Question:
Originally Posted by tajoh111 Yeah that is alot of black, but would you say all those scents have a darkness to them, or rather they have black in the name to sound cool. Most of the 'black' scents are darker versions of the non-black scents...if that makes sense...And this is a little confusing because some of the originals are not 'light' scents, so the 'black' versions are not only just more suited for nighttime since the original might be suited for nighttime already...
However there is a portion of these, that just are using the 'black' term as a marketing ploy (yes, Polo Double Black...I'm talking to you)
p.s. - I love Paco Rabanne XS Black...but really it should be named Paco Rabanne XS Strawberry

Answer:
Yeah, the latest thing is to append the word "Black" to any existing scent.
I wouldn't be too worried about what the trends are if I were you,
but there's nothing wrong with wearing the latest popular scent, if
that's what you want. Black Code, Polo Double Black, these are some I hear
good things about.
I still think the best advice is to sample a _LOT_ of fragrances and
then just buy the few that you love tremendously. That advice may have
kept my wardrobe a lot smaller and my wallet a bit fatter.
Nonetheless, enjoy the fragrance journey, and welcome to Basenotes.
trumpet_guy

Answer:
Thanks. Honestly I might slow down a big, I have purchased 20 fragrances in the last 3 months. For the type of person I am, thats crazy. Especially since I don't plan on selling or decant anything I have.
Well we can definitely agree on 1 thing, atleast they come in black bottles.

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at least the black bottles are useful at somewhat sheilding the juice from sunlight

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The current "trend" (but that's moving very very slowly) is "abstract florals" -as i like to call them!.
oh and Welcome!

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Very true about black. However black also absorbs all wavelengths of light, so I wonder how much this would effects the contents inside.(e.g black absorbs all colours and hence a black car will get warmer, while a white reflects all colours which is why they remain cooler in sunny conditions)

Answer:
Originally Posted by castorpollux The current "trend" (but that's moving very very slowly) is "abstract florals" -as i like to call them!.
oh and Welcome! I agree, Dior Homme is certainly an abstract riff on the Iris note and its popularity surprises me. Who knew that men would respond so well to a fragrance that is similiar to women's make-up?

Answer:
I'd forget about any trends and wear what makes you feel happy
When all around you people seem to be drowning in Hugo Boss and Acqua di Gio, wear something that'll make you stand out and get people interested.

Answer:
Originally Posted by trumpet_guy
I still think the best advice is to sample a _LOT_ of fragrances and
then just buy the few that you love tremendously. That advice may have
kept my wardrobe a lot smaller and my wallet a bit fatter.
trumpet_guy Trumpet_guy's hit the nail on the head. I enjoy sampling, but given my "champagne taste," I've got to be utterly sold on a scent before I spend money on a bottle. I'm not likely to keep more than (a paltry by BN standards) twenty bottles at a time, but they're all 4-5 star scents for me.
Oh, and ditto Biffo_The-Bear: wear only what you like, not what's trendy!

Answer:
Originally Posted by Ruggles IMHO, if the popularity of Terre d'Hermès and Dior Homme are any indicators, the trend is towards sweet, but not gourmand, masculines. At the same time, it also seems to be a very anti-vanilla moment. Popularity here or popularity in general?
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Oh and Taj, you mentioned Fahrenheit. Can't go wrong there. Not exactly current and trendy anymore, but an excellent selection nonetheless.
Lets see. Spicy.
-Opium
-Yes, Fahrenheit
-Gucci PH
-Azzaro Visit (aviod if you don't like nutmeg)
-Terre d'Hermes (definitely has a peppery note even though its an earthy citrus overall)
- L'Air du Desert Marocain...expensive but you should at least order a sample if you like spice.
-Diptyque Eau Lente (again, expensive. sample)
Take this list as a stepping stone, not as stopping point. As others have said, sample EVERYTHING you can.