i own one cologne, know nothing, and want more :D

[Lowkeyberserk]

heya, ive been getting really into wetshaving and grooming in general and this whole B&B forum has been a huge help

anyway, i was hoping some people who know alot about cologne can help me.. i only own one cologne, which i got pretty recently (kenneth cole black), and wearing it around has had a dramatic effect i want to smell good and have a small wardrobe with a variety of smells that all work for me.

im thinking that I want around differant 4-6 smells to wear for different occasions/seasons.. I would be OK with spending money on a few of them. I would really like to avoid having to develop a nose for cologne as it seems like something i wouldnt be very good at, but there may not be a magic bullet where i can just *know* what 6 scents to buy.

If you were me, how would you go about finding ur best smells the cheapest way possible while avoiding any ADs?

(oh btw, im a 24 yr old army guy, going to college in the fall thou, and i do it all for the ladies )

 

[professorchaos]

Be careful what you wish for!

I'd read about things I think I might like and then pick up samples of them. The Perfumed Court is a good source, as is Lucky Scent.

 

[warlandsboy]

My friend, be careful of fragrances, sampling them can become an expensive addiction! Been there done that. But honestly, the only way to find out what your tastes are is to sample, sample, sample!

Basenotes.net is a great source for reading user reviews, but I find fragrance to be a very personal thing (just like shaving accoutrements) so what one person loves, another person may hate. The Perfumed Court has some really good men's sampler packs that you can order (if you can afford them) which will help you develop/figure out your exact tastes. Take a look through my fragrance wardrobe link (in my signature) for an idea of what I've had the pleasure of sampling. If you have any specific questions don't hesitate to PM me, as I'd be more then willing to help. There's also a lot of experienced noses around here that would be sure to help as well.

Good luck on your search!

 

[Walter Sobchak]

There goes your bank account!

+1 to the profuse samplage theory.

Even if you think you like the smell of something in the bottle while you're at the counter, it might dry down to smell like old gym shorts once it's on your skin. Best to sample.

 

[BladeDE40]

Head to your local Macys or other department store, go to the cologne section and start asking for samples. Most brands have free samples readily available.

 

[BillC]

Samples are the way to go. Truefitt and Hill and Trumpers both have a pretty wide selection of masculine scents and sell sample packs so you can try them all. Barclay Crocker sells sample packs of both of those houses as well as a nice sampler of Bay Rum scents. Both T&H and Barclay Crocker both offer discounts for B&B members, by the way. If you're not worried about your wallet, Czech and Speake, Penhaligons and Floris also all have samplers or "scent libraries" that you can try. I love C&S and Pens, have the Floris sampler in the mail.

 

[zclake]

Get a girl to go shopping with you (shouldn't be too hard, girls love shopping) and get them to tell you what their favorites are. That's the goal in the end isn't it, what they like? Also, look through the reviews at the top of the site. I only have two colognes at the moment, but when I have money during the summer, I'll probably pick up some more.

 

[StylinLA]

Lucky Scent is a great source of 1ml samples for about $3-$4 each. They specialize mainly in niche scents which includes Creed and Penhaligons. Other than those two brands, most of their offerings are very "inside" the fragrance world. i.e. They're not big name brands most would recognize.

The Perfumed Court has a much wider array of niche and designer. They have the added advantage of offering samples large than a 1ml vial. Makes a difference for me; YMMV.

If you're really looking to add 4-6 scents, you'd be wisest to dig around in the review section here and at Basenotes to give you a direction to look. Once you find a few that intrigue you, order some samples. For $30 or so, you'll get about 10 to sample. Better that than one bottle of shyt you end up not liking.

Many of us in here are on the more "mature" side and wetshavers in general lean towards conservative frags. British, traditional and "barbershop" scents are very popular in here. At 24, there may be some frags suitable for you that would send many in here screaming for the hills. L'Eau de Issey and Aqua di Gio are very well received by women, but they are often loathed here and especially at Basenotes because EVERYBODY else is wearing it. The reason women love it is because they've smelled it a million times. Body Kouros and Rochas Man a couple of "sweet smelling" youngish dating frags that you might like and get some "play" out of. I would suggest your goal would be carefully picking your own special scent wardrobe of scents that not every guy in Iowa is wearing.

You don't have to be a chemically accurate analytic notes genius to pick your direction. I myself am "notes" challenged. I read some reviews about this ingredient in the top notes and that ingredient in the middle notes and it's all over my head (and nose). I just know if I like something when I sample it. Most of my reviews, and many others here and at Basenotes revolve more around the "personality" of a scent. Don't get hung up on not being able to identify the bergamot, lavender, styrax, ambergirs, etc.

 

[JaDo]

I really like the Fragrantica website. When viewing the profile of a certain fragrance, there are other fragrances listed on the side that are generally in the same fragrance family. That way, you can look at the profile of a fragrance you like and find others that may be in the same vein or have similar notes.

Then, you really should get samples (from Perfumed Court or LuckyScent) to see how they are with your chemistry. I say this only from experience. I nearly made a significant purchase of a bottle of Creed Millesime Imperial which seemed, based on everything I read, to be something that I would really like. I got a sample from LuckyScent and tried it...the stuff did not stay on me very long. I was disappointed, but thankful that I spent $3 instead of the hundreds on a full bottle.

 

[Hawkeye5]

Good suggestions above. Just keep in mind that no matter what everyone thinks about Brand X, it may or may not work with your body chemistry, or you just may not like it. There are great colognes, according to everyone, that I don't like. Sandlewood is a favorite of many, but I can't stand it, as an example.

