Cologne: Listen Up

[foreverAFC]

i like to buy colognes off ebay, there are lots of testers for sale for real low prices, lots of well known colognes in 3.4 oz size can be bought for less than 20 dollars because of people always trying to get rid of large amounts of testers which are basically new but meant to be used in stores and not for resale

 

[Asmodeus]

Anyone remember these colognes from the 80s:

Old spice (made a recent comeback)
Brut
Jovan Musk
Old English Leather
Polo
Dakar
Clubman (barber would throw some on as kids)
Stetson
Aqua velvet

You know you are old if you remember any of these colognes.

I actually like Stetson... Too many modern male colognes smell too fruity, sweet, or floral. I do not want to smell like a female, nor do I want to smell like a guava or a bouquet of flowers. Most of those older 80's scents are far more masculine. They are spicy, musky, have notes of tobacco/leather, or more soapy clean scents. I recently tested this cologne "Angel Men" which is extremely popular, but it was so sweet that I had to go back home and wash that crap off as I smelled like a freaking birthday cake. I do not understand why women would even like that kind of scent on a man as it is not at all masculine and makes them smell like a fruitcake.

 

[Visionist]

I'm on a bit of a spree now. Picked up the Tattoo edition of Diesel Only The Brave after I saw it recommended on here. I expected it to smell rogueish and edgy, like tattoo ink or actual diesel fuel, instead it just smelt of sweet chamomile tea, albiet musky and brooding and so not too feminine. I purchased Prada Luna Rossa Sport, which I tested for its cool bottle (looks matter as usual) and found smelt very striking and perky. I got a practically full, 200ml bottle of Terre D'Hermes for under half price from a friend. It's a huge f*cking bottle, like a liquor bottle or something, should last a lifetime. Smells very classy and professional. Cool Water I purchased a sizable 125ml bottle, but I've already gone-off it as being a bit too plain and mainstream. Got a Pino Silvestri on the way, in the green pine-cone shaped bottle. I like the idea of foresty scents most of all and hope it doesn't disappoint. I also managed to blag a 10ml tester of Aventus- a rare 2011 one which is supposed to be the last "real" Aventus before they watered it down. Will layer it with my "Shelter" fake Aventus. Got a couple of Bvlgari testers too, Aqua and Aqua Amara, the latter of which I really like, and a D&G Light Blue Pour Homme tester which I can barely smell at-all. Tried Fahrenheit and could barely smell it, shall try again.

 

[Visionist]

It was the EDT. I haven't tried the EDP or the "fresh" flankers. The bottle's still practically full. Recently I've splurged on probably over thirty samples which are on their way. I didn't touch my frags for almost a year, as I've been in chemo after an operation (shoutout to Bigneil upthread, haha! I have a ten inch state of the badass art scar on my belly now, which I love). I now have 3+ stone of weight to lose (over 20kg) to recover my còckiness around women.

I've blind bought Encre Noir (with matching showergel), Narciso Rodriguez For Him and Van Cleef & Arpels For Men, all for their promised darkness which I crave. I also purchased Atelier Orange Sanguine for summer. It's an ultra natural, pure squeezed orange scent, super refreshing. Very overpriced though. I got it a lot cheaper than retail. I also bought La Nuit De l'Homme Frozen, an EDC, cool and fresh for daytime wear.

If I had a "signature" scent (I don't like the idea of sticking to one scent), it might be Bang Bang by Marc Jacobs. It smells like all the cool elegant pepper you get in airport lounges. Smells like adventure. It's well priced. I love Donna Karan Fuel For Men, smells very unique, but it's very hard to find now. I'm gonna sample Gucci Pour Homme 1, which is ultra expensive online as it didn't sell unlike GPH2 which I own and enjoy. I hope I don't go crazy and spend a fortune on GPH1, that'd be madness but I might do it if I love it. I could buy two Creeds instead...

Pino Silvestre is very oldschool, very fresh pine from the fifties. A cool drive under the trees in a sunlit forest. Vintages are like the fraghead's version of nightgame, figuratively. There are a million fakes out there, and knowing how old a bottle is isn't easy. I bagged a genuine 1993 Fahrenheit (my finest hour- it's top juice and stronger than today's), plus an 80s Guerlain Derby and a 70s Givenchy Gentleman. The latter two are very, very oldschool. I turn 30 this year but they're for the 50 and above crowd. Basile Uomo, an 80s bottle, also very oldschool. Nothing remotely sweet or chick magnety about these! Just sheer oldschool manliness.

I think I may have a fragrance obsession.

 

[Murk]

I'm on a bit of a spree now. Picked up the Tattoo edition of Diesel Only The Brave after I saw it recommended on here. I expected it to smell rogueish and edgy, like tattoo ink or actual diesel fuel, instead it just smelt of sweet chamomile tea, albiet musky and brooding and so not too feminine.

I have this, a gift from my aunt - smells terrible, I have only used it once. Just smells so weird and left field, sweet, weak.

I grabbed some French Connection Late Night a few weeks ago - it's pretty good for a cheap one. Smells fresh and masculine. Armani Code for my day to day right now, it's fire.

