Confessions of a fragrance junkie (and other notes)

[adamgottschalk]

Thanks! My pocketbook, however, will not be so grateful. Never knew cologne was so expensive!

Indeed. However, a full-size bottle (1.7 or 3.4 oz) is a really large quantity I've found. So called "mini" bottles are widely available (.2 oz and less). They're cheaper ($10-20). They let you try something out before investing in a bigger bottle. Anymore, though, I think I'll stick to minis; they let me use my own mini roll-on vials (hard to open a spray bottle once it's been capped...we're talking glass cutter time). And I have a hard time imagining why I'd want to keep larger quantities of fragrances lying around anyway. Who knows how long it'll take me to get through the few full-size bottles I do have. Guerlain is an exception; their stuff seems to be "light" across the board and I do find I go through their stuff quicker than others (especially Eau Imperiale).

 

[Fred G.]

Great post, Adam!

I, too, enjoy wearing a nice cologne or after-shave... I consider myself somewhat of a connisieur, but my friend, I am surpassed, and taking notes!

When visiting Paris recently, someone pointed out that the perfumes made in the US typically include grain alcohol, but in Europe they are able to use potato alcohol-- it makes the scent stronger and last longer...

Not sure if that is true or not.

For the young fellow wanting to attract young bees, one could hardly go wrong with Hugo Boss, Polo, and Tommy. By the way, if he is concerned about being ribbed about smelling great, he could invest in some aftershave balm in the fragrance of his choice. Functional-- must protect the face from razor damage-- but also smells great.

Famously,

Fred G.

 

[adamgottschalk]

Further confessions...

Recently, I got a lot of 30 cologne samples on eBay--was supposed to be 40, but the seller is LAME and I barely got the 30 I did. Some thoughts:

1. Serge Lutens, Ambre Sultan. A sublime sweet, warm scent. My nose detects the scent of yellow (amber, duh), whatever that might be (I think it's in the bottle) and raisins (thought the name surely means "Sultan's Amber" not "amber sultana"). Exotic while being simple and satisfying. One whiff and you want more, you want to be closer to wherever that delectable flavor is coming from. I LOVE the fragrance; I'm not 100% sure how it will come off as a cologne yet.
--Lutens, Datura Noir. A warm, sweet thing that reminds me very much of shampoo. Not disagreeable, but like a pleasant cosmetic product.
--Lutens, A la Nuit. A gorgeous, straight-ahead jasmine scent. It's quite feminine, but I can easily see it fitting well into a gentleman's night out on the town (with a lady to share it with...).
--Lutens, Arabie. A luscious warm unisex fragrance. I think of some kind of spicy beeswax candy that I immediately want to devour.

2. Van Cleef & Arpels, Tsar. Reminds me of someone and some place snazzy, old-world kind of class. Reminds me of NYC and those rarified occasions when I was a boy when my mother took my brother and me somewhere "world class." Light and airy. Hard to describe. Smells like the essence of sophistication. Extremely versatile frag, could work well under nearly all circumstances. Top: lavender, neroli, bergamot. Middle: pepper, muguet, carnation. Base: Balsam, sandalwood, leather, moss, patchouli.

3. Czech & Speake, Neroli. If you like Guerlain's Eau Imperiale, you'll love this. It smells like neroli. Hard to describe, but perfect. Like some kind of slightly sweet, spicy candy. Extremely versatile. Could be warm weather, could be cool. Could be formal, could be casual. Creed has something called Neroli Sauvage which I plan to try.

4. Creed, Royal English Leather. First made in 1780, and used by kings George III and V, I really like this juice. Does in fact smell like leather of course, but it's sweet and sophisticated and a little "airy." With a fruitiness (plum?) clear right from the start. Apparently, some find it to be overwhelming, but I dig it. The kind of thing I look for when I just want to smell good, not particularly "sexy" (I have others I use for that, like Guerlain's L'Instant). Same for #3 above, but this is really more of an "old-school men's club" kind of a cologne. Reminds me of a really comfortable, big leather chair at your favorite hangout.

