Smooth, semi-sweet, spicy, coniferous, incensy, everydag frag???

[Point Blank]

Ok, in the hunt for the holy grail it looks like I've been able to narrow it down to this:

- Smooth
- Semi-sweet
- Spicy (preferably peppery)
- Coniferous (preferably resinous)
- Incensy
- Suitable for everyday wear

Some of what I've tried for reference, with great guidance from basenoters:

- Boss Bottled is smooth, semi-sweet, spicy and suitable for everyday wear. Close in general style to what I'm looking for. However, apple note annoys me and it lacks peppery and incensy notes that I love.
- Floris Santal gets close to meeting all criteria. However, I got a problem with the milky/creamy note I get from this...
- Armani Privé Bois d'Encens gets the pepper/incense right on but is too simplistic/puritan, lacks complexity and sweetness.
- Villoresi Piper Nigrum gets very close with the drydown but is just too chaotic and wayward in getting there. Hard time meeting the everyday wear criterium.
- Monocle Scent Two: Laurel also gets very close but is too literal in the laurel treatment. It smells like you've been eating spicy food.
- Tom Ford Italian Cypress - love this scent intensely with its resinous conifers but it is ultimately too dated/old school...

[Sensual]

Ahhh, it is a holy journey looking for the grail. Your quest begins on Basenotes.

Voyage (Hermes) -- I smelled this AGAIN on my woman. It has many of the qualities you require. Unfortunately, I didn't smell much or any pepper.

Tommy Bahama -- Worth checking out for that pepper note.

Good luck!

[PaulSC]

Burberry London for men seems to fit all your criteria.

[Jock_With_Scents]

Terre d'Hermes EDT
Montale - Red Vetyver
DSQUARED2 - Rocky Mountain Wood
Nemo - Cacharel
CDG - Jaisalmer
L'air du Desert Marocain

[BradW]

For an inexpensive frag, I believe that Hummer H2 actually fits your bill as well.

[ubergeek]

Aramis Devin, although its spiciness is in the form of cloves and cinnamon.

[odysseusm]

I'll invite you and others to check out the "Coneheads" social group here on Basenotes, which specializes in commenting on coniferous scents.
I love coniferous scents, but I don't like smooth and semi-sweet ones. I like them dry, even austere. For example, I enjoy Bois D'Encens.

However, check out:
Monocle One: Hinoki
Any of the CdG Incense line, they are all good (although the Avignon is a little too sweet for me).
Frankincense & Myrrh by Czech & Speake
Bois D'Orage (aka French Lover) by [Armani Prive] oops, that's Frederic Malle
Pino Silvestre! Really.
And for a step up from PS, (if you can find some) 4 Voleurs by L'Occitane en Provence.

[jenson]

Penhaligons Raquet Formula

[Point Blank]

I've tried Terre d'Hermes once - my impression was that it was too heavy/unrelenting on the citrus. I didn't particularly like Red Vetyver - overly sour/tart and "oudish"/"rosy"/something? I also tried Burberry London but in a haste and didn't expect much but was drawn to it but it was soon gone - I need to revisit this one. I've also tried Kyoto and Avignon from the CdG incense line - I loved Kyoto but maybe too "austere" and "cold" while I didn't enjoy Avignon that much - too damp - Armani Bois d'Encens was a much better version of the same theme but lacking that moist almost moldy part that makes Avignon hard to wear imo.

I will try all the other ones suggested here!

Btw, French Lover isn't that Frederic Malle?

[odysseusm]

Thanks, Point Blank. I've corrected it.

[Sugandaraja]

I'll add my recommendation for my pine favorite, Serge Lutens Fille En Aiguilles. I'm pining for a bottle...

[Point Blank]

I'll add my recommendation for my pine favorite, Serge Lutens Fille En Aiguilles. I'm pining for a bottle...

Adding this to the shortlist. How does it compare to Tom Ford Italian Cypress??

[Point Blank]

Thanks, Point Blank. I've corrected it.

I will try this one - I've come across the name to many times now

Btw, why is it also called Bois D'Orage - it only seems to say French Lover on the label? Indeed, I wish it said that instead, "French Lover" sounds a but ridiculous...

[Bigsly]

I would reach for Montana Parfum d'Homme, because I don't like such frags if they are too woody. The pine in MPd'H is clear, but otherwise it's not woody. Not sure of any incense, but for that I currently prefer Oscar Pour Lui (which is not sweet, but does have pine).

[Sugandaraja]

Adding this to the shortlist. How does it compare to Tom Ford Italian Cypress??

Nothing alike. Tom Ford Italian Cypress is mostly a cool, green, rather generic cedar-y fragrance; I'm not a fan. Fille En Aiguilles is a warm, sweet, spicy, incensey, slightly ambery fragrance focused on pine. It starts out quite sweet, but develops into something increasingly dry as the day wears on, and I find it very wearable.

I just adore Fille En Aiguilles, and it's not like any other pine I know.

[ChuckW]

How about Aramis Havana?

[Point Blank]

Nothing alike. Tom Ford Italian Cypress is mostly a cool, green, rather generic cedar-y fragrance; I'm not a fan. Fille En Aiguilles is a warm, sweet, spicy, incensey, slightly ambery fragrance focused on pine. It starts out quite sweet, but develops into something increasingly dry as the day wears on, and I find it very wearable.

