man or Gucci PH could also work. It all depends on how woody you really want to go here. If money is no obstacle, then I would also look at Vetiver Extraordinaire by FM. Fantastic vetiver scent that is rugged and manly and has a somewhat woody air about it.
Bois De Portugal and the like are worth trying, but given that you mentioned formality as a hinderance in one of your descriptions it could end up being a problem here. Guerlain Heritage is another one that could work for you, but that too is a bit on the formal side.
I would recommend that you assume all houses are equal and not put Creed on a pedestal. As far as I'm concerned there is no reason to do so. Sample a wide variety of houses and styles and see where your nose takes you.

Answer:
Bois du Portugal is heartily recommended.
Gucci Pour Homme also.
If you are liking Michael Kors for Men, go for it. It's a fine fragrance
and unashamedly masculine.

Answer:
i too love my michael kors, have a look at Frederick Malle's Musc Ravageur, this is really tops! you can get a sample from the malle website.
For creed, have a look at silver mountain water, not really dark and dusky , but it does have some darker notes lurking in there! a real lady killer!
Another favorite from creed of mine that gets rarely mentioned is Ambre Canelle, this is a real strange spicy scent that lasts for hours. Reminds me of egypt!

Answer:
Thanks for the ideas so far! Going to have to take a night for some extended searching and researching.
Re: Darker woods. It's more of a recurring theme and a passing mention than an exclusive focus at this point. That said, my nose finds G.Vetiver to be fairly fresh 'n crisp for the majority of the wearing, so I think I -do- have that sort of olfactory bent.
Re: Kors. I need to just suck it up and grab a bottle. I spotted it yesterday at Albertson's for $23 for a 2.5oz.