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Itching to buy a new frag! And suggest for my wardrobe pls!

post #1 of 22
6/29/09 at 4:35am
Thread Starter 
I'm itching to buy a new frag (I try to treat myself to one if I get to think up some bogus occasion hehe) and I've narrowed it to either :

Hugo X/Y
Joop Homme
Davidoff Silver Shadow Private

My upstart collection includes the ff: (I will quit to be embarassed by some of the frags I own haha! ):
Bvlgari Aqva, D&G PH, YSL Rive Gauche, Adolfo Dominguez Agua Fresca, Paris Hilton for Men, Carolina Herrera for Men, Nautica Blue, Adolfo Domiguez Alegria, Versace the Dreamer, Angel Schlesser Homme, Polo Blue, Ferrari Gold, Estee Pleasures for Men

Aside from those 3 mentioned above, any suggestions? No to niche fragrances pls (like the Goutals or Creeds), not that easy to find (nor buy -- damn expensive) here in Manila. I'm afraid I might be getting into too much of the same-type fragrances (like I think I have too many aquatics, I have to balance them out)...

Thanks from the noob
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post #2 of 22
6/29/09 at 6:51am
I have only tried Silver Shadow Private and XY out of the 3. Both were kinda average to me. Private was too sweet and XY too minty. If i were to choose out of the 3 i'll go with XY.

Based on what u got...yea u do have a soft spot for aquatics and fresh scents. But can't blame u because of the tropical climate. I love aquatics and fresh scents too. But its a good wardrobe because u have quite a few BN favourites (Rive Gauche, Dreamer and D&G PH).

If u do decide to continue on the aquatic/fresh path, here are some suggestions,
- Davidoff Silver Shadow Altitude
- YSL Live Jazz
- Hermes Concentree D'Orange Verte
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post #3 of 22
6/29/09 at 9:39am
Gucci Envy.

Kouros

Rive Gauche.

(i just dont like those mainstream stuff from boss and the likes.)
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post #4 of 22
6/29/09 at 10:36am
I might suggest you sample Caron Yatagan, which can be found at very reasonable prices, or, a bit pricier, Agua di Parma Colonia - two of my favorites that work in hot whether (though we don't get enough of it here in Chicago). Gucci Envy or Must would be great additions, too.
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post #5 of 22
6/29/09 at 10:54am
I personally have a soft spot for Joop Homme (this is strictly from female perspective)~!
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post #6 of 22
6/29/09 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kess View Post

I personally have a soft spot for Joop Homme (this is strictly from female perspective)~!

...and THAT to me is a very important perspective hehe.
Have seen threads here lovin' and hating on Joop Homme, which gets me all the more interested (same thing with A*Men, but I just couldn't stand it)

>>on Acqua di Parma, I looked for it yesterday night at the better dept store here (Manila's version of Neimans, or Saks) and it seems they've pulled it out already (niche frags in Manila don't sell well I think). And to think I've seen AdP on sale a few months prior and I didn't pay attention then! Grrr! But I WAS surprised to see a L'Artisan counter, with a buy-one-take-one promotion...Saw one with Tea for Two (intrigued) paired with a Rose frag that I'm not interested in hehe...supposedly a steal at $55 for 2 bottles...hmmm
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post #7 of 22
6/29/09 at 9:49pm
Individuel might be a bit more refined than Joop! Homme.
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post #8 of 22
6/30/09 at 2:46am
Maybe Rochas Man, Dior Homme, Solo Loewe, Azzaro Visit, Joop's What About Adam, Chanel Allure Homme, Givenchy Pi and Givenchy Very Irresistible
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post #9 of 22
7/1/09 at 2:33am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken_Russell View Post

Maybe Rochas Man, Dior Homme, Solo Loewe, Azzaro Visit, Joop's What About Adam, Chanel Allure Homme, Givenchy Pi and Givenchy Very Irresistible

Any of this similar to my current wardrobe? I want to broaden my scents range ...
I've seen Givenchy Pi here a lot, will check it out. Givenchy's Very Irresistible I like, I can take its choclit notes more than I can A*Men
Solo Loewe and Azzaro Visit seems to be the most accessible out of this list, I've seen it around.

