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Advice, Questions-New here

post #1 of 10
5/14/06 at 9:40am
Thread Starter 
Hello, Â*I'm new here. Â*Great site, glad I found it.
Â*
I'm posting in this section because I need advise from experienced members and I have some questions for all members.

I have only worn about five fragrances over my lifetime (I'm 45) and the two that I've worn almost exclusively for the last several years are Halston 1-12 and Bijan. Â*I'm considering a change, especially with the Halston.

I've been wearing the Halston for more than 20 years. Â*When I first encountered it at a department store fragrance counter it was like a revelation. Â*I didn't know about dry-down at the time and everything I smelled straight out of the bottle struck me as either common, brash or otherwise not "me" Â*I found the Halston to be totally different from any fragrance I had ever smelled and it was heavenly from the first spritz. Â*My only complaint in the beginning was that it was very volatile on my skin. Â*It fades away to almost nothing in 2 or 3 hours. Â*I've searched the web for perfume strength imposters hoping to find a good one, but to no avail.Â*I'm the kind of person who wears a fragrance primarily for my own pleasure. Â*So I'm fairly conservative with the application so as not to enter a room after my fragrance. I find it a bit arrogant for a person to think everyone in the room will either love his fragrance or will just have to put up with it.

My nose is hardly sophisticated but I find Xeryus (Givenchy) to be quite similar to 1-12 and much longer lasting. But to my nose it is richer and seems more appropriate for formal occasions. Â*I like to use the Halston for casual summer wear, but I'm finding it a bit too sweet lately. Â*Perhaps it's more suited to the younger man
So people, Â*can you recommend some long wearing summer fragrances that would be a good alternative to 1-12? Â*Something a bit less sweet. Â*Something dryer or with a bit of an edge?

As for the Bijan. Â*I've alway found it to be quite potent and very dry and coniferous (sp) right out of the bottle. Â*However, after the dry-down it mellows and sweetens very nicely and I find it compelling. Â*I usually only wear it in the fall and winter. Â*When I do wear it I can't stop smelling my wrists. Â*This one is very long-lasting on me. Consistent with one of the in-house reviews, I would recommend that it be applied with caution.
I am open to suggestions for alternatives to Bijan as well. Â*Maybe something just a bit sweeter.

I also have a few of questions.

1. Â*If every men's fragrance was available in perfume concentration, would you wear it full strength or diluteÂ* it with alcohol, oil or some other carrier? Â*Please explain your answer.

2. Â*Does alcohol act as a perservative and extend the life of a fragrance?

3. Â*Is it advisable to keep your fragrances in the freezer to extent their shelf life and to decant for short term
use?

4. I would assume there is a bias among the members against fragrance imposters that are available on the market these days. Â*Has anyone knowingly whiffed an imposter that was true to the original or even an improvement on the fragrance that inspired it? Â*Also would anyone recommend a source for excellent imposters of men's fragrances in perfume strength?

5. Â*Any comments on the presence of solvent residues in essential oils that may be toxic. Â*Also, I am aware of an extraction process using some kind of gas. Â*Is this the prefered method or is there a better one?

Any and all comments are welcome.

Thank you!
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post #2 of 10
5/14/06 at 10:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eau Boy

1. Â*If every men's fragrance was available in perfume concentration, would you wear it full strength or diluteÂ* it with alcohol, oil or some other carrier? Â*Please explain your answer.

2. Â*Does alcohol act as a perservative and extend the life of a fragrance?

3. Â*Is it advisable to keep your fragrances in the freezer to extent their shelf life and to decant for short term
use?

4. I would assume there is a bias among the members against fragrance imposters that are available on the market these days. Â*Has anyone knowingly whiffed an imposter that was true to the original or even an improvement on the fragrance that inspired it? Â*Also would anyone recommend a source for excellent imposters of men's fragrances in perfume strength?

5. Â*Any comments on the presence of solvent residues in essential oils that may be toxic. Â*Also, I am aware of an extraction process using some kind of gas. Â*Is this the prefered method or is there a better one?

Any and all comments are welcome.

Thank you!

