brehs lets talk cologne game

[skyrunner1]

It's finally that time of year brehs

Time to bring out the heavier scents

Been rotating Pure Havane and Pure Tonka lately and been getting compliments.

Between those two, Herod and TV, I'm all set for the colder months.

For casual/work, I just stick with AdG Profumo or Grey Vetiver ( ). If I want something more youthful I go with Layton or Aoud Lemon Mint.

Breh I know for sure fragrances made me appreciate this time of year wayyyy more, the whole playbook is open

 

[Remote]

I've got Victory - it's a bit chocolate-y. It's not one I reach for, but it's solid. I wouldn't call it serious because it's sweet. Anything sweet, I personally associate with weekends, dates, hitting the club, or something I wear around the flat.

If I needed to go to a job interview, I'd rock that Bleu de Chanel you've got now. Sporty, Clean, Elegant, smells good, not necessarily memorable.

In terms of "grown man" colognes - what I think of is an upscale dinner where you let the valet park the Hyundai Elantra, watching August Wilson plays with your boo, or Church Holiday - I think of more spice, more wood, but not sweet.

Dior - Sauvage Elixir (~150 ish) - it's like a super strong Drakkar type scent.
Armani - Acqua Di Gio Profumo (harder to find, ~100) - It's got a bit of that Acqua di Gio DNA - but to me the strong part is the incense

Designer style Oud's (as opposed to Arab style)
Versace - Pour Homme Oud Noir
Gucci - Intense Oud
Gucci - Guilty Oud

Tom Ford's Oud Wood - is probably out of the price range for what you get, imo. I'd say Tuscan Leather over Oud Wood - but Tuscan Leather is somewhat limited in where I would rock it.

Kevin Samuels last real great pick was TF's Ebene Fume - Cologne Snobs seem were split on it when it dropped, but now it's well respected. I got the clone, and it's cool. I need to make 1M a year after tax before I would consider copping it blind though.

Aventus (pineapple and smoked birch) is another grown man scent, and I'm guessing Montblanc Explorer is the better clone.

Why is the ADG profumo hard to find? Is it discontinued?

 

[WIA20XX]

Why is the ADG profumo hard to find? Is it discontinued?

It's not longer on the Armani site, and it's starting to disappear. It's on Sephora/Ulta, but not Macy's, Dillard's, Nordstrom. Just a matter of time.

 

[Remote]

It's not longer on the Armani site, and it's starting to disappear. It's on Sephora/Ulta, but not Macy's, Dillard's, Nordstrom. Just a matter of time.

 

[desjardins]

Never buy a full bottle of anything, before you test it out. And I mean rock it for a few weeks.

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If I had 100-150 bucks to spend - I'd buy 100-150 bucks of 5ml samples.

4 100ml bottles of Fragrance = 3 years of spraying them on everyday.
So 5 ml should last 3-5 weeks if you used it constantly.

RE: Aventus - I feel the same way. It's fine. I'm not running out to buy another bottle.
But some of the time you're not rocking it for yourself, instead you're wearing fragrance for other people, to project a certain image.

Green Irish Tweed - it's a favorite - compared to Aventus, I would run out a buy a full bottle. It's pretty elegant and grown up - but to me it's also in that "fresh"/"sporty" category.

And that's part of the "fun" of fragrance - it's very subjective.

Thanks for this. I'm trying expand my collection but it's hard for me to spend $500+ based mostly off youtube reviews and 30 seconds of sniffing in the store

 

[Remote]

@WIA20XX

So let's say I'm looking at 3 to 5 samples to get from Scent Split for the Fall/Winter...which ones do you recommend I try?

 

[Remote]

I'll take any recommendations from others if they found something dope recently. Preferably something I can get off Scent Split tho so I don't have to commit to it.

 

[Brandsdale]

I'll take any recommendations from others if they found something dope recently. Preferably something I can get off Scent Split tho so I don't have to commit to it.

im prob gonna catch heat for this old recommedation but I have yet to find a scent better than Givenchy Play

 

[Remote]

im prob gonna catch heat for this old recommedation but I have yet to find a scent better than Givenchy Play

Alright so my immediate reaction is...no. Because all the Givenchy's I've smelled in stores felt way too feminine and sweet. But I guess NOT ALL smell that way.

I'm willing to give it a shot

 

[Brandsdale]

Alright so my immediate reaction is...no. Because all the Givenchy's I've smelled in stores felt way too feminine and sweet. But I guess NOT ALL smell that way.

