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Lead me to Nirvāna.

post #1 of 22
9/9/10 at 9:33am
Thread Starter 
Hi,


I do not feel natural wearing Acqua di Gio type scents.

I do not want to smell like Acqua di Gio or anything even remotely similar.

I do not want to smell like Very Sexy for Him by Victoria Secret.

I do not want to smell like I am in high school.

I do not want to smell like I am in college.

I do not want to smell like every guy and his dog.

--

I do want to smell like a 20s/30s professional.

I do want to wear a scent that is an extension of my calm, grounded personality, with a touch of intrigue.

I do want to be comfortable walking into a coffee shop.

I do want to smell natural, not in the sense of a tree, but something that smells worldly.

I am a nice guy.


I would be forever grateful if you can guide me to what I seek.


I have had very limited experience with scents. Shall I sample tobacco, coffee, woodsy types? I know what I do not want to smell like; the hardest part is figuring out what I do want to smell like.
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post #2 of 22
9/9/10 at 9:40am
I know the perfect scent for you - Nasomatto Silver Musk.
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post #3 of 22
9/9/10 at 9:44am
Sample some Michael Kors for Men.
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post #4 of 22
9/9/10 at 11:15am
Try a sample of L'Humaniste by Frapin
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post #5 of 22
9/9/10 at 11:29am
  • KMF
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Your nose is the only nose that matters. Lead yourself to nirvana...
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post #6 of 22
9/9/10 at 11:44am
Too easy, can't resist.



Edit: Besides my little play on words attempt at humor, welcome to Basenotes. I hope you find what you are looking for. The style you are requesting is the opposite of what I normally wear, but one that I have tried that may work for you is Yohji Homme. As others have mentioned, sample, sample, sample. It's the best way to find your own style.
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post #7 of 22
9/9/10 at 12:00pm
Nobody can lead you to Nirvana than yourself, but may I suggest

M7 by YSL
Encre Noire by Lalique (dark, but calm and earthy)
Tom Ford's Amber Absolute
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post #8 of 22
9/9/10 at 12:24pm
If you care about the story behind your scents, you may enjoy the works of Mandy Aftel (they're sold under the name Aftelier). She's a lady from Berkeley who distills her own essential oils and makes interesting blends of her own ingredients. They're kind of simple, but have remarkable depth, just because the natural ingredients have so much character. They trend towards the weirder end of the spectrum (her best known scent is Cepes & Tuberose - cepes is a special Italian variety of mushroom), but you're not going to find a more "conscious" perfume line out there.

Slightly more mainstream, but not much, the Honore De Pres line has some nice scents. They're certified organic and are available at the Space NK counters at selected Bloomingdales. Honore's Trip is a luscious, realistic citrus, while Chaman's Party is a nice woody vetiver, reminiscent of the smell of a walk through an old-growth forest.

Good luck!
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post #9 of 22
9/9/10 at 12:42pm
Welcome to Basenotes TreeHugger!

I wish Basala by Shiseido was still available. This would have been perfect for you (and if you can source it, try it by all means).

Otherwise, I'd like to suggest the following--some matinstream and some niche brands:

Divine: L'Homme Sage
Baldessarini (original eau de cologne)
Guerlain: Vetiver
Aramis: 900
Aramis: Devin
YSL: Pour Homme
Dior: Eau Sauvage
Armani: Eau Pour Homme
Montale: Royal Aoud
Davidoff: Zino
Shiseido: Zen for men
Chanel: Antaeus

Keep testing and sampling. I agree with others that only you can find your nirvana but these might help.
Enjoy the journey!
RM
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post #10 of 22
9/9/10 at 1:03pm
Yes, you will have to sample and let your nose lead the way. I suggest starting with Encre Noire as cited above or with L'Occitane's Vetyver. Both very grounding.

Regards,
T
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post #11 of 22
9/9/10 at 1:06pm
Acteur or the original Leonard Pour Homme.
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post #12 of 22
9/9/10 at 1:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMF View Post

Your nose is the only nose that matters. Lead yourself to nirvana...

Correct.
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post #13 of 22
9/9/10 at 2:04pm
Come with me, young grasshopper... close your eyes, smell and experience Endymion, Opium PH summer editions, Kenzo Tokyo, Escada Magnetism, Lui de Rochas, and Dune Men.

