Fragrance Top 10

Given the number of cologne threads going on and recommendations, I thought it might be a good idea for some of us to list our top ten fragrances of all kinds. Mainstream, niche, cheap, expensive, it doesn't matter, but please list some sort of description/high point to each, the approx. price, and any drawbacks to the fragrance. I thought especially that those of us enjoying the Scent-of-the-Day thread might want to post our favorites for others to try. I'll start (in no particular order): 1. Helmut Lang Eau de Cologne (and Eau de parfum): Warm, rich, soft, and subdued. The perfect companion to Lang's fashion. Price: Discontinued, but you can find some online for $30-50. 2. Helmut Lang Cuiron: Leather done right... not too dry and topped with plum. Price: Also discontinued and getting harder to find. Prices online run $50+ Drawbacks: No sillage and rather short lived (EdC concentration)... but still worth it. 3. Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Pour Homme: Manly, warm, and unique, smells like the 70's (in a good way) Price: easily found from perfume discounters for $25 or so 4. Diptyque Philosykos: Woods and figs, very soft and subtle Price: Retails for $90 or so, but can sometimes be found cheaper online (Another that I almost put... but didn't just because it is so hard to find, is Anthousa Fig&Vetiver. It's lighter and less woody than the Diptyque, but adds vetiver for crispness and green). 5. L'artisan Parfumeur Voleur de Rose: One of my favorite roses. Deep patchouli keeps the rose from being too floral, while the rose keeps the patchouli from being too hippy/earthy. Excellent balance. Price: Retails for $90-120 Drawbacks: Unfortunately the longevity isn't so great. 6. Chanel Antaeus A classic. Nothing more needs to be said. A great 80's powerhouse that still works. Price: $65 or so 7. Guerlain L'instant pour homme Sweet, rich, and warm, with a lot of class. Price: Easily found for $30-40 from online fragrance discounters 8. Prada Amber Technically marketed for women, but no more feminine than the above. Added patchouli keeps the mixture grounded and deep. Price: $30+ if you find some online, $70+ retail 9. Frederic Malle Bigarade Concentree Stinky Oranges! Excellent citrus with woods and an added kick that keeps it from being too sporty. A "manly" orange. Price: $180 Drawbacks: A price of $180 is definitely the drawback, but unfortunately I've never found a citrus that I like better. 10. Creed Bois du Portugal Another classic. Very classy, very manly without being too spicy. All around powerhouse. Price: Depends on where you get it. Retails $180+, but sometimes you can find a bottle for $80-100 from online distributors like scentiments.com

Agreed. Basenotes is a great reference (I've been a member over there for a few years now), but it can be a little overwhelming at first, which is why I figured it might be good for us to list some of our favorites that members could then further research over at Bnotes.

Phil (Joel_Cairo) and I had our wardrobes listed for a while in the sales area after Bnotes stopped letting us do decants. I think it would be a good idea, perhaps, to start it up again.

Anyway, as for the Dior you mentioned, it was a close toss-up for me between that and the Helmut Lang edc. I wanted, in the top 10, to list different kinds of scents without repeats, and to be honest I find Bois d'argent to be in the same fragrance universe as the Lang, but I actually like the Lang better.

Here's my wardrobe. I have 10ml spray decant bottles that I can use if anybody wants to try things. I've recently gotten rid of probably 50 or more bottles that I didn't use, so basically this is my wardrobe of favorites and essentials.

http://www.basenotes.net/wardrobe/rach2jlc