Question:
A new member (deck89) had a smashingly good idea to ask everyone else here to rate his fragrance collection. They say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," so I am going to FLATTER deck89!
Here's what I currently own and have used:
1. Thierry Mugler, ANGEL FOR MEN/A*MEN
I like this one. It's strong, and the chocolate note (although not something that I personally would want to be ubiquitous) is unique and pleasing to my nose. Has anyone thought of layering this with another "gourmand" to create something different? I'm wondering how the chocolate in this one would go with the vanilla in something like Givenchy's PI (for example), to create a "chocolate-and-vanilla" kind of scent (maybe just apply some vanilla extract). I also like the hair and body wash for this!
2. Aramis, ARAMIS
I like this one, too. Good strength, but not at all sweet. I consider this the most "masculine" fragrance that I've used. I am glad that the patchouli isn't so prominent, as I am getting tired of that, and that the bergamot does not give a lemony, furniture polish-like odor. I resent the suggestion that this is "an old man's scent:" if we are to give any credence to the dictum that "what's best for you is what you like and what smells good on you," then there are no "old" or "young" scents. Not exactly "an extension of my personality," but something that I rather enjoy smelling and wearing.
3. Lanvin, ARPÈGE FOR MEN
It's okay, but a bit of a disappointment. Kind of sweet and floral, but the note of pepper helps make it more suitable for a man. Could be classified as "unisex" in my opinion. Any relation to the classic scent for women is purely coincidental, and where's the famous "ping" in this one? Pretty short on duration. The bottle is cool in a retro, art deco sort of way, but it's also one of the most awkward and difficult bottles to hold in one's hand! I expected to like this one a lot more!
4. Burberry, BRIT
Very nice! I like the hint of rose, which is well-done and kept under control. The problem with rose, aside from the fact that it's difficult to integrate into a masculine fragrance, is that it too often smells cheap and synthetic (probably because too many perfumers take the cheap way out and use phenylethyl alcohol rather than genuine rose extract). Definitely on the sweet side: it doesn't actually cause nausea for me, but I wouldn't want to smell it straight when I was nauseated! Conjures up a sleigh ride in winter, and stopping to pick up a bouquet of deep red roses that one finds laying in the snow . . . and all of the scents that one associates with the holiday at that time of year!
5. Cofinluxe, HOMME DE CAFÉ
This is a real oddity that not a lot of people seem to know about. I guess that that's a good thing, in the sense that I don't have to worry about all the guys wearing the same scent that I have on when I'm wearing it! It's pretty strong, and can be a bit overpowering. There's something in it that smells like mustard to me; now THAT's a different note! Good when you're going "out to the ball game" and ordering a few hotdogs, I suppose! I liked it first, but now I'm less impressed. It is very inexpensive, however.
6. Caron, POUR UN HOMME
Ick! I don't care for this one. I don't smell a lot of vanilla, but if that's lavender, well . . . I thought that lavender smelled better than that! Not sure what it smells like, but it's not something that I'd recommend to a friend (or even to an enemy, probably). Don't know what else to make of it.
7. Cuba, CUBA GOLD
Not really. Too sweet for my nose, and in my opinion tobacco does NOT belong in a fragrance (even for men). Made me feel somewhat queasy the first time that I wore it, but since then I've become a bit more acclimated to it, so to speak. I have gotten a compliment while wearing it, but there is so much that I prefer!
8. Calvin Klein, ETERNITY FOR MEN
It's a decent "green" scent, good for summer, but not my favorite in that category. I like it, but I've had some trouble with longevity. I need to try the "summer" version of this sometime.
9. Guerlain, HABIT ROUGE
I'm conflicted on this one. It's what I'm wearing right now. I basically like it, but I have to search to get beneath the prominent "lemony" notes and detect the other scents. Most people think that the vanilla is the most prominent note in this, but not for/on me. It's lemon. At least it doesn't smell so much like furniture polish as some other lemony fragrances do. I do rate it in my top half, though, and the fact that it's pretty much unheard-of in my area is a plus (people do not recognize it immediately).
