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Is an insipid final act drydown a deal breaker for you? It drives me nuts!

post #1 of 31
2/3/10 at 2:40pm
Thread Starter 
There's nothing worse, at least in my book, than a fragrance that implodes into a strange chemical miasma rather than just fading away from its glorious basenotes. I find this happens more with orientals than with other styles. For instance Opium Femme, which is as close to perfection as I can get from a designer creation, goes on as virtually all basenotes, that is, after the aldehydes burn off, it smells like paradise for the next 8 - 10 hours, all ambery rich, but when all the notes that actually make up the fragrance finally burn off, I'm left with a non-descript, slightly sour chemical smell that takes over and signifies that it's shower time. Yes, 8 -10 hours is quite an accomplishment.
I often get this sour note the next morning when I sniff my arm from the previous evening's scent.
However, with many other designer scents this sour, non-fragrance formula odor can arrive in just a couple of hours. Zino is a good example of this, but I never get it from a Chanel or Guerlain.
Are any others out there irked by this? I consider it a serious design flaw.
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post #2 of 31
2/3/10 at 2:45pm
Rarely happens with me, but I can see how this can be irksome.
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post #3 of 31
2/3/10 at 2:53pm
The one that does that the worst on me is Minotaur. It's just awful post dry down.
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post #4 of 31
2/3/10 at 2:58pm
If I really loved a fragrance, I think I'd wear it if I got ten hours of joy from it.

However, I find some fragrances seem to break down much sooner. I had a recent experience with Feuilles de Tabac.

Top - busy, brash, where's this going?

Middle - oh, I see, very nice, I think I'm digging this.

Base - huh? Where'd it go?

It was like the whole fragrance just crashed after 45 minutes, becoming a faint soapy nothing.
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post #5 of 31
2/3/10 at 4:01pm
I have all but given up on dept store frags. They just don't use quality components. There seems to be a lingering scent of plastic in just about all of them, save some Chanels & Estee Lauders.
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post #6 of 31
2/3/10 at 5:33pm
The oddest one for me is Montale's Steam Aoud. It is an odd scent to start with, but it ends rather BLAH! on me.
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post #7 of 31
2/3/10 at 6:57pm
Short answer...yes.

Many L'Artisans, all the new Mark Buxtons, and most of the Mona do Orio frags (plus many others I have tried) I had high hopes for...all start great, but dry down into a boring, woody, ambery musk base or Iso E Super (or both).
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post #8 of 31
2/3/10 at 7:16pm
Absolutely a deal breaker - one word - Hugo.
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post #9 of 31
2/3/10 at 7:45pm
A bad drydown is always a deal breaker for me. The epitome of this for me is Rocabar. The opening notes are incredible, dazzling. The heart gets a bit sour and soapy, then the drydown is just a flat, boring sweet block of non-descript smell. It's like Rocabar morphs into Dunhill Pursuit in about one hour.
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post #10 of 31
2/3/10 at 8:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asha View Post

Short answer...yes.

Many L'Artisans

Yes, for me too.

Another one I can recollect is Musc Ravageur. Very poor performance in the final act.
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post #11 of 31
2/4/10 at 12:37am
The final drydown of Pure Malt bugs me. That plasticky quality that is also in B*men is just annoying. I like the first few hours but after the good stuff burns off, what's left is not good. I love Pure Malt, but every time I wear it, that drydown bugs me more and more--especially contrasted with the deep rich drydown of A*men.

I've noticed that often scents that don't end up in vetiver and/or tonka/sandalwood can have an unsatisfactory end.

Hey Scentsitivity, I know what you mean about Steam Aoud. It IS a weird one from the get-go, but that musky, wan, humid ending is just not my idea of a good time.
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post #12 of 31
2/4/10 at 1:09am
It happens to me with a variety of designer and even niche frags, most likely too many to be remembered, that I love the notes until the drydown- finest citrus, rich spices, lush florals- and then, all of the sudden, these stunning notes are completed by a drydown which is, at best, mediocre.
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post #13 of 31
2/4/10 at 1:13am
Hmmm...I was annoyed with Fahrenheit's Drydown, It has the most SUBLIME gasoline scent that is exerted with overtly achieve fruit note and leather. I ador Fahrenheit to be honest, though with it's drydown....I just got Goaded notes of Soap, Watermelon and Vanilla. It wasn't my thing, to angelic and cherub-like, rather than skanky and masculine...though funnily enough, as you say ruggles, once I smell the drydown...It is indeed bath time, It did last about a good 9 hours+ On my skin until that drydown evoked!

