Today, our subject is Gregorio, a fragrance newbie and our first male victim. Gregorio owns one fragrance, Ralph Lauren Polo Blue, which he purchased after seeing an advertisement in a magazine. Other than that, the only fragrance Gregorio knew when he first contacted me (for reasons other than the Monday Mail, by the way) was 4711, which he does not like.
Here is what we know about Gregorio:
He is a rising senior at the UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in advertising with a studio art minor.
His friends say he dresses better than most people they know. It is not that he spends alot on clothes, but he has a sense of style and minds how he looks.
He loves sports, particularly surfing.
He wears fragrances lightly, and at night more than during the day.
He is spending this summer in New York City, so at least for the moment, he has excellent access to niche fragrance testers.
Gregorio would like to find something new to replace his "vanilla ice cream" Polo Blue. He wants to find a signature scent (he is not looking to collect), and he'd prefer something niche, although that is not a requirement.
Since Polo Blue wasn't much to go on, I asked Gregorio to venture forth into the city and try out a few scents. This he has done, and here are his testing notes:
Hermès Terre d'Hermès: The opening was good, but overall the fragrance was too subtle.
Annick Goutal Mandragore: A scrubber. "I couldn't get it off my hand quick enough. I disliked it even more after an hour of wearing it."
Guerlain Vetiver: Too citrusy. "The more I wore the less I minded it but it never grew on me."
Guerlain Habit Rouge: He liked the top notes, but did not like the soft, powdery dry down, and was disappointed with the lasting power.
Bvlgari Black: This was his least favorite of all; it was too strong & gave him a headache.
Prada Man: Dull but better than Bvlgari Black.
Comme des Garcons 2 Man: "Like vanilla ice cream, OK but nothing special."
L'Artisan Fou d'Absinthe: The opening was too smoky and "smelled like pine trees". He did not like this one.
Thierry Mugler A*Men: Gregorio liked this one."It feels like a refined version of what I used to wear (Polo Blue), if that makes sense."
Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa: This one was a hit, but Gregorio wished it has lasted longer.
So, what say you? I think this is our biggest challenge yet. I have a couple recommendations, and I'm hoping ya'all have more than I do.
First, Thierry Mugler A*Men Pure Coffee. It isn't niche, but it's a great variation on the original A*Men and I don't think it will be as widely worn. Gregorio could find this at any major department store. The drawback is that it's limited edition. If Gregorio likes it, he should buy two bottles now.
Next, over at Barney's, Gregorio might try the new Bois d'Orage by Frederic Malle. This is somewhat of a shot in the dark, but I think it might suit him. And while he is there, he might give a quick sniff to Vetiver Extraordinaire, just in case it was only the citrus that put him off Guerlain Vetiver.
Last but not least, Gregorio might want to return to Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa and give it a real workout to test the lasting power. Try 2-3 good sprays to the arm, and maybe let a little get on his clothes. See if that helps it make it through the day.
Note: image PTT... by Mzelle Biscotte at Flickr, some rights reserved.
Some vetivers to try: Racine by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, Kenzo Air (with a distinct anice note), or Givenchy's Vetyver. I know that Dior's Farenheit 32 is not niche, but it is defintely worth a spray if he likes A*men.
Delighted to help a fellow Tarheel! I suggest Versace's The Dreamer, Caron's Troisieme Homme, Divine's L'Homme Sage, and if you can find it, Crown's Eau de Quinine. Cheers, Sara
Gregorio, you can find Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier at Aedes in the Village, and actually, if nothing else here pans out, you could do worse than to go to Aedes and throw yourself at the mercy of the sales staff. They have a great selection there. The others you should be able to find at a department store.
Gregorio, the Caron should be at Bergdorf Goodman (I think), and the Divine you can find at Takashimaya on 5th. The Crown will not be easy to find.
G, you'll find Kiehl's Musk at any Kiehl's counter (Bergdorfs should have one, can't remember but think Barneys does too).
Robin/Gregorio –
I second Divine's L'Homme Sage (as mentioned before) and add L’homme de coeur…..both are great fragrances from the Divine House.
Yerbamate from Lorenzo Villoresi might be a good choice – there is a mild sweetness throughout without getting into the vanilla territory.
Also, The Different Company Bois d’Iris has a nice “masculine” sweetness to it, and if Gregorio is REALLY adventurous, The Different Company's Rose Poivree is quite unusual….
