Forget aromatic fougeres and chypres! As of my wardrobe and the continous trying of scents, I came up with this very arbitrary criteria for classifying fragrances:
1. Gentlemanly scents: notes centred on subtlety rather than notoriousness. Thus, they are not blended with the intention of wearers demanding attention. Mostly described as skin scents. Classy, indeed, but, for many, boring. Usually, blends are based on hesperidic notes, but not limited to these. Ex: Monsieur de Givenchy, Eau Sauvage, Chanel pour Monsieur, Dunhill 1934, etc.
2. Initially updated, now a little dated gentlemanly scents and hyped versions of classic: take the previous description, but turn the notes on with whichever essence in hand. Ex: Bowling Green. Regarding the last type: Narciso Rodirguez for Him, a musky version of Jean Claude Ellena's Eau de Campagne designed for Sisley in 1954.
3. Contemporary citrous / marine template: scents resorting to bergamot notes usually respectful of wearers thinking that scents being smell by passers-bye might qualify them as flamboyant - at best -, or GaGCB ("gay as gay can be") at worst. The usual stuff found everywhere: Duty Free shops, high-end perfume stores, drugstores and supermarkets. Longevity and sillage are nil. Ex; CK ONe, Aqua Di Gio.
4. Contempary woody / oriental template: same as before, plenty of chocolate notes and / or coffe notes and / or vanilla and / or any gourmand notes (of course, this excepts gourmand notes like fried fish, beef, broccoli, etc). These are for the ones daring to smell and / or being noted. Ex: Armani Code.
5. Contemprary cedar template: according to threads and posts here in BN, blame it on Iso E Super. It would be like # 4 with a little bit more of originality, but once you tried it, you can recognize the imprint in the rest of the class. Ex: Tumulte, Vetiver by L'Occitane, Gucci pH (2003).
6. Barbershop scents: for those wishing to recall past times, namely, the 1930's / 1940's, their lost Grandpa's and / or Fathers or just the barbershop they went to when kids. Ex: Dana's Canoe, Avon's Wild Country, a local cheapo, Grandall (a kick off of the first, but more flowery) and YSL Rive Gauche pour Homme. There are flankers in terms of strength and longevity: Grandal vanishes in seconds (rather a body splah than an EdT), Canoe lasts a little bit, Wild Country S&L is pretty good, and YSL Rive Gauche pH is a bomb.
7. Studio 54's scents: yes, powerbombs dating from the late 1970's early 1980's, those scents blended with the intention of sparking and / or catching up with sexual tension, made to be used at the disco, while dancing to the tunes of Dona Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, etc. Ex: the original Paco Rabanne, Kouros, Azzaro, BAlenciaga por Homme, etc.
8. Fragrances that could have been for the missus but now men can wear without any trouble "cause "men have come a long way, babe": take leather and musk notes scents and that is what you have, fragrances that could have been worn by women fifty to twenty years ago. This could be the case of Kiehl's Musk, Antaeus and VC&A for men. See? Things have changed not only for women...
9. Gay scents: fragrances favored by the gay community. No, I am not refering to the models used in ads nor such names as "Eau du Coq", I am refering to very sweet and very strong scents like Obsession, A Men, Rochas Lui, etc.
10. Snobish scents: overpriced scents, plain and simple. I refrain to mention examples as I am aware I could be the object of a terrorist attack by part of some "brand fundamentalist guerrilla task force".
11. Drusgtore scents: the ones sold in drugstores or supermarkets, BNoters spending too much money in fragrances might consider there might be a chance of finding a hidden gem among them... without succes so far. Ex: Adidas Victory League.
12. Hard to understand scents: the ones loved by experts, cherished by experts wannabe because experts say so, and despised by common fragrance users. Yes, Jules, that is you. BTW, Oscar per Lui might be among these ones, IMHO.
13. Lady's scents used by men because "men have come a long way, babe": perfectly unisex fragrances - Cabochard, Shalimar, Bandit, Mitsouko - or female fragrances with exquisite drydowns - Opium pH.
Well, I ran out of categories.
A, yes...
14. Classics: the ones considered so, but - obviously - either reformulated for the bad and / or discontinued. In this case, they usually cost an amazing amount of dollars when becoming rare. Ex: Givenchy Gentleman, Rochas Macassar.
