Her likes/dislikes, any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

Break up with her.












































































Or L'Eau d'Issey.

Dislikes La Nuit and Terre D' Hermes??? *gasp*

Greyland by Montale

Try Aventus, if thou dislikes. Break up with her and fall in love with Aventus.

There is no pleasing this woman!

Seriously, if she likes GIT, maybe she will like Silver Mountain Water

Hard to generalize from two scents only (and so many dislikes).

Perhaps trying something else in green territory? If you had access, I'd say Ormonde Man, but you can buy it only in London. The controversial Yatagan could be worth trying. Or perhaps the somewhat similar but less musky Etat Libre d'Orange Eloge d'un traitre. Diptyque as well, like L'Ombre dans l'eau.

cacio

Maybe try something a bit more ethereal? Some of the stuff in L'Artisan's range? Lot of her dislikes are fairly pronounced fragrances - maybe she'd prefer something a bit more understated? (Although I don't understand how someone can't like Bvlgari pour Homme - seems to be the exemplar of inoffensive - of course, it's also my hands-down favorite scent, so I'm biased

Tall order my friend! Here's my theory:

1) She doesn't like Giorgio Armani Armani Code / La Nuit De L'Homme / Chanel Allure / Polo Black / 1 Million

To me this means she doesn't like stuff that smells like the cologne counter at Macy's. I'm not slagging any of those scents, it's just that some people find them run-of-the-mill. Can take them or leave them.

2) She doesn't like Rive Gauche pour Homme / Declaration Cartier / Eau Savage / Yves Saint Laurent Kouros Summer

And it sounds like she doesn't like things that seem "old-fashioned." Again, not judging.

3) She doesn't like A*Men / Le Male / Dior Homme

Just guessing, but to me this means she doesn't like things some people might call "really feminine."

4) She doesn't like Terre D'Hermes / Bvlgari Pour Homme

Now that's tough! Those are two solid scents that would be high on the recommend list for somebody who'd disliked all the same scents we've covered up till now.

Still: Doesn't like "Macy's cologne smell", doesn't like "old-fashioned", doesn't like "feminine." I think there's a chance she likes things that really smell different, and interesting, and not like cologne. And that could mean we're looking at niche (which means your wallet may be about to take a hit. )

How about getting a pack of samples from LuckyScent:

1) three or four of the Comme Des Garcons Incense Series (Avignon, Kyoto, Zagorsk)
2) three or four L'Artisan Parfumeurs (Timbuktu, Dzongkha, Navigateur)
3) since she liked Green Irish Tweed, maybe 3 other Creeds (Virgin Island Water, Aventus, Erolfa)

That gets a good wide mix, and saves you ten trips to the mall.

Last idea: I like the earlier rec of L'Eau d'Issey. That or Mugler Cologne might give you just enough of "something different".

Good luck!

In lieu of breaking up, I recommend that you gift her a new nose.











Or try Timbuktu and/or Bois du Portugal if she likes Double Black and GIT.

Let us know how it turns out, Enzo - would love to hear if your wife takes a liking to any of the stuff you pick out!

Cool water

It sounds to me like she just hasn't been exposed to enough different fragrances. I think that if you keep wearing different, interesting things around her, her tastes will broaden. After all, haven't yours?

My wife is VERY picky with scents. I've found she likes a little bit of sweetness (just not too much), with a little bit of freshness. She's never complimented me on a gourmand (although she does like the drydown of LIDGE a lot, just doesn't care as much for the opening) and she seems not to care all that much for patchouli-heavy frags or anything too spicy. So far, she's really only given me unsolicited compliments on the following:

Creed Aventus - the most "enthusiastic" comments
Creed Original Vetiver (she also liked Mugler Cologne when I had it) - she likes this one on me a lot
Gucci Pour Homme II - the most total compliments
Prada Amber Pour Homme - said it smelled "pretty", haha
Sean John Unforgivable - just said it smelled "nice" the one time I wore it in front of her (also complimented Creed MI when I tested it)

Anyway, from my experience, in general the slightly fresh, slightly sweet & not too overpowering frags have the most "mass appeal" for picky noses. Aside from that, if your wife like Polo DB, she may also like slightly sweet & powdery scents.

