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Frags hated by many BNers that you like, and why.

post #1 of 87
1/8/09 at 8:37pm
Thread Starter 
The recent post about frags that are beloved by many BNers but that you don't like made me think that the opposite thread would be just as interesting. I'll start with One Man Show by Bogart. This is no award winner, but it's a creamy (not in a gourmand way) leather-like and incense frag that's certainly decent and may be worth a spot in a large rotation. Same goes for Quorom. Of course, it may be that many BNers are used to spraying at least 5 times per wearing, and that is not something I would do with these two frags. So why do I like them? They are different and do keep me involved (don't become boring). I won't say that either is full bottle worthy to me; I haven't decided yet. On the other hand, I really disliked Jacomo de Jacomo, because the powerful clove singularity doesn't let up for too long, and by that time I've had enough and am not interested in whatever remains.
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post #2 of 87
1/8/09 at 8:55pm
Joop Homme - fabulous scent.

While Azzaro's Chrome and Pure Vetiver aren't quite as reviled as Joop Homme, they're certainly much disliked here, but I think they're fabulous.
Renato
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post #3 of 87
1/8/09 at 8:57pm
Porsche Design The Essence: hated by plenty....in my mind, this was the BEST new fragrance of 2008 by a huuuuuuuuuge margin! oh well. your loss!
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post #4 of 87
1/8/09 at 8:59pm
Boss In Motion. Many here say it smells like orange creamsicle, and it very well may with how much BNers like to spray! Twice is plenty for any frag I've ever come across.
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post #5 of 87
1/8/09 at 9:06pm
Thread Starter 
Oh, forgot to mention. By coincidence, I wore M7 Fresh one day then Dior's Higher the next. I found the drydowns similar, but I liked Higher better (more going on with the pear and wood). Both had a kind of watery quality that I'm not used to but the herbal elements saved the day in both cases (talking about the drydown). Now I wonder why M7 Fresh has been much better received on BN than Higher. Could it be that it's an M7 flanker (and perhaps that Higher is a rather presumptuous name). Also, consistent with what Renato said, I liked Joop!, but since I have some similar frags, I never got a bottle of it.
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post #6 of 87
1/8/09 at 9:11pm
I really like Polo Black, which is reviled by many here. Why? Because it smells good! I just wish I could find it at a substantial discount from its normal selling price, but Ill probably end up buying a bottle anyway regardless.
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post #7 of 87
1/8/09 at 9:13pm
When I posted that Fleur du Male is a ***** scent, it created a bit of contoversy.
Varvatos Vintage has received bad ratings for what it is.
Duro gets trashed more than what I would imagine.
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post #8 of 87
1/8/09 at 10:09pm
CologneJunkie is going to see this thread--and she likes Keneth Cole Reaction! Gasp! (We all like that scent now too, since she's a mod and all.)

Bigsly, I agree with you on three counts: One Man Show, Quorum, and Dior's Higher. I like 'em all. Great stuff, especially Quorum. I smell it and really have a hard time understanding how anyone could dislike it.
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post #9 of 87
1/8/09 at 10:13pm
I absolutely love Versace's newest, Versace PH. Yes it's fairly simple, yes it's built on a common modern aquatic structure, but none of that matters because it's done so well. The transitions between top/heart/base are seamless and flawless. Longevity is great. It never ever smells sour or gets any off notes, and it's blended with finesse (the aquatic note is kept well in check, the sage of the heart blends effortlessly with a light and dry oud note, the cedar is kept way in the background, etc).

It's a tart rather than sweet freshness, and to me it really does evoke images of the mediterranean as well as white water. When sprayed on forearms or exposed skin the clarity of the drydown is amazing to me, as the dry oud note mixes with a more bitter than we're used to (especially compared to creeds) labdanum/ambergris note, with just a hint of tonka in the background to prevent it from getting sour, but not enough to carry it into the sweet territory. An excellent excellent fresh/summer scent that perfectly straddles the casual/formal line, as well as the heavy/light line.
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post #10 of 87
1/8/09 at 10:27pm
Acqua di Giò pour Homme.

