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If you could make one suggestion to a clueless high schooler...

post #1 of 11
12/28/06 at 4:02pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, I'm a senior in high school, and I wanna smell good but don't really know where to start. I wanna preface this by saying I don't have the desire nor the moneyto invest in a large number of colognes. I plan to make a list, test them at stores, and buy the one or two I like most, keep it simple. So I'd like some recommendations of ones to check out, but not too many. I know a lot of people say certain scents are better for certain occassions, but does it really matter? Ideally I'd like to keep the amount of fragrances I have to a minimum...all purpose ones if you will.

if it gives you any idea of what I might enjoy, I do like Le Male and Hanae Mori and didn't like Acqua di Gio, Egoiste Platinum, or the Pi ones when I tried them out...i'm probably babbling right now

Sorry if I seem like an idiot but I don't know where else I would ask
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post #2 of 11
12/28/06 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arti

Hey, I'm a senior in high school, and I wanna smell good but don't really know where to start. I wanna preface this by saying I don't have the desire nor the moneyto invest in a large number of colognes. I plan to make a list, test them at stores, and buy the one or two I like most, keep it simple. So I'd like some recommendations of ones to check out, but not too many. I know a lot of people say certain scents are better for certain occassions, but does it really matter? Ideally I'd like to keep the amount of fragrances I have to a minimum...all purpose ones if you will.

if it gives you any idea of what I might enjoy, I do like Le Male and Hanae Mori and didn't like Acqua di Gio, Egoiste Platinum, or the Pi ones when I tried them out...i'm probably babbling right now

Sorry if I seem like an idiot but I don't know where else I would ask


You ask older fellow idiots who have spent a bunch of dough before finding the colognes they like.

Welcome to the madness.

Ok, keep it simple --Le Male and Hanae Mori are "Orientals", as is PI, though some find PI a lot 'heavier.'

As to the ever popular acquas, I have sometimes referred to AdG as 'Acqua di Watermelon.' Weird notes. PE reminds some of us of battery acid, but threre's NEVER a concensus. Others in the forum really like it.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, keep it simple.

Try:

1. Mont Blanc Individuel-- a smooth GQ kind of scent, not too sweet and light years ahead of Le Male, immho.

2. John Varvatos (of course) both the original and the brown bottle 'vintage'

3. Bulgari Black---another 'Oriental' that's hard to describe, ( rubber tires in a good sort of way? ) but if you like HM, give it a shot.

4. Geir by Geir Ness--Should be able to find a tester in an upscale dept store. Hard to describe, look up the reviews here, well worth having but, as you already know, don't ever buy without trying first.

That's 4 suggestions, it should = at least one buy, if I picked them right.

Just beware of sales clerks trying to push CK eternity, Curve or whatever their boss tells them has to move out this week.

Cheers,

Mario
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post #3 of 11
12/28/06 at 4:41pm
Hey man, I have a few (A LOT) you may like...

ROCHAS MAN
THALLIUM (cheap and very good)
Frank no.2
Lolita Lempicka
John Varvatos
A*MEN
ANVERS (very good IMO) but not well publicized.

Good Luck.
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post #4 of 11
12/28/06 at 4:48pm
-A*Men by Thierry Mugler
-Armani Code by Giorgio Armani
-Magnetism by Escada
-Unforgivable by Sean John (the more affordable, synthetic version of MI by Creed)


All of those are all purpose scents, and pretty good ones at that IMO. They have good sillage, and shouldn't be too hard to find in any department store. But you can get them all online for much cheaper..good luck !
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post #5 of 11
12/28/06 at 4:52pm
Ralph Lauren Black & Double Black
Black has a fruitier smell while double black is richer with coffee and woods.

Bulgari Black & Aqua
Black is somewhat indescribable. Aqua is the best widely available aquatic, imo.

Christian Dior - Dior Homme
A little medicinal from the sage, but the leather, iris, and chocolate smooth it out.

Gucci Envy
Probably not an everyday scent, because of its projection, but maybe more along the lines of a date fragrance.

Givenchy Very Irresistible
A gourmand like Hanae Mori, but I prefer Very Irresistible to Hanae mori.

Thierry Mugler Cologne
Cologne is the anything, anywhere, anytime fragrance, imo.

For two, I would probably choose Mugler for class and daytime activities, and for clubbing, dates, and formal occasions Gucci Envy or Dior Homme.
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post #6 of 11
12/28/06 at 6:43pm
As a fellow senior, I can understand how money is a factor. Here's some scents that may be up your alley, seeing how you like sweeter scents.

The Dreamer
Envy
Nemo
Allure
or the extremely cheap Jacomo Rouge which smells just like Le Male but with a mint opening.

Good luck.
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post #7 of 11
12/28/06 at 9:27pm
I vote for The Dreamer! It's really nice, sweet and memorable and has been a big compliment getter. Great longevity too -- awesome drydown -- a tad too strong at first blast but worth it... Check out scentiments.com for best on-line prices. You'll likely save 20 bucks or more at Scentiments as compared to your department store prices.
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post #8 of 11
12/29/06 at 4:16pm
Thread Starter 
Alright, I did a little shopping today and tested a bunch of those recommendations. Some were blah (Code, John Varvatos, Unforgivable), some were ok (Individuel, Allure)...my favorites are Polo Double Black, L'eau par Kenzo, and Geir...I still like Le Male though. What do you all think? I couldn't find some like A*men or Dreamer.
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post #9 of 11
12/29/06 at 4:29pm
Le Male is a nice one - very popular at the Christmas sales I worked on.
Another popular one (especially among younger guys) was Euphoria for Men by Calvin Klein...we sold out completely - and we had heaps of stock too. One of my fave men's scents at the moment. Not sure if you'd like it or not...give it a try - there's no harm!
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post #10 of 11
12/29/06 at 4:35pm
Thread Starter 
The sales lady actually gave me some samples to take home and i have one of eEuphoria...i'm not a fragrance expert so i can't really explain it, but there's something weird about it that I don't like...it smells too synthetic
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post #11 of 11
12/30/06 at 3:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arti

The sales lady actually gave me some samples to take home and i have one of eEuphoria...i'm not a fragrance expert so i can't really explain it, but there's something weird about it that I don't like...it smells too synthetic


LOL! Yeah, she gave me one, too. This was at Sepphora's

It must be time to push this one to all walk ins--


Cheers,

Mario
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