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Truly different

post #1 of 45
2/27/13 at 1:40pm
Thread Starter 
There are so many great fragrances around that it is, of course, practically impossible to sample them all. Consequently, I'm seeiking advice from the experienced noses here at Basenotes.

I'm searching for something truly different. IMHO most of the fragrances I've sampled, while displaying a minute difference, are just variations on a few themes. So many seem to be variations of GIT or aqua this or aqua that.

I'm looking for something, well, unique - when people smell it, they remark, "Wow! What is that great smell," rather than, "That smells good."

To me, Aventus is such a scent. You may not like it, but it is pretty darn unique. I think Joop is also in the "unique" category.

What great fragrances have you found that are out of the mainstream?
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post #2 of 45
2/27/13 at 1:49pm
Fahrenheit is a one of kind unequal fragrance that towers over most designer scents.
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post #3 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:06pm
Dior Homme Intense
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post #4 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:10pm
Vintage Kouros if you can find it.

People love it or hate it.

No fragrance is like the vintage juice.
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post #5 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:14pm
A*Men
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post #6 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:34pm
Les Jeux Sont Faits
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post #7 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:39pm
Black Afgano

Invasion Barbare

Geranium Pour Monsieur

Dior Homme Intense

Bvlgari Black
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post #8 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:42pm
Bois d'Orage, hell anything from the Frederic Malle line.
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post #9 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:44pm
La Martina Hombre - such a luxurious yet also manly leathery-citrus chypre scent
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post #10 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:49pm
New Haarlem
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post #11 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:51pm
A*men - Taste of
Gucci Envy
Joop what about adam
Dolce & gabanna pour homme (original)

I think from experience all of these have stopped people in their tracks at some point to ask what im wearing.
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post #12 of 45
2/27/13 at 2:54pm
Most of the "truly different," unique frags I know of are not likely to get the sorts of complimentary comments you mention.
The truly different frags tend to be the harder ones to wear... Salvador Dali PH, Narciso Rodriguez for Him, Quorum, etc.

However, a very likeable one that I think is pretty unique is Prada Amber PH. This is a nice soapy one with some sweetness.
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post #13 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:00pm
If Aventus is the only niche fragrance you think is unique, you haven't tried enough niche yet.
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post #14 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:05pm
The middle to dry down stages of Rive Gauche Pour Homme.
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post #15 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:09pm
Niche perfumes are more unique than designers. As designer examples I think of

Dh & Dhi
MiP
Encre Noire
Body Kouros
Eau de Baux
Guerlain Homme series
L'instant series
Hanae Mori Hm
Gucci I & II
Costume National fragrances
Hermes frags
Angel and flankers
Kenzo power
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post #16 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:12pm
Okay, you said unique so:
Preludio d'Oriente-Cale
Black Afango-Nasamotto
Fumerie Turque-Serge Lutens
Omniscent-Yosh
Jicky-Guerlain
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post #17 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:20pm
Guerlain Jicky EDT
YSL Kouros (vintage)
Frederic Malle Geranium pour Monsiuer
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post #18 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:24pm
Never tried Jicky although I have heard so much about it. YSL Kouros is certainly different and not nearly as bad as many commentators write about it.
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post #19 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:30pm
Lapidus Pour Homme

Jaipur Homme

Kouros (vintage)
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post #20 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:31pm
Ormonde Jayne - Ormonde Man
Amouage - Epic Man
Robert Piguet - Oud
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post #21 of 45
2/27/13 at 3:41pm
Dior Eau Noire. Very love-it-or-hate-it though!
Tom Ford Black Orchid too - there's nothing I know of that smells quite like it. Instantly recognisable and a thing of beauty.
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post #22 of 45
2/27/13 at 4:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlsweeney View Post

If Aventus is the only niche fragrance you think is unique, you haven't tried enough niche yet.

Agreed, I don't even consider Creed niche.

I think among the stuff mentioned so far Black Afgano and Invasion Barbare best fit's OP's description, but when I think of "truly different" you necessarily wander out of the category of what most people expect to smell. I think of Comme des Garcons' 71, for example.
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post #23 of 45
2/27/13 at 4:59pm
if you want unique, go niche
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post #24 of 45
2/27/13 at 4:59pm
At the niche level, there are tons upon tons of options - far too many to list. I'd recommend sampling L'Air du Desert Marocain and Lonestar Memories by Andy Tauer. Those don't smell like anything you're going to find at the mall.

