Scent of A Man

A group of fashionable gals with a hot male model in tow test various masculine fragrances in order to determine how they would like a man to smell. Read the article (including reviews) in Sunday Times.

My own choices would be Divine L’Homme de Coeur, Guerlain Vetiver, Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Pour Homme and new Lanvin Arpège Pour Homme.  If you have your favorites, I would love to hear.

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34 Comments

  • julien: How could they forget HABIT ROUGE???? it is so suave and appelling…i don’t know a woman who doesn’t love that scent…
    Opium for men also seems to work well on ladies…
    😉 October 3, 2005 at 2:07am Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: You sound like you are speaking from the experience. 🙂 I have not tried Opium for men, but now I know I must. Of course, I cannot agree more about Habit Rouge. It is a wonderful fragrance! October 3, 2005 at 2:33am Reply

  • Judith: Good morning! I recently got a sample of Montale Oud Cuir D’Arabie and I really liked it! It’s like sinking into a rich black leather jacket–almost pure leather on me. My husband (who seems to have a taste for leather) immediately began stealing it, so I got him a decant, and I must admit, it’s even better on him—-verrrry sexy. He doesn’t wear scent all the the time, though, so I don’t know that it’s worth investing (and I do meant investing) in the large bottle. October 3, 2005 at 7:38am Reply

  • Judith: Tania just reminded me that I have also liked Ormonde for Men very much on DH AKA Stu. October 3, 2005 at 10:36am Reply

  • Robin: I wear so many men’s fragrances myself that I just don’t think of the distinction very much. My husband wears whatever he can find in my cupboard, and prefers the Hermes Vetiver Tonka when he can find it 😉 October 3, 2005 at 11:41am Reply

  • Liz: Since I’m single at the moment, I don’t really have a willing guinea pig. I would love to surreptitiously dab the following on my best male friend: Ambra de Nepal, Daim Blond, and Cabochard. But I’m afraid I might lose my mind and start smooching on him. October 3, 2005 at 12:17pm Reply

  • Tania: So far my favorites on Will are these:

    Ormonde Jayne, Ormonde for Men
    Bond No 9, Great Jones
    The Body Shop, Javari
    Annick Goutal, Duel
    Guerlain, L’Instant pour Homme
    Bond No. 9, So New York
    Etro, Sandalo

    Mostly, I need to buy him a full bottle of Ormonde for Men, because every time he puts it on I go completely sappy and spend the whole day making doe eyes at him and cooing nonsense into his collarbone. October 3, 2005 at 10:00am Reply

  • julien: Oh yes,you must try the Opium edp for men… 😉 October 3, 2005 at 2:19pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Judith, oh, how great that you mentioned Montale Oud Cuir D’Arabie. I was just about to sample it, because I love leather, and it seemed like a fascinating combination. I will definitely sample it right away. Sounds ravishing! October 3, 2005 at 1:19pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Tania, I have not tried the two Bond 9’s you mentioned, and I now that I must. They are among the Bond 9 samples I arranged in a candy bowl for fooling my guests into thinking that they are edible. 🙂 So New York–is it citrusy? October 3, 2005 at 1:21pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Ormonde for Men is stunning! I confess that I wear it more frequently than the women’s version. October 3, 2005 at 1:22pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: R, there are some fragrances one cannot share with anyone else. 🙂 P. tends to like vanillic and oriental combinations, which are wonderful on him. October 3, 2005 at 1:23pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Liz, yes, one has to exercise caution! I just remembered L’Artisan L’Eau del’Ambre, which is a very sexy amber. Another one that is beautiful is Serge Lutens Encens et Lavande. Have you tried it? October 3, 2005 at 1:25pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Oh, my bottle of vintage Cabochard falls into the category of not to be shared! Ok, I might if asked nicely. 🙂 October 3, 2005 at 1:25pm Reply

  • Tania: I don’t recall So New York being citrusy at all! It gestures toward gourmand, with chocolate, plum, and some kind of coffee note, but it anchors the whole with savory dark patchouli and woods.

    Great Jones is a masculine in the grand old manner. I used to hate it, because it smelled like a more refined, expensive version of an aftershave my least favorite uncle liked to wear, but the drydown is so much better that I can’t resent it any more. I’m no good at categories, but it’s probably what they call a fougère. It has a dark green, resinous quality, smoothed with an expensive-smelling powdery musk and dry woods. Will says he feels grownup and like a millionaire when he puts it on. My favorite part of it happens right at the end: a soft scent of woods that goes on whispering after the rest of it has gone.

    It’s a little funny, too, because Great Jones street is a scary cobbled, decrepit, stunted hatch on the map, most notable in my memory for being near a gas station, a great little Cajun dive called Great Jones Cafe, and my best friend’s ex-boyfriend’s apartment, where we used to sit around watching Star Trek late at night. October 3, 2005 at 1:46pm Reply

  • Tania: Or it could be a chypre. Oh hell, I don’t know what anything smells like. I admit it. October 3, 2005 at 1:48pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: T, I will retrieve Great Jones from my bowl of samples. I do not think that I have So New York, but I will rectify this shortcoming soon. My favourite element of Bond 9 fragrance is actually the patchouli note, which seems to amplify other accords and give them a winey quality. I do not think that P will want to try Great Jones though, because he does not like either citrus or fougère. I, on the other hand, will give it a go. Your mention of soft woods is very enticing.