There's a reason this is the #1 seller - it's very good.
Fresh and long lasting.
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post #11 of 87
1/8/09 at 10:36pm
Buzzley - if you want Polo Black or Double Black, check out my sale thread (hint hint).

I happen to like Allure Homme Sport, Azzaro Pure Lavender, and A*Men on the designer side. Although not discussed often, I like some fragrances that have been panned in the reviews, like ELO's Vraie Blonde, Malle's Angelique Sue La Pluie, and Montale's Chypre Vanille (which no one's ever mentioned as far as I remember)
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post #12 of 87
1/8/09 at 10:46pm
I like Guerlain Homme
I also like SL 5 o'clock ..... and Louve
Cruel Intentions
Piment Brulant
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post #13 of 87
1/8/09 at 10:48pm
I happen to find the mucho trashed Vierges et Toreros by Etat Libre to be quite amazing, but I think the Rod Stewart album Foolish Behavior is as good as Every Picture Tells a Story.
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post #14 of 87
1/8/09 at 11:23pm
CdG Anbar - most people find it smells like cleaning fluid. I think it's an eau de cologne style fragrance with a nice warm touch.

Parfumerie Generale Bois Blond - it's been called everything from dead fish and bug spray on one hand, to a sweet, bland amber on another. I love it. It's the scent of dry grass in summer. Sadly, I've become allergic to it and have to trade it away.
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post #15 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:29am
*whisper*

I like Laura Biagotti's Acqua di Roma and the generally detested Warm Cotton by Clean...
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post #16 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:51am
Too many to list, see my wardrobe.

Why? Because I have such an excellent taste.
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post #17 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:56am
I think its Boss Bottled for me... I don't know why everyone hates this... but this is my holy grail....
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post #18 of 87
1/9/09 at 3:38am
Put me in for a couple of Puig's creations. I'll see your Quorum and raise you an Agua Brava.

On the other side of the BN Popularity fence, I do NOT care for L'Anarchiste.
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post #19 of 87
1/9/09 at 5:29am
Kouros
A*Men
Fleur du Male

Why? Because I like the way they smell.
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post #20 of 87
1/9/09 at 6:32am
Versace PH
Armani Mania
Emporio Armani He(reviews aren't bad but I never hear much positive on the board)
Versace Jeans Couture

All of these do well on me and...especially Mania..and I always get people telling me how I smell nice and they make me feel good.
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post #21 of 87
1/9/09 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SculptureOfSoul View Post

I absolutely love Versace's newest, Versace PH. Yes it's fairly simple, yes it's built on a common modern aquatic structure, but none of that matters because it's done so well. The transitions between top/heart/base are seamless and flawless. Longevity is great. It never ever smells sour or gets any off notes, and it's blended with finesse (the aquatic note is kept well in check, the sage of the heart blends effortlessly with a light and dry oud note, the cedar is kept way in the background, etc).

It's a tart rather than sweet freshness, and to me it really does evoke images of the mediterranean as well as white water. When sprayed on forearms or exposed skin the clarity of the drydown is amazing to me, as the dry oud note mixes with a more bitter than we're used to (especially compared to creeds) labdanum/ambergris note, with just a hint of tonka in the background to prevent it from getting sour, but not enough to carry it into the sweet territory. An excellent excellent fresh/summer scent that perfectly straddles the casual/formal line, as well as the heavy/light line.

Yep, Versace Pour Homme for me and...
Mugler - Ice Men, Love me some synthetic iced coffee and patchouli!
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post #22 of 87
1/9/09 at 6:49am
...
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post #23 of 87
1/9/09 at 7:11am
I like the much maligned Guerlain Vetiver Extreme.
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post #24 of 87
1/9/09 at 7:20am
I'm with Ruggles - ELO's Vierges et Toreros is good stuff, and to Galamb - Bois Blond does have it's fans amongst the PG faithful.
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post #25 of 87
1/9/09 at 7:29am
Another vote for Versace pour Homme... does that mean it's liked enough to not be hated by most?

