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Most complex fragrance you have ever experienced?

post #1 of 64
8/6/11 at 5:32am
Thread Starter 
As in, goes through a lot of stages and has great interplay between the notes? Not necessarily something well blended with a zillion notes, but with a multi-part evolution that goes beyond "top-middle-bottom".

In my limited history of sampling fragrances, the best one i've found that fits this description is L'Air du Desert Marocain. Interested to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
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post #2 of 64
8/6/11 at 6:29am
Gris Claire by Serge Lutens is one of them. Begining is floral and ending is very spicy and strong.
Gucci Envy For Men: Opening is with Mahogany and Mandarin Orange notes and bitter. Drying down has two parts, first part is woody spicy, and you can't feel floral notes clearly. After 10-15 minutes, it's woody floral, and less spicy. Ending: Now i trickled 2 drops, i don't know.
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post #3 of 64
8/6/11 at 6:39am
Biehl Parfimkunstwerke AL03 and Versilia Platinum. While I quite appreciate both of them I still have to figure out What's really happening during their evolution.
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post #4 of 64
8/6/11 at 6:53am
L'air du desert Morocain is a good shout, very 3D and complex in nature.
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post #5 of 64
8/6/11 at 6:56am
Vintage Shalimar parfum by Guerlain

A ton of bergamot, vanilla, woods, amber, sandalwood, strong gasoline-ish leather, powder, animalic notes, back and forth and back and forth...on and on
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post #6 of 64
8/6/11 at 7:31am
C'est Magique
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post #7 of 64
8/6/11 at 7:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Vintage Shalimar parfum by Guerlain

A ton of bergamot, vanilla, woods, amber, sandalwood, strong gasoline-ish leather, powder, animalic notes, back and forth and back and forth...on and on

Yes - the old Guerlains are all masterpieces in terms of balanced complexity. I sprayed some Vol de Nuit recently, as a comparison to something more modern, and was just floored by the difference in complexity. Easy to forget those oldies. And - oh yeah - that was still "new" Vol de Nuit!

Among more modern things, Amouage are very complex. Memoir Man - just layers upon layers.
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post #8 of 64
8/6/11 at 8:00am
Perhaps Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque. Could've been my signature, HG, etc., but it does seriously hurt my eyes - too bad
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post #9 of 64
8/6/11 at 8:12am
Amouage 2009-formulation Ubar. A really complex interplay of light citrus, green, jasmine, rose, civet, frankincense, beeswax and iris seen through a dense, powdery veil. All these elements were clearly detectable yet nicely balanced. A number of Amouages have this kind of complexity, but Ubar was my favorite; Memoir Man, Opus II, and Jubilation 25 also stand out in my mind as intriguingly complex scents.
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post #10 of 64
8/6/11 at 8:37am
Blenheim Bouquet by Penhaligons and BDP by Creed

Both seem strong, in your face, but at the same time, very Old School and formal fragrances, rather mono-linear, but
one they unfold on my skin, they both evolve into a myriad of fascinating, exquisite and versatile notes so difficult to pin down
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post #11 of 64
8/6/11 at 9:07am
FENDI UOMO. The opening is really in your face and harsh. Once it settles in the florals, leathers, and spices come out. The longer it wears the more it smells like an expensive leather bag. I love it!
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post #12 of 64
8/6/11 at 5:09pm
Patou Pour Homme - Ever tasted 1976 Chateau d'Yquem? It's like that.
Guerlain Mitsouko - it's not referred to as the definitive perfume for nothing.

Both of these provide hours of sublime evolution. Have a notepad at the ready before applying.
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post #13 of 64
8/6/11 at 5:14pm
I also think Amouage make really complex fragrances. Ubar, Gold Men, and Epic Women come to mind.
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post #14 of 64
8/6/11 at 5:29pm
Tom Ford Extreme - It's filled with so many notes well blended together that it's like a olfactory joyride trying to detect them every time I wear it.
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post #15 of 64
8/6/11 at 8:13pm
Salvador Dali pH
Van Cleef & Arpels pH
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post #16 of 64
8/6/11 at 8:20pm
Shalimar and Tom Ford Extreme come to mind as mentioned above. I'll also add Jubilation XXV; fruit, citrus, incense, woods, spices...all interchanging roles.
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post #17 of 64
8/6/11 at 8:34pm
Pretty much any Amouage. So many different things to smell and when you think you have it figured out you discover another note.
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post #18 of 64
8/6/11 at 9:16pm
Interesting thread. Like others here it seems to mainly come down to either some Guerlains & Amouages and/or chypres or orientals - off the top of my head from those I actually spend time with:

Mitsouko
Shalimar
Sous le Vent
L'Heure Bleue
Apres l'Ondee (the extrait is quite intriguing)
Attrape Coeur
Ubar
Memoir Man & Woman
Epic Woman
Lyric Woman
Honour Man (still experimenting with this one)
Tiffany for Men
New York (Nicolai)
Balsamo della Mecca
Santal Noble
Patou Pour Homme
Profumo (Acqua di Parma)
Onda - this one also has me intrigued, more of an interesting take on leather and stuff.