    I have been wondering about the inspiration behind Great Jones. Thank you for mentioning what the street is like! 🙂 October 3, 2005 at 1:51pm Reply

  • Katie: My husband has declared that Pi is the only fragrance he will now need for the rest of his life. Fortunately it’s one I like on him, too. I also really like the way he smells right after he gets out of the shower when he’s used L’Occitane’s Fig shower cream. It’s a shame that the company doesn’t offer it nowadays as a EDT or anything. If they did I might just be able to convince him to wear TWO whole scents for the rest of his life, heh. October 3, 2005 at 2:08pm Reply

  • Tania: On second (or third) thought, I’m pretty sure you’d classify Great Jones as a chypre. It has tons of oakmoss. Oh, just smell it. 🙂 October 3, 2005 at 2:08pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Katie, I love Givenchy fragrances, and I am glad that you keep mentioning them. Pi is indeed a wonderful composition. I will add it to my list of other scents I would like on a man.

    L’Occitane slowly, but surely has discontinued all of my favourites! October 3, 2005 at 2:30pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: T, I will do and then I will report back! 🙂 October 3, 2005 at 2:30pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: J, thank you. It is on my list! October 3, 2005 at 2:31pm Reply

  • Marina: Here is my list of fragrances that make me go week in the knees: Dior Fahrenheit (especially!), Mechant Loup, Ambre Extreme October 3, 2005 at 3:16pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Marina, how I love the honeysuckle and gasoline accord of Fahrenheit! It is the ultimate one. Another one to add to my list. October 3, 2005 at 3:28pm Reply

  • benvenuta: I have only one favorite: Nature Millenaire pour Homme by Yves Rocher. Bitter cedar, hot spices, some amber and incense. This one is underrated, IMO. October 4, 2005 at 4:13am Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: B, I like many fragrances by Yves Rocher, and this one seems interesting. Thank you for bringing it up! I am always on the look out for underrated fragrances. October 4, 2005 at 10:51am Reply

  • Thomas C. Wyld: Folks, long-time lurker, first-time poster.

    By far, my favorite has been Duc De Vervins (called “DV” by the folks behind the counter at Nordstrom’s). I have never failed to receive compliments when I’m wearing it. ANd it has a most desirable effect on women.

    I am also liking Luciano Soprani, also a good effect.

    I tried Divine, both Sage and deCouer, samples from Luckyscent. Ha, most recently field-tested it on some lady friends. ZERO reaction. It’s relatively pricey and I wouldn’t mind the cost if there was SOME reaction. THere was none, among several very stylish women friends of mine.

    I am trying to find a source for the fragrances you’ve mentioned here, particuarly:

    Ormonde Jayne for Men, and the others several of the women said prompted a “smooching” desire: Ambra de Nepal, Daim Blond, and Cabochard.

    Oh, two other fragrances were mentioned, both FRACAS and BANDIT by Rogert Piguet. Is either truly captivating? I mean, REALLY captivating?

    I am solely interested in fragrances that have a swooning, melting effect on women. (Hate to be direct like that, but, hey, it’s true.)

    Would welcome any ideas, thank you!

    Tom December 6, 2005 at 10:28am Reply

  • Thomas C. Wyld: p.s. I’ve worn Burberry Brit a few times, too. It’s distinctive, but nice. I like distinctive, but I don’t like nice. Marina mentioned some fragrances that prompt her to her knees, and Tania mentioned “sappy.” In another thread, someone (perhaps Liz) had mentioned “lust” as an emotion.

    That’s what I’m shooting for. December 6, 2005 at 10:36am Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Thomas, welcome! I think that you are asking a very general and tough question. Different fragrances prompt a melting effect from different women. For instance, some might like the effect of fresh fougere fragrances (like Cool Water, Drakkar Noir, YSL Kouros). Others like warmer feel of amber based fragrances like L’Artisan L’Eau del’Ambre. That is one of my personal favourites. Ormonde Man can be found directly from Ormonde Jayne website (you can order samples). Daim Blond from Aedes.com. You can also browse the company pages directly, if you go under my links category at the top.

    My personal favourites also include Fahrenheit by Christian Dior.

    Hope that you will find the one that is your favourite. That is the key to have an effect. December 6, 2005 at 2:44pm Reply

  • Thomas C. Wyld: Thanks, er, Jasmine, for the reply!

    I actually ordered Mark Birley from aedes.com the other day. On the online order form, I expressed my preference for Duc de Vervin (mentioned above) and asked if they wouldn’t send along samples of similar fragrances.

    Yes, mine was a terribly general question. Think I’ll wait for the fragrances I’ve ordered to roll in, then order Ormonde and the Artisan amber fragrance you mentioned.

    Great site, by the way, and thanks again for your reply!

    Scentcerely,

    Tom December 8, 2005 at 10:53am Reply

  • Thomas C. Wyld: P.S. I notice at aedes.com that they don’t list men’s fragrances separately. I’ve learned that the ladies that frequent your site slip into and out of men’s fragrances quite a bit (ha, “…not that there’s anything wrong with that…”), but it’s a bit daunting to go to a place like aedes, spend a considerable sum and fear getting a clearly feminine fragrance in the mail.

    Just an observation.

    Perhaps my sample request to them will yield something interesting. Either way, I iwll let you know! THanks again. December 8, 2005 at 10:58am Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Thomas, I hope that it was helpful. Yes, Aedes does not list them separately, because many fragrances are difficult to differentiate. Some women like the smell of amber, and men can wear it too without seeming too effeminate. It is all contingent on what you feel comfortable wearing.

    Let me know what you think of the samples when they arrive. Good luck in finding your perfect scent!

    Victoria December 8, 2005 at 2:35pm Reply

  • Thomas C. Wyld: Hi! Some news. Got my bottle of MARK BIRLEY from aedes. Greast service, quick shipping! They were very generous with samples, so I’ll report about those, and the Mark Birley, soon.

    Best,

    Tom December 11, 2005 at 9:32pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Great! I am glad that you are having fun trying these new fragrances. Please report back on what you discover.

    Victoria December 19, 2005 at 6:40pm Reply

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