1. I'd use full strength, but just less of it. I would expect better longevity that way.
2. I'm not sure. I doubt it.
3. The two enemies of fragrance as I understand it are light and oxygen. I'm sure keeping it cold would help it keep longer. Decanting might accelerate degradation through oxygenation. I'd recommend decanting for personal use only into a small atomizer for short-term use (http://www.essentialsupplies.com/ has a 10mL frosted glass atomizer. Just search on 'frosted' it should be on the first page of results). Personally I think freezing is too much effort for me. I keep bottles in the original boxes to protect from light.
4. No experience there. I think I've seen some 'imposter' websites, but they were people reproducing discontinued, classic fragrances.
5. If you're going to worry about that, you may as well give up cars. Statistically an auto accident is much likelier to kill you.

Hope this helps
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post #3 of 10
5/14/06 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eau Boy

1. If every men's fragrance was available in perfume concentration, would you wear it full strength or dilute it with alcohol, oil or some other carrier? Please explain your answer.

why dilute when you can just use less? seems to create needless extra work.

Quote:
2. Does alcohol act as a perservative and extend the life of a fragrance?

alcohol acts as a dilution medium and carrier. it carries the fragrance onto your skin and then evaporates, leaving you not wet. it also helps to create that initial blast of sillage by bringing fragrance with it as it evaporates.

Quote:
3. Is it advisable to keep your fragrances in the freezer to extent their shelf life and to decant for short term use?

low temps in general help to preserve pretty much anything. technically, i suppose placing frags in the freezer would help a bit. but imo, it's total overkill. personally, i wouldn't bother decanting either.

Quote:
4. I would assume there is a bias among the members against fragrance imposters that are available on the market these days. Has anyone knowingly whiffed an imposter that was true to the original or even an improvement on the fragrance that inspired it? Also would anyone recommend a source for excellent imposters of men's fragrances in perfume strength?

i've never tried an "imposter". but if it smells good, i have no problem with it.

Quote:
5. Any comments on the presence of solvent residues in essential oils that may be toxic. Also, I am aware of an extraction process using some kind of gas. Is this the prefered method or is there a better one?

well i'm pretty sure it's not good for you to spray yourself with chemicals. but in the big picture, i guess i wouldn't worry about it too much. if you google for it, you'll find lots of info.
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post #4 of 10
5/14/06 at 11:18am
Welcome to Basenotes, Eau Boy.

I can't improve on Liquid's answers, especially the one on the function of alcohol. I've not tried imposter fragrances either but I'd suspect they lack the range and complexity originals. If they smelled good, though, that would be appealing. I've got fragrances in higher concentrations and I don't necessarily prefer them, but sometimes I do. For me it would depend which one I would wear if all men's fragrances came in a variety of strengths.

Storage of fragrances comes up pretty frequently here and there are links to previous answers about freezers, refrigerators, and dark cabinets in the sticky FAQ thread that can be found near the top of each of the forums. I suggest you can find out a lot more there.

I'm a fan of 1-12 also but haven't worn it in a long time. I'll try to think of anything like it, but nothing will completely replace it at all.

Welcome again!
--Chris
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post #5 of 10
5/14/06 at 12:48pm
Welcome to basenotes Eau Boy!! You have very interesting questions. Liquid did an amazing job answering them ALL! I would add to number 3 that storage of fragrance requires cool climates and minimal light, none if possible. I use a closet and it works just fine. Some use draws and bix boxes. Freezers do seem a little "overkill" and I would not waste time hastling with that.

Liquid seemed to give you all your answers so I'll just say welcome one more time and hope you find what you need in the FAQ in addition to the responses in this thread.

EnvYuS
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post #6 of 10
5/14/06 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you Liquid, et all. Â*

I am interested in as many opinions as I can get. Â*Esp. in regard to the pros and cons of various essence extraction methods and alcohol vs oil as a carrier. Â*My understanding from some cursory research is that the base can make a difference in the evolution of a fragrance. Â*

And don't forget to suggest some alternatives to my current, limited "wardrobe" if you're so inclined.
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post #7 of 10
5/14/06 at 6:11pm
While I haven't smelled I-12, I do own Xeryus, and I think you might find
Jo Malone's "154 Cologne" a decent summer alternative to Xeryus.
Find a Nieman Marcus store or a Saks 5th Avenue and try out Jo Malone's
line of fragrances.

trumpet_guy
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post #8 of 10
5/14/06 at 6:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eau Boy

Hello, Â*I'm new here. Â*Great site, glad I found it.
Â*
I'm posting in this section because I need advise from experienced members and I have some questions for all members.

