Originally Posted by averagejoe

There is still classic Dior and Chanel to run to. Both brands have been good at not cheapening their scents just to attract young girls who like candy-like fad fragrances. They also don't discontinue most of their classic fragrances. Gucci has been a good fragrance brand, but some of their classics did not last (like Gucci Envy), making me wonder if they will discontinue most of their current fragrances in the next few years.

I love my Gucci but NOT the present fragrances. (How could they discontinue Gucci for Men - sensuality in a black and white box? Crime). Everything that came after Envy Gucci please discontinue - ASAP. One of the four flower fragrances launched last year wasn't bad and the idea was kind of conceptual with layered fragrance (although Hermes did it already and so much better). Fragrance is one area that Gucci have got soooo wrong.

Thank you, I have been putting off my frangrance shopping for a while even though I know it needs to be done before the days grow shorter and the nights longer. I need to find something with a base that combines Russian Patriarchal-church incense with the scent of very expensive Parisian brothel, middle notes of a blue bell wood at dawn and Barenia leather and top notes of something spine-tingling If anyone thinks I have described something they recognise (and available) I would love to know

Originally Posted by papertiger

I love my Gucci but NOT the present fragrances. (How could they discontinue Gucci for Men - sensuality in a black and white box? Crime). Everything that came after Envy Gucci please discontinue - ASAP. One of the four flower fragrances launched last year wasn't bad and the idea was kind of conceptual with layered fragrance (although Hermes did it already and so much better). Fragrance is one area that Gucci have got soooo wrong. Thank you, I have been putting off my frangrance shopping for a while even though I know it needs to be done before the days grow shorter and the nights longer. I need to find something with a base that combines Russian Patriarchal-church incense with the scent of very expensive Parisian brothel, middle notes of a blue bell wood at dawn and Barenia leather and top notes of something spine-tingling If anyone thinks I have described something they recognise (and available) I would love to know

Gucci By Gucci for men is my favourite from the Gucci line-up of men's fragrances, and I have a bottle of it. It's a relatively new men's fragrance that I actually like. I only like 2 scents launched more recently; this and Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf. The rest of the men's fragrances smell so boring and like every other men's fragrance already made years ago that I don't even bother testing new men's fragrances unless someone hands me a scented blotter when I pass by the counters, or unless it's Dior (but they hardly have new men's fragrances).


I actually have two fragrances to recommend for your description (not that it matches everything you described, though), but one of them has been discontinued ages ago so you may have to find it at a perfumery that sells old stock. It's Dior Addict and Mania by Armani (not the new one, but the original with frosted white glass and a black lid. This has already been discontinued). Both fragrances are on the heavy side and smell very distinctive. Dior Addict has hints of incense, but Mania definitely has it as a main note.

My other suggestion is to sample a few classic men's fragrances, like Boss Hugo Boss or Fahrenheit by Dior, because they have notes of leather, wood, and potentially incense. You'd be surprised by how some men's fragrances end up smelling very unisex!

Actually, Gucci by Gucci for men is in this family of leathery woody fragrances with a sharp top-note, so check that out if you want . An added bonus is that it will be from your favourite brand

Originally Posted by averagejoe

I think any fragrance that piggybacks on the overnight success of certain celebrities (like Kim Kardashian) or brands (like Ed Hardy, which was all the rage a few years back) are inevitably doomed. They make a lot of money right away (more so than some well-established fragrances), and then they are discontinued when sales drop. And I have never smelled one that was remotely appealing, except maybe Coty's fragrance for Isabella Rosselini (which is now long gone). All of the new recent celebrity fragrances smell so sweet and synthetic that they border on being gross.

I have shied away from celebrity and brand fragrances as it's obviously a ploy to get those individuals or companies to 'branch out' and develop their CV to enhance their image. I have to say though that over the years, I have experimented in different celebrity fragrances and some do smell quite good. The earlier version of the Ed Hardy had a nice scent, but I didn't get it as my close friend used it as her everyday fragrance, the original Britney Spears one smelled divine and I used it everyday (if I had it over here I would still use it, but my sister cleared out my space when I moved out and I didn't seen my fragrances the last time I was back...), I now use the Fergie for Avon one and occasionally alternate this with the fragrance developed by Fresh for the Memoirs of a Geisha film some years back. J.Lo Glow was also a light fresh fragrance, but Miss Dior Cherie has to be one of my favourite day ones

