Cologne / Perfume Reviews

SirFapsAlot · Sep 22, 2024

Tasty The Treat said:
No it's been a while, but I've been thinking I need to pick up something new for a while. I've just been using the same old fragrance I've been using forever now. Takes me forever to get through one, I don't like to have a strong or overpowering scent.

Check out the Chanel I recommended above, it can wear light if you want, with just two sprays. I like to spray four times, at 110 for 50ml it won't break the bank either. Got this on suggestion of CoalMan from misc, who was an OG in the cologne megathread, did a blind buy and it worked out great.

sleevedraw · Sep 22, 2024

Sludig said:
I've had 2 bottles of stetson for like 20 years. Wife likes it but i feel like it quickly fades and almost stars too strong.

Never use it hardly given I've not finished them. Not sure if folks just reapply when some body has a good perfume/cologne smell from 5 feet away at 4 in the afternoon.

Id probably use something just because I get insecure about getting a bit stale by the end of the day being just under the level of sweating due to my vest am day, I always shower the second I'm home.

Anything pleasant but not "loud" that is long lasting and isn't some >$100 fru fru thing?

Regarding long-lasting frags:
-EdPs (Eau de Parfums) generally project less (less "loud") and last longer versus EdTs (Eau de Toilettes).
-Some people just have skin chemistry that allows fragrances to glom onto them for longer
-Apply right after you get out of the shower in the morning, because your pores will be open.
-In some cases, people do reapply - there are some frags that last all day, there are others that only last a couple hours

There are so many different varieties of fragrance out there; it's really hard to get a sense for what you might like unless you have a reference point for one that you really like or hate.

2 ways to get a baseline:
1) Go to a department store like Macy's or Nordstrom and do some sampling. Write down the names of some things that you like (and hate), and then you'll have a general sense of the notes that you like and dislike. I generally don't like vanilla or flower/powder bombs, for instance.
2) Find a site like Dossier that makes dupes (generic, non-brand name frags) and lets you do no/low-cost returns if you don't like the scents. They are where I get my Wood Sage and Sea Salt dupe from. Costco also lets you do free returns, although you'll need to buy enormous bottles.

Fougeres: Stetson is a fougere. The most popular "AAA" designer fougere right now is probably Sauvage. Not specifically recommending Sauvage, but that'll at least give you a sense as to whether you like fougeres.
Woods: Hermes does good woody stuff - Terre d'Hermes if you like spice with your woods, H24 if you don't. They are on the more expensive side, but not as insane as the really high-end stuff like YSL or Creed, and they usually last a reasonably long time. Dior Homme Sport is also good. The Chanel that SFAL mentioned is also good.
Aquatics: Everyone wears Acqua di Gio, but there's a reason why everyone wears it - lasts a while, moderate price, crowd-pleaser. Kenzo does good aquatics, too. Jo Malone's Wood Sage and Sea Salt is one of my favorites, but again, it's not a very strongly masculine scent, and the performance is awful (only a couple hours), so you are better buying dupes of it.
Vanilla Bombs: Pick literally any cologne by JPG. They are "in" right now.

Harshaw · Sep 22, 2024

I haven't worn cologne since the 90's. However the ones I wore were Drakkar, Polo Sport, and Fahrenheit.

Tasty The Treat · Sep 22, 2024

SirFapsAlot said:
Check out the Chanel I recommended above, it can wear light if you want, with just two sprays. I like to spray four times, at 110 for 50ml it won't break the bank either. Got this on suggestion of CoalMan from misc, who was an OG in the cologne megathread, did a blind buy and it worked out great.

Thanks bud, will do!

lurker · Sep 26, 2024

Do aftershaves count? I gotta bunch.

Foler · Sep 28, 2024

Literally came to this sub to make a “Fragrances are Friend” thread and find this. Nice! Seems like our boy

sleevedraw may be the resident expert. It’s been a number of years since I’ve worn cologne. Of course it was Acqua Di Gio back then. Apparently cologne is an absolute rabbit hole regarding picking one for your skin/body type.

sleevedraw thanks for suggestion on getting a baseline. My sense of smell kind of sucks so I’m not sure I really trust myself.

sleevedraw where do you normally apply cologne? Neck and forearm by wrists?

