My H.C.S. list. Add, Agree, Disagree !!!

Clinique Happy, Bulgari Aqua

Sucks for you that so many scents give you an instant headache. I have an aunt who is the same, just about every perfume in existence triggers some allergic reaction and causes her to have sneezing fits and headaches.

Personally, there are scents I don't care for, but in my personal effort to reflect on the positives, I don't tend to bash things or denounce them. Oh sure, there are definite scents I don't care for and I'll rip into them every once in a while. Givenchy Gentleman being one that I really don't like, but I've learned that and so, I stay away from it.

The only ones on your list I don't care for are Egoiste Platinum & Eternity for Men (which did give me a slight headache when I tried it that one time). There are a few others I've tried, but found too sweet or just not to my liking, say Xeryus Rouge for example. Most of the rest I've never tried or am assuming you are denouncing the entire line, which I wouldn't agree with. For example, you wrote Helmut Lang. Does that include Cuiron?

Broad reaching threads like this aren't likely to elicit a lot of response. All you have done is categorize a very long list (even longer since you indicated you didn't specify everything) into a broad category. I hate that for you since the sense of smell is such a pleasure for most of us and you seem to have a hard time finding those that do the same for you.

Is this a recent phenomenon? Or have you always detested these scents and most fragrances in general?

Perhaps you should try some all natural lines and see if those are more to your liking.

Actually, I agree with most of your choices since I've tried just about all of them. They don't give me a headache but I do dislike them all. With the exception of A*Men and B*Men, which I like and own.

So my question is ...

What do you LIKE???

I disagree on:

~ Azzaro Vetiver
~ Jazz (big time disagreement)

Everything else on your list, I don't particularly like for one reason or another, headache or not.

Cheers,

#

.

My addition to the list was meant - and, I'm sure, understood - as an endorsement. Oh, and did I mention Sicily? People were literally scared away the one time I made the mistake of trying this 'beauty' on. But why not discuss the ones that are truly worth the while instead? Life's too short and most of it sucks anyway.

It's very difficult to say something constructive about a list of disliked fragrances, even in America. Besides, this is an international website so go figure.

Some of the stuff you mention is so quintessentially artificial to almost become sublime (Allure Sport). Also, when you say 'all Atkinsons' do you really mean to say you've smelled ALL the Atkinsons and love em all? In America? C'mon. My guess is you must at least miss out on Rockford.

I guess you really mean all, otherwise you would say 90% of Atkinsons, or 85%, and so on...

Alright, lets take a DEEEEEEEP breathe and let it out. There, feel better?

First of all david, welcome to the forum.

Secondly, none of these fine gentlemen were criticizing you for your reviews and negative comments towards these fragrances. You're right, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I'm sure they would agree with you on that point. What they're simply saying is, in answer to your request that more people respond, that people simply don't have much to say in response. You don't like this list of fragrances? They gave you a headache? Great, nice to have your opinion, I'll keep that in mind next time I go shopping for fragrances. But it's not a huge jumping off point for a lot of people to give you responses, you know? That's all, and no insult intended. Personally, in scentsational's response, I saw nothing inflamatory. He's just informing you that you might not get as many responses as you'd like because of the subject of your post, and expressing genuine curiosity with regard to your tastes, and giving you the suggestion of trying all natural fragrances. Your opinions are always welcome, but you should try to curb your negative personal reactions. I can assure you that everyone on this board is very helpful and nice, and if a comment seems harsh to you it was probably not meant to.

And thirdly, Yin and Yang, are not now, nor were they EVER good and bad. They are the darkness and the light, the coolness and the heat, the water and the fire, the tranquility and the passion, the phoenix and the dragon, the feminine and the masculine. They are facets of each other, ever bending and ever transforming. Neither is good nor bad, neither is better nor worse, and one cannot possibly exist without the other.

~Silk and Steel

And you LIKE Rockford? [smiley=shocked.gif]

Jokes aside, maybe you have a slanted perception of whats going on on these pages. I can assure you that lots of people on Basenotes criticize constantly lots of fragrances. Me included.

It seems to me that accusations of philistinism should be well pondered about before being vented... Let people like what they like even if you don't share their liking, and if you're in the minority it doesn't automatically mean you are on the right side. Ok, enough with patronizing.

Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and don't mess with mister in-between.

Cheers!

And latch on to the affirmative, of course.

