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Battle of the Aquatics!

post #1 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:02am
Thread Starter 
Just in time for summer, how about we do a Battle of the Aquatics!

First, let's start off with some well-known ones.

Contender 1: L'eau d'Issey PH by Issey Miyake. Currently, this is my fave of the aquatics. IMO, it's a nice, light, beachy scent with a hint of warmness.

Contender 2: Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani. Granted, this was a great scent when it first came out. But, given the epidemic usage of this in the US (a level similar to JPG's Le Male in Europe), it has lost its appeal for us, and is now a sickening scent that we Basenoters typically can't stand.

Contender 3: Reaction by Kenneth Cole. Despite Kenneth Cole's bad rep around here for Black and Signature, Reaction (his best-seller) is a pretty darn good scent. Take some watermelon and apples, throw in some woods, add some patchouli for a spicy kick... BAM! You've got a pretty darn good reaction going.

Contender 4: Millesime Imperial by Creed. One of the best creations from this house, MI is simply an a amazing scent... word's can't describe this one. And the bottle is droolworthy, too.

Contender 5: Unforgivable by Sean John.
Directions:
1) Take a bottle of MI.
2) Have Estee Lauder's MAC Cosmetics division copy it.
3) Slap Pimp Diddy's name on it.
4) Sell it at Macy's, Sephora, Nordstrom... in other words, everywhere.
BINGO! You've used truly "unforgivable" tactics to create a best-seller!

If you have any more contenders, bring them on!
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post #2 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:13am
Bvlgari Aqva- on a good day, you have a spicy, salty oceanic cocktail with some balsamic elements in there somewhere. other days it smells like hairspray.
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post #3 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:14am
Bvlgari Aqua (for a mineral aquatic)
tried the new Aramis Always for him? (it's watery, cucumbery fresh)
and Kenzo PH (marine, woodsy)
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post #4 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joel_Cairo

Bvlgari Aqva- on a good day, you have a spicy, salty oceanic cocktail with some balsamic elements in there somewhere. other days it smells like hairspray.

I second the motion. Bvlgari Aqva gets my vote!
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post #5 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:30am
I love Millésime Imperial the most but I don't see it as an aquatic; therefore my favourite in a category I'm not too fond of is definately l'Eau d'Issey!
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post #6 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:40am
Don't Forget Halston Unbound!! Some say It's a clone of Acqua di Gio, I particularly think It's Acqua di Gio enhanced!!!
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post #7 of 40
6/28/06 at 7:52am
I vote for Acqua di Gio
mentions: L'Eau par Kenzo, Kenzo PH, Givenchy blue label, GIT, Un jardin en Méditerrannée (aquatic?)
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post #8 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:16am
I vote for Aqua.
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post #9 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:34am
I vote for AdG but Polo Blue deserves a mention.
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post #10 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:37am
Of all of those I only own MI and Acqua Di Gio, and I personally hate ADG, only have it because it's one of the woman's favourites...again, as previously noted, I don't consider it an aquatic, more of a fruit salad effect....of any creed, when I think aquatic I think Erolfa, oranges on an old schooner around high tide. =)
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post #11 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:38am
Sorry, a bit confusing...I don't consider MI an aquatic...or ADG for that matter....both are really fruity to me...not so much aquatic.
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post #12 of 40
6/28/06 at 10:10am
ill stick to my aqua motu, by Comptoir sud pacifique! a proper aquatic!
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post #13 of 40
6/28/06 at 10:14am
I think L'Eau par Kenzo is one of the best in this category.
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post #14 of 40
6/28/06 at 10:39am
Err...I really wouldn't label any of those as being real aquatic, though Gio did seem to start the whole trend.

My vote goes for Givenchy BL in terms of sillage, longevity, and general compliments I've received from it. Plus, I enjoy the tart-spicy flavor of this that is absent in most aquatics, making this stand out from the rest of the pack.
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post #15 of 40
6/28/06 at 11:50am
I can't wait to try out the Aqua Motu that I've got....something tells me I've been there before...the aluminum bottle maybe reminds me of something I got as a gift around 1994 or so...long before basenotes...=)
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post #16 of 40
6/28/06 at 11:54am
Now that I think of it...my aunt is a scentophile...maybe she purchased a CSP for me a bunch of years back...she's the one that bought my first frag for me...not including such abortions as Drakkar and Brut...lol!
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post #17 of 40
6/28/06 at 12:27pm
Millesime Imperial - definitely a marine fragrance and in general one of the best fragrances I've ever smelled.
Erolfa - similar to MI but more rugged.
Mare by Creative Universe - Excellent, probably the closest thing to being live at the beach.
Silver Mountain Water
Kenzo Pour Homme - Have never tried it.
Aqua Motu starts off good
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post #18 of 40
6/28/06 at 3:04pm
Tie:

L'Eau Par Kenzo and Givenchy Blue Label
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post #19 of 40
6/28/06 at 3:27pm
I rather like the aquatics.