Idk much about season of fragrance. I’m in Florida so maybe a summer fragrance works good year round..

Reading Reddit cologne megathreads it seems like people recommend wearing a fragrance that you like, not necessarily what you think women (or others) may like. Would you guys agree with that?

sleevedraw · Sep 28, 2024

Foler said:
Literally came to this sub to make a “Fragrances are Friend” thread and find this. Nice! Seems like our boy sleevedraw may be the resident expert. It’s been a number of years since I’ve worn cologne. Of course it was Acqua Di Gio back then. Apparently cologne is an absolute rabbit hole regarding picking one for your skin/body type.

sleevedraw thanks for suggestion on getting a baseline. My sense of smell kind of sucks so I’m not sure I really trust myself. sleevedraw where do you normally apply cologne? Neck and forearm by wrists?

Idk much about season of fragrance. I’m in Florida so maybe a summer fragrance works good year round..

Reading Reddit cologne megathreads it seems like people recommend wearing a fragrance that you like, not necessarily what you think women (or others) may like. Would you guys agree with that?

Eh, I'm not really an expert.

I usually do neck, wrists, back of knees. Some people do pits, although you'd need to find a scentless deodorant unless you trust yourself enough to "layer" a fragrance scent on top of a deodorant scent. You sometimes hear people talking about "pulse points" and trying to apply to parts of the body that are warmer, but at least as far as the wrists go, that's a myth - body temp usually decreases as you move out towards an extremity.

In Florida, yes, you are probably safe with something summery year round.

As for the "something you like" vs. "something other people like" question, I think it comes down to what your goal is. If you're alone all the time and you really just want to wear cologne for your own enjoyment, wear what you like. If your goal is to attract other people, then you need to make at least some consideration for what most other people like. One of my grandmothers was an enormous fan of that White Diamonds scent by Elizabeth Taylor (basically the quintessential super-powdery grandma smell). She loved it, but it always gave everyone else a headache whenever we came over for a party.

SirFapsAlot · Sep 28, 2024

SOTD: Gallagher Fragrances Mists of Time

Foler said:
Literally came to this sub to make a “Fragrances are Friend” thread and find this. Nice! Seems like our boy sleevedraw may be the resident expert. It’s been a number of years since I’ve worn cologne. Of course it was Acqua Di Gio back then. Apparently cologne is an absolute rabbit hole regarding picking one for your skin/body type.

sleevedraw thanks for suggestion on getting a baseline. My sense of smell kind of sucks so I’m not sure I really trust myself. sleevedraw where do you normally apply cologne? Neck and forearm by wrists?

Idk much about season of fragrance. I’m in Florida so maybe a summer fragrance works good year round..

Reading Reddit cologne megathreads it seems like people recommend wearing a fragrance that you like, not necessarily what you think women (or others) may like. Would you guys agree with that?

You can apply fragrance where ever you want, I usually apply on the sides of my upper arms and the back of my upper arms if I'm wearing short sleeves, long sleeves, you can do near the ears, either behind each ear, or on both sides of the neck and then do one spray on the back of the neck. I would avoid the wrists if you wash your hands a lot.

If you're in Florida, you probably want to avoid cooler weather fragrances. Go with something like Chanel Allure Homme Sport, it's a really safe blind buy, but if you can stop by any store, try out the entire line of flankers. Bleu de Chanel (EDT Eau de Toilette), the EDP can work also or the YSL EDP (Eau de Parfum) can work year round, even in warmer weather. Terre de Hermes can also work for you, but try it first to see if you like it.

If you want to try a niche fragrance which is, in my opinion, perfect for the warmer climates, go to the Day Three Fragrances website and order their sample set, try their scent called Bani. It's a Mango / Sugarcane fragrance and will last a good while if you're in warm temps. Just make sure you're not around any bees or wasps.

