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The Monday Mail on Wednesday ~ help Nick find a new fragrance

Posted by Robin on 13 May 2009 54 Comments

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My apologies go out to Nick, who was expecting this post to appear on Monday. Nick grew up "always wearing a fragrance as part of [his] everyday life" and "feels naked without a scent on". He is familiar with standard designer and celebrity fare, but would like to hear our suggestions on niche and/or unusual fragrances that he might not know about. He likes his fragrances abstract and strong, and he isn't afraid of a daring scent. He lives in Australia, where niche scents can be hard to find, so please stick to things that can be purchased online (and preferably that can be easily sampled). Here is what we know about Nick:

He's in his mid-20s and works in a legal adminstration office.

He says he is "confident, sociable and artistic", and he wants a fragrance to match.

Nick loves notes of bergamot, musk, amber, sandalwood and tobacco leaves. Currently he is alternating between Gucci Pour Homme II and Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male; other past favorites include Narciso Rodriguez for Him, Jil Sander Pure and Mont Blanc Presence.

Nick doesn't like light fragrances, like Davidoff Cool Water or Dolce & Gabanna Light Blue, and he also avoids citrus scents. A few other fragrances he tried but did not care for: Joop Rococo ("a spicy smell that really got under my nose and made me almost nauseous"), Bvlgari Aqua ("reminded me of moth balls"), Christian Dior Eau Sauvage ("too old, smelled like something my dad would wear") and Jean Paul Gaultier Monsieur ("smelled like something I would clean the bathroom with").

What say you?

Note: image is Post Box: Old post box in San Gimignano (Italy) [cropped] by Luca Zappa at flickr; some rights reserved.

Filed Under: perfume talk
Tagged With: monday mail

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54 Comments

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  1. lovethescents says:
    13 May 2009 at 8:37 am

    What about
    Miller Harris Feuille de Tabac

    Serge Lutens Chergui- I adore this, by the way, but you might have to avoid it in middle of an Australian summer, mind you!

    i Profumi di Firenze Tobacco
    –focusing on your tobacco love; I know TPC ships to Australia for sampling

    Also, what about Montale’s Blue Amber? Lots of amber, musk, a hint of sandalwood…might be just right for your artistic personality as well.

    By the way, how do you feel about incense? Some CdGs have fabulous and unusual incense scents like CdG2Man, Zagorsk, Kyoto, all of which might appeal to you.

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    • Robin says:
      13 May 2009 at 8:40 am

      Nick, TPC is The Perfumed Court, a store that sells samples & decants, and CdG is Comme des Garcons.

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    • Daisy says:
      13 May 2009 at 8:59 am

      Comme de Garcons Zagorsk popped into my head too….I get a lot of nutmeg and incense out of it and it is definitely a wrist sniffer for hours and hours.

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      • Daisy says:
        13 May 2009 at 9:03 am

        strangely, Zagorsk doesn’t even list nutmeg….so it’s entirely possible that my nose is interpreting something as that…but it’s still quite captivating.

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  2. Suzanne941 says:
    13 May 2009 at 8:53 am

    Nick, you sound like a Bulgari Black kind of guy. Or Etro Messe de Minuit, but that might be a little churchy in its incense, esp in summer. That Miller Harris sounds good.

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    • scentcat says:
      14 May 2009 at 12:03 am

      Hello, Suzanne, I was just thinking the same thing- Bulgari Black might just the thing! Another one to try might be Aramis 900. Both are available online. One of the ones by Hermes might be nice-Rouge, perhaps. Happy hunting!

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  3. Zazie says:
    13 May 2009 at 9:00 am

    I think of two beautiful, meditative and refined, sandalwood scents:
    -tam Dao (Dyptique)
    -10 corso como

    I second the CdG suggestion above and add:
    – Lonestar memories, incense extreme, or l’air du desert marocain (Andy Tauer)[dense ambery winter scents]
    – oud wood (by Tom Ford)[forest: woods resins trees]
    – Royal English leather or Cuir de Russie (creed), knize Ten, cuir pleine fleur (heeley).[clean crisp leather/tobacco/flowers]
    – Anything from the eau d’italie line

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    • Dixie says:
      13 May 2009 at 10:06 am

      I second Andy Tauer Lonestar Memories and L’Air du Desert Marocain (my favorite amber).

