A new signature scent for a man venturing out in the world.

Eau Sauvage by Dior

It's hard to go wrong with YSL Rive Gauche, and you can still get it for $35 for a 120ml bottle.

Rive Gauche is not floral at all - very clean and green - woods, herbs, and green leaves. This is a modern take on a classic masculine style of fragrance. My wife loves it every time I wear this. You may have trouble finding it at a mall, unless you find a shop that sells older stuff. It came out in 2003, but YSL recently discontinued it only to relaunch it in a smaller bottle at a higher price. You can still find it online all over for $35 though.

Leather Oud by Dior. My wife always comments when I wear it, that would make a great signature scent. Manly, affordable, and unique. For $230.00 you can get 250ml bottle. Can use daily for a couple of years.

http://www.dior.com/beauty/usa/en/fr...py0907160.html

Dior Fahrenheit is pretty badass. Check that one out if you haven't before. Not exactly new, but still very unique, masculine and appealing. Sort of reminds you of the smell of gasoline, and they say it has violet leaf in it, but that doesn't really tell you anything - just try it. Easy to find anywhere.

Chanel Pour Monsieur is pure class - nicely bitter and citric, bracing and clean but not in that watery modern sense. This one is timeless. A bit more expensive, but not too much.

Chanel Egoiste is also amazing - rich sandalwood and rose, but perfectly balanced. It doesn't come across as floral at all. It's warm, woody, and sexy. A good evening scent.

Guerlain Heritage is a woody oriental, but not too sweet. It comes across as bold and strong to me, and projects well. This may be hard to find in US shops, but it's available online pretty readily at good prices.

I love Guerlain Habit Rouge, but it may be too pretty for you. Hard to find in US malls as well.

My tastes are pretty old school. If you like more modern stuff, I think A*Men and Dior Homme are very nice - sweeter and less masculine, but excellent.

Welcome to Basenotes, by the way!

If you're so deadset on masculine, Musc Ravageur

Aventus and Green Irish Tweed, by Creed, are both fantastic all weather scents. It's very expensive at retail, but you can get in on a split here for under 80 dollars for 50 ml.

I would also echo the Rive Gauche recommendation; it's a great scent that is perfectly suited to any weather and any event.

Other recommendations are Burberry London, YSL Opium, or Azzaro pour homme (not Azzaro Chrome.)

I agree, but only buy the tin/aluminum can.

And, try:

Uomo? Moschino by Moschino - One is initially treated to a crisp tarantella of bittersweet, citrusy kumquat and sweet and woody rosewood, tempered by an astringent and sour coriander. This fresh blend rapturously floats on a perfumed cloud, and eventually drifts to the awaiting middle. Here, in the heart, the fresh blend is supplanted by cyclamen, with its mildly sweet, floral accents, spicy and warm, cinnamon leaf as well as nutty clary sage, with its hint of anise. This invigorating medley flows to the waiting base. The refreshing base is a mixture of dry cedarwood, soapy musk and candied amber, moderated by antiseptic artemisia. An exhilarating and outdoorsy drydown ensues. This pleasant and masculine composition has average projection, albeit radiating, and excellent longevity. The quality to price ratio for this all-season fragrance is heavily skewed in its favor, given its inexpensive price.

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Bulgari pour Homme Soir by Bulgari - An initial burst of refreshing bergamot, halfway between a lemon and an orange, with its tart and juicy green and very faint mint-like aspects, professes the clean and fresh opening. The darjeeling tea beckons the invigorating bergamot to stew in the heart, and infuses it with its somewhat powdery and medicinal woodiness morphing the sharp citrus into a more fruity bent. Guaiacwood, with its honey and smoky features, and papyrus, with its withered grassy and light wood facets, serve as a background for the simmering brew, which has acquired a sweet and wet earthiness. The waiting base, with its soft and almost syrupy amber as well as its radiant and slightly soapy musk, tugs for recognition and carries the tea blend to its delightful drydown. This classy fragrance can be an all-season treat, and has average projection, becoming a skin scent, and good longevity.

