basenoters hating on 1 million - Page 2

Am I the only one who doesn't have a problem with factoring a fragrance's social distribution into a judgment?

Sure, the fragrance itself is a large part of the equation, but not all. I can be pushed one direction or another by things like marketing, or the bottle. I would even risk to say it's impossible evaluate a fragrance on its own terms, one is often referencing or considering other fragrances. EG: "Oh, gee, another oud and incense? How original." or: "This tubereuse is an original interpretation, but it is no Carnal Flower."

I would analogize with fashion; for example we associate certain brands with certain types of people and characters (do you like Ed Hardy? Affliction?), but even this analogy breaks down! Fragrance has such a uniquely powerful associative effect with memory and experience, I think its even more justified to make an appraisal of a fragrance's place in society.

I don't think it's a niche vs designer thing. In fact, I think that's a copout. Lots of designer scents get plenty of love here on basenotes.

Gucci Pour Homme II is a designer scent and shows up on so many best of lists here.
YSL l'homme and La Nuit are as designer as designer gets and they both get lots of love here.
Dior Homme. Lots of love and available at the mall.
Mugler Cologne. Again, loved here and available at the mall.
Chanel Platinum Egoiste, AHS, and especially AHS Edition Blanche.
Burberry London gets no lack of respect here and can sometimes even be found at Ross!
FAHRNEHEIT! I don't see anybody hating on Fahrenheit because it's a designer scent.

The thing you have to do is accept that your opinion can be different from others and that's A-OK. You love 1 Million. Wear it and enjoy it.

I don't hate it. I can think of other frags that produce more of a "hate" response from me. But I don't like it, either. Far too sweet for my taste.

1 Million is sweet. But not really any sweeter than New Haarlem or many others that the kids don't normally wear.

1 Million is loud. But not any louder than YSL Opium or Kurous or the dozens of civet-laden 80's attention-seeking powerhouse uber-masculine fragrances that are now praised on Basenotes as "classics".


I own it. I don't really wear it (once in a great while around the house). But I give credit to them - a very successful, unique fragrance. I would call it a fantastic and original work of art - even if it's not for everyone. But what fragrance is?

I Love wearing 1 million when I go out

I never get upset when no one else likes what I like...What usually bothers me is when a sub-set of BN'ers rant against every fragrance that isn't seen as "chique" I watch them go on and on about anything that can be gotten cheap and/or worm by the masses. Acqua di Gio, 1 Million, etc get horrible reviews from them, while Creed Spice and Wood, or some other bland niche gets rubber stamp rave reviews. I wish it didn't bother me, but it does.

This. First response and he nails it. Add the tacky bottle and there is no way I'd ever wear it. I've tested it 3 times too and it is just too sugary.

Repeat

Can't wear this. I'm diabetic.

IMO it's ok. It's one of those frags people love to hate.

I like the stuff. It's a pleasant scent, sort of a happy one I would say, and wife and daughters really like it.
And normally I am an old, powerhouse frag type of guy. But 1 Million is quite alright. Good longevity too.
Recently tested YSL LaNuit, another sweet one, and think that one ain't half bad either.

IMO it's OK. Unfortunately, it's one of those frags people love to hate.

I'm just 22 and I'm just so so about it. its too sweet for me and sharp

but I'm planning to buy a bottle of 1 Million, its not too bad, actually.

I like it, too. But I like sweeter scents like A*Men and Le Male, so it's a natural fit for me.

But I'm surprised no one has mentioned a big reason why 1 Million sells: the TV commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdrBrlq67rs

I work in advertising, and 1 Million works in multiple ways:
1) The imagery of luxury and sex appeal when the US is emerging from a huge recession... people want to feel rich again
2) An electronic dance music soundtrack in the ad ("Do It Again" by The Chemical Brothers) - to feel how hot this genre is, just look at the popularity of Skrillex, David Guetta, and Swedish House Mafia (among others)
3) Juice that smells different from most other designer frags - yes, I think 1 Million smells very different from most of its primary competitors (Acqua di Gio, Gucci Guilty, D&G Light Blue, etc.)
4) All packaged up for people "graduating" from the likes of Axe and distributed in the right places - though Sephora had a one-year US exclusive, it became a megahit as soon as it hit the likes of Macy's

All of these factors add up to a sales success. And I find this interesting, as Paco Rabanne hasn't had a hit in the US since XS in the early '90s.

Repeat

My thoughts exactly.

If you look at noirdrakkar reviews and top ten lists, they contain mostly what many would consider niche.

There are as many if not more threads started on here about designer fragrances.



