My (Unfortunately) Most-Complimented Cologne: Curve Revisited

The bottom line it garnered compliments, and compliments no matter where they come from IMO are always good and welcome.

Simple rule. If your looking for compliments, buy a designer fragrance. If you want a ton of compliments, buy a designer that has been worn to death.

Hey, nothing wrong with curve. Yes it is designer. Yes it is synthetic. And yes, it has been around for a long time and has passed the test of time. It smells better than many expensive niche fragrances that I have come across.

Wow. Two Curve threads in one day. Whodathunkit?

The dudes looking for a "panty-dropper" aren't going to find it in Curve.

Curve is great. I've worn it on and off since it was released in 1996. I've been given a billion compliments on how I smell when wearing Curve, which is why I still own it, but the compliments have never been the sort of strong reactions I've gotten while wearing bolder scents. Then again, bolder scents are risky since they may send the wrong message or they may be something a date doesn't enjoy. Curve is more of a safe and easy going crowd pleaser. Curve isn't loud enough to be a club scent, but that's part of what makes it the perfect 1st date scent. It doesn't smell like you're just trying to get laid, but it isn't a turn off either. It's attractive, but it's neither ROAR nor RAWR

I'm glad Curve peaked long ago and is now a bargain bin scent. It's a hidden gem. The more hidden it becomes, the better. I live in a busy downtown and I smell the same scents everywhere. They're either citrus/aquatic or fruity/vanilla. It's funny how something like Curve has become kind of unique as everybody moved on to other things (not to mention sugary-sweeter trends).

Curve isn't one of my favorite scents, but I own it and wouldn't hesitate to wear it.

I've never actually smelled Curve
I do own a nearly empty Fierce that I'm not going to replace though. Gotta move on

Sorry, I don't think I understand what the problem is.

Nothing sad about it. Curve is cheap and amazing. Cant always be fine dining. Sometimes your body wants a dirty filthy street dog from time to time.

Don't you just hate when one of your cheapest priced frags happens to be the most complimented...

Curve is superb value. Can't knock it in my opinion.

LOLZ! I sure hope you're talking about Hot Dogs, and not...

First-world problems for sure, man.

On a side note, I've had Curve since its inception, and it was my daily (readnly) frag in high school. I still have a 4.2oz bottle that I hadn't touched in ages, and dug it out after a thread about it from a couple of weeks back. The first day I wore it, it was at work, where I wear something different nearly every day. No one really says much (I keep it discreet and use a single spray to chest/lower neck), but on the first day wearing Curve, *two* compliments from women. One in her 40's and another in her late 20's. My personal taste in fragrance has moved to slightly more challenging (not Secretions Magnifique challenging), but good old Curve still gets the job done. I did a comparison the other night with the gf, using Fierce, Mont Blanc Legend, Platinum Egoiste, and Curve. Without telling her which was which, she liked the Curve the best, then Fierce, then Legend, and PE coming in last. While it was a hallmark of the 90's, it's certainly not dated and still is a compliment machine. I'll always have it in the wardrobe.

Curve is indeed the most talked about fragrance at my work where both the men and women, whenever the discussion of fragrance is brought up, reminisce about this juice and it being their all time favorite.

You forgot to add - if you're looking for the sound of crickets, buy niche.
Renato

+1. I've yet to get complimented on a non-designer frag and I've been wearing niche way more than designer lately. Aventus doesn't count

I'm staring at two bottles of the stuff right now. I just can't get myself to spray it on; especially since it's sitting right next to le male, la nuit, pure malt, etc...
Regardless, it is a huge compliment getter.

It was Al/Ali (the first person to ever post on Basenotes 12 years ago) who asserted here 11 years ago that women absolutely love Curve (and Escada and A*men). The guy had expertise - I remember thanking him in one post.

Beats me why straight guys keep spending small fortunes on scents that don't work well in that department.
Regards,
Renato

I think the right cologne should make the wearer feel more confident which also helps with the ladies. It should give pleasure to the wearer as well as the girls.
Would you wear a cologne that you hate if it helped pick up with the ladies? I don't know if I could wear something that I hate the smell of.

I wouldn't wear one I hate, but there's nothing wrong with liking Curve. I keep it in my collection because it's a perfect fragrance for a 1st date or for hanging out with new people. It'll never be popular on basenotes, but that's A-OK with me.

In my bachelor days, the answer in the context you mean, would have been an unambiguous yes.

While I dislike many scents, I don't hate any scent - though I would hate wearing Secretions Magnifique, even if it were a lady killer, since I would look pretty silly gagging all night long, and most probably she would be doing so too.

But the answer is irrelevant, since I always liked Curve - though it now has a negative association, as it was the last scent I wore at the end of a long relationship with a former girlfriend.
Regards,
Renato

Does anyone know how Curve Soul is, in comparison to the original. I've heard it to be less synthetic..?

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It's true that a simple fragrance can bring home the most compliments. People aren't used to smell unique and daring fragrances but are much more pleased by the simple things. In some ways it's a shame but hey curve is dirt cheap.

Curve review: http://linus41.blogspot.be/2012/12/l...rne-curve.html

i know what you mean.

cool water was my first cologne. i've worn upwards of 100 fragrances since then, but cool water is still the one that gets the most compliments. but i like it though

It is often the scent which seems ho-hum to the wearer which receives the most compliments. I don't own Curve, or Fierce, or many of those but I have similar experiences. Lanvin l'homme for example nets me many compliments which is astounding because the sillage is so timid. If this ever came out in a thicker EDP I think it would be an absolute compliment machine. Simmilarly I find Chopard Homme, Dunhill Desire Blue, Eau du Tzar, Versace Pour Homme (signature I think, the blue bottle one), Fraicher, and Escada's Moon Sparkle all receive lots of compliments. Apart I find most of these to be pretty safe, basic fragrances. Wearable but hardly thrilling.