So have fun with inexpensive samples and remember to let the cologne dry down and mature before making a decision.

Where in Iowa are you from?

 

[toddsmith7378]

Ok, so I'm just going to give you what I got....for your age range, I'd think:

Burberry London - winter, academia, christmas

Coolwater, aqua di gio, issay miyake, versace eau fraiche - these are all in the same category of fresh summer type and fairly popular

something with sandalwood - crabtree and evelyn is readily available - all guys should have at least one all purpose sandalwood IMO.

I'd throw in a musk for something for close quarters combat with the opposite sex (if you know what I mean)........Jovan musk (let your own nose guide you here as this might seem a little cheap and dated, but I've never heard of a guy going wrong here under the right circumstances)

I'd start here for your age range, but if you were a little older I'd point you to

probably trumpers sandalwood, YSL Rive Gauche, and Green irish tweed....but for 24 I'd go with the more popular aforementioned stuff.

Oh yeah, and try to hit up somewhere that sells testers to get on the cheap.....Drug Imporium carries good stuff on the cheap in Texas, maybe amazon, but I usually only buy stuff from Amazon themselves, lots of dealers sell through amazon, but I'd stay away from most of them depending on reviews...always read review ratings before any online purchase, or just stay away. Marshall's always has great deals and they are worth checking out, but rarely have anything that sells moderately well for the age range I think you are looking at. That's my 2 cents.

Oh yeah and keep doing what you are doing, I'm a college graduate who started school during my enlistment in the AF, best way to meet women for a serviceman stationed in the states IMHO. Best of luck!

 

[Go West Young Man]

Scents are divided into 6 or 7 major families, and you need to find out what works best on you. All the sample places listed here (and there are a couple other good ones too, check the archives here for some other rec's) sell beginner's sets that have representatives from each family. Narrow it down to one or 2 you think might work, then start sampling within that family until you find the right scent for you.

 

[goby]

Head to your local Macys or other department store, go to the cologne section and start asking for samples. Most brands have free samples readily available.

That's what I did. Got John Varvatos Vintage and Polo Black off ebay for about $20.00 each. Macy's wanted about $80 each.

 

[Lowkeyberserk]

Basenotes.net is a great source for reading user reviews

thx man, ive been lurking over there for a few days and i made a profile... ill prolly inquire and lurk over there for awhile before i buy anything thou.

 

[natchez]

Head to your local Macys or other department store, go to the cologne section and start asking for samples. Most brands have free samples readily available.

Visit department stores, Bath and Body Works, L'Occitane and perfume shops in outlet malls, basically wherever you can sample for free. Sniff as many as you want on the little tags they spray to narrow down what you think you like and then sample a couple on your wrists. I do this so I can sample two scents at once. I then do the rest of my shopping to see how the scents settle in and what the smell like after a bit of dry down. If I really like a scent I shop around and then buy.

Good luck and have some fun.

 

[gekko]

I was in your situation only a few years ago so I might be able to help. But beware: fragrance is an expensive hobby. That said, here are my suggestions:

Nautica Island Voyage (light, aquatic, all-purpose; good for work)
Dirty English (great for a night out; more fresh than musky)
Drakkar Noir (classic evening wear fragrance; heavy and musky)

It may make you cringe, but a trip to the nearest Hollister may be in order. Their "Jake" cologne is actually quite good. It's the stuff they spray the store with, but it smells different on skin. It's a citrus and aquatic scent with a strong sandalwood base.

 

[dbconlin]

1. go to dept store - I have found Nordstroms to have a better selection than most others, plus they will prepare you sample vials to take home with you. You can also spray some on the wrist and continue to shop, but be warned that there are so many smells and distractions, the scale of the environment is so much larger, that you may not get as good of an idea in the mall as you would in the comfort of your home or, once it passes the initial test, worn out into the context within which you intend to use it (work, social, etc.)

2. get an aforementioned "beginner's sampler" from The Perfumed Court - they have several to choose from which should introduce the basic scent families.

3. once you have identified some general trends in what you like, order more samples of specific fragrances based on user reviews and/or scent composition (e.g., derived from Basenotes.net). This will help you sample the niche fragrances you can't get at dept stores.

 

[thecoalition]

i love cologne but tbh its hard to get all of what you want quickly. to me they are something that you have to gain over time unless you have some serious dime to drop. while the online sites are great resources, your nose is still the best. we can all say what we like but that does not mean you will like it.
my best advice is to go into various stores and get a few whiffs of each cologne. a good store will not spray you with it directly and typically has a shaker of coffee beans to smell to get the perfume out of your nose.
also, look at colognes to match seasons. for fall i use something like burberry london, winter is thierry mugler angel for men, spring is penhaligons blenheim bouquet, and summer is usually something citrusy (currently im out of what i use so im looking for a replacement).
as you get into it more and more you can break it down by occasion or emotion etc. i.e. my gf loves my d&g the one so ill put that on if we are doing a date night.

just have fun with it. there's alot out there. also dont be afraid to try out essential oils if you go somewhere that offers them.

 

[stoopidhead]

most of what i would reccomend has been said. there is no end-all be-all cologne for everyone, you have to find what works for you. but i would say to make sure you have a couple scents for winter and a couple for summer. summer scents tend to have more citrus-type scents, while winter scents can be more woodsy. make sure to have a variety for different occasions as well. some scents are good for everyday wear, while others are more formal. make sure your collection includes at least one of each and you should be good.