I don't have Aqua di Gio because I have the all-too-similar Unbound.

The Woman loves Bulgari Aqua, especially at the end of the day. I'm ok with it... it is more along the lines of Erolfa than AdG. I think I tend to wear it to appease the Woman than myself to be honest.

Erolfa is rather nice but I tend to wear it only on trips out to Toms River or the ocean.

Happy for Men has an aquatic note which I like and the subtle orange note manages to persist on my skin for a while.

Aqua Quorum, Cool Water, and the New Greenbriar (last time I tried it) are pretty similar. I'm undecided about Newport... just got a mini of it.
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post #20 of 40
6/28/06 at 3:41pm
MI is not aquatic, Erolfa is. Unforgiveable is MI and SMW mixed. Also, bond's Hamptons = SMW.
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post #21 of 40
6/28/06 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aubrgene

I second the motion. Bvlgari Aqva gets my vote!

And I'll third the motion! Bulgari Aqua is my favorite of the genre.

Jeff
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post #22 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:20pm
Bulgari Aqua is also my favorite aquatic.
Btw- Is Hamptons better than SMW?
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post #23 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:30pm
1. Kenzo Pour Homme
2. Bvlgari Aqva
3. Polo Blue
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post #24 of 40
6/28/06 at 8:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Giraffe

Bulgari Aqua is also my favorite aquatic.
Btw- Is Hamptons better than SMW?

For many, Hamptons is a good alternative to SMW because it lacks the tart currant note. On a personal level, I like Hamptons more simply because SMW lasts but 30 minutes on me.
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post #25 of 40
6/28/06 at 10:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fragrant Counterpoint

MI is not aquatic

? You should inform Creed, Michael Edwards and others that Millesime Imperial is not an aquatic/marine fragrance, for they all classify it as such.
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post #26 of 40
6/28/06 at 10:40pm
Aramis Surface, the freshest, cleanest, uncluttered aquatic I've ever tried. AdG holds no candle to this.

Cool Water Deep, spicy aquatic, a tad mainstream, but sensual and unassuming with a warmth to it.
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post #27 of 40
6/28/06 at 11:21pm
Mare by Creative Universe--the pure smell of a salt air beach

Kenzo Pour Homme--the beach gets a little nastier

Halston's Unbound--something quietly wonderful about this one

Millesime Imperial--I don't care if it's aquatic or not--it's superb!

Bulgari Aqua--have only had a quick sniff of this one--can't wait to put it to the test

Erolfa and Aqua Motu--wanting to try them--have samples coming
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post #28 of 40
6/29/06 at 2:45am
I vote for Creeds' Erolfa !
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post #29 of 40
6/29/06 at 3:17am
dont forget aramis bermuda tonic! that was a classic! oh can i find it!?
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post #30 of 40
6/29/06 at 3:19am
Herrera Aqua... Squirt a little, it's like AdG... Too much and you smell like you bathed in vodka. Which may actually turn on russian babes.
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post #31 of 40
6/29/06 at 6:27am
Let's throw in there some Aquaman... the "swimming pool" aqua scent, at least to me.

John
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post #32 of 40
6/29/06 at 8:22am
i always thought that lapidu's excited for men and guy laroche's horizon were very aquatic but they were never really marketed as "aquas"...i mean there's no aqua on the name, but the ads may be deemed as "aquatic"...
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post #33 of 40
6/29/06 at 8:32am
Of those mentioned (not wanting to get into an argument over categorization):

1. Millesime Imperial
2. Erolfa
3. Issey (but don't forget L'eau Bleue as well)
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post #34 of 40
6/29/06 at 12:10pm
My vote goes for Gio and will always go for Gio. Why should I wear a fragrance that smells "like" Gio when I can wear Gio.
I am one basenoter that will never get tired of this scent.
My 2nd vote is for 2.
a. Polo blue
b. Bvlgari Aqva
Gary
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post #35 of 40
6/29/06 at 1:59pm
SUBTIL by Salvatore Ferragamo.
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post #36 of 40
6/29/06 at 7:48pm
Is Chrome considered an aquatic?
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post #37 of 40
6/29/06 at 8:13pm
alfaomega, chrome is not considered an aquatic scent but i think you're onto something..i have also thought the same thing ...but it's really more on the ozonic side...
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post #38 of 40
6/29/06 at 8:24pm
Cool Water of course
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post #39 of 40
6/29/06 at 8:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by castorpollux

alfaomega, chrome is not considered an aquatic scent but i think you're onto something..i have also thought the same thing ...but it's really more on the ozonic side...

Hmm.. I'm still trying to isolate the ozone smell.
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post #40 of 40
6/29/06 at 9:58pm
can someone please define "ozone" as it relates to fragrance?
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