You should also wear what you like to wear, you'll never wear any one fragrance that's pleasing to every one. Wear what you like, but also be aware of the scent profile, it could be really pungent to a lot of people, if worn in the wrong conditions. I.E. cool weather scents in warm temperatures.

sleevedraw said:
Eh, I'm not really an expert.

I usually do neck, wrists, back of knees. Some people do pits, although you'd need to find a scentless deodorant unless you trust yourself enough to "layer" a fragrance scent on top of a deodorant scent. You sometimes hear people talking about "pulse points" and trying to apply to parts of the body that are warmer, but at least as far as the wrists go, that's a myth - body temp usually decreases as you move out towards an extremity.

In Florida, yes, you are probably safe with something summery year round.

As for the "something you like" vs. "something other people like" question, I think it comes down to what your goal is. If you're alone all the time and you really just want to wear cologne for your own enjoyment, wear what you like. If your goal is to attract other people, then you need to make at least some consideration for what most other people like. One of my grandmothers was an enormous fan of that White Diamonds scent by Elizabeth Taylor (basically the quintessential super-powdery grandma smell). She loved it, but it always gave everyone else a headache whenever we came over for a party.

Great points here.

Coal Man · Sep 28, 2024

In on this thread.

SirFapsAlot I made a few purchases recently. Grabbed up 2 Rojas (Amber Aoud, Sweetie Aoud) as well as Xerjoff Torino 21 and a backup of Xerjoff Italica.

Don't know what's hype in the designer realm right now though.

For spray technique these days I just do 2 sprays under my shirt, one by each collarbone

SirFapsAlot · Sep 28, 2024

Coal Man said:
In on this thread.

SirFapsAlot I made a few purchases recently. Grabbed up 2 Rojas (Amber Aoud, Sweetie Aoud) as well as Xerjoff Torino 21 and a backup of Xerjoff Italica.

Don't know what's hype in the designer realm right now though.

For spray technique these days I just do 2 sprays under my shirt, one by each collarbone

Nice dude, got my new bottle of Grand Soir in................man I swear they've done a reformulation, still smells the same to me, but doesn't seem to project as much. Still great though, not too upset because I grabbed the 35ml on this order. By the way, I don't ever recommend ordering from their site, their customer service blows.

Cool weather coming in, going to be rocking Gallagher Wicked Good and DAY Three La Tacita De Cafe, alongside Grand Soir and MM Jazz Club...maybe a little The One EDP.

Coal Man · Sep 28, 2024

SirFapsAlot said:
Nice dude, got my new bottle of Grand Soir in................man I swear they've done a reformulation, still smells the same to me, but doesn't seem to project as much. Still great though, not too upset because I grabbed the 35ml on this order. By the way, I don't ever recommend ordering from their site, their customer service blows.

Cool weather coming in, going to be rocking Gallagher Wicked Good and DAY Three La Tacita De Cafe, alongside Grand Soir and MM Jazz Club...maybe a little The One EDP.

No for real, MFK messed up my order once as well lmao. They were polite about it but kinda incompetent for sure. Sucks for new buyers if they really did that reformulation to GS though, my years old bottle looks basically new.

Rarely get an occasion to wear it (formal, cool weather) and when I do I just need one spray and the projection is nuclear. That's what I love about MFK frags, each bottle will last me a lifetime.

Thanks for reminding me of Jazz Club, I gotta bust that one out soon, it's so good.

Foler · Sep 29, 2024

sleevedraw

SirFapsAlot ok I have a general idea of what tones I’m looking for - masculine, citrus/musk/sandalwood. Think Florida too.

Any suggestions on things to try? Has anyone tried Versace Dylan Blue Pour Homme EDT or Thomas Carter Smoke & Mirrors Smoke & Mirrors | Eau de Parfum?

sleevedraw · Sep 29, 2024

Foler said:
sleevedraw SirFapsAlot ok I have a general idea of what tones I’m looking for - masculine, citrus/musk/sandalwood. Think Florida too.