Good Luck,
Marko
For a taste of niche, how about PdN New York or L'Artisan Navegar? My dept store scent recs run a wider gamut of Allure Homme Sport (has a choice of three), Hermès Rocabar (the pine might be a deal-breaker, though), Cartier Déclaration; he might want to explore the Emporio Armani line (White/Red comes to mind first). CK Truth could be to his taste as well. As for RL, why not spray some Romance Silver and see if he likes its slightly dirty cypress musk? 😉 Doubt he'd bowl over M7, but he might give the Fresh a go.
Since he liked A*Men, Gregorio should definitely try Lolita Lempicka or Rochas Man, and if he feels particularly adventurous, he might consider Fumerie Turque.
That's it from me 🙂
I was going to suggest Lolita Lempicka for men as well. Also, kind of niche although I'm not sure if it's considered that Jo Malone's Amber and Lavender smells great on Men as well.
My husband surfs also so I was thinking G might want to sample CSP Aqua Motu.
Along the lines of the Aqua di Parma, he should sample Gendarme Sky. *it has good lasting power*
And I know this is not niche but I love it on men – I would like to suggest 212 Men by Carolina Herrera. It's a good nighttime scent.
Have fun sampling. Everyone has given you really good recs.
Dawn
Gregorio, You will find Lorenzo Villoresi at Lafco NY on Lafayette Street in Soho. The Different Company is carried by Takashimaya.
While at Aedes, he should try Parfums d'Empire Cuir Ottoman. Vastly different from what he's used to wearing but an elegant scent, wearable in summer and winter (at least by me). Another possibility is Chanel Cuir de Russie (obviously I'm on a leather kick).
On a completely different tack, Agraria has a Bitter Orange that smells just like Constant Comment tea, though way more elegant, with a fresh, spicy quality that would suit his age and style, I think.
The Jo Malone will be at Bergdorfs.
Sorry 'bout the abbreviations 🙂
I wasn't aware M7 Fresh can't be found in the US but if I'm not wrong, Fumerie came out in the 50ml LE bottle, no?
Hey, both good ideas but Cuir Ottoman especially — great leather scent, and might just be perfect.
No worries! Fumerie Turque was the 2006 “export LE”, so it's rather hard to find now.
New London Pharmacy carries Comptoir Sud Pacifique (CSP). Offhand don't know where to find the Gendarme — anyone else?
Oooops…. I meant CHIC for Men by Carolina Herrera. EEek – not 212. Sorry.
Gendarme Sky was at Nordstrom's last time I heard.
Dawn
No Nordies in NYC, alas!
How about Gendarme Sky?
My computer blipped before I finished the other suggestion which was Acqua di Parma Mirto di Panarea. I don't know much about the staying power.
Yes, Dawnkana mentioned that just above 🙂
Gregorio, that is by Acqua di Parma's Blu Mediterraneo line.
The only retailer in NYC which carries Gendarme (the whole lot from the original to Gendarme V to Gendarme Sky) is Barney's – and only the location on Madison and 60th – the Barney's Co-ops don't stock it.
Thanks Julien!
If it doesn't have to be niche, L'Instant du Guerlain Pour Homme is just extraordinarily good. Knize Ten is sort of niche-y, and you can easily get it at the usual online discounters. If L'Artisan Parfumeur still counts as a proper niche line, then I'd recommend L'eau Du Navigateur, despite what Luca Turin has to say about it. All three of these are fairly dark, but not heavy (you could wear them on an average summer day, I would think), and they're all seriously sexy.
I don't think you can buy Navigateur in the US anymore, only Navegar, unfortunately. Otherwise, that might be perfect.
Agree on the L'Instant.
Gregorio, there is probably someplace in NY where you can try Knize Ten in person, but I don't know where.
Try the L'Artisan boutique in Henri Bendel, I feel like I saw Navigateur there a few months ago. Maybe also call the L'Artisan boutiques around NYC — I feel like they often “find a few bottles” of the supposedly long discontinued stuff.
I'd recommend that Gregorio at least give a try to Burberry London for Men & Bvlgari Blv for Men.
Also, it's worth mentioning that something that seems positively “too much” in the heat of a New York summer will wear very differently in the winter (even in North Carolina).
If Gregorio is intent on the Eau de Quinine, it's listed as being available at Parfumerie Nasreen in Seattle.
I think a case for my most mainstream favourite:
(1994s) Dolce&Gabbana pour Homme (can't mention it too often…).
