Fragrance: Where to start?

[Eben Stone]

I read through the "must haves" and "manly man" threads. So many suggestions it's a bit overwhelming.

I am very uneducated about fragrance. I don't really understand the need for different scents in winter, summer, work, nightlife. I barely understand the difference between EDT and EDP. Most of the suggestions I've read about I've never even hear of. Over the last 30 years I've only used Azzaro Chrome, Polo Green, Polo Black, CK One. I currently have SV Cubebe.

I am considering buying this sampler:

Men - Beginner Classic & Niche Sample Set - 18 Samples

Buy Men - Beginner Classic & Niche Pack - Part 1 - 11 samples Samples

surrendertochance.com

Is there a better option to get started with?

Any suggestions for a fragrance noob?

 

[APBinNCA]

You could look at one of the recent fragrance threads and see what people are talking about. Then, go onto Fragrantica and look it up. There will be ebay listing and usually one for a sample size, if not click any one and you will get a sample recommended when you get to the bay. Many of the major resellers have "pick your scents" samplers too. I would say the most important thing is to train your nose to pick out what you are supposed to be smelling. So, don't overload your nose with too many too soon and try some simple ones like Colonia.

Edit: A base is not the base notes. A base in something like a Fougere is lavender, coumarin and oakmoss and they are well blended enough to be hard to unpack. The top and heart notes are a bit easier to pick out.

 

[djmillard]

@Eben Stone, I'm commenting because I'm in the same spot. Except I've picked up a couple of cheapies from TJ Maxx.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Go to a store like Sephora or Ulta and smell as many samples as you can. Take notes. You can always look for a knockoff version if you get sticker shock. Either way you can probably find better deals online. Get an idea of what scent families you like (and don't like) and what specific scent notes you like (and don't like). Once you have that figured out you can read reviews regarding things like longevity, sillage, etc., and make better educated decisions when buying samples.

EDIT: usually they have little paper strips to spray the samples on. I like to write the name on the strip and give it a sniff a few minutes later to get an idea of the drydown.

 

[silverlifter]

Just to provide a counter: you don't need to wear a fragrance. I haven't purchased a cologne/EdT or even an alcohol-based aftershave since the 1980s. I'm content to maintain a strict standard of personal hygiene and to rely on soaps or balms for any scent (which tends to dissipate quickly with these products). My wife makes me a moisturiser comprised of essential oils, including sandalwood, and I put that on some days after a shave, but that's it.

Many will consider this heresy, or the mark of the savage. I'm OK with that. YMMV.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Just to provide a counter: you don't need to wear a fragrance. I haven't purchased a cologne/EdT or even an alcohol-based aftershave since the 1980s. I'm content to maintain a strict standard of personal hygiene and to rely on soaps or balms for any scent (which tends to dissipate quickly with these products). My wife makes me a moisturiser comprised of essential oils, including sandalwood, and I put that on some days after a shave, but that's it.

Many will consider this heresy, or the mark of the savage. I'm OK with that. YMMV.

That was my approach for the last 15 or 20 years. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[tthoms]

Hi! I'm relatively new to this myself, so I'll tell you what I've learned along the way.

Figure out what you like about the fragrances you already have. Me? I'm a sucker for leather, musk, citrus, and surprisingly to me, florals. Aquatics bore me, as do most fruity, and "fresh" fragrances. I have a bottle of CK1 that is at least 15 years old, and it's half full.
Once I figured out my staple fragrances, I picked a nice safe standard that represents those odors. For me, its British Sterling. It's cheap, not overpowering, and generally inoffensive. Then I get samples or small, very inexpensive versions of similar scents and take them for a spin. I'm narrowing down some favorites now. I won't commit to anything expensive at this point.

Slowly, I'm trying out some fragrances that don't fit that tightly to the standard. I'm finding that some of the fragrances that have a vanilla or mossy note appeal to me as well. Amber notes can go either way...but then again, I'm not a hundred percent sure what an amber note is. I think it is a semblance to honey. Works okay in British Sterling. I dislike it in Lagerfeld.

Summer scents, as far as I can tell, are lighter fragrances that aren't going to gas people out during the hot days, while winter scents have a little more gravitas and warmth so they can be detected in the cold. I'm not sure how that factors in a climate-controlled office.

Oh, and I never trust the odor I get sniffing the bottle. I wear a scent for 20 minutes and then make a decision.

Drat...now that I've finished my post, I see that Darth Scandalous essentially made the same points, but with less words so...uh...what he said.

