I've Ventured Into the World of Creed.

Wow! Your experience is MUCH similar to that of mine.

My firs creed sampling was GIT and the first time I thought "meh?". Why all the hoopla? There's nothing great about this stuff. I'm not buying this.

Over time, I actually see that my olfaction is improving a lot (I cannot believe I have started to hate one man show, which I liked very much in the past). And now I tried GIT just today again, and I'm very impressed with the quality. While I think that it may not be the best from the house of Creed, it definitely is of fine quality.

it happened to me with BdP and now is my favorite Creed and perhaps among my top 3 fragrances ever.

Yes. I originally hated Vintage Tabarome and recently retried it. If it's not my current favorite, it in top five along with Royal English Leather which I also did a 180 on.

Sorry to say (not really), that that kind of experience is quite common with an austere, critical smelling of everything imaginable. A second sniff times later is expected to be related to different references, hence different. That for people, who are trusted for millions in the business - the noses - would never justify a scent on their owns.

The more I read on Creed the more I get, let's remain polite, confused. As if Creed had had invented perfumery, they didn't! Creed is a fashion house that found perfumery more profitable in the 19-7ties. So they went fragrance. That's it.

Would You as a fragrance lover consider to work out for instance Celliers BANDIT vs. Carles' MA GRIFFE? Both are - unusual for their times 'green'. The first going leather (yeah, an other 'invention' of Creed), the latter aldehydes (hey, any Creed?). What would You say if Creed "GIT" was a flanker of the original Cool Water, but with some stunningly ugly alterations like a nose to big? Just to be sure to be different! But exclusive. You are sure You like Creed NOT for just being more expensive than the original, more sophisticated CW?

Merry.Waters, I don't want to get into a fight, but the gentleman clearly says he is impressed by the smell of the product, and likes it very much. He's in a position to tell what he likes, and it's unfair to him to have you, or anyone, second-guessing what his motivations for liking the smell are, and further suggesting that his motivations are because the product is more costly.

If he likes it it's because he likes it.

Happened to me with Royal English Leather.. First try was "Meh".. Tried it again later and loved it!! Plan on picking up a bottle soon.

There is too much variety among their offerings to make blanket generalizations about them. I like the ambergris base but not enough to shell out the big bucks, and I like the new Tabarome's top notes. That's about it, among those I've tried (about 10, some of which repelled me while others I just didn't think were anything special).

Sorry, The original question was about the infamous second whiff. Yes I know about it. Alas, not experienced with Creed. So I'm not qualified to participate in this thread.

Smelling is quite subjective. At least if costs come into account. That's a matter of fact. I'm not with You as I never would pay for the exquisite Creed exclusivity. I'll stick with my mediocre -true- classics. And shut up.

Any thread with Creed brings in someone to disregard the question in order to piss on Creed. I quite enjoy it now. I miss 55Karl.

Creed's mix of refinement and luxury is quite seductive. I deeply love two of their offerings: Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie, for its mix of jasmine and sandalwood and Royal Scottish Lavender, for its fine lavender.

May be the nation suffers from a schism as with Ronald The Reagan. One half feels comfortable, the other runs for the exit.

The topic isn't to much related to Creed. I encourage everybody to train their noses and style with -true- classics as the ones given. Take a second whiff with #5, Fath Green Water and the like. In the end, have some fun with perfumery! Creeds cant live up the fraudulent advertising IMHO

I'm sure the Creed mystique generates plenty of business for them. But many of the attacks in here make the assumption that someone who expresses a like for a Creed fragrance has never smelled it, worn it, liked it and made their own considered decision with their own brain as to whether or not it's worth it.

Few if any fragrances "live up" to their advertising. Hey, I wore Hai Karate. Didn't have to defend myself from hot women attacks at all.

You'll find that will happen with any fragrance from any brand. I'm always very pleased when it does happen - it feels like you've discovered something special.

merry.waters - I see you're bringing some nice salty input here. I guess quitting the site is a little harder to do than you thought.

Nice move. Very tasteful of you. Bring up politics. Suggest because of the country people live in their opinions are, well, to be belittled by you. Yes, you know about telling members their issues are like a politician. Very wise. So very tasteful and respectful of you.

Promises, promises.

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My first experience with Creed was Himalaya and I had a very negative reaction to it. It was probably the most negative reaction I've had to any fragrance so far. However, I just gave it a 2nd wearing today and it's not nearly as bad as I initially thought. It's still too peppery for me though.

I'm not sure if this fits what you were asking about, but it's definitely a different impression than my initial one. I'm glad that you found one that you really love!

It frustrates me that any discussion regarding a Creed product tends to stray.

Back on track...

I'm a fan of GIT, right from the first sniff! The similarity to Coolwater is forever discussed because a similar top-note accord. In my opinion the heart and base are night and day.

