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What says "aloof"?

post #1 of 23
3/9/05 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 
What fragrance would you says conveys a certain sense of being aloof? I know I could wear something that smelled so bad and in a large enough quantity that it would chase everyone off but that isn't my intent. I want something that lets people know I need a certain amount of time to warm up to them while at the same time making them think that getting to know me would be worth the wait. Any ideas?

Ps. I suddenly realized why I like Aquaman by Rochas so much tonight and why no one ever seems to notice it when I wear it to my part time job working in an aquarium shop. I was changing out some of the water in my aquarium at home tonight and as I poured out the old water I realized that it smelled very similar to Aquaman. Not fishy but somewhat musky and of course very aquatic, over all a very pleasant but rather subtle odor. No one notices when I wear Aquaman at the aquarium shop because it causes me to blend in completely with the background! It would be like wearing A*Men to a chocolate factory, camouflage cologne!
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post #2 of 23
3/9/05 at 10:21pm
This is a tough one; looks like a lot of people are puzzling over it. VC&A, maybe?
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post #3 of 23
3/9/05 at 11:11pm
Hmmm...of the forty-odd frags I own I think that the most "aloof" is probably Hermes Hiris. This is definitely an unusual scent, and I think it has a cold, somewhat menacing aspect to it that definitely makes people sit up and take notice.
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post #4 of 23
3/10/05 at 12:10am
I own Crown Marquis and have tried Crown Sandringham. ÊI find both to be somewhat aloof, partly because of their high quality but also because of their formulae. ÊI'm drawing a blank as to why Marquis would be aloof, though some citrus/herb notes are on the sour side. ÊSandringham's violet, and in particular its sage, seems to create distance for me. ÊBut there are probably less expensive scents that have that aloof quality...I just can't think of what they might be. ÊOn the other hand, I've sampled some Creeds that seem pretty aloof because of their fineness, boldness and that mysterious metallic/acidic Creed accord in some of them.

From some posts I've read on Kouros, that might be a contender, though some Kouros fans would probably disagree. Maybe even Antaeus.
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post #5 of 23
3/10/05 at 12:33am
Comme des Garons White
(notes & description from http://www.sephora.com)

White
The essence of White is purity, lightness, and brightness. This is an all-year-round fragrance. Retaining some of the stimulating spices from the Eau de Parfum, White also contains a mix of white flowers such as lily of the valley and may rose. There is a top note of pomegranate and bottom notes of vanilla, cedarwood, and amber.

Notes:
Spices, Lily of the Valley, May Rose, Pomegranate, Vanilla, Cedarwood, Amber.
Style:
Essential purity, light, and bright.
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post #6 of 23
3/10/05 at 3:07am
I would recommend Comme des Garcons Series 1: Tea.
To me it smells a bit medicinal but after a while you can notice a bit of rose. A very strong scent too, people will notice you when you wear it. It's a bit like Bvlgari Black without the sweet vanilla note.
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post #7 of 23
3/10/05 at 3:53am
I don't think you can necessarily convey that with scent, because they are experienced so differently by everyone. I think you might have to just convey that the hard way...with your actions....haha Just my two cents.
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post #8 of 23
3/10/05 at 5:34am
Tough and good question.

I like thinking of the different ways fragrance communicates odd things, and looking for an aloof signal is certainly a challenge.

The only one I can immediately think of is Czech & Speake's Number 88. This one is cold, lemon, rose, and icy hostile to me. Old school clean and aristocratic. Fantastic stuff, and a great mood ride.

Probably available only online and in NYC though.
--Chris
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post #9 of 23
3/10/05 at 5:42am
I would say Blenheim Bocquet fits this description pretty well. It fools you in the beginning claiming to be a simple citrus along the lines of Monsieur Balmain. But this Penhaligon eventually evolves into a icecold smokey pine blend with an almost hostile, aristocratic edge. My friend really disliked it, I adore it...