Once a friend of mine gave me a bottle of Victoria's Secret Very Sexy for Him (the first one) because he found himself allergic to it. Abysmal longevity, but while it lasted it was a compliment machine like nothing else I've ever worn. I found it to be a very generic comp, but it was so crazy when it came to compliments my then-girlfriend actually made me stop wearing it (she didn't find it very thrilling) and I gave it away to a friend after using about a third of the bottle. It made such an impression on him that he heard it was discontinued and now owns six back-up bottles. Its all he wears and whenever I go out with him it doesn't matter what I'm wearing. Could be the most insanely expensive niche thing or designer exclusive, vintage, anything nobody notices but women will all but wait in line to tell him he smells good.

Another is CK Be. Again though the fact that it's scented water makes this odd. If I take an atomizer and freshen up every hour or so I get compliments like crazy.

One of my all-time favourite fragrances, Annick Goutal's Sables, attracts as much criticisms as compliments, and the compliments have little to do with it being a lady killer and everything to do with its sheer strength and in-your-face weirdness. If I walk past someone wearing it they would have to be wearing nose plugs to not notice. Hence criticism and complements are both quite common.

'Are you... wearing fragrance? You smell really weird.' - I get that a lot with Sables. I've been told I smell like curry powder, sand, pancake mix, maple syrup, burnt sugar, a spice rack, the inside of an Asian grocery store, and many other adjectives (weird, odd, funny, etc) besides.

Niche stuff is often criticized for me. Eau de Hadrian? My wife hates it and thinks it smells like prisoners brew. Once when I wore it out shopping a lady next to me in the fruit section kept picking up grapefruits and sniffing them with a horrified expression as if she thought there was some rotten ones hiding out in the pile. I told her it was my perfume and she gave me this look which was priceless. A kind of 'I'm very sorry. It must be hard for you.' look.

Like the way people look at parents when their kids are throwing a tantrum in public XD

On the flipside yesterday I went to the local pharmacy and ended up buying Azzaro Twin, 'love is a game.' and wore it home due to testing it. This was a little cheapie which to me smelled synthetic, but in a jolly way that, for the price and given the fun bottle, put a smile on my face. Not just mine though. I received two compliments before I made it out of the mall.

There are a few niche fragrances I own that do get compliments. Two by Montale: Wild Pears and Sandflowers, one by Opulent Shaik: no.77 (actually this gets compliments like crazy but I wear it very rarely due to the crazy price tag) CSP's L'eau du Gouverneur, and Molinard Homme II and III.

The real oddity comes into it in that solicited compliments are often quite different, and by this I don't mean asking someone what they think of your fragrance, but when I ask people 'which, of all my fragrances, do you think smells the nicest/sexiest/whatever?' when I ask that? Of all the women I know, my wife, family, friends, etc. The top three are Silver Shadow, Givenchy Gentleman vintage and Mandarina Duck Pure Black. Except when it comes to women who are older than me and sometimes even around my age. Then it's usually something very sharp and old school. Monsiuer Worth (ultra sharp old-school fougere from the 60's with an almost medicinal top) and vintage Worth Pour Homme (another old-school fougere of the dirty green style like a muskier Tzar) both get top marks.

Now I haven't thought or worried much about so-called panty droppers in many years. However I would not brand a scent a 'Panty Dropper,' simply because it draws compliments. Not that I'd call any fragrance a Panty Dropper perse, but if we're talking about liquid hug tightener or something that's going to have a noticeable effect or make someone more likely to cosy up to you then I find those endless ranks of fresh spicy scents and aquatics don't tend to fit the bill.

The Dreamer is a good example of a scent which doesn't seem to draw many compliments but which can have a very noticeable effect on the opposite sex.

In one review I heard someone call Pure Black 'liquid hug tightener,' and I'd totally agree. Whenever I hug someone wearing this something happens. They might simply say I smell nice, but it's always something.

I also heard someone right here on basenotes claim Givenchy Gentleman could make ones head go 'all kindsa places,' and once again I'm inclined to agree. Rarely complimented (on younger guys at least, I've had a few though) but oft-noticed and certainly this one has a noticable effect.

Then there's the 'smell like her dad,' strategy. Preferred stock, English Leather, Old Spice, Brut, Canoe, Royal Copenhagen, Musk for Men, and many other a classic 'dad' cologne has featured in anecdotes I've heard about the potential benefits of smelling like a woman's dad.

Also, random note? Dana's Monsieur Musk (a watered down reformulation of the Houbigant version) which really just smells like soap with a touch of leather and a hint of chemical musk, or the modern Worth Pour Homme (a similar soapy/leathery scent but infinitely better) have for me both caused seriously unexpected reactions on the part of one women I know. To the point where she told me to stop wearing them and I was happy to because it was getting uncomfortable.

Fragrance, and it's effect on women is a subject of endless depth and continual surprises.

Actually, no. I consider that to be good value

I only know the original Curve, which I don't like, nevertheless, I am very curious now to try this one.

I think the OP was talking about the original Curve, as in, revisiting the scent called Curve.

I went to walmart ready to pick this one up.They have the 2.5 oz bottle for $19.99.I decided to try it just to re-familiarize my self with it before i bought it.Just one spray and i realized that i could never own this again.

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I went to walmart ready to pick this one up.They have the 2.5 oz bottle for $19.99.I decided to try it just to re-familiarize my self with it before i bought it.Just one spray and i realized that i could never own this again.