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Recommendations for androgynous scents

post #1 of 17
1/2/08 at 10:05pm
Thread Starter 
i am hoping that some of the experts might be able to recommend a few new colognes for me to try because i'm not especially knowledgeable and i don't know where to begin.

after reading many posts here i noticed that my cologne wardrobe seems to be composed merely of popular scents that everyone else has, so i am looking for some new, unusual, and interesting ideas that fit my taste but not many others will have.

currently i only rotate between le male, gaultier2, d&g pour homme, by man, and allure homme sport. i bought all of these because i smelled them on classmates, etc. and they smelled alright.

i don't have a very trained nose, so it's hard to describe what i imagine my dream scent would be like. i would like to find scents that are androgynous. i prefer fragrances that don't feel cloying, masculine, or musky. i'm gay and don't mind slightly effeminate scents, but not overtly feminine and flowery. i favor alluring over sporty, dark/sad over cheery, mysterious over overt, subtle/intriguing over loud/bold.

i am really curious if any of the issey miyake or comme des garçons fragrances might fit these descriptions, as they are my two favroite clothing designers.

can anybody offer any suggestions?

thanks!
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post #2 of 17
1/2/08 at 10:11pm
From your description...I'd suggest you try Bvlgari Black. It's a smoky vanilla, but the vanilla in it isn't too sweet. I personally love it.

Welcome to basenotes!!
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post #3 of 17
1/2/08 at 10:26pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the recommendation!! i am hoping to get 8 or 10 suggestions to sniff this weekend.

i live really close to bond no. 9 and i've heard a few good things about that place, does anybody know about their lines?
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post #4 of 17
1/2/08 at 11:17pm
costume national scent or scent intense
hanae mori HM
tom ford black orchid
prada EDP
comme des garcon 2
hermes jardin en mediterranea or sur le nil
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post #5 of 17
1/2/08 at 11:52pm
I'm going to go out on a limb here, and make a recommendation I haven't made before.

Check out the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria series. In many ways they'll fit your descriptions of scent preferences, except for the dark part and they mysterious part. I'll need to think of something else to fit those qualities, but CJ's idea of Bulgari Black is a good one for sure.

Especially see if you can sniff Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca and Lemon Fresca. I think these are good things of superior quality that will work on anyone. Because they're unisex or will work on anyone they're usually sold on women's scent shelves, but that's just the market. There are other super gems in the line, like Lavande Velours, Gentiane (but this one might get cloying with a full day's wear), and some swear by Winter Delice, but most of them are great smells to choose to live in.
--Chris
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post #6 of 17
1/3/08 at 2:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fashion_fashoff View Post


i live really close to bond no. 9 and i've heard a few good things about that place, does anybody know about their lines?

lucky guy
i just went to saks and am no longer a bond no.9 virgin
though they have the "for men" and "for women" categories
they really intermix

the very first thing she showed me was their limited edition "Silver Factory"
which i love...to my semi-stuffy nose it smelled like bourbon-y vanila + smoke....a more literal character from the Bvlgari Black descriptions.

at first the only thing i asked for was light and fresh
and she gave me "hamptons" too summery blah blah
then i said more "fall/ winter" and maybe powdery
and she gave me wall street...ok....
there are a lot of "characters" in the bond no 9 line

i say its totally worth to look at

the price......$230 for silver factory...sheesh...
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post #7 of 17
1/3/08 at 3:42am
Make sure to check out Dior Homme. Androginity at its very best.
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post #8 of 17
1/3/08 at 3:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by transmaniacon View Post

Make sure to check out Dior Homme. Androginity at its very best.

how can i forget?!
good choice
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post #9 of 17
1/3/08 at 6:53am
West Side by Bond No. 9
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post #10 of 17
1/3/08 at 6:58am
Try Lorenzo Villoresi's Musk. It's a little too powdery rose for me, but it smells great and sounds very much up your alley to me. (I'm gay too, BTW, put I tend to like the more traditionally masculine scents on myself.) LV's Yerbamate also fits your description. It smells like smokey hay with wildflowers.

You also might want to try L'Artisan's Dzing! if you think you might like a soft animalistic scent.
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post #11 of 17
1/3/08 at 7:13am
I like all of the recommendations above (except for the Bond No. 9 - which I don't really care for).

I highly recommend:

Cumming by Alan Cumming
Odeur 53 by Comme des Garcons
Any of the Incense Series by Comme des Garcons (Avignon is my favorite)
Kingdom by Alexander McQueen

Welcome to basenotes - stick around long enough, and you will learn about many more scents that fit your criteria.
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post #12 of 17
1/3/08 at 8:38am
First to mind are several L'Artisan frags:

Tea for Two
Passage d'Enfer
Vanilia
Timbuktu

and I also recommend Bulgari Black!

Good luck!
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post #13 of 17
1/3/08 at 9:17am
Speaking of DIor, Bois d'Argent might fit this category. I find it perfectly unisex.
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post #14 of 17
1/3/08 at 9:21am
Along with my earlier suggestion (i.e., West Side by Bond No. 9), I must also second these frags already nominated by others:

Tea for Two
Passage d'Enfer
Timbuktu
Kingdom

. . . and hasten to add Dzongkha, Dzing! and just about any of the Montale aouds.
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post #15 of 17
1/3/08 at 9:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentronic View Post

Speaking of DIor, Bois d'Argent might fit this category. I find it perfectly unisex.


chyeah so is cologne blanche
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post #16 of 17
1/3/08 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by transmaniacon View Post

Make sure to check out Dior Homme. Androginity at its very best.

Yes, you must try this one. It re-defines what is acceptable for a masculine fragrance, and it's a mainstream product! How it got past the marketing stages is a miracle. Caron's L'Anarchiste also comes to mind, but good luck finding it. Saks may still have it in the men's fragrance department.
Bonds are worth looking into and L'Artisans could also fit the bill, too.
Welcome to Basenotes!
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post #17 of 17
1/3/08 at 9:55am
How COULD I have left both Musc Ravageur and Noir Epices out of my list? Oh, and Piper Nigrum, too!
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