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Dislike the Opening, Love the Drydown!

post #1 of 36
3/26/11 at 8:50pm
Thread Starter 
I think it is probably more common to be be sucked in by a great opening, only to find that the heart or basenotes head off in a direction that we may find unappealing. And that is precisely why sampling, and try before you buy makes a lot of sense.

But my wife came home from the dept. store, and she smelled great - I immediately identified the scent as a wonderful teas based frag. She said she tried Bulgari's Eau Parfumee au the Blanc. So I went to said dept. store, chatted it up, received a small decant, and also spritzed myself. YUCK! What the heck? Can't be, I thought. I checked the bottle again - but that's what it was, alright. Smelled medicinal and totally unpleasant! Forget that.

But then, driving home, maybe 15 minutes later, there it was. Beautiful white tea! I just love it, and think it's one of my favorite tea scents (reminds me of a Westin Hotel Lobby), but I really don't think I can buy it because of the nasty opening.

This is not really about this scent specifically, but has something like this happened to you? And did you buy the bottle despite the horrid opening notes?
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post #2 of 36
3/26/11 at 8:56pm
Caron Pour un Homme. The opening is a bit challenging for me, but love the drydown.
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post #3 of 36
3/26/11 at 8:56pm
I love the dry down of Eau Lente, but the first 1/2 hour has this horribly metallic cinnamon note that makes it smell like a cheap potpourri.
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post #4 of 36
3/26/11 at 8:56pm
SL Ambre Sultan - the opening is just OK, controversial even, but the drydown is a big rave by almost all accounts I've read. That's my experience, too. It gets really, really good about two hours into it.
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post #5 of 36
3/26/11 at 9:14pm
Green Irish Tweed. The opening is a spiky green synthetic bleh. The drydown is pure heaven.
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post #6 of 36
3/26/11 at 9:35pm
For me, Kouros, Musc Ravageur, and for some reason, Noir de Noir.
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post #7 of 36
3/26/11 at 9:37pm
Kouros
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post #8 of 36
3/26/11 at 9:43pm
silver mountain water has one of the worst openings I've smelled, but after it calms down, it's so fresh.
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post #9 of 36
3/26/11 at 9:45pm
Versace Dreamer fits the bill....gets better as it goes along.
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post #10 of 36
3/26/11 at 10:49pm
Edges by Panouge has a somewhat strange opening but evolves into something very pleasant.
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post #11 of 36
3/26/11 at 11:07pm
Musc Ravaguer comes to mind, discordant mess of an opening.
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post #12 of 36
3/26/11 at 11:56pm
Boi Du Portugal has a horrid overwhelming lavender opening that really slaps you in the face. But the smokey woody drydown is great.
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post #13 of 36
3/27/11 at 12:16am
+1 Bois du Portugal and Musc Ravageur

For me, Azzaro pour Homme
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post #14 of 36
3/27/11 at 12:49am
Is it just me but I prefer the top and heart notes. Not because it smells better but because this is when sillage is optimum.
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post #15 of 36
3/27/11 at 1:39am
Nobody has said M7 yet.

So I will.
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post #16 of 36
3/27/11 at 2:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

Is it just me but I prefer the top and heart notes. Not because it smells better but because this is when sillage is optimum.

ditto
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post #17 of 36
3/27/11 at 6:10am
Cuir Ottoman
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post #18 of 36
3/27/11 at 6:16am
Auod lime, the opening is not bad but the drydown is one of the best.

Cmax...
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post #19 of 36
3/27/11 at 6:53am
  • cpk
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Actually "lovely topnotes" is a marketing trick conceived by people designing mass market appeal fragrances. You walk into a perfume store, somebody sprays you something new, you have to decide then and there whether you will give it a chance so it has to have a lovely opening, full of familiar and comforting notes.