Yey...so many lined up now *skips in joy*
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post #10 of 22
7/1/09 at 6:32am
Well, Dior Homme, also the easily accessible Solo Loewe and Azzaro Visit, while they are not exactly identical to our wardrobe, they seem to "fit into the concept". Both Rochas Men and Very Irresistible may be defined as gourmand scents and may actually both be good alternatives to A*Men.
Also, I happen to second another suggestion in favor of Gucci Envy: it's, at least in my opinion, a brilliant scent do to many simultaneous qualities: manly yet not overpowering, long-lasting yet not too pungent, modern yet also comfortable with formal wear, warm and sensual without being sickly sweet, rich and spicy without being too eccentric, refined without being dated.
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post #11 of 22
7/2/09 at 5:09am
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Hey there and welcome. I'ma another strong fan of Loewe Solo and highly recommend it
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post #12 of 22
7/2/09 at 11:29pm
I noticed you dont really have anything strongly woody, perhaps give Gucci Pour Homme (the stuff in the square bottle, not the new one in the grey cylinder) or Christian Lacroix Tumulte pour Homme a try?
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post #13 of 22
7/3/09 at 6:44pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony87 View Post

I noticed you dont really have anything strongly woody, perhaps give Gucci Pour Homme (the stuff in the square bottle, not the new one in the grey cylinder) or Christian Lacroix Tumulte pour Homme a try?

Being a noob, can't really determine what's 'strongly woody', I guess my nose is still attuned to aquatics and fougeres, and its stuck there hahaha. Will check out Gucci I've seen it around...Lacroix, not so much, and I've spent a great deal of time at frag counters hehe. Any other suggestions from easily accessible dept store brands? Manila's a pretty sad place when it comes to niche frags, just to give you an idea, Acqua di Parma and Creed are so so limited, and there is only one store chain carrying Diptyque, L'Artisan...No Bonds, no Jo Malones...unless online. Sad, sad, sad...

:P
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post #14 of 22
7/3/09 at 11:04pm
funhuntr - how are the prices of niche frags in Manila ?
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post #15 of 22
7/4/09 at 12:19am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

funhuntr - how are the prices of niche frags in Manila ?


Funny, i was about to ask that as well..... I have some relatives in Manila,Makati city, but we aren't in contact much and I'm guessing they wouldn't know what I was talking about lol. If they were ever much cheaper than here, I'll be making sure to get them to bring some over when they visit. let us know thanks!
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post #16 of 22
7/4/09 at 3:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by funhuntr View Post

Being a noob, can't really determine what's 'strongly woody', I guess my nose is still attuned to aquatics and fougeres, and its stuck there hahaha. Will check out Gucci I've seen it around...Lacroix, not so much, and I've spent a great deal of time at frag counters hehe. Any other suggestions from easily accessible dept store brands? Manila's a pretty sad place when it comes to niche frags, just to give you an idea, Acqua di Parma and Creed are so so limited, and there is only one store chain carrying Diptyque, L'Artisan...No Bonds, no Jo Malones...unless online. Sad, sad, sad...

:P

You'll know woody when you smell it - it literally smells like wood! If you've ever done woodwork, or smelt cedar furniture, the smell will instantly remind you of it. I'd be hesitant buying Gucci pour Homme blind though, as some get a BO note from it. Lacroix Tumulte pour Homme though is so pleasant and such a good representation of cedar I'd dare say its worth a blind buy, its extremely cheap on-line. Here in Perth you cant really find anything besides designers in actual stores as well, your best bet would be ordering decants on-line from places such as The Perfumed Court.
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post #17 of 22
7/6/09 at 1:25am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matthewfoo View Post

Funny, i was about to ask that as well..... I have some relatives in Manila,Makati city, but we aren't in contact much and I'm guessing they wouldn't know what I was talking about lol. If they were ever much cheaper than here, I'll be making sure to get them to bring some over when they visit. let us know thanks!

Come on over instead! We welcome visitors with spending power hahaha
A lot of stuff is cheaper in Manila compared to other places (and most luxury brands are already available here anyway ... check out Greenbelt 3,4, and 5 in Makati City with the swanky Vuitton, Prada, YSL, Bottega, Balenciaga, Gucci stores...out of my reach hehehe. I'm sure your relatives has heard of Greenbelt).

Luxury brands aside, niche frags are still hard to find here...Creed testers sell for around Php 6,000 or SGD 182, or if in better dept.stores, most prob around SGD 242. L'Artisan at Rustan's (our version of Neiman's), sell at SGD142.
...Was testing Solo Loewe at the mall yesterday (I love it! ... Had to prioritize my cusotm-fit jeans purchase though hehe)...Solo Loewe cost is SGD 79, already 35% regular price.

Isn't it the Great Singapore Sale at this time? (Waah fragrance sales galore!!!)
I miss SG! I miss Muji! I miss IKEA! I miss cold homemade barley!

...ok back to work hehe...
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post #18 of 22
7/6/09 at 4:45pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by funhuntr View Post

Come on over instead! We welcome visitors with spending power hahaha
A lot of stuff is cheaper in Manila compared to other places (and most luxury brands are already available here anyway ... check out Greenbelt 3,4, and 5 in Makati City with the swanky Vuitton, Prada, YSL, Bottega, Balenciaga, Gucci stores...out of my reach hehehe. I'm sure your relatives has heard of Greenbelt).