Try some crisp vetivers: FM Vetiver Extraordinaire, TDC Sel de Vetiver, CdG Vettiveru.
Something more mainstream: Azzaro Chrome and Bleu de Chanel

Ha! Glad we could give you some ideas. Good luck.

My wife and I are very picky, and we both found MI to be boring, but we both love SMW. Also try John Varvatos (the original) and other unusual frags like fig-based ones (Marc Jacobs for men, Philosykos by Diptyque, ..etc)

I like her. I really do. Tell her she has good taste in what she dislikes.

The two that never seem to fail me: Bleu De Chanel and Silver Mountain Water. However, I lean more towards the Silver Mountain Water because of the dislike for La Nuit, perhaps smells just alittle close to a fragrance like Bleu De Chanel.

+1 Philosykos and I'll add Heeley Figuier.

Welcome to Basenotes!

Out of curiosity, of the fragrances you listed under 'dislike', what were her exact words? Men have always misunderstood women or fail to read between the lines; if I were you I'd approach this exercise with caution. What does she like on herself?

Dior homme/La nuit dislike? No way.

Maybe Vintage Black by Kenneth Cole and Bleu de Chanel.

Mall probably best for the designers, and the Perfumed Court (or other online sample service) for niche.

My wife dislikes many of the same fragrances as your wife. I've never tried the Polo Double Black, but she does also like GIT.

L'Occitane - L'Occitan
Tom Ford - Grey Vetiver
Creed OV & Mugler Cologne
Marc Jacobs - Bang Bang

Have all illicited very positive responses.

She also likes L'Occitane - Eau De Bavx, but I think I need to try that one again to re-inforce how much I dislike it, or to see if my nose has grown into it.

The entire Lacoste line would probably interest her.
L'Eau D'Issey Sport
Actually...any sport cologne for that matter.

Opposite tastes to mine - but as long as you like those scents, I guess that's a solution.

Regarding the question on vetivers. Original Vetiver doesn't smell much like vetiver to me personally, it's more like soap, though others disagree (for once, a dislike both I and your wife share). The other (true) vetivers are quite different, greener, more natural, a touch rooty. But then, I like them a lot, and as said it seems my tastes are a good predictor of what your wife will dislike. Still worth trying, though, one never knows.

cacio

Did you sample vanilla based? For the next round try Tom Ford Tobacco Vanilla.

Well E, I'd say this: Both Allure and La Nuit are readily available, and not too expensive. You add up readily available and not too expensive and wife strongly likes? Problem solved.


I'd say no on the Vetiver Extraordinaire and the Grey Vetiver; to me they both have a "classic men's cologne" vibe that it sounds like your wife doesn't like. If however you have the sampling bug again, get samples of the Sel de Vetiver and the Vettiveru; to me they don't smell like anything else. They're interesting. Not to mention d*amned refreshing to wear in hot weather.

One last, unsolicited thing on significant others: My wife just isn't interested in fragrance. She likes a nice smell, and wears a couple different ones herself; but she really isn't interested in sniffing a bunch of different ones, or comparing, or having me ask her to smell my arm.

However! When I've found something new and interesting that I like, now I'll just wear it. And more often than not (and I'm not getting too personal here) we'll get into bed at the end of the day and she'll say, "Hmm, is that something new you're wearing?" Or even better, "Mmm, you smell good!" (That happened with Sel de Vetiver. I'd stuck my arm in her face a month earlier and she was like, "Eh, it's ok I guess." But much later, when I wore it again and didn't say anything, she noticed it on her own and said, "Wow, you smell good." ) So you're in good shape with the Allure and the La Nuit; and you've tried an excellent range of different things -- and if you'd like to try some more later, just go ahead and give them a try; maybe one (or three) will be a pleasant surprise.

Cheers, mate.