"Ten Must Try Fragrances" Lists

[adamchur]

In no particular order.....

1) Tabac Original Aftershave
2) Old Spice Original and Fresh Lime
3) Old Spice Musk
4) Pinaud Clubman Special Reserve
5) Jovan Musk
6) Brut Original and Classic
7) Floid Vigaroso
8) Aqua Velva Ice Blue and Williams Expert
9) Agua Brava
10) Varon Dandy

 

[Bhugo]

Reference, classic or famous must tries
Guerlain Vetiver - often referred to as the reference Vetiver.
Green Irish Tweed - find out what all the fuss and controversy is.
Knize Ten- the original and reference dirty leather.
Antaeus - historic powerhouse
Kourous - another historic powerhouse from the 80s
Rive Gauche - often referred to as the reference barber shop smell
Musc Koubla Khan - the reference poopy civet frag.
Pour une Homme Caron - pure lavender
Mouchier de Mounsieur - old school citrus before they all became aquatics
Tabac - classic babershop, it's been around along time for a reason.
Memoir Man - great intro to incense and middle Eastern style frags
Eau Savage - the beginning the lite citrus aquatics ands it's done right.

I like this list!.......well, I probably won't blind buy a poopy civet frag.....Maybe a sample. I have most of the others and enjoy them a lot.

 

[Kyle Grey]

Here's my must trys

Dior - Eau Sauvage
Helmut Lang - Eau de Cologne
Acqua Di Parma - Colonia
YSL - Kouros
Dior - Fahrenheit
Guerlain - Vetiver
Issey Miyake - Pour Homme
Hermes - Terre d Hermes
Creed - Green Irish Tweed
Mugler - A Men

 

[keithmax]

I like this list!.......well, I probably won't blind buy a poopy civet frag.....Maybe a sample. I have most of the others and enjoy them a lot.

MKK is an acquired taste, one it gets past the opening it is wonderful. Definitely sample first, not a blind buy candidate.

 

[ciderguy]

Must Sample:

Citrus / Cologne
Guerlain Eau du Coq - splendid old school Cologne
Murray & Lanman Florida Water - simple, traditional, inexpensive, and great as an aftershave
Dior Eau Sauvage - you could probably safely blind buy a bottle of this delightful cologne

Orientals
Old Spice
(see "Feminine" below)

Chypre
Grey Flannel - classic masculine chypre
VC&A pH - dense dark chypre
Caron Yatagan - wild amazing chypre
Aramis - American leather chypre

Fougere
Caron pH - reference simple fougere
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme - Grandfather of the 80's powerhouse aromatic fougere
Azzaro Pour Homme - many consider this the greatest masculine ever, I disagree, but it is very good
Quorum - reference powerhouse
Kouros - dirty powerhouse
Caron 3e Homme - dandy elegant collected fougere
Puig Agua Lavanda - technically a fougere, but really just all about the lavender with a touch of oakmoss
Lapidus Pour Homme - What Creed Aventus wants to be when it grows up
L'Artisan Parfumeur Fou d'Absinthe - modern artistic fougere

Other
Montale Black Aoud - masculine rose
Narciso Rodriguez for Him - grey flannel updated for the modern age
Guerlain Vetiver - reference vetiver
Lalique Encre Noire- modern, mostly synthetic vetiver
Tom Ford Tuscan Leather - modern, soft leather
Pino Silvestre- classic Mediterranean herbal fragrance

"Feminine"
(Scent is unisex. A lightly applied "feminine" scent often smells amazing on a man.)
Chanel Chanel No. 5 - applied lightly, this often smells similar to Old Spice with extra depth on a man once the top notes fade
Chanel No. 19 - (not the poudre flanker) (preferably parfum or extrait strength) green, leather, floral
Balmain Jolie Madame - green, violet, & leather (the vintage versions of this are very avant garde) (created by Germaine Cellier)
Piguet Bandit - green leather (also created by Germaine Cellier)
Many orientals can really be unisex, and if you like Old Spice you owe it to yourself to check out the various orientals on the market.

 

[MntnMan62]

I find it interesting that only two people put Hugo Boss on their list. I happen to really like Boss by Hugo Boss. Its a nice clean scent without being too "perfumey". And my wife likes it. In fact it's the only Cologne that I presently use. Otherwise I've been sticking with the aftershaves like Pinaud Clubman and Aqua Velva Blue. I do have a bottle of Pinaud Virgin Island Bay Rum on the way and want to try Fine American Blend, among others.

