Men's Fragrances

[Dane]

....also, your cologne sucks. buy a new one.

[savant]

Creed green irish tweed !

[Dane]

Creed green irish tweed !

Fuck...it just keeps getting worse in here.

[michael_kard]

Paco Rabanne 1 Million!

On a more serious note, I got Rien. Niiiice.

[Dane]

On a more serious note, I got Rien. Niiiice.

Well done! Excellent fragrance...I'm not sure why it's not talked about more often (even on perfume forums).

[MetroBulotDodo]

I am not entirely sure how the above happened, but the day after I whispered my prayers in the direction of the soldering of my laptop processer, this arrived in the mail. Keep it coming, thnx.

By Kilian: Amber Oud. As it happens, I am sampling fragrances with amber notes this month. This composition by Calice Becker, who has authored a majority of the available By Kilian releases, is certainly one of the strongest of the lot, while also being one of the most unusual takes on amber I've smelled. It bridges the amber and oud with a sensual though arguably predictable vanilla. The expert touch comes in the way she balances the blend with a canny dose of bay, firmly grounding what would otherwise be an overly rich composition from going off the caloric deep end.

Others have tried this balancing act with unexpected notes to varying success: a sour balsamic note in the case of Profumum's Ambra Aurea (it seemed an exceptional attempt until I smelled Amber Oud), which when smelled side-by-side underscored Ambra Aurea's sour note -- one I'd previously overlooked) a somewhat powdery ambergris in the case of Ambre Precieux (Maitre Parfumerer et Gantier), a pecan and molasses nuttiness -- with an emphasis on the nutty note, redolent of the skin encasing the pecan "meat" in L'ombre Fauve (Parfumerie Generale), light-hearted alcoholic excess in Ambre Russe (Parfume d'Empire -- I bought a full bottle of this one), pedestrian flowers that manage to make the amber less rather than more lush in Mona di Orio's dry Amber (I maintain my position that her Oud is outstanding), the bergamot, acidic citrus and evergreen notes that enliven and, indeed, turn what would otherwise be a somber and pedestrian amber fragrance in Byredo's Gypsy Water into an unexpected (in a good way) day fragrance and, finally, what I think of the Profumum's surprising but successful bridging of patchouli and amber in what I think of principally as an amber scent, Patchouly, through the use of a mentholated note of red - not green - tiger balm.

Birdytg: yes, the By Kilian fragrances are wonderful. I'm glad that there are men like you here who love, and even favor the Rose Oud, as I do. I've heard it here that the rose that is used, one that is reminiscent of Eastern Mediterranean pastries, is not appropriate for a man. I beg to differ and think highly of any man who can pull it off with aplomb (which should not be hard to do - the rose smells simply wonderful; always suggesting of a dapper wink of the eye from across the table.)

Current Favorites:

Amouage Jubilation XXV
Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, El Attarine, Bois de Violette, Gris Clair, Fille en Aiguilles
Amouage Opus V: Still love, love, love
CDG #2, Kyoto
Malle L'eau d'Hiver, Portrait of a Lady
By Kilian Rose Oud, Incense Oud
Parfums de Nicolai Le temps d'une fete
as well as many of the Profumum offerings, which given their availability solely in 100 ml bottles are pretty expensive
Byredo M/Mink *this has to be worn as sparingly as possible as does my last fav of the moment: Black Afgano by Nassomatto - the previous two have a time and a moment for me. I can find them really off-putting at the wrong ones.

MBD

[MetroBulotDodo]

Bath & Body Cleansers Fit for Fragrances

Someone here (beatdown aka beardown?) inquired about bath/body products who aren't overly perfumed and therefore don't interfere with the nuanced scents of his preferred, fragrances. Although I spend most on cleaning and moisturizing my face (I use Dr. Sebagh now with few exceptions to my wallet's great chagrin), I do occasionally buy travel size quantities of brands I'm interested to try. I can suggest Aesop, which makes a great line of all-natural, organic cleaners, moisturizing oils and shampoos. I bought a fancy travel bag from Aesop recently - it's a great way to try a wide swath of what they have to offer *and* have it all in a fancy travel bag, good for week long+ trips.

Aesop's formulations, in general, are the most barely scented of anything I've yet to try, though some of their products push the granola factor too far. Using some of their products is not too far removed from (what I imagine) burying your head in the sunflower seed bin at some co-op somewhere in the East Bay/San Francisco (unadulturated and unprocessed but with minimalist, evocative and nonetheless fancy packaging) or being forced to cook vegan for your friends vegan co-op for a week while visiting at Cal-Berkeley.