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  4. pigoletto says:
    13 May 2009 at 9:02 am

    I would definietly recommend Fragonard’s Santal, which is much more of a rich lemony tobacco. Really gorgeous, and cheap!

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  5. marko says:
    13 May 2009 at 9:52 am

    Hey Nick –

    Lorenzo Villoresi Musk is a bit floral, but a great scent
    DKNY Fuel for Men (not Diesel)
    Terre d”Hermes
    Encre Noir by Lalique
    Jo Malone Dark Amber and Ginger Lily

    Good Luck,

    Marko

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    • Dixie says:
      13 May 2009 at 10:07 am

      I also must agree with Terres d’Hermes. My boyfriend wears it and it’s so sexy.

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      • enidan says:
        13 May 2009 at 5:15 pm

        I love Terre d’Hermes, too!

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  6. Dixie says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:18 am

    The only original fragrances I have to suggest are Frederick Malle Musc Ravageur (I don’t know how easy it is for you to get your hands on, but it is a must sniff) and Les Nereides Musc de Samarkande.

    Log in to Reply
    • Daisy says:
      13 May 2009 at 10:30 am

      ooh, I love Les Nereides Musc de Samarkand….it is a nice soft white musk….great for layering! Try adding it to anything floral that seems a little light or transparent and POW yum yum yum yum!
      My other fave for layering is Serge Lutens Clair du Musc, but that’s twice as expensive.

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  7. Dawnkana says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:20 am

    Hello,

    Dolce & Gabbana The One for men.

    Notes:
    Grapefruit, Coriander, Basil, Cardamom, Ginger, Orange Blossom, Cedar, Tobacco, Ambergris.

    Can be found at Sephora and most dept. stores.

    ~D

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  8. divinemama says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:27 am

    How about trying some Sonoma Scent Studio fragrances? Great scents, beautifully blended at reasonable prices. Tabac Aurea sounds right up your alley, Nick. From the SSS site…”Tabac Aurea is a golden amber, tobacco, and woods fragrance for men and women with notes of sandalwood, cedar, tobacco, vetiver, labdanum absolute, leather, amber, patchouli, clove, tonka bean, vanilla, and musk. ”

    If that doesn’t work, I suggest trying Montale Black Aoud. From Luckyscent…”Red rose, aoud, labdanum, sandalwood” are the notes for Black Aoud.

    Samples are available from Luckyscent and Aedes. Aedes has a great sample program and I recommend trying a few Montales (maybe try Black Aoud, Sandalsliver and Oud Ambre), a couple of Serge Lutens (Chergui is a good rec, maybe also try Ambre Sultan) and Amouage Jubilation XXV and Lyric for Men.

    Check out Basenotes.com for their fragrance reviews in the “fragrance directory’. Many men on Basenotes to give you their opinions on niche and mainstream scents. Here is the review of Black Aoud…

    http://www.basenotes.net/ID26125633/reviews.html

    Good luck and enjoy!

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    • divinemama says:
      13 May 2009 at 10:29 am

      Oops, I guess that would be Basenotes.net, rather than Basenotes. com.

      Log in to Reply
  9. bjorn says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:33 am

    Hi Nick, have you tried Story by Paul Smith? Bergamot and grapefruit on top, some smoky leather in the middle, amber & wood in the dry down. It’s my go-to office scent.

    The Dreamer by Versace: a love or hate-scent. Complex, abstract. If it agrees with you, there should be a rich tobacco scent during the dry down.

    Patchouli 24 by Le Labo: Not much patchouli here, but a cool and smoky scent for night time. A little rubber, a touch of dry vanilla. It’s the Bulgari Black “version 2.0”.

    Log in to Reply
    • dissed says:
      13 May 2009 at 7:38 pm

      The Dreamer. Amazing scent.

