Tier Instinct's post on salad dressings prompted me to be bold enough to post this. I've been thinking a lot about perfumes and colognes. There are very few that I truly like on myself, and even fewer that I find nearly irresistible on members of the opposite sex. I'm thinking the ones that I like share ingredients because I truly can't pick a favorite. My favorites are posted below, hopefully a few of you will play along and post yours.

For me:
Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
Glamorous by Ralph Lauren

For men:
Armani Code
Abercrombie & Fitch (original scent)
Usher

I prefer earth-smelling scents and some sweet floral type colognes personally.

I have tried brand name colognes but I just can't bring myself to liking them too much.

I enjoy the colognes of Abercrombie and Finch as well. The current scents I enjoy are Fierce and Proof. I also enjoy Hollister's Jake and also the HC022 scents. Designer colognes, the scents that do not over power normal clean human phermones can add something to an overall Human scent. Also using everyday designer colognes for Lesser Magic also does wonders as well, might as well admit it "when in Rome do as Rome does". I hate to even say it, but I have always liked the scent of Drakkar Noir as well.

Ha! I have been transported to the peppery smelling days of middle school. Thanks for that. I once had a whole bottle of Drakkar spill in my backpack. It smelled that way through high school.

These days I prefer a simple lemon verbena after shave, if anything.

I was at the mall today and noticed Hollister's cologne (whichever one they spray within 30 feet of their doors so you can't help but smell it). It caught my attention for a minute, it was interesting. But didn't have anywhere near the effect on me that the Abercrombie does.

Men should smell like whiskey, and motor oil. I have not found this scent bottled before, but the closest I have found is good ol' Stetson. It only costs like eight bucks, and I have gotten an insane amount of compliments from women who are usually at least 40 and up. My favorite kind of women to deal with.

Baby Rose Jeans by Versace
Juicy Couture
Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana
Elle by Armani
Addict by Christian Dior

...nothing to do with an aim to attract anyone but purely because I love the way they smell.

I've heard that perfumes can irritate the throat, however, so if I'm singing that day - especially with other people - I don't wear any.

It's not a perfume or cologne, but the Body Shop lotion that I use has a lovely but subtle scent that lingers longer than perfume.

I don't really care for perfume or cologne, on either women or myself.

But, were I to wear a scent, it would be Hoppes No. 9 gun solvent.

That's the best answer so far.

In order, should anyone need gift ideas

L'eu d'Issey by Issey Miyake
Tresor by Lancome
Escape by Calvin Klein
Baby Doll by Yves St. Laurent
Lauren by Ralph Lauren
Mango anything by the Body Shop
and I never throw good ole' Chanel #5 out of bed, either!

I love all the Calvin Klein scents for men.

Y~

"If it smells like trout, eat it out. If smells like cologne leave it alone."

I will make sure to PM you some of these perfumes on your Birthday, Magistra.

This forum has that function, right?

I like Bath & Body Works line of Warm Vanilla Sugar products for myself. I have been told it smells like fresh baked cookies. I also wear rose oil on special occasions.

I like good ole cheap Aspen cologne for my man. But Speed Stick is good too.

How I happened to find my favourite perfumes.

1. Guerlain Mitsouko for the night;
2. ‘O’ by Lancome for the day.

The only good thing my mother ever did for me was teach me to appreciate Shakespeare. Two or three times a year, we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

On my first visit (I think I was 11), in the Ladies’ Powder Room before the performance, I saw a slot-machine – spray of very expensive perfume for a few pennies. Mother disapproved; “they might smell awful”. Caleche, Arpege – I hadn’t a clue, but I decided to try Mitsouko because it sounded interesting. That beautiful glamorous scent that I associated with the most exciting evenings of my year.

I met ‘O’ a few years later. In a department store, I was heading for the deli, and had to pass the perfumery section. In the air was a lovely fresh citrus scent. It was called ‘O’. Because I am into BDSM, that made it perfect for me.

'Voodoo' and 'Temptation' smells great (Axe), I like them.


About cologne, Armani 'Mania' is the one I use lately, but never put too much. I like when a cologne is barely perceptible in general, and will mix in subtlety with the natural body scent.

Excuse the obvious irony but I particularly like Angel for Men (AMe n), has elements of incense, chocolate and vanilla, it's quite powerful so I generally only wear it at night.

