What is the perfume for men more effeminate?  

Hey! A Mexican Paisano.

I agree that FdM is a masterpiece. Indolic, arrogant, sensual.
But I have to say that a fragrance is only as masculine or feminine as the person who wears it.
Still, I think Gaultier2 is hard to pull off, and girlfirend swears that Hammam Bouquet smells better on women than men.

Kenzo Power is rather classically feminine, despite the labeling as a man's scent. I think it's the floral and powdery aspects together, even though they're subdued. But some days I just love it, and it doesn't get me strange looks like some real feminine scents (like certain Bond no.9 scents) do.

My wife agrees with you. I'm not allowed to wear it.
Renato

Another vote for FdM

I think Dior Homme is very feminine, too. Cloying sweet, smell exactly like lipstick in the opening putting me off.

Oh, dear...

Seems to be a real 'total newbie' thing to not 'get' Dior Homme - can't blame newbs, they haven't developed the nose to interpret what they're smelling, the taste to grasp the artistry, or the experience to put it's masculinity in context. The fact that it's a huge seller and consistently in the top-10 most worn fragrances on BN demonstrates that these newbies are in the minority.

I can follow everything said about Fleur du Male to date, but what Irish says I bears wisdom: most fragrances are "as masculine or feminine as the man who wears it" (overdoses excluded). Aside from all the precious thoughts on perfume as art, and besides of serving as an identifier of self, a perfume like this one is simply an expression of joy! It's like being at somebody's party, like the glass of champaign you, the fan of beer cans, occasionally hold in your hand for the toast. I also see FdM as the olfactory equivalent to the ring in the pirate's earlobe, or the carnation in your dinner jacket. In about the same time as champaign gets stale in your glass, Fleur du Male turns into that kind of warm, woody fragrance which is normally worn by men rather than women. Body Kouros comes to mind here. But there is a slight dissonance in the dry-down which BK lacks - to me like a tongue-in-cheek note. I love this Musk Ravageur for rebels, but then I have no wife to talk me out of it !

at cusut: Welcome here!
Please ignore what bbBD just said about 'these newbies'. I am appalled by the rudeness of his statement. Personal taste, preference and perception are always primarily personal, and as such worthy of protection. They are nothing to be particularly proud of, nor are they something to be ashamed of or (worst), to be 'blamed' for! Besides, this poster hasn't been here long enough himself to tell others they wouldn't know what they are talking about. And if it matters, I, an oldie here, also think that Dior Homme (EDT, 2005) is rather feminine or androgynous! I never bought it, and it was easy to ignore the initial hype! I recommend to give Dior Homme Cologne (2007) a chance though. In contrast to the original, I find DHC perfect as a man's summer fragrance.

I'm a BN newb and 4 months new into perfumes. I "get" Dior Homme the first time I smelled it on a sample strip 2 months ago. I thought, "Wow, smells unlike any other I've had tried."

Returned from an afternoon movie date with a girl just now. Scent I wore on the Date: guess what....

Habit Rouge walks a very fine line between masculine and feminine, and that is what makes it so interesting. A lot of men seem to peer over the fence of masculinity, not daring to experiment with something lighter and playful.Nothing should really be out of bounds.

I dunno. I'm hardly a newbie, and while I wouldn't say I don't "get" Dior Homme, I don't think all that much of it. It's not that it's floral - I wear Carnal Flower, for cryin' out loud - but that it features a distracting, "cheap" smelling artificial fruit flavor note that's an awful lot like red Jolly Ranchers. I suspect that part of Dior Homme's notoriety stems from the novelty of a designer "men's" scent based on iris. Frankly, there are several iris scents that I prefer to the Dior, whether they say "Homme" on the label or not - Iris Bleu Gris, Hiris, Iris Nobile, and Iris Poudre come to mind immediately. All were around before Dior Homme's release, and in my opinion none of them have been supplanted by it.

By all of which I mean to say that not appreciating Dior Homme (or any other scent for that matter,) is not necessarily a lapse of taste, a sign of ignorance or a "newbie thing." It may just be an issue of preference.

Mouchoir de Monsieur by Guerlain. I know it was created for gentlemen, but I have always adored wearing this.

I really have never met a man, or spoken to any, who have worn this scent. I know that the King of Spain wore this scent exclusively for decades and decades, but that is about it.

I also love Sagamore and Balafre by Lancome, again made for men but they are some of my favorite scents to wear.