      Log in to Reply
  10. AnnS says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:35 am

    I’ll also second the recommendation for Sonoma Scent Studio fragrances. Laurie Erickson has a number of woody, smokey, incense fragrances that are dark, rich, and dramatic. I recommend her Tabac Aurea which is a rich pipe tobacco fragrance that is just gorgeous, also her Ambre Noir which is a woody dark amber scent, the Encense Tranquille, which is a wonderfully dark incense fragrance, and Winter Woods, which is a sweet musk and woods fragrance. You won’t go wrong sampling her line. I can’t say enough about how gorgeous her fragrances are.

    My other recommendation is the Donna Karan Essence Labdanum which is a smooth, dark, rich wood fragrance, with that raspy woody smell that labdanum has. It would be amazing on a man.

    Good luck!

    Log in to Reply
    • divinemama says:
      13 May 2009 at 12:52 pm

      Great Sonoma Scent Studio recommendations, AnnS!

      Log in to Reply
  11. Haunani says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:45 am

    Nick is entering the winter months Down Under, so it’s the perfect time for him to explore ambers, musks, and woods. I second the suggestions of Montale Blue Amber, Diptyque Tam Dao, Bulgari Black, and Terre d’Hermes. I also suggest that he also consider exploring the following (all wonderful fragrances, IMO): Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Precieux, L’Artisan Ambre Extreme, Timbuktu, and Dzongkha, Hermes Vetiver Tonka, and Etro Sandalo. Also, Perfumerie Generale has several very good and interesting musk, amber and woods combos. All of these can be found online, but I’m not sure about shipping to Australia. Best of luck to you, Nick!

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  12. crowflower says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:53 am

    I third or fourth the Sonoma Scent Studio recommendations–I have Encens Tranquille, Winter Woods, Ambre Noir and Champagne de Bois. I got a reprimand yesterday for wearing a heavy dose of CdB into the office (I don’t work there–I just come in to pick up equipment). My sup said several people complained. Wimps.

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    • divinemama says:
      13 May 2009 at 12:54 pm

      *rolling eyes* Oh brother, crowflower! Obviously they do not beautiful scent when they smell it! All great recs from you also.

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    • Daisy says:
      13 May 2009 at 2:06 pm

      Complaining about CdB? Philistines! Lummoxes! I am officially complaining about their complaints!

      CdB is gorgeous…one of my “Desert Island” fragrances.

      Log in to Reply
      • crowflower says:
        13 May 2009 at 6:12 pm

        Thank you, divinemama and Daisy for your kind words of support!
        **dabs on some testers in the sanctity of her own truck, plotting revenge on the unbelievers**

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  13. therabbitsflower says:
    13 May 2009 at 10:54 am

    A good, affordable line worth exploring is Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, which can be found here:

    http://www.dshperfumes.com

    Some that I can recommend are:
    -Halloween (found in the Essence Oils section), which smells sophisticated and insanely sexy on my boyfriend
    -Vetyver, Minuit, Cimabue, Poivre (all of these are found in the Parfum des Beaux Arts section)

    She does have samples, and she also has a section for men on the left partway down the PdBA page. Hope that helps!

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    • mals86 says:
      13 May 2009 at 12:35 pm

      A very rich, yet not heavy, scent of Dawn’s that I like: The Silk Road. It’s on the Essense Oils side of her website, and the notes include citrus, tea, tobacco, and leather, as well as a few light florals (it is definitely not a floral scent).

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  14. Farah says:
    13 May 2009 at 11:17 am

    I love bergamot, musk, amber, sandalwood and tobacco leaves too! I have recently fallen in love with Fantastic Man from ByRedo, which isn’t daring but very sophisticated, with notes of bergamot, star aniseed, cardamom, geranium, incense, lavander, vetyver, moss and patchouli.
    I also think he’d like vetivers like Paul Smith Story and Armani Prive Vetiver Babylone. If he like perfumes strong, he should check out the Tom Fords Oud Wood, Amber Absolute, Tobacco Vanille, Moss Breeches…most of them are really interesting actually!

