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Givenchy Pi blind buying?

post #1 of 29
1/27/13 at 2:01pm
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Is it worth having one of these? After smelling Le Male, I fell in love with vanilla scents Is the vanilla really as good as most reviewers say?
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post #2 of 29
1/27/13 at 3:10pm
IMO - Yes.
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post #3 of 29
1/27/13 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sherdil View Post

Is it worth having one of these? After smelling Le Male, I fell in love with vanilla scents Is the vanilla really as good as most reviewers say?

The vanilla in Le Male is very different than the vanilla in Pi. Le Male has more vanilla, and the vanilla is more creamy and rich. Pi has less vanilla, and the vanilla doesn't have the creamy frosting like smell. Pi has vanilla that is more like a thin synthetic vanilla.

The difference between Le Male and Pi is like the difference between a rich Mrs Butterworth maple syrup over hot pan cooked buttermilk pancakes, versus the cheap generic watered down maple syrup over microwaved frozen pancakes from the 99 cent store. People may say they both share simularities, but in reality they are nothing alike.

I have been searching for vanilla that is rich like Le Male for years. There are not many out there.
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post #4 of 29
1/27/13 at 8:01pm
I enjoy the vanilla in PI much more than Le Male. Even though PI is one of the most synthetic smells out there I actually kind of like it. You just have to be really careful with the trigger on this one.

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I enjoy the vanilla in PI much more than Le Male. Even though PI is one of the most synthetic smells out there I actually kind of like it. You just have to be really careful with the trigger on this one.
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post #5 of 29
1/27/13 at 8:41pm
Givenchy PI is a pretty good frag IMO. Like MJM_77 said the vanilla is very synthetic, but the frag still smells good.
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post #6 of 29
1/27/13 at 9:01pm
Buy Jaipur Homme EDP instead. A billionaire cousin. Givenchy PI is Jaipur's broke cousin on social.
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post #7 of 29
1/27/13 at 9:02pm
You really don't need to blind buy Pi because it's basically in every department store you can think of. Not that hard to find and sample IMO.
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post #8 of 29
1/27/13 at 9:39pm
I much prefer Le Male to Pi. I would spend the money elsewhere.
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post #9 of 29
1/27/13 at 9:44pm
I also blind bought a vanilla heavy fragrance that gets compared to PI. Cristobal by Balenciaga.
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post #10 of 29
1/27/13 at 11:27pm
I prefer its flanker, Pi Neo.
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post #11 of 29
1/27/13 at 11:31pm
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I'd rather not, despite the fact that I love Givenchy Pi. Try before you buy, golden rule.
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post #12 of 29
1/27/13 at 11:42pm
Definitely sample before* you blind buy, unless its something that has overwhelming positive reviews, in which case its a really safe fragrance but even then you should try it on skin at least once... I would not say Pi is a safe fragrance as it has a relatively linear and polarizing scent. Luckily, I got my 1.7oz for free but I know I will definitely not be finishing it within the forseeable future (3-5 years). Its very sweet and vanilla, but like others have said before, very synthetic. To me, theres a touch of green in the midst of Pi. Thus, when I want a really deep and sexy sweet scent I tend to reach for DHI instead.
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post #13 of 29
1/28/13 at 2:53am
I like it to a degree but it is nothing I would ever buy personally, blind or otherwise. If you really enjoy very sweet scents I recommend sampling it first as it may indeed appeal to you.
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post #14 of 29
1/28/13 at 5:18am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bgoc View Post

Buy Jaipur Homme EDP instead. A billionaire cousin. Givenchy PI is Jaipur's broke cousin on social.

This!
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post #15 of 29
1/28/13 at 9:43am
Do not buy Jaipur unless you want to smell like your grandpas grandpa.
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post #16 of 29
1/28/13 at 10:53am
To the original question, no.

Le Male isn't a bad scent to me. Pi is a synthetic mess.

And what possible reason would you have for buying Pi blind when you can walk into any store selling scents and test it? We're not talking some obscure niche release here.
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post #17 of 29
1/28/13 at 11:10am
Definitely give this one a test wearing first. I've always liked the smell of Pi, but on my skin, it didn't work at all.

