Fragrance Thread

[nightdeposit]

gimme, thanks for the reply. youve been invaluable in these matters...

[tangerine]

Its easiest just to call Caron directly:

Phyto Universe - 715 Lexington Avenue - NY, NY 10022 - 1.877.88.CARON

TB is only sold through their "fountain" line...meaning they fill bottles on request. Make sure you know which concentration you want before ordering (I believe 1/4 oz. of the pure parfum is $100, 1/2 for $150ish...also available in EDP).

Thanks for the info; I have left a message with the appropriate CSR. I guess this means I won't be able to try it out first, which is a tad offputting; it will be an expensive mis-step if I don't like it on me.

Can you compare/contrast it with Creed Tabarome and Tabarome Millesime, both of which are available here?

gimme, thanks for the reply. youve been invaluable in these matters...

+1 and x 1000

[gimmegimme]

Thanks for the info; I have left a message with the appropriate CSR. I guess this means I won't be able to try it out first, which is a tad offputting; it will be an expensive mis-step if I don't like it on me.

Can you compare/contrast it with Creed Tabarome and Tabarome Millesime, both of which are available here?

Its nothing like either of those...its a bit more feminine, but not in a bad way, just less sharp. I'd say its close to Cabochard, Bandit, and Cuir de Russie (Chanel) if you have easier access to any of those.

If you like warm, tobacco, leathery scents, then you'll like it. You can actually ask Caron to send you a sample first (can't remember if it costs, but if it does, its minimal).

[tangerine]

gimmegimme, thank you once again!

[gimmegimme]

gimmegimme, thank you once again!

anytime boys.

[scoki]

in the market for something similar to john varvatos. any suggestions?

[gimmegimme]

in the market for something similar to john varvatos. any suggestions?

Varvatos is fairly similar to most of the mainstream stuff on the market these days...I'm sure a trip to Sephora would find something to your liking. Take a look at Terre D'Hermes and Declaration by Cartier.

[gimmegimme]

Interesting article on chosing a scent...

Smelling points

Picking a signature scent isn’t a task to sniff at: To avoid getting stuck with a stink bomb, take these perfumers’ advice on how to come away from the fragrance counter smelling like a rose.

“More than 300 perfumes are released each month,” says scents wizard Pierre-Constantin Guéros. How does he know? “I try to smell each one.” As one of a trio of Tribeca-based noses for Drom, a multinational to-the-trade fragrance house, Guéros and fellow French natives Valérie Garnuch-Mentzel and Delphine Jelk keep tabs on their competition. Trained by elite fragrance academy IPSICA in Versailles (each graduating class has only 12 to 20 people), the Drom team tinker with more than 100-plus raw materials to make a big-budget eau de toilette. Below, they offer some tips on selecting—and caring for—your next perfume.

Don’t be seduced by sexy bottles Though you might think you’re unaffected by labels, who wouldn’t pick a flacon of Prada over Paris Hilton? But according to Garnuch-Mentzel and Guéros—who don both upscale and mass-market scents alike (Garnuch-Mentzel wears Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens, while Guéros switches between Chanel Pour Monsieur and Abercrombie & Fitch, none of which are their own creations)—you should look beyond pretty packaging and follow your nose. Even though a cologne might hail from a posh brand, a sky-high price tag doesn’t guarantee that more money is spent on the formula. “You’d be surprised to know that a lot of drugstore perfume companies spend more on the juice,” says Guéros. If you’re truly embarrassed by a vial of Beckham perching on your dresser, you can decant its liquid into a more appealing container such as a crystal flask from replacements.com.

Know where to go Pick a place to shop depending on your mood and level of desired assistance. If you want to be left alone to ponder woodsy top notes, hit grab-it-and-go chains like Sephora, which offer dozens of brands categorized by type of scent for DIY testing. If you want a bit more help, don’t be intimidated by department stores’ massive beauty floors. “The people who work at perfume counters are usually trained by the company and will know a particular fragrance house very well,” says Garnuch-Mentzel. Niche boutiques like luxe Aedes de Venustas (9 Christopher St between Sixth Ave and Waverly Pl, 212-206-8674) also provide a more intimate milieu for whiffing.