While I lean heavily toward just recommending Endymion, I realize we all have different chemistry. You should try the others as well, all offer something unique but all fit you description too.

You are on the journey of a thousand sniffs.
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post #14 of 22
9/9/10 at 4:27pm
Sound to me like you need to sniff around for some vetiver based fragrances.
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post #15 of 22
9/9/10 at 7:31pm
If you are in Vancouver or Toronto and interested in trying more niche offerings some suggestions:

French Lover (aka Bois d'Orage) & Vetiver Extrordinaire from Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle.
Vetiver Tonka - Hermessences line at Hermes boutiques.
Fou d'Absinthe - L'Artisan Parfumeurs
Filles en Aiguilles - Serge Lutens
Uomo & Yerbamate - Lorenzo Villoresi (The Perfume Shoppe, Vancouver)

These are all more or less green and quite distinctive, FdA and FeA both 'piney'.

For summer you could do yourself a favour and try Acqua di Parma Colonia & Cipresso Tuscano.
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post #16 of 22
9/10/10 at 11:28pm
I like the original post to this thread All I can say is best of luck

Maybe some rec's ? Its tough. I agree with KMF and Dullah with regards to that matter. But for summer, give a vetiver scent a try ( I know summer is over).

Welcome to Basenotes !
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post #17 of 22
9/11/10 at 1:51am
Czech & Speake Oxford and Cambridge - a wonderful and highly natural lavender and oakmoss. Smells clean and distinguished in a professional, albeit english manner. The oakmoss provides a bit of intrigue and a hint of something carnal to the otherwise clean blend. This is one of my girlfriend's favorites - and she is not the type that likes AdG or its ilk!

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Bois de Turquie - a wonderful scent of sandalwood incense and myrrh with orange and bay leaf to round it out. It's lightly woody and almost has a cinnamon aroma to it - cinnamon and orange with incense. It manages to avoid smelling like potpourri, but instead is a beautiful melange of sweet and spicy notes. One of its most endearing qualities is that it doesn't project that far (it won't smell up a whole room, in other words) - it's much more intimate and personal than that, which is exactly waht you want for business or professional wear. Very few orientals are restrained in this category, but Bois de Turquie is an oriental that you can truly wear every day, and in every season (yes, even the heat) without it becoming tiresome. All of that is nice and well, but I recommend it to you because the scent itself is so darn good.
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post #18 of 22
9/11/10 at 2:39am
Must de Cartier
Loewe para Hombre
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post #19 of 22
9/11/10 at 3:04am
If you have any stores in your area that sell Creed I would check that brand out. Also, Aramis, Acqua di Parma, and Hermes might be worth trying.
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post #20 of 22
9/11/10 at 3:09am
  • MFJ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. reasonable View Post

If you are in Vancouver or Toronto and interested in trying more niche offerings some suggestions:

French Lover (aka Bois d'Orage) & Vetiver Extrordinaire from Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle.
Vetiver Tonka - Hermessences line at Hermes boutiques.
Fou d'Absinthe - L'Artisan Parfumeurs
Filles en Aiguilles - Serge Lutens
Uomo & Yerbamate - Lorenzo Villoresi (The Perfume Shoppe, Vancouver)

These are all more or less green and quite distinctive, FdA and FeA both 'piney'.

For summer you could do yourself a favour and try Acqua di Parma Colonia & Cipresso Tuscano.

This is a really solid list, no really solid, save for the LV which I've never tried. FeA is holy-grail pine for me. Must-have. The others are at least great. May I add Eloge du Traitre (ELDO) and NarziB (Dorissima), 2 more really REALLY good greens worthy of that list.

If green is still the theme, an honorable mention should go to Narciso Rodriguez for Him, one of the better designer greens I've had the joy of experiencing.
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post #21 of 22
9/11/10 at 7:07am
You will have to go through a "learning process" in order to get to know your taste and likes. Read the notes listed, try to identify them and through this learn to identify what really knocks you over Finally, you'll be able to narrow down things a lot. If you're near a big city, you may have stores that allow you to sniff and sample, but don't overdo it - not too many a time. Serge Lutens, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, Parfums d'Empire, Histoires de Parfums are some quality houses that give you a certain variety. Enjoy the ride!
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post #22 of 22
9/11/10 at 10:25am
Yeah I'll second Must de Cartier- that could work for ya too.
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