5. Dior, Eau Noire. A spicy, incense type thing, though more exotic than #6 below. Utterly unique. I like this much more than Dior's Bois D'Argent, which I was led to believe was the best of a Dior trio (which also includes Cologne Blanche, which I have not tried). Eau Noire is warm, dark, and mysterious. Makes me think of "old-world Asia."

6. Caron, L'Anarchiste. Vaguely similar to the sadly discontinued Patou pour Homme. Reminds me of a cross between Guerlain's Eau Imperiale and a leather scent. Warm, complex, cold-weather frag. Turns a little powdery fairly quickly. Comforting, comfortable, inviting (despite the name).

7. Lalique, pour Homme Blue/Faune. Fresh in a way, but a little funky. Subtle. The funky pungency gives way to some warmer, sweeter notes. Unusual and exotic. A Mediterranean/Indian (Indian subcontinent) quality.

8. Ranc?©, Eau Noble. A pleasant, light, floral, slightly feminine thing. I like it because it reminds me of my mother (who wears Cacharel's Ana?Øs Ana?Øs).

Almosts and maybes:

i. Hermes, Jardin sur le Nil. As far as fresh, citrusy frags go, this is a great one. The first thing I think of is Christmas--not pine trees, but a fresh, uplifting aroma I associate with the "holiday spirit." It's got mango on top.

ii. Yves Saint Laurent, Pour Homme. A raunchy kind of thing that reminds me of Creed Green Irish Tweed, but I like it better on my skin. A vaguely similar frag is Arrogance Arrogance, which is even lighter and shorter lasting than YSL Pour Homme.

iii. Creed, Erolfa. If I didn't consider Ranc?©'s Le Vainquer my signature fresh-type scent, I'd buy some Erolfa ASAP--heck, I might just get some anyway. It's a sublime light, fresh frag that immediately brings to my mind the beach, dune grass all around, fresh sea air blowing in. Like (i) above, this reminds me of "pleasant times."

iv. Comme des Garcons, Odeur 53. Bizarre. A fresh type thing, but reminds me of a cross between the sometimes-oddly-pleasant warm smell of the subways coming up through gratings on the street in NYC combined with gasoline or something. Check out this fanciful description of the notes from the company: "Freshness of Oxygen, Flash of Metal, Fire Energy, Washing drying in the wind, Mineral intensity of carbon, Sand Dunes, Nail Polish, Cellulosic smell, Pure air of the high mountains, Ultimate Fusion, Burnt Rubber, Flaming Rock..." Whatever. If you're looking for a "fresh" thing but want something you know no one else on earth will be wearing, you might try it. A frag for the modern postmodern.

Other:

Oud Attar. My small amount of research tells me that "attars" are fragrances first created by a Mid-East doctor of some renown in ancient times. They involve the combination of aged essences of aged woods. I have an "oud attar", which is "agardwood" and sandalwood, 30 years old. I find the "funky," aged flavor a little overpowering, though I could see that if I found the right one for me, it'd be pretty nifty. Apparently, some modern frags are based on attars, like YSL's M7 and MPG's Soir D'Orient.

Things to try:

a. Chanel pour Monsieur
b. Cartier L'Essence de D?©claration
c. Something from Bond No. 9 New York
d. Something else from Comme des Garcons

My mother's coming to town from NYC in a couple of weeks. We'll be making a requisite trip to The Perfume House. I'm sure I'll have more to report then.

 

[adamgottschalk]

Goutal, Sables

Went into the Perfume House today with my Ma, visiting from Manhattan. The owner, Chris Tsefalas, one of very few Master Perfumers in the world, took a liking to my Ma, so we were treated to a couple of hours of phenomenal perfume/fragrance knowledge. The first thing worth pointing out is that I had come in looking for something of a "substitute" for either Jean Patou Patou pour Home or Dior's Eau Noir (neither of which is available, aside from eBay, anymore, as far as I can tell). Having done some research on basenotes.com, I had come up with a short list of things that might come close.