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    • flittersniffer says:
      13 May 2009 at 1:22 pm

      I second the Fantastic Man suggestion, regardless of Nick’s stated preferences!

      For sandalwood, I have heard good things about Creed Santal Imperial. Black is worth a shot too, and maybe Kenzo Power which has amber and unspecified “woodsy” notes.

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  15. Robin R. says:
    13 May 2009 at 11:48 am

    Excellent recs so far.

    I’m wondering if you might be wanting to branch out into some other woods such as cedar, and perhaps some incense notes, or some judicially-used vetiver? Some of the following include those notes, but very well-integrated with your own favourites.

    I second (third/fourth/fifth) the Tauer line (adding incense Extreme; it’s not “extreme” except for being extremely good), Serge Lutens (esp. Chene, Chergui, La Myrrh, Fumerie Turque, Cuir Mauresque and Muscs Koublai Khan) and Sonoma Scent Studio’s Tabac Aurea, Winter Woods, Ambre Noir and Fireside.

    Nick, I’d also strongly suggest trying a bunch of samples of Parfumerie Generale, especially Bois Blond, Cedre Sandaraque, Coze, l’Eau Rare Matale, Harmatan Noir. L’Ombre Fauve

    Also, you might very much enjoy Eau d’Italie’s Cuir Ottoman and Montale Greyland.

    Happy hunting!

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    • Farah says:
      13 May 2009 at 12:59 pm

      I love those Parfumerie Generale scents too! (Except I haven’t tried the Harmatan Noir)

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      • flittersniffer says:
        13 May 2009 at 1:23 pm

        And me… Sorry F, to be your echo!

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    • Kess says:
      13 May 2009 at 1:15 pm

      Cuir Ottoman is by Parfum d’Empire (French house) — it’s a great leather scent — recommended. Ambre Russe from Parfum d’Empire is also great — rich boozy amber.

      Log in to Reply
      • Robin R. says:
        14 May 2009 at 1:09 am

        Ach, of course! Me sleepy when posting. . . :-)

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        • Robin R. says:
          14 May 2009 at 9:04 pm

          And now that I think of Eau d’Italie, a strong recommendation would be their Bois D’Ombrie, with whisky, cognac, myrrh, leather, tobacco and opoponax.

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  16. Joe says:
    13 May 2009 at 12:06 pm

    Hey Nick, lot of great suggestions have been made. I strongly concur with votes to at least try Terre d’Hermes. The incense suggestions here have also been great (my fave of the CdG line is still Zagorsk).

    For something easy to find, I will suggest Lancôme Hypnôse Homme to anyone who enjoys amber. Also, when I was on a quest for the perfect sandalwood, I found that Lorenzo Villoresi Sandalo was the one that smelled best (available inexpensively online here in the US, but not sure in AUS). I’d also recommend trying some of the Burberry men’s line: notably London and Brit. Good luck!

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    • therabbitsflower says:
      13 May 2009 at 2:48 pm

      2nd the Hypnose Homme!

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  17. kizzers says:
    13 May 2009 at 1:27 pm

    Hi Nick!

    These may be a little mainstream, but Juicy Couture Dirty English, and Vera Wang for Men are both faves with my husband.
    Both have nice drydowns. Good luck!

    Log in to Reply
    • therabbitsflower says:
      13 May 2009 at 2:49 pm

      Big, big 2nd on Vera Wang. Very mainstream, but it’s such a classy scent.

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  18. Blimunda says:
    13 May 2009 at 1:47 pm

    hmmm – I immediately thought of Muscs Koublsi Kahn and Fumerie Turque, both from Serge Lutens exclusive range.

    Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille is a lovely winter scent. Tuscan Leather is also a pretty cool wintery scent.

    Then I thought of Bandit by Robert Piguet. The EdT version is usually recommended for men, but comes in EdP and Parfum too. Read Robin’s review of it on this website. It’s great. I was buying a bottle in Harrods, and a very gorgeous scotsman appeared next to me to buy himself a bottle too. He loves it apparently. I reckon it could be very sexy on a man. Not sure it’s right for the office though…….

