Scents -- what do women like?

Ok, so we are "manly men" and really only care about smelling the way we like to smell. :) Now that we have that straight, realize that after a few minutes, our sniffers have already adapted to what we sprayed on and we can no longer smell ourselves, and it is the people we come in contact with that do. You should also realize that perfumes came about to mask one's unwashed muskiness ;), back in the day when people did not bathe regularly.

I have a few EDT's, colognes and aftershaves of a wide range of price, but no matter how highly rated in reviews, have personally received positive comments from women (who care what other guys think) only about a few:

SCS New Spice
Armani Code - this one is definitely a hit

And a few negative comments:

Penhaligon Hammam Bouquet - anywhere from "you smell like a baby's freshly powdered tush" to "you smell like you just came from a whorehouse."

Aqua Velva - "you smell like an old man"

Pinaud Bay Rum - "you smell like stale gingerbread"

Tabac - "Sweaty 70's disco smell"


What's your experience?

In my experience, it's also about your own body oils. It's a chemical reaction. It was explained to me a while ago when buying cologne. When a scent "goes green" (not a colour) on your skin, the scent changes. When your body chemicals match the scent, the scent won't change.

This is why you can wear one, and it's gone in twenty minutes, and other scents will stay with you all day. I can't wear anything with "spice", so anything in the sporty category, etc. But if i put on something with citrus undertones, it lasts all day. At first, I didn't give this much credence, but I've experimented with spicy/sporty/citrus, etc, and I consistently get favourable female reviews from citrus, and spicy colognes end up making me smell odd.

Just my two cents.

Maxi

Lucky me, I used to live round the corner from Herzlich Willkommen! - The Different Scent: :)

An all time favourite is Washington Tremlett's "mp/h". Then "Duc der Vervins". Then Matthias Biehl Parfumkunstwerke "mb02". Top notch stuff, and very unique. Certainly less of crowd pleasers than Armani's "Code", but then again, I do not really monodimensional scents. For the summer, I also have Profumi dei Forte "Tirrenico". Eaux de parfum are simply good stuff.

i always get complements when wearing bay rum.. a few people have told me my brylcreem smells like a fresh changed diaper and everyone loves the smell of the clove cigarettes i smoke..

as far as it all combined.. there is no doubt that i leave my mark wherever i go.. people constantly tell me how their pillow or blanket or couch or car or whatever still smells like me..

I like Dominca Bay Rum. My wife howerver says I smell like that orange that we stuck with a few dozen cloves to make an air freshener as a gift for our moms when we were kids.

I wear it anyhow.

I'm a bay rum guy and am lucky enough to have a wife that loves everything I use, my aftershaves, soaps, everything, even down to the Mama Bears Aromatic Pipe Tobacco soap. She even has her own bottle of Ogallala Bay Rum cologne sitting on her shelf in her bathroom :rock:.

I'm the Old Spice man and have not heard praises nor compliments from the first lady here. Every now and then i use L'Occitane, Eau de Baux, as it seems to be the aftershave that milady likes a lot.

I recently got a decant of Creed Green Irish Tweed, and wore it to a family function. I have never gotten so many compliments on my cologne.... ever! I'm saving up for a big bottle now.
In my very, very limited experience, GIT is the most captivating scent I have ever smelled - bar none. When I first sprayed it on, I just couldn't quit smelling myself. I think I would bathe in this stuff if I could.

I have a ton of scents in my cabinet.
Right now my rotation consists of 4 different eau de colognes.

1 Million by Paco Rabanne
BLV by Bvlgari
Allure Sport by Chanel
Pi by Givenchy.

The absolute winner of these 4 with the women is the 1 Million and the Allure Sport.
I get lots of comments from ladies my own age and younger wearing one of these 2. (I'm in my 40's)

Curve-i know this is a really popular frag in the "real" world but I always have women telling me I smell good, but I don't like wearing it because its not as complex and refined. I still like the way it smells though

212-this is a mid level fragrance, but probably my favorite and this is what my g/f bought for me and get many compliments from this one

Dom Car 1913-high end frag that woman always ask me "what are you wearing, I have never smelled that before" You smell really good

Jean Paul Gat.-I always hear woman saying they like this frag, but I don't care for it.

