The delight of scents and my favourite picks. What are yours?

[Marco]

My dear B&B friends, the scents in all grooming products, are for me olfactory delight. They are a true pleasure for the nose and they are so important to be considered a vital part of the performance of my beloved stuff. Here is a list of my favourite picks:

- Floral scents: I love the fragrances of Rose and Lavender. Most of my bath soaps come into these two superb flowery scents.

- Fruity scents: I adore the perfumes of Lemon and Lime. Many of my favourite summer deodorants are made with these two outstanding citrusy scents.

-Woody scents: I'm a huge fan of the notes of Cedarwood and Oakmoss. Most of my colognes have pronounced hints of these two mighty woody scents.

- Unique scents: To complete the list I want to mention the magnificence of the odours of Tobacco, Leather and Black Pepper. These three different and delicious smells are frequently present in many of my preferred grooming products, of any kind.

Gentlemen, how would you describe the scents in your beloved stuff? Are they important for you? What are your favourite picks?

 

[emwolf]

The scent is very important to me. I'm not a huge fan of floral or non-citrus fruit. I like the woody, tobacco, citrus and earthy scents primarily. I just shaved this morning with DeLuxe Shaving Soap Rockers (very earthy scent) followed by Bootleggers El Dorado (combination of English Leather, Classic Vanilla and Special Reserve) also very earthy and leathery.

 

[dws]

My scent preferences (in my rotation) change from day to day/week to week. It might be citrus or it might be wood. But it's all important to me.

Herbs/Botanicals: Basil, mint, tea tree, peppercorn, sage & rosemary (I like these scents blended in my bar soaps, shave soaps, and aftershaves. Tea tree and mint is a great combination in Winter to me)

Citrus: Lime & grapefruit (The epitome of Summer fresh. I like these in all varieties of my collection. I especially love lime mixed with the pungency of basil. I like both citrus flavors on their own too.)

Wood: Cedar & sandalwood (I love cedar year round. It's warming in the Winter and keeps the bugs away in the Summer. Sandalwood is a staple in my Winter shave soap & aftershave rotation)

Unique Scents: I'm just going to say Crown Shaving Co. Aftershave Tonic, as it's exactly what I like in the "unique" category. An incredibly invigorating blend of talc, leather, anise, bergamot, bay rum. Every time I splash some on, I feel like I've just left the barber shop. And isn't that a wonderful feeling?!

 

[scalped]

- Unique scents: To complete the list I want to mention the magnificence of the odours of Tobacco, Leather and Black Pepper. These three different and delicious smells are frequently present in many of my preferred grooming products, of any kind.

Then you must try the EDT Replica Jazz club- it has all of these elements wonderfully combined....

 

[Vespasian]

--Rose
--Almond
--Grapefruit
--Classic cologne/neroli

These are the four scent groups I rotate through yearly. Right now, it's winter/rose, with with my new Martin de Cendre rose top of the pile.

 

[Heron]

My favorites are:
All citruses, especially bergamot
Cucumber
Lavender
Black pepper
Ginger
Juniper
Coffee
Vetiver

 

[LostHighway]

At this juncture I'm not sure that I have trained enough fragrance sensory system to offer an intelligent answer but I'll venture a few observations. I think there are at least two separate questions here:
What specific scents do you like?
and
What scents do you like in (male?) grooming products?
At least for myself the answers are quite different. I love the scent of peonies, roses, heliotrope, old fashioned sweet peas, tuberose, lilacs, etc. but I would never wear those as a dominant scent. Geranium leaves I possibly might like as a primary note.
Fruit notes like citrus (all variants), mango, peach, passion fruit,... are also scents I like but I would never wear fragrance dominated by those notes.
Herbal or spice notes like sage, black pepper, cardamon, mace, ginger, lemongrass, basil, cilantro or clove I like. Tea and coffee scents I definitely like.
I like almost all wood notes although too much conifer is not IMO a good thing.
I probably have more interest in and acceptance of slightly out there scents than many people do as I enjoy washed rind cheeses, some of the scents related to brettanomyces-fermented craft beers (often variously described as hay, horse blanket or barnyard), leather, musky scents (I would only buy the synthetics of animalistic scents as I'm not down with killing or torturing animals for vanity), smoke, rubber, the whiff of decay in some wines or washed rind cheeses, etc.
What I like in personal fragrances are interesting combinations that are complex and evocative as well as slightly subtle. IMO too much sillage is never a good thing. I think scent should never precede you into a room or extend to more than a meter radius (at the very most) and should you leave the room it should not persist for more than a minute or two and then only faintly.

