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Oscar for men,the first spray of this made me rush to the shower. Although I hardley wear it I would still list it as one of my favourites, totally unique and the longest lasting fragrance I`ve ever come across.

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Salvador Dali PH. At first spritz I was running for the sink. Now I've come to terms with its funky qualities. Very masculine stuff.

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Body Kouros remains (as earlier posted) my number one "U-turn" fragrance; however, Terre d'Hermès comes in at a close number two, no doubt. I now wear it at least once a week; however, the first decant I received came very close to going on a swap list pronto. (Am glad now that I gave TdH a second chance!)

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Two recent 180s (pardon the long post, but I thought it might be fun to get this older thread moving again)-
Ambre Sultan:
Well I think I’ve finally gotten my big, fat head around Ambre Sultan. It’s only taken lord-knows-how-many samplings! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always detested the opening and probably always will. It contains a harsh, piercing, sour note that disturbs me every time. While I’ve long loved the late stages of the drydown, the persistence of that sour note well into the development has been an obstacle.
Now, on my most recent sampling, I’ve had an epiphany: that sour note (whatever it is,) persists, albeit quietly, right on through the drydown. Its presence cuts the sweetness of the amber, just like a bit of vinegar, and I've become convinced this is what makes Ambre Sultan’s drydown so remarkable compared to other ambers that I’ve worn. I need to wait out the first couple of hours, but now I’m ready to, because I know why they are as they are. The end reward is great.
Black Aoud:
I came to appreciate Montale’s Black Aoud by way of Mure et Musc. And no, I haven’t lost my mind. (At least not yet.) Here’s how...
Re-sampling Mure et Musc for a review reminded me how perfect it is as an exercise in minimalism. (Funny it should have come out just as the music of Phillip Glass, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich was entering the broader public consciousness.) Of course Black Aoud has absolutely nothing in common with Mure et Musc, except that it, too, is a minimalist composition. Sure, there’s patchouli and a hint of leather in there, but basically this is a one accord scent: oud + rose. If I accept that, then I have to admit that this one accord is very nicely balanced.
I used to grudge this scent its apparent linearity, but looked at in another way, this may actually be a virtue. After all, why not maintain a lovely accord in prefect balance for as long as possible? By finally wearing Black Aoud overnight I also learned that it does develop – or perhaps evolve is the better word, since it works on a geological time scale. Nearly 24 hours after application, it’s still there as a softly musky skin scent with a halo of the mystical oud still shimmering about it.
The moral? Keep sampling. And sampling, and sampling…;-D

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Terre D'Hermes
Kiton Men (in that didn't think it was anything that special, and now I love it)

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Dzing! by L'Artisan. Couldn't understand why people liked it, then I had the urge to try it again, even after hating it. Now it's one of my favorites. Gucci Envy took a second wearing before I started loving it. First time I thought it smelled distinctly like Chanel pour Monsieur Concentree, now I see almost no resemblance, and I love them both! Which brings up CPMC, I HATED this fragrance soooo much, but now it's a favorite.
- Rich

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For me it was Givenchy Gentleman. I initially could not get past the Civet note. I expect that it was in large part because of over application. Once I learned to apply properly I really started to like it. Now it is one of my most used and loved fragrances.

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JPG Le Male - started out liking it now just the thought of it makes me a bit queasy. Girlfriend says if I ever dare wear it to her house again I'd best be prepared to grab a garden hose and some steel wool to remove my epidermis prior to coming inside.
YSL Rive Gauche - hated it at first, girlfriend sniffed a sample of it and looked like she had just swallowed an insect. Wore it again and still hated it. Wore it again and all of the sudden - WOW! I love this stuff! Girlfriend loves it now too and says "Are you SURE this is that one I hated???"
Michael Kors - Loved it at first but now makes me feel a bit ill.
L'Artisan - Passage d'Enfer - I went from "How could a man actually wear this??" to "How did I ever do without this??"

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Mine would have to be Dior Homme. First time I smelled it, I thought, "Homme?! Really?" It smelled nice, but not for me. However, I couldn't stop smelling my wrist. It definitely had a deep, inside the skin feeling to it. About two months later I just had to admit that I really liked it, bought it, and now totally love it. It reminds me of those French candies, white with an anise seed in the middle, with a slight flavour of violet. Doesn't sound like the most masculine thing in the world, but for some reason it just works. Complete 180.

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M7 for sure. There was this huge hype around this, and I tested it one time in a rush, didn't like it obviously. After that first experience I had negative presuppositions about it, and while tested it one or two times more, I never really gave it a chance to show it's worth, that berry-like kind of synthetic sweetness kind of annoyed me first time, so i though I'd never grow to like it. I swapped a bottle of this maybe two months ago, and love it now.