Niche rec needed...more details within.

[LedByMyNose]

Xmas shopping and I need a fragrance for a man. 23. Does wear fragrance but only the one bottle he gets from his mom or sister every year (and it changes year to year, he's never expressed strong feelings for any of them and they've all been mainstream/dept. store brands, not that there's anything wrong with that ). I want to get him something niche. I am half tempted to get him a Creed because it's known enough that he would recognize the brand (and appreciate it) but it would also be that little bit 'special' in his eyes.

He thinks he wants something edgy, but he doesn't. There's no way he would wear anything floral, for example. Subtle, masculine, modern, conservative. Niche houses preferred because he'll appreciate the aura of exclusivity. I'm tempted by Byredo Sunday Cologne but a)it's expensive for something he hasn't sniffed and b)Barney's is out of it and I don't know where else to get it in North America. Gourmand is also out unless it's extremely well blended with other, non-gourmand notes. Nothing too strong or too sillage-y, either. Clean and/or aquatic could be OK but nothing astringent or too herbaceous.

What do i get for the male non-perfume risk-taker who thinks he's a risk-taker, is what i'm asking. Any ideas?

[docluv45]

Neroli Sauvage

[Jack Hunter]

Aventus is the Creed that is all the rage and one I think he would appreciate at his age.

[drseid]

Creed is always a safe choice... Something like Bois d'Orage by EdP Frederic Malle might be a more distinctive choice though. Maybe Cuoio by Odori might fit the bill as well. Both are sold at Barneys.

[Buysblind]

A second vote for Aventus.

[cacio]

I'd go for CDG2 man. CDG is a niche and very avantgarde line. CDG2 man is not particularly traditional, but it is fairly conservative, lemony incense, neither sweet nor particularly heavy. If it were found in Montreal (but I don't think so), I'd also say Etat Libre d'Orange Je suis un homme, which is a traditional woody masculine with a quirky logo and packaging.

I personally don't like Creed, and it is quite expensive, but many other people do.

cacio

[LedByMyNose]

Thanks for recs - 2 for Aventus, I am somewhat familiar with the Creed line (not a fan, but not a non-fan either, I like the Virgin island Water) and the one that came to mind was Green Irish Tweed. Any thoughts on that vs Aventus? I havent sniffed Aventus but I think of it as 'sporty' - is it?

Also thinking Lutens L'Eau Froide, CdG Hinoki (is this VERY woody or just somewhat woody?), Henrik Vibskov Type C (this sound really promising - would love to hear from anyone who has sniffed), Maison Francis K Aqua Universalis and Parfums MDCI Invasion Barbare. Any comments welcome.

I'm going to go read some reviews of the others recs, so thanks for those. CdG would be a brand he'd appreciate, I think.

[hawk]

You can't go wrong with Terre d'Hermes, may not be considered niche but it's close enough! If not then one of Tom Ford's private blends, Noir de Noir or Oud wood. If you think he can handle a floral then get him MFK Lumiere Noire pour homme.

[LedByMyNose]

Oh dear, just checked out the Etat line and the Tom of Finland one sounds perrrfect. Unfortunately there is no way he would be able to get past the bottle decor. I wonder if I could repackage it with some boobs on it or something? Ha ha.

Edit: Hawk, I checked out that MFK Lumiere Homme earlier, and the floral is what makes it a no-go. This is your classic 'I want to be edgy and avant garde but not REALLY' situation, ya know?

[Teach13]

Green Irish Tweed would be my pick from Creed. I think it's a "safer" pick for a non-perfume-risk-taker than Aventus. I don't know if Tom Ford is considered niche or not, but you aren't going to find his stuff at a Macy's I'd look there as well. Tom Ford for Men or even Tom Ford for Men Extreme are a couple scents that might fit what you're looking for (I'd still say GIT is a "safer" choice than those, however).

[hawk]

by the way, Byredo is available at Holt in Toronto and Vancouver, if you're in Montreal then they'll order it for you and you pick it up at Holt Montreal.