Any suggestions on things to try? Has anyone tried Versace Dylan Blue Pour Homme EDT or Thomas Carter Smoke & Mirrors Smoke & Mirrors | Eau de Parfum?

Dylan Blue is pretty good, and most of Versace's frags are pretty cheap compared with the other designer houses, but just be aware that most of their stuff caters to/smells "young," i.e. you would expect someone under the age of 40 or so wearing them. Again, not a problem if you're wearing for yourself instead of other people, but something to be aware of if you're trying to make an impression.

Bleu de Chanel is similar but a bit more refined and mature if that's the impression you're going for. Possibly a bit overworn like AdG is, but again, I would say that's for a reason. As it's popular, there's a lot of dupes of it that you can get for a half or a third of the price of the brand-name stuff.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino has citrus and musk, no woods, so it trends a bit more unisex than strictly masculine. IMO, TF frags are good, but they're all ridiculously overpriced, so they're another house where you want to get dupes if possible.

I haven't tried Smoke and Mirrors.

SirFapsAlot · Sep 29, 2024

Foler said:
sleevedraw SirFapsAlot ok I have a general idea of what tones I’m looking for - masculine, citrus/musk/sandalwood. Think Florida too.

Any suggestions on things to try? Has anyone tried Versace Dylan Blue Pour Homme EDT or Thomas Carter Smoke & Mirrors Smoke & Mirrors | Eau de Parfum?

I haven't tried Smoke & Mirrors, however Dylan Blue from what I've been told has a similar profile to Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male, it's a younger crowd / sweet / 'clubbing' scent. If you look them both up on Fragrantica, they have a handful of similar accords and a couple similar notes.

Based on your location, I would really give the Chanel Allure Homme Sport a try, it's a fresh out of the shower, citrus, soapy scent with what I would describe as an intoxicating dry down. It's very masculine. This is not a unisex frag. Hours after my initial sprays I get subtle, but impactful whiffs of vanilla that are out of this world. The dry down also includes white musk. I'd recommend trying it out in a store, I did a blind buy and it worked out perfectly for me. One of the safest frags year round and it checks three of the four boxes / requirements you mentioned, minus the sandalwood.

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Chanel/Allure-Homme-Sport-607.html

One of my most complimented frags, despite it being super popular, I'd call this thing a masterpiece. It's a real work horse, you won't break the bank for a 50ml either.

sleevedraw said:
Dylan Blue is pretty good, and most of Versace's frags are pretty cheap compared with the other designer houses, but just be aware that most of their stuff caters to/smells "young," i.e. you would expect someone under the age of 40 or so wearing them. Again, not a problem if you're wearing for yourself instead of other people, but something to be aware of if you're trying to make an impression.

Bleu de Chanel is similar but a bit more refined and mature if that's the impression you're going for. Possibly a bit overworn like AdG is, but again, I would say that's for a reason. As it's popular, there's a lot of dupes of it that you can get for a half or a third of the price of the brand-name stuff.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino has citrus and musk, no woods, so it trends a bit more unisex than strictly masculine. IMO, TF frags are good, but they're all ridiculously overpriced, so they're another house where you want to get dupes if possible.

I haven't tried Smoke and Mirrors.

I agree with the Tom Ford assessment, they are massively overpriced. If you want to go with the real thing, try to find the stuff on discounter sites. A friend of mine let me try a few sprays of the real deal TF Oud Wood and it smelled pretty good after 10 minutes, but it doesn't really last that long considering what you're paying.

Ran for 3-4 hours on me and after that was a skin scent.

Foler For me, I only buy the real thing, but if you want to try out dupes, there's nothing wrong with that. Just bear in mind, that sometimes dupes don't always match very well, they can come close, but you may be disappointed. That's just something to keep in mind, you may even end up liking the dupe more.

Also on the same page as

sleevedraw when it comes to Bleu de Chanel, I'd say it's good for late 20's/early 30s and up, you can dress it down, or dress it up, it can work as a great fragrance for formal events considering your weather / temperature down there.