10. Fred Hayman, HOLLYWOOD
I like it! It's a nice "marine" sort of scent that I cannot imagine would offend anyone. Problem, as with all of the "marines" that I know about, is with longevity. Not too sweet, not too spicy, just a pleasant fragrance; best for the summer. Really neat (albeit somewhat cheesy) bottle, too.
11. Calvin Klein, OBSESSION FOR MEN
This is probably my second-favorite fragrance right now, right after Opium pour Homme. Very rich and evocative scent to my mind, and longevity is usually great. I find that I have a preference for frags in the "oriental" family. Too bad that it doesn't work very well in the summer! I like the body wash and aftershave balm a lot, too!
12. Yves Saint Laurent, OPIUM POUR HOMME
My No. 1 and "signature" fragrance, at least at this time! I love everything about it: the exotic smell, the potency (very strong!), and great longevity. It is spicy and sweet, and projects exactly the sort of worldy image that I want to project. No other men in my area that I know of wear it, so it's considered unique here. A friend of mine sampled it and really liked it too, so I bought him a bottle for Christmas!
13. Paco Rabanne, PACO RABANNE POUR HOMME
Another one of my favorites. This fragrance and I "go way back." I smelled it years ago, and remembered loving it. I am so happy that it's still in production! My favorite among the "green" scents; the odor is so pleasant and evocative of sunny days in Provence drinking fine wine and eating cheese, with the breeze blowing through the olive trees and a scent of rosemary, sage and perhaps a bit of garlic in the air . . . this is a Monet painting of a fragrance to me!
14. Elizabeth Taylor, PASSION FOR MEN
Pretty good, for something so mass-marketed, but I'm not sure why it's marketed to men because it smells like a women's fragrance or something that a woman could wear easily. The jasmine in this one is what I notice and like. Actually, what it reminds me of is bath oil beads that my mother used to use! Really good longevity, too.
15. ROYAL SECRET FOR MEN
Good, but also disappointing. Not much like the classic women's version (which my mother wore, and I love). Very sweet, and pretty undistinguished. Discontinued.
16. Guerlain, SHALIMAR
This is the only "women's" fragrance that I wear on a regular basis. Soft, not loud or overly floral. This one's another reason why I like orientals. Vanilla seems to go well with flowers in this one.
17. Liz Claiborne, SPARK FOR MEN
I like it, but not the kind of thing that a person should wear to a meeting of AA, if you know what I mean! Spicy, rich and quite out-of-the-ordinary. I like to wear it around the holidays; for winter mostly. Spark and its brother Spark Seduction are very affordably priced but don't scream "cheap, dimestore fragrance."
18. Liz Claiborne, SPARK SEDUCTION FOR MEN
Another keeper. Actually a gift from a friend, and I got a compliment the first time that I wore it. Lighter, more citrusy (like grapefruit) rather than "boozy" like Spark. More for summer wear, in my opinion.
I do make a lot of blind buys, based on what I read here at Basenotes. I generally find something to like about most scents; there are relatively few that I out-and-out dislike. My love of Opium pour Homme has led me to purchase several other Yves Saint Laurent fragrances, too. Here's a sampling of what I own that I'm waiting for the right moment to try:
Yves Saint Laurent, KOUROS, M7, OPIUM POUR HOMME EAU D'ORIENT, and RIVE GAUCHE POUR HOMME
L'Artisan, VOLEUR DE ROSES (I can't wait to try it!)
Rochas, AQUAMAN and Davidoff, COOL WATER (saving those for summer wear)
DOLCE AND GABBANA POUR HOMME
Guy Laroche, DRAKKAR NOIR
French Connection, FCUK HIM
Hugo Boss, HUGO
JOOP!
