Aren't all of those available in department stores too? I'd strongly suspect it is a combination of marketing, price tag and perceived exclusivity that is contributing a lot to your desire for those products.
Nice pongs and gorgeous whiffs. The Aftershave thread!
- Thread starter MissChief
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Aren't all of those available in department stores too? I'd strongly suspect it is a combination of marketing, price tag and perceived exclusivity that is contributing a lot to your desire for those products.
I buy what I like the smell of, I don't care whats on the label
well you think you do, but unless you're buying everything blind then you don't necessarily know for sure
Ah right, I thought it would be something I was doing wrong...
I go in, I get the shop people to spray some bits of car and then I smell. So that's about as blind as it gets. I have my likes, with I buy over and over, but mostly I buy from purely smelling. I describe what I like and tell them to bring me stuff like that then I get sniffing.
I'm not doubting that, but you're also human and the idea that you're utterly immune to marketing/psychology isn't really a reasonable belief. Even the locations you'll consider shopping at in the first place which will serve as an initial constraint.
I'd like to believe that I'm not too swayed by branding too and just buy what I like, but I also know that that isn't completely plausible.
Hmmm
This is a conversation about smelly stuff. My point is a lot of my stuff is bought based purely on smell. I don't look at the bottle, I don't seek the name or price, just sit on a chair and a pretty girl brings me bits of card and I get smelling. Now I am more than aware of the power of marketing and subconscious selling, but on this specific point I am perhaps an example of someone who does not buy on brand. Now I am sure the girls bringing me the smells are bringing me the expense trendy ones first, but that's them not me.
I'm not doubting that, I'm similar in the way I purchase this stuff - it wasn't meant as a criticism. What I'd be highly skeptical of though is you being immune to the psychology/marketing behind these things - unless you're actually physically blinded to these things then you're not actually buying blindly and consciously make it one or not it is still likely a factor - we're all human after all. Thats all I'm saying
Caporegime
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what store does this? harrods?
Any half decent place. Like buying a car, tell them what you expect and what you plan to spend and all of sudden you get a proper service. Last time I bought aftershave outside of an airport was in Boots in Sheffield Meadow Hall as I recall. On the way back from Leeds I bought 4 or 5 items as I recall and simply found a girl who was not busy told her what I liked and asked her to bring me stuff I might like so I could smell it. She offered me a seat and off we went. I must have tried 20 different scents and bought the ones I liked, 2 o 3 of which I would have probably not selected had I bought on brand/bottle look.
Caporegime
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boots. last time i was in one the staff were all busy chatting to each other and having a laugh. more staff than customers too. also from past experiences they tend to push ones they are told to push, new scents, etc. you may have the odd person who is good at their job in there but it's normally folk doing it for the cash on next to min wage rather than a passion for scents.
i buy by smell too. you would have to be a moron to buy a scent based on a bottle. would be akin to buying food based on the container it came in rather than the food itself. again brand name means nothing in the scent world. every brand will have good/bad scents as smell is a purely subjective thing.
for the people who think they are being unique, etc. i know a guy living in a flat in one of the worst areas in glasgow who bought a £500 pair of trainers because they were plastered all over facebook / social media. so yes commoners will spend £150-£300 on the same bottles you do even though they earn well below the average wage. nothing to do with them taking a journey either to see a work of art. would be hilarious to see the face of someone who thinks like that when they realise it isn't special at all.
i buy by smell too. you would have to be a moron to buy a scent based on a bottle. would be akin to buying food based on the container it came in rather than the food itself. again brand name means nothing in the scent world. every brand will have good/bad scents as smell is a purely subjective thing.
for the people who think they are being unique, etc. i know a guy living in a flat in one of the worst areas in glasgow who bought a £500 pair of trainers because they were plastered all over facebook / social media. so yes commoners will spend £150-£300 on the same bottles you do even though they earn well below the average wage. nothing to do with them taking a journey either to see a work of art. would be hilarious to see the face of someone who thinks like that when they realise it isn't special at all.
Soldato
Well I bought another bottle of the Armani one from Boots on the weekend and it seems to last a whole day and I can even smell it the next morning on my shirt so I definitely think thats a UK version at least or at worst the one from Amazon is fake
Nothing to do with "commoners" and more to do with low frequency of encountering someone else using the same scent.
Won't lie I'm a sucker for a nice looking bottle, its a big factor in my purchasing decision but I won't buy something I don't like the smell of just because it has a nice bottle.
Soldato
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Spent a good hour sampling various aftershaves today. Whilst creed aventus was nice, it's not a patch on Dior sauvage. Also liked Dior intense, spice bomb and mont blonc legend. None of the Hugo boss fragrances really hit the spot for me. Don't know why John Lewis or boots don't have bags of coffee beans to reset your nose after each sniff lol my senses were shot.
Anyway, bought sauvage and spice bomb extreme in the end. There's a reason sauvage is at the number 1 spot.
Anyway, bought sauvage and spice bomb extreme in the end. There's a reason sauvage is at the number 1 spot.
Man of Honour
Who cares who buys what brand? If it smells good then just buy it surely.
I really like most of the boss range, but the two I always re-buy are Versace's Blue Jeans and The Dreamer. They just have such a distinct fragrance, like how Creed does, except not smelling like a businessman from the 1930s or costing £11million
I do like Creed though, but certainly not something I'd re-buy too often.
I also got a David Beckham one recently as a whole bunch of brands were on offer at TFS (£13 for 100ml), really rather nice, as are some store own brand ones like Next.
I really like most of the boss range, but the two I always re-buy are Versace's Blue Jeans and The Dreamer. They just have such a distinct fragrance, like how Creed does, except not smelling like a businessman from the 1930s or costing £11million
I do like Creed though, but certainly not something I'd re-buy too often.
I also got a David Beckham one recently as a whole bunch of brands were on offer at TFS (£13 for 100ml), really rather nice, as are some store own brand ones like Next.
Arabian Oud opposite Selfridges in Oxford Street, London does this, but you're just as likely to be served by a guy.
When I was driving a black cab in London, I'd often pick up Kuwaiti and Saudi guys, wearing subtle, but excellent smelling after-shave.
I'd ask them what the name of it was, and they'd write it down, and tell me that it was available at Arabian Oud.
It was never cheap, £120-£180, but you felt like you were the real deal when you wore it.
I picked up two Mid-East women once at the Dorchester, Park Lane, they spoke excellent English, with cut glass accents.
I very carefully and politely told them that I thought that their perfume was understated, but very nice, my anniversary was coming up, could they tell me what it was, so I could get it for my wife.
That too was sold at Arabian Oud, it came in at around £380, but it earned me a big haul of brownie points.
Soldato
I have a bottle of Hugo Boss and a bottle of Lacoste Red. It seems that most people (female) prefer the Lacoste and so do i tbf
