Nice pongs and gorgeous whiffs. The Aftershave thread!

I just recently found out about Zara "clones" and saw some of them are in the sale online, so I bagged a few to see if they're any good. :)

Also over xmas/new year I got a few new fragrances. I really like "Stronger with you" by Emporio Armani. Nice winter fragrance.
 
Also, Dior Sauvage.... I don't get it. Seems almost everyone loves it. When I smelt it, it reminded me of like an old Brut aftershave or something. My Mrs said it was nice though. Hmm.
 
jaybee said:
I just recently found out about Zara "clones" and saw some of them are in the sale online, so I bagged a few to see if they're any good. :)
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Which ones did you get? Valentino Uomo Intense is one of my all time favourites so I wouldn't mind trying 9.0 myself, and I see Vibrant Leather and Aventus in the same sentence a lot.

jaybee said:
Dior Sauvage
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Generic and oversprayed to me. The Parfum isn't bad but I'm still not a fan really. There are far better and more unique scents out there, and a lot of them are cheaper than the Dior offering.
 
Can someone recommend to me a nice pong or gorgeous whiff? I haven't bothered with aftershaves for well over a decade and even when I did it was generic stuff like Hugo Boss...

I'm after something under the £50 mark that isn't overpowering but lasts a good few hours and smells manly, the last stuff I had smelt great but didn't last more than the first 30 minutes it was weird.
 
Vidar said:
Can someone recommend to me a nice pong or gorgeous whiff? I haven't bothered with aftershaves for well over a decade and even when I did it was generic stuff like Hugo Boss...

I'm after something under the £50 mark that isn't overpowering but lasts a good few hours and smells manly, the last stuff I had smelt great but didn't last more than the first 30 minutes it was weird.
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Chanel platinum Egoiste is my number 1 scent, nothing else beats it. Can pick up a 50ml bottle for £50.
 
Vidar said:
Can someone recommend to me a nice pong or gorgeous whiff? I haven't bothered with aftershaves for well over a decade and even when I did it was generic stuff like Hugo Boss...

I'm after something under the £50 mark that isn't overpowering but lasts a good few hours and smells manly, the last stuff I had smelt great but didn't last more than the first 30 minutes it was weird.
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Ever so slightly over £50 but a good purchase. It’s very popular atm. (And better than alternatives like sauvage etc) you can get a smaller 60ml for cheaper.

Explorer 100ml - £57 / 60ml - £39
https://www.notino.co.uk/montblanc/explorer-eau-de-parfum-for-men/p-15950050/

Or something like terre d’hermes 50ml is £48
https://www.notino.co.uk/hermes/terre-dhermes-eau-de-toilette-for-men/p-65069/

edit. Of course, I would personally sample anything before you buy, because you may not like what others like myself are suggesting :p


 
Tauren said:
Ever so slightly over £50 but a good purchase. It’s very popular atm. (And better than alternatives like sauvage etc) you can get a smaller 60ml for cheaper.

Explorer 100ml - £57 / 60ml - £39
https://www.notino.co.uk/montblanc/explorer-eau-de-parfum-for-men/p-15950050/

Or something like terre d’hermes 50ml is £48
https://www.notino.co.uk/hermes/terre-dhermes-eau-de-toilette-for-men/p-65069/

edit. Of course, I would personally sample anything before you buy, because you may not like what others like myself are suggesting :p
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I’m interested in explorer but I have more than 70 bottles of Aftershave now, do I really need one more?
 
Clov!s said:
What’s it similar to? I have two bottles of Creed Aventus and three other fragrances that smell similar, don’t need any more. :p
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Ah. Then I probably wouldn’t bother buying anything but a sample in that case. It isn’t exactly the same... but it’s very similar.

honestly I prefer cedrat boise, but it’s more expensive to recommend than explorer. (Edit, these two don’t smell anything alike, but are in the same family of fragrance)
 
Tauren said:
Ah. Then I probably wouldn’t bother buying anything but a sample in that case. It isn’t exactly the same... but it’s very similar.

honestly I prefer cedrat boise, but it’s more expensive to recommend than explorer.
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I already have Cedrat Boise, I’ll pick up a sample then and see what it’s like, I may end up enjoying it and picking a bottle up. :)
 
Clov!s said:
I already have Cedrat Boise, I’ll pick up a sample then and see what it’s like, I may end up enjoying it and picking a bottle up. :)
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It smells closer to aventus, but is in the same fruity+wood fragrance category as CB. I think you’ll like it.

my only gripe with explorer is that it could have lasted a little longer. But should see you through almost a whole work day. Maybe my nose just got used to it.
 