 

[emwolf]

Shulton - Old Spice
Maurer & Wirtz - Tabac EDC
Guerlain - Vetiver & Jicky
Diptyque - Tam Dao
Floris - #89
Taylors - Sandalwood
YSL - Kouros
Creed - Bois Du Portugal
Dior - Eau Sauvage

Still wanting to try Floris #89, just because of the Fleming books.

 

[pbrmhl]

Must Sample:

Citrus / Cologne
Guerlain Eau du Coq - splendid old school Cologne
Murray & Lanman Florida Water - simple, traditional, inexpensive, and great as an aftershave
Dior Eau Sauvage - you could probably safely blind buy a bottle of this delightful cologne

Orientals
Old Spice
(see "Feminine" below)

Chypre
Grey Flannel - classic masculine chypre
VC&A pH - dense dark chypre
Caron Yatagan - wild amazing chypre
Aramis - American leather chypre

Fougere
Caron pH - reference simple fougere
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme - Grandfather of the 80's powerhouse aromatic fougere
Azzaro Pour Homme - many consider this the greatest masculine ever, I disagree, but it is very good
Quorum - reference powerhouse
Kouros - dirty powerhouse
Caron 3e Homme - dandy elegant collected fougere
Puig Agua Lavanda - technically a fougere, but really just all about the lavender with a touch of oakmoss
Lapidus Pour Homme - What Creed Aventus wants to be when it grows up
L'Artisan Parfumeur Fou d'Absinthe - modern artistic fougere

Other
Montale Black Aoud - masculine rose
Narciso Rodriguez for Him - grey flannel updated for the modern age
Guerlain Vetiver - reference vetiver
Lalique Encre Noire- modern, mostly synthetic vetiver
Tom Ford Tuscan Leather - modern, soft leather
Pino Silvestre- classic Mediterranean herbal fragrance

"Feminine"
(Scent is unisex. A lightly applied "feminine" scent often smells amazing on a man.)
Chanel Chanel No. 5 - applied lightly, this often smells similar to Old Spice with extra depth on a man once the top notes fade
Chanel No. 19 - (not the poudre flanker) (preferably parfum or extrait strength) green, leather, floral
Balmain Jolie Madame - green, violet, & leather (the vintage versions of this are very avant garde) (created by Germaine Cellier)
Piguet Bandit - green leather (also created by Germaine Cellier)
Many orientals can really be unisex, and if you like Old Spice you owe it to yourself to check out the various orientals on the market.

I like this list. Especially, Bandit. I always enjoy its scent (and the experience of knowingly wearing a women's perfume...).

 

[jdp93]

Ok, I'll bite. Some of these may be in the wrong category.

Ten Classics:
1. Kouros
2. Givenchy Gentleman
3. Eau Sauvage
4. Eucris
5. Azzaro Pour Homme
6. Caron (take your pick - Pour un Homme, 3rd Man, Yatagan)
7. Clubman
8. Knize Ten
9. Blenheim Bouquet
10. Guerlain Vetiver

Ten Current Designer Fragrances:
1. Cool Water
2. Chanel Allure
3. YSL Rive Gauche
4. Terre d'Hermes
5. Encre Noir
6. Montblanc Individuel
7. M7
8. Mugler cologne
9. Burberry London
10. Egoiste

Ten Niche Fragrances:
1. Creed (GIT or BdP)
2. Aqua di Parma Essenza
3. Black Aoud
4. Portrait of a Lady
5. Geranium Pour Monsieur
6. Sartorial
7. Chergui
8. Frapin (tossup - 1270 or L'Humaniste)
9. Byredo Bal d'Afrique
10. Amouage (Jubilation or Dia)
11.

 

[Billski]

Shulton - Old Spice
Maurer & Wirtz - Tabac EDC
Guerlain - Vetiver & Jicky
Diptyque - Tam Dao
Floris - #89
Taylors - Sandalwood
YSL - Kouros
Creed - Bois Du Portugal
Dior - Eau Sauvage

 

[Baltimoron]

1) Bulgari Aqua Marine
Alternate: Davidoff Cool Water or Armani Acqua di Guo

2) Dior Sauvage EdT
Alternate: Creed Aventus or Club de Nuit Intense Man EDP

3) Paco Rabanne Invictus
Alternate: Ralph Lauren Polo Red Extreme

4) Gucci Guilty
Alternate: Versace Eros EdP

5) Joop Homme
Alternate: JPG Ultra Male

6) Hugo Boss Boss Bottled EdT or Boss Bottled Intense
Alternate: Lacoste Pour Home