Please see me write: Annick Goutal, Sables. Amazing. Just what I was looking for and didn't know it. Definite similarities to the above mentioned, but in production and stellar. Definitely a cool weather and/or nighttime frag. Very much of an incense thing, but at first (the first couple hours) it's sweeter and reminiscent of maple candy (so says a female friend, and I agree); it dries down to woods and incense, while retaining a little sweetness. Like Eau Noir, this reminds me of old temples and churches in a way. This was a real find, and the lady helping me (while Chris kept chatting up my Ma) said it was one of her very favorites. I put some on last night (for the Huber's Roundtable) and, though it's an eau de toilette, it's still plenty present on my skin this morning. Unique, classy but fun, unmistakable.

A few random fragrance notes:

1. At some point, talking about Caron's Sacr?©, and about the fact that it takes fully 45 minutes to reach the stage it will ultimately reach on your skin, and that you get dozens and dozens of notes as it develops, some you might like, some you might not, Chris said, "This is an evening perfume." My mother immediately asked what that meant. Chris clarified that daytime scents are clean and plain and fresh and simple, whereas nighttime fragrances are complex and harder to pin down and mysterious.

2. Chris noted that virtually all perfumes/colognes/etc. have a base of rose, jasmine, and sandalwood. He joked about a "macho" guy who came in once and said, "I don't want any flowers." Chris sold him a bottle of something he loved and, as the guy was walking out the door, Chris joked, "Oh, by the way, your cologne is based on rose and jasmine flowers."

3. He explained more about Essence of Snow Rose. Apparently it's 300 years old, owned by one family, and was created by a perfumer who made the long trek to the top of the Himalayas all those years ago. The perfumer made the trip at the request of a family whose son had miraculously survived 7 days alone in the mountains (unheard of, espcially in those days). The man claimed to have smelled roses while lying in the ravine he fell into. The family had to know if their son's story was in any way possible. They called a perfumer (apparently, years ago, perfumers were also botanists, naturally), who came and over a couple of weeks time slowly discoverd the Snow Rose, and its incredibly rare essence that only a handful of folks on earth have ever smelled. He learned that these tiny roses, growing up through the ice, in a barren landscape where there is not a single other bit of vegetation, lost their scent within 8 hours, and that each one had a slightly different essence. He collected as much as he could (by extracting from the very base, the root of each flower) and went to the man who'd survived; sure enough, the man said, "That's it. That's what I smelled."

Chris has 77 other, similar, pure, no-alcohol, no-water, plant essences, all hundreds of years old, which he sells at several shows each year (a true labor of love). Each one has its own complex background. Each one is owned by a different individual or family and not sold for any economic reason at all.

4. When Caron's Sacr?© became available in 1991, after 100s of years of waiting, the owner of Caron came to the Perfume House with a special gold-and-crystal container and small quantities of the perfume for initial sale. However, there were very specific, superstitious type requirements. Apparently, Caron's head stood in the Perfume House for 3 whole days, waiting until the moment had come that it was all right to let the stuff go. Folks began pouring in, and within an hour, 10 whole blocks of one of the most major strips in Portland had to be closed off and Chris and emplyoyees had to be escorted by police to safety while legions of folks stood around demanding their bottles of Sacr?©.

5. Chris was required, while training to be a Master Perfumer, to work at Caron's boutique in Paris for a time. He said that every French woman brought their own small crystal bottles back into the boutique to have them refilled with "their" perfumes, which were decanted into the small bottles from larger crystal vessels. Each lady, though, always also bought two large bottles of "Royal Bain Caron Champagne." Chris finally asked his mentor what this was about. He was told that one bottle was for the husband and the other for daily bath water; this fragrance served as a beautiful foundation for whatever other scents were applied on top after the bath.

The idea of having a small crystal bottle which you take into a boutique to have refilled with your favorite fragrance on occasion just sounds like, well, it sounds like heaven to me.

Two hours with Chris is like 8-hours of a whirlwind education. Hard to remember all the little details and factoids and history of perfume that he shared.

In addition to Sables, I also bought Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, an eau de parfum. Haven't worn this out yet, but it has a similar sweet, dark, and mysterious character as Sables, now my two main cool-weather, nighttime frags (in addition to Guerlain's L'Instant).