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    • donanicola says:
      14 May 2009 at 8:55 am

      Heh Blimunda! I wonder if you were the woman standing next to my friend and I in Harrods at the Serge Lutens/Piguet stand – it was Easter weekend and we had quite the convo with said Scotsman. If it is you, I can tell you I met him after……..

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      • Blimunda says:
        18 May 2009 at 11:51 am

        You’re kidding me! That’s insane! Yes, it was me!
        I don’t suppose you’d want to tell me what happened on a public forum would you?!?!

        Log in to Reply
        • Blimunda says:
          18 May 2009 at 12:11 pm

          ps: I don’t expect that you would want to broadcast your personal on a public forum, it was a rhetorical question! Anyway, I hope your meeting went well. That sales assistant was determined to matchmake for you, I remember her striding over to him after he walked away to act as an old-fashioned go-between!

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  19. megank4 says:
    13 May 2009 at 2:07 pm

    How about Emporio Armani Lui?

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  20. sayitisntso says:
    13 May 2009 at 3:39 pm

    How about:
    Rose 31 by Le Labo
    Habit Rouge by Guerlain or
    Cannabis Santal by Fresh

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  21. jo says:
    13 May 2009 at 3:41 pm

    i think any of the Serge Lutens would be wonderful, but you really should try M7 by Yves St. Laurent. it’s real kicker, but S-E-X-Y as all get-out!

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  22. wildheaven says:
    13 May 2009 at 4:19 pm

    I second Habit Rouge. Also Contradiction for man has a great bergamot/lime note and a nice drydown’
    For amber I suggest Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens. Other perfumes that are easy to find and “forgotten”
    -Z by Zegna
    -M7 Fresh YSL
    -Lacoste, the original one
    -Terre d’Hermes
    -Declaration by Cartier

    Log in to Reply
  23. AnnS says:
    13 May 2009 at 4:56 pm

    I thought of a few more as I was reading everyone else’s excellent recommendations. Joe above mentions LV Sandalo, but LV Alamut and Uomo are also very good and rich with woods and spices.

    All these suggestions made me also think about Chanel Les Exclusifs Bois des Iles – it is gorgeous sandalwood, and I think it is totally unisex. The Cuir Russie is also very rich and distinctive.

    Also, Annick Goutal’s Sables is a very unusual and could be strong, woody, herbal fragrance, as is the Duel.

    Miller Harris Cuir d’Oranger has that distinctive “tack shop” smell that is very appealing for leather lovers.

    Log in to Reply
    • scentcat says:
      14 May 2009 at 12:08 am

      And now, for a truly strange one- check out Aliage by Estee Lauder. It might go very well for you!
      Cheers!

      Log in to Reply
  24. UtahFish says:
    13 May 2009 at 6:34 pm

    Try Ajne Roshambo or Ajne Scorpio. I have had people stop me on the street (and not beat me up) when I wear Parfume Generale’s L’Eau de Rare Matale. Another one that doesnt fit exactly but fits your personality is Parfum Generale’s L’Eau Guerriere. My editor almost cried when I wear it. She wishes her model boyfriend smelled as good.

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  25. Royal says:
    14 May 2009 at 12:59 am

    Ooh! This is easy. Comme des Garcons 2 Man. This should be sure-fire, especially if he’s enjoying Gucci Pour Homme II, as 2Man could easily fit in the GPH line, although it does have more in common with the original than the second.

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  26. nickrobot says:
    14 May 2009 at 3:06 am

    Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I have some homework to do!!! To those of you who suggested Versace The Dreamer and Bulgari Black, I have those in my collection and absolutely adore them so well done!

    Thanks again everyone!

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  27. SmokeyToes says:
    14 May 2009 at 11:46 am

    How about the new cologne from Thierry Mugler? A*Men Pure Malt, sounds unique and has a few notes Nick might like. Or Fendi Uomo, it’s got leather, musk, pepper and woods. Very difficult to find, but so nice!

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