Some of the less recent Creed releases are just as impressive if not moreso: Baie de Genièvre, Royal Scottish Lavender, & Selection Verte

I think the reason the GIT/Cool Water debate goes on so often is because of the subsidiary debate as to whether or not Pierre Bourdon (who created Cool Water) also created Green Irish Tweed.

I've been wearing GIT for years - I don't wear Cool Water - and even though I find GIT to be a far superior scent, I do think the similarities b/w the two are obvious. They obviously smell very similar. However, as I wrote in my BN review of GIT, Green Irish Tweed has notes in it that give it a certain sparkling opulence that Cool Water simply does not have. Cool Water, though not a bad scent by any means, smells to me like a cheaper knock-off of GIT.

REL, VT and RSL are all Creed scents I revisited and fell in love with. A little late on the VT. MI is growing on me one wearing at a time. I may have to revisit BdP. I bought a bottle years ago- pre Basenotes. I think it is "played out." No way it should be that weak given all the comments I see in here about it.

I've always liked GIT and I owe it to myself to try Cool Water to see just how similar they really are. The impression I get from some noses I trust in here is that they blast open the same way, but take a different course thereafter.

Shamu, I don't know like a fact about the Bourdon thing, but Luca Turin is certainly quite adamant he did both.

Some of the Creeds I have, were not love at first sniff. Royal Water, Love In White, Love In Black. Royal Water I still have issues at times justifying the rash buy, but the latter 2, I went back and forth, and finally settled down with full appreciation for them.

Happened to me with several Creeds. Initially not so wowed by Neroli Sauvage, Royal Scottish Lavender, Bois du Portugal, Erolfa. Now quite fond of all of them. I purchased a travel size of new Tabarome on a business trip, couldn't wait to get home to put some on, so I gave myself a quick spray in the car on the way home from the airport. I came very close to tossing it out the window, not kidding. Later, I gave it another try, and another. A favorite now.

I find that all of life's sweetest pleasures are acquired tastes. Most of the exotic food and drink I like, most art, most music -- most of the best I didn't like the first time I tried them. Fragrance is very much in that same group. Don't like it the first time? Give it another try, and another one after that.

Conversely, I find if I like it too much the first time, I get tired of it quickly. Like the way you get tired of a bad pop song that's a little too catchy.

Bois du Portugal took a while for me to like. I always liked the top notes for their spiciness, but the mid and drydown accords smelled way too stodgy and dandified for me. After like the fourth try, however, I got to really like it, enough to buy myself a bottle.

I'm heading for the exit, but first a spritz of Royal Scottish Lavender - what do you mean there are no exits anymore?

I've enjoyed the few Creed I've tried - OV, VIW, SMW, Himalaya - but whether the price is justified seems more a function of disposable income.

I've had this experience with Millesime Imperial. The first spray was like a metal polish mixed with bug spray and melon. Such a big let down. I think when you pay that kind of amount, you really expect miracles, but it's just a fragrance.

Nowadays I wear MI more and boy have I never been complimented that much for a fragrance. Nearly all people I meet had a few words about it. Yesterday while I was waiting for a bus at the bus stop a woman actually slithered behind me and asked the name of the frag saying that it smells heavenly. I guess MI has a different effect when it projects because I still don't think it is a very good fragrance, reminds me of KC Reaction which costs 5 times less.

Yeh. I had exact the same experience! As with most of the creed fragrances, you have to give them a second chance. It`s like a good wine or cheese, you have to learn to love them, and when you do, you can`t get enough! Absolutely not the most original and unique fragrances out there, but when it comes to elegance, sophistcation, and the feel of luxury, it`s definitively my no. 1 company!
I didn`t care much about GIT the first time eighter, but after a couple of wearings i detect i had never smell something so real and natural. It`s the opposite of synthetic!

Ronald Reagan is history. So, it's not politics I thought. It's a matter of fact that the nation separated into Yes and No then, isn't it? A schism, wording wrong?

Sorry to have put some salt into a fresher wound as I expected. I beg Your pardon. I shut up on Creed, it's just to funny with them.

I believe your logic is mistaken. There is no intrinsic reverse proportionality between marketing fraudulence and perfume quality, much less personal preferences. Bullshit can sell crap, but bullshit can also sell quality. Even a detractor such as Luca Turin admits that Creed is very adept at creating simple, effective fragrances from top notch materials (Neroli Sauvage, Selection Verte). I consider myself the no.1 Creed myth buster, but I cherish many of their traditional-style fragrances. And you know well enough that it's a syllogistic fallacy to conclude that anyone who likes Creed or prefers it to other brands has fallen for their image mongering, just because many Creed consumers may primarily seek social distinction in Millesime Imperiale. Certainly basenoters, simply becasue of the indepth knowledge they've acquired about the perfume business, are less likely to fall for marketing ploys, and if they do, then with a certain conscious irony. Finally, why is it so hard to believe that Pierre Bourdon simply had a higher budget to work with on Green Irish Tweed and reworked the formula on a tight budget for Cool Water? I can certainly smell the difference in that case, without believing for a moment that Olivier Creed personally sails the seas on the Erolfa in search of the finest ambergris.