Bob Mackie, MACKIE FOR MEN
Calvin Klein, OBSESSION NIGHT
Givenchy, PI
Chanel, POUR MONSIEUR
Realm, REALM
SALVADOR DALI FOR MEN
Avon, BLACK SUEDE
So . . . what does everyone think? What don't I own that I should, and perhaps, what do I own that I shouldn't? Any gaps, or suggestions?

Answer:
Hmm, if you like Opium, there's a good chance you'll like M7 as well. Seeing how you like YSL, I think that would be the safest blind buy you could make. Though, trying it would definitely be reccomended.
D&GPH might also be a safe blind simply because everyone enjoys it to some extent. But good luck and nice wardrobe!

Answer:
Well i'll go ahead and be the first to suggest L'Air du Desert Marocain if you like spicier scents. I think that it has a lot of the nice sophisticated, unique qualities of Opium, but it leaves out that crazy bourbon vanilla note that I find to be over the top.
You seem to like very complex scents with lots of note interplay. I'm not sure we'd be fragrance friends. I've been enjoying more simplistic creations lately (ie, frags that focus on only a few notes at once, or at least the notes are mostly related). It seems like the more notes are in something, the better the chance that something is going to go bad in my skin.
So you might look into that. When I started looking at fragrances that are more like studies on a one note theme, I started appreciating those notes within the more complex scents in my collection.
Oh and for another recommendation, try Caron The Third Man. It's currently my favorite "thick" scent. Also, Chanel Antaeus and Egoiste are very pleasant and would probably be right up your alley.

Answer:
Quite the eclectic wardrobe here. Shalimar and Aramis? Interesting. My suggestion is to sample and test as many as you possibly can. You never know what you might find. This has been my goal since I first started here at Basenotes and I have many amazing addtions to my wardrobe that I would not have found otherwise. I also don't blind buy as much as my pre-Basenotes period.
My two cents:
Adding a niche frag (Voleur de Roses - outstanding choice) would be a good idea. Other L'Artisan's I would add to test include Mechant Loup, Mure et Musc, Tea for Two, and Safran Troublant.
On the sweeter side, Bond No. 9 New Haarlem has been my recent winter obsession. Also try Gaultier2.
Bob Mackie, wow. I haven't worn that since 94. Brings back memories. Received many compliments but got bored it after wearing almost exclusively for over a year. May buy it again someday for nostalgia. Definitely test it.

Answer:
I'm pretty sure you would like Opium Eau D'Orient. It's a bit fresher, more sparkling version of original Opium Pour Homme. Fortunately, it's not that fresh in a safe way type of a scent - it definitely has some sharpness in it!
Kouros is my favourite fragrance in fact, and there's a pretty decent chance you would like it too. Make no mistake though: spray it from a 15 inch distance on both sides of your neck or under the shirt.
Obsession Night is an okay scent, but a bit watered-down compared to the original Obsession.
D&G Pour Homme is great as far as I remember. Despite it is very popular, it still smells really unique.

Answer:
Nice wardrobe, it will be a pleasure to see how it evolves. I think that maybe you should get a couple more fresh and clean scents for the summer. Although you like the orientals, nothing compares to the smell of vetiver in the summer, and orientals tend to get too heavy.
Sloan knows what he is talking about, Voleur de Roses is a very quality scent, if a bit short lived. You should always test before you buy though, because in men's rose scents, it seems half of the populous either likes VdR OR Czech & Speake #88. From my knowledge, there are only a few that will go between the two, as they are very different sides of the Rose argument. Enjoy your stay here, it's always fun, if a little expensive.
- Rich
PS - I would recommend trying out the Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier line early out in your fragrance sojourn. Some Basenoter's seem to feel it's one of the highest quality lines out there.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Redcomet Hmm, if you like Opium, there's a good chance you'll like M7 as well. Seeing how you like YSL, I think that would be the safest blind buy you could make. Though, trying it would definitely be reccomended.