I personally think that noirdrakkar adds quite a bit of good intelligent conversation to this board, but I also find that when he states opinion, he does it in a way that comes off as it being fact.

Sometimes I think he sits and home and dreams up what will be posted next to create as much controversy as possible, then sits back and giggles about the uproar he has created, in a warped sense of humor way.

I doused 12 sprays of $1M pimping on the street while listening to Eminem... Love all your threads noirdrakkar because they attract tons of traffic. Keep them coming and enjoy your $1M :-)

I'm 50 and not interested in <even trying> it or any other sweet fragrances. I couldn't care less that it may or may not be pigeon-holed a 'club scent'.

Also, the kitschy name/bottle smacks of gimmickry which, in my experience, is often used to distract from mediocrity. No sale here.

The top-notes are okay, but the dry-down is cheap smelling.

It is too sweet for me. However, I appreciate the scent, dont mind having it for special occasion. It is a nice scent consider its price. Basenoters are really exaggerate about the popularity of the fragrance it. People tend to detect the scent because it has monster silage. I rarely smell it in public place- not talking to club party place

Seeing all the debate here I took my bottle out and put one spray on my wrist. I might have to revise my initial infatuation. It is a rather strong scent and it became extremely cloying within the first few minutes. The dry-down didn't help. I won't condemn it outright until I've tried it a few more times, but at least I can see where all the hate is coming from...

I intentionally go out and try or buy anything that is designer and hated on BaseNotes.... usually leads to some good smelling ish.

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I have two YouTube reviewers I follow closely (Robes & DracDoc). Me and Marc have exacto noses, literally anything and everything he rates a 9 or 10... is spot on with my taste. The only one we haven't agreed on is Encre Noir. DracDoc is an excellent reviewer, gives real world analysis on the scent, situation, etc--but he doesn't like stuff I love... so I just go the opposite of his reviews.

Too bad it doesn't come with a fake gold chain around it bearing a sign reading "Guido is on board." LOL.

This.


This.




This.

Just one spray.
Really, why bother?
Regards,
Renato

Find a member or members that have similar tastes that you have either through their reviews, posts, wardrobe, or PM them about something your interested in. Then there are members that I have the exact opposite tastes of and if they don't care for a fragrance I know I'll like it. What I like about Basenotes is that the majority of people will give you their honest opinion.

Not that honest.

I don't hate it, but I certainly don't like it.
I respect it for the sole reason that they were able to make a cloying strong bomb become a bestseller.
A step in the right direction, far away from Sport citrus water.

You can't force people to respect it though.
These polarizing reactions are exactly what the marketing team of Rabanne wants.
You are all puppets on a string.
Every aspect of this fragrance is constructed to evoke that effect.
The name, the packaging, the bottle design, the fragrance composition.
I mean, seriously? Bubblegum, tons of sugar, leather, cinnamon, blood orange, rose, patchouli?

I think the way you come off in your original post makes it seem like you're pretty much attacking everyone who owns niche and just doesn't like one million. You kinda make it seem like everyone who owns niche is blind to one million's potential. I'm not saying one million is a bad fragrance and I'm not sure what type of replies you were expecting but I think if you really wanted to change the perception of one million... just make posts about how awesome you think it is People share their passions about their favorte fragrances by promoting the hell out of them! No one can hate you for your passion

Niche or not, it smells like crap and can be paired with A*Men & Le Male in the "I smell like a douchebag" category.

I apologize because I don't like 1 Million and I hope I don't offend the OP, but fact is it smells like shit.

I think this 'subjectivity' issue is going a bit far, i.e. I'm kind of fed up with the notion that something can't be bad because someone actually likes it. This goes for fragrances also. If one person out of '1 Million' people like it, does that make it alright?

Ya know I still haven't tried it. I feel like I must now

I think the bottle it comes in is a big part of the image problem.

I'm curious: Everyone who dislikes this b/c it is "too sweet" or "cloying" do you like any gourmand? As a rule, I don't wear sweet cloying...I HATE Bond no 9 New Haarlem, All the love I see on BN for Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford...It is much more cloying and sweet than 1 Million. I can't wear TV but I like 1 Million... I agree with the above poster...I hate that getto "bling" image, and this bottle is horribly getto...but I don't wear the bottle. It is also hard to hold and spray.

yes the bottle is an issue, but a very small one
so much haters make me want to wear it tonight
and that's what I'll do!

I like sweet scents and love gourmands and I dont mind spraying A*Men on me occassionaly when I am in mood but its bubble gum smell of 1 million that makes me sick. I can tolerate bubblegum smell of Gaultier 2, but 1 million is just too much.

