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Suggestions for powerful, long lasting, classic frags that are relatively inexpensive?

post #1 of 23
9/28/10 at 4:29pm
Thread Starter 
Hello everybody, I am 27 years old and searching for fragrances that are old school classics at an excellent value. By classic I mean that they are timeless and will still be recognized and probably worn 10, 20, 30+ years from now.
Preferences:
Excellent sillage and projection
Longevity preferably lasting 12 hours or more, but 6 hours is acceptable
Prefer Chypre and Orientals to Fougere aquatics and florals

The most important preference for me is excellent sillage/projection. Budget is under $80/bottle or less than $20.00 per each 1 oz. of cologne whichever is higher.
Also I would appreciate it if you have any feedback (positive or negative) regarding my current collection. Do you think a 27 year old can pull of wearing these frags? I do not know much about cologne and am new to the frag experience, so thank you in advance for your sound advice. Current stock is:

Royal Copenhagen
Grey Flannel
Paul Sebastian
Paco Rabanne
Lagerfeld
Cool Water
Drakkar Noir
Aramis
Canoe
Halston Z-14
Quorum
Polo Ralph Lauren

Thanks again!
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post #2 of 23
9/28/10 at 6:19pm
Mark_Cole,

Here's what I think...

Royal Copenhagen...OK
Grey Flannel...GOOD
Paul Sebastian...OK
Paco Rabanne...GOOD
Lagerfeld...OK
Cool Water...STOP USE
Drakkar Noir...STOP USE
Aramis...OK
Canoe...OK
Halston Z-14...GOOD
Quorum...OK
Polo Ralph Lauren...OK

The OKs are either too weak or too strong. The GOODs are a 'good' balance, and have some unique attributes (Z-14 and Grey Flannel). The STOP USE have been overly proliferated, wait maybe 10 years to start rocking it again.

Overall, you have very generic, non-special and nothing-modern fragrances. Time to go early 90s Italian. Here is my recommendation:

Smaple all of the Versace Jeans line (Blue, Green, Black, Metal, Baby Blue) AND anything Versace produced before 2000.

Then check Jean Arthes (below the radar but very modern and inexpensive) for something different every now and then.
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post #3 of 23
9/29/10 at 2:42am
Rive Gauche (the entire old skool YSL line is a terrific value)
Farenheit
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post #4 of 23
9/29/10 at 4:14am
I fully second Rive Gauche

Also, Pour un Homme by Caron, Jaipur and Boucheron pour Homme, both by Boucheron, YSL pour Homme and the Concentree flanker, Versace l'Homme might also be worth a try
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post #5 of 23
9/29/10 at 12:19pm
Tommy Girl is super cheap and ought to be around for a while. Not as long-lasting as it could be, but it really is SO cheap that it's prob worth giving it a go and taking the risk of not liking it. (Don't be put off by the name.)
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post #6 of 23
9/29/10 at 7:46pm
The whole old school YSL as mentioned before are unique and high quality and can be found at great prices.

Bulgari is another house that is very quality and can often be found very cheap. I'd recommend scooping up a 30 dollar Bulgari Aqua 3.4oz if you can.
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post #7 of 23
9/29/10 at 8:10pm
Since you mention Aramis, I have to throw Tuscany out there. The 100ml bottle I got over ten years ago will last me the rest of my life, I'm sure.

Also, YSL Kouros definitely needs to be in your collection.