I like my fresh, aquatics! Acqua di Gio's on my list of ones I like.

Deseo for Men another fresh and woody one.

And I like lots of woody-amber based designer scents like Explorer and 1881 Amber.
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post #26 of 87
1/9/09 at 7:31am
Lacoste Essential has ho-hum reviews, some say it's boring, undetectable etc. But I love the stuff. It smells great on me, and just like they advertise, the top notes will reappear when your body heats up.
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post #27 of 87
1/9/09 at 7:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SirSlarty View Post

Another vote for Versace pour Homme... does that mean it's liked enough to not be hated by most?
I like my fresh, aquatics! Acqua di Gio's on my list of ones I like.

Deseo for Men another fresh and woody one.

And I like lots of woody-amber based designer scents like Explorer and 1881 Amber.

This social experiment has been great because there are some that many love and others...like Guerlain Vetiver that got smashed in the other thread. So I'm thinking so people just aren;t as blunt about their likes and dislikes.

I like Explorer too but I wish the initial burst stayed longer for me.
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post #28 of 87
1/9/09 at 7:58am
I really like Polo Explorer despite the all the hate it gets around here.

I also really like Kenneth Cole Reaction, sure it doesn't last long...but neither does Eau d'Orange Vert, and I think Reaction is a better, much more modern version of a cologne.

Throw Fleur du Male in also.
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post #29 of 87
1/9/09 at 8:29am
Wow, surprised to see Versace PH getting so much love 'round these parts.

Another one for me is Grain de Plaisir. It can be a bit moody at times in the drydown, sometimes getting a bit sour, but when it wants to behave it's amazing and a great great summer scent. Starts out fresh and lemony and progresses into a warm and nutty heart with a hint of celery and then a raw oakmoss overload in the base. I've found that I only enjoy it in the summer though.
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post #30 of 87
1/9/09 at 8:57am
I always rather liked the hugely detested Joop! Homme. It's not a top favourite of mine by any means but I like the "unusual-ness" of it - no other frag that I know of smells even remotely like it and I don't think it's unpleasant.
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post #31 of 87
1/9/09 at 9:45am
Azzaro Pure Vetiver - It seems to be disliked because it has "vetiver" in it's name and it doesn't have much vetiver. But as a fresh, warm weather scent it's quite nice. Would it be better liked if it was named something else?

Guerlain Homme - not very exciting or origianl, but still quite nice. If it was released by another House, it would be better received, I think.
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post #32 of 87
1/9/09 at 9:53am
I really like Guerlain Homme.
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post #33 of 87
1/9/09 at 10:19am
Gucci Pour Homme II
PG Bois Blond
PG Harmatan Noir - good chemistry on this one
L'eau d'Issey PH
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post #34 of 87
1/9/09 at 11:07am
Soooo many, but here goes:

Kouros (Always gets me tons of compliments.)

Bois de Miel (", especially from straight gals of all races and ages.)

Noir Epices (", almost always from other gay men.)

Canoe (" . . . lots of "Oh, I remember that one fondly!"-type compliments.)

Azzaro pour Homme (")

Versace L'Homme (")

L'Eau d'Issey (Praise, praise, praise. P.S.: This is a great frag for getting one laid, too.)

Fahrenheit (Lots of nice comments . . . for some reason, though, almost exclusively from black women.)

Joop! (Oodles of compliments.)

Pi by Givenchy (")

Both Aramis 900 and its kissing cousin, Aromatics Elixir (")

Both Cinnabar and its kissing cousin, JHL (")

Polo (", but only if it's not poured on.)

The Dreamer (Scads of nice comments.)

Lagerfeld Classic (", especially from my baby sister.)