I guess some more fougere styles as well - Jicky, Invasion Barbare, 1725.
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post #19 of 64
8/6/11 at 11:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snafoo View Post

Patou Pour Homme - Ever tasted 1976 Chateau d'Yquem? It's like that.
Guerlain Mitsouko - it's not referred to as the definitive perfume for nothing.

Both of these provide hours of sublime evolution. Have a notepad at the ready before applying.

Good calls.
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post #20 of 64
8/7/11 at 1:02am
“In perfume, the male of the species is always smaller than the female.”

A few. Most of them in vintage formulations:

Mitsouko
Shalimar
L’Heure Bleue
Patou pour Homme
No. 5
Amouage Gold
Talisman
Aromatics Elixir
Opium
1000
Bandit
Eau d'Hermes

-- Most of today's fragrances are anchored by a variety of sugared molecules, powerful synthetic woody amber aroma chemicals and synthetic musks that often smell strong but aren't all that complex. L'Air du Desert Marocain is a good example. Heavy-handed but not all that complex.
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post #21 of 64
8/7/11 at 1:49am
Good: Giorgio Red, Obsession
Bad: Hugo, and Hugo Dark Blue
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post #22 of 64
8/11/11 at 12:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snafoo View Post

Patou Pour Homme - Ever tasted 1976 Chateau d'Yquem? It's like that.
Guerlain Mitsouko - it's not referred to as the definitive perfume for nothing.

Both of these provide hours of sublime evolution. Have a notepad at the ready before applying.

+1 on Patou pour Homme

And also +1 on Chateau d'Yquem!
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post #23 of 64
8/11/11 at 12:46pm
Black Orchid
Back To Black
Portrait Of A Lady
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post #24 of 64
8/11/11 at 1:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by staticx View Post

Salvador Dali pH

+1
Very interesting thread
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post #25 of 64
8/11/11 at 10:12pm
Dali PH
Fahrenheit
Gucci Envy
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post #26 of 64
8/12/11 at 12:04am
First thing that comes to mind is Jicky, wearing it is pure surrealism.

Today I sampled Tubereuse Criminelle, and man am I trying to get my head around that one...
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post #27 of 64
8/12/11 at 12:33am
Bois 1920 Classic Extreem
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post #28 of 64
8/12/11 at 6:07am
L'Instant Extreme - absolutely perfume creation mastery, it transforms so many different ways on my skin. I will definitely rock it when I get a bit older.
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post #29 of 64
8/12/11 at 7:05am
For me that would be Quorum, Knize Ten, and Ma Griffe, but even more so Knize Forest - it only rarely develops the same way twice. The downside is that it seems to be a bit more hard to "get" as a result.

Quorum and Knize Ten are also fun counter-examples to the "masculine fragrances can't feature floral notes" crowd: the rose/rosewood and carnation notes are well-blended but fairly strong in both (not that K10 goes light on iris, or much of anything else, either)
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post #30 of 64
8/12/11 at 7:07am
of all the wonderful scents i have sampled, nothing beats the joy of smelling Jacomo de Jacomo Rouge up close. its just pure joy
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post #31 of 64
8/12/11 at 7:31am
Onda by Vero Kern takes the prize for me.

Regards,
Steve
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post #32 of 64
8/12/11 at 10:38am
+1 on vintage Tabac Blond, Shalimar & Mitsouko.

Good call on Ubar & Balsamo della Mecca.
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post #33 of 64
8/12/11 at 6:22pm
Cruel Intentions and Back to Black by Kilian
Most Amouage frags
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post #34 of 64
8/15/11 at 2:46pm
Egoiste Platinum?
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post #35 of 64
8/15/11 at 2:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by staticx View Post

Salvador Dali pH
Van Cleef & Arpels pH

Read my mind.
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post #36 of 64
8/15/11 at 3:11pm
Amouage Gold and Old school Guerlains
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post #37 of 64
8/15/11 at 5:07pm
Jubilation XXV for me, followed by Tom Ford Extreme
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post #38 of 64
8/15/11 at 5:44pm
Salvador Dali PH and Red are more dense than complex to me.

