Scent/Fragrance of the Day thread

[L'Incandescent]

The new Les Fleurs de Déchet by Etat Libre is really fantastic. It features a crisp, bright apple and develops from there into a pleasant floral. I'm looking forward to trying the brand new Etat Libres--500 Years and Spice Must Flow. Both look very interesting. FWIW, the standouts in the ELDO lineup in my opinion are Jasmin et Cigarette, Like This, True Lust, Attaquer le Soleil, Afternoon of a Faun, and Tom of Finland. My gf of fiancée really likes You or Someone Like You.

 

[losrockets]

So far I've enioyed Ava Luxe Kama and Tabak Kretek. The former isn't as feminine or stanky as I expected, I will try to wear it out next week. The latter is excellent - I've never had or smelled a clove cigarette before but this is exactly how I'd imagine it. The rich cool clove opening blends into a warm blend of cinnamon and sweet tobacco for hours, reminding me of a less intrusive, and far more affordable (albeit less complex and shorter lasting) Slumberhouse fragrance. It's not smoky and I am considering layering it w something like Incendo to experience the effect. 12 hours later there's still a drydown of soft woods.

Tried AL's bergamot this morning and I don't love it. It's not bright and summery and I should have read the notes more closely. There's a distinct household cleaning product note carrying through, and as it dries down a dirty animalic musk comes through. What the hell is this?

 

[hendrix]

I ******* love the smell of cumin

 

[dieworkwear]

i've only tried a few etat libre d'orange, but wasn't that into them.

i feel like it takes a while to land on things you genuinely like. at least for me, i went through the usual "get the classics," then "go far out into left field and try all sorts of weird stuff," and then "settle on whatever you like."

some of the "classics" are ok. some are a bit dated. some of them are the kind of "oh i guess i'll get this because it's an easy go-to scent that's crowd pleasing." but then you pick up a few of those and you have a few go-tos that you never reach for as much as stuff you really love. the problem is that it takes a while to really figure out what you love.

fwiw, some of the ones i wear the most are:

Black Bvlgari: super cheap, smells like burnt tar and rubber. a hint of suede. i remember reading a bunch of good stuff about this, not least of which included tania sanchez saying it was one of her favorites. bought a bottle on discount (easy to find for like $30). sniffed it a few times and was like 'eh, it's ok.' but the thing is, black is super easy to wear. it's masculine without being macho. it goes with a lot of my casualwear (rrl, margiela, etc). it's interesting without being too out there. and yes, it smells like tar and rubber, but in that slightly gasoline way that makes fahrenheit good. (also lasts much longer)

Helmut Lang Cuiron: Like the inside of a suede bag. Hint of citrus and cedar. Kind of dusty without being powdery. Works like Black -- masculine, but not macho, easy to wear with leather jackets. Nonoffensive, but interesting.

Cologne Indelebile by Frederic Malle: Basically orange blossom. It's similar to Tom Ford's Neroli Portifino. Easy to wear like Hermes Terre d'Hermes, but less earthy (Terre d'Hermes can be a little heavy on really hot days, but I think Cologne Indelebile works year round). Not the most interesting scent, but goes well with tailored clothing. Whole Frederic Malle line is worth exploring, imo.

Pale Gray Mountain, Small Black Lake by DS & Durga: Again, I really like almost everything from DS & Durga, but they did this series a while ago inspired by the Scottish Highlands (IIRC). The perfumer at this company, David, is really good at photorealistic scents. I'm normally not into that kind of thing, but he does it really well. This one in the Highlands series smells like ... well, like you're in the Scottish Highlands climbing some rocky, grassy hills overlooking a lake. It's good with tweeds, Shetlands, and whatever you'd imagine you'd wear to such a place. So, basically fall clothing.

Chanel Sycomore: Just a solid classic. Sandalwood, vetiver, and tobacco. Sometimes I smell stuff like this and feel like a lot of modern perfumery is too gimmicky. This one is just ISO Super! Or, this one is like walking through a wet forest! Or, this one is like your grandpa's pipe! Sycamore isn't any of those things. It's not literal; it's a very well blended and sophsiicated scent that simply smells like Chanel's Sycomore. It's not dated, but it's still a classic. It's unisex., It's good with almost any wardrobe. Chanel's Cuir de Russie is also worth a sniff. And Encre Noir is pretty close to Sycomore, but if money isn't an issue, I would rather get a bottle of Sycmore and then Encre Noire a l'Extreme.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

@dieworkwear: Have you tried Le Labo Patchouli 24? That’s the niche version of Bvlgari Black, what Annick Menardo composed when she wasn’t constrained by the need to appeal to mainstream noses. In my opinion, P24 is the star of the Le Labo lineup, although it’s a little too weird to be FBW for me.

 

[dieworkwear]

@dieworkwear: Have you tried Le Labo Patchouli 24? That’s the niche version of Bvlgari Black, what Annick Menardo composed when she wasn’t constrained by the need to appeal to mainstream noses. In my opinion, P24 is the star of the Le Labo lineup, although it’s a little too weird to be FBW for me.

yea, i really like that one too! have a bottle. it's just a little heavy, so i don't wear it as often.

 

[karmaguy]

This has been asked before I’m guessing but what’s everyone’s favorite (one pick!) spring scent ?

 

[dieworkwear]

This has been asked before I’m guessing but what’s everyone’s favorite (one pick!) spring scent ?

I feel like my mind isn't really there yet and I'll probably wear something different, but I'm looking forward to wearing my bottle of Butch Femme by Carlen Parfums. It smells like ... pho. Literally pho, although if you want to break it down into fragrance notes, it's neroli, lemon, basil, black pepper, and sandalwood. But really -- it's pho.

Who would want to smell like pho? Absolutely me.

 

[L'Incandescent]

This has been asked before I’m guessing but what’s everyone’s favorite (one pick!) spring scent ?

If I had to pick one, it would be Secrets du Paradis Rouge by Jul et Mad. It's a slightly bitter but also honey sweet orange blossom and almond scent.

 

[erictheobscure]

trying papillon tobacco rose. all i hear is shania twain singing, "man, i smell like a woman."

my wife says i smell good one minute and then gross the next. she is generally baffled by this entire scent experiment project (she never wears fragrances).

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

This has been asked before I’m guessing but what’s everyone’s favorite (one pick!) spring scent ?

I know this answer is basic AF, but I still love Creed GIT.

 

[dieworkwear]

trying papillon tobacco rose. all i hear is shania twain singing, "man, i smell like a woman."

my wife says i smell good one minute and then gross the next. she is generally baffled by this entire scent experiment project (she never wears fragrances).

rose, violet, and iris are commonly disliked among men, as fragrance notes, because they smell feminine. rose is commonly used in classic perfumery, especially those worn by women from an older generation, hence the association. violet and iris are also similar to the notes found in women's cosmetics, hence why so many people say those types of fragrances remind them of a woman's make-up bag.

i think the samples you picked up include some of the more challenging scents.

 

[HORNS]

This has been asked before I’m guessing but what’s everyone’s favorite (one pick!) spring scent ?

Hard to say since San Francisco’s climate is on a mood-stabilizing drug. I’d say Annick Goutal Les Nuits d’Hadrian if I had to choose one.

 

[DiplomaticTies]

This has been asked before I’m guessing but what’s everyone’s favorite (one pick!) spring scent ?

Fazzolari’s Five

 

[L'Incandescent]

Today I'm wearing Indochine by Parfumerie Generale. It's a very sticky, resinous scent with a woody note that is in the ballpark of sandalwood, but darker. PG is one of those houses I tend to overlook, but I've enjoyed nearly everything I've tried by them.