Why do most British colognes (TOBS, GFT and T&H) smell the same?

[BYUTexan]

I stopped by British Isles yesterday to see in person the Trumpers, TOBS, MWF, and T&H products in person. After sampling many of their colognes, I could smell only very subtle differences and all seemed to have a spicy musk, that kind of dissappointed me. Examples:

TOBS Eton College: smelled nothing like the cream I was disappointed

St James seemed very mild and soapy.

GFT Marlborough and Curzon smelled musky and very similar, couldn't tell the difference from the others with the exception of their Sandalwood, including TOBS. Granted these were all testers but I'm hoping that it was due to exposure and not poor scent?

 

[Macion grey]

Umm, some TOBS and T&H smell simmilar, like Mr Taylors and Grafton respectively, but they certainly do not all smell the same.

I suspect funky samples or a nose plugged with pudding.

 

[heirkb]

Umm, some TOBS and T&H smell simmilar, like Mr Taylors and Grafton respectively, but they certainly do not all smell the same.

I suspect funky samples or a nose plugged with pudding.

I suspect the latter. And now, to eat the chocolate pudding that has been sitting next to my computer, tempting me for the past two days

 

[The National Razor]

Maybe somewhat similar in the sample vials, but definitely not at all alike on the skin. English colognes aren't for everyone, but I really like a lot of them and am "meh" about others--I don't seem to really hate any that I've tried.

But they do seem to all have a certain...idiom, don't they? They dont smell alike but they have something in common, I'm not sure what. So in that sense I hear you.

By the way, how is British Isles? I've been meaning to go there but they close at 6, and I never feel like it on the weekends.

 

[gone down south]

Also, after the 4th or so sample your nose is going to get overwhelmed and not really be able to distinguish odors anymore. At that point they just all run together.

 

[Matt P]

By the way, how is British Isles?

For me the green fields of England feel like home. As a yank of almost complete English ancestry I feel a siren's call for my ancestral home. I've spent most of my time in East Anglia. Life there is much slower than London, but strolling a village High Street and enjoying a pint at the pub is an experience everyone should have.

If you go to the UK, spend a couple of days in London. After that, rent a car and get lost in the countryside.

 

[BYUTexan]

For me the green fields of England feel like home. As a yank of almost complete English ancestry I feel a siren's call for my ancestral home. I've spent most of my time in East Anglia. Life there is much slower than London, but strolling a village High Street and enjoying a pint at the pub is an experience everyone should have.

If you go to the UK, spend a couple of days in London. After that, rent a car and get lost in the countryside.

Thats on my list of things to do in my lifetime.

 

[BYUTexan]

Maybe somewhat similar in the sample vials, but definitely not at all alike on the skin. English colognes aren't for everyone, but I really like a lot of them and am "meh" about others--I don't seem to really hate any that I've tried.

But they do seem to all have a certain...idiom, don't they? They dont smell alike but they have something in common, I'm not sure what. So in that sense I hear you.

By the way, how is British Isles? I've been meaning to go there but they close at 6, and I never feel like it on the weekends.

The British Isles is a quaint, yet well stocked store tucked away near Rice University in SW Houston. They carried all the major English Brands (no Castle Forbes though and were out of stock of the MWF soap) All the Taylor, Trumper and T&H colognes and AS. Trumpers, Sandalwood, Coconut, Rose and Violets lines. It was about what I expected. The man who owns and runs the shops is a gentlemen from Kent, a very courteous helpful man.

The prices are higher than what you would get online. They had samples of pretty much all the colognes. BTW I saw the bath soap bars from MWF and let me say they are no more than 1/3rd of what I expected for that size, very small (same with their shampoos and body wash).

Oh I forgot to mention, you also want to bring your wife with you if you make a trip there as the shop is mostly stuff like Pottery and crafts and all sorts of stuff, a neat place to visit.