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Play by Givenchy - Citrus abounds in the opening, with bergamot, mandarin orange, bitter orange and grapefruit. This wonderful interplay of semi-sweet and semi-bitter flavors, with an undercurrent of woods, is refreshing. The wrestling of the citrus and wood tumbles to its middle. The spicy heart usurps the citrus opening with its pepper, amyris wood and coffee flower, forming a musky, spicy and woody radiance, arousing a sexy aura. The oft-seen patchouli and vetiver base blends with the heart nicely, mellowing the woods and spice, and leads to its alluring drydown. This is a well balanced composition, and has very good longevity and projection.

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CK In 2U as you like Hugo.
Dune;
Higher;
Kenzo Pour Homme;
Kenzo Jungle;
Déclaration;
Clinique Happy.

It's all perception and association. I find MR perfectly unisex.

Noble Vetiver by Chopard. Woody, masculine and sturdy.

Yes, absolutely. That's the 120ml one. The new square one is like 3 times as expensive and smaller - and probably been reformulated into something crappy. Has anyone tried the new cubey bottle?


Yeah, me too. I don't find it overtly masculine at all. It's a very sweet gourmand-ey scent to me - like comfort food for the nose.

The name is very misleading. I expected a big, hairy, macho, animalic beast, and it turned out to be a fluffy yummy teddy bear.

Opium is a slightly spicy, warm oriental scent. Imagine drinking a vanilla root beer in the middle of the woods in winter, and you are getting a vague idea of the scent. The Azzaro is a wonderfully smooth classic with a touch of anise in it. It's recognizably masculine, but never feels dated. You can usually find it for $20 at TJ Maxx, and sometimes less if you are lucky (I got a 50 ml for $7 on clearance there).

Michael Kors.

Havana by Aramis

Wow, this is absolutely the worst list I've seen in a long time. I wouldn't wear a one of these if they were the last scents left on the planet.

Dirty English. Definitely masculine and I can't keep my wrist from my nose when wearing it. Great signature scent and you can find it at a good price. Only downside is spotty longevity.

You have a vast knowledge of scent. We need something better from you than Michael Kors. You can't venture with MK.

I normally hesitate to recommend blind buys, but with Rive Gauche Pour Homme, it's a pretty low risk. It has broad appeal and its still crazy cheap after being recently discontinued. If you hate it, hold it for a year and you can probably sell it for a profit. Don't throw away the box and try not to dent the bottle (it's a heavy gage aluminum can).

Let us know what you think of it!

If you find you like it, buy some backup bottles while it's still cheap. Its not really discontinued. They re-launched it as part of their "La Collection YSL" or something like that, but it's a lot more expensive and may have been reformulated.

I agree with and recommend the following:

Dior Fahrenheit - Great scent that gets more masculine in the base, and can be worn year round since it is much lighter than it was when it first came out.

Creed Aventus - Can be used year round as well imo (lighter app in extreme heat obviously). Also agree to go for a split to save $ and a better chance at getting a good batch. I got 50 ml from Kron on here and it is great (I'm sure others who do splits here are great as well). This is a complement getter for sure.

**I also think you should check out TERRE D'HERMES. Absolutely great scent (make sure to get the edt, other strengths are to strong imo). I don't think you'll regret trying this one.

Just an fyi: You can find a lot of samples on ebay and other sites that would be much cheaper than blind buying. I purchased a sample of Rive Gauche about a month ago for $5.00 shipped.

Double post, sorry.

Terre d'Hermes

I could see, maybe, an Abercrombie Woods comparison, but I have the original Woods; don't know what the newer version smells like. The first time I tried Terre D'Hermes I thought of woods, although now they seems miles apart. Give Terre D'Hermes edt a solid wear before you decide about it. The drydown is the best part imho.

If you have a larger budget, I would say Aventus, GIT or Terre D'Hermes...
If you are on a limited budget, I would recommend Kenneth Cole Black, Zino Davidoff or Bvlgari Pour Homme...
Just my opinion

Agreed for both. Dior gives me lots of flowers in the opening, but dont be thrown off by it. It gets pretty masculine later on.