Very eloquently putIt just takes time and trying many different scents. If you can pick products that are simpler rather than complex compositions- vetiver, vanilla, tonka, oud, florals, etc...thats how I've learned the most. On the flip side are the artisan products that transport you into a different frame of mind- like a dusty cowboy riding a sweaty horse on some Wyoming ranch- these are the the soap whores you pay a fortune to spend the night with only to forget about them forever after a couple days. Yes, they're alot of fun, but try to refrain from buying too many or you'll end up with a pile of tubs and splashes collecting dust. Everyone has different tastes, I'm just explaining my own.
Scent Notes - Familiarizing Yourself
- Thread starter Well_Groomed_Yeti
- Start date
Very eloquently put
Be careful buying on scent profile only. I love tobacco but not everything with tobacco in it does it for me. It can sometimes play a small part and be overpowered by something else.
On thé flip side I hâte anything flowery or too sweet so I tend to avoid those by description only. I will on occasion buy a sample but that usually just reinforces that I don’t like flowery scents.
On thé flip side I hâte anything flowery or too sweet so I tend to avoid those by description only. I will on occasion buy a sample but that usually just reinforces that I don’t like flowery scents.
Last edited:
As far as scent exploration goes, one cheap way to indulge is to just spray samples in department stores, airports and the like. And then read up on what you tried on sites like Fragrantia, etc.
I have gradually learnt that for me scent is a bit of a distraction as far as my shaving hobby goes.
I was very preoccupied with scent when I first adopted wet shaving as a hobby, but I gradually became more interested in ingredients apart from scent. I found that often when I really loved a scent, or people would rave about the scent of a particular product (rave about a product because of the scent), that product turned out to be pretty mediocre in terms of other ingredients and/or performance.
I am thinking here of "active ingredients" -- as for aftershave, like moisturizers, astringents, stuff that calms the skin, and for soaps, glide, ingredients with some post shave effect (like lanolin), etc, etc.
As but one concrete example many people love Pinaud Clubman as aftershave. So I bought a good selection of Pianuds. But I don't even consider that "aftershave" in a strict sense anymore, because apart from alcohol, it contains nothing I would consider "active ingredients" as far as "aftershave" is concerned. All that matters in that product is the scent (well, apart from the alcohol), so strictly speaking it is an eau de cologne, not an aftershave, although of course you can apply it "after shaving" and just enjoy the scent as your post shave routine.
And conversely, some of the best soaps and aftershaves I gradually discovered, didn't have very outstanding scent profiles (as for soaps, Cella and Mitchell's Wool Fat are examples).
If what you primarily want is to indulge in fragrances, there are better ways to do so than by way of shaving (certainly better sources of information than a shaving forum)
.
There are many perfume specialized sites (and Youtubers) online.
And, not least, there are a variety of "old school" approaches well worth studying (as you may glean, it is not that I am uninterested in scent).
The preoccupation with scent is ancient -- I especially find the oriental traditions interesting (the origin of most Western knowledge on the matter), like the Japanese "way of incense" (kodo), and the Arab traditions involving Oud, see (e.g.):
I have gradually learnt that for me scent is a bit of a distraction as far as my shaving hobby goes.
I was very preoccupied with scent when I first adopted wet shaving as a hobby, but I gradually became more interested in ingredients apart from scent. I found that often when I really loved a scent, or people would rave about the scent of a particular product (rave about a product because of the scent), that product turned out to be pretty mediocre in terms of other ingredients and/or performance.
I am thinking here of "active ingredients" -- as for aftershave, like moisturizers, astringents, stuff that calms the skin, and for soaps, glide, ingredients with some post shave effect (like lanolin), etc, etc.
As but one concrete example many people love Pinaud Clubman as aftershave. So I bought a good selection of Pianuds. But I don't even consider that "aftershave" in a strict sense anymore, because apart from alcohol, it contains nothing I would consider "active ingredients" as far as "aftershave" is concerned. All that matters in that product is the scent (well, apart from the alcohol), so strictly speaking it is an eau de cologne, not an aftershave, although of course you can apply it "after shaving" and just enjoy the scent as your post shave routine.
And conversely, some of the best soaps and aftershaves I gradually discovered, didn't have very outstanding scent profiles (as for soaps, Cella and Mitchell's Wool Fat are examples).
If what you primarily want is to indulge in fragrances, there are better ways to do so than by way of shaving (certainly better sources of information than a shaving forum)
.
There are many perfume specialized sites (and Youtubers) online.
And, not least, there are a variety of "old school" approaches well worth studying (as you may glean, it is not that I am uninterested in scent).
The preoccupation with scent is ancient -- I especially find the oriental traditions interesting (the origin of most Western knowledge on the matter), like the Japanese "way of incense" (kodo), and the Arab traditions involving Oud, see (e.g.):
Last edited:
Very informative post. I agree especially in shaving soaps since the scent is so fleeting and is pretty much gone once you finish the task at hand the scent doesn't matter much. But yet I am still drawn more to scents I find pleasing. What works for me is finding a base/artisan that works and then sampling various ones.
Aftershaves while I do really enjoy the scents I am leaning more towards scentless and just getting a solid EDP. I change perspective after trying out Amouage royal tobacco in a store. That stuff is strong and doesn't fade after two hours like AS