I have only worn about five fragrances over my lifetime (I'm 45) and the two that I've worn almost exclusively for the last several years are Halston 1-12 and Bijan. Â*I'm considering a change, especially with the Halston.

... [snip] ...


I also have a few of questions.

1. Â*If every men's fragrance was available in perfume concentration, would you wear it full strength or diluteÂ* it with alcohol, oil or some other carrier? Â*Please explain your answer.

2. Â*Does alcohol act as a perservative and extend the life of a fragrance?

3. Â*Is it advisable to keep your fragrances in the freezer to extent their shelf life and to decant for short term
use?

4. I would assume there is a bias among the members against fragrance imposters that are available on the market these days. Â*Has anyone knowingly whiffed an imposter that was true to the original or even an improvement on the fragrance that inspired it? Â*Also would anyone recommend a source for excellent imposters of men's fragrances in perfume strength?

5. Â*Any comments on the presence of solvent residues in essential oils that may be toxic. Â*Also, I am aware of an extraction process using some kind of gas. Â*Is this the prefered method or is there a better one?

Any and all comments are welcome.

Thank you!

Hi, and welcome again!

As an alternative to the Halston 1-12, you might like a green-woody fragrance that's not too expensive, by Fresh, called Tobacco Flower (2003 release, was at Sephora). Something easier to find might be Alfred Sung Hei, Pal Zileri (the original one), or Paul Smith Men. These are all available at Nordstrom, for example. I personally find Tobacco Flower more striking, but it might be harder for you to find.

As a substitute for Bijan, you might try Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac, or slightly sweeter, Terre de Bois by the same house. These are at my Nordstrom, but I don't know if they're at all of them. Other possibilities might be Michael for Men by Michael Kors or Marc Jacobs Men. I'm sure you'll get other suggestions from other Basenoters.

Your questions:
1. Perfume concentration is definitely better, because you use less and reapply less often.

2. I don't know about alcohol as a preservative for different elements in scents. The ingredients vary so widely I doubt if alcohol would affect them all the same way.

3. I think freezing would be rather drastic, and might affect the viscosity and mixture balance of a fragrance. Light refrigeration might be less drastic, but I think just keeping your bottles in the dark and tightly sealed is the best method for extending their useful life. Nothing will make them last much longer than the materials will resist decomposition. Top notes suffer the most, because they are the most volatile, and fragrances that "go off" generally lose their tops. The best way to guard against this is to avoid light and keep the lids on tight.

4. I have no experience with "impostor" scents. I imagine a person who knows the original well would be able to detect a difference over time. The stages of development in the fragrances on the skin would never match exactly because of a) differences in individual skin chemsistry; and b) the secrecy concerning the exact composition.

5. Many materials that were formerly used in perfumery have been withdrawn and substitutes or approximations found because the originals turned out to be unsafe. The chemists who work for perfumers know not only about the technology of scent, but also about the constantly evolving research concerning environmental and safety hazerds. The companies rely on their expertise to avoid liability for adverse health effects to people. Of course, when it comes to allergies and sensitivity to materials on the skin, the variation among people is very wide, and some people react badly to one scent ingredient or another. They know what doesn't agree with them, and presumably take care to avoid it.

Hope that all helps. Have fun trying out the scents I suggested; they're all fun, even if you end up not choosing any of them. And remember also to test on your skin to get an accurate idea how they will smell on you, and give them time to develop and dry down so you can appreciate their full olfactory range.

Happy hunting, and welcome once again.

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post #9 of 10
5/15/06 at 12:17am
  • Ged
  • offline
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I haven't smelt either Halston or Bijan, so I may be way off track with some suggestions, but why not go to a big store and try these:

Hugo Boss Baldessarini
Guerlain Vetiver and L'Instant
Dior Homme
YSL Rive Gauche and Jazz/Live Jazz
all the Chanels!!!
Bvlgari PH
Armani PH

Sorry if you've already tried and discarded these, but they are all readily available and fit some of your criteria (either clean and summery, or dry and green, or slightly sweet without being too sweet/heavy)

Ged
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post #10 of 10
5/15/06 at 10:02am
Hi!
These days i've been thinking of buying Bijan... I was just affraid of its potency and old fashioned way...
well, I haven't smelt any of the fragrances you listed, but I have some recommendations:
- One man show (Bogart)
- Chanel Antaeus
- Gucci Envy
- Michael kors
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