I also love Habit Rouge and Heritage by Guerlain.

I guess most scents could be worn by either men or women.

Very well put. I also think the same.

Givenchy's Insensé might be confused with a "for women" fragrance.

But personally i don't believe in those labels, like most fellow Bnoters (male and female alike)...

cheers

Habit Rouge, absolutly because is too feminine....but that doesnt mean a bad thing.

Personally, I dont know if its good or bad, but is not something I can t define with security. Habit Rouge confuse me a little bit.

Your statement is the equivalent of "If you do not agree with my opinion then you are stupid and unsophisticated." Very arrogant there bbBD and a clever -childish- little slippery slope argument. You have to face it, I know you love Dior Homme but not everyone agrees with you.

To all the newbies-Please wear what you like and ignore people who tell you that you are an idiot for having an opinion. I apoligize that you have to hear such statements bc they are the minority.

I don't think Dior Homme is at all feminine. Mind you I will quite happily wear Penhaligon's Victorian Posy or Elizabethan Rose - mainly because they were originally designed to be worn by men.

The fact of the matter is that high florals which are nowadays associated with women's fragrances were originally worn by men. Women hijacked florals in the early part of the last century.

I do think it was a bit harsh to say that it was a "newbie" thing. I'll wear anything I like. Male skin has different chemistry to female which is why fragrances on men will often smell very different. I can wear Kingdom very effectively and often get complimented on it when I do - and that was originally a women's fragrance. Conversely Terre by Hermes on a latino woman's skin is amazing...

For all the people who have jumped on my post - it was utterly tongue in cheek and referenced a number of discussions that went on weeks ago. The post immediately proceeding my post (the "uh oh" post) was my entree for making this comment. If you failed to grasp my sense of humor, I apologize.

I would think that most people would understand that a grossly over-the-top statement was intended to be a goof. Again, it referenced an ongoing discussion that wrapped up a few weeks ago. Further, anyone who has read anything I've ever written knows no one believes more thoroughly than I do in the concept of "if you like it, wear it." I wear and recommend feminine, unisex, designer, and niche fragrances. I put a lot of effort into sampling all sorts of fragrances and put a lot of thought into making recommendations when asked to do so. This is what I try to contribute.

These are contributions that TheAttorney does not make. I find it humorous that someone like TheAttorney would "caution newbies" when he is nothing but a newbie to fragrances himself. In case anyone doesn't know the background - he attacks me every chance he gets and he has a history of posting people's private information (like my first name, which he is not supposed to post and is against the rules) and private communications to the community at large.

The many new members whom I've donated my time and opened up my wardrobe to know that I have nothing but love for new members. Any member - new or old - that asks me for a sample or advice is always greeted with a 'yes.'

I wonder how many new members TheAttorney opens up his wardrobe to for free decants?

How many times has TheAttorney responded to someone's post wondering what a fragrance is like with a PM telling the person he'd be glad to send them a sample of that fragrance?

The answer to both questions is probably ZERO because TheAttorney isn't that kind of person. My theory is that he posts on BN because he is starved for human contact and feigns an interest in fragrances as a pretext to be part of an online community. I believe this to be true because nothing in any of his posts ever shows any interest or analysis of fragrances, instead it's petty social commentary (like above). I dare anyone to show me a single insightful post TheAttorney has ever made concerning the construction, substance, or artistry of a fragrance.

So again, if anyone was offended by my comments, above - I sincerely apologize. I never intended to offend anyone - new member or old member. In the future I will be more cognizant of the fact that people like TheAttorney (and narcus - a member with "1" feedback in 4 years who does nothing for anyone) will go out of their way to misinterpret what I've written. TheAttorney knew damn well I was making a good but took the opportunity to attack me anyway.

Can we not fight/fall out?

We are all united by a love of fragrance. Let's celebrate our common ground and not pick over petty differences.

If it weren't for us, the world would be a smellier place and not in a nice way...

I'll just mention that I simply don't like the smell of flowers in a frag (with not much else going on). Same goes for a fruity frag. I don't really think in terms of "feminine," nor do I care about "artistry," because if it's not wearable I don't want to deal with it, just like how some of the art in a museum you wouldn't consider for your living room. Because I've found that my taste in frags seems to change quite often, I try to keep frags that I think I might like at some point, even if I don't care for it much at the moment. It also seems to be the case that skin chemistry, weather, etc. can play major roles in how you perceive a frag on a particular day, and what you wore yesterday can change how you think about the one you are wearing now. It's the ambivalence that seems to be inherent in the sense of smell that keeps me interested in it.

well, as you all may or may not know....i HAVE left Basenotes. I'm sick of the incessant whining, over the top insecurities and oversensitivity of many members who are not able to handle opinions. Really pathetic.

