Help me out people!

Hiya, Matt!
I can help out on a few of these, but not all.

Molinard II is, I think, a Joop! Homme clone. One of the Molinard Homme series is, and I can't remember if it is II or III. Neither II nor III has interested me. I think Homme I is the most interesting of the series.

Molinard Teck is the better between it and Vaniteck, I think. Teck is also harder to find. It's a vanilla based rich scent, a great blend that I have difficulty picking out other parts of, but it pairs the vanilla with some herbal aromatics in a nice, dry, comfortable way. Maybe there's some honey in it to carry it through with its smooth sweetness. Vaniteck is close to Amen, but without the tar or harsh notes. I go for Amen's harsh notes. Vaniteck is nice, but it just doesn't make me want to wear it very much.

The only other one on your list of which I have any reliable knowledge is Floris Limes. This is decent, with a bit of sour mixed with the lime citrus, but it isn't durable. Lime scent blues, I guess. It also isn't really mind blowing or fun wearing it. Neat, sure, but for me it brings none of the good delight of a verbena scent instead.

Oh yeah, I've got Floris Santal Extreme too. I think it is very like Santal but richer, longer lasting, and just more of the same humorous sweet delight that Santal is. I think you get the same scent from both Santals but I bought the Extreme wagering that it would last longer and have more development on me. When I have more fall weather I'll be able to wear it and find out if I won on the wager when I bought it.

Best,
--Chris

this is the only one on that list I'm familiar with. Royall's Bay Rhum is really nice. The only Royall I like better is Mandarin.

Bay Rhum is a bit powdery and a bit pungent. I'd recommend spraying lightly and using in hot weather so the spices pop more than the sweetness. Too much would bring up images of old men.

It's better than many other Royalls.

It is a decent fragrance saddled with a stupid name. It is like Dolce&Gabanna PH with a prominent cedar basenote but with a little more complexity; as I recall there is some honey in the middle notes.

Yep!

Molinard III is an aromatic fougere with a marine note.
Molinard I is an oriental fougere to me, and the best in that series, but it doesn't last on my skin!

I agree to the similarities between Vaniteck and Amen, but Teck to me is a dry chypre woody scent. I don't get any sweetness from it.

Aramis Surface...to me you can't go wrong with this one, puts AdG to shame!

Stetson...PLEASE!!! PUT THE BOTTLE BACK ON THE SHELF AND STEP AWAY SIR! Otherwise, it's good stuff to light charcoal with for your barbecue. [smiley=evil.gif]

Raw Vanilla...CKone on the mild, but good nonetheless.

Of the ones I've tried:

M. Germain's Sexual, despite its cheesy name was average and forgettable.

Stetson? Â*Maverick was being too kind.

Raw Vanilla sucks the big one, Â*too. Â* Bought it on the net due to good reviews (never again) and it wound up as bathroom deodorizer until I gave it Â*away to my cleaning lady. Â* The story has no sequel; though if she would have asked for more money after that gift, I couldn't have blamed her.

Raw Vanilla is, Â*shall we say linear?

Beware al things Coty. Â*Trailer park redneck trashyness. Â*How the mighty have fallen!

Better than Royall Copenhagen is

http://www.stjohnsbayrum.com/

And there's probably a better Bay Rum made by some niche English firm. Â*If anyone kows of it, Â*please post.

Cheers.

Aww come on. I don't think of Coty as trailor trash @ all, I think of it as frags for young 'uns. Coty frags were my fragrance training wheels! I felt so special when I was 12-15 & wearing Lady Stetson, Aspen Women, Tribe, Exclamation, etc.

Well . . .okay, I mean when you put it that way, I wasn't wearing Gurlian Vetiver when I was 12-15.

As a matter of fact I was wearing----

Damn! Who can remember that far back?

I think that it is much better than average or forgettable. It is certainly much better than Dolce&Gabbana PH though I realize that this might be damming it with faint praise since I consider Dolce&Gabbana PH to be wholly boring and forgettable.

1. With apologies to dcampen and other fans, Michel Germain's Sexual is horrid. The name is silly, the bottle is ugly, and the scent stinks.

2. Floris Limes is a great citrus scent, but it's longevity is even worse than Orange Verte. I love using Floris Limes as a "refresher" when the temperature rises here in Miami. Example: Relaxing on the patio, drinking gin and tonics with the guys on a hot Saturday afternoon.

3. My GF has Malmaison from Floris. It's wonderful, but way too floral for a man, IMHO.

i can only comment on Aramis Surface.

When I bought it, it was described as "super clean" and a scent that wouldn't knock people over with its intensity. It was promoted as a light everyday casual scent...

Well, I hate to say it but its probably the only scent I've had that has gotten severe outright complaints. One time I wore it to work and this lady told me it was making her sick! I can't believe it! Its very fresh smelling, but I agree with my coworker. They must make it out of napalm, because it hangs around FOREVER. It smells of mint and cucumber, and i think it smells really nice, but for some reason people hate it. Its smooth and fresh, but i think it has a roughness and a bitterness in it that is offputting. I can't explain the negative reactions from this one, but I wasn't hallucinating. People around me disliked it.

This might be a bit strong....or not. Â*The name is silly, the bottle is ok, and the scent is "ok". Â*I don't find it to be disgusting, but it's nothing special. Â*One of those that I haven't traded away yet, but don't wear often either. Â*I wouldn't take the time to seek it out. Â*A straight-forward, unidimensional scent in the style of many other recent releases.

Cheers,
Jim

I do not perceive Raw Vanilla as linear. It starts off with a nice basil note, and dries down to a good vanilla base. However, this fragrance is not long lasting.

I have one extra, unused, bottle of Raw Vanilla after shave. You can have it for free, or send me a sample, decant or whatever. You live in Sweden, do you not? Just pay for shipping afterwards, and we are fine.