Newbie thanks for all for your respected advice

[stiv]

I just want to thank everyone for their advice last week on my first frags. I have the addiction, got a bit carried away. So, my first frags are (and remember I'm 31 and newly single):
Comme des Garcons: Kyoto
Frederic Malle: Musc Ravageur
Creed GIT and SMW
(there's a store by me that sells REAL & FRESH Creed for discount. Not online prices, but still great. In Red Bank, NJ. They gave me insight to how Creed distribution works. He gets his from the Creed distributor in Paris, which apparently works outside of Creed OFFICIAL regulations).
Special thanks to strngcheesefan, I'm a head too, so it's good to see I'm not alone.
Thoughts, comments on my first frags? Anything I should still be after?
Thank you all and much respect!

[Magnifiscent]

Hi stiv,
W00T! It's the only comment I can do on your first frags!
Musc Ravageur is one of my favs and indeed the other are for sure distinctive choices! Btw, I'm about your age and they sound perfect.
About the creedsm my fav is still Royal English Leather so give it a try, it would also be a good buy if you're a leather fan.
Another good one to try is maybe a more romantic scent, something with a floral touch if you're not scared... About rose for exampre you could try L'Artisan Voleur de Roses or Czech&Speake No. 88 (as you seem to like incense, you could like it maybe).
Let's enjoy the "dirty thirties" and their smell!

[EnvYuS]

You have a fantastic selcection, especially for your first fragrances.

There are some more that I would like you to try.
From Creed: Neroli Sauvage and Santal Imperial
L'Artisan... everything

Good choices so far.

[zztopp]

You have built a great collection already ! Great going !

[Lightninrod]

Yep, you're definitely on your way!

For domething really 'different', try L'Air du Desert Marocain


Dan

[Eluard]

Woah Stiv! You are well on your way to becoming a Basenotes junkie! Great selection, but you know you can't stop there. ("Now what about this Serge Lutens stuff I've heard so much about…")

We'll see you back here, my friend! You'll be back for sure. [Insert diabolical laugh here.]

[the_good_life]

Well chosen indeed. If you really want to continue down the slippery slope of perfume addiction (a cocaine habit is a bargain by comparison ) some of my suggestions to expand your bandwith would be:

a classic citrus scent for summer: Monsieur Balmain, great, affordable, one of my favorites for powerful citrus freshness; Various "Citrus Bigarrades" by Malle or Creed, or perhaps the latter's Neroli Sauvage. A classic like Dior Eau Sauvage (not mine personally, but a classic for sure).

something herbal?: Bogart, Caron Yatagan, Romeo Gigli Sud Est, Nina Ricci Phileas or for a more modern take L'eau Bleue D'Issey are all great.

Lavender, just so classic: Caron pour un homme (with vanilla, if you like Musc Ravageur...) is brilliant & dirt cheap, Creed, Royal Scottish Lavender, hmm, old-fashioned but classy & hard to get, d'Orsay Arome 3, classy bottles, classier content, Caldey Lavender from the monks on Caldey Island, pure and unadulterated.

A woody scent: Creed's Bois du Portugal comes to mind immediately . sharp, dry, perfect. A rich, sweet, way underrated woody fougere from the powerhouse 80s is Maxim's pour homme. And there are so many great cedary scent, L'Artisan's Navegar, Tauer's L'Air du Desert (with rose & spices). Or Etro Mahogany for a hardcore lumberyard experience.

Vetiver: Anywhere from the earthy L'Occitance to the sparkling fresh Vetiver hombre by Dominguez or Villoresis's pungent concoction, the crystalline Sel de Vetiver...

Some great rose scents have been mentioned, I would add Etro's Via Verri.

And two houses you must explore are Lutens (Ambre Sultan, Arabie, Vetyber Orientale, Fumerie turque, Chergui, Douce Amère, Daim Blond, Santal de Mysore are all must tries) and Lorenzo Villoresi: Sandalo (the best Sandalwood IMHO) Piper Nigrum (eccentric), Spezie, Incensi...

I could go on for hours. Splurge on some decants, there are plenty on offer from fellow continental Americans.

[narcus]

Spezie, Incensi....I could go on for hours.

Eight Pillars of a classical temple of masculine fragrances.
Well done, I call that exemplary!

[strngcheesefan]

Well I'm officially jealous :-) I'm new to this hobby and on a student budget, so most of my "wardrobe" consists of samples. While snapping my little sample vial of Musc Ravageur shut the other day, it shot right out of my clumsy hand. Got the juice in my eye (ouch), but at least half of the vial went on *me* before the rest of it went onto the floor. I was hoping to delay springing for that bottle for at least a bit...oh well. Anyway, it sounds like you're building quite the tasteful collection over there. I don't want to egg you on in your spending spree, but since you're still looking for suggestions, I'll give you one (two?) more. If you haven't already done so, send a little email to Divine to ply them for samples of L'homme Sage and L'homme De Coeur. Both are top-notch, and Divine will politely send 'em both to you for free.

[zeram1]

Being a head, I'd also recommend L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses (earthy roses), Tauer's Orris (smoky roses), Rose d'Homme by Les Parfums de Rosine, Montale's Black Aoud, L'Occitane (i.e. Eau des Baux) and perhaps YSL M7.

L'Artisan's Tea For Two is one that I think is one of their more unique and wearable frags.

Yes, some Serge Lutens are fab and Divine's Sage is wonderful.

Once you start down the path of fragrances, you'll once again understand why Bob and Jerry harmonized: "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been"

[chris2005]

I'll be the one to say, "Hold on now." It's great to see your first fragrance purchases to be more of the niche kind. I'm all for diversity in my fragrance collection, cheap or expensive, I really don't give a damn as long as it smells pleasant. But to see people buy CdG or even Creed really makes me appreciate the people who go out of the norm, especially around the heavily marketed designer scents that are just everywhere.

I think for now, just appreciate your purchases. Wear them for a few days or weeks. See what you like, what you don't. Get an idea of what you may want to add. Don't make this into an obsession that you may regret in the future.