I just adore Fille En Aiguilles, and it's not like any other pine I know.

Ok. I havn't been enamoured by any Lutens scents I've tried but I do like the general texture - I gotta try this...

[ChuckW]

Gucci Pour Homme (copper/brown color in heavy square bottle). Very woody and peppery. The Tommy Bahama suggestion was a good one, as well.

[Point Blank]

How about Aramis Havana?

Isn't this discontinued or near-impossible to find? Maybe I'm mixing it up with something else...

[LiveJazz]

Check out Chevignon.

[perfaddict]

Jack Black Signature Silver Mark

[Point Blank]

Check out Chevignon.

Which Chevignon?

[Primrose]

I seem to be recommending this quite a bit lately, but I would say try L'Occitane's Eau des Baux.

It it is an oriental with a sweet, incense-y scent with cypress wood and spice. At under $50 USD, this might work for you.

Top Note: Pink pepper, Cardamom
Middle Note: Cyprus, Incense
Base Note: Vanilla, Tonka Bean

[Point Blank]

Sounds good Primrose, it's already on my shortlist as I saw it recommended (maybe by you?) in another thread...

[ebear]

Ormonde Jayne Man fits your criteria very well!

[Bigsly]

I found these notes for MPd'H:

Top notes are aldehydes, cinnamon, lavender, mandarin orange, tarragon, pepper, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are carnation, jasmine, sage, nasturcia, rose, pine tree needles and geranium; base notes are labdanum, leather, sandalwood, patchouli, oakmoss, vanilla, incense, cedar and ambergris.

[Point Blank]

I found these notes for MPd'H:

Top notes are aldehydes, cinnamon, lavender, mandarin orange, tarragon, pepper, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are carnation, jasmine, sage, nasturcia, rose, pine tree needles and geranium; base notes are labdanum, leather, sandalwood, patchouli, oakmoss, vanilla, incense, cedar and ambergris.

What is MPd'H??

[Bigsly]

The Montana I mentioned ("red box"). It's not "smooth" in the opening but after an hour or so it's not rough.

[Point Blank]

Ormonde Jayne Man fits your criteria very well!

Ordering a sample.

[ebear]

Ordering a sample.

Excellent idea. Do post on how you like it - and the others you try, of course. OJM strikes me as offering precisely the notes & attributes you listed.

[LiveJazz]

Which Chevignon?

It's just listed as "Chevignon" in the Directory, but I've heard it called "Chevignon for Men" or "Chevignon Brand from Men."

http://www.basenotes.net/ID26120348.html

If you get it, make sure it's the bottle in the picture, which I think is discontinued or reformulated, but still readily available.

[LiveJazz]

What is MPd'H??

Montana Parfum d'Homme, supposedly very similar to the legendary Aramis Havana, which was discontinued until recently.

http://www.basenotes.net/ID26121133.html

[buzzley]

How about Aramis Havana?

That's an intersting suggestion. I love the fragrance, but I don't get anything coniferous in it. It basically smells like I spilled a pitcher of sangria on myself. Fun stuff!

My first thoughts are Lalique Equus and Geoffery Beene Bowling Green. Not very peppery, but they do have the coniferous, spicy, semi-sweet thing going on.

Maybe L'Instant de Guerlain might work as well.

[Bigsly]

I don't remember Havana having the pine note though. I found it to be drier than MPd'H and with tobacco instead of the pine.

[mikeperez23]

Any of the CdG Incense line, they are all good...

Ody speaks the truth!

And I also agree with Suga. Fille en Aiguilles is the sh*t. Please try it.

[odysseusm]

...Btw, why is it also called Bois D'Orage - it only seems to say French Lover on the label? Indeed, I wish it said that instead, "French Lover" sounds a but ridiculous...

I think it has different names in different markets. Here in Canada, it is sold as "Bois D'Orage" (Thunder Wood), with no reference to the slightly cheesy French Lover name.

[Off-Scenter]

Zagorsk
Fille en Aiguilles
Wazamba
and possibly Fou d'Absinthe.

[Fable]

+1 for CdG's Zagorsk

[Delmar]

I'll add my recommendation for my pine favorite, Serge Lutens Fille En Aiguilles. I'm pining for a bottle...

FEA was the one that immediately came to mind over here as well.

Comme des Garcons as a number of "incense / woody" scents. Have fun sampling!

[DULLAH]

Hermes Rocabar.
Best semi-sweet Coniferous scent out.
Drydown is smooth and sophisticated.

[DULLAH]

One of the less talked about semi-sweet semi-spicy Incense scents is Pal Zileri's Sartoriale. But no Coniferous smell there. And of course I 2nd the CDG line sampling, particularly Kyoto/Zagorsk

[SillageMonger]

You should perhaps try Bowling Green by Geoffrey Beene.

[Lorag]

I think it has different names in different markets. Here in Canada, it is sold as "Bois D'Orage" (Thunder Wood), with no reference to the slightly cheesy French Lover name.

Yup, it’s French Lover in europe. Malle thought north america wouldn’t get the ironic/tongue-in-cheek naming. Maybe he was right.

Also, Italian Cypress doesn’t smell dated, it smells retro. And Eau de Baux is gorgeous though to me not very coniferous. Good luck on your quest!