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Help With Solidifying My Cologne Rotation/Wardrobe

post #1 of 9
5/24/10 at 8:56pm
Thread Starter 
Evening everyone! I am new to the forums and have recently become more attune with fragrances and am looking for a solid rotation that will cover my bases. I am trying to keep the fragrances somewhat attainable, in some sort of price range, and I don't want to smell like every Joe (ie no to Aqua di Gio or Le Male). I am looking for probably 4-5 fragrances... Below are the colognes I have so far:

- Old; before I started "collecting": Candies for Men, Lucky Man, Curve, Unforgivable by Sean John
- not a fan of any of them really... all are very common and Unforgivable just doesn't mesh well with me.

Part of my new rotation: Body Kouros and M7 Fresh

Rotation:
Body Kouros: I am thinking would be my Night scent/Dates
M7 Fresh: I think I can pull off as an office;day scent (I love it btw)
Other categories?
What other categories do you think I should add?
I might add, that I have dry skin.

Below are the options I am considering to add (maybe like 2-3); which ones would you pick or are there others you think would suit me better:

- Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens Les Salons Du Palais Royal Shiseido (I am intrigued, but maybe too advanced?)
- Musc Ravageur by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle (really want to grab but expensive)
- L'Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme Extreme by Guerlain
- Terre d'Hermes (common but I received some compliments when I tried a sample)
- F Pour Homme Black by Salvatore Ferragamo (not reviewed much but pretty classy; very figgy though)
- HM eau de Parfum by Hanae Mori (all the women I have asked so far have loved this)
- M7 by YSL (figured I could pick up the orginal too)
- L'homme by YSL
- La Nuit L'homme by YSL

I am open to any advice/comments. I have been busily reading reviews and try to absorb everything I can... Thanks for reading, I appreciate any and all help and let me know if you have any questions!

I am looking to be a bigger part of the forums here and will add some reviews shortly.
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post #2 of 9
5/24/10 at 9:11pm
It took me about a year to just begin to understand fragrances and get a sense of what I liked. During that time I became hypersensitive to all smells for 2 or 3 months, which was not pleasant. I am still trying to figure out what I "really like" and "really don't," so don't think you will reach definitive conclusions any time soon. I suggest you do a lot of sampling at this point. Do you know about The Perfumed Court? Personally, I'd rather buy or swap with fellow BNers, and I've never purchased from TPC, but it's the easiest way to go.
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post #3 of 9
5/24/10 at 9:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigsly View Post

It took me about a year to just begin to understand fragrances and get a sense of what I liked. During that time I became hypersensitive to all smells for 2 or 3 months, which was not pleasant. I am still trying to figure out what I "really like" and "really don't," so don't think you will reach definitive conclusions any time soon. I suggest you do a lot of sampling at this point. Do you know about The Perfumed Court? Personally, I'd rather buy or swap with fellow BNers, and I've never purchased from TPC, but it's the easiest way to go.

hmmm that's a good idea actually haha. I have been going around trying to pick up a bunch of samples but haven't looked online for some of the harder to get in brick stores. Thanks for the advice! I will check out the perfumedcourt. More comments are welcome!
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post #4 of 9
5/25/10 at 6:22am
Thread Starter 
Just a quick update... I have tried all of the above, save for the top three. Also considering Rochas Man... perfumed court looks like a solid option for samples (although it does add up)
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post #5 of 9
5/26/10 at 3:12pm
May I suggest:

Yatagan by Caron - arguably the most difficult fragrance ever made - but beautiful for autumn
Kouros (the original from '81) - you will smell like an Italian from Umbria or Tuscany, no lie. they love this stuff, it's like an amped & dirtied Fendi Donna.
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post #6 of 9
5/26/10 at 7:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by karlovonamesti View Post

May I suggest:

Yatagan by Caron - arguably the most difficult fragrance ever made - but beautiful for autumn
Kouros (the original from '81) - you will smell like an Italian from Umbria or Tuscany, no lie. they love this stuff, it's like an amped & dirtied Fendi Donna.

wow Yatagan sounds intense from the reviews! and I have smelled Kouros on a testing strip; that stuff is potent! I would def need to get some samples of both. Nice sig! Any further advice/suggestions are welcome!
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post #7 of 9
5/26/10 at 8:09pm
Yeah Yatagan is extremely controversial, as is Kouros. But there is a bit of melodrama mixed in with the controversy if you ask me. Although it is hardcore, Yatagan is basically a dark, somewhat burnt pine and incense frag. Nothing to freak out over. Applied very sparingly, it goes a long way on a 50 degree late October day, mixed in with the smell of woodfires and apple cider!

Kouros is just the antithesis of all the aquatics - most of which I find boring quite frankly (beyond Aqua Velva I can't be bothered anymore) - they're all the more legible stuff that the masses adhere to. The thing about Kouros that amazes me though is how it really does smell like an unwashed shower, or one of those hotels by the beach, as L. Turin's comparison put it. So there's still these remote marine elements perversely hiding in there, but definitely salty and briny, not crystal bottle water clear.

But honestly, if you haven't already, and if you really want to save the $$$ and still have something unusual and high-end, buck all the trends with a capital F and just grab yourself a 4 oz bottle of Grey Flannel for $15. Not that Eau de Grey Flannel stuff, but the original. Violets and oakmoss, with a touch of cedar and citrus. No one wears it anymore, and so what was a department store designer fragrance that has, since its inception, gone unchanged is now ridiculously cheap, + still great IMO.
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post #8 of 9
5/26/10 at 10:02pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by karlovonamesti View Post

Yeah Yatagan is extremely controversial, as is Kouros. But there is a bit of melodrama mixed in with the controversy if you ask me. Although it is hardcore, Yatagan is basically a dark, somewhat burnt pine and incense frag. Nothing to freak out over. Applied very sparingly, it goes a long way on a 50 degree late October day, mixed in with the smell of woodfires and apple cider!

Kouros is just the antithesis of all the aquatics - most of which I find boring quite frankly (beyond Aqua Velva I can't be bothered anymore) - they're all the more legible stuff that the masses adhere to. The thing about Kouros that amazes me though is how it really does smell like an unwashed shower, or one of those hotels by the beach, as L. Turin's comparison put it. So there's still these remote marine elements perversely hiding in there, but definitely salty and briny, not crystal bottle water clear.

But honestly, if you haven't already, and if you really want to save the $$$ and still have something unusual and high-end, buck all the trends with a capital F and just grab yourself a 4 oz bottle of Grey Flannel for $15. Not that Eau de Grey Flannel stuff, but the original. Violets and oakmoss, with a touch of cedar and citrus. No one wears it anymore, and so what was a department store designer fragrance that has, since its inception, gone unchanged is now ridiculously cheap, + still great IMO.

Thanks for the help man! I was a little apprehensive about king Kouros, but with all of the reviews, and your advice, I think I need to try one of the most polarizing scents out there. What are your thoughts on Kouros Tattoo? I found a place that (local) that has it in stock for cheap and it peaked my interest. I still keep trying to find a place with Pure Malt, cause I don't really trust the amazon.com link for it. I will have to pick up a sample of Yatagan as well.

I also picked up a sample today of Rochas Man and thought I might like it because I love Body Kouros, but it just seemed really sweet. Like REALLY sweet; almost a synthetic sweet and I feel like I have smelled it before but can't place it.
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post #9 of 9
5/27/10 at 2:09am
Watch out for the slippery slope when you start sampling. That's how many of us ended up with 50+ bottles of fragrances. LOL.
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