I was summoned back by bbBD to this thread....which i found profoundly interesting...well sort of....well not really....but it's worth some 'shot outs'. ha.

Since i've also recently found out that it is very appropriate to call someone profane names on Basenotes as long as one has a point (referenced from a post last week)....let's start off by saying that TheAttorney is a complete asshole in every way. He contributes nothing to the forum, he has a very unhealthy streak of anger which interferes with nearly every post he makes, and he really doesn't have much knowledge about fragrances as well. His constant biting upon bbBD and myself and our every post is quite comical, and annoying.....but ohh well, i'm sure we can agree that his insignificance can easily be discounted on this post just as on every other post of his. I feel slightly dirtier just by mentioning his name....ick.

Part of the reasons i've left basenotes are disgusting over reactions which take place----HENCE such as the one many of you had to bbBd's 'newbie' comment......i think he's right personally. As someone who has owned Dior Homme in the past (and have sold it as well after thinking it wasn't my style)....i do think that an immature nose is not able to understand it....but MOSTLY, i think bbBd's comments were pretty tongue-in-cheek as well......in reference to previous discussions about this.......so MANY of you need to lighten up.....and stop getting your panties tied up everytime you feel you've been insulted. Grow up.

ALRIGHT.....back into retirement i go.

cheers and stay chillin peeps :wave:

Well goodbye to all that. How nice to have someone stepping back in just for the delights of a fight. We're all done with that I'm afraid.

I'd like to keep this thread open out of respect for the original poster's question and the efforts members have put in thinking about that question. I've got the ability to wipe out lots of replies here which have digressed from that question, and I might end up doing that.

If I'm going to keep the thread open and available though, it has to come back to and stay on its topic. Otherwise I will have to edit or delete the thread.

Thanks,
--Chris

Dude, everso, I've been keeping my mouth shut and trying to give you the benefit of the doubt (over the last few months of reading your posts), but now it seems that you are the one that is whining.

First of all, leaving basenotes isn't going to hurt or spite anyone but yourself. Leave if you want, but instead, if you really are into fragrance, consider using the function that lets you block other members and their comments.

Second, I like TheAttorney. At least I prefer his demeanor and/or tone to yours. I've seen you make some extremely "matter-of-fact" statements, sometimes in retaliation to something someone else has said, and sometimes unprovoked. Either way, it usually ends up in some sort of confrontational disagreement or argument. If this isn't your intent, then you might want to consider it anyway. The same thing happens to me sometimes. People think I'm being a dick when I'm just kidding or intentionally saying something stupid or that I don't understand. So what. And regarding your perception that TheAttorney doesn't know anything about fragrances... how the hell would you know. All I can see in you, as far as fragrance goes, is that you're obsessed with leather scents and am basically close-minded to anything else. Again, if that's not the case, maybe you should think twice about how you might be coming off to people. One extremely tacky thing to do is claim you're more of an expert than someone else...(unless you're kidding, of course)

I don't think you're a dick. Yet. But you can be pretty "matter-of-fact". Hopefully that means something to you, ESPECIALLY since we're dealing with and discussing a very abstract thing, that can be perceived very differently by different people.

PLUS, would you like to know how I know you're not "over" Basenotes? ... You're reading this.


OH and dust, we were both composing our posts at the same time. I hadn't read yours before I wrote this. Hopefully everso gets to read it.

Tried a Perfumed Court 7 Iris samplers which include some of the above and other legendary iris perfumes (SL's Iris Silver Mist). With the exception of the Guerlain Iris Ganache in that pack, I find the rest unwearable. Miller Harris Terre d'Iris (I think) is almost wearable.... SL's Iris Silver Mist smells just like if I rub carrot root on my skin. :P

I just wish we could get away from the "I know better than you do so my opinion is worth more than yours" bollocks.

That's not why I contribute to this forum.

The only thing we SHOULD be able to agree on is that this is all opinion-based!

...and that I am the mack daddy.

I'm with HDS1963 on this one. He's twice asked if we can avoid getting off topic on this and so I'll now join him in asking twice.

Come to think of it I think this thread is done.