[docluv45]

It's hard for me to make recommendations based on "impressiveness" or "fashion consciousness" or "eliteness". I'd choose CdG2 Man any day over just about any Creed fragrance, actually. I hate to say it, but it almost sounds like you want to get him "niche" not because it's better, but because you perceive him to be a bit shallow and easily impressed by a flashy name and a larger pricetag. There are "non-niche" (is that a word?) fragrances that smell great, and it seems to me that I'd prefer something that smells great over a fancy but not delightful one. But I do understand the cachet of getting something that reeks of exclusivity and specialness. How about Idole de Lubin? Or L'Artisan Timbuktu? Tauer Lonestar Memories?

[fit&frag'd]

My vote would be for Green Irish Tweed as well, but Aventus would probably be a winner as well. IMO it's hard to go wrong with those 2 Creeds.

[pav]

Aventus easy for 23. All chicks is his

[drseid]

I'll go against the grain and give a minus 1 to the Aventus recs. I find it an OK fragrance, but nothing special, and nowhere near Green Irish Tweed from a quality perspective. It is not really a "sport" fragrance to answer your question, but instead opens with a deceptively strong synthetic pineapple that is quite pleasant smelling. Unfortunately it then morphs into a mundane faux smoky scent that projects like crazy and gets annoying real fast... At least to me, that is.

Green Irish Tweed is probably my favorite from the house of Creed (which is not one of my favorite houses in general). It is extremely versatile and always a safe choice from a scent perspective. That said, while safe from a scent perspective, the biggest risk is that folks (including the gent you are purchasing it for) will make the inevitable association with Cool Water. Many here consider the association absolute sacrilege, however I am not one... I used to wear the vintage Cool Water when it initially was released and it was exceptional. So I hardly think comparing GIT to it is so terrible, more like a compliment as far as I am concerned (even though GIT is really the original as it was released first). Most folks have never smelled "the good stuff." Fair or not, that is the real risk with going with GIT...

[hednic]

Another vote for Aventus

[senore01]

More of a conservative personality - G.I.T. A bit more spirited and daring - Aventus. Either way, you really cannot go wrong.

[Darjeeling]

Another for Aventus or CdG 2 Man.

You are probably right in thinking he doesn't really know what edgy can mean in scent, but you can be edgy/non-conventional without necessarily leaning in the floral/fem direction.

It can be easier for guys to get into if it is edgy whilst utilizing notes that are conventionally regarded as masculine (wood, smoke, incense...).

Then again, fragrance is so personal, it is probably safest to go with accessible niche like Aventus or GIT unless you can go sampling together and get a better idea of his tastes (which he probably doesn't know yet himself).

[voodoodanny]

I'm going to weigh in with another bump for Creed, but My vote goes to Silver Mountain Water or Millesime Imperial. Both excellent fresh, clean, masculine frags. GIT is great but it's been cloned by the likes of Cool Water and Coty Aspen and I'm just not that big a fan of green notes, as much as I try to be!

[JiveHippo]

+1 Aventus.

[cacio]

Regarding your ideas in the previous post:
Lutens L'Eau Froide is interesting, cold fresh synthetic, very unLutensian though. If you want fresh, a cheaper thing would be CDG Vettiveru.
CdG Hinoki is very woody, but still somewhat fresh. Another great choice in CDG.
Henrik Vibskov Type C: is that the marine in the line? I smelled all three in the store, and was unimpressed - I felt there's better stuff in the style of all three. And the marine one was really strongly so. The leathery one was somewhat interesting, but there are many leathers that are much better than that. For instance the wonderful, smooth Tom of Finland. By the way, regrettably the ELdO bottles do not carry the logo (why ELDO uses plain bottles is a mystery). But the ToF does have the macho guy on the box.
Maison Francis K Aqua Universalis is a good, smooth white musk. But a little simple. I use the associated laundry detergent.
Parfums MDCI Invasion Barbare: very expensive. But a very good nugere (or new fougere), classical masculine fougere like but with modern molecules.

cacio

[Jridgen]

Silver Mountain Water or Aventus

[L'Incandescent]

Yet another +1 for Aventus.
Tom of Finland would really be great too, but I understand your worry about the packaging. I think Je Suis un Homme from Etat Libre might also be worth checking out.