Quote:
Originally Posted by null set View Post

Agreed, I don't even consider Creed niche.

I mostly agree with that statement. Aventus is excellent, but it isn't that different than a fresh designer scent. To me, Creed is the high end of the designer style. It's a safe mass appeal scent. If Aventus were priced at $75 and available at Macy's, it would fly off the shelves. If L'Air du Desert Marocain were priced at $75 and available at Macy's, I doubt it could even sell enough to keep its shelf space. It's too unique - too 'out there' - for the typical mall shopper. It's also absolutely superb.

- - - Updated - - -

At the designer level, with easy availability and lower price points:

Fahrenheit.
Fahrenheit 32.
Bvlgari Black.
L'Occitane, Eau des Baux.
Gucci Pour Homme II.
Hanae Mori H.M.
John Varvatos (his whole line has a similar-ish vibe)
Le Male.
Givenchy Pi.
A*Men.
Tom Ford Black Orchid, though that one is approaching the higher price points.
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post #25 of 45
2/27/13 at 5:36pm
Dior Poison
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post #26 of 45
2/27/13 at 5:45pm
If you want to be unique, just look for fragrances that have the lowest number of reviews. Simple way to start things off.
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post #27 of 45
2/27/13 at 6:52pm
Aventus
Fahrenheit
Dior Homme
Back to Black (possibly)
Invasion Barbare
Central Park
Terre D'Hermes

Samples are worth acquiring. Work your way through them.
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post #28 of 45
2/27/13 at 7:11pm
When I think of truly unique fragrances from my wardrobe I think of:

Pear + Olive

Bois Farine

L'Air du Desert Marocain

Roadster

M7
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post #29 of 45
2/27/13 at 7:33pm
DHI
Amouage Jubilation XXV Man
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post #30 of 45
2/27/13 at 8:42pm
Any Slumberhouse offerings: My favorites are Norne, Pear + Olive, and Grev...AMAZING STUFF, and VERY UNIQUE!!!

Almost any Comme des Garcons: Favorites for me Avignon, Soda, Wonderwood, Dover Street, Ouarzazate, Green Play, and the Odeurs are great along with 2 Man and The Eau de Parfum.

CB I Hate Perfume has a bunch of unique scents, haven't tried many but I do own Gathering Apples (Extreme authentic scent) November (Pumpkin with a sort of rotting leaf scent, you just gotta let it dry down a bit) and The Fir Tree...I have a sample of Burning Leaves and it's fantastic...I'll get my hand on a full bottle one day.

Bond no 9 has some great unique offerings...not all, but some: New Haarlem (Fantastic) and Coney Island are both great and unique.

Frederic Malle has some amazing stuff...I don't like a lot of his stuff, but the one's that I do hit it out of the park: Bigarade Concentree (Hands down my favorite Citrus frag) Geranium Pour Monsieur (Mint and Geranium, AMAZING) and Bois D'orage

Parfum d'Empire: Just blind bought one, and it's the only one I've tried but MAN was is a fantastic blind buy: Wazamba (Pine and Incense) AWESOME!! I love it!!

And I just picked up one Byredo: PULP, I've had my eye on this one for a while and I finally got a bottle and I LOVE the stuff!!! Fantastic!! Super Fruity and unique and amazing!!

Just my two cents....I haven't tried a lot of what this hobby has to offer out there, but it sure is an awesome journey.
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post #31 of 45
2/27/13 at 10:07pm
Terre d'Hermes
Kouros
Black Orchid
New Haarlem
Pear + Olive
Black Afgano
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post #32 of 45
2/27/13 at 10:29pm
Norne
TdH
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post #33 of 45
2/28/13 at 12:00am
Whenever I smell L'Artisan Parfumeur's Fou d'Absinthe I get weak knees. I think it's very attractive. And, as mentioned above, Lonestar memories and Black orchid are pretty unique.


