Fragrances you were wrong about?

One of the interesting things about online fragrance culture is that you often read about fragrances many times before trying them. As you read, you create mental picture of what they're like. Sometimes when you finally sniff, you're right on the money, but sometimes your preconceptions are totally inaccurate.

Case in point, today I was in the Berkshires on vacation and I was at a fragrance store that actually had a tester for Kouros, one of the most beloved fragrances I've never smelled. I was expecting a coarse, pungent, sweaty and ultra masculine fragrance but it was surprisingly pretty. It was a very pleasant floral, almost smelling like a cleaner version of Aromatics Elixir. Now, maybe on skin it takes on some other qualities, but I found it quite civilized if a bit old school.

I guess it just goes to show how limited we are in describing scent.

It took me about 6 months to 'get' Aventus.

great question

In the past, considered for instance Caracter by Daniel Hechter as too exotically spicy. It later on required owning this for quite a while and also repeated wearings/re-testings to discover its powerhouse fougere style.

Have also repeatedly described the first impressions with by now vintage Guerlain Heritage-at first considering noticing this, while of high quality ingredients and of decent performance,as a bit too mature and linear, only to understand several years after the first experiences with it both its complexity and its far more permissive versatility for nearly any age group.

Great question! The first one to come to mind is Eau d'Hermes. The first time I tried it I was surprised by how modern and fresh it smells.

I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them right now, will come back when I think of them!

Ken_Russell said:

In the past, considered for instance Caracter by Daniel Hechter as too exotically spicy. It later on required owning this for quite a while and also repeated wearings/re-testings to discover its powerhouse fougere style.

Have also repeatedly described the first impressions with by now vintage Guerlain Heritage-at first considering noticing this, while of high quality ingredients and of decent performance,as a bit too mature and linear, only to understand several years after the first experiences with it both its complexity and its far more permissive versatility for nearly any age group.

Click to expand...

I find the estimations of 'age range' to be especially inaccurate. I think when a fragrance achieves the level of quality and versatility that Heritage has it becomes appropriate for everyone. In the case of Heritage I think even many women would like it.

People act like Zino is an old man scent, and if that is your association that is fine, but when I was a teenager I wanted to smell older and more sophisticated, I would have loved it.

Conversely now that I'm older why would I want to smell like an old man? My salt and pepper is already getting the point across just fine.

Mr. Spritz said:

I find the estimations of 'age range' to be especially inaccurate. I think when a fragrance achieves the level of quality and versatility that Heritage has it becomes appropriate for everyone. In the case of Heritage I think even many women would like it.

People act like Zino is an old man scent, and if that is your association that is fine, but when I was a teenager I wanted to smell older and more sophisticated, I would have loved it.

Conversely now that I'm older why would I want to smell like an old man? My salt and pepper is already getting the point across just fine.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Age, schmage—if you like it and it smells good on you, wear it.

Also agree Héritage is quite wearable by anyone. I bought it when it was first launched and have worn it quite a bit with great enjoymentt. I consider Héritage gender neutral.

Mr. Spritz said:

One of the interesting things about online fragrance culture is that you often read about fragrances many times before trying them. As you read, you create mental picture of what they're like. Sometimes when you finally sniff, you're right on the money, but sometimes your preconceptions are totally inaccurate.

Case in point, today I was in the Berkshires on vacation and I was at a fragrance store that actually had a tester for Kouros, one of the most beloved fragrances I've never smelled. I was expecting a coarse, pungent, sweaty and ultra masculine fragrance but it was surprisingly pretty. It was a very pleasant floral, almost smelling like a cleaner version of Aromatics Elixir. Now, maybe on skin it takes on some other qualities, but I found it quite civilized if a bit old school.

I guess it just goes to show how limited we are in describing scent.

Click to expand...

In this case, the older bottles have a lot more of the animalic; but even then, Kouros always has been a soapy white floral that showcased the "shower room" vibe the scent was shooting for, with the animalic element meant to be suggestive, not dominating.

Others like Furyo would take that animalic ball and run with it, and precursors like Moustache or Monsieur Lanvin definitely were more "stinky"; but Kouros gets remembered because of its one-time ubiquity.

A lot of hardcore vintage enthusiasts smell moreso with their nostalgic memories than with their noses in current form, which can be deeply satisfying, and also dangerously misinforming when they try to pass those emotional experiences on as objective fact.

This is how new people arrive to these conclusions without having smelled something; they believe all the hype and posturing they read, sometimes delivered in good faith with the best intentions, and conceive an opinion about a fragrance being as it never actually was.

Mr. Spritz said:

I think when a fragrance achieves the level of quality and versatility it becomes appropriate for everyone.

Click to expand...

Agreed.

Mr. Spritz said:

One of the interesting things about online fragrance culture is that you often read about fragrances many times before trying them. As you read, you create mental picture of what they're like. Sometimes when you finally sniff, you're right on the money, but sometimes your preconceptions are totally inaccurate.

Click to expand...

I think there is another layer to this too—fragrances you judged too quickly and later developed a different opinion about. It’s closely related to preconceptions, I think. For me, the first time I smelled Eau de Rochas Homme I was not a fan. The lemon came across as too functional and it didn’t work for me at all. But I had already bought a 50ml as a cheapie add-on to another order, so I kept coming back to it. Now it’s one of my favorite fragrances. It’s often hard to say how much of this is a function of the scent settling down as air gets into the bottle vs. our own perceptions changing as we get used to something new. I had a similar experience with copper-cap Eau d’Hermes. The first week or two, it was too animalic for me—too “human” smelling. But it grew on me and ultimately shifted my perception of the rest of my collection. I’m much more open and tolerant of animalics now. So I try to keep an open mind. Some scents you can immediately rule out 1 second after smelling, but there needs to be another category for “I don’t get it now, but I might warm up to it later.”

My wife and I couldn't stand Guerlain Habit Rouge when I first acquired it. In fact, we looked at each other and agreed it should be tossed straight in the trash--which it was.

A while later, I decided to try Habit Rouge again. It took me about 4 or 5 wears of the second bottle, and I fell in love.

I have been disappointed due to somewhat of a internet hype countless of times...

One I've tried lately that surprised me a bit was Chypre Palatin by MDCI. All the praising got me interested a few years ago but lately I've also read a lot of a female/old lady smelling fragrance that is strong and unwearable. Then I tried it and I thought it smelled great from start. I wore it a lot and are saving the last drops now.

@cheapimitation mentioned Eau d'Hermes above and I bought a sample thinking it would probably stink but it wasn't "that bad" Pretty wearable with a nice lemon.

Dior Homme 2020. I was too harsh about it. Not amazing, but not the cheap smelling lemon woodsy nothing fragrance I thought it was, based on the carded samples. I tried a few sprays from a tester at macy's and it's pleasant enough, just not as good as the original.