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Tsar

2. Van Cleef & Arpels, Tsar. Reminds me of someone and some place snazzy, old-world kind of class. Reminds me of NYC and those rarified occasions when I was a boy when my mother took my brother and me somewhere "world class." Light and airy. Hard to describe. Smells like the essence of sophistication. Extremely versatile frag, could work well under nearly all circumstances. Top: lavender, neroli, bergamot. Middle: pepper, muguet, carnation. Base: Balsam, sandalwood, leather, moss, patchouli.

I have worn Tsar for years and ou of all of them is still my favorite... I get more comps from men and women on it than anyhing else I haver ever used.

Sharpey

 

[adamgottschalk]

Yet more confessions...

I've become extremely cognizant of how very different a given fragrance can smell on different skins. What one person has to say about a scent may not apply to you at all, or it may apply but ten times more so. I've tried out about 10 more fragrances. This should be the last--for the fall/winter season anyway. (All descriptions of notes are taken from basenotes.net, which in turn are taken mostly from manufacturers own literature when available).

1. Chanel, Allure Homme. A raunchy, piquant affair. Extremely classy. Subtle but immediately brings to my mind the Four Seasons or the 21 Club in NYC for some reason. Like Van Cleef and Arpels Tsar, seems to be the essence of "high class." A frag you'd want to be wearing if you met the president. Top: Bergamot, Mandarin, Citron Zest. Middle: Jamaican Pepper. Base: Vetiver, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cedar Wood, Tonka Bean, Labdanum.

2. Chanel, ?âgo?Øste. Another frag that appears raunchy at first, then moves on. Warm and airy with some funk at the very start, and some vanilla creeping in after a minute. Funkiness by now seems to me to be the hallmark of "classy" colognes. Where the coriander and rose meet makes for an appealing, innocent character that defies description. After the first blast of sharpness and funkiness, it seems to be all about happiness and optimism. Ends up being soft, sweet, simple, and a little powdery, reminding me of Guerlain's L'Instant overall, with the addition of the rose/coriander uniqueness. I actually wish it kept some of its sharpness. Strikes me as quite versatile; I'd be comfortable wearing it for daytme/casual and evening/formal both. Decent lasting power. Top: Sicilian tangerine, Brazilian rosewood. Middle: Coriander, Damask rose. Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Ambrette seed.

3. Cartier, D?©claration. A satisfying "pine incense" kind of thing which sweetens up on dry down. Reminds me of Christmas, or Maine, not sure which more, maybe both. I don't like it quite as much as Dior's Eau Noire, with which it has similarities, though D?©claration is more versatile I think. Dark while being optimistic. Like Eau Noire, I quite like the smell, but just don't know yet how it would come off as a cologne. Not long lasting at all on my skin. Top: Birch Wood, Bergamot, Bitter Orange. Middle: Juniper Wood, Artemesia, Cardamom. Base: Cedar Wood, Vetiver, Oak Moss.

4. L'Occitane, Neroli, eau de parfum. This stuff really is like a true 'parfum' (best bet for your money), concentrated, strong and long lasting. A tiny spray is plenty. It's more complex than Czech and Speake's Neroli cologne, and more feminine, but suitable for a man under certain circumstances (like a certain man feeling like wearing it). If you like jasmine and/or honeysuckle type things, you might like this. A rich, thick, sweet, floral, and unique frag, dripping with flavor. Instantly recognizable.

5. Herm?©s, Bel Ami. An austere fragrance that reminds me very much of Aramis Tuscany with some leather thrown in; someone might smell it coming from you and have no idea they were smelling cologne. Comfortable but elegant. Warm but with a little bit of sharpness hiding underneath. Very versatile. Top: Lemon. Middle: Ylang-Ylang, Iris. Base: Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver. (1986; Tuscany is from 1984)

6. Calvin Klein, Obsession. I expected this to be powdery and warm. It is warm, with just a trace of powderiness, but it also has a funkiness to it that reminds me of Creed Green Irish Tweed, which funkiness I've come to attribute to vetiver to some extent; it's also slightly sweet. A very complicated scent; not easy for my nose to understand; changes character a few times as it dries down, from sharp and funky, to warmer, to sweet like cola, to just spicy like cola. Fairly good lasting power. Top: Mandarin, Bergamot. Middle: Lavender, Myrrh, Sage, Clove, Nutmeg, Coriander. Base: Amber, Musk, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Patchouli.