Luxury brands aside, niche frags are still hard to find here...Creed testers sell for around Php 6,000 or SGD 182, or if in better dept.stores, most prob around SGD 242. L'Artisan at Rustan's (our version of Neiman's), sell at SGD142.
...Was testing Solo Loewe at the mall yesterday (I love it! ... Had to prioritize my cusotm-fit jeans purchase though hehe)...Solo Loewe cost is SGD 79, already 35% regular price.

Isn't it the Great Singapore Sale at this time? (Waah fragrance sales galore!!!)
I miss SG! I miss Muji! I miss IKEA! I miss cold homemade barley!

...ok back to work hehe...

great to hear about loewe solo for you. 79SGD for a 75ml is quite reasonable.

However creed testers can be as low as 85 SGD here highest is 125SGD, normal bottles are anywhere from 180-260 SGD....

The GSS is almost over? only during june period, and usually more avid at the high end malls like tangs, Isetan etc, but the cheaper deals are from the smaller independent authorised dealers.

I'll be in contact with my cousins there soon, and you should come back here instead! if you miss muji, you will love the new uniqlo stores....

Orchard rd has all the dandy swanky lux boutiques and they are also out of my reach, insane markups, Japanese love to shop for those here tho....
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post #19 of 22
7/6/09 at 10:32pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by matthewfoo View Post

great to hear about loewe solo for you. 79SGD for a 75ml is quite reasonable.

However creed testers can be as low as 85 SGD here highest is 125SGD, normal bottles are anywhere from 180-260 SGD....

The GSS is almost over? only during june period, and usually more avid at the high end malls like tangs, Isetan etc, but the cheaper deals are from the smaller independent authorised dealers.

I'll be in contact with my cousins there soon, and you should come back here instead! if you miss muji, you will love the new uniqlo stores....

Orchard rd has all the dandy swanky lux boutiques and they are also out of my reach, insane markups, Japanese love to shop for those here tho....

Will check out Creed if I do get to visit again <those are pretty good prices>, I think I better explore other countries first haha, I've been to SG 4x. *a little envious you'll be holding your Grand Prix again soon, must be so exciting* Last time I was there, it was April last year for a month, they were still setting up & testing the lights then.
There's Uniqlo there now?! Waaah! Still another missing brand from Manila's retail scene!
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post #20 of 22
7/7/09 at 3:44am
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Originally Posted by funhuntr View Post

Will check out Creed if I do get to visit again <those are pretty good prices>, I think I better explore other countries first haha, I've been to SG 4x. *a little envious you'll be holding your Grand Prix again soon, must be so exciting* Last time I was there, it was April last year for a month, they were still setting up & testing the lights then.
There's Uniqlo there now?! Waaah! Still another missing brand from Manila's retail scene!

YES THE F1 night race here but I doubt I'll get to catch it live, prob on tellie - still good eonugh, its that big that our Prime Minister actually presented the trophy. Unqlo tees are like SGD10-15 bucks?? lol its japans ans to Sg's giordano(tho my cousins tell me giordano is marketed higher in Manila). Come come! you'll be surprised how much Sg can change in a matter of months. I have 2 other cousins who are PR here and serving NS now, if and when you visit I could take you around if needed with my cousins, they speak Tagalog. I think mainstream frags here are cheaper too yeah, eg 100ml XS for 40+SGD tops... well drop me a pm when you decide to visit
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post #21 of 22
7/7/09 at 3:54am
Out of that list I'd go with Hugo XY. It's an excellent minty scent and fares great in the summer heat. Just wore it yesterday - very refreshing.
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post #22 of 22
7/8/09 at 3:34am
Thread Starter 
Update:

Saw a clearance yesterday at Rustan's Grandmall, the area where niche fragrances are sold (if Diptyque, Acqua di Genova Colonia, and L'Artisan among others can be called niche).

Got myself 2 frags : Etro's Heliotrope and Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Bois de Filao. Wanted to interchange Comptoir Sud Pacifique's L'Governeur for the Etro, but I didn't want to get 2 frags from the same house (I have this thing now to only get 1 frag from each brand). And Heliotrope and L'Governeur both had that "warm" quality to them (what note would that be?), so I chose the former.

Wearing Bois de Filao now...being a stickler for sillage and longevity, this works pretty well for a smoker like me. I also feel the start of a headache coming on, so I'm still on the fence. Liked it initially though, so we'll see how I like it in a couple of days. Comptoir's not going to be sold there anymore too (pulling it out), so this bottle/can is going to be a one-time thing (Manila's not big on the buy-online thing, and I don't have Paypal...yet).

Tried Creed for the first time too (ahhh, my initiation to fine fine fragrances...such a dufus hehe). GIT. Lasted a long time wow! But arrgh the price! USD 180 here. Smaller bottle costs USD 157.

Hugo X/Y's still on my list though, I don't have from Hugo Boss yet. Will have to wait for the next time I need retail (fragrance) therapy
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