For complexity I would say Bond No. 9 Harrod's Swarovski Limited Edition. Terrible name, but a lot of deep interplay while retaining unity.
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post #39 of 64
8/15/11 at 6:59pm
Another vote for Ubar. That one took me several wearings to "get" but once I spent enough time with it, I loved it and had to have a FB. I'll also say vintage Shalimar parfum. Wonderful layers upon layers. And no other drydown is quite as deep and lovely to my nose as the vanilla in vintage Shalimar!

I will add to the discussion, The Party in Manhattan. Another fragrance that took several wears before I fell in love. When I wear this I really do hear swanky 40's tunes and see women in furs with velvet heels and men drinking scotch smoking cigars.
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post #40 of 64
8/15/11 at 10:55pm
I think the most complex perfume is the one you where all the notes dont stand out to you because they are blended so finely.
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post #41 of 64
8/16/11 at 4:46am
Amouage Memoir, Shalimar, Tom Ford's extreme & Back to Black are all complex fragrances that I understand the more I wear them. Because of this complexity I feel I will be wearing all 4 for some time to come.
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post #42 of 64
8/17/11 at 1:57pm
Borgats arabian nights and kouros.
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post #43 of 64
8/17/11 at 2:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeperez23 View Post

Vintage Shalimar parfum by Guerlain

A ton of bergamot, vanilla, woods, amber, sandalwood, strong gasoline-ish leather, powder, animalic notes, back and forth and back and forth...on and on

+1.
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post #44 of 64
3/7/12 at 1:37pm
Tom Ford Extreme
LIDGE
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post #45 of 64
3/7/12 at 2:16pm
Leather Oud- so animalistic and complex its hard to pick out notes individually.

Mitsouko- When i first smelled it I was blown away, its one of a few scents where each time i sniff it i dont smell notes I smell Paris on a beautiful, spring day.
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post #46 of 64
3/7/12 at 2:58pm
Carnal Flower
It is perfect.
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post #47 of 64
3/7/12 at 3:14pm
Onda also comes to mind right now
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post #48 of 64
3/7/12 at 3:22pm
Lddm
black orchid
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post #49 of 64
3/7/12 at 3:23pm
Reverie au Jardin by Andy Tauer is wonderfully complex. I notice a new facet of this every time I wear it.
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post #50 of 64
3/7/12 at 3:30pm
Lubin Inedite. That's why I like wearing it!
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post #51 of 64
3/7/12 at 9:58pm
I would agree with many who have already put this one
forth and say that Patou Pour Homme is the most complex
scent I've ever experienced.

Also in the running:

Divine L'Homme Sage
Esencia Loewe
Invasion Barbare
Versace L'Homme (vintage)
HdP 1725
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post #52 of 64
3/7/12 at 10:09pm
Sartorial. I think it has something like 24 notes in its composition.
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post #53 of 64
3/7/12 at 10:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

I think the most complex perfume is the one you where all the notes dont stand out to you because they are blended so finely.

I agree, and it doesn't necessarily mean there needs to be lots of notes. I also notice that people interpret these kinds of frags in many different ways. For example reviews and people's scent associations of Back to Black are all over the place. I have heard robitussin, cherry pie, pipe tobacco, oud, lots of vanilla, almost no vanilla etc, etc... it's entertaining how many different interpretations there can be of the same frag.
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post #54 of 64
3/8/12 at 2:03am
Van Cleef & Arpels pour Homme (1978)
Oscar de la Renta pour Lui (1981)
Givenchy - Insense (1993)
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post #55 of 64
3/8/12 at 6:02am
+1 Tauer - L'Air du Desert Marocain and Gucci - Envy For Men

Amouage - Jubilation XXV
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post #56 of 64
3/8/12 at 6:28am
I'll echo what others have said agreeing with Tom Ford Extreme the most. Black Orchid and Tauer LDDM are also pretty complex my my nose.
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post #57 of 64
3/8/12 at 12:11pm
I must enjoy complex fragrances - my favorite parts of my wardrobe have already been mentioned...

I'd like to add New York by Parfums du Nicholai. I didn't find it to be quite my style while sampling, but was impressed that I seemed to smell different every time I took a whiff of myself! Perhaps it's something I'd get used to, but on my skin its evolution was unparalleled.
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post #58 of 64
5/26/12 at 9:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

I think the most complex perfume is the one you where all the notes dont stand out to you because they are blended so finely.

Well, in that case, Gucci Pour Homme I takes the cake here, if it didn't already. Envy... LOL
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post #59 of 64
5/26/12 at 11:17pm
For me its a tie between Knize Ten and Nejma Aoud One. Both are a wonderful roller-coaster ride that lasts all day!
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post #60 of 64
5/27/12 at 12:14am
For me it has to be Jubilation XXV, L' Air Du Desert Marocain and Tom Ford Extreme usually mess with my mind each time I wear them.
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