So I let 2 fragrance uneducated people pick my scent for evening

I don't think there's anything wrong with smelling 'nice' and agreeable. In fact, many of our favorite fragrances might be in fact be rather disagreeable to others. For people who don't really care about fragrances, and just want something to smell nice with, these designer fragrances are what they need.

Personally i like fragrances because they smell nice, not because they are abstract, different or distinct. The exception being if everyone seems to be wearing a certain frag, then i won't as smelling the same smell on everyone gets boring and ruins the scent imo.

Im no frag pro, i really like code, i own code and rochas man, and have samples of dior homme, and had a sample of kouros, of that list i would also have chosen code, as to me it smells the nicest, even if it is fairly safe and easy to like.

Isn't a scent being easy to like a good thing? Is it better for a scent to have to grow on you?

I don't really care if I like a scent right away or if I needed to wear it awhile before I really decide on it, as long as I really like it.

I don't understand the fact that if a scent is liked by everyone then that's a downside. That's actually a big perk! I think people confuse general likeability with popularity. If you replaced Armani Code With Green Irish Tweed and the amount of people like that one as much as they liked Code, then nobody would have a problem. Reason being, not many people own Green Irish Tweed so it's not that popular for the average joe.

Armani Code is a great fragrance, while being very appealing to everyone it is quite unique. Only downside is that it's popular.
I would have picked either Code or Rochas Man. Body Kouros is more of an intimate fragrance and I've never been a big fan of Dior Homme. Despite being well made it reminds me of a makeup bag that's too much to ignore.

you should try Robero Cavalli Black. Great for nightclubs.

Yeah, everybody likes Code.

When I first bought it, at first sniff I didn't like it, I found it to be very linear (I don't like it very much even today but RESPECT!).
So I put my Code and went out. It was unbelievable! Man and woman were giving me compliments, everybody liked it except me . In fact no other fragrance gave me as much compliments as Code.

One time I put my A men which I adore, I entered my friend's car and first thing he asked me was :"What's that horrible smell?"
I couldn't believe it....

Yes, a scent being easy to like is a very good thing. There are many fragrances that I love to smell and respect immensely that I never will wear. If I smell something and it is not agreeing with me, I don't spend alot of time trying to figure it out or come around to it. There are thousands of fragrances to choose from, don't waste time on the ones you can't agree with.

The Venn diagram for an ideal fragrance is something like:

A fragrance which a.) you like b.) most others like c.) anyone important to you likes d.) ETC.

That's the one you chose. The devil is in the details; the amount of weight you give each factor.

Better test is on the skin.

Shoot one on each wrist, as well as your preference on your neck

When in the club, ask the girls which they prefer, only letting them try the neck one if they are being playful/flirty.

record for prosperity.

The skin is key. Aqua Di Gio goes to hell on my skin, but most girls would recommend i wear it before they smell it on me

Smells are subjective and not easily opened for discussion in this aggressive your taste vs. world's tastes manner. Standing around and smelling samples and forming your whole opinion based on that fleeting moment can be misleading, especially when you're consulting with others. What's completely missing is fragrance context.

The same context problem can be said for any of the five senses. It's a bit like trying to compare colors without a common understanding of what context the colors are being used in. How do you objectively debate good or bad colors with somebody without knowing what the object of color is? Blue might be nice for both of you if you're thinking about a photograph of the ocean, but if the other person is thinking of ripe fruit, blue might not be the color they're going to say is good. Likewise for food, all of those corny competitive reality cooking shows are based on context. Icky ingredients are presented to innovative, talented chefs, and they provide the expertise via context to make those icky ingredients work. If you both don't have an understanding of context, it's a pointless discussion.

Tangible rankings of quality between fragrances tend to lie in the fragrance's context, the innovative aspects rather than the notes themselves. Sensations, applications, unexpected combinations, molecular efficiency, etc. Fragrance is a verb when it comes to judging its quality, not a noun. Just like judging colors in any painting (which is summarily defined by the size, depth, and rigidity of the strokes applied by the artist), it isn't judged on the tubes paint itself.

Agree. This is very true.

I have also noticed that Rochas Man is hugely popular with many generations.

There was a time when I would test a niche or other fragrance highly regarded by frag-heads and be repelled. Over time, as my “sophistication” grew, my taste in fragrance broadened. But I sometimes wonder if my initial gut reaction wasn’t the valid one. Where is the line between sophistication and decadence? I’m reminded of the Roman Empire where an abundance of produce and fresh fruit was available, but the elite preferred eating milk-fed snails and rotten cheese. Are acquired tastes always a good thing? Is consensus always wrong just because it’s popular?

Armani Code is the safest of your list. That's the reason it got most of the comments.

Well observed!

i love rochas

Yeah, everyone likes Code. Hell, I like it, even if it isn't terribly challenging. It smells great! Just wish it lasted longer.

Not surprising. People love the same old boring crap day in and day out. Just turn on the radio and you will find the same list of 50 songs played over and over ad nauseam for months and months. Most people like what's familiar, not what is unique and different. There's nothing wrong with that, but I don't care to be part of their snooze-fest.

grumpy pants!!!