1. Gentlemanly scents: notes centred on subtlety rather than notoriousness. Thus, they are not blended with the intention of wearers demanding attention. Mostly described as skin scents. Classy, indeed, but, for many, boring. Usually, blends are based on hesperidic notes, but not limited to these. Ex: Monsieur de Givenchy, Eau Sauvage, Chanel pour Monsieur, Dunhill 1934, etc.
2. Initially updated, now a little dated gentlemanly scents and hyped versions of classic: take the previous description, but turn the notes on with whichever essence in hand. Ex: Bowling Green. Regarding the last type: Narciso Rodirguez for Him, a musky version of Jean Claude Ellena's Eau de Campagne designed for Sisley in 1954.
3. Contemporary citrous / marine template: scents resorting to bergamot notes usually respectful of wearers thinking that scents being smell by passers-bye might qualify them as flamboyant - at best -, or GaGCB ("gay as gay can be") at worst. The usual stuff found everywhere: Duty Free shops, high-end perfume stores, drugstores and supermarkets. Longevity and sillage are nil. Ex; CK ONe, Aqua Di Gio.
4. Contempary woody / oriental template: same as before, plenty of chocolate notes and / or coffe notes and / or vanilla and / or any gourmand notes (of course, this excepts gourmand notes like fried fish, beef, broccoli, etc). These are for the ones daring to smell and / or being noted. Ex: Armani Code.
5. Contemprary cedar template: according to threads and posts here in BN, blame it on Iso E Super. It would be like # 4 with a little bit more of originality, but once you tried it, you can recognize the imprint in the rest of the class. Ex: Tumulte, Vetiver by L'Occitane, Gucci pH (2003).
6. Barbershop scents: for those wishing to recall past times, namely, the 1930's / 1940's, their lost Grandpa's and / or Fathers or just the barbershop they went to when kids. Ex: Dana's Canoe, Avon's Wild Country, a local cheapo, Grandall (a kick off of the first, but more flowery) and YSL Rive Gauche pour Homme. There are flankers in terms of strength and longevity: Grandal vanishes in seconds (rather a body splah than an EdT), Canoe lasts a little bit, Wild Country S&L is pretty good, and YSL Rive Gauche pH is a bomb.
7. Studio 54's scents: yes, powerbombs dating from the late 1970's early 1980's, those scents blended with the intention of sparking and / or catching up with sexual tension, made to be used at the disco, while dancing to the tunes of Dona Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, etc. Ex: the original Paco Rabanne, Kouros, Azzaro, BAlenciaga por Homme, etc.
8. Fragrances that could have been for the missus but now men can wear without any trouble "cause "men have come a long way, babe": take leather and musk notes scents and that is what you have, fragrances that could have been worn by women fifty to twenty years ago. This could be the case of Kiehl's Musk, Antaeus and VC&A for men. See? Things have changed not only for women...
9. Gay scents: fragrances favored by the gay community. No, I am not refering to the models used in ads nor such names as "Eau du Coq", I am refering to very sweet and very strong scents like Obsession, A Men, Rochas Lui, etc.
10. Snobish scents: overpriced scents, plain and simple. I refrain to mention examples as I am aware I could be the object of a terrorist attack by part of some "brand fundamentalist guerrilla task force".
11. Drusgtore scents: the ones sold in drugstores or supermarkets, BNoters spending too much money in fragrances might consider there might be a chance of finding a hidden gem among them... without succes so far. Ex: Adidas Victory League.
12. Hard to understand scents: the ones loved by experts, cherished by experts wannabe because experts say so, and despised by common fragrance users. Yes, Jules, that is you. BTW, Oscar per Lui might be among these ones, IMHO.
13. Lady's scents used by men because "men have come a long way, babe": perfectly unisex fragrances - Cabochard, Shalimar, Bandit, Mitsouko - or female fragrances with exquisite drydowns - Opium pH.
Well, I ran out of categories.
A, yes...
14. Classics: the ones considered so, but - obviously - either reformulated for the bad and / or discontinued. In this case, they usually cost an amazing amount of dollars when becoming rare. Ex: Givenchy Gentleman, Rochas Macassar.