That said, the products do the job; if the job is to complete a master cleanse by washing your pores along. I actually like their products, but I tend to need more with which to attend to my skin than what Bear Grylls could pull together with just his knife, the skinned bark of a jungle vine that he's woven into an exfoliating pad and his parachute pants, into which he has purified the sweat collected while stumbling out of the australian outback -- the resulting concoction which with I am expected to tone my skin.

That said, I think the men here would like it as it leaves less presence than most modern day skin cleansing products and would leave a fine starting place on which to spray your $250 fragrances...

MBD

[birdytg]

Birdytg[/B]: yes, the By Kilian fragrances are wonderful. I'm glad that there are men like you here who love, and even favor the Rose Oud, as I do. I've heard it here that the rose that is used, one that is reminiscent of Eastern Mediterranean pastries, is not appropriate for a man. I beg to differ and think highly of any man who can pull it off with aplomb (which should not be hard to do - the rose smells simply wonderful; always suggesting of a dapper wink of the eye from across the table.)



MBD

Dear MBD,
Thank you for words and concern about Rose Oud by BK that I do appreciate as an ultimate fragrance, one of my favorite in all the different ones I presently have in use.
I think what makes this Oriental "pastries" Rose very wearable in fact for men is the Oud association. Oud in BK is very different that the Oud in Mona di Orio that I also do love and own just like you.
Oud in BK is very smoky, almost like ashes of Oud wood.
Whatever I can tell you that everytime i wear Rose Oud a LOT of persons ask me what is this beautiful fragrance I am wearing..; confirming in a way that this fragrance can be worn with no problem on a man as well :-)
One of my next in BK will be Incense Oud that I already tried from samples but why not Amber Oud, even nif I think I will go first for Vanilla associations to Vanille by Mona di Orio which is just incredible as well for men as for women.
I have also tried this week Musc by Mona di Orio, a very sweet and soft musc, like no others, almost a natural skin fragrance. In spite this fragrance is maybe more feminine than masculine, it smells very good on my skin.
We share almost all Mona di Orio fragrances with my wife and they never smell the same compared on each other, so we really have no problem wearing them together...
Whatever the purchases of the two last weeks have been:

- De Profundis (Serge Lutens) for me (unfortunately not very long lasting but unusual and really beautiful, what a pity Serge has not given more weight to the fragrance!)
- Foureau Noir (Serge Lutens) for my wife: What a beautiful fragrance
- Chergi SG (just bought today) for me

Then for the first time I bought two CDG fragrances:
- Rhubarbe for my wife and I: Delicious!
- Red Palissandre: Bof! an error I shouldn't have done. I liked it for the head notes at the CDG store and was finally very disappointed one hour later...but too late!!!
Finally conterbalance it with Oranges Amères by Hermes and both together, it's really nice (sorry for purists)

That's all

[theetruscan]

Juliette has a Gun...ive heard the oud is good

very good. Not particularly, errr, complex, but it smells wonderful. Nearly out. That never happens tO me, I always get bored first.

[Patroklus]

My boyfriend bought himself Versace pour Homme
Smells like a slightly annoying Issey Miyake PH.

[Dane]

My boyfriend bought himself Versace pour Homme
Smells like a slightly annoying Issey Miyake PH.

If I've ever heard of a better reason to dump someone...

[darkbydesign]

^^^LOL. Awesome.

MBD-I agree on Black Afgano. I sometimes find it fantastic and other times I think it is so potent and almost sweet that it's overbearing.

I have to spray it so sparingly because it lasts FOREVER and is intense. It's a classic though and seems to finally be in stock at Barney's and other places. Beats paying sick amounts of cash to get it on Ebay. :)

[Sverrenor]

I absolutely adore Montale AOUD, which should be used moderately:



And then Loewe7 is nice for everyday-use:

[liberty_of_style]

Love wooden and dry scents

Recently bought this! Houbigant - Fougere Royale.
Very masculine scent. But audacious free.




Also my favorites:

Andre Putman
French Lover by F. Malle
Mechant Loup by L'Artisan

Soon will buy Tempt Me by Killian

[casem]

Anyone know a place in NYC where I can try the Damir Doma Six Scents fragrance? If not, is it good enough to take a leap and order it without testing it?