South America / Rio/ Buenos Aires

Hello there..

Let's see: it is not worth buying designer scents for you will find them overpriced, besides the fact that offerings are limited.

Local brands might be of your interest if you are not into classics as well as high-end perfume making. Having said this...

Drugstores scents

The leader in the category is Fragancias Cannon, widely distributed in every major drugstore. Of the many brands made by them, you can try Colbert, Pino, Grandal (Canoe's smell alike) and Alliance (similar to PAco Rabane's XS).

Puig's presence is quite strong, so you will find their more popular options everywhere: among the ones difficult to find in the USA are Agua Brava, Heno de Pravia and Agua de Pravia 1905. Spanish Designer Adofo Dominguez' scents are sold in some perfume stores. AD's Vetiver is worth buying, IMHO.

Local designers

They sell their own fragrance versions made by local companies (Giesso, Mancini, Karina Rabolini, Ricky Sarkani, Prototype). Most of these are easily found in major drugstores; others are only sold in specialized perfume stores (Etiqueta Negra) or in their own stores (Etiqueta Negra, La Martina saddlery, Cardón, James Smart). I have to warn you on the fact that most of these blends are contemporary in style, replicating more popular designer's blends.

Zara's fragrance waters (Sandalwood, Amber and Vetiver) are easily found in every Zara store around the city. They are good quality / good value options.

Specialized brands / "Niche"

Universo Gardens Angel has many B&M stores. Even though they specialize in aromatherapy, they sell several scents for men - http://www.universogardenangels.com/
Cabernet is made with grapes, it might be interesting to try.

Profvmvm BUE is a store specialized in personal and home fragrances. They make personal scents intended to ba layered: http://www.perfumumbue.com.ar/home.html. As far as my experience goes, their male fragrances are good quality smell-alikes. Their own version of Terre d'Hermes is called Milonga, and is quite good.

Roses are Rosres

In Paseo Alcorta Shopping Center (http://www.paseoalcorta.com.ar/shopp.../rosesareroses) you will find a store specialized in personal and home fragrances called Roses are Roses - http://rosesareroses.com/. I never tried them, so I can not tell.

Direct Marketing companies

L'Bel is a company that released several scents blended by well-known as well as not so well known French noses. They have a B&M store in Santa Fe avenue: http://tiendavirtual.ar.lbel.com/ (choose Fragancias / Masculinas /Eau de Toilette)

Brazil

As JaimeB said, O Boticario's scents are worth trying: http://internet.boticario.com.br/por...te/internetbr/
Their Vetiver Brazil has good reviews here in BNotes.

Hope this information helped.

I bet you'll be able to find lots of local scents and some imported from Europe (especially Spain) that you wouldn't find in other places... Happy hunting. Let us know what you do find!

P. S. There's a French-Swiss perfumer in Colombia named Jean Pascal. I've seen a couple of his fragrances, and even have two: Jean Pascal and Quimbaya Homme. These are pretty good. He has some for women, too. They're probably more widely distributed in South America than in other places. They're definitely worth a look.

And in Rio, there's a company called O Boticário that makes scents and hygiene products in Brazil. Check it out; they have quite a variety of men's and women's products.

Sorry this is off topic, but I was reading something about Guerlain Vetiver being created originally for the South American market. I just found that interesting and surprising.

I forgot about Natura - http://www2.natura.net/Web/Ar/Home/src/ - , a Brazilian direct marketing company specialized in personal care and toiletries. They have a B&M store in Palermo Viejo, in Buenos Aires, called "Casa Natura". The store is in:

Uriarte 1554, Palermo Viejo. Te: 4833-1295

You might try two scents made with EO's from local plants, Paramela and Palo Santo. I tried the first one, it resembled Lacroix's Tumulte. I did not have the chance of trying Palo Santo.

You might as well search for a store in Rio, you might get these at a lower price since they are made in Brazil.

Apparently another vetiver scent had already gained popularity in the region at the time, so it was probably seen as a safe bet.