I'm willing to give it a shot

it def does have a bit of a sweeter scent to it bit its not overpowering. I just remember using this and that dumbass milliondollar paco robane joints thru all my 20s. I remember a lot of shorties even mentioning they like it few years back

 

[WIA20XX]

@WIA20XX

So let's say I'm looking at 3 to 5 samples to get from Scent Split for the Fall/Winter...which ones do you recommend I try?

@Duke Wy Lin

Got my 3 of my top 5 in his daily rotation, lol.

Been rotating Pure Havane and Pure Tonka lately and been getting compliments.

Between those two, Herod and TV, I'm all set for the colder months.

I'm not too deep in the game, most of my picks you'll see on a Youtuber list. But these the are the ones I own and recommend.

So Fall/Winter

1) Spice - think cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, apple pie, stuff like that

1. Viktor and Rolf - Spice Bomb Extreme - smells like Thanksgiving to me. Expect your chick to want to go get some Pumpkin Spice Lattes after this - (but Infrared is a good look - smells like a red hot candy)
2. Paco Rabanne - One Million Prive - Apple Pie Spice - hard to find the bottle, but you can probably get the decant
3. By Kilian - Angel's Share - Apple Pie Spice/Whisky/Honey - This one is not slept on by people into colognes, but I feel like more folks should be up on it.

2) Wood - fresh cut, aged, something you just expect in the cold.

1. Givenchy - Gentleman Boisee - I like this whole line. Woody + Lipstick. It's real popular, but I can see folks not feeling it.
2. Lalique - Encre Noire - woody, earthy. This is an acquired taste. Even though the full bottle is cheap, cop the sample.

3) Leather - like a good leather jacket

1. Tom Ford - Tuscan Leather - It's supposed to be raspberries and leather, smells like an ash tray to me. But it's one of them thing i come back to. It's like you get to the point in your life where you like licorice. Dior's Fahrenheit is in this zone too, but that smells like gasoline.
2. Tom Ford - Ombre Leather EDP - a sweet Leather if you can imagine that. The parfum (more oils) smells a lot like it, but not exact

4) Brown Liquor

1. BVLGARI - Man in Black - Spices, Rum, Tobacco - but it's got some florals in it, so you could rock it to work
2. Mugler - Pure Malt (you can find the decant, good luck finding a bottle) - good Whisky. See Angel's Share above as well.
3. Maison Martin Margiela - Jazz Club - Allegedly rum? I rocks with it, but not heavy in the rotation.

5) Tobacco

1. Tom Ford - Tobacco Vanille - My #1a of all time, (#1b is Tobacco Oud) - Buying the sample is fine, but this is one your incense man will probably have too. I can't really smell the difference between the 10 dollar oil and the 300 dollar bottle from Nordstrom. - Cigar type tobacco
2. D&G - The One EDP - This is nice, but kinda weak on the performance. Perfect for like 2nd-5th date. Chick close enough to lean in on you.
3. Le Labo - Tabac 28 - My current #1 stunna. The clones of this are really good. If you can find the decant, cop. - Daddy rolling up some tobacco leaf to put the ganja in type smell.
4. Parfums de Marly - Herod - I think this is PDM's best scent, Layton #2, Habdan/Oajan #3a and #3b. But this is a sharp much spicier (pepper?) tobacco. To me this is James Brown about 1969, walking into a pool hall in Harlem.

6) Coffee

1. Maison Martin Margiela - Coffee Break - More like Starbucks, not opening a bag of beans. Pleasant
2. Halloween - Maybe - Halloween Man X - it's cheap but damn that opening is ROUGH. Dark Roast Coffee

7) Sweet/Caramel/Honey

1. Jean Paul Gaultier - Ultramale or Le Male Parfum - The bottle ain't Harlem *pause*. But both are strong and sweet joint. Ultra has more Pear, and the Parfum is just strong. Beware - JPG got like 50 versions of this scent, so it's not a grab and go. Gotta read the label.
2. Armani - Stronger With You, SWY Intensely, SWY Absolutely - I've got 80% of this collection (including oud, freeze, and leather), and the chestnut sugar thing is kinda addictive. Absolutely is the hard one to find, but the others are good. too.
3. Nishane - Naxos - It's got a lot of stuff in it (tobacco included) , but to me the honey is what I notice
4. Parfums De Marly - Layton - I think it has apple at the top. It's good year round, but I think it's really good in the cold.
5. Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Baccarat Rouge 540 - It smells like cotton candy. It's been out for 7 years, but it just starting to get mainstream popularity. Girls love it, and girls love it on guys. Own it, use it sparingly. Would not buy a full bottle.
6. Rasasi - Tobacco Blaze - It smells like raspberry shisha - so mostly raspberry, some tobacco, and some leather.
7. Maison Martin Margiela - By the Fireplace - toasted marshmallow -