I am -- as most if not all of you already know by now -- an incorrigible and unrepentant compliment whore.
(Yours Truly would likely wear dog shit and rose petals in garlands around my neck if only said combo somehow managed to garner him bucketloads of compliments.)

When I was in high school, I actually wore nothing but Avon Black Suede for a while (even though I didn't like it) simply because it managed to get me SO many compliments. (And these from girls and women, no less -- and, hey, I'm gay!) I would likely wear a fragrance even if the only people who had complimented me on it had been Idi Amin, the local bag lady who wears tin foil on her head to keep out Martian signals, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The only one I wouldn't wear, no matter what? A*men, and this only because it quite literally makes me physically ill.
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post #35 of 87
1/9/09 at 11:18am
Oh yeah, KC Reaction gets another vote from me. Terrible, terrible longevity but horray! for the scent.
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post #36 of 87
1/9/09 at 11:42am
Kouros comes to mind immediately, followed by Ciel and Une Fleur de Cassie (both of which might be more polarizing than "hated").
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post #37 of 87
1/9/09 at 11:51am
RL Polo Black;because I like it;made for the younger crowd they say;thats true because i am just 53 at the moment.
Cerutti PH 2007; because I love it,nobody ever wrote anything about it while its very special.
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post #38 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:17pm
Another from me is Davidoff Adventure. Love the sesame note and the evolution in this one. Longevity on me is great although it does stay fairly close to the skin.
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post #39 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:56pm
It's very trendy to bash anything that's become too popular. But hey, if it smells good, it smells good. So in that category, for me the ones that jump out are:
AdG
L'Eau d'Issey (how anyone cannot be enraptured by this glorious thing is beyond me!)

Another... Guerlain Homme. Why is it held in deep suspicion by so many? Because it doesn't smell like Mitsouko? The only thing I don't like about it is the totally unimaginative, boring, scandalous NAME. If another designer/perfume house brings out a "homme" or "for Man" or anything based around "Man", "Men", "Homme" or "Uomo" or any variation on that in any language, I will boycott it!
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post #40 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:58pm
OH! CK Crave. Its worst sin was its bottle. People talk about it as the worst scent ever while in reality is a fruity scent with some very elegant and well balanced woods. It has a very nice evolution.
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post #41 of 87
1/9/09 at 12:59pm
I'm another member of the Givenchy Pi fan club.
I have always liked it and continue to like it.
The other one I wear that doesn't seem to get much love is Carthusia Uomo.
It is my favorite rosewood scent and it always smells wonderful on me.
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post #42 of 87
1/9/09 at 1:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Somerville Metro Man View Post

I'm another member of the Givenchy Pi fan club..

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post #43 of 87
1/9/09 at 1:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Somerville Metro Man View Post

I'm another member of the Givenchy Pi fan club.
I have always liked it and continue to like it.

Pi gets both of us here more positive comments than any gourmand we've encountered. It has massive sillage and is almost "bakery like" in its sheer vanilla-laden deliciousness. (Or so we've both been told many times over, although not in those exact words.)

One straight gal we know told my partner (with a grin, of course) that whenever he wears Pi she wants (!!!) to lick him.
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post #44 of 87
1/9/09 at 2:31pm
  • KMF
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While I've never owned Le Male, I've never hated it as much as most folks here do... I also like Vetiver Extreme more than any other Guerlain Vetiver. I used to own Pi back in the day, so I don't have bad things to say about it...
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post #45 of 87
1/9/09 at 9:05pm
KC Reaction - sure it doesn't last long, and neither do a bunch of others
Tommy Bahama St. Barts - tropical fruit - what's not to like? Sir Slarty must have had a bad batch.
Davidoff Good Life - one of the best subtle green frags
Gendarme Sky - after reading the reviews I was worried I wouldn't like it (blind buy as usual). But oh yeah, I do.
Sean john Unforgivable Multi-Platinum - one of the best for sure, and I don't give a damn if anybody thinks it's a rip-off.

Why? Cause I'm different.
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post #46 of 87
1/10/09 at 1:04am
My top secret guilty scent (because it didn't get much love here) is Hugo Energise.