Know what you like As G.I. Joe said, “Knowing is half the battle.” And to prevail at a shop like Barneys, come armed with your smelling preferences or the name of at least one favorite fragrance. For instance, if you’re a fan of heavy florals and amber, the duo suggests Prada, Diesel’s Fuel for Life, Euphoria by Calvin Klein, Paco Rabanne’s Black XS and Estée Lauder’s Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia (Drom didn’t make any of these).

Your musk don’t matterPheromones may unconsciously attract your next date, but they don’t affect how Axe body spray smells when you fog it on your chest. “Unless you eat very spicy food all the time, your body chemistry won’t change a fragrance,” explains Guéros. “That’s a bit of a myth—you’d have to have a trained nose to be able to distinguish how a scent smells differently on two people.”

Keep it coolBecause they’re more chemically volatile, citrus scents don’t last as long as muskier options. A perfume should stay good for a few years, but you can extend its life by storing your bottles in the fridge. “A bathroom is really the worst place for fragrance to live,” Jelk explains. It thrives in cool, dark spots, away from sunlight and humidity.

Wait for itThere’s nothing worse than a migraine induced by a heady mix of J. Lo’s Glow and Versace’s Bright Crystal. (And, oh yeah, according to Guéros, you can also skip the jars of coffee beans since “they don’t clear your nose—they just fill it with another smell.”) To prevent olfactory meltdown, the pair suggests trying a handful of options via testers before winnowing it down to three or four and spritzing a small amount of each on different parts of your arm. Then leave. Top notes—usually citrus, spices or fruit—are what you smell initially, but aren’t a good way to judge a perfume’s character. “You need to get the heart of the perfume,” says Guéros. “There are raw materials—jasmine, rose and gardenia for women, and aromatic herbs such as lavender and sage for men—that come later because they are heavier. If you want to know if a perfume will be the right one for you, wear it for a whole day before you buy it.”

Don’t air it outYou won’t crush precious scent molecules by rubbing in a scent, nor will you empower a fragrance by applying it to your pulse points. “It’s a waste to walk into a cloud of perfume,” Jelk laughs. “You should just spray it on—if you really want it to last, spray it on your hair, even though the alcohol is drying.”

[gimmegimme]

If anyone is looking to order samples of anything...the perfumed court is having a 10% off sale this weekend with the code thanks.

[goldengloves]

Contemplating some of these scents....I'm just not sure if they're gimicky ir wonderous...any thoughts/comments?

www.cbihateperfume.com/

Looking at the cbmusk and burning leaves.

[gimmegimme]

Contemplating some of these scents....I'm just not sure if they're gimicky ir wonderous...any thoughts/comments?

www.cbihateperfume.com/

Looking at the cbmusk and burning leaves.

The do come across as a bit gimmicky, but he's very talented and there are quite a few great scents in the collection. He used to be the perfume for Demeter, so he has a great knowledge of how to recreate scents. Be cautious of the musk, its very, very potent stuff. Violet Empire is very nice.

[goldengloves]

Thanks gimme! So it's really potent eh?

Any other scents from him you might recommend?

[gimmegimme]

Thanks gimme! So it's really potent eh?

Any other scents from him you might recommend?

Black March is nice too, as is Memories of Kindess, which is fresh and green. Musk is "interesting"...you have to REALLY like musk. Definitely worth trying though.

[goldengloves]

Cool, I'll have to get a little sample set goin'. Thank you for the tips!

[Pasty]

What are some other scents to look into if I enjoy Prada for men?

[gimmegimme]

What are some other scents to look into if I enjoy Prada for men?

Prada for men is an interesting scent...unfortunately not as nice as the women's version. Either way, if you like the the amber aspects of it, try Ambre Precieux by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, if you like the citrus/cologne aspect, try Eau Sauvage by Dior, and if you like the whole thing in combination, try Bois D'Argent by Dior Homme (or if you're on a budget, the regular Dior Homme).

[gonegonegone]

tokyo by kenzo. awesome fragrance, pretty mild.