In reality some notes in high concentrations are off-putting but if you don't use them in high concentrations they will get lost in the mid to base progression. The list of fragrances with strange openings is endless. Many Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier fragrances have something that smells like cheese. Cumming smells like used socks in the opening. The huge ugly note at the beginning leaves a trail that adds depth to the base.
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post #20 of 36
3/27/11 at 7:10am
Periodically, a reviewer will say that the top notes of a recommended frag had to be endured. Ironic, if true, because it's those top notes that are commonly seen as an invitation to the rest of the perfume. Similarly, I've read that frags sold in stores pay special attention to them because many (most?) buyers make purchases based on those notes alone. A difficult opening makes it tough for me to wear a fragrance. In my wardrobe there is but one: Comme des Garcons Jaisalmer. I'm not fond of balsam nor sweetness in scent and Jaisalmer launches with both.
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post #21 of 36
3/27/11 at 9:10am
Aramis New West
Fleur Du Male
Zino
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post #22 of 36
3/27/11 at 9:29am
Versace Dreamer

Ungaro III
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post #23 of 36
3/27/11 at 10:31am
Rive Gauche Pour Homme
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post #24 of 36
3/27/11 at 11:28am
Chanel Allure
The opening is really strong. I was actually disapointed at first. The base notes smell like heaven.
Every time I wear this I can't wait for the base notes to appear.
Kouros
When you spray it on it smells really good for like 1 minute. It feels like something classic, old even for the 80's. It has a lot of incense, which I really like. After that minute come the infamous top notes. I don't like civet. After many many hours the base notes appear. This is the best part of the scent. It transforms from something bold into something seemingly out of heaven.
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post #25 of 36
3/27/11 at 1:08pm
Chanel Bois Des Iles.
I didn't like the aldehydes opening the first few tries. But thank god: now I love it.
The drydown was awesome all the time though...
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post #26 of 36
3/27/11 at 4:13pm
Hugh Parsons Traditional Blue-- the opening is citrus and starch; the drydown is out of this world.
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post #27 of 36
3/28/11 at 12:09am
Serge Noire (clove over-load)
Heritage (lemon powder)
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post #28 of 36
3/28/11 at 12:28am
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Absolue Pour le Soir is another one. Sharp, jumbled incense skank fest upon the initial blast. Dry down is heavenly. Honey rose, jasmine with the incense toned down.
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post #29 of 36
3/28/11 at 10:39am
FCUK Him. Smells like pure bugspray or something when you first apply it. Literally. The drydown is actually fairly pleasant. I wouldn't say I love it but one of the most drastic changes from intolerable to good of anything I've used. I wouldn't run out and buy any unless you're curious to try it yourself but I found it rather amazing.
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post #30 of 36
3/28/11 at 6:16pm
Chanel Égoïste concentrée

Some really sharp note overwhelms me at first, but after 30 minutes, it keeps evolving in ever more perfect ways.
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post #31 of 36
3/28/11 at 10:58pm
Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur.

Sometimes I am not in the mood for that much civet.
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post #32 of 36
3/29/11 at 7:17am
Bulgari Black , the drydown is awesome but I can´t hardly stand the opening with the "high" rubber note
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post #33 of 36
3/29/11 at 7:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duke Hunt View Post

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Absolue Pour le Soir is another one. Sharp, jumbled incense skank fest upon the initial blast. Dry down is heavenly. Honey rose, jasmine with the incense toned down.

I agree
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post #34 of 36
3/29/11 at 8:09am
Mouchoir de Monsieur's first ten minutes or so is a bit challening, but I agree with Kevin, Eau Lente is the best example of such scent. About half an hour of really harsh note, which mellows to one of the greatest drydowns ever.
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post #35 of 36
3/29/11 at 8:57am
Tabac Original, Knize Ten, Creed REL, Guerlain Vetiver, Santos de Cartier, Versace l'Homme, Azzaro PH, Caractere by Daniel Hechter, Aramis Classic and even Aramis Tuscany, Opium PH by YSL, Esencia Loewe and other venerable male classics belong, to me, in this category- once I let the drydown settle, the result is divine, not matter how I might have been put off by the initial blast
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post #36 of 36
3/29/11 at 2:26pm
Dzing!

It goes on with that eyebrow-raising 'horse stable' note, and while not totally off-putting, it can make me a bit self-conscious.
After a while, it's a perfectly serviceable sweet leather.
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Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Dislike the Opening, Love the Drydown!