I have gotten to where I can not stand the smell of perfumes and colognes. I used to wear a small amount of Polo, just before going out to meet with clients. Now it is all me, and has been for some time. Deodorant is out, and so are certain soaps too.

There's a vanilla/sandalwood note in both the men's and women's version of Burberry Brit Red that makes me weak in the knees. I think you need to be a person with a naturally warm earthy scent for it to work. I am attracted to myself when I wear it.

Most perfumes burn my nose and give me a headache so I have to avoid them. I wear vanilla oil and have had no complaints. After slow-smoking turkeys I've positively reeked of hickory smoke - in my hair, my skin, my clothes. I love the smell and it always seems to make me popular with both sexes. Liquid smoke can have the same, albeit slightly less dramatic, effect. And for some reason, when I lived on a horse farm, smelling like saddle soap seemed to make men more attentive.

For men, I'm a sucker for Old Spice and Bay rum (as long as they haven't bathed in it). If they've just taken off a dress shirt that smells like them mixed with one of these it will take me exactly 0.2 seconds to wrap myself in it. I can be an incorrigible thief when it comes to mens clothing. I also get a little goofy if they smell like they've just mown the lawn.

That would be nifty!

Wait! Truth be told I'd be mortified. I'm not a great gift recipient. After 27 years of parenting if it doesn't smell like Elmer's Glue and have macaroni attached to it, I feel like anything else is too expensive, or too much. I stammer. I become cloyingly grateful----it just isn't pretty.

That said, cheerful thoughts are always appreciated.

Y~

I don't like most perfumes or colognes as too much exposure to strong scents induces massive migraines and/or nausea. Not pleasant.

However, I love the idea of intoxicating scents. There's many natural smells that make me light-headed: lilac trees outside my window, ground coffee, the fresh sweat of man who knows how to touch me.

I forgot to mention, this book first made scents oh so sexy for me.

That's a lovely story about how you came across Mitsouko. It must be great to have a scent that you enjoy and carries emotional signicance. Thanks for sharing that.

I love the smell of saddle soap as well, and worn leather. I've been riding since I was 5.


... or had a little bit of a spill while pumping gas The worst (or best, depending on the situation) is when they're straight out of the gym, no shower.

Ah, that's unfortunate because last time I checked, Sears was all out of "Elmers glue and Macaroni No.5"

Hence my only half-joking comment that gun solvent is the ideal scent. Somewhat less harsh than gasoline or diesel and a lot more pleasant, but with that same petrochemical, blue collar, hairy arms overtone.

Yes, I see your point. I enjoy that scent as well. Sadly, few men outside of law enforcement and military go to the range around here (I guess that's what happens when you live in an ultra liberal state). If they knew the fringe benefits, like you gentleman do, they might change their tune.

My secret weapon: Vetiver. Barely a pinhead dab of the essential oil does the trick. One of the bottles of oil that I have is over 13 years old and smells better all the time.

I imagine that Drakkar Noir can really get to some people who had a stong ECI in the 80s or early 90s. Or at least that's when it was all the rage for me. Similarly I've noticed that some women love Old Spice, and others are repelled by it, saying they don't want somebody who "smells like their father".

An ex of mine bought me Davidoff Cool Water, which I'll use maybe once a week. I shave with an electric and I use a Dead Sea Premier moisturizer as an aftershave lotion, which has a unisex scent to it. Before that I'd just use a cheap drug store brand of aftershave lotion, which surprisingly a lot of women actually liked. I use an unscented deoderant, because my skin can't take anything else.

Most of the scents I've had over the years seemed to come from girlfriends who worked at perfume counters or otherwise had something they wanted to smell on me. This has included Nicole Miller, patchouli oil, home-brewed scents and a host of others. I used to occasionally take a bath with a few drops of a scented oil like sandalwood or vanilla, so that it's all over the skin. This used to drive some of my partners wild.

I love Sensi from Georgio Armani. It doesn't "scream". It's sweet and discrete, yet it goes on and on.
And you can "smell between the lines".

october1560

Most perfumes and colognes bother me. I do enjoy the smell of vanilla and fruits that I have known some to wear.

My favorites to wear are:
Calvin Klein "Be", Dior Addict, or CK One and a little spray of Drakkar [the last is what I normally wear]

On men, I like Drakkar & Aspen

I think a lot of it is because I connect the scents to things in the past - Drakkar was the rage when I was a teenager, and a lot of the boys I liked wore it. The first boy I really fell for wore Aspen, and so does my husband.

