New to the game of mens fragrance. Help me buy my first.
- Thread starter NewGuy
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You will receive a lot of opinions but to get the "best" ones, we need more info from you. Do you prefer Summer scents or more heavy Fall/Winter scents? Do you have a list of favorite notes? Lastly, out of your collection, what are your top 3? Based on that, not only should I but some of the others on the site should be able to find something that works well for you.
The best thing to do is find a store and start sampling. Do some research as to the notes of those that you like. Another way to start may be to sample fragrances from companies that you like their shaving products: Tabac, D.R. Harris, Trueffit & Hill, etc.
Also are you looking for something that you can wear at the office/school or maybe just on a night out? Maybe both?
What constitutes a "real" cologne?
Go to the vendor section and find the Archerfire Decants entry (Garry's sample shop has fewer scents but all the vendors I've dealt with are good guys). Pick a budget and start picking scents - 2ml if you don't have a clue what you like, maybe 4ml if you're trying to choose. Sample, discuss, repeat. Once you can say what you like and don't like discussion here becomes more meaningfull. Looking at Arecherfire's inventory some great things to consider (i.e. I like them ;-) and people here know/talk about them)
Pen's English Fern
Caron PuH
Caron Yatagan
Guerlain L'Instane Extreme
L'Occitane eau de L'Occitan
Parfum de Nicolai New York
Where you start doesn't really matter. You have to sample a lot to start to understand your own preferences
Pen's English Fern
Caron PuH
Caron Yatagan
Guerlain L'Instane Extreme
L'Occitane eau de L'Occitan
Parfum de Nicolai New York
Where you start doesn't really matter. You have to sample a lot to start to understand your own preferences
I see nothing wrong with what you've been wearing.
Samples.
1) Go to local place and test some out and take note of what you like.
2) Look up the frags you liked to see what notes you're into or have an aversion to.
3) Order samples from archerfire (2ml's would be enough)
2) Look up the frags you liked to see what notes you're into or have an aversion to.
3) Order samples from archerfire (2ml's would be enough)
1) Go to local place and test some out and take note of what you like.
2) Look up the frags you liked to see what notes you're into or have an aversion to.
3) Order samples from archerfire (2ml's would be enough)
Don't blind buy anything because everybody says it's amazing, cuz you may be very disappointed. For example, most people rave about Rive Gauche around here, so I was excited to try it. I absolutely HATE it...good thing I only ordered 2ml from archerfire.
2) Look up the frags you liked to see what notes you're into or have an aversion to.
3) Order samples from archerfire (2ml's would be enough)
Don't blind buy anything because everybody says it's amazing, cuz you may be very disappointed. For example, most people rave about Rive Gauche around here, so I was excited to try it. I absolutely HATE it...good thing I only ordered 2ml from archerfire.
a little more of a hint would go a long way.
Have you smelled anything you like that you want to get?
Floral? Woodsy? citrus? Minty? Any one of these would help someone point you in a "direction"
Have you smelled anything you like that you want to get?
Floral? Woodsy? citrus? Minty? Any one of these would help someone point you in a "direction"
+1. Need a little direction to what your looking for. Type of scent you like?, price range? Id recommend getting lots of samples. Go to your local department store and try a bunch of colognes. If your looking to try more expensive frags like Pens and Creed you can buy small decants at places like http://theperfumedcourt.com/
Yes, we need more direction. With your anonymous location, hard to guess what type of stores may be available to you.
If not near a large city, purchasing samples will be your best bet.
Would also be good to know the intended usage of the frag; work, casual, chasing women?
The scents you list are as "real" as "cologne" gets and appear to be mostly contemporary department store type designer scents. There's nothing wrong with that.
Much of what gets discussed in here are niche scents that are hard to find at brick and mortar stores in all but the largest cities.
Many of these are more traditional, or sometimes what is called "mature" scents that appeal to many of us smitten with the fine art of men's grooming.
Then too, we have someone like Schad who prefers younger skewing scents.
Suggest you read through many of the threads here. See what scents discussed seem to pique your interest and look them up in the Basenotes directory for a wider set of reviews.
.
If not near a large city, purchasing samples will be your best bet.
Would also be good to know the intended usage of the frag; work, casual, chasing women?
The scents you list are as "real" as "cologne" gets and appear to be mostly contemporary department store type designer scents. There's nothing wrong with that.
Much of what gets discussed in here are niche scents that are hard to find at brick and mortar stores in all but the largest cities.
Many of these are more traditional, or sometimes what is called "mature" scents that appeal to many of us smitten with the fine art of men's grooming.
Then too, we have someone like Schad who prefers younger skewing scents.
