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New to the world of cologne!

post #1 of 10
2/25/10 at 8:16am
Thread Starter 
Hello! I am a new member and also somewhat new to the world of cologne! I have about 15 currently as you can see from my wardwrobe it's pretty basic! I'm a 25 y.o. college student and am open to new suggestions! Feel free to add me as a friend!

Andy
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post #2 of 10
2/25/10 at 12:28pm
Hi Andy, can I suggest that you rate the fragrances in your wardrobe? It would make it easier to give recommendations
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post #3 of 10
2/25/10 at 2:13pm
Welcome!

Just curious, can you tell me what you think of VS' Very Sexy for Him compared to your other scents/how long it lasts?
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post #4 of 10
2/25/10 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 
Yes I will get on rating Very sexy for men is a really good scent and not bad for the price
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post #5 of 10
2/25/10 at 2:33pm
Thread Starter 
Let me know if any recommendations based on ratings... being a student right now my budget is about 15-30 for a bottle..... so keep that in mind
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post #6 of 10
2/25/10 at 2:42pm
What I'd suggest, is that if you want to stick to a budget, is go for smaller bottles (30ml) or decants which means you can still get access to "better" or more expensive ones, by just not buying a full bottle.

I also suggest starting out by reading the reviews of the top 20-30 in the directory on the site here, and then heading out to a few department stores with a list in hand and smelling some, writing notes, and then reading about them. This will drastically improve your chances of finding ones you like. more or less ignore price I'd say because you can almost always get it for 30-50% off retail online.

You might also want to order a sample pack from places like The Perfumed Court for beginners to get a sense of the range of what's out there and some of the major categories.

One of the first things you may notice as you get into more niche and expensive stuff is that they're generally more complex, last much longer on the skin, and develop with time. Many of the generic clothing store type frags sort of smell nice up front but basically die in 1-2 hours and for a little more money and research/effort you can get something that all day keeps you smelling your wrist saying wow!

Good luck, and welcome!
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post #7 of 10
2/25/10 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 
Thank You! Here's a question, how often do you purchase 1-2 bottles a month or so?
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post #8 of 10
2/25/10 at 3:24pm
I think it totally depends on your interest level, budget, plans for collection size, place on the learning curve, etc.
I sample something new almost every day, then I try to get decants through swaps, so at least 1 package (2-3 frags) of those a week. I maybe buy 1-2 bottles a month max, but personally I really plan that my full wardrobe will end up looking like 20 or so bottles, 20-30 10-15ml decants, and 50 or so samples for reference or to use here and there. That's at least MY endgame plan, but I've only been at this around 6 months, so totally up to you. For me, spending max $30-40 on a frag I can tolerate 1-2 a month for a few months.
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post #9 of 10
2/26/10 at 11:44pm
I think you should try something from Paco Rabanne, I think they might be in your price range, and based on your wardrobe I'm suggesting Ultraviolet Man and Black XS.
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post #10 of 10
2/27/10 at 12:36am
You've got some good ones-- Terre D'Hermes, Gucci II PH...

You might try Prada Infusion D'Homme- reminds me of a cousin to Terre D'Hermes. They both have several common notes, yet smell very different.

Also you might want to check out something from Yves Saint Laurent-- it's one of my favorite houses. Don't try Kouros just yet, but you might enjoy M7, Rive Gauche Pour Homme, Live Jazz, Body Kouros, Opium Pour Homme or L'Homme. A lot of flankers also.

Another house that's one of the greatest is Guerlain. You could try Vetiver, Heritage, L'Instant Pour Homme, or maybe Habit Rouge (though sometimes the older offerings from this house can feel a bit mature and stuffy at times-- but they're awesome.

Good luck!
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