Hugo Boss Baldessarini- Im not sure how popular this one is in the real world since I have never smelled it on anyone else or ever heard anyone talk about it on the "razor" world.
A few unpopular scents that I have been scolded for
Penns BB

Angel I sprayed this one on at a mall one day and went back to work. I had people telling me I smelled like a whore

Cuba-the stuff that comes on a cigar-I hated this stuff and so did everyone else

Joop-This Puerto Rican guy wore this to class everyday and probbaly used about 20 quirts a day. THe ladies didn't like this one at all

+1 on the Armani Code - works like magic!

Great thread Ray. I'm glad you started this one and I'm curious to see what everyone has to say.

I'm a bay rum fan myself. My wife hates the stuff but that's just the way it goes. I have several types, the royall and dominica and St Lucia and some other stuff someone brought back from the islands.

One thing i have learned from my wife about a/s is, dont put to much on, a little scent is better than being overpowered and who am i to argue:)

I am married, no need to impress any more. I just wear what I like :)

I've never had an issue with any scent from BOSS

I am blessed with a girlfriend who enjoys the scents I choose, and who frequently says one of the best things about me is how I smell... (I'm never sure how to take that! :D )

That includes:
-various Bay Rum blends
-Old Spice
-Colleen's 'Leatherneck' or 'Cavendish Black' soaps
-ass't samples of musky, delightful things from fine perfumers... (Haven't decided which to spring for, because they're so expensive... but I'm think Spanish Leather from T&H)

My wife is not big on smells but she did comment on Penhaligons Endymion. Not my favourite but I do have a small bottle of it. I think it is the vanilla which I don't really like in a cologne.

My regulars are:

St. John's Bay Rum (my kids always want a drop each if the catch me putting it on)
Meehan Bay Rum
Dominica Bay Rum
St. Lucia Bay Rum
Carribean Bay Rum 'Captain Smith's Island Spice'
Lucido mixed with a dab or two of TGQ Cavendish Black Extrait
Floris Elite (on cold rainy autumn days)
Floris Limes (on hot summer days)
Tabac (when the mood strikes)
Alt Innsbruck (on Sundays, another one my kids are always pawing for)

In reserve is Penhaligons Blenheim Bouquet, Quercus, and English Fern for special occasions.

None has really bothered my wife, but again she is not that big on smells.

I agree with wdwrx. Creed's Green Irish Tweed cologne has garnered me more compliments on scent than all the others combined, often getting the nod for being "sexy." A little goes a long way, on the back of my neck after shaving. If I am going out with my wife I might put a little more on at a pulse point (throat or wrists or elsewhere a pulse is felt).

For shave creams:

Santa Maria Novella Crema de Barba followed by the ASB of the same line "Emulsion Analcolica" this is an old time barbershop scent which is clean and manly

Castle Forbes Lavender with the CF ASB of the same line. If I put this on, the female bunny rabbit we have at home cuddles up to me and gives me little nibbles on my face and ears, making my wife jealous... Sometimes I put the Creed on after using this cream anyway, probably pushing my scent profile more to the French fancy house direction than is reasonable.

1903 Concentrated Shave Cream from J. Peterman company: this is the best "woodsy" scent I have ever tried and is often described as sexy by the fairer sex.

As a middle aged out of shape guy with a "face for radio," getting a compliment on a scent feels nice. All three of the creams above give fantastic, although altogether different, shaves.

My wife loves when I wear Gucci Envy. She also likes the Nivea aftershave lotion. I have some Bay Rum currently on its way to see how that goes.