Year Zero: Rebuilding a Wardrobe

Dear Basenoters,

About a year ago I began my initiation into the world of frags. It has been a really fun ride so far. Thanks to the Basenotes site and the wonderful community here on the boards I have learned a lot and discovered some great fragrances. You've also given me some good laughs. Thanks!

Unfortunately I have recently given away my fragrance wardrobe to some college age guys who live across the street from me. Luckily most of the bottles were almost empty. You see, I am going through a divorce right now. This rendered my wardrobe unwearable--it was absolutely tied up with memories and emotions related to my soon-to-be-ex-wife. So here I am, viewing this as an opportunity to rebuild my fragrance collection from scratch. Think: phoenix from the flames. I'm hoping that some of you will be able to give me some suggestions for rebuilding my collection.

Due to legal costs I cant afford niche frags. I'm looking to develop a base group of five frags that I can rotate through at work and play. I work in an academic library and am hoping to start a masters in education soon. But I also like to have fun with my friends, go to sports games and bars, so its not all serious business.

A little about me: I love philosophy and theology. I am a ravenous news hound. I love rock, blues, and jazz music. I am tall and work out three times a week. I'm not built, its more like a maintenance schedule haha. I love to read novels--I mix classics in once in a while with the masses of detective novels and thrillers I consume. I'm 27 and am a Bostonian.

Here is the wardrobe I left behind, so these are all out:

Bulgari pour homme
Versace Dreamer
Le Male
Terre de Hermes
Mugler Cologne
John Varvatos
Burberry London
Ungaro III
XS
Green Irish Tweed
Bois du Portugal
Versace Man
Givenchy Pi
Rive Gauche pour Homme
Opium pour Homme
Roches Man
D+G ph

If you took the time to read this, I thank you for your consideration and look forward to your suggestions. I think I will order a bottle of Guerlain Vetiver to start with.

P.S.-Happy New year!

Thanks everyone, for the suggestions and support. I've jotted them down and will go on a testing spree at the local Sephora soon.

Thank you for the suggestions. The PS Story fragrance sounds interesting. I saw one on sale at a local discount store while doing some Christmas shopping last week. Woohoo

Fuel for Life seems like a fun frag. I'm not sure if I can pull it off but I do like fruity scents.

How do people feel about Magnetism as a fruity fun scent? It's a fizzy grape scent right? I'll try that as well.

Hmm. Given my changing situation I might visit that infamous thread "Hai guyz what cologne gets gurls interested in you?"

Thanks for saving me the time. I will definitely pick up a sample. I've tried Allure and quite liked it but the Sport seems quite different to its older brother. I've never owned a Chanel before.

Since it's winter here I might pick up Egoiste for the chilly season and add either Allure Sport or Platinum Egoiste in the spring season.

Cheers.

Thank you for the suggestions. PM looks like something I'd like. I have never read much on Bogart but I like the name. I am a big fan of film noir, and of Bogie in particular, so the Bogart and Third Man fragrance names always grab my attention when I browse the forum haha. Bogart is a spicy scent? I seem to remember people nominating it for fragrance of the year just when I joined the forum a year ago. I will do some researching on these.

Your dog is adorable by the way. I have a Portugese water dog who has spent the greater part of the day in the backyard contentedly munching snow. Saturday morning I may have to mop again

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

I tried quite a few frags today, but many were unavailable at the local Macy's and Sephora shops.

I have to skin test the frags as much as possible because I cant trust my skin chemistry to react consistently-I occasionally have minor but irritating allergic reactions to frags, or my skin doesn't hold the scent.

I quite liked the Michael Kors and Double Black fragrances. Unfortunately the Double Black quickly disappeared on me, but the Kors scent lasted for hours and developed nicely on me.

Allure Homme Sport didnt respond well to me. I liked it on the card but it produced poor sillage on my skin.

Dior Homme smelled lovely, but gave me a headache. At this point I retired my nose for the day haha.

The Caron scents and Encre Noire were nowhere to be found. I might blind buy a Caron since I've never owned one. I enjoy lavender so I may purchase Pour un Homme. Encre Noire sounds very interesting, I may blind buy it if I pass over the Caron.

Hi Duke,

I did get a nice pipe tobacco scent from the Michael Kors that I tried. My grandfather smoked a pipe and the accord brought back good memories. I associate the smell of pipe tobacco with old school masculinity.

By the way, I really like your avatar.

Thank you for the information. I will try to swing by Neimans and give it a try. It seems like a very interesting and dark scent.

Yeah, it could be seen as extreme, but I honestly wasn't able to enjoy them anymore, and they were very wrapped up with her in my mind. I am a very sentimental guy.

I didn't destroy my fragrances, I gave them to some people who I hope will enjoy them.

When she would come home from work we had this ritual where she would sniff my neck and try to guess what I was wearing that day. If she guessed correctly I would give her a big kiss. If she guessed wrong she received a playful smack on the bottom. Yes, I'm weird lol, but I need time before I am able to use any of those fragrances again.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I appreciate it.

I am burning through the Guerlain Vetiver and loving every minute of it.
I also bought a bottle of Bulgari pH as a safe scent for subdued ocassions.

I'm holding out until the weather warms up here in Boston before I add to the collection. Live Jazz is up for consideration along with Caron's Anarchist and Hermes Orange Concentree.

Thanks for the suggestions. I look forward to sampling them, le Nil sounds wonderful and very appealing to me.

Thanks Duke. I'm taking it one day and one sniff at a time