I like very much the lovely whiff of coconut coming out of the bottle (I wonder why it is not mentioned in the note pyramid?). A great scent for a humid country like mine.

Even if it is my SOTD, you won't see me mentioning it here.
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post #47 of 87
1/10/09 at 1:39am
One from my wardrobe is " DERRICK " because its spicy , yet cool subtle in sweetness , non synthetic & smells like nothing else I have ever tried !
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post #48 of 87
1/10/09 at 5:27am
YSL L'Homme..... and I'll just duck any chairs flying at me now!
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post #49 of 87
1/10/09 at 5:30am
Chrome catches alot of hatred, and while I don't own or wear it, I like it.
I think of it as a more masculine Silver Mountain water. They both share a very long-lasting synthetic heart note, that is sharp, clean, cold and metallic. SMW, for me, ruins this note by adding very shrill, b!tchy feminine notes, and this defeats any good they did with the gris and black currant, which mellow and smooth the clean cold metallic "fresh note" it shares with Chrome.

2 more well-hated frags I like are Polo Sport & Cool Water. Although newer formulations of Polo Sport have seemingly none of the effervescent mintiness I really like, and new Cool Water has far too much lavender, my older stock bottles I really like.

And Sean John Unforgivable Multi-Platinum is better than Wall Street, imho.
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post #50 of 87
1/10/09 at 5:34am
I believe this post of yours makes me your arch-nemesis...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Simon Moon View Post

Azzaro Pure Vetiver - It seems to be disliked because it has "vetiver" in it's name and it doesn't have much vetiver. But as a fresh, warm weather scent it's quite nice. Would it be better liked if it was named something else?

This is literal poison to my nose.
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post #51 of 87
1/10/09 at 7:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by snifferdog View Post

YSL L'Homme..... and I'll just duck any chairs flying at me now!

Why? It gets its fair share of love around here.
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post #52 of 87
1/10/09 at 1:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtgprox05 View Post

Why? It gets its fair share of love around here.

Because it's also got as great a share of bloodthirsty haters who are ready to impale anyone who likes it with a pitchfork.
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post #53 of 87
1/10/09 at 2:04pm
  • KMF
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Old Spice
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post #54 of 87
1/10/09 at 2:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by snifferdog View Post

Because it's also got as great a share of bloodthirsty haters who are ready to impale anyone who likes it with a pitchfork.

Really?I've seen nothing but love here.
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post #55 of 87
1/10/09 at 2:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ToughCool View Post

Really?I've seen nothing but love here.

I agree, I'm sure there are people that dislike it, but on these boards its constantly praised.
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post #56 of 87
1/10/09 at 4:42pm
Hmm, my impression from reading the review page of YSL L'Homme is that many thought it was a cheap generic sell out from a Great house, thus my impression was also that people hated it (at least from an aesthetic perspective).
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post #57 of 87
1/10/09 at 8:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by karisuma View Post

Hmm, my impression from reading the review page of YSL L'Homme is that many thought it was a cheap generic sell out from a Great house, thus my impression was also that people hated it (at least from an aesthetic perspective).

Precisely, and the detractors are quite adamant about its lack of sophistication/structure/depth etc.
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post #58 of 87
1/10/09 at 8:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DustB View Post

CologneJunkie is going to see this thread--and she likes Keneth Cole Reaction! Gasp! (We all like that scent now too, since she's a mod and all.)

That's right *cracks knuckles*. I'm a Reaction fangirl & proud of it! SirSlarty wins points.
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post #59 of 87
12/3/09 at 8:39am
Black XS pour Homme catches quite a bit of flak over here, but I like it because it has character even though it smells innocent, young and fruity, and for me it's devoid of any negative associations. Very easy to wear.
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post #60 of 87
12/3/09 at 8:53am
I'm sure if I started posting here, I could fill up the topic. I guess I'm easy to please fragrance-wise.
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