Question:
What's the deal with synthetic, sweet notes?
I can't do sickly, pink, girly frags (Miss Dior Cherie included.)
Not sure what makes them so - is it cherries or raspberries?
Give me dry and ambery any day.

Answer:
...apples? DKNY Be Delicious =
...booze? Dzonghka = Fou d´Absinthe =
...tobacco? Habanita =

Answer:
Originally Posted by quinpus trying a new thread here. 1)what notes are the most confusing to your nose? 2)do they ruin what would normally be delightful? 3)can you not get a good feel for them? inquiring minds wanna know...

mine is - what's the deal with carnation? this seems to be in everything. almost without fail, if i don't like something, it has carnation. even stuff that i do like has carnation, and i wish it didn't! 4)what does carnation even SMELL like? people describe it as spicy, but...how? is it old-fashioned? and then if you have a real carnation, it smells like nothing. or is the supermarket version of carnation not the same one used in perfumery.

so...tell me yours! dear e.e. cummings (just kidding!) 1) frankincense and myrrh in that i confuse them with each other sometimes 2) no 3) am working on it.
4) like roy says, sort of clove-y. my boss - the horticulturist/florist points out that all commercially grown flowers are hybridized for longevity and color and that the "pinks" or dianthus (which is the true name for what we call carnations) we buy in supermarkets or at florists have little or no fragrance. Ava-Luxe White Carnation is pretty true. I'm sure there are others. (oops! there's those capitals!!)
i have found that age is an advantage. some aldehydes and the greener notes that shrieked on me when i was in my twenties to forties have quieted down and now that i am in my late 70's my skin/bod can handle almost anything. something to look forward to - you boomers and x,y z'ers!!
P.S. Can't live without my shift key!!

Answer:
I am a confessed scent whore.
I used to dislike some olfactive families, but I'm becoming open to them.
I used to dislike some notes, but I've learned to like them within context.
Not all fragrances are five-stars. Some are still ones and twos. But it is the overall composition, not any single note or olfactive family that bothers me.
For example: Anise. I love it within a woody context, but not in my roses. Smoke. A little bit is great, but start a fire and I'm outa here. Vanillic Orientals. Used to think they were too sweet, love them now. Greens. Used to make me sneeze, crave them now.
I bet the "peppery" note in carnation is bothering you. It tends to be dusty.
Tinker, I agree about the musks. They have changed them alot since the 60s. I used to smell them well, though. Now I think they smell differently, sweeter, flatter, less complicated.

Answer:
Aldehydes. I have a hard time understanding them. Can you actually smell an aldehyde?

Answer:
It's not so much that I don't LIKE the stuff, but I sure as heck can't wear it.
SANDALWOOD. It's ruined many a good fragrance for me. It's just something with my skin, I guess.
and...aldehydes--specifically, aldehydic white florals. INSTANT headache. Running away and screaming headache. I don't even have to wear them, I just have to sniff sometimes.
Sigh.

Answer:
I find it depends on the sandalwood. It can be fantastic, like church incense, or it can smell like soap. I have a perfume made by a chocolatier called Eau de Chocolat, which is a mixture of sandalwood, vanilla and spice, and it is lovely. But it's not great in everything, I'll give you that.

Answer:
I have issues with sandalwood, too. I like it, but my skin amplifies it to such a degree that it can totally take over unless it's used in an eensy minute amount.

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For me it all depends on the blend or composition of notes in a fragrance. I like magnolia in Envy Me 2 for example but not in Curious. I thought ambery frags were a bit of a problem for me but then I discovered Crystal Noir. I hesitate to mention aniseed, liquorice, and carnation because you never know there may be some frags out there with one or some of these notes which I will love! I think the worst combo in one perfume that I could imagine would be aniseed, liquorice, carnation, peach, blackberry and civet but then that might be a whole new thread!

Answer:
What's the deal with Tonka Bean? I don't know what it is or what it smells like but I've noticed this ingredient in some fragrances that I can't wear (e.g Samsara) even though they seem to smell lovely on others.