 

[Eutychus]

Marco, this is a great thread! But can we follow up with some recommendations in those categories of scent? What soaps/body washes have a tobacco, cedarwood, lavender, etc. scents that you like? I'm looking for recommendations.

 

[Phog Allen]

My preferences are similar to Marco's for the most part. I will say that so far, King Brown pomade is the best smell hair dressing I have encountered. A slightly sweet tobacco affair I cannot get enough of. I would dearly love to a shave soap and aftershave in this fragrance.

Another great thread Marco.

 

[Marco]

Marco, this is a great thread! But can we follow up with some recommendations in those categories of scent? What soaps/body washes have a tobacco, cedarwood, lavender, etc. scents that you like? I'm looking for recommendations.

Yes Sir, we certainly can! I will mention two great Italian brands that I know very well and that I really love: Nesti Dante (nestidante.com) and I Provenzali (iprovenzali.it). Both produce excellent quality soaps made with pure natural ingredients and both are sold at a very reasonable price point. In particular, there's one line from each brand that I really, really adore. Here they are:

Nesti Dante "Marsiglia Toscano"

I Provenzali "Sapone per Viso e Toeletta"

 

[Eutychus]

Marco, thank you! I think I'd love to try one or more of these. By the way, are you familiar with Malizia Vetiver? I have tried neither the cologne nor the soap, but I love vetiver.

 

[Marco]

Marco, thank you! I think I'd love to try one or more of these. By the way, are you familiar with Malizia Vetiver? I have tried neither the cologne nor the soap, but I love vetiver.

Sir, Malizia is a typical drugstore/supermarket brand (Mirato Company) that for my standards is "just OK": nothing bad, but nothing exceptional either. If you love vetiver and want a very high quality soap, made with only the best ingredients you could consider the Saponificio Artigianale Fiorentino. Here is the link Saponi Singoli

P.S. I am a believer and supporter of high quality products made at an artisan level and sold at a fair price point.

 

[Eutychus]

Sir, Malizia is a typical drugstore/supermarket brand (Mirato Company) that for my standards is "just OK": nothing bad, but nothing exceptional either. If you love vetiver and want a very high quality soap, made with only the best ingredients you could consider the Saponificio Artigianale Fiorentino. Here is the link Saponi Singoli

P.S. I am a believer and supporter of high quality products made at an artisan level and sold at a fair price point.

Thank you, Marco! "Ask and ye shall receive (an answer)."

 

[Jnatcat]

For me scents have been the mossy oak, leafy tobacco, leather smells, never have been a fan of the lemon-lime-citrus splashes or soaps.

 

[jkf69]

Yes Sir, we certainly can! I will mention two great Italian brands that I know very well and that I really love: Nesti Dante (nestidante.com) and I Provenzali (iprovenzali.it). Both produce excellent quality soaps made with pure natural ingredients and both are sold at a very reasonable price point. In particular, there's one line from each brand that I really, really adore. Here they are:

Nesti Dante "Marsiglia Toscano"

View attachment 760974

I Provenzali "Sapone per Viso e Toeletta"

View attachment 760975

Now if I could find them cheaper than $10 a bar, stateside..soundlike they be right up alley.. Still serching

 

[frstplce]

Now if I could find them cheaper than $10 a bar, stateside..soundlike they be right up alley.. Still serching

Check Marshalls & Homegoods. They often get luxury soaps in, and I have come across Nesti Dante on a couple of occasions. At least around here, almost all soap bars are marked $4.