D&GPH might also be a safe blind simply because everyone enjoys it to some extent. But good luck and nice wardrobe! Redcomet,
Thanks for your input, and for the compliment!
George
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Originally Posted by LiveJazz Well i'll go ahead and be the first to suggest L'Air du Desert Marocain if you like spicier scents. I think that it has a lot of the nice sophisticated, unique qualities of Opium, but it leaves out that crazy bourbon vanilla note that I find to be over the top.
You seem to like very complex scents with lots of note interplay. I'm not sure we'd be fragrance friends. I've been enjoying more simplistic creations lately (ie, frags that focus on only a few notes at once, or at least the notes are mostly related). It seems like the more notes are in something, the better the chance that something is going to go bad in my skin.
So you might look into that. When I started looking at fragrances that are more like studies on a one note theme, I started appreciating those notes within the more complex scents in my collection.
Oh and for another recommendation, try Caron The Third Man. It's currently my favorite "thick" scent. Also, Chanel Antaeus and Egoiste are very pleasant and would probably be right up your alley.
LiveJazz,
Thanks for your input and suggestions!
I would agree that I like very complex scents with lots of note interplay. There are probably several reasons for this, the most important being that if fragrances can be seen as expressions or extensions of our personalities, then that is how I see myself: complex, and even conflicted at times! Not a "one-note" kind of guy. In this sense, you might consider that I previously was into Romance languages (Spanish and French mainly), but have recently decided to do a career switch and go into Nursing, something very different from what I was doing!
Thanks for the suggestions. Since Chanel frags tend to be a bit more expensive, I might read reviews of the two that you suggested and get the one that sounds more likely to be my kind of thing. Or perhaps I can get samples of both! I'll have to see whether I can find Tauer's L'Air du Desert Marocain somewhere; I hope that it's not REAL expensive! Not that price is everything, but when it comes to fragrances I have found that there is no obvious correlation between quality and price (i.e., I do not necessarily find expensive fragrances any more pleasing than more affordable ones).
I wouldn't write me off as a potential "fragrance friend" just yet! I can enjoy the simpler ones, too (especially in the summer). I am actually quite easy to please, and I tend to be able to find something to like about 90% of fragrances that I try! Fortunately, I have the type of skin/chemistry that allows most things to smell at least "acceptable" on me. Besides, you know what they say: opposites attract! :-)
George

Answer:
Originally Posted by _R$_ ...it seems half of the populous either likes VdR OR Czech & Speake #88. From my knowledge, there are only a few that will go between the two, as they are very different sides of the Rose argument. ?
I find them to be very much on the same side of the rose spectrum, arm in arm, even. VdR: Rose and Patchouli. 88: Rose and patchouli and incense. I can't abide either of them (though 88 sprayed on a card did bring back some long lost memories of my bedroom in college, for some reason....).
different roses: costes, CdG white, paestum rose, black aoud. (others i haven't tried, of course)
sorry to sidetrack...

Answer:
Originally Posted by sloan_8013 Quite the eclectic wardrobe here. Shalimar and Aramis? Interesting. My suggestion is to sample and test as many as you possibly can. You never know what you might find. This has been my goal since I first started here at Basenotes and I have many amazing addtions to my wardrobe that I would not have found otherwise. I also don't blind buy as much as my pre-Basenotes period.
My two cents:
Adding a niche frag (Voleur de Roses - outstanding choice) would be a good idea. Other L'Artisan's I would add to test include Mechant Loup, Mure et Musc, Tea for Two, and Safran Troublant.
On the sweeter side, Bond No. 9 New Haarlem has been my recent winter obsession. Also try Gaultier2.
Bob Mackie, wow. I haven't worn that since 94. Brings back memories. Received many compliments but got bored it after wearing almost exclusively for over a year. May buy it again someday for nostalgia. Definitely test it. sloan_8013,
Thanks for your input and suggestions!