Bravo! Couldn't agree more.

"I just want to smell good". This and some variations of it can be read here every day. I don't think it's that simple. Some examples: I kind of appreciate Le Male, but would never use it because I associate it with certain groups. The fact that tens of thousands of middle aged men here in Finland use Tabac is making it very difficult for me to wear it although I like it. I think some people don't realize why they don't like something - often the reason is not the fragrance itself, but the connotations. You know, young people talking about how bad Old Spice is: I'm pretty sure that they are not analyzing the scent, but the institution that is Old Spice.

There are other reasons to think that it's not only about smelling good: sometimes I want to wear a fragrance because I think it goes well with the way I dress that day. Some days I want to affect my mood with a fragrance. Fashion, and fragrances, is in part about looking (or smelling) good, but it's also means of expressing oneself.

I have no opinion of 1 Million, I have never really sampled it. I intensely dislike the bottle and the concept and also don't want to be associated with the people wearing it. I have simply distanced myself of it.

cheap shit

It's omnipresent. It doesn't disgust me, or anything like that. It has incredibly NAFF packaging that appeals to children and teengers. My 10 year -old son likes it and wants it (and likes the packaging).

I guess I don't understand all of the sweet, vanilla frags that are geared towards men. Maybe it smells better on others, I can respect that. On me it's sweet and cloying and I could not wash it off fast enough.

I don't think I care how fashionable, or exclusive etc. something is. If it smells good to me, I'm wearing it!

Yeah, lots of them, but I wouldn't put 1 Million in this category personally. There's "really sweet", and then there's "painfully headache inducing", which is where I'd place it. 1 Million is probably one of the only three (maybe four) fragrances I've ever worn that literally made my head hurt. It assaulted at least three of my five senses at once, and that's three too many.

This. Sickingly sweet and cloying. Nothing wrong with sweet at all.

I tried New Haarlem and while I don't hate it, I didn't purchase it. Tobaco Vanille, however, after trying twice, I did purchase. I think TV is much better 'put together' than 1 million, which isn't a 'smooth experience' but seems like an attack on your senses (at least initially). I also have A*Men and Pure Malt and enjoy both.

You can like gourmand fragrances but like some and not others as you pointed out with BN9 New Haarlem and TV. Whay you may find cloying sweet, others may not. I find New Haarlem too sweet, but do not find TV sweet. That is just the differences in perception.

As noted in a post above me, there is sweet and then there is SWEET which is what I do not like about 1 Million.

Same can be said for any category of fragrance. What one person likes, someone else may not. Has nothing to do with Niche vs Designer.

You can like gourmand fragrances but like some and not others as you pointed out with BN9 New Haarlem and TV. Whay you may find cloying sweet, others may not. I find New Haarlem too sweet, but do not find TV sweet. That is just the differences in perception.

As noted in a post above me, there is sweet and then there is SWEET which is what I do not like about 1 Million.

Same can be said for any category of fragrance. What one person likes, someone else may not. Has nothing to do with Niche vs Designer.

1 Million is the combination of very sweet and very loud in a lol-worthy bottle.

1 Million is Screech from Saved By The Bell standing behind you shouting into a bullhorn "HE WANTS TO SEE YOUR BOOBIES" just as you were about to introduce yourself to a cute woman. All hope for any subtlety at all is lost.

So all the talk about 1 Million, I pulled mine out of the collection, and wore it today. Ok, so It ISN'T on the level with most Niche fragrances...I admit it. But I do enjoy wearing it. It isn't nearly as gourmand as people are saying, especially when compared to Bn9 New Haarlem and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. In fact, I detect a tobacco note in 1 Million that I hadn't noticed before. It has decent projection, and a fair longevity, a good deal for the price I paid.

I think it's a good scent and don't find it too sweet at all (in fact the orange/citrus notes make it quite fresh imo) but it is so common and used by youngsters and i'm an elderly guy, so i don't want to use it so often.

People search for fragrances they like, and it's often characterized as a positive process. For most it's a negative process. Having less to do with what they include in their collection, and more to do with what they exclude. It's a valid way to go about things even if some reasons for excluding products may seem distasteful to others. I've never smelled 1 Million (though I may have on someone without knowing what it was) purely because I dislike the bottle very much and would never entertain buying it on that basis. No real love. No real hate. Popularity, price, etc. Doesn't matter.

I agree with Drakkar about the fragrance community's penchant for group-think and how often it leads to silly behavior. All undertaken with an attiude of assumed superiority to the 'ADG crowd,' who at least have an excuse in that their stance is entirely casual and they spend a lot less time and money on the hobby. I'm going to be completely honest and say that the fragrance community, like the fashion community, may surround something I have an interest in but I'll always remain on the periphery of both. They both tend to attatch far too much signifigance to things I don't care about.

