Looking for the occasional 180-degree turn

Let me start by saying that I've been browsing these forums for a couple of weeks, trying to build up some kind of vocabulary and understanding, but I still really suck at describing things in any sort of comprehensible way -- so please bear with I...

I'm looking for something that'll be the bright yellow to the green I usually have, it that makes sense. Something wildly different, yet more complementary than startlingly out of left field, yeah? Basically, I'm after recommendations that will lead me to a fragrance that's going to work with my usual style but allow me to go POP! once in a while when the mood strikes. I don't typically use anything as daily wear, it's really an evening and occasions kind of thing for me.

I find that deeper, smokier scents work best for me -- I don't seem to get along well with bright citrus or floral fragrances, but that's sort of the thing I'm looking for: Something that would be totally unexpected given that I tend to favour Centaure, New Haarlem, and Mechant Loup at the moment. Especially New Haarlem, mmmm...

So, given the small cluster of fragrances that I have found work very well for me, what would be a good place to start looking for something brighter, lighter, and ... umm ... shinier?

I've got samples of Himalaya and MPG's Eau de Gantier on the way, so that's where I'm looking at the moment. But I don't have a lot of experience with houses other than LAP and MPG, so it's a tough slog researching through. It would be excellent if various sites incorporated an Amazon-esque "people who liked this fragrance also like _____" thing, but I'm making good headway looking through people's wardrobes and trying to find common themes in their preferences.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... But take pity on me -- I'm still very new to the whole fragrances appreciation, and big words often frighten me.

Eau des Iles is definitely on my list of things to try, yeah. And now so is Visit, thanks.

And I just noticed that if I had been clever enough to scroll all the way down in the directory entries, I'd have spotted the "people who liked this also liked _____ " thing, so I'll just go wipe some egg off my face.
;D

I never really know what to make of incense-based fragrances... Passage d'Enfer in particular never seems to smell the same way twice on me, although it often ends up mellowing into the expected sort of lily + musk after a bit... Sometimes it turns into something very baby-powderish and boring, though. And its longevity seems wildly variable.

All I can think is that something environmental (humidity, temperature, whatever) plays silly buggers with my skin / chemistry and makes the lighter scents fluctuate like crazy on me. Which is part of the reason I have so little experience and knowledge of that whole end of the spectrum. Another perennial LAP favourite, Dzing!, ends up making me smell like I've been rolling around in Play-Doh, and not much else.

I think when it comes to incenses I need to stay closer to the earthy / carnal / spicy end of things rather than the sorts of airy / "lift your prayers to the heavens" vibe of things like myrrh and frankincense, so in general anything that gives the impression of cathedrals or whatnot end up seriously clashing with my presentation.

And I think that's what it is, mostly: More than anything, I try to match my scent to my demeanour... Which is how a big and hairy lad like me got so entrenched in things like Mechant Loup and Centaure to start with. And which is exactly the reason I'm in the market for something lighter and shinier. Trouble is most of the lighter scents end up making me come across more like a huge version of Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder II.

Which is great and all, but it's not the sort of thing I want people to expect when they meet me. ;D

I like more animalistic, predatory notes as well as the soft earthiness and warm berries, which is why Eau des Iles is something I'm anticipating very much. The vetiver and citrus promise of Racine is very intriguing, as is the idea of an herb / dark spices / woods combination like Baime. Those are being added to my list to sample, thanks.