Men's Fragrances

[casem]

Recently tried Gaiac and Benjoin from Le Labo city exclusives. Benjoin is incensey and nice but nothing special that I couldn't get from CDG for 1/4 the price, also didn't last very long.

Gaiac has me intrigued though. Best way I can describe it is a very clean woods. A little incense at the start but overall I'm getting a clean almost soapy woods smell (similar effect that amber has for me). Has almost no projection (in fact I couldn't smell it at all until I left the store) but lasts FOREVER. One spray on the wrist lasted an entire sweaty day walking around NYC and after I showered I could still smell it radiating quietly from my wrist. I was impressed enough to buy their obnoxiously priced sample. I dunno... the price is hard to swallow especially for something that almost no one will smell but myself but I'm considering it...

BTW, the Le Labo employees are total dicks about trying the city exclusives right now. You can buy the samples but the bottles are not out to test until Sept. I asked for a spray to try before I commit to purchasing a sample (since I could clearly see the bottle behind the counter) and you would've thought I asked the Pope to turn Jewish.

[darkbydesign]

^^That's just crazy on the LL employees. If you get to SF go to Barney's there and they'll let you sample them generously. The fragrance staff there is completely TOP NOTCH and they are a pleasure to deal with. At this point, I buy all my fragrances through them for both good service and the fact that they let me explore the scents (not matter of price) as generously as I'd like. I find that the NYC counterparts are obnoxious and I won't buy anything here, so literally have it all shipped from SF.

[Dorje]

What I wear these days....

Bel Ami (vintage)
Puredistance M and Black
Eau d'Orange Verte (vintage)
Various Agaraura Ouds and Attars

[ienjoybiscuits]

Went to pick up some CDG black and came back with another bottle of Wonderwood instead. This stuff just does it for me

[sheal]

1. CDG Wonderwood is my personal scent, which I revolve with Six Scents Bernard Wilhelm (Sidenote: Stoked they are resurrecting that project). I'm a lady, but prefer unisex scents for some reason. I guess female ones are too flowery or something.

When it comes to men's fragrances, my favourites will always be:

1. CDG 2
2. Blood Concept
3. Tom Ford

I just got my dude Parfumerie Generale by Pierre Guillaume Parfeumeur in London somewhere. I forgot which scent it was exactly, but it had notes of patchouli and tobacco.

[resolution653]

Blood Concept always intrigued me, but never around to sampling their wares. Have you tried AB ? Sounds similar to Nu_Be Mercury and I'm kinda into this sort of scent atm.

[BodyDouble]

+1 for the Wonderwood crew. After reading Faust and everyone else's testimonials I tried it on (I had already tried it on and wasn't blown away as I already had other similar CdG fragrances). I went to the market that day and 2 girls seemed to gravitate to me and asked what I was wearing. I went home and my gf loved it so much she looked like she was under a spell and bought me a bottle that week. We went out with her friends sometime later and they kept raving about it and i'm sure her friends will buy bottles for their S.O.'s.
I just wonder what sorcery is brewing in the CdG lab.

[Ivans On High]

I have a bottle of Phaedon Cendres de The that I'm not using and am happy to donate to a senior member if they are interested. Too much cardamom for me.

Edit: I can't ship it internationally as it turns out. Still happy to send to an Australian member.

[eleves]

I have a bottle of Phaedon Cendres de The that I'm not using and am happy to donate to a senior member if they are interested. Too much cardamom for me.

Just looked it up and it does seem like quite the interesting fragrance

[cuddly]

mad et len

I really like the "black afghan" from mad et len. any other recommendation on the mad et len line that has some similar characteristics? less citrus, fruit and more on the musk,leathery notes,

[casem]

I'm really torn on buying Le Labo Gaiac now that there's only 10 days left (that's how they get you!). I really love it but holy cow the price is ridic.

So, before I do something foolish can anyone recommend other frags that might be comparable? I think what it is I like about Gaiac must be some kind of white musk element that lasts and lasts. It's incredibly linear and stable, I like that it's super clean wood (no spice, very little smoke) without going into househould cleaner territory. It's somehow warm and piercing at the same time without being cloying. It's the only wood I've tried I can imagine working equally well in summer as winter.

Others have mentioned Kyoto, but they aren't in the least similar to me. I've also come across Tanoke from Odin as having a strong Gaiac element, haven't tried it in a while but I'm guessing it will have the darkness/spice that I appreciate being left out of Gaiac.

[Ahimsa]

I wear Gaiac 10 and I love it. It's very interesting in that when I typically get comments, people have to guess that I'm the one wearing it. It kind of just floats around and I love that about it. Most describe it as a "clean" smell.

[casem]

^^Enabler!

[byhand]

Best place online to buy well-curated fragrance samples? Want to try something new but have no criteria other than I want to stay away from my regulars, which tend to be predominantly citrus/clove scents.

[darkbydesign]

Luckyscent.com

You can get just about any sample there.