7) Acqua di Parma Colonia
Alternate: Karl Lagerfeld Classic

8) CK Shock
Alternate: Burberry London

9) Parfums de Marly Percival
Alternate: Montblanc Legend EdT or Dua #Fierce Parfum Extrait

10) Spicebomb Extreme by Viktor & Rolf
Alternate: Dolce and Gabanna The One EdP

 

[Billski]

Spicebomb Extreme by Viktor & Rolf
Alternate: Dolce and Gabanna The One EdP
Might try this one.

 

[Drseid]

Ten Classics (in their original formulations):
1. Lucifer by Renaissance Fragrances
2. Mitsouko by Guerlain
3. Diorella by Dior
4. No. 89 by Floris
5. Fougere Royale by Houbigant
6. Captain by Molyneux
7. Monsieur de Givenchy by Givenchy
8. Eau Sauvage by Dior
9. Polo by Ralph Lauren
10. Giorgio for Men by Giorgio Beverly Hills

Ten Current Designer Fragrances (some are limited distribution designers):
1. Aqua di Gio Profumo by Armani
2. Cool Water by Davidoff
3. Terre d'Hermes by Hermes
4. Montana Black Edition by Montana
5. Tzora by Anat Fritz
6. Classical by Anat Fritz
7. Cuiron by Helmut Lang
8. Javanese Patchouli by Zegna
9. Or Black by Pascal Morabito
10. Costume National Homme by Costume National

Ten Niche Fragrances:
1. Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle
2. Jasmin Antique by Rogue Perfumery
3. Dia Man by Amouage
4. Les Nombres d'Or Vetyver by Mona di Orio
5. Oud Shamash by The Different Company
6. X for Men by Clive Christian
7. The Moon by Frederic Malle
8. Le Parfum Denis Durand Couture by M. Micallef
9. Hasu-no-Hana by Grossmith
10. Nombre Noir by Shiseido

 

[jhe888]

Chanel pour Monsieur, a favorite of mine, but they say it is different now. I haven't had any in quite a while. A chypre, with lots of citrus, very fresh, clean, and light.

Dior Eau Sauvage, also a little different now because it uses fake oakmoss (which everyone does), but it isn't too different, as oakmoss wasn't too prominent. A classic chypre - citrus (often bergamot) over patchouli over oakmoss/labdanum is basic recipe for any chypre, with lots of additions and variants. A total classic. Hard not to like.

Aramis is another classic, although I don't love it myself. It is also a chypre, but different with a lot of leather, musk, and more woodyness. It is very classic, and American manly. I have heard it said that this is a scent that epitomizes Studio 54 and the disco, open-shirt scene. I wouldn't know about that, as I was too young to be there and didn't live in NY.

Guerlain Vetiver. A very woody chypre. Citrus and vetiver (duh), with other woodsy notes. A classic vetiver scent.

Drakkar Noir. Which I don't care for at all. A fougere, very spicy, woody, leather, amber, and resiny - a real knockout punch to the nose. It was everywhere in the '80s and '90s, though.

If this list makes me a geezer, then so be it. My son is a cologne lover, and I just have not loved the modern ones he has. Many of them seem to have a synthetic or unnatural smell to me. A couple from Tom Ford have been good, but I am not sure I can name which ones. But the thread is about classics, so the above are classics in my mind.

 

[TMacpherson]

I can’t say I have 10 (just 9) but I do have a list of favorites. Mine are a little esoteric and not many of the big boys on the list. Hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday!

Musgo Real Aqua de Colonia No. 2 - Oak Moss
Bulgari White Tea
HEELEY Sel Marin
Floris Cefiro
Trumper Eucris
Diptyque Figuier
PARFUMS DE NICOLAI Cuir Cuba Intense
Comme des Garcons Olfactory Library: Sequoia
Cote Bastide Parfumee au Figuier

 

[Settling for DFS]

Based on my own limited collection:

Aramis
Quorum
Halston 1-12
PS (Paul Sebastian) Cologne
Kiehl’s Original Musk
Rochas Man
Michael Jordan
Thiery Mugler Alien
Oud Mosaic (Banana Republic)
Extreme Blue, Michael Kors

Honorable Mention:
Lomani White Gold
Engiish Laundry Tahitian Waters
John Varvatos Artisan Pure