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Scents that NEED skin to evolve their true nature

post #1 of 20
7/27/05 at 6:56am
Thread Starter 
Yesterday I tested Timbuktu the first time on skin. I was very impressed, because I found it more or less forgettable on paper strips, but on skin it's fantastic.

I know there are a few colognes which need skin; that don't work on paper strips or clothes the way they work on skin: Helmut Lang, Cuiron, Sève Exquise, Jicky, Versus Uomo, The Dreamer, Dolce & Gabbana pour Homme, Piper Nigrum, ....

Some may argue, that everything has to be tested on skin to show the true nature of a given scent.

Well, if a scent is marvellous on paper strips, but your body chemistry is a worst case scenario, why not use the scent regardless and spray only clothes instead of skin? Always aware of the possibility of stains of course.

I only know one scent which is designed specially for clothes only. It's Parfum d'Habit by MPG, which means perfume for clothes. Sometimes Ambre Précieux is unbearable on skin for the first minutes, so I've chosen to spray this one as well on clothes only.

Which other ones NEED NEED NEED skin to evolve their true nature?
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post #2 of 20
7/27/05 at 7:13am
Just about every scent by Serge Lutens.

Jeff
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post #3 of 20
7/27/05 at 7:32am
Being worth that every scent would be tried on skin, this is specially true for scents with with high (or full) percentage of natural (non synthetic) ingredients.
For example it comes to my mind Creed Royal English Leather which paper strips not give him justice at all and developed on skin smells absolutely marvellous...
Thus because synthetic components react less to the skin chemistry while natural components make the juice a "living" thing that reacts more that develops according to skin chemistry and temperature.
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post #4 of 20
7/27/05 at 7:35am
Michael Kors, Spark, M7, Rive Gauche, Monsieur Carven, Amen... just about all the heavies need skin to unfold their beauty or else they'd just be one big mess.
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post #5 of 20
7/27/05 at 8:05am
Probably just about every scent from the "chest hair" period (aka. mid 70's through until the early 80's): [smiley=cool.gif]
Givenchy Gentleman, Kouros, vC and A, Azzaro, Yatagan, Boss No. 1..........
During that period heavy musky leathery animalic scents were in vogue. Forget about all this light, inoffensive, fresh, must-smell-good-on-a-paper-test-strip-as-soon-as-it's-sprayed-otherwise-consumer-won't-buy, scent-must-stay-the-same-from-application-to-drydown that rules the market today. The public seems to have forgotten that the majority of scents are made to be worn on the skin, that good things are sometimes worth waiting for (i.e. for a scent to warm on the skin and fill out properly) and that the scent may not smell right when sprayed on paper or fabric. AND that evolution throughout the day makes a scent more interesting.
Although I'm not an expert, I believe that the same is true for most women's scents from this period - to smell full and complete, they have to be worn on the skin.
OK. I'll get off the soapbox now. [smiley=wink.gif]

Oh, and by the way, I love Kouros [smiley=cheesy.gif]

Gavin
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post #6 of 20
7/27/05 at 8:30am
There are some others which are not so heavy which need skin, IMHO:
Eau de Hermes
Eau Sauvage

Probably anything with cumin needs it because it seems to react so differently on each person. I think that is why some people absolutely adore L'Autre; it just works on them. I'll have to give it another go if I didn't throw out my sample. Eau d'Hermes develops nicely on me.
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post #7 of 20
7/27/05 at 9:23am
Although it contrasts somewhat with the idea expressed above that heavier, more leathery or 'animalic' need contact with skin or body warmth to come alive, my experience with Lanvin L'Homme suggests that it, too, isn't at its best on a strip of paper. When I first smelled it on a tester strip, all I got out of it was a scent of alcohol from the carrier. I thought, "Ehh. Not much to fuss about there." Because I'd just come off a little bit of a sampling spree, and my olfactory centre was probably overloaded, I gave in when the SA offered to spray my wrist. "What the hell," I thought. "What's the worst that could happen?" That SA was one smart lady: to say that the Lanvin grew on me would be the triple-distilled essence of understatement. I was haunted by the growing presence of this stuff around me. Its balance between freshness and warmth was amazing. I came back the next day and bought the biggest bottle of that juice that I could find. (If you've seen my posts around here, you'll know I can barely shut up about it now; it's the closest thing to a signature scent for me.)

