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post #1 of 10
3/2/09 at 10:01am
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I am curious if places, like wine and food and fashion, put a certain stylistic stamp on their fragrances. Do you note national characteristics in fragrances?
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post #2 of 10
3/2/09 at 10:03am
What a good idea for a thread!

I have notice that Italy likes Citrus, France loves Jasmine, Middle East is very much Rose and smokey frags...that's a start!
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post #3 of 10
3/2/09 at 11:22am
Yes, a great idea.
For men's scents --
I like to think that the British houses (e.g., Penhaligons, Geo. F. Trumper) have a very stylish, manly "stiff-upper-lip" tone which combines a cool austerity with a warm suaveness.
And that Italian houses (Villoresi, Borsari, Armani) have a warm Mediterranean "la dolce vita" vibe.
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post #4 of 10
3/2/09 at 4:00pm
I don't think anyone does unsweetened citrus like the Italians.
Lavender and light (not dark) Rose seems to be a bit of the UK's area of expertise. Of couse the many exceptions to these generalizations are rampant!
France and Florals go hand in hand to me (again, too many exceptions to really take that seriously), and the Middle East with Oud, spices, incense.
Still...the great thing about perfume is its universality. Just like fragrance is all over the map, so too are the perfumistas and colognoisseurs her on Basenotes!
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post #5 of 10
3/2/09 at 7:50pm
I was just thinking about Spanish perfumes today...

Loewe stuff in particular... But, I think that the Spaniards have a way of making what are traditionally fresh-variety scents a bit dark and dark-variety scents, fresh!!, (if that makes sense).

And I want more Spanish perfume!!!
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post #6 of 10
3/2/09 at 8:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hillaire View Post

I was just thinking about Spanish perfumes today...

Loewe stuff in particular... But, I think that the Spaniards have a way of making what are traditionally fresh-variety scents a bit dark and dark-variety scents, fresh!!, (if that makes sense).

And I want more Spanish perfume!!!

Agreed, Spanish scents need more discussion & profile. The men's section recently had threads on Agua de Colonia Concentrada (Alvarez Gomez) and Cedro by Campos de Ibiza. Both are excellent scents.
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post #7 of 10
3/3/09 at 3:38am
I have been trying tuberose perfumes and find that those from Italian houses tend to have lots of ylang ylang which make them piquant and spicy, compared to France ones.
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post #8 of 10
3/3/09 at 3:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by odysseusm View Post

I like to think that the British houses (e.g., Penhaligons, Geo. F. Trumper) have a very stylish, manly "stiff-upper-lip" tone which combines a cool austerity with a warm suaveness.
And that Italian houses (Villoresi, Borsari, Armani) have a warm Mediterranean "la dolce vita" vibe.

Can't agree more! I think your observations are spot on!

About the French houses: they are so varied with multitudes of nuances but generally yes, it is florals -- lavender, lily of the valley, gardenia -- with some French stink going on -- naughty, deep, attractive.

American houses: up to the first half of the 90's it was all about big and loud compositions, from the second half of the 90's and on it is all about inoffensive crowd pleasers.

Japanese houses: timid, close to skin scents that do not allow the wearer to stick out from the crowd.

There are of course exceptions which make our lives interesting.
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post #9 of 10
3/3/09 at 6:16am
And the US? With many exceptions, and thinking of Estee Lauder, American scents are, well, optimistic.
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post #10 of 10
3/3/09 at 8:42am
I agree: Estee Lauder reminds me of an all-American style where they like "clean and well-scrubbed." I imagine the Beyond Paradise that I own panders to the the stereotypical sporty 20-something single Californian blonde chick - definitely someone I am not!
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