MMM
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post #10 of 23
3/10/05 at 7:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonkeyManMatt

I would say Blenheim Bocquet fits this description pretty well. It fools you in the beginning claiming to be a simple citrus along the lines of Monsieur Balmain. But this Penhaligon eventually evolves into a icecold smokey pine blend with an almost hostile, aristocratic edge. My friend really disliked it, I adore it... Ê


MMM

I don't adore it but do wear it when I want to put a bit of distance between myself and my 'audience'!

Trot
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post #11 of 23
3/10/05 at 7:48am
Aloof... I'm thinking of a supposedly 'female' floral worn by a man. It has to be a white floral, possibly a linear, nominal fragrance. I'm thinking of Gardenia by Floris.
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post #12 of 23
3/10/05 at 8:29am
I would have to say Egoiste Platinum.
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post #13 of 23
3/10/05 at 9:23am
Fun thread . . . I have thought of fragrance as an expression ö or a reflection ö of emotion, but I wouldn't think of aloofness as an emotion, so Iâm not sure . . .

However, Etro Messe de Minuit ö redolent of antique books moldering in cloistered halls ö does convey to me a certain donnish or pedantic quality that could signify aloofness.
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post #14 of 23
3/10/05 at 9:38am
SL - Iris Silver Mist. I think iris in general can be very 'aloof' if its the major note in a fragrance.

Jeff
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post #15 of 23
3/10/05 at 9:44am
POLO

Nothing says aloof like this stuff. The glistening greenback bottle with golden crest. The affected styles and astronomical price tags of the RL line.

Nothing puts I Am Aloofness smack into your nosey like Polo. This stuff just struts.
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post #16 of 23
3/10/05 at 10:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scenthound

POLO

Nothing says aloof like this stuff. åÊThe glistening greenback bottle with golden crest. The affected styles and astronomical price tags of the RL line.

Nothing puts I Am Aloofness smack into your nosey like Polo. This stuff just struts.

I agree, but I'll go one farther and say Polo Crest, if you can find it. If its "Class aloofness" you're going for, that would suffice.

If you're going for a kind of "intellectual aloofness", I'd recommend Miller et Bertaux' "Parfum #2, Land Spiritus (or whatever it's called). I got a sample of it from Luckyscent, and its intriguing and it struck me as aloof. It smelled like Japanese cooking spices at first, but then got really interesting. Just an idea.

Also any of the Comme des Garcons Synthetic series, Incense Series, or Odeurs 53 and especially 71, can seem aloof.
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post #17 of 23
3/10/05 at 2:14pm
I second the Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet recommendation.
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post #18 of 23
3/10/05 at 4:07pm
For some reason, Givenchy Gentleman came to my mind before any others, but I have to agree with (green) Polo as well.
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post #19 of 23
3/11/05 at 8:09am
Egoiste Platinum feels cold and aloof

Amouage Silver Cristal reminds me of the saying "its lonely at the top". It feels like an extremely wealthy old man, surrounded by the finest of the finest posessions, but who has lost all of his friends.
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post #20 of 23
3/13/05 at 9:57pm
I don't think I've heard this question asked before, because usually people are going after the exact opposite effect. After looking through me wardrobe I'd say the 2 most aloof scents are Rive Gauche and Old Spice( :-/ yeah I know, not what your looking for but I thought I might as well mention it, try Rive Gauche though). Spicey and slightly warm seems to be the way to go in my opinion.

Adam
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post #21 of 23
3/14/05 at 5:34am
*Byblos Pour Homme* (original) [blue]is a very edgy scent. It has a beguiling metallic syntheticness about it which allows for no intimacy between you and the fragrance let alone between the fragrance, you, and others. To me, these qualities qualifies it as an aloof scent.[/blue]

scentemental
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post #22 of 23
3/14/05 at 9:06am
Vintage Tabarome
YSL Nu EDP
Blenheim Bouquet
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post #23 of 23
3/14/05 at 11:27am
Ivoire de Balmain has that quality....aloof but not snobby....a bit formal and distant at first.
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