CanwllCorfe

Although it isn't a common hobby to have, I love fragrances! When I was a kid I used to buy little bottles at Wal-Mart for 6 bucks. My first frag ever was Candies for Men and after that was Dolce & Gabbana's Pour Homme. Unfortunately I was dragged into the Axe craze and started buying that instead of cologne. I finally snapped out of it and got Versace's Eau Fraiche and JPG's Le Male. Recently though I've gotten even more into it and since June I've gotten 212 on Ice, Yves Saint Laurent's L'Homme, Gucci's Pour Homme II, and Viktor & Rolf's Antidote. I've also been buying a lot of samples and things of the sort.

Anyone else into them.. even remotely? I also could give advice if anyone wants it. MUCH better advice than any of those stupid department store SAs.

Fougère - one of the most common types of cologne. The word means "fern-like" and is given to any fragrance exhibiting a "fresh" feel. The umbrella is quite large and the fragrances can go from very fresh like Davidoff's Cool Water to Woody and Ambery like Caron's L'Anarchiste. Common notes : Bergamot, Lavender, Tonka Bean, and Vetiver.

Examples:
Yves Saint Laurent's L'Homme : Bergamot, Calone, Ginger, Basil, Cedar, Violet leaf, Vetiver and Tonka Bean
Dolce & Gabbana's Pour Homme : Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange, Neroli, Lemon, Lavender, Sage, Tarragon, Cardamom, Pepper, Sandalwood, Cedar, Tonka bean, Musk, Tobacco, Iris, Tonka Bean
Carolina Herrera's Herrera for Men : Fern, Clove, Lavender, Amber, Tobacco, Geranium, Sandalwood, Cedar, Musk

Oriental - the fragrances in this genre are pretty far away from the fresh fougères but close to the ones that exhibit woody/ambery qualities. Perfect for Fall and Winter, way too warm for Summer. "Oriental" comes from the idea that the fragrances use a lot of spices and things that were used in the far east. Common notes : Cedar, Amber, various herbs and spices.

Examples:
Dolce & Gabbana's The One : Grapefruit, Coriander, Basil, Cardamon, Ginger, Orange Blossom, Cedar, Ambergris, Tobacco.
Gucci's Envy : Opoponax, Incense, Patchouli, Amber, Musk, Cedar, Cardamom, Anise, Ginger, Nutmeg, Pimento.
John Varvatos' John Varvatos : Medjool, Date Fruit, Mediterranean Herbs, Tamarind Tree Leaves, Coriander Seed Templar, Clary Sage Flower, Ajowan, Auramber, Vanilla CO2, Balsams, Eaglewood, Vanilla, Black Leather.

Chypre - meaning "cypress" got it's start from Coty's Chypre in 1917. These fragrances are often floral, mossy, woody, and/or citrusy. Common notes : Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Bergamot, Amber, and Vetiver.

Examples:
Gucci's Gucci Pour Homme : Bergamot, Cypress, Violet, Tobacco, Jasmine, Patchouli, Amber and Elemi.
Carolina Herrera's 212 Men : Citrus Leaves, Cut Green Grass, Spice Leaves, Ginger, Green Pepper, Gardenia, Sandalwood, Incense, Transparent Musk.
Christian Lacroix's Absynthe for Him : Petitgrain, Green Leaves, Pepper, Citrus, Cardamom, Fig, Patchouli, Orris, Myrtle, Vetiver, Barley, Amber, Labdanum and Absinthe.

Aquatic - as you might be able to guess, aquatics are meant to emulate the scent of water/beach. Some may be a bit abstract and just have an aquatic feel, whereas other scents take a more literal approach. The scent gets its aquatic feel mainly from the key synthetic ingredient: Calone.