I'll try and nail down what I want to say. The only 2 that I will say do not belong in this group are Polo Sport and Lanvin Vetiver.
Polo Sport is a fantastic scent with a good following. This scent has stood the test of time and continues to do well along with his big brother Polo.
Lanvin Vetiver is a very nice clean scent that developes nicely when given a chance.
I just don't see these 2 scents in this Harsh, Chemical, Synthetic group.
I must agree with many that are on the list. This is a huge subject and will continue to be huge as fragrance companies continue to compete for those Gio Dollars.
Until the designers and fragrance companies are more interested in producing quality fragrance, and less interested in $$$$$$ signs, we will continue to get what we are getting.
I'm off my soap box and have a great day.
Gary

One scent I secretly covet which is harsh, chemical and utterly, completely totally, and the paragon of synthetic is Tommy T.

If I ever run across it on sale for cheap at TJ Maxx/Marshalls/"The BCF", it is mine.
K

Well, S & S put it very well.

No one discourages freedom of speech here regarding their opinions on frags! That's what we do!

On the other hand, you can't force people to be interested in your thread.

We all post hoping that what we have to say will generate responses, discussions, even controversy. But you can't expect it or force it. A thread either generates heat or it doesn't.

That being said, one of my main gripes here is how few people choose to particate. You'll notice a thread that's been read by 100 people with only two comments. I realize I'm contradicting myself--you can't make people participate--but it's hard not to think that this board would be even more lively and fun if more people chose to jump in the water instead of being bystanders.

I'm in America??? Darn! How did i end up here, all along i thought i was in Singapore!!! Where's the nearest Sephora?? [smiley=shocked.gif]


Heck no, it ain't forbidden to criticize here! In fact, i'm due for one criticism right now:
Kourus is the smell of fresh oysters dried to a prune in the Gobi desert!

That said, you have excellent taste in the classics, my man!!! That's why all those ubiquitous new offerings smell synthetic to you... once you've dipped your hand in the candy jar, you can tell the duds from the M&Ms!

Really?!? I'm looking forward to that! How are their prices?

I don't agree on the Blue Jeans by Versace, I love it :-)

With the rest of the list I can more or less agree. And even though I also have and like A*MEN, I must admit that at some moments, enough is enough and I detest it for a couple of weeks :-)

I can share almost 100% of your dislikes, David. A few I simply do not know, and I would have to cancel EGOISTE PLATINUM if this was my list.

Your l o v e d ones: My heart would not have space for so many to love and I know a much smaller percentage in this categery. While there is not a single scent I dislike, I am absolutely amazed about your listing Jean D'Albret's long forgotten ECUSSON!! I never had, but truly adored that one.

Did I overlook something or is CREED really out of question for you?

B*Men.

Makes my brain hurt

You realize, of course, HARSH - CHEMICAL - SYNTHETIC, well, probably describes 90% of the major market, maybe more. You are no troll. You stuck around to discuss this. David, I agree you about every single fragrance on this HCS list. I even still have a few and don't really enjoy wearing them.

I would even add some from your "like" list too. Especially the Diors. All of them. I've dropped a third of collection and I feel better every time I do it. Many of those are on your list. A forum like this one can be very helpful to anyone wanting to explore the fragrance realm but not without this kind of honesty. Let me join you in popping those infatuously misleading bubbles of enthusiasms for some of these stinkers.

You have fairly well hit a hard target here and the HCS test is a good one to add to the nose test every time.

The ones I don't agree with you on are Helmut Lang and the Bulgari ones. Otherwise I pretty mcuh agree.

Well, not a very inaccurate list comparing with my own nose, though I don't agree with A*men, Jazz, and Good Life appearing on that list. While I also do not enjoy most on your list, they don't necessarily cause me a headache.

However, those that do cause a headache and I would add to your list include:

Versace Dreamer
Bulgari Aqua
L'Eau par Kenzo
CdG2 Man
Diptyque's Vinaigre
Cabochard
Fracas for Men
Fahrenheit

Jeff

When will America come to Southern New Jersey? We have yet to see a Sephora's!

When will America come to Southern New Jersey? We have yet to see a Sephora's!
[/quote]
Well, at least you must have a TJ Maxx or Marshalls to get those bargain prices from right?

Eternity for men or women by C.K. Both are a blazing suck fest ......IMHO [smiley=cheesy.gif]

When will America come to Southern New Jersey? We have yet to see a Sephora's!
[/quote]
Well, at least you must have a TJ Maxx or Marshalls to get those bargain prices from right?[/quote]

'tis true! However, who did I have to ask to get Pierre Cardin Centaures Cuir Fougere & Trussardi Uomo? Â*[smiley=dankk2.gif] Singapore is a pretty good place to get frags!

There are three fragrances that gives tortures my nose, and unfortunately they weren't easy to wash off.
1) Chaps by RL
2) Caron puH
3) BdP by Creed

The last one is almost universally adored, but doesn't work for me.