Anyway, cheers all and take care!

- Balava
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post #14 of 31
2/4/10 at 3:41am
I get this feeling with L`Artisan Fou d`Absinthe and Profumum Olibanum. At the final end of the scent life, I get this unpleasant sharp sweaty smell..
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post #15 of 31
2/4/10 at 4:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Asha View Post

Short answer...yes.

Many L'Artisans, all the new Mark Buxtons, and most of the Mona do Orio frags (plus many others I have tried) I had high hopes for...all start great, but dry down into a boring, woody, ambery musk base or Iso E Super (or both).

I second that regarding Iso E Super. Subjectively the aforementioned boring quality of the said base makes me upset. I feel insulted by the triviality. Pretty sure that I do not project mental reservations back on the olfactory reception. It is just like if there would be a lovely landscape and there stood a chemical factory intoxicating the whole scene with an utterly uniform, 0-dimensional strange odor just over the perception barrier. One place in Germany where this happens for instance: Erlenbach, Bavaria. A valley with vineyards all over, strawberries, apples, leek, ... imagine. And that smell from AXO Nobel! Just one certain organic chemical, sublime as can be, but no escape. I DO feel like fish in a bowl there.

Maybe that some people easily identify the olfactory impression as an effect of a sole molecule, while others tend to keep its indefiniteness. Maybe this is the masterly part of Mitsouko to make the C-14 aldehyde shimmer. To hide its single-molecule-identity against revelation - that said ... try again: peach/wax/dairy/spice/peach oo

ps: Other so called complex molecules still to be overdosed:

http://www.givaudan.com/vgn-ext-temp...tcurrchannel=1
http://www.givaudan.com/givcomweb/St...web/index.html
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post #16 of 31
2/4/10 at 4:54am
Was just posting a quick thread here, and this caught my eye ...

Last night I tried my second sample of Amouage Lyric Woman. Yet again, it knocked my socks off for its captivating top and middle. Luscious, complex, strong. Where the base went, I can't fathom. Talk about peaking too soon. I wouldn't buy this.
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post #17 of 31
2/4/10 at 5:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soirdelune View Post

Was just posting a quick thread here, and this caught my eye ...

Last night I tried my second sample of Amouage Lyric Woman. Yet again, it knocked my socks off for its captivating top and middle. Luscious, complex, strong. Where the base went, I can't fathom. Talk about peaking too soon. I wouldn't buy this.

You're not alone there! I had exactly the same experience and came to the same conclusion: no sale.
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post #18 of 31
2/4/10 at 5:27am
I noticed this kind of phenomenon the morning after wearing Nicolai's New York. I was thinking it might be some residue of certain musks in the fragrance. Luckily its a fairly close-to-the-skin thing but I do feel the need / urge to give the region where the scent was sprayed on (often the lower fore-arm) a scrubbing as it simply smells "unwashed". I was aware of this 'problem', though, when I bought a full bottle. I consider the opening of NY to be near "sublime".
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post #19 of 31
2/4/10 at 6:43am
I wonder what Octavian Coifan would have to say about this, as he seems to have done a serious amount of research of historical bases (witness yesterday's post at http://1000fragrances.blogspot.com/ ). Many of the bases that were key to the grand perfumes of the past are forever gone and today's industry has adapted to modern attention span in emphasizing top over heart and heart over basenotes. The quality suffers in the form described here, even in high end products. I suppose one certain way to avoid this problem is natural perfume, but most of them come at an aesthetic price in other regards. Perhaps we should list a few scents with an unusually glorious drydown. Villoresi Piper Nigrum comes to my mind.
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post #20 of 31
2/4/10 at 7:03am
Encre Noir and Black Tourmaline...they turn rancind on me towards dyrdown. such a shame coz i love it's opening to mids accords.
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post #21 of 31
2/4/10 at 11:00am
Could be a chemisty thing as well. The next morning, for me, would not be the "acid test" for a dry down. I love to smell the dry down during the wee small hours when I awaken during the night, especially if it "clicks" with my skin chemestry. By the next morning I don't give much thought to the remainders of the previous day since it is time for a change anyway. If, however, the dry down was sour and or unpleasant 5-6 hours in, I would be very disappointed and not wear the fragrance.
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post #22 of 31
2/4/10 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by the_good_life View Post

Many of the bases that were key to the grand perfumes of the past are forever gone ...