8) Powerhouse - Strictly for Live Men, not Freshmen

1. Initio Parfums/Lattafa - Oud for Glory/Oud for Greatness - I say just get the 1ml/3ml - cause 5ml might be too much. Oud is generally a strong wood, can go from medicinal, incense-y, to barnyard-y. These were my introductions to Oud, and realized I'm still in the kiddie pool when it comes to the cologne game. Tom Ford's Oud Wood, Versace's Oud Noir, Gucci Guilty Oud, Gucci Intense Oud are also more laid back versions of oud. Acquired taste. I think most people start digging oud (and then oud + rose + saffron) because Oud is talked about A LOT in the community.
2. Dior - Sauvage Elixir - Probably mentioned this one 5 times on this thread alone. If you like this at the store off one spray - it STAYS LIKE THAT - the entire day. Can you deal with that 6 hours later?
3. Frederick Malle - Musc Ravageur - First niche spray I rocked with and love at first sniff.

Top 5 out of this list, i'd recommend someone just getting into this

1. Spicebomb Extreme (16) or Angel's Share (35...)
2. Gentleman Boisee (12) - probably the easiest one to wear at work/all the time. But might be too boring for some.
3. Tobacco Vanille (27) or Herod (16)
4. Ombre Leather EDP (17)
5. Stronger with You (16)

~77 - 107 - for about 30 ml. (keep in mind, you can buy 100 ml of 1 scent for ~100 - so they're making their money)

But starting out, I bought too many full bottles of stuff I probably won't wear, because they were "safe" blindbuys.
Eros Flame, One Million Lucky, Voyage, L'Homme Ideal EDP.

 

[lightskin jermaine]

Appreciate you brother, Im looking to do something nice for Coli, and BGOL but may have to change up the codes. So def stay tuned. We have over 15 new fragrances coming by xmas

Gone head and release a sampler pack so I can smell them all and buy my favorite ones.

 

[Duke Wy Lin]

Tbh you don't need a full bottle of anything if your collection is decent. I still got 3 10 ml decants I copped off Mancera like 3 years ago, they are half full. Let alone my actual bottles. Some scents you'll only pull out when the season/occasion is right, and then you'll still rotate them heavy.

Especially these high-end niche scents that you'll only use occasionally, you're better off copping decants. Not to mention the fact that there are some excellent clones to the point where you can't tell the difference.

I will never in my life pay full price for Aventus or GIT

Too many great clones that come at a fraction of the price.

 

[Remote]

@Duke Wy Lin

Got my 3 of my top 5 in his daily rotation, lol.


I'm not too deep in the game, most of my picks you'll see on a Youtuber list. But these the are the ones I own and recommend.

So Fall/Winter

1) Spice - think cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, apple pie, stuff like that

1. Viktor and Rolf - Spice Bomb Extreme - smells like Thanksgiving to me. Expect your chick to want to go get some Pumpkin Spice Lattes after this - (but Infrared is a good look - smells like a red hot candy)
2. Paco Rabanne - One Million Prive - Apple Pie Spice - hard to find the bottle, but you can probably get the decant
3. By Kilian - Angel's Share - Apple Pie Spice/Whisky/Honey - This one is not slept on by people into colognes, but I feel like more folks should be up on it.

2) Wood - fresh cut, aged, something you just expect in the cold.

1. Givenchy - Gentleman Boisee - I like this whole line. Woody + Lipstick. It's real popular, but I can see folks not feeling it.
2. Lalique - Encre Noire - woody, earthy. This is an acquired taste. Even though the full bottle is cheap, cop the sample.

3) Leather - like a good leather jacket

1. Tom Ford - Tuscan Leather - It's supposed to be raspberries and leather, smells like an ash tray to me. But it's one of them thing i come back to. It's like you get to the point in your life where you like licorice. Dior's Fahrenheit is in this zone too, but that smells like gasoline.
2. Tom Ford - Ombre Leather EDP - a sweet Leather if you can imagine that. The parfum (more oils) smells a lot like it, but not exact

4) Brown Liquor

1. BVLGARI - Man in Black - Spices, Rum, Tobacco - but it's got some florals in it, so you could rock it to work
2. Mugler - Pure Malt (you can find the decant, good luck finding a bottle) - good Whisky. See Angel's Share above as well.
3. Maison Martin Margiela - Jazz Club - Allegedly rum? I rocks with it, but not heavy in the rotation.

