Oh no, what have I done?

[Oscroft]

OK, so after plenty of sampling, I decided that the £20-30 level was about all I needed to spend for bottles of smelly stuff - that's DR Harris pricing, and they produce some really good fragrances. I've sampled a few others, like T&H and Penhaligon's, and I wasn't really impressed - to me they're certainly not worth 2 or 3 times the price of DR Harris.

But then... I went and ordered a Czech & Speake sample set, which arrived today. So far I'm sitting here with just a dab of 88 on me, and it's fantastic - one of the best things I've had up my nose since, well, never mind that.

I'm too scared to even take the caps of the others - what have I let myself in for?

 

[The Nid Hog]

I think you're safe. In my opinion anyway, the only C&S fragrance worth having is 88. The rest are terrible. I think Oxford and Cambridge is marginally OK, but the mint is a dealbreaker for me.

OK, so after plenty of sampling, I decided that the £20-30 level was about all I needed to spend for bottles of smelly stuff - that's DR Harris pricing, and they produce some really good fragrances. I've sampled a few others, like T&H and Penhaligon's, and I wasn't really impressed - to me they're certainly not worth 2 or 3 times the price of DR Harris.

But then... I went and ordered a Czech & Speake sample set, which arrived today. So far I'm sitting here with just a dab of 88 on me, and it's fantastic - one of the best things I've had up my nose since, well, never mind that.

I'm too scared to even take the caps of the others - what have I let myself in for?

 

[BillC]

Just concede your wallet

I'm a bit higher on C&S than the Nid Hog. I own bottles of 88 and Cuba (wonderful stuff in my opinion; smells like poo - literally - to others). I also like Vetiver Vert, Neroli and Frankincense and Myrrh but don't know that I'll evey plunk down for a bottle. There's a whole world of scents out there, and some of them cost a lot more than C&S. 88 was a gateway drug for me too

 

[dpm802]

We can't judge products on price alone. There are plenty of $20 colognes that will outperform their top-shelf counterparts.

But remember ... a fresh bottle of Lilac Vegetal is only around $6. You can buy a new one every month and have plenty of money left over for an annual splurge on high-end brands.

 

[Oscroft]

But remember ... a fresh bottle of Lilac Vegetal is only around $6.

Not in the UK, sadly.

 

[Oscroft]

Since trying the 88, I singled out the few girly-sounding ones and gave them a sniff, just to get them out of the way - Rose, Dark Rose, and Mimosa.

They're certainly too flowery for me, and they're definitely not what my wife likes either - she prefers a sharper and more complex scent with citrus top notes.

I thought they were perhaps a bit more "old lady" (with apologies to any young ladies, or young or old men, who like them), so I tried them on my old Mum. And she loves all three - she's particularly taken by the Mimosa, and is already hinting she'd like a bottle for her birthday later in the year

Of those three, I'm actually quite impressed by the way the Dark Rose dries down - it's still not for me, but I think it achieves its aim of evoking Eastern fragrances pretty well.

When my olfactory equipment clears, I'll sample another couple.

 

[The Chandos]

Sounds like you've taken the first step down a slippery slope, my friend! First it's C&S, then it's Penhaligons, then you're well on you way to Creed, Amouage, and maybe even ouds. Enjoy the ride and rest assured that you'll smell fabulous along the way!

 

[maxman]

I say enjoy it.
The only had part is hearing your wallet scream when you plunk down the cash to play.

 

[Oscroft]

Thanks for the comments, folks - it sounds like I have little option but to accept my fate, really

Cuba (wonderful stuff in my opinion; smells like poo - literally - to others)

I've sampled the Cuba now, and it's pretty unusual. Up-front peppermint is fresh, but it fades quickly and it dries down to something quite different - and I'm sorry to say it, but I do get poo.

I've sampled the Neroli too, and it's a very nice fragrance, but I wouldn't want it as a single-note in a cologne - maybe in a soap.

I'll try a couple more in the morning.

 

[Obsessed]

I like Cuba and don't get the dreaded "fecal" note, but I'm afraid others might if I were to wear it. Seems like a pretty big risk when there are so many other nice fragrances out there to choose from.

 

[Oscroft]

I like Cuba and don't get the dreaded "fecal" note

It's a shame, because without that note, I think the rest of it is pretty good.

 

[rearviewmirror]

It's a shame, because without that note, I think the rest of it is pretty good.

it would be insanely popular without it.

 

[Oscroft]

it would be insanely popular without it.

Now, a little while while on, the poo note has disappeared for me - and what's left is very nice indeed.

 

[Oscroft]

Latest update: The Cuba is weird. It starts off fresh and minty, then the poo becomes noticeable. But then after it's had time to dry down some more, the poo disappears and what's left is very nice with good longevity. But I just don't want to go through the poo phase.

Anyway, I'm spending a few hours this morning anointed with Frankincense and Myrrh, which is immediately impressive. It's warm, woody, spicy, with a hint of burning solder flux (which really is perfume to the nose of this old electronics hacker). I'll see how it goes.

 

[Doc226]

a fresh bottle of Lilac Vegetal is only around $6. .

The Veg, I love the Veg.

