All in the Scent Family?

[Gran8man]

I have been wet shaving for over 10 years and am looking to expand my soap/cream/fragrance repertoire. My go to soap is MWF and over the years have also used Tabac, Arko, Proraso, D.R. Harris Marlborough and Williams. The only stick that I have used is Speick and the only cream is Proraso. Aftershave has been limited to Stefans Bay Rum, Aqua Velva and Old Spice.

I am looking to order a bunch of samples and am eyeing some of the more popular producers like Ariana and Evans, Captains Choice, Barrister and Mann and Noble Otter that I have never tried. Initially, I am looking to get a representative sample of major scent families. Suggestions?

I came up with: Fougere, Bay Rum, Lime, Vanilla and Tobacco, Sandalwood and Tropical/Fruit. What scent families would you recommend and who best represents that group in your opinion?

 

[Dave himself]

If you like the Speick stick there's a matching aftershave. It smells exactly like the soap to my nose and leaves me with a great post shave feel.

 

[RayClem]

You might want to check out the fragrance wheel. It was invented to help describe various scents.

The primary categories of the wheel are: Floral, Fresh, Woody, and Oriental. However, there are two fragrance categories that do not fit cleanly on the wheel. They are Fougere and Chypre.

The term Fougere is French for Fern. However, the scent is not derived from fern leaves. It is derived by combining the scents of lavender, coumarin, geranium, and oakmoss. Since it contains notes from various categories, it does not fit cleanly in either. The original Fougere was Houbigant Parfum's Fougère Royale. Many men's fragrances are some variant of Fougere.

Chypre is the French term for Cypress. It can combine citrus, floral, and resinous notes. As such, it does not fall cleanly into the fragrance wheel categories. Chypre fragrances are considered unisex. The first Chypre was designed for women, but many men's fragrances also fall into this category.

Another category of scent is 'barbershop". There is no specific definition of what constitutes a barbershop scent. Generally, it is a scent that reminds you of your local barbershop in earlier years. One scent common to many barbershop scents is patchouli. Other scent notes they may remind your of things like the barber's leather chair, printer's ink from the newspapers and magazines read by waiting customers, the smell of smoke from pipes and cigarettes, and the powdery aroma of the talcum powder applied liberally after the hair cut. There are many regional variations on barbershop fragrances. Barbershops used to be the domain of men and boys. Now most shops tend to be unisex, so the aromas are not the same today as they once were.

In considering fragrances for shaving soaps and aftershaves, there are several things to consider:

1. Are there any specific scent notes to which you skin is sensitive? My face is sensitive and will not tolerate: lime, lemon, grapefruit, mint, menthol, or synthetic cooling agents. I can also have issues with clove and cinnamon, which are often present in bay rum fragrances.

2. Do you have any tree nut allergies that might need to be considered? If so, you might have an issue with almond and other nutty fragrances.

2. What type fragrances do you prefer? Do you like classic scents or do you want to try something less conventional? Do you like fresh, light aquatic scents? Do you like dark and heavy tobacco, red wine, and leather scents. Do you like scents that remind you of your favorite beverage or dessert, such as coffee and chocolate cake? Do you like simple scents that focus on a single scent type such as floral? Do you like highly complex scents that contain many different scent notes that are so well blended that you cannot pick out individual scent notes. I love this later type of scent.

I have over 200 soap in my collection, so I have explored many avenues of scent types. I love about 1/2 of the scents I have tried, however, there are some that I cannot tolerate. A few have been given away and some have been tossed in the garbage. I can now look at the scent notes and select fragrances that are likely to please my nose. However, you might need to try a lot of scents before you are able to do that.

If you are able to provide me with some information on the types of scents you enjoy, I might be able to help you find something you might like based on my experiences. There used to be a website called Try That Soap that characterized shaving products based on scent notes. Unfortunately, the wbesite was shut down at the end of last year. Bummer!

 

[Slock]

The best fougere soap I have smelled is MDC Fougere. To me this is what shaving soap should smell like.