 

[Macaframalama]

No telling how many thousands of dollars I've spend on cologne at Dillard's over the years and I've honestly gotten more compliments from women on some of the knock offs and a few of them even last longer.

 

[Visionist]

Quite the haul arrived today- and for the most part I'm unimpressed. Van Cleef & Arpels Pour Homme was supposed to smell "dark", as was Narciso Rodriguez For Men and Salvador Dali For Men.

They smell oldschool, 80s masculine powerhouses, but dark they aint, not to me. My advice; don't blind buy. Get your gambling fix elsewhere.

I don't really love the 80s frags, they feel dated. But I sure don't love the modern bubblegum scents that guys are wearing everywhere either. Sweet spot's somewhere in the middle...

 

[skinnyguy]

I was in NYC last week and bought Zara for $20. It’s the best cologne I’ve ever had

 

[Murk]

sounds trash

 

[Visionist]

im the same way. lean more towards balance. you jus thave to draw some lines in the sand as to what you like so you can know what to look for and look forward to

btw where do you get your samples form? you can pm me if youd prefer

Today I tried Amouage Opus IV, and felt like buying a bottle there and then, very impressed. I think I'll wait though, as it literally costs 330 Euros... ehh I'll stick it on the wishlist lol.

I've come to realize that smoky, woody scents are the way for me; they aren't en vogue so it's either pay horrific eBay prices for vintages (and no guarantee they're real)- Gucci Pour Homme 1 being a prime example; I want that stuff so bad, but damn I aint paying 250 Euros. Hell Naw- or simply find "smell alikes" through research.

My problem is I'm a snob, and I always want the "real deal". I'm a sucker for sexy looking bottles, bright coloured juice and cool sounding names. A marketer's dream? Not quite; I hate being marketed to. I hate adverts/commercials, I just follow my instincts, even when they're wrong.

I relented recently and ordered a sample of Bentley Absolute, which smells just like Gucci Pour Homme 1 I'm told. A full bottle is 40 Euros tops, so a chance to save cash if I like the sample and be less snobby (because Gucci is so snobby and Bentley isn't.. lol another thing I hate is car brands slapping their names on products... cheese city. Only Porsche can get away with it imo).

My samples (also miniatures) mostly come from eBay, and so I pay a lot for what should be free, especially on shipping. It sucks but at least I have "portable" juice which is very useful when out & about. I did buy a load of samples from a Cyprus store too, still going through them.

 

[Visionist]

I have a full bottle of Encre Noir on its way among many samples. Even comes with shower gel. Another blind buy... Layering is very useful. I get shaved at the barber's so aftershave isn't my gig, but matching roll on deodorants are also welcome when packaged with frags.

I'm hunting down a pre reformulation A*Men (baby blue box, blue tinted star on the bottle rather than the blue tinted juice of the newer, weaker stuff) but it's a pain in the a$$. Prices here are so high. I swear Americans have it so good; loads of cheap vintage frags, nobody will ship them over as they contain alcohol. I have an Aramis Havana splash (splashes are a pain, but you know they're 100% vintage) from the early 90s which I managed to convince a Texan to send me lol.

Gucci Envy For Men seems to be a popular favourite. Samples are on their way (seven of them, lol). A full bottle of the stuff is mind bendingly overpriced.. eh we'll see. I have a love of vetiver but the stuff is polarizing. Heeley Vetiver Veritas smells like damp soil- I love it but some aren't so keen. Creed Original Vetiver is "safer" but gorgeous. Wish I had a bottle.

Have you tried Noir Anthracite? Wanna see if it lives up to its name & bottle.

 

[Visionist]

I went cold turkey on frags for almost a year. Even considered deleting the dozens of repeat listings I was following on eBay. Glad I didn't. It's good to awaken one's nose again.

I remember smelling Black Orchid on a girl in a club a while back. I liked it then and now have a sample incoming. Lot of folks say it smells girly, which would put me off (I avoid florals by default- they all smell girly to me. This is a construct of my mind I'll admit; growing up all "perfume" was seen by me as being automatically for girls and all of it was floral)...

Grey Vetiver has a strong reputation. I should probably look for a sample. I have Vetiver Extraordinaire and Vetiver Tonka (and the iconic Guerlain Vetiver) samples on their way. Demeter has a very interesting approach, more of a "check out this smell" than a "wear this smell". I haven't tried any but I'm guessing they're good for layering with other scents. Not enough pineapple in your Aventus? Demeter Pineapple to the rescue. Thunderstorm sounds interesting (I'm a sucker for names like I said).

I'm so annoyed that my 2011 decant of Aventus seems to have almost entirely evaporated over the past year- I was saving that damn heavenly juice! The new batches don't last as long on the skin and are fruitier with less smoke, according to Aventus hounds on Basenotes- Creed undoubtedly capitalizing on Aventus's success by making it "safer" for the masses and also ensuring you spray more and buy another bottle sooner. W@nkers! I'd kill for a full bottle of 2011 Aventus but I can't find any anywhere, and they'd probably ask for a thousand bucks... lol. Armaf Club De Nuit Intense Man is a 99% Aventus clone, folks say, with better lasting power to boot. Nope, I can't, I just can't do it. It's Aventus or nothing.

