Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Just Starting Out › See a pattern?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

See a pattern?

post #1 of 6
12/10/07 at 8:07am
Thread Starter 
Hi All:

Total newb here, but I've made extensive use of the search feature and the review section. I'm still having a hard time pinpointing what particular notes I like, and as a result I'm not sure which scents I should test out in the future. I'd like to list what I've tried, in hopes that some more experienced members can see a pattern and help me figure out where my preferences lie.


Thoroughly enjoyed:
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (wish it was a tiny bit spicier)
Hanae Mori HM (wish there was slightly less citrus in the base)
Vera Wang for Men (didn't last all day)
Swiss Army (old standby, looking for something new)


Enjoyed, but not what I'm looking for (most of these just didn't stand out to me, but in the case of Pi and Dior, I smelled too much vanilla or tonka bean):
Dunhill Pursuit
Burberry Brit
Givenchy Pi
Armani Code
Lacoste Pour Homme
Dior Homme
Thierry Mugler Angel


Did not enjoy:
Kenneth Cole RSVP (found it too dry)
Rochas Man (too dessert-like)
Prada Pour Homme (not masculine enough IMHO)
Gucci Envy (reminds me of frankincense or myrrh - my last favourite to date)


So there you have it. Based on the note pyramids, do my tastes seem to conflict, or can you discern a pattern? Thanks in advance.
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
post #2 of 6
12/10/07 at 8:26am
Its sort of impossible to really have a note that you love in every perfume...you'll see fairly conflicting theories in your own preference of liking JPG and HM, but not loving Angel and disliking Rochas. Not that they all smell alike...but are definitely in similar families.

Its really something that has to be judge one fragrance at a time...I love jasmin, for instance, but can't say that I've liked every jasmin-based scent out there.

Too subjective.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 6
12/10/07 at 8:32am
I asked a very similar question, once upon a time. Welcome to Basenotes! :wave:

I know some fragrance-finders have been recommended, but Quarry also had a great thread about searching by notes.

Good luck!
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 6
12/10/07 at 10:13am
first, welcome! And I agree with SoFresh that approaching fragrance by evaluating notes can be problematic as there are so many different ways to use a given note when combined with the other notes in a cologne or perfume. Even the formulations can vary from strength to strength of the same fragrance. Still, if one *reallly* stands out as good or bad, you can take note of that. For example the licorice note in Lolita Lempicka turned me off utterly -- I don't even like candy black licorice -- but it doesn't pop up that often and i would still keep an open mind if it's toned down and counterbalanced with something else.

It more often comes down to effects you like or not: many women dislike "powdery" or "sharp" or "green" scents. The best way to discover effects yo like and loathe is to simply sniff: at a store or from samples. You've begun but there's still much more sniffing to do, and hey, that's the fun part.

good luck and have fun and welcome to basenotes.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 6
12/10/07 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by sofresh View Post

Its sort of impossible to really have a note that you love in every perfume...you'll see fairly conflicting theories in your own preference of liking JPG and HM, but not loving Angel and disliking Rochas. Not that they all smell alike...but are definitely in similar families.

Its really something that has to be judge one fragrance at a time...I love jasmin, for instance, but can't say that I've liked every jasmin-based scent out there.

Too subjective.

Jasmine notes are in my most favorite and least favorite fragrances. It's really hard to go by notes when choosing something unsniffed, but you might try sampling various ones based on a note you like to see what works for you. I really cannot make a blanket statement that I like this or that classification of fragrances, either. Sometimes I surprise myself by loving something I never thought I would or vice versa.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 6
12/10/07 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
Very interesting, thanks for your help and the welcoming everyone. I've seen a lot of threads regarding similar scents, but I was hoping pick up on something so that I may stumble onto some on my own. Guess I'll buy a small bottle of Le Male and keep sampling in the meantime.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Just Starting Out

Features on Basenotes

Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Just Starting Out › See a pattern?