7. Givenchy, Pi. Totally intriguing right from the start. Complex but highly enjoyable. At first it appears to be a fresh, grassy frag, but further investigation reveals it to be full of soothing smoked woods too. Hints of vanilla and "vanilla incense," which come out much more fully on dry down. Nice job! Unmistakable, though it does remind me in some ways of Creed Erolfa. Another one that just seems to reek of class. Immediately brings to my mind being dressed to the nines or standing next to someone on an elevator who is. Unfortunately, not all that long lasting (decent) or giving of its fragrance when applied to my skin. Top: Citrus, Aromatic, Green, Floral. [?] Middle: Magnetic Wood. [??] Base: Benzoin crystals. [???] [Actually, benzoin is a "balsamic resin" from trees of the genus Shyrax native to southeast Asia; it's used medicinally, as a fixative in perfumes, and in incense; the incense part comes out here]

8. Givenchy, Very Irresistible. This is from 2005 and has a great many similarities to Guerlain's L'Instant from 2004, similar in its warmth and powderiness; I love L'Instant, so I want to love this. It's a little too sweet on my skin at first. Reminds me of really good cotton candy, with a little bit more tangy spiciness thrown in. After dry down, it smells more and more like L'Instant. I could see myself carefully layering this with L'Instant or Burberry Brit. I smell the mint, grapefruit and "mocha" more than the wood. Notes: Mint, Grapefruit peel, Mocha, Hazelnut wood.

9. Burberry, London for men. Hard to describe. In some ways it's like a light leather scent. In some ways it smells like fresh air. In some ways it's a little spicy and powdery. At first application, it reminds me of a mint-flavored dish I used to get at a Vietnamese restaurant in Tampa. Oddly, it begins to smell more like what I think of as "ripe cologne" after it dries down, less leather, more lemon. I don't love it nearly as much as Burberry Brit, but it's a solid addition to the collection. Top: Bergamot, Lavender, Cinnamon leaves, Black pepper. Middle: Mimosa flower, Port wine, Leather notes. Base: Guaiac wood, Oakmoss, Opoponax, Tobacco leaf.

10. Dolce & Gabbana, pour homme. Didn't immediately strike me as all that original (though it is from "way back" in 1994). It's another grassy sort of scent, fresh somehow, but in a beach kind of way as opposed to a citrus kind of way. Actually, it grows on me as it sits longer on my skin. It is in fact quite original, a striking kind of fresh grassy flavor, with a little warmth (the wood) and sweetness (the flowers and Tonka bean?), but I just can't get the beach out of my head. Complex and hard to pin down, but easy to relate to, comforting. It reminds me some of Creed Erolfa but more pungent. Definitely a casual/daytime scent; very pleasant, but I wouldn't wear it if I was putting on a suit. Smells funkier, more tangy, classier after dry down. Top: Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange, Neroli, Lemon. Middle: Lavender, Sage, Tarragon, Cardamom, Pepper. Base: Sandalwood, Cedar wood, Tonka bean, Musk, Tobacco, Iris, Cumarin.

Other Notes:

A. Out one night, I had some Burberry Brit on my wrist, and some Guerlain L'Instant on my chest/shoulder. Two female friends started talking about perfume, so I asked them to compare the two scents that I was wearing. I totally love L'Instant, finding it completely engrossing and intimate. Exactly what I want to be wearing for a romantic night. However, both women agreed that they liked the Burberry Brit much better. L'Instant was too sweet for them. Not really music to my ears, though I liked the Brit just fine. I feel obliged to like it more now.

B. I discovered (on basenotes.net) that the main note, which I described as "maple candy," in Annick Goutal's Sables is immortelle, a flower (which looks exactly the same when dried out as when in full bloom, hence the name) that grows on the beaches in France, thus giving the cologne its name, French for sand. Sables and Lutens Ambre Sultan please me very much, but I get the impression others aren't bowled over by them. Hence, I find these perfect for a little spritz under my shirt so that every so often I get a little pleasant whiff just for myself.

