The Absolute WORST Fragrance of All Time

[Starblind]

Mandarine Mandarin by Lutens

I still shiver when I think about it.

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

Creed Aventus

[LatinNote]

This is the only fragrance I've ever tried that was truly disgusting to me. It smelled like a wet dog that had rolled around in spoiled shellfish.

Ugh!! Makes one wonder why such a fragrance was created in the first place! Merely for laughs or shock value?

[drseid]

Of these four you listed, which would you consider the absolute worst?

It is a very tough one as they are all pretty much equally horrific. If I *had* to pick only one of them, it would be Secretions Manifiques, as apart from it smelling horrible, it also caused a major allergic reaction that made it difficult for me to breath. It is the only perfume to do that to me.

[Rüssel]

Pound store and supermarket brands.

[LatinNote]

It is a very tough one as they are all pretty much equally horrific. If I *had* to pick only one of them, it would be Secretions Manifiques, as apart from it smelling horrible, it also caused a major allergic reaction that made it difficult for me to breath. It is the only perfume to do that to me.

Wow! I'll make sure NOT to sample that one, lol.

[Marand75]

I do hate Azzaro Chrome as well...it makes my fillings hurt.

I've also smelled many that I have despised but off the top of my head, the first one that comes to mind that made me feel like I'd rolled around in an old rotting onion patch was...

Serge Noir...cant stand it.

Ha ha, yes! Azzaro Chrome: That seering stinky combo of metal and cucumber and woodsy AC's with their overkill freshness (hello AdG) that burns your nostrils.
I'd much rather gag on urinal-cakes while attacked by rabid bats, before wearing stuff like that.

[tdem1961]

Secretions Magnifiques. Truly disgusting.

Second runner up: Mandy Aftel Cepes et Tubereuse. It smelled exactly like a rotting flower sitting in a bowl of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup.

[LatinNote]

Ha ha, yes! That seering stinky combo of metal and cucumber and woodsy AC's with their overkill freshness (hello AdG) that burns your nostrils.
I'd much rather gag on urinal-cakes while attacked by rabid bats, before wearing stuff like that.

[Foopersuzz]

This one was easy for me: Chatillon Lux Biblio. I know it’s a conceptual experiment, but this was so extreme and unpleasant.

[JyyskNotes]

Dior Homme 2020, Sauvage and YSL Kouros. If I have to name only one I'd say Kouros. Can't get past the urinal cake smell.

[Adonna]

Weird, now I want to smell everything mentioned.

a~~

[Oud Dude]

I've also smelled many that I have despised but off the top of my head, the first one that comes to mind that made me feel like I'd rolled around in an old rotting onion patch was...

Serge Noir...cant stand it.

Absolutely agree with you. Explosive onion and body odor deluxe. No thank you.

[emtee]

Can’t think of anything I’ve smelled that’s been truly disgusting but Sauvage gives me a horrible headache. Like being around paint fumes.

[LiveJazz]

Absolutely agree with you. Explosive onion and body odor deluxe. No thank you.

It's so interesting to read comments about Serge Noire when it comes up.

About half of folks swear up and down that it smells like body odor or onions, and half (the half I am in) detects a fairly simplistic and direct cinnamon/clove/cedarwood scent. I barely detect cumin or anything remotely animalic. It's pleasant enough with bright woods and spice. I do agree that the woody base is on synthetic side...the overall style seems very much "of its time" in the mid-late 00s: clear bright woods.

I will say that the sample I had was brown liquid, while the bottle currently pictured has nearly clear liquid. I wonder if it changed?

The differences in our sensory perceptions never cease to amaze me!

[PrinceRF]

I found Secretions Magnifique to be revolting.

[Valier]

Habanita by molinard(prob new but...) Mustard gas

[Kaern]

It's so interesting to read comments about Serge Noire when it comes up.

About half of folks swear up and down that it smells like body odor or onions, and half (the half I am in) detects a fairly simplistic and direct cinnamon/clove/cedarwood scent. I barely detect cumin or anything remotely animalic. It's pleasant enough with bright woods and spice. I do agree that the woody base is on synthetic side...the overall style seems very much "of its time" in the mid-late 00s: clear bright woods.

I will say that the sample I had was brown liquid, while the bottle currently pictured has nearly clear liquid. I wonder if it changed?