Sorry for beating my usual drum, but, man, does Lanvin blossom on skin! There's no way I could have resisted commenting on this thread.
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post #8 of 20
7/27/05 at 9:47am
Scent strips are good if you also happen to be made of paper. Otherwise - useless.

Aaron
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post #9 of 20
7/27/05 at 9:57am
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Azzaro Visit
Mugler Cologne
Burberry Brit
A*Men
Givenchy Gentleman
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post #10 of 20
7/27/05 at 10:13am
I think every single scent needs the skin contact.
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post #11 of 20
7/27/05 at 11:43am
Bond 9's H.O.T Always. Hot indeed.......and smoldering......
Gendarme. All the way........
L'Artisans Voleur de Roses. Highly delectable on the end..............and.............
Mouchoir de Monsieur. I get huge second skin action from this baby...... A liberal dose is required however. Normally. There are many other hot rods of change out there, just none are ringing bells for me at the moment.
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post #12 of 20
7/27/05 at 11:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tigrushka

I think every single scent needs the skin contact.

I couldn't have put it any better m'aam
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post #13 of 20
7/27/05 at 11:49am
I agree that every scent needs skin to show it's "true nature".

That being said, I recently bought a decant of Aqua di Parma Assoluta and out of the bottle it smelled like soap (high class soap, but soap none the less).

After its been on my skin for about 30 minutes, its entire nature changes. It looses most of its soapy quality and it becomes amazing!
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post #14 of 20
7/27/05 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gavinchy

Probably just about every scent from the "chest hair" period (aka. mid 70's through until the early 80's): Â*[smiley=cool.gif]
Givenchy Gentleman, Kouros, vC and A, Azzaro, Yatagan, Boss No. 1..........
During that period heavy musky leathery animalic scents were in vogue. Â* Forget about all this light, inoffensive, fresh, must-smell-good-on-a-paper-test-strip-as-soon-as-it's-sprayed-otherwise-consumer-won't-buy, scent-must-stay-the-same-from-application-to-drydown that rules the market today. Â*The public seems to have forgotten that the majority of scents are made to be worn on the skin, that good things are sometimes worth waiting for (i.e. for a scent to warm on the skin and fill out properly) and that the scent may not smell right when sprayed on paper or fabric. Â*AND that evolution throughout the day makes a scent more interesting.
Â* Â*Although I'm not an expert, I believe that the same is true for most women's scents from this period - to smell full and complete, they have to be worn on the skin. Â*
OK. Â*I'll get off the soapbox now. Â*[smiley=wink.gif]

Oh, and by the way, I love Kouros Â*[smiley=cheesy.gif]

Gavin

A-f***ing-men, brother! That's where I'm at. Totally. [smiley=beer.gif]

(Except the Kouros thing!) [smiley=wink.gif]
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post #15 of 20
1/16/06 at 9:48am
Just about any Guerlin... M7 is different depending on how hot/cold you are.
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post #16 of 20
1/16/06 at 9:55am
I agree with the Guerlain,, in particular the Vetiver. I found this awful on the strip, but on my skin it'smuch more organic.
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post #17 of 20
1/16/06 at 10:34am
Of course every scent is totally different, and nearly always better on skin, but A*Men is SO different whether you spray it on skin or paper; on paper it stays pretty close to its synthetic topnotes, but on skin evolves to a really warm choccolate-patchouli scent..
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post #18 of 20
1/16/06 at 7:21pm
One of the scents that I don't like on paper but do like on skin is Heritage by Guerlain.
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post #19 of 20
1/17/06 at 12:00am
When I sniffed L'eau Bleue D'Issey on a card I thought it was the most foul smelling substance I had ever had the displeasure of sniffing. Then I accidentally got some on my skin, wow, completely different reaction, I love the stuff now. I actually don't even like the scent as it is flying through the air before it hits my skin, but as soon as it falls out of the air I am reminded of how incredible it is.
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post #20 of 20
1/17/06 at 3:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sandyw7592

Sorry for beating my usual drum, but, man, does Lanvin blossom on skin! There's no way I could have resisted commenting on this thread.

Hey, beat your drum all you want, I feel the same way about Lanvin L'Homme.

The biggest differences between the paper strips and my skin were with Rive Gauche and The Dreamer. Â*They seemed to come from another universe--a better one--when they started developing on my skin. Â*

I think all the colognes need skin for proper development.
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