Others for which your mileage may vary: Caron Yatagan, Caron 3ème Homme, Chanel Egoïste... there are so many. You're going to get a long list.
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post #8 of 23
9/29/10 at 8:24pm
CK Euphoria
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post #9 of 23
9/30/10 at 1:25am
Joop Homme (scary-strong, if you put too much on), Kouros, JPG Le male all spring to my mind. Bulgari extreme is one I like that is pretty good value online, not sure if it'll be worn in 10 years.
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post #10 of 23
9/30/10 at 2:20pm
Montana Parfum d'Homme is very cheap now. Michael for Men and Zino can be had cheaply if you have patience and wait for a deal on ebay. I'm a fan of JHL, but that's a bit more, though still should be found at reasonable prices. Lapidus (1987, I think) for men is worthy of consideration, though I need to diute it with vodka because it's a bit too strong. Acteur is a "must have," IMO, and it is still not unreasonably priced. Some of the others have been reformulated, so you need to be careful (Oscar Pour Lui, for example). Lomani is a super cheap fougere that's quite good, though I don't like that creamy/sweet lavender thing. Green Jeans is another one I would never want to be without and isn't too expensive yet (on ebay).
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post #11 of 23
9/30/10 at 4:53pm
I wouldn't classify CK Euphoria as long lasting, from my experience
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post #12 of 23
9/30/10 at 6:43pm
If I had to recommend must have classics they would be the following:

Kouros by YSL - incense, civet and more sillage and longevity than you could ever need

Yatagan by Caron - really strange fragance with celery, patchouli, and castoreum; long lasting too

YSL Pour Homme - a great old-school lemon fragrance with better longevity

Guerlain Vetiver - as good as vetiver gets. fresh, woody; a classic.


You could seriously not go wrong with these.
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post #13 of 23
10/2/10 at 2:46pm
Fendi Uomo.

It's discontinued now, but I'm pretty sure if you looked around you could get it fairly cheap.
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post #14 of 23
10/17/10 at 1:18pm
STETSON!!! Its usually under 20 dollars, it has a classic scent. It is so strong and great sillage!!! Also amazing projection. Even the smallest drop is enough to suffocate and elephant...(ok ok not that strong,..but u get the idea)...this is what u are looking for. It is a scent that is said to be the scent of the cowboys who roamed the American West....is amazing stuff. The longevity lasts well over 6 hours.
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post #15 of 23
10/20/10 at 6:23am
Old School power and economical? Try Maxim's Pour Homme for some macho. Quite a bit of bang for your buck. Don't feed into the "can I pull it off due to my age" thing. If it smells good, it's good......
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post #16 of 23
10/20/10 at 10:58am
kouros, angel men
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post #17 of 23
10/20/10 at 11:17am
Thread Starter 
Thank you for all the responses. I am sampling many of the frags recommended here.
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post #18 of 23
10/20/10 at 11:30am
Égoïste by Chanel.
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post #19 of 23
10/20/10 at 2:52pm
Azzaro Pour Homme Elixir by Azzaro
Azzaro pour Homme by Azzaro
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post #20 of 23
10/20/10 at 5:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siifter View Post

Égoïste by Chanel.

I agree with Siifter. your wardrobe is bereft of Chanels, an omission that must be rectified! In addition to Egoiste, I would recommend Pour Monsieur (1955 formulation), and Antaeus - one of the classic 80s powerhouse frags. Ditto for Azzaro Pour Homme, Rive Gauche, Montana, and the Aramis classics: Devin, Tuscany, Havana, and the eponymous Aramis.
I wish I had 10 arms so I could wear them all at once!
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post #21 of 23
10/20/10 at 7:23pm
Listen for Men by Herb Alpert - get it while it's sellling for next to nothing !
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post #22 of 23
10/20/10 at 11:15pm
Also I wana suggest 2 more. I think you need to try Old Spice Classic and English Leather. These are both very old scents. Old Spice came out in 1937 and English Leather was in 1948 I believe. Both have a good long lasting effect. Also Old Spice Classic seems to have pretty good sillage. People comment a lot when I wear it. I can say the same for English Leather. They are classic scents that last long. You can also get the matching deodorants and body washes in case you want to match your scents. I can always count on Old Spice to last. Its great. Also keep in mind, these are both well under $20.

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post #23 of 23
10/21/10 at 5:18am
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Just Starting Out › Suggestions for powerful, long lasting, classic frags that are relatively inexpensive?