Scent/Fragrance of the Day thread - Page 8

Anybody tried Tom Ford's new men's fragrance? I don't live near a Saks, so I haven't had a chance to give it a sniff. But, I really liked Black Orchid, so I'm interested in seeing what he does for one marketed for men...

For the kind of scratch he's charging, I'll pass. Just walking into Saks makes my pocketbook clench in fear. Heck, just the drive to get to Saks (and NM, since they're joined in the same mega-center) makes my car sputter and stall once I get there. Too bad the Chanel boutique is in the same place, too. Speaking of Chanel, today I'm wearing Antaeus (vintage). It's a chilly 71 out there this morning.

Actually, the men's scent is just $60 for 1.7 ounces and $85 for the 3.4... not so bad really... Lutens charges nearly $100 for 1.7 ounces, as do L'artisan and such. TF's scent is slightly more than designer scents, but well under "niche."

Lately I've been into designer scents.

Some new ones:

L'Eau d'Issey Intense
Armani Attitude
Escada Sunset Heat

Lavender scents were also considered very masculine in those days which is why numerous traditional English shaving creams are still made in those scents. Those English houses also have various rose and lime colognes.

The smell that reminds me of Jermyn Street is the Stilton wafting down the road from Paxton & Whitfield.

Any fans of Bel Ami? I loved how late in the day I'd catch a note of it, like an old friend, realizing that over the course of the day it had changed but was still recognizably there.

I do like the names of some older perfumes, refreshingly daft or (now) anachronistic -- The Third Man, Fracas, Snuff, Bandit, Escrimeur ("Fencer"), Yatagan (a peculiar type of sword from the Islamic world)...

Patricia di Nicolai does excellent perfumes and candles in Paris. Curious also if anyone uses her stuff.

Nowadays I just stick to the shampoo and toiletries from Taylors -- sandalwood.

Nicholas Foulkes remarked in an interview that like the Comte d'Orsay, he immersed his watchstrap in Houbigant cologne.

I suppose that must be true, since iammatt noted that when he met Foulkes, he was doused in cologne.

I'll give you a cookie if you can remember which Houbigant perfume. Without Googling or Wikipedia-ing it.

Cookies are too fattening, but that's just an excuse for not recalling the name. Though there is apparently a scent house called d'Orsay. On an aside, it delights me to wear scents that are considered old-fashioned and too "dark" for today's Sporty New World.

I just bought Suede by Guess, very sweet smell; reminds me of christmas a little.

Dressed down for some manual labor this morning - well, dressed down for the office, which means jeans and a polo. Went with New West. Probably should have over-sprayed Yatagan so my BO wouldn't have been so noticeable.

By the way, I am always happy to make up decants for anybody who is interested in trying some of the scents we've talked about on these threads (including the new Tom Ford for men) but may not have access to them close to where they live. I generally can only use 30mls or so of a fragrance for myself, which often leaves 70 or more in the bottle that I really often don't use. So, I started doing decants for friends a while back and they've worked out well.

Here's what I've got:
www.basenotes.net/wardrobe/rach2jlc

If you see something you'd like to try, just PM me and I can give you availability and pricing (I have 10ml, 15ml, and 30ml spray bottles that I can use). They won't be free, but I also don't do them for profit. I just want to cover expenses and it's a good way to try some fragrances from smaller companies that don't do samples. It's also a fun way to share one's obsessions... except it's a lot easier (and more sanitary) to send somebody 10mls of a fragrance to try than a pair of Lattanzi's to wear for a week.

Today I am sporting a sample of Acqua di Parma Colonia Assoluta. It's a pleasant, slightly dry lemony-powdery old-school scent, in the vein of Eau Sauvage, except a bit softer and less astringent than ES. Pleasant, but not bottle-worthy, especially since most of the time I like my scents to have more of a kick-in-the-giblets quality. This is well-suited for the end-of-year company holiday party, as long as you're not the sort to tie mistletoe to your back belt loop.