If you have Aventus and/or cedrat Boise then I wouldn't buy a full bottle of explorer personally. Get a sample or a decant and decide if it's worth it first.
 
I recently bought or was bought the following, all blind bought based on I simply read some recommendations and put them on my xmas list. :)

- Jovan / White Musk = Cheapie recommended to me as something different. The performance is really good and it's quite unisex imo. I think it doesn't smell like anything else and for the money, a nice scent. Possibly more summery.
- Emporio Armani / Stronger with you = Lovely winter scent. Light spice and intense with great long lasting performance. Love this.
- Emporio Armani / Diamonds = Subtle, safe, fresh scent. I like it and would wear it in the office probably. I find it slightly generic but it's quite nice. Will keep it but may let my son use it!
- Versace / Dreamer = Slightly harsh opening but dries to a lovely fresh tobacco type vibe, with lavender. I find this unique. Love it.

With regard to Zara Clones. It's all a bit confusing due to the different batches and bottles they keep re-formulating and relabeling over time. Different strengths etc. Anyway I basically blind bought a few in the sale and a few not in the sale to try them out as I got obsessed:

- Zara / Vibrant Leather = Supposed to be a Creed Aventus clone. I've never smelt real Aventus yet so I can't say. All I can say is that it smelt nice but very generic and not worthy of the massive hype for such a supposedly good clone of Aventus. I'm guessing this is the latest formulation just being poor, or maybe it's amazingly similar and Aventus is just overhyped! I'll have to go try the real thing. Very...meh to me. I mean...nice...fresh...soapy...powdery almost. The supposed pineapple notes or anything resembling fruit I only get in literally the first 10 second opening, then it's just a subtle, masculine scent, similar to when I smelt Sauvage in fact. Underwhelming. £19.99 120ml. Not worth it for me.

- Zara / Gourmand Leather = Supposed clone of Jean Paul Gaultier / Ultra Male. Put simply, to me this smells identical and if anything has better performance. Very noticeable projection. Can't really fault this for £9.99 a 100ml bottle. Keeper.

- Zara / Blue Spirit = This is the blue bottled stuff. I accidentally bought this instead of "Zara / Man Blue Spirit". Man Blue Spirit is meant to be an Invictus clone. This "Blue Spirit" smells like an air freshner from a toilet. I mean...a nice one but....lol. Also quite feminine. It's actually quite aquatic sometimes I get wafts of it. Not sure about it. I'll probably give this to a female. £9.99 for 100ml again.

- Zara / Lisboa = Supposed Giorgio Armani / Acqua Di Gio dupe. I haven't smelt that so cannot say how close it is but this to me is a keeper and more of a summer scent. It reminds me of Davidof Cool Water, or Versace Eros. Clean. Aquatic. Fresh. Quite nice. Worth £9.99 for 100ml.

- Zara / Tobaco Intense Dark Exclusive and Tobaco Rich Warm Addictive = Lovely wintery/night scents to me. I bought this as a two pack as couldn't decide. It has 100ml of each for £17.99. I like them both. The Rich Warm seems to be more reviewed on Fragrantica, but if anything I prefer the Dark Exclusive. These are quite complex scents and smell expensive to me. I've not smelt much like it but apparently the Dark Exclusive smells a lot like - to the point it may be an attempted clone - Carolina Herrera / 212 VIP. It's a bit more masculine where as the rich warm is sweeter to me.


There are other Zara clones like the Dior Homme being Zara 9.0 apparently. Have a read up.
 
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille for me. A lot of scents give me a headache, but his stuff doesnt, and I really like it along with others liking it too, even in the summer.. but I would like to find something else for the summer really, any advice? It sits quite well on me and stays pretty close to the body, but I only put a single spray on quite early so it dies down. Not looking for massive projection for a summer scent. Cheaper stuff 99% of the time gives a headace, more expensive suff usually doesnt, which I put down to more real ingredients Vs petrochemicals, but idk.
 
Went out for lunch today at work and into a local Hideout cafe. Ordered and sat down. One of the staff comes over and asks if that's Creed she smells. At first I didn't know if she was talking to me, all I could smell was really good coffee lol. I explained it was Victor No 9 and that it's very similar to the point it's hard to tell them apart out in the open.

Considering I walked to work 3 miles or so and crossed a ferry, then through city streets etc and she noticed it in a coffee house... That's major kudos to Perfumer's Choice for no 9 at the £14 it costs. It's the only thing I really wear now on an everyday basis. Probably be my only fragrance really for all occasions.
 
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