[gimmegimme]

tokyo by kenzo. awesome fragrance, pretty mild.

no comment

[gimmegimme]

A great article on 100 fragrance you should try.

http://nowsmellthis.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/11/26/2275982.html

Goldengloves - some of the suggestions I made to are on the list.

[beberthur]

Antaeus by Chanel. A bit outdated, but really good!

[ohmyamoose]

If anyone is interested in decants (mini bottles of cologne) check out my post on style forum. Just about any cologne out there is available. They are a great way to sample a large number of colognes without having to spend a lot.

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=49872

[outline]

any dry wood once's you suggest?

[gimmegimme]

If anyone is interested in decants (mini bottles of cologne) check out my post on style forum. Just about any cologne out there is available. They are a great way to sample a large number of colognes without having to spend a lot.

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=49872

For some reason this post really annoys me...I can't even say why.

[gimmegimme]

any dry wood once's you suggest?

Chene by Serge Lutens

Declaration by Cartier

Bois D'Argent by Dior

L'Homme de Coeur by Divine

Bois Farine by L'Artisan

If those are too pricey or obscure, I can give you more mainstream options.

[nyctohelsinki]

Hi Gimme, I'm trying to expand my tastes in colognes a little bit... I've tried a couple of the Comme de Garcons series- 2man I enjoyed but I would only wear it in certain situations, and (due to some talk about it in the thread) I've tried Skai... which was kinda too out there for me and was a little too fake for my taste.

As of right now I have been using Burberry Brit & Aqua by Bulgari (I know, I know, but I'm trying!), and I enjoy both of those scents but they are a bit too sweet - I'm looking for something a tad bit muskier and not too spicy; a scent that can be subtle without subtracting from its allure.

your help is much appreciated =D

[gimmegimme]

Hi Gimme, I'm trying to expand my tastes in colognes a little bit... I've tried a couple of the Comme de Garcons series- 2man I enjoyed but I would only wear it in certain situations, and (due to some talk about it in the thread) I've tried Skai... which was kinda too out there for me and was a little too fake for my taste.

As of right now I have been using Burberry Brit & Aqua by Bulgari (I know, I know, but I'm trying!), and I enjoy both of those scents but they are a bit too sweet - I'm looking for something a tad bit muskier and not too spicy; a scent that can be subtle without subtracting from its allure.

your help is much appreciated =D

I'm not sure what access you have, but Angeliques Sous La Pluis by Frederic Malle fits what you're looking for (or Bois D'Orage if you want it a bit stronger). Both are based on vegetal musks and are very wearable. (I realize "angeliques" sounds a bit girlie, but its a plant root...nothing flowery)

If you want more of a straight forward musk, try Narcisso Rodriguez.

If those are too expensive/out of reach, try Declaration by Cartier. I know I keep suggesting it over and over, but its really a great, versatile scent. Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too anything...above all not too expensive.

If you want to try more CDG stuff, look at the Red series. Sequoia is one of my fav's and gets lots of compliments...but its pretty strong.

[constant struggle]

i dont know how keen everyone is on women's scents, but would this be a good idea to get my girl for xmas:

She is 20 years old, studying design/art

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P197112&cm_mmc=us_partners-_-Linkshare-_-datafeed-_-allpdts&_requestid=15374

[dryice]

i'd be inclined to get her something more unique, or obscure. but obviously it needs to smell good.

[gimmegimme]

i dont know how keen everyone is on women's scents, but would this be a good idea to get my girl for xmas:

She is 20 years old, studying design/art

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P197112&cm_mmc=us_partners-_-Linkshare-_-datafeed-_-allpdts&_requestid=15374

I'm sure she'll like it. Girls think mini bottles and gift boxes are "cute".

[constant struggle]

i'd be inclined to get her something more unique, or obscure. but obviously it needs to smell good.

yeah i have no clue, im getting her tons of other things, this was more of just like a little gift on the side... she wears perfume often, but hardly wears any, and i have a bad sense of smell, so unless i go up real close i can't even smell whatever she is wearing. I don't know, i'll probably end up not getting any of that sort of stuff.