I was going to say Hoppes #9, but I see I was already beaten to it. I also like the smell of diesel fuel, leather, and Kiwi boot polish, but I think that all goes back to the whole association thing too - lots of good memories as a child involving going to the range or cleaning guns when my dad got home, and 2 of the things that make me feel happiest and most like "myself" now are going shooting and driving my [diesel-fueled] Jeep.

I just use a 24 dollar bottle of Curve clairborne. It works for me, and I get kudos from people. As well, i think its top in all those girly magazine. I dunno, my aunt bought me a bottle as a gift, and I liked it ever since.

I am not a big cologne guy.

I loathe axe and Tag by the way. Its to powerful for me. lets not get started on the commercials either. WOW.

and when I go past the migraine department in Kohl's, sears, or wherever, all those 100 dollar bottles, I wish I could afford, usually only one sees fit.

However, at dollar general, we sell this cheap stuff called cotton candy, its for ladies, and yah, I would like to smell a lady in that, although, i don't usually, go around smelling... ladies.. I dunno.

So yeah, I like curve.

Old Spice Aftershave
Older formulas of Right Guard (It reminds me of my grandfather)
Garages (I love working around cars, so anything that smalls of car repair is beautiful. Now If I could just find a girl who smells like 'em)

I also like my own scent, as do quite a few young ladies. When I get offstage after a half hour set, I get more hellos then I ever did before tuning up the ole Four String Sex Machine. It also sticks more because of my good ole' fashioned chest hair.

Something I've noticed, and maybe someone can explain this to me, is that my skin get very soft and begins to clear up after I have been sweating more than usual. ( I've always had really bad acne on my upper legs and shoulders. It comes with being hairy.) Is this a specific chemical reaction, or is it just something weird with me? I know it's a bit off, but I'd like to know.

I never wear cologne and if someone were around me happened to have on Axe spray, I would

I agree about the Axe (and Bod for that matter). The scents are just too strong. I feel like colognes and perfumes are most effective when you have to get close to someone to smell them. If I can smell someone from a mile away I am running in the opposite direction.

"If I can smell someone from a mile away I am running in the opposite direction."

Spray or cologne, I think that it is just a problem with some people ignoring that "magic of proportioning"

I remember a woman often putting a perfume called Byzance, but the problem was that she didn't really know the "only 1 drop behind the ears" thing, so much that I wondered if she had a sponsor ! This makes me remember the renaissance, when perfumes were very strong to hide the lack of hygiene .

Axe stinks. My roommate sometimes uses that shit and he sprays himself in the bathroom. Eventually the whole house will smell like Axe and it just makes me

I like the "Ocean" scent from The Body Shop. I tend to like very subtle and clean flower smells like lilac and hyacinth, cucumber melon, ocean and watery smells, and certain food smells, like ginger. vanilla, and cinnamon. I hate Patchouli, and I don't like smells that are too over-the-top, or perfumes that reek of alcohol.

I don't remember whether it was Axe or Bod, but I know I spent at least five minutes breathing it in when I was in a department store once.

I use Axe Touch body spray and wash. Being how I have a job where I move around a lot and sweat a strong scent is needed. It kinda evens out at the end of the day for me. Also a few hours of speed metal on the guitar can cause you to break a good sweat too. I always say if you don't sweat during practice you haven't put enough effort into it. This may not apply to music genre's where you stand in one spot and don't trash about.

Department stores seem to believe in chemical warfare (and it always seems to be the worst in stores where you have to walk through them to get from the parkade to the rest of the mall). I've seen a few of those sales girls holding down the spritzer for a full two seconds and getting the little testing piece of paper totally wet to stick under someone's nose. If it's later in the day, the whole area is sickening and I almost envy those Muslim women with the full face veils - I bet it filters the stink a little.

They do indeed. A quick walkthrough is fine, and the smells are usually intriguing, but I wouldn't like to linger there too long.

In this case, I stood over the display and breathed it in deliberately, sniffing wildly, like a dog. I wasn't sure how to describe it without making it sound like I'd cracked open a bottle and started huffing it ;). I'll have to figure out which one I was sniffing though, but at the time, whatever it was, it was awesome. Oh, man smell! Muskylicious.

A dab'll do ya.