5) Tobacco

1. Tom Ford - Tobacco Vanille - My #1a of all time, (#1b is Tobacco Oud) - Buying the sample is fine, but this is one your incense man will probably have too. I can't really smell the difference between the 10 dollar oil and the 300 dollar bottle from Nordstrom. - Cigar type tobacco
2. D&G - The One EDP - This is nice, but kinda weak on the performance. Perfect for like 2nd-5th date. Chick close enough to lean in on you.
3. Le Labo - Tabac 28 - My current #1 stunna. The clones of this are really good. If you can find the decant, cop. - Daddy rolling up some tobacco leaf to put the ganja in type smell.
4. Parfums de Marly - Herod - I think this is PDM's best scent, Layton #2, Habdan/Oajan #3a and #3b. But this is a sharp much spicier (pepper?) tobacco. To me this is James Brown about 1969, walking into a pool hall in Harlem.

6) Coffee

1. Maison Martin Margiela - Coffee Break - More like Starbucks, not opening a bag of beans. Pleasant
2. Halloween - Maybe - Halloween Man X - it's cheap but damn that opening is ROUGH. Dark Roast Coffee

7) Sweet/Caramel/Honey

1. Jean Paul Gaultier - Ultramale or Le Male Parfum - The bottle ain't Harlem *pause*. But both are strong and sweet joint. Ultra has more Pear, and the Parfum is just strong. Beware - JPG got like 50 versions of this scent, so it's not a grab and go. Gotta read the label.
2. Armani - Stronger With You, SWY Intensely, SWY Absolutely - I've got 80% of this collection (including oud, freeze, and leather), and the chestnut sugar thing is kinda addictive. Absolutely is the hard one to find, but the others are good. too.
3. Nishane - Naxos - It's got a lot of stuff in it (tobacco included) , but to me the honey is what I notice
4. Parfums De Marly - Layton - I think it has apple at the top. It's good year round, but I think it's really good in the cold.
5. Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Baccarat Rouge 540 - It smells like cotton candy. It's been out for 7 years, but it just starting to get mainstream popularity. Girls love it, and girls love it on guys. Own it, use it sparingly. Would not buy a full bottle.
6. Rasasi - Tobacco Blaze - It smells like raspberry shisha - so mostly raspberry, some tobacco, and some leather.
7. Maison Martin Margiela - By the Fireplace - toasted marshmallow -

8) Powerhouse - Strictly for Live Men, not Freshmen

1. Initio Parfums/Lattafa - Oud for Glory/Oud for Greatness - I say just get the 1ml/3ml - cause 5ml might be too much. Oud is generally a strong wood, can go from medicinal, incense-y, to barnyard-y. These were my introductions to Oud, and realized I'm still in the kiddie pool when it comes to the cologne game. Tom Ford's Oud Wood, Versace's Oud Noir, Gucci Guilty Oud, Gucci Intense Oud are also more laid back versions of oud. Acquired taste. I think most people start digging oud (and then oud + rose + saffron) because Oud is talked about A LOT in the community.
2. Dior - Sauvage Elixir - Probably mentioned this one 5 times on this thread alone. If you like this at the store off one spray - it STAYS LIKE THAT - the entire day. Can you deal with that 6 hours later?
3. Frederick Malle - Musc Ravageur - First niche spray I rocked with and love at first sniff.

Top 5 out of this list, i'd recommend someone just getting into this

1. Spicebomb Extreme (16) or Angel's Share (35...)
2. Gentleman Boisee (12) - probably the easiest one to wear at work/all the time. But might be too boring for some.
3. Tobacco Vanille (27) or Herod (16)
4. Ombre Leather EDP (17)
5. Stronger with You (16)

~77 - 107 - for about 30 ml. (keep in mind, you can buy 100 ml of 1 scent for ~100 - so they're making their money)

But starting out, I bought too many full bottles of stuff I probably won't wear, because they were "safe" blindbuys.
Eros Flame, One Million Lucky, Voyage, L'Homme Ideal EDP.

Dap.
Rep.
Undap.
Redap.
Head nod.
Mr Miyagi approval.

 

[Tunez]

Im a versatile type of guy