We often say that blind buying isn't safe because you need to make sure you like a scent before spending the money, but it's also about making sure the scent wears well on your skin.
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post #18 of 29
1/28/13 at 12:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by cuko View Post

Do not buy Jaipur unless you want to smell like your grandpas grandpa.

I am 24 and pull it off without doubt. Depends upon how classy you think of yourself and certainly people who love that tacky gold bar aren't going to like it.
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post #19 of 29
1/28/13 at 3:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentrich View Post

I also blind bought a vanilla heavy fragrance that gets compared to PI. Cristobal by Balenciaga.

How do you like it, Rich?

I bought a bottle blind myself but sold it. I found the sillage stronger than I prefer and for some reason it induced a headache every time I wore it. I also thought it smelled a little formal for my personality (I generally don't get along very well with orientals...perfumes that is). Anywho, I sold it.

If you ever don't want it, the price has more than doubled on ebay. A bottle I bought for 50 is going for $120 right now. I was surprised to see that.
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post #20 of 29
1/28/13 at 5:34pm
It shouldn't be too hard to find in department stores, give it a try first. I don't really endorse blind buying.
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post #21 of 29
2/2/13 at 1:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bgoc View Post

Buy Jaipur Homme EDP instead. A billionaire cousin. Givenchy PI is Jaipur's broke cousin on social.

I used to love Pi and own 3 bottles of it including a 30ml of the EDP which is very hard to find here in the states. But, after purchasing Jaipur Homme EDP I rarely reach for Pi anymore. It smells too synthetic to me compared to Jaipur. Keep in mind that you will pay a lot more for Jaipur so I would try both before I buy either. That said, I think that Pi would certainly be a safe blind buy as it is a wonderful fragrance - just don't test out Jaipur after you buy Pi or you may start wishing you had dropped the extra money on it instead.

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post #22 of 29
2/2/13 at 2:10am
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Originally Posted by bgoc View Post

Buy Jaipur Homme EDP instead. A billionaire cousin. Givenchy PI is Jaipur's broke cousin on social.

Jaipur is Givenchy Pi's senior-citizen grandpa in the nursing home. Ill and dirty.

Jaipur isnt "classier" than Givenchy.

Like fine art, dating, and fragrance..."beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
What one finds disgusting, another finds beautiful.

I personally detest Le male, and adore the creamy, dense vanilla in Pi. I think it's natural smelling like marzipan.

To each his own ...
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post #23 of 29
2/2/13 at 9:40am
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Originally Posted by cuko View Post

Do not buy Jaipur unless you want to smell like your grandpas grandpa.

How rude!
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post #24 of 29
2/2/13 at 10:09am
A good vanilla-based scent, yet can be perceived as somewhat heavy, as too overly gourmand, thus previous testing is quite recommendable.
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post #25 of 29
2/2/13 at 6:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chasing the Dragon View Post

I prefer its flanker, Pi Neo.

So do I.
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post #26 of 29
2/9/13 at 8:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buysblind View Post

How do you like it, Rich?

I bought a bottle blind myself but sold it. I found the sillage stronger than I prefer and for some reason it induced a headache every time I wore it. I also thought it smelled a little formal for my personality (I generally don't get along very well with orientals...perfumes that is). Anywho, I sold it.

If you ever don't want it, the price has more than doubled on ebay. A bottle I bought for 50 is going for $120 right now. I was surprised to see that.

Wore Cristobal for the first time today. It's definately a heavy oriental. To me this smells like a niche version of PI. I don't think it's something I'd wear a lot, but if you like vanilla I could see why people would love this. $120??? Wow! I bought my bottle for quite a bit less also.
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post #27 of 29
2/9/13 at 9:23am
Pi is a great scent to my nose... it's in the same group as New Haarlem without the overpowering coffee note.
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post #28 of 29
2/9/13 at 10:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentrich View Post

Wore Cristobal for the first time today. It's definately a heavy oriental. To me this smells like a niche version of PI. I don't think it's something I'd wear a lot, but if you like vanilla I could see why people would love this. $120??? Wow! I bought my bottle for quite a bit less also.

I made a mistake. The 1.7s seem to be hovering around $75. It's the 3.3s that are upwards of $120.
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post #29 of 29
2/9/13 at 10:06am
I would not blind-buy it.
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