 

[RayClem]

The best fougere soap I have smelled is MDC Fougere. To me this is what shaving soap should smell like.

There is no doubt that Fougere fragrances are quite popular among men (and their lady acquaintances). I am not a fan of vegan formulations, so I have not tried MDC. Also, because of my skin sensitivities, I do not purchase a product if the scent notes are not listed. MDC indicates that they use 12 essential oils in the Fougere fragrance, but they do not list the scent notes. It is too expensive for me to risk the purchase.

Some popular men's Fougere fragrances are:

• Brut Fabergé
• Cool Water Davidoff
• Dolce Gabbana pour Homme
• Drakkar Noir Guy Laroche
• Eternity for Men Calvin Klein
• Kouros YSL
• Sauvage Dior

Most people would be aware of the aroma of at least one of these scents. Although they would all be classified as a type of Fougere, they do vary in added scent notes. They can range from being a light, aquatic type scent, to being a darker, heavier scent.

 

[BigJ]

You might want to check out the fragrance wheel. It was invented to help describe various scents.

The primary categories of the wheel are: Floral, Fresh, Woody, and Oriental. However, there are two fragrance categories that do not fit cleanly on the wheel. They are Fougere and Chypre.

The term Fougere is French for Fern. However, the scent is not derived from fern leaves. It is derived by combining the scents of lavender, coumarin, geranium, and oakmoss. Since it contains notes from various categories, it does not fit cleanly in either. The original Fougere was Houbigant Parfum's Fougère Royale. Many men's fragrances are some variant of Fougere.

Chypre is the French term for Cypress. It can combine citrus, floral, and resinous notes. As such, it does not fall cleanly into the fragrance wheel categories. Chypre fragrances are considered unisex. The first Chypre was designed for women, but many men's fragrances also fall into this category.

Another category of scent is 'barbershop". There is no specific definition of what constitutes a barbershop scent. Generally, it is a scent that reminds you of your local barbershop in earlier years. One scent common to many barbershop scents is patchouli. Other scent notes they may remind your of things like the barber's leather chair, printer's ink from the newspapers and magazines read by waiting customers, the smell of smoke from pipes and cigarettes, and the powdery aroma of the talcum powder applied liberally after the hair cut. There are many regional variations on barbershop fragrances. Barbershops used to be the domain of men and boys. Now most shops tend to be unisex, so the aromas are not the same today as they once were.

In considering fragrances for shaving soaps and aftershaves, there are several things to consider:

1. Are there any specific scent notes to which you skin is sensitive? My face is sensitive and will not tolerate: lime, lemon, grapefruit, mint, menthol, or synthetic cooling agents. I can also have issues with clove and cinnamon, which are often present in bay rum fragrances.

2. Do you have any tree nut allergies that might need to be considered? If so, you might have an issue with almond and other nutty fragrances.

2. What type fragrances do you prefer? Do you like classic scents or do you want to try something less conventional? Do you like fresh, light aquatic scents? Do you like dark and heavy tobacco, red wine, and leather scents. Do you like scents that remind you of your favorite beverage or dessert, such as coffee and chocolate cake? Do you like simple scents that focus on a single scent type such as floral? Do you like highly complex scents that contain many different scent notes that are so well blended that you cannot pick out individual scent notes. I love this later type of scent.

I have over 200 soap in my collection, so I have explored many avenues of scent types. I love about 1/2 of the scents I have tried, however, there are some that I cannot tolerate. A few have been given away and some have been tossed in the garbage. I can now look at the scent notes and select fragrances that are likely to please my nose. However, you might need to try a lot of scents before you are able to do that.

If you are able to provide me with some information on the types of scents you enjoy, I might be able to help you find something you might like based on my experiences. There used to be a website called Try That Soap that characterized shaving products based on scent notes. Unfortunately, the wbesite was shut down at the end of last year. Bummer!

Great summary!

I tend to pick the classics, especially ‘barbershop.’ But I also enjoy other categories depending on the season.