The differences in our sensory perceptions never cease to amaze me!

I'm in your half. Serge Noire almost reaches masterpiece proportions for me. No body odour or onions are involved folks -- it's all in the mind!

[SuperSJ]

This is an easy one for me. Hands down its Police To Be for men.

I've smelled a lot of badly done fragrances over the years, but this one smells toxic and that's not an exaggeration. It smells like melted plastic. A nasty, chemical smell that's impossible to scrub off. I bought it blind due to the neat bottle. Note to self: Never do that.

Its not even something I'd give away. Its not fair to do that to people. I have it wrapped and clearly marked. I'm paranoid of accidentally dropping and breaking the bottle. I'd be living with the nastiness forever.

[SubUmbra]

Versace Eros is the only fragrance that has ever triggered an almost-immediate migraine for me. More subjectively, though, I just think it smells bad.

[speckmann0706]

I have not come across anything completely horrible yet, maybe not my style but I find fragrances a form of art each one has a place and purpose imo.

[Ken_Russell]

Have made no secret so far about disliking certain scents like the 1995 Hugo (excluding flankers) by Hugo Boss, regular ADG by Armani (again, without disliking its flankers, at least not that much), CK Crave, Davidoff Cool Water, vintage Joop Homme (though liking the current one much better).
Yet could never vouch neither that these are the absolute worst ever nor even the absolute worst so far smelled or likely to ever test/know.

[alexmate]

Can’t think of anything I’ve smelled that’s been truly disgusting but Sauvage gives me a horrible headache. Like being around paint fumes.

I had the same thing when I sampled it, not sure what note it is because I've been ok with other fragrances containing ambroxan. Phaiedon Rouge had the same effect.

Worst: Sombre. Maybe that's the idea.
Sauvage I find boring more than anything rather than unpleasant, but undoubtedly it delivers the brief of being perceived as sexy and masculine.

[darinaldi]

I didn't hate Sécrétions Magnifiques as much as I thought I would, but I think that's only because I had read so much about it that I was expecting something room-clearingly bad instead of just unpleasant.

The most revolting fragrance I've ever smelled is L'Aigle de la Victoire by Rancé. Rancid blue cheese and two-week–old dried sweat. That was a definite no from me.

[le mouchoir de monsieur]

I would have to say "L'Air de Rien" by Miller-Harris. The only time I literally binned the entire thing, box, bottle and all--just dropped in the kitchen rubbish bin.

There is also the time I was sick (in the British sense) in the loo at Barney's in San Francisco about 30 minutes after spraying "Muscs Kublaï-Kahn" by Serge Lutens on my wrists.

[Scent Detective]

I'm in your half. Serge Noire almost reaches masterpiece proportions for me. No body odour or onions are involved folks -- it's all in the mind!

Uh...no....it's all in the nose. Uhhgghh...it's revolting on my skin and I've tried it many times. It has to be a body chemistry thing.

[LatinNote]

Weird, now I want to smell everything mentioned.

a~~

[LatinNote]

It's so interesting to read comments about Serge Noire when it comes up.

About half of folks swear up and down that it smells like body odor or onions, and half (the half I am in) detects a fairly simplistic and direct cinnamon/clove/cedarwood scent. I barely detect cumin or anything remotely animalic. It's pleasant enough with bright woods and spice. I do agree that the woody base is on synthetic side...the overall style seems very much "of its time" in the mid-late 00s: clear bright woods.

I will say that the sample I had was brown liquid, while the bottle currently pictured has nearly clear liquid. I wonder if it changed?

The differences in our sensory perceptions never cease to amaze me!

It does sound like reformulation.

[LatinNote]

This is an easy one for me. Hands down its Police To Be for men.

I've smelled a lot of badly done fragrances over the years, but this one smells toxic and that's not an exaggeration. It smells like melted plastic. A nasty, chemical smell that's impossible to scrub off. I bought it blind due to the neat bottle. Note to self: Never do that.

Its not even something I'd give away. Its not fair to do that to people. I have it wrapped and clearly marked. I'm paranoid of accidentally dropping and breaking the bottle. I'd be living with the nastiness forever.

How about just throw it in the dumpster?

[PStoller]

Pick any masculine from Lacoste

Surely not including the original Patou-produced Lacostes. Those are stunning.