Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › Help 'completing' my collection
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Help 'completing' my collection

post #1 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:12pm
Thread Starter 
  • YCW
  • offline
  • Gender:
Hi,

I'm new to Basenotes Forums (though I've been a regular reader of the reviews for a while) and I'd be really grateful to have some informed opinions on what I might need to 'complete' my collection of fragrances.


I own a fair few 'good' fragrances and have sampled a lot of the well-regarded fragrances, but have yet to find that 'holy grail' signature fragrance, if you know what I mean. If I can't have that, then I'll settle for having a collection that is 'complete' - a fragrance for any place, any time, any occasion.


You're welcome to name a few suggestions, though I think it would be fairly pointless to name fragrances that are discontinued/uber-niche/etc which for all intents and purposes unavailable.


The fragrances I currently have, arranged very loosely in order of favour (together with my thoughts of them) are:

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver (understated, classy)
Aqua di Parma (go-to citrus/cologne)
Creed Aventus (special occasion wow-factor)
Aqua di Gio (gotta have an aquatic, fresh scent)
Terre d'Hermes parfum (Winter warmer; though I'm not that keen on the orangey note I get)
Tom Ford for Men (classic-but-lil-bit-old-fashioned-smelling for me)
Tom Ford Tabacco Vanille (great scent, but bit too sweet and linear)
One Million ('cheap and cheerful' good-times fragrance)
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male (fresh sweet)
Eau de Guerlain (old-fashioned citrusy)
L'eau de Serge Lutens (clinical clean-sheets scent)
Bvlgari Black (sweet rubber novelty)
L'Artisan Timbuktu (primeval fug)
Knize Ten (unrefined, funky leather)

plus a few odd bits. I've sampled pretty much every half-decent fragrance you can get at a pharmacy or department store, most of the classics and even quite a few of the 'niche' ones like Histoire De Parfums and Creeds.

Could any Basenoter with a discerning eye recommend something I have overlooked? What would you add?
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
post #2 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:15pm
Just a suggestion - Black Aoud by Montale - and Welcome!
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:23pm
Nope, that's complete. Good job, and enjoy your retirement from buying fragrance.










Yea, like anyone here would ever say that.

You just might need Pascal Morabito Or Black.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:28pm
Green Irish Tweed - http://www.cheapsmells.com/productPa...roductId=16135
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:29pm
Welcome!

You need some Égoïste!
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:30pm
Dior Homme (Panty dropper)
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:42pm
Thread Starter 
  • YCW
  • offline
  • Gender:
Wow, that was quick


Thanks for the suggestions; I've sampled a few of the suggestions (Egoiste, GIT, etc - Heck, I've sampled a hell lot of the well-regarded and classic fragrances... Chanels, Diors, Creeds, Guerlains, etc but listing them here would be tedious)

Most of them I do agree to be great (and the true classics full-bottle-worthy at some point in the future - Chanel Pour Monsieur, Dior Sauvage, I'm looking at you).

There are some suggestions here I've not heard though; mind accompanying your suggestions with a brief description of the scent so I have some idea what I'm getting into?
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:47pm
Try Creed Aventus. You can thank me later!
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sjg3839 View Post

Try Creed Aventus. You can thank me later!

Excellent Aventus

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Grand Duc View Post

Welcome!

You need some Égoïste!

You are so funny my friend. You are always recommending Egoiste. You have excellent taste.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 23
1/9/13 at 4:57pm
If you stay here very long you will never complete your collection.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 23
1/9/13 at 5:15pm
Lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by starshipvelcro View Post

if you stay here very long you will never complete your collection.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 23
1/9/13 at 6:43pm
What you have looks well thought out but I notice a lack of the classic designer frags. No Kouros, Egoiste, Fahrenheit, Rive Gauche, Givenchy Gentleman, Chanel PM etc (I won't try and suggest the ideal situation for all these). Dior Homme is not one to be without in my book either (as long as you don't look like a caveman.)
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 23
1/9/13 at 8:22pm
Burberry London (great cool to cold weather scent, works for day, night, formal, casual....one of my favs)
Gucci Pour Homme II (wonderful, classic, versatile fragrance. seriously hard to go wrong with this one)
Rive Gauche Pour Homme (modern take on the masculine "barber shop" scent)
L'instant de Guerlain pour homme (EDT or EDP - classy, masculine)
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 23
1/9/13 at 8:28pm
Welcome. Great collection!

From your rankings, it appears you tend to gravitate more towards fresher/cleaner materials rather than heavy and musky. You have already vetivers at the top (Grey vetiver), but if you haven't done so, you could explore further the material. There's $$$$ Vetiver extraordinaire and $$$ Chanel Sycomore, respectively on the freshest side of the spectrum and on the woodier, deeper side. Encre Noire is a decent substitute for Sycomore.