Word up.
BRASHLY eloquent.

Same happened to me. I actually posted here that GIT was way too close to Cool Water. Now I have three big bottles of GIT.

Consider it as akin to your nose used to be in a learning phase, but has now just graduated.
Renato

Can everyone play nice again in this thread?

If you don't like Creed then simply say you don't like them and move on without trying to diminish the enjoyment of others.

Also leave all the political comments out of the thread please.

Thanks

I'd like to welcome the OP to Creed. If you can get hold of it, try Green Valley. For me, it's their most underappreciated frag.

The old Creed hostility arises again, I see. Personally, I don't give a flying frig what porkies Creed tell. I think that most of us are smart enough to see through the bullshit and just appreciate the frags.

Welcome to the Dark Side!

Green Irish Tweed is a great fragrance - enjoy it!

Edit: Hadn't read Lian's post, mine contained politics. Merry, you need to stop constantly seeking conflict. Stop trying to stir the pot.

I had the same double take on GIT. I love the fragrance. Check out my review on it!

I didn't have a chance to not like GIT and then learn to love it.

I read an article about GIT in GQ Mag in 1997 and it sounded great - I showed the article to a friend. A couple of months later (23rd December, 1997, actually) at a company birthday lunch (mine) I was handed a large flacon of GIT the same lady I had showed the article to had ordered from Harrods and everyone wanted to know what it smelt like. Potentially one of those awkward grin and nod moments ('tell us what you think, go on') but I loved it

Over a decade later, having plumbed the depths and scaled the heights of designer, niche, vintage and all the rest, discovered from an adamant LT that Pierre Bourdon composed GIT with OC and then a couple of years later, it seems, revisited the idea on a smaller budget with Cool Water, that the Creed history is convoluted and that (shock, horror) Creed MARKETS THE PRODUCTS THEY SELL and perhaps take a little liberty with their story for the sake of romance and so on (no-one else does this, do they?) and lived through countless Creed threads here since arriving which seem to act more and more as a litmus test for reason, intelligence, wit, decency, respect for one's peers and healthy skepticism and willingness to engage in discussion (on the one hand) vs well . . . whatever you want to call it, on the other . . . I'm stuck because . . .

I still really love GIT.

Sorry to be such a bore - just felt like sharing, and congrats to the OP for finding something nice to enjoy (that is sort of what this is all about, right?).

I agree with Good Life's assessment - just because you wear Creed doesn't mean you buy into their marketing. I'm probably one of the biggest haters of Creed's marketing ploys. Their PR gets under my skin like no other. However, I own full bottles of GIT, Bois du Portugal, Cypres Musc, Original Vetiver, Neroli Sauvage, Vintage Tabarome, Erolfa and Epicea, and I love all of them!

Creed's Baron von Münchhausen style tales are a lot of fun. They make some nice fragrances, too.

So far I have avoided Creed like the plague , dont know why but I just have , as a brand for some reason it doesnt appeal but cant help but think that maybe I should at least give it a whirl .... a few of you know my tastes likes and dislikes . Are there any that I might like or should I just follow my hunch and steer clear

Go on Pete, give it a go!

I can understand why people are put off Creed. Personally, I am a fan, but then again I fail to see the fascination with Serge Lutens, amongst others. Each to their own, it would be a boring old world if we all liked the same things.

Of the millesime range, I own BdP, GIT, VIW, Neroli Sauvage and the wonderful, underappreciated, Green Valley.

I have decants of SMW, Himalaya, Original Santal and Tabarome Millesime. They're ok, but nothing ultra special.

I don't care much at all for Millesime Imperial, Original Vetiver or Erolfa and if I never smelled Royal Delight again, it would be too soon.

Just my two penneth!

Thank you

Maybe I will order some samples then

I think the newer Millesime ones (GIT, SMW, OS, OV, Himalaya, VIW, MI, Erolfa) are good but have become a bit mainstream (for niche scents). Still, they're worth smelling. Some of the older ones plus Bois Du Portugal are quite interesting. Santal Imperial is beautiful but short lasting. Royal Scottish Lavender, Royal English Leather, et al are very interesting and deserve a sniff.

If you're going to get samples, I'd suggest Millesime Imperial, GIT, Bois Du Portugal, Santa Imperial, Royal Scottish Lavender - MI and GIT purely because they're discussed so frequently around here.

