Grey Flannel What? FOLLOW UP

Ya, the Grey Flannel thread got locked because it got out of hand lol. You're new to fragrances, while it is good to get peoples opinions on stuff, everyone's is different -- as you saw on the first Grey Flannel thread as many of its fanatics emerged. You and I obviously don't like it so maybe I can relate to you more on what you may like. If you don't like Grey Flannel you probably won't like 70's and 80's powerhouses or older chypres such as Quorum and Brut.

But the fact of the matter is that there is so much stuff out there that you need to experience first hand, it took most of us years and years, some of us even decades to be able to say what we love and what we hate. Any true connoisseur devoted to finding his/her scent(s) will take all the time they need. I'm only 25, and I've tested/owned/used to own hundreds and hundreds of fragrances and can only say about 20 of them are 5 star fragrances to me. They suit me in every aspect.

You should be excited, because you're truly in for a treat -- to some of us testing a new fragrance is like testing a new car, you're about to embark on an amazing journey! Best of luck

I think "fanatic" is an unnecessarily exaggerated descriptive; however, the scent does have its "fans."

To discover what various notes smell like, I recommend your local garden nursery and your spice rack (or mom's, or a friend who likes to cook). There you can probably get a whiff of many things from heliotrope to cumin. Also, the Note Pad: Single Note Exploration forum is a great resource. If you want to spend some money, I suggest an educational kit from The Perfumer's Apprentice. I think you can test these single note essences more easily, and get a better impression, by using a paper strip rather than a lamp (burning the oil would probably affect the scent). A good trick is to put the strip with a drop of the oil in a brandy snifter and let the aroma diffuse in the glass to take in the odor. This also works with fragrances in general if you want a quick impression of a scent, but don't want to bother yet with a full-fledged wearing.

However, fragrances are best tried on the skin, imo. Variables like the weather (temperature, humidity) can affect whether you like a scent at the time that you try it, as well as how much you apply. As was suggested with Grey Flannel, a light application does better. It is definitely important to allow a scent to go thru its phases before making up your mind. Some may seem very challenging at first, but eventually mellow into something wonderful. Of course, if the scent is merely "meh" by the drydown, enduring the top and middle notes probably isn't worth it. But at least you gave it a fair shot.

Welcome to Basenotes, mickers, and have fun!

My suggestion is to get a bunch of "super cheapo" frags that are representative of the different genres and just study them for a few months, wearing one in the morning and a different one in the evening. Over time, if you have a note pyramid, you will begin to distinguish notes. What I found problematic is the blending. I did a lot of cooking before getting involved in frags, and I had a big basket of herbs and spices in small glass bottles, but it didn't help all that much. So, for example, Lomani is a really cheap and decent fougere. Everlast Original 1910 has strong grapefruit, leather, and tonka. In Adidas Victory League, there is strong grass, cedar, and vanilla. Jacomo Rouge is a "joss stick oriental" with a gourmand element. Diesel Zero Plus au masculin features strong heliotrope and cinnamon.

I'll second Bigsly's approach to understanding fragrances in general. If you see something discussed here, or there's a designer scent you're interested in, stop by Sephora and ask for a sample. The SAs are really very cool about making samples. I've sometimes asked for three at a time. It does help to explore fragrances by family to understand similarities and differences. Search Basenotes for threads on a scent you want to know more about, and you'll likely see people mentioning others that they think are similar. Then off to Sephora! Also, the more high-end department stores like Nordstrom will make samples on request as well (and carry the more premium scents), but I find the SAs at Sephora to often be more approachable.