Looking for a new cologne. I'm lost though

[Mediumrarechicken]

I need some help, I'm going to perfumania since they have the largest selection in my area, but I get flustered smelling a lot of different scents at once. So maybe you guys can help narrow it down to make it easier for me. So here is what I am, I'm 30 don't want to smell old and I have a bottle of aqua dio, issy mikake( the blue bottle), and Gucci sport. I like the aqua due to its fresh lightness but its over played for sure, the issy is great for an evening out I really like it and the Gucci is getting kind of boring its just so so nowadays. I think what I'd like is a woodsy cologne that is in the middle of the aqua and issy, if that makes any sense. I'd like it to be long lasting also. I've read discriptions of scents but top notes of Swedish birch root,insert strange named plant, super rare oil and peppermint with back notes of patchouli and jasmine for instance doesn't tell me jack. Sorry if this has been gone over before or you are now just as confused as me. Thanks

 

[Timmy Dee]

Well from what you describe, my first thought is Sean John's Unforgivable or the more high-end Millesime Imperial by Creed. People also report Ed Hardy's Love & Luck smells like MI but I've not tried it.

If you wanted to really explore the marine aspect of fragrance, Aqua by Bulgari is alright, but be warned that it turns to a sour mess on some peoples' skin (such as mine - I gave my bottle away).

A good one to seek out (I'm not familiar with Perfumania and they may not stock it) might be Guerlain L'Homme L'Eau Boisee. The mint turned me off it (I'm not a fan of mint in fragrances) and although it's not aquatic or marine, the lime gives it a slightly sour kick that could put it right up your alley. Definitely a higher-quality scent that many of the others.

 

[Lamb Root]

I don't know what Issy Miyake and Gucci are like but if you want woddy, you might want to at least sample Tuscany per Uomo or 1881 by Cerutti. Both fougerey though.

 

[Mick]

Penhaligon's Opus 1870 is about the woodsy-ist scent I have come across. Smells like walking into a cabinet shop where they have just finished cutting lots of different woods.

What I do when deciding on a scent is to spray a sample on the back of each hand. I then see how both do during the day. I try to narrow it down to one or the other. The next day I stay with the top pick from the previous day , apply it again, then apply a different scent to the other hand.

This takes a while but is better than ending up with every scent out there.

 

[dfigz]

If you like Issey ... try the Intense scent ... opening is similar to the original with the dry down more woodsy smokey like:

http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Issey-Miyake/L-Eau-d-Issey-Pour-Homme-Intense-1998.html

 

[Larry C in Texas]

I bet this guy would have a good recommendation.

 

[Go West Young Man]

My usual suggestion is to start with a sampler of the various fragrance categories, like this one -
http://theperfumedcourt.com/Product...on---19-samples__BEGINNERNICHESAMPLERMEN.aspx

(I'm sure there are less pricey options out there if you look around)

Figure out which categories you like and which you hate, then drill down into samples from those particular categories until you find the perfect cologne!

 

[tehtimmeh]

You can get recommendations all day long, but at the end of the day, your nose is the judge and scents are very subjective. As Chris said, your best best is to sample, sample, sample. What I like, the next guy will hate and what you like, someone else will inevitably loathe. Don't go all in on a bottle until you have tried it and knows if it works for you or not. The B&B Vendors here such as Archerfire are a great place to start.

Oh, and unless it's Azzaro Pour Homme, Perfumania isn't going to do much for you.

 

[Austin]

I limit myself to sniffing 4 bottles. Anything over that is overwhelming and my nose shuts down.