The author You mention gives a complete ancient receipt for a glorious base, did I get it wrong? Not only the so called mathematical proportions, but also a hint by which techniques of art beauty could be created.
I opt for an other explanation of poor quality nowadays. People just buy it. Why not behalf on a sole miraculous molecule if You get it sold?

Quote:
Originally Posted by the_good_life View Post

The quality suffers in the form described here, even in high end products.

Can they be considered as "high end products" then?


Perfumery should look for its old self explanatory concept, namely fun. Informal societies as Europe/USA don't need everlasting bases. If Comme Des Garcons #2 (campfire burnt potatoes) or Terre D'Hermes (vegan trash can) would have omitted the Iso E Super these would have been instant buys!
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post #23 of 31
2/4/10 at 11:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Indie_Guy View Post

The final drydown of Pure Malt bugs me. That plasticky quality that is also in B*men is just annoying. I like the first few hours but after the good stuff burns off, what's left is not good. I love Pure Malt, but every time I wear it, that drydown bugs me more and more--especially contrasted with the deep rich drydown of A*men.

I've noticed that often scents that don't end up in vetiver and/or tonka/sandalwood can have an unsatisfactory end.

Hey Scentsitivity, I know what you mean about Steam Aoud. It IS a weird one from the get-go, but that musky, wan, humid ending is just not my idea of a good time.

I find it rather delicious, same goes for Pure Coffee (Pure Coffee's drydown might be even better)
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post #24 of 31
2/4/10 at 6:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by merry.waters View Post

If Comme Des Garcons #2 (campfire burnt potatoes) or Terre D'Hermes (vegan trash can) would have omitted the Iso E Super these would have been instant buys!

Comme Des Garcons #2 : campfire burnt potatoes
Terre D'Hermes : vegan trash can
Best blitz reviews I ever read, LMAO !

Ruggles, great topic. Until now I thought I am the only one. But I think it's more of a nuisance on the masculine side of the rainbow (will watch that closer).

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post #25 of 31
2/4/10 at 8:23pm
Thread Starter 
Masculine or feminine, when the structure is built over a plastic base rather than oak moss, vetiver or patchouli, etc. the dry-down will always be ugly.
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post #26 of 31
2/4/10 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruggles View Post

Masculine or feminine, when the structure is built over a plastic base rather than oak moss, vetiver or patchouli, etc. the dry-down will always be ugly.

It makes me feel rather curmudgeonly to say so, but I tend to agree
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post #27 of 31
2/5/10 at 3:43am
LOL, they sure don't call this place Basenotes for nothing.
While I have experienced this, I can't say I'm particularly bothered IF the scent has lasted a good 8 hours on my skin. I'll just take a shower and apply another fragrance. BUT if it's a relatively short-lived scent and the basenotes are not up to it, it's a straight dealbreaker of course.
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post #28 of 31
2/5/10 at 5:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondflame View Post

LOL, they sure don't call this place Basenotes for nothing.

Indeed. The lackluster drydown of Guerlain Homme Intense, despite its delicious opening, led me to part ways with it.
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post #29 of 31
2/5/10 at 7:21am
I had an opportunity to test Guerlain's Liu yesterday. It's a bit like a less sweet Chanel No 5 or a subtler version of Arpège, absolutely glorious! After many wonderful hours it finally imploded into a vaguely unpleasant sour musk residue.

I would gladly buy and wear Liu so it's not a deal breaker, but I am surprised since Guerlains usually have excellent drydowns.
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post #30 of 31
2/5/10 at 7:26am
Burberry Brit has an unpleasant base.
I bought a bottle based on the top and heartnotes but the only time I feel like wearing Brit is when I know I can take a shower in a couple of hours time.
I really don't want to experience the base.
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post #31 of 31
2/5/10 at 7:29am
I agree with the final fade of most L'Artisans I've tested being quite underwhelming and sometimes unpleasant. Encre Noir too, but it lasts so long that I don't care.

L'Heure Bleue I've found to be surprisingly tenacious and has lasted all day, all night, and survived the morning shower with just a soft, gossamer hint of its glory. That's a spectacular drydown!
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