 

[Eben Stone]

Just to provide a counter: you don't need to wear a fragrance. I haven't purchased a cologne/EdT or even an alcohol-based aftershave since the 1980s. I'm content to maintain a strict standard of personal hygiene and to rely on soaps or balms for any scent (which tends to dissipate quickly with these products). My wife makes me a moisturiser comprised of essential oils, including sandalwood, and I put that on some days after a shave, but that's it.

Many will consider this heresy, or the mark of the savage. I'm OK with that. YMMV.

I occasionally get comments that I smell nice even though I don't wear cologne. Maybe it's my Arm and Hammer natural deodorant?

I have an extremely strong sense of smell. To give you an example, I shaved last night, went to bed, woke up this morning, took a shower, went to work. It's now 18 hours after I shaved and I can still smell the hint of clown fruit.

I'm pretty happy with most of the shave soap scents I have. Maybe I should just get aftershave and/or cologne versions of those.

 

[APBinNCA]

Maybe I should just get aftershave and/or cologne versions of those.

Keep in mind, the scents in the aftershave and especially the soaps are somewhat simplified according to Shawn Maher. You will miss out on some of the complexity that the fragrances have. The strength of the Chattillon Lux EdT really compliment the matching DG soap/aftershave pair and don't last more than 4 hours. You can do two things as a compromise. One, spray your arms before dressing. You would be surprised how well you will smell the scent, but it will be at arms length away. Two is to only spray once on your chest/collarbone area. None of these will affect how strong the scent is really, just how long it lasts versus three to five sprays on pulse points. All fragrances seem to have a performance curve, some peak high and decline rapidly. Some, especially extrates, don't smell like you sprayed enough. But, they last forever. This gets into the whole silage thing.

 

[Eben Stone]

three to five sprays

OMG. I use 1 spray for SV Cubebe. I can't imagine more than that and still being able to breathe.

 

[APBinNCA]

OMG. I use 1 spray for SV Cubebe. I can't imagine more than that and still being able to breathe.

I happened to have the vile break on my sample of Cubebe and it is a perfect example of what I posted above. It really doesn't get much stronger scented the more you apply, at least after a bit. It just lasted me 10 hours

Try one extra spray on each fore arm if you happen to be wearing a long sleeve shirt.

 

[djmillard]

I'm pretty happy with most of the shave soap scents I have. Maybe I should just get aftershave and/or cologne versions of those.

The one spendy fragrance I purchased was an extrait de parfum of my absolute favorite soap/Aftershave scent. It was expensive, but I don't regret it. The trick is branching out from there into other fragrances. Nautica Voyager seems to have been a good, inexpensive start for my desired scent profile, but I'm sort of clueless as to where to go next.

I likewise use only a single spray. I can smell it on myself pretty much all day, even with an EdT strength.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

You know, as I think back, the most compliments I ever got for my scent were when I was just using a dab of vetiver and bergamot essential oils. For some reason vetiver just works with my natural, uh, essence.

I also got compliments when all I was wearing was Old Spice classic deodorant. Go figure.

 

[Jubejubilee]

Couple of pointers that could be useful for a fragrance beginner (stuff I wish someone had told me when I first got into them):

1. Fragrance is absolutely not needed, ever. It can be used to "complete the outfit", provide a confidence boost, put you in a certain mood, finish the shaving ritual on a good note, but "no fragrance" is always better than "too much fragrance" or worse, fragrance over BO.

2. That said, if you choose to wear some, first you wanna get your nose on a few different families of fragrances. And the best, easiest way to do this is to try out aftershaves, look up the notes in the ones you like, or what actual perfume they're inspired by (Fine Accoutrements do that a lot, Stirling too)

3. Seasons and time of day are not to be taken too seriously. In general, citrus, floral, aquatic, airy are more daytime, warm weather. They also probably won't last as long as sweeter, heavier stuff and that is okay too (longevity obsession is an invention of the internet). Cooler weather stuff, date stuff, night time stuff: boozy, sweet, leather, tobacco, bay rum, etc. Those will tend to be a bit more cloying in warmer weather, and last longer, so spray carefully.

4. When it comes to application, less is more. Especially when you're still getting acquainted with a fragrance. You want 1-3 sprays max, far from your face (stomach, chest, crook of your elbows, back of neck), that will help not getting noseblind and it'll give you a more accurate impression of how people around you perceive it. Most fragrances are also created to smell at their best "in the air", so sniffing obsessively by shoving your nose in your arm could give you an inaccurate appreciation of it.

5. There are great cheapies, but quality of ingredients also matters. Don't go spending hundreds of dollars on a blind buy, don't go crazy on huge cheapie hauls either. Research a bit, get 2-3ml samples, see how you like the stuff on you after a few wearings in different contexts.