I must say I don't really get the hype about Aventus. Worked with a man who showered himself with it, the sillage was about 25 feet. That kind of ruined the scent for me.
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post #34 of 45
2/28/13 at 3:24am
Thread Starter 
Most Basenotes members are very helpful but occasionally, someone like you answers a post with some negative comment, I suppose, in an attempt to demonstate your fragrance IQ. Your assinine comment is totally uncalled for and certainly not appreciated. You have no idea how many niche fragrances I have sampled (actually, I've sampled at least half of the recommendations here). Aventus was used as an example because there is a very high probability that most Basenoters have already sampled it. Try to be nicer!

For those who offered suggestions, a HUGE thanks. Hopefully the discussion will also help others.




Quote:
Originally Posted by mlsweeney View Post

If Aventus is the only niche fragrance you think is unique, you haven't tried enough niche yet.
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post #35 of 45
2/28/13 at 3:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentologist View Post

Aventus
Fahrenheit
Dior Homme
Back to Black (possibly)
Invasion Barbare
Central Park
Terre D'Hermes

Samples are worth acquiring. Work your way through them.

Agree with Central Park, out of the Bonds I would also add Silver Factory which I think is quite unique.
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post #36 of 45
2/28/13 at 5:47am
it's time to re-discover the old fragrances from '70 and '80.
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post #37 of 45
2/28/13 at 6:06am
if i really want a unique smell, that no one else has; i will look into small perfume 'houses' that makes fragrances without advertisements. They would usually sell online or has a few stockist.

e.g. D.S. & Durga

But the risk are there because virtually no one has heard of them so the scent is anyone's guess.
Good luck.
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post #38 of 45
2/28/13 at 6:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosey49 View Post

Most Basenotes members are very helpful but occasionally, someone like you answers a post with some negative comment, I suppose, in an attempt to demonstate your fragrance IQ. Your assinine comment is totally uncalled for and certainly not appreciated. You have no idea how many niche fragrances I have sampled (actually, I've sampled at least half of the recommendations here). Aventus was used as an example because there is a very high probability that most Basenoters have already sampled it. Try to be nicer!

For those who offered suggestions, a HUGE thanks. Hopefully the discussion will also help others.

I'm not sure how you read that as negative but that wasn't what I was going for.
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post #39 of 45
2/28/13 at 6:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlsweeney View Post

I'm not sure how you read that as negative but that wasn't what I was going for.

In fairness, I read it as negative too. It seemed a tad elitist and nonconstructive. But hey, can't we all just get along!?
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post #40 of 45
2/28/13 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by voodoodanny View Post

In fairness, I read it as negative too. It seemed a tad elitist and nonconstructive. But hey, can't we all just get along!?

Ahh, my bad.
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post #41 of 45
2/28/13 at 7:36am
'Unique' is a relative term. The more fragrances you've been exposed to the less likely you'll find anything truly unique. And if a 'unique' discovery turns out to be popular your so called 'unique' fragrance (Aventus?) has just crossed over into 'mainstream' territory. So to keep enjoying a unique scent it's best to quit sampling fragrances, stick your head in the sand and live like a hermit. Maybe that's why I'm of the view 'unique' is an overrated rather useless concept in fragrancewear.
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post #42 of 45
2/28/13 at 10:45am
Thread Starter 
Then please accept my apology.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mlsweeney View Post

I'm not sure how you read that as negative but that wasn't what I was going for.
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post #43 of 45
2/28/13 at 11:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosey49 View Post

Then please accept my apology.

No need for that. My fault, sorry.
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post #44 of 45
3/22/13 at 8:48am
Of all I've tried, I seem to go back regularly to Chanel Egoiste, Montale Black Aoud, D&G By Man, Aramis Havana, Rive Gauche, Muscs Koublai Khan and... Old Spice.
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post #45 of 45
3/22/13 at 9:04am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by IndianapolisVet View Post

Of all I've tried, I seem to go back regularly to Chanel Egoiste, Montale Black Aoud, D&G By Man, Aramis Havana, Rive Gauche, Muscs Koublai Khan and... Old Spice.

I love Aramis Havana but, like your wife and Aventus, my wife hates it!
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