I'm not a fan of gourmands, just because they don't work on me. The idea seems fine but EVERYONE I've tried, including one like LIDGE has come across as too sweet, too perfumey and really feminine and headache inducing on me. New Haarlam was the only one I smelled and thought..well that is nice. But I wouldn't wear it. Ones like A*Men honestly disgust me. 1 Million is close to that category. But I'm all for trying all of these and I have. Just don't work. And for the record I haven't even ever owned a full niche bottle and have always geared my likes towards more designer scents so there is no snobbery here. I go for one thing and one thing only...what I like and what I think smells good on me.

I've never encountered anyone wear this stuff

I've really pondered the whole question of "how it appears" Part of me HATES the idea of blowing off something nice b/c it comes from WalMart or some discount store...but I agree that there is a place and time for formal vs. informal. After wearing 1 Million all morning today, I realize I couldn't wear it to a semi-formal or formal event, or somewhere that I may be around a crowd of Teens all wearing it...

1 Million smells like buibble gum to me. I've never given it an extended testing, so maybe it drys down to something different.

When I first tested it I thought it was O.K, nothing special, excessively sweet for my taste, and this was before the whole hype thing took off. I'll be honest in saying I haven't visited it again in awhile, I don't care for it enough to keep testing and finding an appreciation for it. It's not the worst fragrance on the market, by all means, but I do believe that when an excessive amount of people wearing a certain fragrance can change a view on it, even in a small way, especially if they are young teenage douche bags overs-praying it.

If one likes a fragrance then that should not deter them from wearing it, and enjoying it. I'll probably never own a bottle, it'd be a waste of money and it would take up space. Plus theres no point in owning a fragrance if one isn't going to be wearing it much.

When I first tested it I thought it was O.K, nothing special, excessively sweet for my taste, and this was before the whole hype thing took off. I'll be honest in saying I haven't visited it again in awhile, I don't care for it enough to keep testing and finding an appreciation for it. It's not the worst fragrance on the market, by all means, but I do believe that when an excessive amount of people wearing a certain fragrance can change a view on it, even in a small way, especially if they are young teenage douche bags overs-praying it.

If one likes a fragrance then that should not deter them from wearing it, and enjoying it. I'll probably never own a bottle, it'd be a waste of money and it would take up space. Plus theres no point in owning a fragrance if one isn't going to be wearing it much.

Here is my take on 1 Million:

- When I pass someone that has put a sensible amount on, 1 spray, 2 sprays tops, the wake they leave behind smells really good to me. I have stopped 3 complete strangers before (admittedly in perfume departments, so their might have just put some on from the tester) where they told me it was "that one over there, the gold bar one".

- It seems its primary customer base is, and there is no other way of putting this, boys. They may be in their early 20's but they still dress how they did 10 years earlier. Now, I am sure that before trying 1 Million, the only frags they have tried are pisswaters like Acqua di Gio. So they have got into the habit of pumping away at the bottle until they are surrounded in a cloud. For some reason, when they apply 1 Million in this way they don't choke the first time they do it and then learn for next time to tone it down. It is these guys that give 1 Million its bad rep. Pray to whatever is your god that you are not trapped in a confined space with any of them. I have been. It stops being sillage and become aggressive invasion of your personal space.

- Bearing in mind that its a widely held belief that perfume should be for the enjoyment of the wearer and not for those around them, even though I like 1 Million when I smell small doses on others, on me I just don't enjoy it at all. Its not that it is sweet, because I like sweet frags a lot. I think its is a combination of it being very loud, even with just one spray it leaves me gasping for breath, quite sharp smelling, and then there is something about the nature of the sweetness that is unpleasant. The only way I can describe it is the way some artificial sweeteners have a nasty aftertaste when compared to sugar.

That's a very apt description/image.

I think I have been fairly consistent in my dislike of this fragrance. If you look at my first comments on this when it first came out I described it as poorly blended with clunky transitions from top to heart to base notes. Someone earlier described it as a powerhouse. Compared to real power hose fragrances such as Santos or Heritage, this is a seven stone weakling. Both those fragrances are better blended, have a better evolution and will draw women like bees to the honeypot. 1 Million in a plain bottle would have died at birth. It was a stroke of genius to make it look like a gold ingot, so insecure guys would latch on to some ephemeral notion of decadence and playboy status. Kh and they probably have a dumbbell shaped Davidoff Champion to accompany it.