6. There are super affordable clones of pretty much every big popular fragrance out there. Careful not to go down the "I got 20 cheap clones of Aventus" route. Because at some point it costs you more than the real deal, and it won't all be worth it. And no matter how good a clone is, trust me, it's never the same as the real thing.

7. Take everything you hear on youtube with a huge grain of salt.

In conclusion, it's easy to start going at it hard and wake up one day with 80 bottles of stuff that doesn't even make you happy. Waaaayyy too easy. So spend some time evaluating the scents you like, how they make you feel, what situations you think you could use them in. Take notes, give your nose time to "level up" a bit. Tastes will change quickly in the beginning. Other people in your house will be an invaluable source of help and info when in doubt, so make sure to ask for feedback and listen carefully when you get it hahahaha

Quick note about concentrations. A long time ago, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne, Extrait de Parfum, Pur Parfum, meant concentration percentages. These days, most designers pump out an EdT first wich usually means "fresher, louder" version. Then a few years later they will release an EdP version of the same thing, which usually means "warmer, sweeter, richer, a bit closer to the skin, maybe a bit more mature as well". And then they will release a "Parfum" version, which is usually the most "adult" version of the bunch, spicier, even sweeter, longer lasting, etc. But those words nowadays don't just mean "this bottle contains X amount of fragrance oil", they're also associated with the character of a fragrance. So yeah, something to keep in mind.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jubejubilee]

I got carried away and realize I didn't even really answer OP's questions

First off, yes, a sample pack like that is absolutely a great way to triangulate the stuff you like.

A few affordable favorites of mine:
- Dunhill Icon. Versatile, warm-yet-fresh, starts orangey and ends musky and vetiver-y. Perfect for office, formal and casual stuff.

- Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale Colonia. A great classic cologne (a la Acqua di Parma Colonia) but with a bit of a modern touch and a superb woody drydown

- Davidoff Cool Water Wave. My favorite summertime cheapie. Great citrus opening, one of the best sweet drydowns in my collection.

- Versace l'Homme. For an 80s powerhouse I find it incredibly well balanced and elegant. Not the Magnum P.I. punch in the face I was expecting at all. Fresh and dry in the opening, and ends on a delicious cinnamon and leather vibe, not too sweet, not too rich, juuust right.

- John Varvatos Vintage. Possibly my favorite cold weather fragrance. Warm, boozy, and very unique with that rhubarb note in the opening.

- Drakkar Noir. Quintessential barbershop frag. It goes perfectly with the Proraso Green splash.

 

[CJB3]

One other suggestion is to consider the types of aftershaves you prefer and seek out similar fragrances. For example, if you like Clubman, you might want to consider traditional fougeres—such as Paco Rabanne, Azzaro, Canoe, etc. If you like Clubman Special Reserve, a leather oriented fragrance might be the ticket. If you like Gillette Cool Wave, you might want to explore aquatic fougeres such as Cool Water.

 

[McBlade]

Do you want to smell like a pirate?

Let me rephrase that: you do want to smell like a pirate. I mean who doesn't want to be a pirate?

Bay Rum is an old school classic.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

I am considering buying this sampler:

Men - Beginner Classic & Niche Sample Set - 18 Samples

Buy Men - Beginner Classic & Niche Pack - Part 1 - 11 samples Samples

surrendertochance.com

Is there a better option to get started with?

Lot of nice scents included in that set, but few I'd ever buy, just because I can't afford to delve into niche. Macy's has a cheaper set (Black Friday sale) that include the popular designer scents.

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/macys-favorite-scents-20-pc.-sampler-discovery-set-for-him-created-for-macys?ID=13039377

You could certainly narrow down what you like and don't like, then research the ones you like. Don't mind spending money on your fragrances? For almost every designer scent, there is a niche scent that smells similar. Want to spend less money? Almost every designer scent has a clone that smells similar and is cheaper.

 

[Eben Stone]

I happened to have the vile break on my sample of Cubebe and it is a perfect example of what I posted above. It really doesn't get much stronger scented the more you apply, at least after a bit. It just lasted me 10 hours

Try one extra spray on each fore arm if you happen to be wearing a long sleeve shirt.

Sorry for being a Doubting Thomas, but I didnt believe you until I tried it today. Two sprays. Same strength. I'm literally dumbfounded how this is possible.

 

[djmillard]

I had a similar thought when I looked at that first sampler. That's a lot of very high end fragrances. There's no way I'd be considering any of those in the near future.

That Macy's Black Friday special though? Sold.