Yes, Aramis and Shalimar both work for me! The concept of "gender" is evolving to mean more than the simple "masculine/feminine, black/white" construct that it used to mean, and I believe that fragrances have begun to reflect that fact (consider the proliferation of "unisex" fragrances in the past ten years). I acknowledge that there are both "masculine" and "feminine" aspects to my personality, and I would be more likely to wear Aramis on a day when the "masculine" aspects seemed to predominate, and Shalimar on a day when the "feminine" predominated. Still, it would be possible to make too much of this. I really was kind of new to the "hobby" of fragrance collecting/wearing, and both Aramis and Shalimar were famous ones that I had heard of and wanted to know more about. Didn't there used to be a commercial about being "an Aramis man?" Fragrances are just not advertised on TV like they used to be, are they?
I am eager to receive my decants of L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses, and MAY purchase more L'Artisan fragrances in future if I like Voleur de Roses. The one that you mentioned that I've heard most about is Tea for Two, so I am curious about that one.
The problem with the Bond No. 9 line is that they are all so terribly EXPENSIVE! As I commented to LiveJazz, I have found that I do not necessarily like more expensive fragrances over less expensive ones, and I'd be reluctant to purchase something that cost that much; I mean, I don't want to have to insure the bottle or do something like that just to have some peace of mind! The two that I have been most curious about are "Bleecker Street" and "Fire Island:" Bleecker Street because I read an article about it and it was the first time that I had heard of Bond No. 9, and Fire Island because, well, I'm gay, and Fire Island is one of the most famous gay destinations anywhere in the United States! That does NOT mean, of course, that the fragrance itself would be for me, or even something that I like. Thanks for suggesting New Haarlem; do you know where I can obtain samples and/or decants?
Regarding Mackie for Men: according to Basenotes it has been discontinued, so if you think that you might want to get some more of it, I would suggest that you get moving! :-)
A couple of other frags that I own that I didn't mention in my original post are Burberry LONDON (at least that's what I think that it is; it's the one in the red box), and Antonio Banderas ANTONIO, which is a very recent release that not a lot of people know about.
One that I'd definitely like to try is Comme des Garçons INCENSE AVIGNON. Actually, if I could get a collection of small bottles of the entire "Incense" series, that would be most cool! Does anyone know whether such a thing exists?
Thanks again!
George
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Originally Posted by deeablow I'm pretty sure you would like Opium Eau D'Orient. It's a bit fresher, more sparkling version of original Opium Pour Homme. Fortunately, it's not that fresh in a safe way type of a scent - it definitely has some sharpness in it!
Kouros is my favourite fragrance in fact, and there's a pretty decent chance you would like it too. Make no mistake though: spray it from a 15 inch distance on both sides of your neck or under the shirt.
Obsession Night is an okay scent, but a bit watered-down compared to the original Obsession.
D&G Pour Homme is great as far as I remember. Despite it is very popular, it still smells really unique. deeablow,
Thanks for your input!
I just ordered a bottle of OPIUM EAU D'ORIENT, and am dying to try it! I almost hope that I DON'T like it because, as I understand, it's a "limited edition" and probably won't be in production forever. A fragrance DEFINITELY doesn't have to be "safe" for me to love it, by the way, and I suppose that that's reflected in the fact that I like both Aramis and Shalimar!
A lot of people on here have really "dissed" Kouros, which only increases my curiosity about it! You describe Obsession Night as "a bit watered-down compared to the original Obsession." Would that mean that it might be more suitable for summer wear than the original? I purchased Obsession Night due entirely to my love for the original.
George
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Originally Posted by _R$_ Nice wardrobe, it will be a pleasure to see how it evolves. I think that maybe you should get a couple more fresh and clean scents for the summer. Although you like the orientals, nothing compares to the smell of vetiver in the summer, and orientals tend to get too heavy.
Sloan knows what he is talking about, Voleur de Roses is a very quality scent, if a bit short lived. You should always test before you buy though, because in men's rose scents, it seems half of the populous either likes VdR OR Czech & Speake #88. From my knowledge, there are only a few that will go between the two, as they are very different sides of the Rose argument. Enjoy your stay here, it's always fun, if a little expensive.