 

[jakespoppy]

If you like Cuba but want a "safer" scent, you should try Aramis Havana. It's kind of like a "cleaned up" Cuba, plus it's more in the DR Harris price range.

By the way, no matter which direction your fragrance journey leads you, be assured we are here to share it with you. Welcome to the fragrance forum!

 

[The Knize]

How did I miss this thread earlier. I am a big C&S fan. Still have not tried the Vetiver Vert.

I think the Mimosa is a great feminine scent. I cannot see wearing it. The Rose is about as pure an English tea rose as I can conceive of, again, quite feminine. The Dark Rose is a really nice, dark, Damascus/Otto rose, and I have no idea why it would be marketed as a feminine. Distinctly unisex to my nose. As much as I like it, however, Montale's Black Aoud blows it away, and I think there are other Middle Eastern type scents that do, too. Or maybe not. Black Aoud is one heck of a scent. I would say that St Charles Shaving's version of a dark rose "better" than C&S Dark Rose, too.

The 88 is compelling. Whether one ends up actually wearing it much, to me this is one of those gateway drugs to a scent addiction. A deep and complex masterwork of a scent. The kind one just cannot stop sniffing.

Cuba to me has the best cigar tobacco notes in the business. I do not particularly smell poo per se in it, and I am not sure poo is a bad thing in a scent. Nevertheless, like Obsessed, I find myself not wearing it for fear someone out there will react strongly to the poo component that comes through for some folks. I do not really know, but my guess is that without whatever smells like poo to some folks, the good parts of the scent those folks like, would not be the same at all, and the tenacity of it would suffer. Also, I have said this before, but I do not think anyone has ever posted back on it. Sniff a good, fresh (or well maintained) Cuban cigar. Do you get a certain poo accord in there along with a complicated collection of stuff? I do. Cuba captures the smell of unburned Cuban cigar tobacco to me, in all of its complex glory.

I had said previously that I did not like Oxford & Cambridge at first, probably mostly because of the top mint note. Now I adore it, and think the mint note is genius! By far my favorite lavender.


To me Neroli, is far from a single note scent. Sort of an updated Eua de Portugal. Very dirty in the base, especially for a Neroli. Excellent.

Citrus Paradisi is grapefruit and other citrus over cigarette butts and other funk, along with a lot of other things like pepper and patchouli subtly in there. Very compelling scent to me. Very wearable. Unique. Again, brilliant scentmaking to me.

F&M seems nice to me, but no great shakes.

Am I leaving out any?

I think you are right that these C&S sampler packs are the road to addiction. I think C&S is a great scent house. 88, in particular, captures the imagination, and draws one into it and scents in general.

 

[The Chandos]

Citrus Paradisi is grapefruit and other citrus over cigarette butts and other funk, along with a lot of other things like pepper and patchouli subtly in there. Very compelling scent to me. Very wearable. Unique. Again, brilliant scentmaking to me.

CP is the only C&S I like and by "like" I mean LOVE! It's one of the best summertime fragrances ever, bright and juicy up top but dirty underneath.

 

[BigBull]

and it's fantastic - one of the best things I've had up my nose since, well, never mind that.

LOL, the wheels are turning!

 

[Oscroft]

Thanks folks, all this feedback is great!

The F&M had faded after about 6 hours. It stabilized quite quickly on dry-down and then just slowly faded over time. Don't know if I'd buy it, but I do like it. Anyway, I washed away what little might still have been there, and I've applied some Vetiver Vert...

And Wow!

I'm getting a mix of incense coupled with the mustiness of old museums and the smell of well-preserved old books - on first impression, it's fantastic!

Also, I have said this before, but I do not think anyone has ever posted back on it. Sniff a good, fresh (or well maintained) Cuban cigar. Do you get a certain poo accord in there along with a complicated collection of stuff?

Yes, you've nailed it! I was struggling to remember where I'd detected that same poo smell before, and that's exactly what it is.

I had said previously that I did not like Oxford & Cambridge at first, probably mostly because of the top mint note. Now I adore it, and think the mint note is genius! By far my favorite lavender.

I've yet to sample it - it will be up next.

88, in particular, captures the imagination, and draws one into it and scents in general.

Yes, I think you're right - being the C&S signature fragrance, I went for that one first, and I'm glad I did. The two that, so far, are crying out to me to buy some are 88 and Vetiver. And I might be getting a bonus this month - if I do, I suspect I know where £70 of it will be going (I have a £5 voucher that came with the sample set).

There's something else that's coming across to me from these samplings, and I'm not really sure how to express it - and it's not about whether I like each one or not.

Even if I wouldn't wear one of these fragrances myself, each one seems like it's carefully crafted - as if the designer set out to achieve that very scent, and balanced the ingredients very well to achieve it.

And I get that feeling partly by comparison with other makers I've experienced. With some, it seems as if they've thrown various notes together to see what comes up, and if the results are half reasonable, they bottle and sell it. And it can lead to a range that sort of overlaps, and loses individual identity a little.

As a specific example, I like some of the TOBS fragrances - but the overall feel I get is that they're not in the same league as a perfumer as is C&S. Does that make sense?