C, Uncle Harry's vetiver deodorant got a little too funky for me. I've switched to Aubrey Organics "natural dry herbal pine" spray deodorant in the Men's Stock line. Good stuff. It really is "dry" in that once you spray it on, it doesn't go anywhere. Unlike the vetiver stuff I was using, this stuff is totally unassuming; it just works, and you don't notice it much. All I could ask of an underarm deodorant.

A recap of my favorites at this time:

Guerlain, L'Instant. From 2004.

2. Burberry Brit. From 2004.

3. Annick Goutal, Sables. Created for her husband in 1985.

4. Serge Lutens, Ambre Sultan. From 1993.

5. Ranc?©, Le Vainquer. From 1805, made at the request of that brute botanist Napoleon.

6. Dunhill for Men. Second only to Le Vainquer. From 1934.

7. Aramis, Havana. Third only to the above two. Discontinued but still available. From 1994.

8. Van Cleef and Arpels. Tsar. From 1989.

9. Chanel, Allure Homme. #8 and #9 are like "timeless sophistication" in a bottle. From 1999.

10. Dior, Eau Noire. Hard to find (like, search eBay if you're interested). From 2004.

11. Jean Patou, Patou pour Homme. Discontinued, but can be found. From 1980.

12. Aramis, Tuscany. Simple and beautiful just like the Tuscan landscape; honestly, it reminds me of Siena. From 1984.

13. L'Occitane, Neroli. Only for the man confident of his identity.

14. Creed, Royal English leather. The premiere liquid leather, from 1780 (!), made for and used by kings.

15. Creed, Erolfa. From 1992.

16. Givenchy, Pi. From 1999.

17. Dolce & Gabbana, pour homme. From 1994.

18. Chanel, ?âgo?Øste. From 1990.

 

[adamgottschalk]

Yet even further confessions...

So, I lied (please refer to the title of this thread for further explanation). I've tried out few more scents. The first thing I'd like to point out is: BEWARE eBay hawkers of perfumes/colognes who host auctions with no photos of the actual items for sale. Twice, I've gotten ripped off now. The first time wasn't so bad; I ended up with 30 samples instead of 40 (after two month's wait). Most recently I bought what I thought was Carolina Herrera for Men (I should've known better, the price was so low), but, again, sight unseen; the excuse on the auction page for the lack of a photo was something like "oh, we get samples with no packaging and then repackage the stuff ourselves so...". Likely story (not!). What I got was some kind of vaguely scented water in a mysterious bottle with an even more mysterious label, a label which read "Carolina Herrera Cologne" (she doesn't have anything called cologne) and then "EDP" which stands for 'eau de parfum.' How is it that a "cologne" is an EDP? It's a rip off, that's how. I now have the real stuff and it's actually really, profoundly good, memorable, unique, unlike the swill I got from the con artists. I promise I'll stop until spring now; I have to--my bathroom is getting to be more and more like a laboratory, precious bottles all around. Looks cool, but I mean really....

1. Carolina Herrera, Herrera for Men. A sublime greenish-yellow liquid in a very phallic bottle. It's got a similar raunchy-yet-classy vibe to others, like Chanel Allure, etc. On my skin, this intoxicates me. In a somewhat similar fashion to Le Vainquer and Dunhill for Men (though a very different type of scent), after this stuff has been on my skin for a while, it makes me enamored of whatever body part I sprayed it on; I'm ready to start licking my wrist any minute now. Someone on basenotes.net wrote that this stuff is obsolete and that Burberry London is better. Yeah, right! I mean, even accounting for different skin types, etc., London and Herrera bear no similarities whatsoever to my nose. The one fragrance it really reminds me of--with its tartness--is Dunhill for Men. Herrera is one of very few scents I know that does not turn powdery on dry down, not one bit. Stays smelling piquant, ripe, floral-and-fruity, slightly understated, universal, and classy. Not as fresh as Dunhill; not a summer type floral/fruiy thing, but a more formal sort. Highly versatile and even more highly recommended (remember, different skin types can can render everything you're read here untrue). Top: Fern, Clove, Lavender. Middle: Amber, Tobacco, Geranium. Base: Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Musk.