It has both fougère (very herbal heart accord) and oriental qualities. The opening is citrussy – less sharp than Habit Rouge. It has one of the best lasting powers around. It's not foody but honey sweet and spicy-warm with a herbal lavender note all the way through. The drydown is woody (sandal & cedar) with tonka & tobacco, not the powdery base, which Gregorio doesn't seem to like. Very pleasing but still with lots of character. I find it quite masculine but in a smart way, slightly “old-fashioned”, some might say. Addictive.
This description applies to my just empty bottle which is about 8 years old and I hope it hasn't changed as I'll soon get a new bottle.
SL Fumerie Turque (GREAT SCENT!) is available at Barney's NY.
You can find the Gendarme line at Barney's.
The one that came to mind is Yohji Homme. The combination of gourmand and wood may appeal to him. I know its discontinued but there's a lot available on eBay including 10ml bottles at quite reasonable prices and you could alway sample it first from The Perfumed Court.
Thanks, I thought they were all out!
Very true — the weather matters.
Yohji Homme is like Gap Grass: people keep bringing it up over & over again!
I would suggest L'Eau Bleue D'Issey pour Homme, it is blue as in polo, but intense as in Miyake 😉
I think that would do it… Not everybody can pull this of…but it is , IMHO the best of the “blues”
Regards and hope Gregorio's “sense of style” will help him pull it off.
P.s.: Robin, it would be interesting to know the outcome of all this “Monday mails” I mean to get to know what the people actually choose after hearing the recommendations. Is that a possibility?
I called them up just to make sure before I posted. Didnt want to post incorrect info.
I've also seen the Kiehls occasionally at our local Marshalls on New Hope Commons, + TJM at Oak Creek Village, off Garrett Road, if Gregorio ever goes there (obviously, I live very close to where he is currently!)
That was so kind of you, thanks!
Lots of great suggestions. I'm having trouble getting a good read on what would work, but how about:
Hermès Vetiver Tonka. I think vetiver is a good direction, and this one is gourmand rather than citrusy, and nicely masculine. The downside is how expensive it is (but he can always try to charm the Hermès boutique SAs into giving him a couple of the 4 mL samples).
I second the votes for FM Bois D'Orage and TDC Bois D'Iris.
In the eau de cologne direction, what about L'Eau De L'Artisan?
Oh, and I was going to mention one of my new favorites, Costes EdT. Gregorio: it is available at Aedes.
I second the Kiehl's Musk–affordable, sexy, and offbeat. Very Chapel Hill. Goes well with coffee at the Daily Grind.
And–Wow! Lots of Triangle residents on NST. I'm an ex-UNC grad student (when I lived in P'boro, which is living in exile for perfumistas) and have recently returned to my hometown of Wilmington–I never would have guessed so many NC'ers were perfume addicts. Why don't I ever meet any 'round here?
Maybe TDC Sel de Vetiver would be a good alternative to Terre d'Hermes. I actually prefer it over Td'H. Also, if it seems subtle, perhaps more sprays are in order.
Also, I sniffed Mark Birley on a strip while at scent bar, and it was a very nice fougere. Another great fougere that does not break the bank is Rive Gauche pour Homme.
my tip to making perfume last longer is to spray it on the hair. It is probably drying but hasn't seemed to affect my hair at all and the oils in your hair make fragrances last way longer. I own colona by Aqua de Parma and it lasts fine with this method.
I'm cheating because they're no longer in production, but it's very easy to purchase decants or whole bottles . . . I suggest Helmut Lang's Eau de Cologne or Cuir. These are very light but they have great lasting power. You can wear them every day, especially the Eau de Cologne. They are distinctive but true body scents and good for a young man.
I must say some of the other suggestion seem way to mature for someone so young. I love Divine L'Homme Sage but to me it has a real Cary Grant quality. I would think a young man would want something lighter.
I don't know–I think it could show some real individualism if a young man would wear Old Spice 🙂
And also, I think, at Takashimaya.
Gregorio, TDC is The Differenct Company, I think discussed above. I think they will have the Mark Birley at Barneys (?)
True, although if you have short hair, I don't think this works as well…the scent doesn't move.
MB, you could be right.
But I wonder if the scalp/hair oils help the frag last longer, and also, heat escapes through the top of the head, almost acting like a diffuser??
I second that emotion!
Oh and one more. Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil is fantastic in the muggy NYC Heat, but I think Gregorio might prefer Un Jrdin sur le Medeterane. Afterall, Fantastic Man has raved about it.
Mark Birley can be found at aedes