Suggest you read through many of the threads here. See what scents discussed seem to pique your interest and look them up in the Basenotes directory for a wider set of reviews.
.
instead of starting a new thread, thought i'd piggy back.
i want to purchase a little stable, preferably from fragrancex (free ship and no duty to CAD) and do it by year end.
i have Grey Flannel, but may get rid of it, it's just doing it for me. the only fragrance i have in my den that i use at the moment is Burberry London, which i am really enjoying.
i do have a bottle of Alt Innsbruck on the way from WCS and an old Swiss Army which i use on occasion.
i was thinking of this little order to give me a variety of scents and enough to keep me going for a while. these will be worn at work and in family settings. i'm not a bar hoper, married and not looking for anything too young or hip, nothing to pick up the ladies with. i just want some good smelling fragrances that i can enjoy, my wife will enjoy and will have some lasting power (i realize not all will have staying power, and that's ok with me...as long as they last a few hours)
He Wood Rocky Mountain Wood by Dsquared2 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Acqua Classica by Borsari Di Parma 3.4 oz Eau De Cologne Spray for Men
Citrus & Wood by Yardley London 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Caron Pour Homme by Caron 4.2 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Vetiver Guerlain by Guerlain 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
i am comfortable with spending $150 for 5 fragrances and would like to keep it around that price for the time being. i know i'll get hooked and end up spending that much on 1 fragrance in the future, but to start off, i feel getting a variety of different makes and scents is the way to go...but again, you guys may know better then me, so feel free to speak up.
any thoughts, suggestions or critique is appreciated. if these suck, please tell me, before i spend my money on them.
thanks
i want to purchase a little stable, preferably from fragrancex (free ship and no duty to CAD) and do it by year end.
i have Grey Flannel, but may get rid of it, it's just doing it for me. the only fragrance i have in my den that i use at the moment is Burberry London, which i am really enjoying.
i do have a bottle of Alt Innsbruck on the way from WCS and an old Swiss Army which i use on occasion.
i was thinking of this little order to give me a variety of scents and enough to keep me going for a while. these will be worn at work and in family settings. i'm not a bar hoper, married and not looking for anything too young or hip, nothing to pick up the ladies with. i just want some good smelling fragrances that i can enjoy, my wife will enjoy and will have some lasting power (i realize not all will have staying power, and that's ok with me...as long as they last a few hours)
He Wood Rocky Mountain Wood by Dsquared2 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Acqua Classica by Borsari Di Parma 3.4 oz Eau De Cologne Spray for Men
Citrus & Wood by Yardley London 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Caron Pour Homme by Caron 4.2 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Vetiver Guerlain by Guerlain 1.7 oz Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
i am comfortable with spending $150 for 5 fragrances and would like to keep it around that price for the time being. i know i'll get hooked and end up spending that much on 1 fragrance in the future, but to start off, i feel getting a variety of different makes and scents is the way to go...but again, you guys may know better then me, so feel free to speak up.
any thoughts, suggestions or critique is appreciated. if these suck, please tell me, before i spend my money on them.
thanks
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I support this answer. Only you can decide what you like, and what genres of fragrance please you. You'll have a lot of money doing it this way.
And if you're a fragrance novice, DO NOT GET TALKED INTO BUYING A SCENT ON THE SPOT. It's like high pressure sales tactics. These associates are good at overwhelming you with different scents, then they will marvel and how good a specific scent is (the one they are a private vendor for) and you will end up buying it not because you liked it the most most but you got played! We all know how this works. So just sniff, get samples and write down names, and walk away and think about it. Tell them you need to know how a scent develops on your skin before you purchase anything.
Additionally, although Sephora sells mainstream frags they also have some high quality brands including Cartiers, some Tom Fords, Diors, etc and they are generous with samples.
samples are your friends
And 1 ml will give you enough juice to get a good idea if you like the stuff or not. You can always get more- selling off stuff is difficult.
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. No regrets. All pleasure.
Sample, then sample, then sample.
You start at the stores and get an idea of what interests you. Then order sample from one the good sample providers. I find this gives a much truer read than sampling at store. Wear them a couple times then you can buy with confidence.
If you can't wait then go right to the top with Creed GIT or get a great bank for your $ with Sex Appeal by Jovan. I agree with other posters, blind buying is risky frags are a very personal choice and take YMMV to the extreme.
You start at the stores and get an idea of what interests you. Then order sample from one the good sample providers. I find this gives a much truer read than sampling at store. Wear them a couple times then you can buy with confidence.
If you can't wait then go right to the top with Creed GIT or get a great bank for your $ with Sex Appeal by Jovan. I agree with other posters, blind buying is risky frags are a very personal choice and take YMMV to the extreme.