SirFapsAlot · Sep 30, 2024

SOTD: YSL EDP

SirFapsAlot · Oct 1, 2024

SOTD: Day Three Fragrances Filosofia

Foler · Oct 1, 2024

sleevedraw said:
Bleu de Chanel

SirFapsAlot said:
I haven't tried Smoke & Mirrors, however Dylan Blue from what I've been told has a similar profile to Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male, it's a younger crowd / sweet / 'clubbing' scent. If you look them both up on Fragrantica, they have a handful of similar accords and a couple similar notes.

Based on your location, I would really give the Chanel Allure Homme Sport a try, it's a fresh out of the shower, citrus, soapy scent with what I would describe as an intoxicating dry down. It's very masculine. This is not a unisex frag. Hours after my initial sprays I get subtle, but impactful whiffs of vanilla that are out of this world. The dry down also includes white musk. I'd recommend trying it out in a store, I did a blind buy and it worked out perfectly for me. One of the safest frags year round and it checks three of the four boxes / requirements you mentioned, minus the sandalwood.

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Chanel/Allure-Homme-Sport-607.html

One of my most complimented frags, despite it being super popular, I'd call this thing a masterpiece. It's a real work horse, you won't break the bank for a 50ml either.

I agree with the Tom Ford assessment, they are massively overpriced. If you want to go with the real thing, try to find the stuff on discounter sites. A friend of mine let me try a few sprays of the real deal TF Oud Wood and it smelled pretty good after 10 minutes, but it doesn't really last that long considering what you're paying.

Ran for 3-4 hours on me and after that was a skin scent.

Foler For me, I only buy the real thing, but if you want to try out dupes, there's nothing wrong with that. Just bear in mind, that sometimes dupes don't always match very well, they can come close, but you may be disappointed. That's just something to keep in mind, you may even end up liking the dupe more.

Also on the same page as sleevedraw when it comes to Bleu de Chanel, I'd say it's good for late 20's/early 30s and up, you can dress it down, or dress it up, it can work as a great fragrance for formal events considering your weather / temperature down there.

Thanks fellas. I want to try the bleu de Chanel or Dior savauge. Do I want the EDP or EDT? Is EDP too intense for a beginner? Also I don’t think I saw your opinions on savauge?

Springbok · Oct 1, 2024

I’m down to 3 frags after years of research (and a lot of cheddar):

https://www.xerjoff.com/USA/mefisto/419-mefisto-gentiluomoeau-de-parfum-100ml.html

Summer, Italian, fresh and quite long lasting. Love this stuff.

Layton Eau de Parfum (75ml, 125ml & 200ml) - Parfums de Marly International

Discover the signature Layton with its expressive heart of jasmine, violet and geranium. Available in a 75ml or 125ml bottle, the masculine scent has character. Shop Now!

us.parfums-de-marly.com

Daily driver. It’s kind of a basic fuck boy frag, but unusual enough that a lot of people notice it. Lasts for days.

Oud Wood Eau de Parfum | TOM FORD BEAUTY

Experience Oud Wood Eau de Parfum, a modern masterpiece crafted with rare oud wood notes, rosewood, cardamom and amber.

www.tomfordbeauty.com

The OG. My first foray into high end frags and still the goat. More winter, power broker, date night but does NOT last. Still easily most complimented fragrance of all time for me a long with Creed Aventus (Nishane Hacivat up there too).

sleevedraw · Oct 1, 2024

Foler said:
Thanks fellas. I want to try the bleu de Chanel or Dior savauge. Do I want the EDP or EDT? Is EDP too intense for a beginner? Also I don’t think I saw your opinions on savauge?

Broad generalization with some exceptions:

EdPs last longer but project less (meaning they are more subtle and don't come on as strong).
EdTs project more but don't last as long.

Foler · Oct 1, 2024

sleevedraw said:
Broad generalization with some exceptions:

EdPs last longer but project less (meaning they are more subtle and don't come on as strong).
EdTs project more but don't last as long.

Ah I thought EDPs projected more. I want something more subtle that lasts long to start I think.. Sounds like EdP is the way to go then?

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