You could also explore green chypres. Green chypres smell green, clean, and at times even soapy, but always with a mossy background. Usually, they are marketed to women, but they are perfect for men as well. The most famous example is Chanel Cristalle. There's also Jacomo Silences and Piguet Futur. And if you happen to be in London, you could stop at Ormonde Jayne and smell her $$$ Tiare, perhaps one of the best in the genre (Ormonde Jayne has a solid line, famous are also her Ormonde woman, forest green, and Ormonde man, a more linear ormonde woman with a marine note).

One of my favorite categories is leathers, but your placement and comment on Knize Ten implies you don't like them. Unrefined? The most classic, elegant, aristocratic leather? Beware, or the cruel Bandit lady (Bandit being perhaps my favorite leather perfume, and certainly one of the butchest) will whip you mercilessly.

cacio
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 23
1/9/13 at 9:15pm
Most of the "must haves" have been mentioned, but here are a few more of my personal "must haves":

Halston Man Ambre- a non sweetened, balmy, smoky amber

CDG Man 2- Smoky, Piney, Incense

Hermes Bel Ami(vintage)- Spicy, classically masculine leather

Guerlain Herritage- too complicated to describe, totally versatile

Davidoff Zino- Similar to Herritage but unique enough to own seperately; great with a suit and tie

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier(Santal Noble, Route du Vetyver, Parfum d'Habit, Racine, Ambre Precieux)- Dont ask, just get them all

Caron(Yatagan, Pour un Homme, Le 3rd Male)- Classics! Reference scents! Cheap! Must haves!

Mugler Cologne- Fresh, Clean, Soapy, Refined

Grey Flannel- Treat yourself to a new suit with this one

Vetivers- Encre Noir, Fat Electrician, Guerlain, Sycomore, Route du Vetiver, Givenchy

Good luck completing your collection! I myself have completed mine about 5 or 6 times now, ahem, like I said, good luck.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 23
1/9/13 at 11:58pm
You seem low on sandalwood, try Sandalo by Etro; an elegant, sparse sandalwood fragrance.

If you want to go a bit niche: Kyoto by Comme des Garçons with incense, cedar and cypress. Dry, airy and intriguing.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 23
1/10/13 at 2:28am
You should check out Salvatore Ferragamo Incanto Essential. If you check it out here on the BN fragrance directory it is very underrated and it isn't that popular. It actually gets me a good amount of compliments. It is a very subtle, sweet semi citrus, business man type scent. On the plus side whenever a woman asks me what I am wearing they never know what I am talking about. They have never heard of Salvatore Ferragamo.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 23
1/10/13 at 2:56am
Thread Starter 
  • YCW
  • offline
  • Gender:
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I hadn't realized I seemed to be 'missing' so much!

When I first smelled Aventus (yes, I already have it), it was immediately obvious that this was something I didn't have in my collection - great scent that stood out as unique from all the others I had. I'm hoping for similar epiphanies from suggestions here. I liked Bvlgari Aqua Marine Pour Homme but considering it is almost identical to Aqua di Gio I never bothered with it.

I'm definitely going to go sample (and resample) some of the fragrances suggested, like the Rive Gauche, Dior Homme, etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

From your rankings, it appears you tend to gravitate more towards fresher/cleaner materials rather than heavy and musky.

You've got me there. Dirty/animalic/musky doesn't work for me personally - especially since I tend to wear suits and work in healthcare!


Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

One of my favorite categories is leathers, but your placement and comment on Knize Ten implies you don't like them. Unrefined? The most classic, elegant, aristocratic leather?

Actually, I do like leather scents (or maybe just the idea of it). I quite liked some of the Histoire stuff like 1740, though not enough for it to be full-bottle-worthy. I blind bought Knize Ten on its reputation but to me it smelled a little synthetic - 'plasticky' is what my mind comes up with - and floral. Like something you'd smell emanating from a new car. Funnily enough, my reference best 'leather' scent is from a can of Jones the Bootmaker black shoe polish - smells quite refined
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 23
1/10/13 at 3:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Le Grand Duc View Post

Welcome!

You need some Égoïste!

What he said!
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 23
1/10/13 at 5:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by senore01 View Post

You are so funny my friend. You are always recommending Egoiste. You have excellent taste.

Haha! No male perfume collection is complete without some Égoïste.

You know that!
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 23
1/10/13 at 5:55am
very good collection

try m7 and new haarlem
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 23
1/10/13 at 6:16am
Your collection definitely lacks Dior Homme Intense and Amouage Jubilation XXV!
Go with them and you won't be unhappy!
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 23
1/10/13 at 6:22am
Id suggest:

Frapin - 1270
Killian - Back to black and Straight to heaven
Creed - MI / VIW
Bond 9 - BLeecker Street and Coney Island
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Male Fragrance Discussion

Features on Basenotes

Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › Help 'completing' my collection