2. Cacharel, pour L'Homme. A very high-quality eau de toilette. In the first couple of minutes, it reminds me quite closely of Creed GIT, but after a couple of more minutes, you're left with something warm and slightly floral (the combination of lavender and other flowers is impressive) while being masculine and classy. It does smell a tad bit soapy, but a really nice, non-girly, subtle soap. After dry down, the wood comes out much more plainly. Though it's from 1981, whimsically enough, it reminds me of the way a man or a boy might have smelled after they got all dressed up for church back in the early 1900s (NOT in a powdery/talc way at all). Top: Lavender, Lemon, Bergamot. Middle: Nutmeg, Geranium, Carnation. Base: Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Musk.

3. Caron, pour un Homme. This unique green liquid is originally from 1934. Light, airy, and spiffy. A really tough one to summarize. On first application, it does have a bit of a bug-spray like effect (I don't imagine a person would have thought "bug spray" back in 1934), but that dissipates very quickly. You're left with something extremely subtle, slightly like talc, slightly like fresh air. Touches of herbs, vanilla, and wood--barely discernible in this well-balanced mix.; that mix comes out more with dry down. It sort of smells like some favorite item that's really old, an old journal, an old table, though it's much more subtle than that. If you're looking for something light and versatile, and truly classy in its understatement, you might give this a try. It's cheap (on eBay anyway). A somewhat mysterious, alluring aroma. Not very long lasting on my skin. Top: Lavender, Rosemary, Bergamot, Lemon. Middle: Clary Sage, Rose, Rosewood, Cedarwood. Base: Vanilla, Tonka, Musk, Moss.

4. Lalique, pour Homme. A spicy, minty thing. Reminds me some of Dior's Bois D'Argent--I don't particularly love either one. Not offensive, but maybe a little too much like toothpaste on my skin. Now, this one does remind me of Burberry London. I like this somewhat better than Bois D'Argent and London, but it is a tad odd. My nose isn't quite sure where to put it in my brain, spices?, pine?, toothpaste? The rosemary is certainly prominent, and a grassy aroma, but the crisp rosemary seems confused by the wood, flowers, vanilla, etc. It opens up some on dry down. It's a well-balanced fragrance, but another one I really don't know that I could find a place for. Top: Mandarin, Grapefruit, Lavender, Rosemary. Middle: Jasmine, Iris, Red Cedar. Base: Amber, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Vanilla, Musk. [This has the best bottle I've ever seen: a 3D lion's head carved into the rear of the bottle, magnified by the liquid inside.]

 

[Orgetorix]

Good grief, Adam, this is astonishing! I never knew so much could be said about fragrances.

You've convinced me, though--I've just bid on mini bottles of Jean Patou Pour Homme, Burberry Brit, and Guerlain L'Instant. A former roommate of mine used to slather himself with various scents--I could smell him at the other end of the house, two floors up--and that put me off the idea of colognes for a while. My fiancee was asking me a week or two ago if I ever used them, so I thought it might be time to give some scents a whirl.

 

[adamgottschalk]

Good grief, Adam, this is astonishing! I never knew so much could be said about fragrances.

You've convinced me, though--I've just bid on mini bottles of Jean Patou Pour Homme, Burberry Brit, and Guerlain L'Instant. A former roommate of mine used to slather himself with various scents--I could smell him at the other end of the house, two floors up--and that put me off the idea of colognes for a while. My fiancee was asking me a week or two ago if I ever used them, so I thought it might be time to give some scents a whirl.

Those are great choices, if I do say so myself The need for understatement when it comes to colognes cannot be stressed strongly enough. I hope you enjoy your new friends--your fianc?©e as well. Do let us know how it goes.

 

[John in Covina]

Cologne and aftershave

I have a few colognes and like the 4711 for men. Would like to get 'Grey Flannel" again.

In aftershave I like the Agua Lavanda Puig a lot & some of the Bay Rums plus the Florida Water.