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Thinking of blind buying Invasion Barbare...

post #1 of 23
11/12/12 at 10:22pm
Thread Starter 
I've heard it being compared to Le Male and Reflection Man which I absolutely love, would you say it's a safe blind buy for me? How does it fare with your average joe? Is it a compliment getter?
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post #2 of 23
11/12/12 at 10:27pm
It's a great scent IMO. I think you should go for it.
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post #3 of 23
11/12/12 at 10:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

It's a great scent IMO. I think you should go for it.

Yeah, agree.

I don't see much of a comparison to Le Male or Reflection so if you're hoping for that you might be let down. On the flip side, I think it's killer frag and it's hard for me to imagine somebody being disappointed with it.
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post #4 of 23
11/12/12 at 11:35pm
It`s a more refined version of Penhaligon`s Sartorial. I don`t find any similarities with the two you mention though.
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post #5 of 23
11/12/12 at 11:46pm
Nothing like Le Male. It's similar to HDP 1725, though not as sweet. It's very classy and elegant. Smells like a modern gentleman. Haven't gotten any compliments with it, but no complaints either.
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post #6 of 23
11/13/12 at 1:31am
I really don't see the similarities with the two you mentioned. That said, I don't recommend a blind buy as it is quite expensive and while I can't see someone really hating it, I definitely can see someone being unimpressed (as was the case when I tried it). You may find you love it like many others do, but as Lucky Scent sells samples of it on the cheap, why risk it?
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post #7 of 23
11/13/12 at 2:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by drseid View Post

I really don't see the similarities with the two you mentioned. That said, I don't recommend a blind buy as it is quite expensive and while I can't see someone really hating it, I definitely can see someone being unimpressed (as was the case when I tried it). You may find you love it like many others do, but as Lucky Scent sells samples of it on the cheap, why risk it?

Absolutely agree.
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post #8 of 23
11/13/12 at 2:38am
Its very very good.

I personally prefer Sartorial which it is similar to.
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post #9 of 23
11/13/12 at 2:41am
Its good but I think Hdp's 1725 could be a good replacement though it's not as complex and does not have the violet note they are very similar. The thing that lets down Invasion Barbare is the price, it's good but not at that price imo.
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post #10 of 23
11/13/12 at 5:31am
Obviously you have the money to risk a blind buy on a very expensive fragrance, so I say what the hell.......make it happen!!!!!
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post #11 of 23
11/13/12 at 6:13am
I don't think it smells like Le Male at all. To me, this smells like the inside of a Pez wrapper, where fruity candy once was. Its pleasant but IMO it lacks that certain "it" factor, doesn't really pop when compared a-la the Pepsi Challenge with others in a gambit of samples, and just borderline suffers from the "this is a pleasant smell, but do I really want to smell like this" problem. I think your money is better spent elsewhere, but thats just my opinion. Spend $30 or so and get yourself some samples (including this to satisfy your curiosity) to find something that stands out to you and is worth your money. While you're sampling, I highly recommend YOSH - Sombre Negra..totally different vibe from this, but is unique and quality.
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post #12 of 23
11/13/12 at 7:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiquidOcelot View Post

I've heard it being compared to Le Male and Reflection Man which I absolutely love, would you say it's a safe blind buy for me? How does it fare with your average joe? Is it a compliment getter?

This is a joke right? Both fragrances you mention couldn't be further apart from IB, which is a deep woody resinous scent without ISO E. A fine fragrance, but overpriced imo.

- - - Updated - - -
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post #13 of 23
11/13/12 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiquidOcelot View Post

I've heard it being compared to Le Male and Reflection Man...?

Where?

Extremely hypocritical advice: never buy without sampling first.
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post #14 of 23
11/13/12 at 7:21am
It's too expensive to blind buy...especially if you're thinking it smells like either of those 2 you mentioned. It's very good though.
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post #15 of 23
11/13/12 at 8:04am
Order a sample pack from the perfume shoppe 1st if you are insecure.
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post #16 of 23
11/13/12 at 5:33pm
Not recommend to blind buy at all. I've sampled IB, it's high quality juice but for that price? no, thanks.
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post #17 of 23
11/13/12 at 9:00pm
I'm really surprised so many of you are denying its similarity to Le Male.... Lavender, Vanilla, Musk... They both share these notes and to some extent they're presented in a similar way. Invasion Barbare is a billion times better than Le Male, but IB, LeMale, 1725, Reflection Man and Hypnose all fall from the same tree. There's a distinct common quality running through each.

By the way, it's totally worth the blind buy. But I'd save the bust version for after you finish your first and are ready for a second.
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post #18 of 23
11/13/12 at 10:58pm
I've got to say, I don't get the comparisons at all either. IB is a scent that I can recognize as very well made, but I don't actually enjoy it. I couldn't recommend blind buying it.
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post #19 of 23
11/14/12 at 3:35pm
Don't blind buy, sample first. I bought the sampling kit from MDCI first. I wasn't overly impressed with IB. The pricing is steep so consider a sample first. Try MDCI Chypre Palatin too(sample).
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post #20 of 23
11/14/12 at 4:19pm
imo its a gorgeous scent and you will love it
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post #21 of 23
11/14/12 at 6:53pm
Considering you could buy almost any fragrance in that price point, i'd sample IB along with some others that look interesting. On the other hand, if you have $400 burning a hole in your pocket then you could do much worse.
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post #22 of 23
11/14/12 at 8:19pm
Is there any logical reason to blind buy it? As someone said, if LuckScent already has samples for not a lot, you might as well do that instead of risking $400 on a blind buy.
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post #23 of 23
11/14/12 at 9:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by OctaVariuM View Post

Is there any logical reason to blind buy it? As someone said, if LuckScent already has samples for not a lot, you might as well do that instead of risking $400 on a blind buy.

I have to agree here. Get a sample & decide if you like it enough to buy a FB. Even the greatest noses on BN, all with impeccable taste, can disagree on what is FB worthy. Test as much as you can & develop your own style.
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