 

[Visionist]

The EDT is probably the one to try first yeah. There's often confusion over the differences in general; I started out thinking EDPs were better overall and so cost more, but I've read that whilst EDPs have better longevity, EDTs generally project more before the dry down. The only example I have of both is CN Scent Intense; the EDP is already a bit of a beast, lasting all day, but the "Parfum" edition with something like 40% perfume oil and added myrrh lasts literally days on my skin. It came packaged with a string of big black beads. Great for a lonely girl I guess. She won't stay lonely for long wearing this stuff! It's still my favourite fragrance. And yeah I purchased the shower gel too.

Yesterday a combo pack of Encre Noire EDT showed up with showergel. The juice is weak... so weak. Instant skin scent straight out of the bottle. I like it, all vetiver and blonde woods and even the faintest after hint of ragù (seriously... I'm reminded of Italian cooking). A shame I have to press my nose against my arm and inhale like Tony Montana to even smell it. This is one for cozy intimate dates at home. I even wondered if it were fake juice in a real bottle, but it's unlikely Encre Noire, being somewhat less popular and inexpensive, would be faked, right? I hope not...

Anyway the shower gel is amazing. It's exactly like the nappa smell in my regretfully sold E89. I must have spent a half hour showering just to bathe in that damn nostalgic leather smell. If only the juice smelled that good... You're right about scents creating very strong associations. One whiff and you're transported back a decade or more. It's cool to create new associations that way, except you risk creating bad associations that way too. Spray your favourite before a really sh!tty date and suddenly it reminds you of sh!tty dates whenever you spray it, ha. I actually have Ambra Aurea (liquid insence & amber) which I only wear to church (and so only to funerals, being an atheist in a Catholic family. I also haven't been to a wedding in years) and it's a shame, bit of a waste really.

I hear ya on Creeds being overpriced. GIT is essentially a non synthetic Cool Water (which itself used to be a lot richer and less synthetic decades ago, I'm told). Given the choice, I'd get the GIT yeah, but for the price... Still, I have a Creed Asian Green Tea sample (long story short; my very first frag was a Tesori d'Oriente Thé Verde, ultra cheap- nine years later the bottle still has juice. I wanted a "luxury" version and thought Creed looked promising) and the stuff smells rich as hell. Ultra high quality green tea leaves. Won't be getting a full bottle though, as it's not the same as I was looking for - a "better" version of my cheap juice. Funny how that works. Best bet is to take my bottle to a niche frag store and ask them to find me something similar. I had a hefty discount in a boutique which I let expire last year... kicking myself now but I simply wasn't in the mood to buy anything at all back then.

Niche stuff is always gonna be non cost effective. I have samples of Fvmidvs and Metal Chypre inbound; even if I love them it's not like I can responsibly spend hundreds of Euros on one full bottle, not for now anyway. And yeah I did pull the trigger on the A*Men, lol. It's "boylike" from what I remember (smelt it once, a year and a half ago) but I only got the 30ml/1oz (was a decent price), and it seems I might have bagged one of the older, heavier tar formulations from the box. Fingers crossed.

 

[Visionist]

Noir Anthracite smells impressive. It reminds me of something from years ago, can't pin it down. It's ultra dark, brooding - girls will hate it if you're not the Edward Cullen type. Eh screw what they think, this stuff smells seriously badass. It does actually remind me of anthracite coal (the type of expensive coal Hitler would invade countries to secure a supply of).

Looks like I should get a full bottle before it's discontinued and prices automatically triple...

 

[Visionist]

Pulled the trigger on the Noir Anthracite. It was actually still sealed in the box, sold online by a woman who didn't want it. I can't imagine many women wanting to wear this. Went over and under it with a fine tooth comb sweating bullets that it might be fake.

It seems legit.

Bought Sea Foam, by Art De Parfum. Very cool stuff, very comforting & evocative. Not cheap though. Might get a JPG Kokorico 50ml/1.7oz EDT/75ml shower gel combo that's going cheap on eBay. It's a very cool dark chocolate powder type scent, like a non sweet gourmand almost.

 

[Banelord]

I have over 100 bottles and i had started making my own....does not matter what i wear to get the ladies...it how it make me feel...sexy and in turn that how i act.

 

[NSX-R]

Sauvage Dior Eau de Parfum . If you can afford it i recommend it . All of the ladies loved it on me.

 

[Paradiddle]

These are my four best colognes I've wore till date:
1) Polo Black by Ralph Lauren
2) Gucci Guilty by Gucci
3) Oud Wood by Tom Ford
4) Last but not the least: Cool Water by Davidoff. Old school but amazing fresh smell.

 

[Black Sunshine]

Gonna try Eternity... I wear Polo and Halston z14 but a lil change is good

 

[Reykhel]

I have over 100 bottles and i had started making my own....does not matter what i wear to get the ladies...it how it make me feel...sexy and in turn that how i act.

100 bottles of cologne???? madre mia

I thought I was bad with 70 plus single malt whiskies