Okay, so I have opened up a few of the C&S samples that I received in the mail the other day, and the only one I can really envision myself wearing is the Oxford and Cambridge. I wore 88 yesterday and just couldn't find myself liking it. It smells...really different. I can see Cruella DeVille wearing it.
C&S Sample Opinion
- Thread starter Mpugh77
- Start date
Oxford and Cambridge is great. I love 88 too, but it seems to be a polarizing kind of scent (along with Cuba). I think I may pick up Neroli as well, but I'm not certain of that...
Citrus Paradisi smells exactly like my late grandmother, but I was told she only wore Avon products. 
I liked the Oxford and Cambridge a lot, mint and lavender and earth.
Cuba was interesting. I really couldn't deconstruct the notes at all. Except for the dreaded fecal note - but on me it was subdued, came on a couple of minutes after application and faded within a minute or so to just leave an animalic note that I liked. Cuba left me smelling my wrist for hours to see how it was evolving. I like it, but I don't know where I'd wear it.
88: my skin seems to just absorb a lot of fragrances - with some scents some notes just disappear, with others I get almost no sillage or longevity. Neither was a problem with 88. A tiny application gave huge sillage and longevity. Smelled like rose incense. I liked it, but can't see wearing it more than a couple times a year which makes it hard to buy - maybe a small decant one day.
Neroli gave a burst of orange followed by floral powder from the ylang ylang. The top notes were nice, didn't care for it for me after that - too sweet and pretty.
Frankincense and Myrhh: a quick pop of citrus followed by dry wood and incense. I have L'Occitane Eau de Baux and this reminded me of the heart notes of that fragrance before the vanilla begins to assert itself but dryer. No vanilla or anything here just dry wood and incense. This is what I wish Eau de Baux dried down to.
Cuba was interesting. I really couldn't deconstruct the notes at all. Except for the dreaded fecal note - but on me it was subdued, came on a couple of minutes after application and faded within a minute or so to just leave an animalic note that I liked. Cuba left me smelling my wrist for hours to see how it was evolving. I like it, but I don't know where I'd wear it.
88: my skin seems to just absorb a lot of fragrances - with some scents some notes just disappear, with others I get almost no sillage or longevity. Neither was a problem with 88. A tiny application gave huge sillage and longevity. Smelled like rose incense. I liked it, but can't see wearing it more than a couple times a year which makes it hard to buy - maybe a small decant one day.
Neroli gave a burst of orange followed by floral powder from the ylang ylang. The top notes were nice, didn't care for it for me after that - too sweet and pretty.
Frankincense and Myrhh: a quick pop of citrus followed by dry wood and incense. I have L'Occitane Eau de Baux and this reminded me of the heart notes of that fragrance before the vanilla begins to assert itself but dryer. No vanilla or anything here just dry wood and incense. This is what I wish Eau de Baux dried down to.
- Thread starter
- #5
Neroli was acceptable, and you are right about O&C; I wore it three days in a row.
I was a little underwhelmed by the C&S samples. Some of them were pretty nice (O&C, Frankincense & Myrrh, Cuba), but ultimately I don't think there are any that I want to spend C&S prices on. If I were going to drop a lot of coin on cologne, there are some from Penhaligon's, Creed, or Floris that I'd get before any from C&S.
I really like No.88 & Cuba. Have a bottle of the 88 now and plan on getting a bottle of the other in time. I have the sampler but have only managed to get through a couple. The last was Neroli. Nice scent but not something that I'd want to purchase an entire bottle of.
I've tried Cuba and Neroli. Liked the Neroli, even though it has some of the animalistic house note - it was subdued enough to take the edge off for me. Hated the Cuba, even though I liked it a lot after the house note died down some 3-1/2 hours after first application.
I am always interested in the variations in reactions to scents. "Underwhelmed" is not the usual reaction from those that do not like C&S scents. "Offended by" or "disgusted by" or "sickened by" might be more typical!
I like Penhaligon's, Creed, and Floris, too, but I would say that C&S most consistently captures or at least greatly interests or excites me. I wish C&S provided larger samples. I think it is very hard to really take in their scents based on the .33 ml or whatever it is that they send out. For instance, it has taken me a couple of rounds of those little samples, but right now I seem to be climbing on the O&C bandwagon, along with lots of other folks. I always "liked" it, but it did not not blow me away particularly. I can tell though that right now I am really starting to "feel the love" for O&C.
No, I actually liked quite a few of them. Just not enough to spend the big money on.
I think Oxford and Cambridge is great.
My wife is underwhelmed. Not repulsed, but truly underwhelmed. She sniffs, sez nothing. Sniffs again, sez "It's kinda weak." I ask "But do you like it?" She sez "it's OK, I guess."
But everytime I wear it, it grows on me more and more. I really like the mint and dirt notes.
My wife is underwhelmed. Not repulsed, but truly underwhelmed. She sniffs, sez nothing. Sniffs again, sez "It's kinda weak." I ask "But do you like it?" She sez "it's OK, I guess."
But everytime I wear it, it grows on me more and more. I really like the mint and dirt notes.
Where is this site to get samples?
http://www.czechandspeake.com/Samples
You can also buy samples from luckyscent.com, and I would guess that Gary or Archerfire has some as well.
Maybe Bullgoose too--I think he's carrying C&S now.
O&C is the only one of their scents that I like as well. The rest ranged from "meh" to horrid (cough, Mimosa.... cough).
88 is unique and respectable, just not for me. I think Montale does it better.
88 is unique and respectable, just not for me. I think Montale does it better.
The only one I own is 88 but I like them all, except Citrus Paradisi which smells to me like someone with terninal BO dragged a grapefruit across their pits. Horrible.
I received my samples a few weeks ago. I haven't yet tried Cuba or Frankinscense & Myrrh, but I am looking forward to those. I did not care for Neroli, Citrus Paradisi, nor 88. Dark Rose, Rose and Mimosa I gave to my wife, but she didn't care for any of them. O&C is wearable, but for me there are much better lavender scents out there.
What did you gents think about Vetiver Vert? I liked it at first, but got tired of smelling it pretty quick.
What did you gents think about Vetiver Vert? I liked it at first, but got tired of smelling it pretty quick.
I've tried these again in the 2.5 years since I made my original post in this thread. Unlike a lot of people, I actually think Cuba is the best of the bunch. I liked O&C a lot less than I did initially, primarily because mint just isn't a note that works for me. F&M is nice enough, but not something I'm yearning for.
O&C was interesting but didn't last long enough for me. I liked the Neroli and bought a decant that I use in summer. I may be alone here but I really like Frankincense & Myrrh and wear it regularly in the winter. I'd almost spring for a bottle except it would last me many yrs. since I only wear it about 4-5 months a year.