- Rich
PS - I would recommend trying out the Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier line early out in your fragrance sojourn. Some Basenoter's seem to feel it's one of the highest quality lines out there.
_R$_,
Thanks for your input, and for the compliment about my wardrobe!
As far as my "introduction to vetiver" is concerned, where would be a good place to start? I'm thinking of going for the obvious: Guerlain's VETIVER, but if you (or anyone else) can suggest something else, I am quite amenable to suggestions! :-)
As I said before, rose can be a tricky scent for a couple of reasons. In the first place, rose in perfumery is kind of like what pearls are in jewelry: it's not thought of as something that men should wear, at least not something that is widely available and accessible to men. Also, it's a tough scent to get right and often tends to smell "fake" or "synthetic" (probably when phenylethyl alcohol is used instead of the real thing).
Thank you also for mentioning Maître Parfumeur et Gantier. Before I joined Basenotes, I had just been reading a lot of the reviews for a long time. One of the reviewers whom I most admire is someone named "foetidus," and he recently told me that BAÏME is currently his favorite frag, and it's from that house. Would Baîme be a good place to begin?
Thanks again!
George

Answer:
All right, I'll bite, even though I'm only familiar with about half of what's in your collection. From what I do know, it seems like you've got a well stocked and versatile wardrobe.
Since you mention A*Men, I wonder if you'd like Givenchy's Very Irrésistible for Men, which is a mintier and more aromatic chocolate.
If you're considering Pi, I'd recommend trying Body Kouros alongside it. (And if you're open to the idea of licorice in a scent, I'd also recommend Lolita Lempicka au masculin, by the same perfumer as BK.) Three interesting takes on vanilla. However, I'm not sure I can endorse your idea of layering any of these scents with A*Men -- it's got so much going on already!
I see you like a couple of the CK scents. I agree with you on Obsession, and I like Eternity all right in principle but in actually practice it's the worst headache trigger for me of any scent I've ever met. Anyway, his very first men's scent, Calvin, is his best in my opinion. Discontinued and can be hard to find at a good price, but worth a try if you do. (And if neroli happens to be one of your favorite fragrance notes, Calvin should climb higher on your "to try" list.)
More generally, since your wardrobe is roughly the same size as mine, I'll try to articulate the approach I've adopted for my own new purchases, which tend to fall into one of about three categories:
1. The missing type
Gourmand? Got a couple. Oriental? Got several, ranging from woody to ambery/spicy. Green? No, I haven't figured out which "green" scent I love yet, but there are plenty more to try. (Actually, I love Guerlain's Vetiver, new formulation and all, but vetiver's a whole different category from green for me. I'll second the suggestion that you might add a vetiver to your wardrobe.)
2. The upgrade
As much as I like Obsession, I'm convinced there's something similar but "better" out there. I guess it's the bland (although pleasant) drydown, or maybe I want something slightly edgier. Haven't yet figured out what that would be... Similarly, I like idea of a rose fragrance, but as much as I like Diptyque's L'Ombre dans L'Eau, it wears too feminine on me. (baald has posted an intriguing list of alternatives upthread.)
3. The off-the-beaten path scent
If a scent really stands apart from the usual types, I might be interested. But I try to limit myself to scents I'd actually wear more than once in a blue moon. For me, that means Messe de Minuit made the cut, and Fou d'Absinthe is a likely future purchase, but Ava Luxe Firewood is out unless I decide to go to a Halloween party dressed as a fireplace and I need a scent to add realism.
One thing I found helpful was to look up the classification of all my fragrances in either Michael Edward's system (accessible at The Fragrance Foundation) or a more traditional one (such as PerfumeWorld). I don't always agree with these classifications, but still it helps me see where my choices are clustered and where there are notable "gaps."
Happy sniffing,
Paul