As regards Sunday Cologne, the longevity for that is very poor. I can imagine someone who's not really into fragrance being put off by that. (I can imagine people who are into fragrance being put off by that!)

[bgoc]

[sjg3839]

2nd that!

Aventus is the Creed that is all the rage and one I think he would appreciate at his age.

[LedByMyNose]

Can someone flesh out why Aventus is getting so many recs? Is it because it fits my original description of what I'm looking for? Because a strong pineapple note doesn't sound (I havent sniffed it) like it fits that... but the comments are making me give it real thought.

I hate to say it, but it almost sounds like you want to get him "niche" not because it's better, but because you perceive him to be a bit shallow and easily impressed by a flashy name and a larger pricetag.

I don't think pricetag will impress him but the exclusivity of a brand name will, he is one of those people who sort of prides himself on being 'different'. Or should I say on being perceived to be different.

Right now I'm leaning towards the CdG 2, the GIT, the MDCI (thank you for your specific comments, Cacio!) and also the Aventus, despite the fact that I'm not sure why it's getting so many recs.

[Akahina]

Aventus is both a sophisticated scent that is not sweet per se but starts of a bit fruity and turns to a slightly smoky woody scent. Definately masculine but also suitable for a man his age or any age. Classy. Women love it too.

I will offer some different suggestions. Consider Maître Parfumeur et Gantier's Santal Noble. Also if he wants to get into fragrances why just one? I might suggest Mona Di Oreo's Diacovery Box with 8 different scents. Perhaps he will find one he really loves and all of her scents are modern and either unisex or decidedly masculine. Just a thought...

[Kybid]

I'll chime in and give a "no" to Aventus. First of all, I think that people are strangely obsessed with the stuff...it's a little creepy how some people are so attached to it. I don't see what's so special about it...I've smelled it quite a few times and it's never done a thing for me. But, I must be missing something, and I'm ok with that. And, I don't think it really fits what you are looking for...it's just that you mentioned Creed so immediately everyone just goes to Aventus or GIT. Personally, I think GIT would fit what you are looking for more than Aventus. But, I'm not a huge fan of any of the Creeds including GIT, but it's a little safer and I think that safer would be a little better for a guy that doesn't think much about frags.

As far as CDG is concerned, I love this house. 2 Man is great, but it gets a little powdery and that might be a bit a little of a turn off to him if he's not used to that. I personally love Dover Street Market. It's not a super popular CDG, but man is it good. It's got a little incense, a little coriander and it's just a great frag. Some people don't like it a lot because they say it is too "safe" for CDG, or good for a beginner to the CDG house, but it's awesome. If you think he might like CDG because it's a little different and a little out there then that would be my suggestion. There are far more "out there" frags from the house that he could get into if he liked it's vibe. And, at $85 bucks for 100ml you can't really go wrong with it. He won't find very many others smelling like him as they would with Aventus...I almost feel like Aventus is becoming THE mainstream niche.

[silentrich]

Original Santal. The bottle is cool looking and it's Creeds best offering for the younger gentleman.

[Gamma]

Also if he wants to get into fragrances why just one? I might suggest Mona Di Oreo's Diacovery Box with 8 different scents. Perhaps he will find one he really loves and all of her scents are modern and either unisex or decidedly masculine. Just a thought...

This is a great idea. Spending 100+ on one fragrance that may or may not be to his taste is a bit risky, while a discovery box provides a range of fragrances and gives him a little push into the breadth of the fragrance world. Mona di Orio's Les Nombres d'Or box ($145) is a great option, some very good fragrances in it. The Amouage mini box set would be another ideal choice ($260) as would MDCI's Discovery Set ($210) or By Kilian's ($195). All are available from Luckyscent online.

If you do want one niche bottle, I think Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris pour Homme is a great option as it is masculine, safe, modern, and smells great.

Aventus has quite a following but it may be risky as bottles have varying profiles- the sample I got was overpoweringly smoky. Millesime Imperial would be my top choice from Creed, but it is more of a summer scent, which is something to keep in mind as a Christmas gift.