Thread: Im looking for a cologne with a sophisticated yet rustic cedar and vanilla scent?

Check out theperfumedcourt.com and go crazy on the samples them decide for yourself.

I really enjoy Opus 1870 by Penhaligon's as of late. It doesn't have any vanilla notes, but definitely has a strong cedarwood base (as well as sandalwood). I think it works well for this time of year.

I really like Trumper's Sandalwood too, so I feel we may have the same tastes (you may like Opus).

Description from Penhaligon's:

Head Notes
Bourbon black pepper, Yuzu fruit, Coriander

Heart Notes
English Clove Rose, Cinnamon, Incense

Base Notes
Cedarwood, Australian Sandalwood, Ciara wood, Musk

Opus 1870 is a complex and elegant woody chypre. Opening with a luxurious accord of sweet citrus and fiery black pepper, the heart is lit by the delicacy of English Clove Rose and evocative incense. The base notes are glorious, smoky waves of aromatic cedarwood and sandalwood.

You can get free samples by calling Penhaligon's (they have great customer service by my experience so far).

"sophisticated but rustic" sounds like a bit of an oxymoron to me.

A search on Basenotes.net yields quite a lot of results. I remember sampling these two in the past and liking them, but don't remember what they smelled like...
Dunhill Pursuit:
Dunhill Pursuit by Alfred Dunhill (2006)
LaCoste pour homme:
Lacoste pour Homme by Lacoste (2002)

I currently own Pi by Givenchy, and it has your vanilla and spice, but no cedarwood.

Originally Posted by fccexpert

"sophisticated but rustic" sounds like a bit of an oxymoron to me.

Actually it doesnt.

You can have a sophisticated medley of rustic scents, which is I suspect what the OP meant.

Originally Posted by Stubear

Actually it doesnt.

You can have a sophisticated medley of rustic scents, which is I suspect what the OP meant.

Rustic (adj.)

1.of, pertaining to, or living in the country, as distinguished from towns or cities; rural.2.simple, artless, or unsophisticated.3.uncouth, rude, or boorish.4.made of roughly dressed limbs or roots of trees, as garden seats.5.(of stonework) having the surfaces rough or irregular and the joints sunken or beveled.


Sophisticated (adj.)

1.(of a person, ideas, tastes, manners, etc.) altered by education, experience, etc., so as to be worldly-wise; not naive: a sophisticated young socialite; the sophisticated eye of a journalist. 2.pleasing or satisfactory to the tastes of sophisticates: sophisticated music. 3.deceptive; misleading.4.complex or intricate, as a system, process, piece of machinery, or the like: a sophisticated electronic control system. 5.of, for, or reflecting educated taste, knowledgeable use, etc.: Many Americans are drinking more sophisticated wines now.

JLStorm

Have you tried Creed's Original Santal? It might fit the bill. Creed, though well known, isn't what I'd consider mainstream. I discovered this cologne early this fall and it's my newfound favorite! I don't know that I would characterize it as "rustic" but it's definately refined and complex. The cedar seems to stand up right away, but from there the scent devlops through levels of nuance.

Some have compared it to the original Joop. I can sort of see where people get that, and I was initially hesitant because Joop pretty much makes me sick. BUT, Original Santal, while having some of the sweetness to it is not nearly as synthetic, overpowering, and soapy-ish. But, for a Creed fragrance, I find that it 1) lasts and 2) projects much better than some of their other colognes, which people often complain about (they don't last long or project well).

I would recommend Original Santal, but it's definately a try before you buy unless you've got tons of money to shell out on blind buys. Even at $140 a bottle through Costco, you'd want to make sure it's a cologne you'd like. If you contact a Nieman Marcus store, you should be able to talk them out of a small sample.