Examples:
Issey Mayake's L'Eau D'Issey pour Homme : Yuzu, Cypress, Coriander, Mandarin, Clary Sage, Fresh Verbena, Blue Water Lily, Nutmeg, Saffron, Bourbon Geranium, Ceylonese Cinnamon.
Bvlgari's Aqva Pour Homme : Mandarin, Petitgrain, Santolina, Posidonia, Mineral Amber and Clary Sage.
Kenzo's L'Eau par Kenzo pour Homme : Yuzu, Ho Leaf, Lotus Leaf, Aquatic Mint, Green Pepper, White Musk, Tobacco, Amber, Musk, Indian Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver, Cypriol.

Floral - although we tend to associate women with so called "flowery" scents, men can wear them just as easily. Of course for some, it may take a more open mind. Floral notes in men's fragrances are not uncommon. Entire fragrances that belong to the floral group that are considered men's fragrances on the other hand, are quite uncommon. Common notes: Lily, Iris, and Lavender.

Examples:
Givenchy's Insensé : Blackcurrant, Mandarin, Basil, Magnolia, Lily of the Valley, Iris, Lentiscus, Balsam Fir.
Kenzo's Power : Bergamot, Coriander, Cardamom, Jasmine, Rose, Freesia, Tolu Balsam, Cedar, and Labdanum.
Jean Paul Gaultier's Fleur de Male : Orange Blossom, Petitgrain leaf, Coumarin, Fern.

You can wear any cologne in any season obviously, no one is going to stop you.. BUT if you wear an oriental in the summer that's akin to wearing a fur jacket and a scarf. They're warm fragrances, so they work best in cold weather. Just as citrus/aquatic dominated scents work best in the summer because they're bright and refreshing. Some will work quite well all year round (especially fougères).

When you buy a fragrance, you can pick between different sizes. Oftentimes it will be more economical to buy the bigger bottle. A 50ml bottle is 55$ while a 100ml bottle is 70$ so for 15$ more you get double the amount. Of course, if you're not sure you LOVE the scent then just get the smaller bottle. If you know you like it and would probably buy it again, just go for the bigger bottle. You can also buy samples for a couple of bucks (or euros :P) off of eBay and The Perfumed Court. If you want good deals then you can either cross your fingers and try eBay OR go to discount sites like Fragrancenet.

When applying a fragrance, it all depends on the occasion and what time of year. If it's warm out then you may have to apply a bit more than usual. This is because your skin, since it's warmer, will diffuse the scent quicker than if you are in cool weather. A way to get around this is to apply a spray or two to your shirt. A good rule of thumb is to spray once to the neck, once very close to the left wrist (then rub it against the right one), and once to the chest. If it's a weak fragrance like Gucci Pour Homme II, you can get away with 4 or 5. If you're putting on something potent like A*Men, Le Male, or 212 then 2-3 max.

Just some words used in fragranceland:

Sillage - the distance away from you that the fragrance you're wearing can be smelled
Longevity - how long the scent lasts
Designer - a fragrance created by a designer house (like Versace or Armani)
Niche - a fragrance created by a house that specializes in scents and do not sell clothes (like Creed or Annick Goutal)
Note - a single component of a fragrance. (Fragrances are made up of individual notes)
Cloying - too sweet
Linear - the scent doesn't really progress and pretty much stays the same throughout the life of the fragrance
Green - smelling fresh and clean byway of notes like Ivy and Moss.
Flanker - a new/limited edition of a preexisting fragrance
Gourmand - a scent that utilizes notes that are edible such as vanilla, caramel, chocolate, or coffee
Animalistic - a fragrance that uses brash, in your face, and raw notes that aren't toned down (Civet and Leather are most common)
Powerhouse - classic fragrance that is extremely loud and has an exorbitant sillage
Earthy - notes like Vetiver and Patchouli give a scent a very natural feel
Barbershop -a scent that uses notes prevalent in old fashioned shaving powders and creams.. the most common culprit is lavender (examples: Yves Saint Laurent's Rive Gauche, Prada's Amber Pour Homme). Soapy is another word that could be used in the same way

If you have any questions or want advice, just ask!

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