Since you're in the UK, you should also tour the Trumper line of scents. There are some really good ones in there.

I did about a 90 Degree turn on GiT, need to retest it once more.
with BdP I have been up and down, I think mainly to the variations I get with each bottle which is frustrating.

PM, as an ensemble I think the older edt line is really great. The more contemporary millesime line just okay to pretty good, with a few standouts in BdP, and new Tabarome.

I should quote Adonis's post because he's really spot on. I'd agree with what he's said except I don't know Royal Scottish Lavender, so his knowledge there exceeds mine.

Orange Spice, Royal English Leather, and Vetiver '48 (the vetiver in the edt line) are all worthy because it's good to know what they are when they get mentioned. They're good too.

great choice , i smelt bois du portugal by creed the first time when i sprayed it and i did not like it at all because the intro was so strong to my nose. i let it dry down and i loved the rich, woodsy and masculine smell it emitted and became my favorite Creed and it still is. and yes i have a bottle of it.

The fragrances that make you say, "what;s the big deal about this?" are often the best. Simple, balanced, clean. Brands like Lacoste have spoiled our expectations by making us think a cologne should punch you in the face when you smell them. GIT, Cool Water, and other frags are successful because they are mature and balanced.

Love in Black is awesome. Its sweet, earthy, smouldering cedary violet-iris accord floating on a cool rose is orgasmic..

Weird, I just bought my first Creed bottle a few hours ago. (GIT) I enjoyed all of the Creeds I've sampled thus far. My favorite part is the sugary syrupy (ambergris?) dry down that they have, where most colognes are bitter and flat. Though some of them are a little too similar smelling, so I think I'll settle with samples of the rest.

1. are you a guy?

if so - do you really wear this?

I just got a bottle for my sister for her birthday. She loves it... but I can't imagine it on a guy.

You just described why I own 16 bottles of Creed and maybe 4 of any other brand (and those rarely get worn). The sugary-salty-syrupy dry down is what first attracted me to Creed 13 years ago and is what still separates them from everything else.

You experienced this with Green Irish Tweed first. I experienced it with Millesime Imperial first. Those are probably the two best Creeds if you love that dry-down signature. I'd put Himalaya third in that regard.

Vetiver 1948, Royal English Leather, Royal Scottish Lavender are hard to beat if you like rich, mature frags. All are thick with what TalkingMuffin describes as suagry-salty-syrupy drydowns. Tabarome Millesime is very underrated I think due to the fact that it isn't Vintage Tabarome.

good man, it does smell awesome, i loved it at first sniff. now bois du portugal i didnt like it at first but as the day went on i loved it and it is my favorite creed.

Totally agree. Could not have described it better.

Agreed. Tabarome Millesime is my no.1 Creed favourite. The fresh top notes and classy tobacco dry-down makes it extremely elegant and refined. Tested R-E-L on time, and IMO it was a bit weird..

GIT just wasn't for me but I sure like Green Valley Tabarome Millesime is also really nice

I originally thought GIT smelled similar to a urinal puck, but now I go through it like water and when I don't wear it for a while, miss it dearly. I am hoping for a similar effect with Himalaya and B d P.

No, that’s Original Vetiver. Seriously, who (like me) finds OV too pucky should try Frederic Malle’s Vertiver Extraordinaire (same pricerange). It’s what OV wanted to be imho. Himalaya is boring, GIT is ok to me, MI is great and SMW is heavenly. For me the better VIW is Aramis Bermuda Tonic, but i don’t like coconut scents anyway.

I hve to say ,that I think all the Creed Love on the male forum has 'brainwashed' me somewhat ! *LOL*My mind is open !

I went to Neiman Marcus and tried every single Creed I could with my skin real estate available. For once, the SAs were virtually invisible - only there to make up a sample of Royal English Leather for me which as DavidBond knows, I LOVE!
My faves were REL,Selection Verte ( I already love Jasmal ),Acier Aluminum - mostly the men's scents. I can say it was royally wonderful to sit ( they had a chair !!! ) undisturbed and go through virtually every single Creed I could ( with my poor DH who was completely 'nose battered' ) .
I did not think much of Virgin Island Water ( tried several times before too ) or Tuberose Indiana ( but my nose must have been dead by then so I will re try )
I will always love Angelique Encens and I mourn its loss to the world.

I recently gave Creed a chance and I am glad I did, they have really good choices like Bois de Portugal, Royal English Leather and Royal Scottish Lavender, also like a lot the Selection Verte. I found that the Nordstrom in Santa Anita Mall here in LA carries the line, so all of you who live by the area can go there and the SA is super friendly and into fragrances as well, so i like to go there try one by one and have a nice talk with this really cool girl, she told me that they are gonna get the new Aventus pretty soon, and also she told me that they are gonna get Windsor too.