Originally Posted by averagejoe

Gucci By Gucci for men is my favourite from the Gucci line-up of men's fragrances, and I have a bottle of it. It's a relatively new men's fragrance that I actually like. I only like 2 scents launched more recently; this and Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf. The rest of the men's fragrances smell so boring and like every other men's fragrance already made years ago that I don't even bother testing new men's fragrances unless someone hands me a scented blotter when I pass by the counters, or unless it's Dior (but they hardly have new men's fragrances). I actually have two fragrances to recommend for your description (not that it matches everything you described, though), but one of them has been discontinued ages ago so you may have to find it at a perfumery that sells old stock. It's Dior Addict and Mania by Armani (not the new one, but the original with frosted white glass and a black lid. This has already been discontinued). Both fragrances are on the heavy side and smell very distinctive. Dior Addict has hints of incense, but Mania definitely has it as a main note. My other suggestion is to sample a few classic men's fragrances, like Boss Hugo Boss or Fahrenheit by Dior, because they have notes of leather, wood, and potentially incense. You'd be surprised by how some men's fragrances end up smelling very unisex! Actually, Gucci by Gucci for men is in this family of leathery woody fragrances with a sharp top-note, so check that out if you want . An added bonus is that it will be from your favourite brand

ITA on the versitility of men's fragrances Terre d'H is supposed to be for men but it's a scent that I find suits me well all Summer and for work and I never get sick of it. Funny enough I have had Fahrenheit in the past and my sister has used it too, it's totally yummy and classic (I wouldn't want to step on my sister's well-scented too of course).

Alas, only Gucci Pour Homme II is available now as Gucci discontinued the original having said that, the II isn't bad but it's lighter less aged and 'alcoholic'.

I had a wonderful Summer version of J'adore that my mother bought for me but that was a long time ago, the following Summer Dior changed the smell entirely. I will definately check out Dior Addict, that is no1 on my to do list. What a shame about GA's Mania, it sounds intriguing. I always forget about Armani but their make up is supposed to really good as well. I say no to Hogo Boss - I seem to be allergic to everything Hugo Boss. I need spend an hour or two at the Tom Ford counter too but not everything he does has the Midas touch IMO. I can't believe I may well be heading straight back to Fahrenheit

We have a few specialist perfume places in London, some of the real perfumes are made in very small quantaties and supposed to be far from commercial fragrances. These places are supposed to be the last word on finding a scent that matches a person or a mood but I always feel let down by the staff, I mean where does one start in a room full of bottles. Even secrecy and exclusiveness can be an anti-marketing con. Sometimes I just want to shop-n-go, and a single bottle of something wonderful doesn't have to be hundreds of pounds. I can always 'top-up' with something that needs weeks of research when I have more time.

Thank you averagejoe, you have been a great help

Originally Posted by papertiger

I need spend an hour or two at the Tom Ford counter too but not everything he does has the Midas touch IMO. I can't believe I may well be heading straight back to Fahrenheit

I agree about Tom Ford. In fact, his perfume bottles are ugly. I don't know why he keeps making that old fluted glass design that he did at Estee Lauder (he reinterpreted the Youth Dew bottle or something like that, I don't remember). And his fragrances don't appeal to me. I sampled a number of their fragrances because a friend of mine recommended one of his vanilla scents, and I tested all his other men's fragrances too. None of them appealed to me (some of them actually smelled old).

Milan Kunis is just a girl next door to me... And her voice is so high, and her style s more tomboy... Not a glamorous diva like all the Dior ladies of the previous campaigns...

I love the Ballerina Heels, anyone know the price of it?

Originally Posted by kc_sherly

i love the ballerina heels, anyone know the price of it?:d

$1,300.

Originally Posted by Love4H

Milan Kunis is just a girl next door to me... And her voice is so high, and her style s more tomboy... Not a glamorous diva like all the Dior ladies of the previous campaigns...

At least she's been around much longer than some of the instant-fame girls that are fronting some designer campaigns. Mila started with That 70's Show, and was the voice of Meg Griffin in Family Guy for years, before anyone even heard of Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively.

And then she did an amazing job in Black Swan.

Originally Posted by averagejoe

At least she's been around much longer than some of the instant-fame girls that are fronting some designer campaigns. Mila started with That 70's Show, and was the voice of Meg Griffin in Family Guy for years, before anyone even heard of Kristen Stewart and Blake Lively. And then she did an amazing job in Black Swan.

That's true. But he fact that she's been around for a while doesn't make her classy or diva... She's very loud and has bad manners...

I'm very disappointed with that choice for Dior... She's by all means no match for the Dior divas of the previous years.

Originally Posted by Love4H

She's by all means no match for the Dior divas of the previous years.

Speaking of Dior Divas, check out Natalie Portman's beautiful sultry new Dior ads. I think that they're for lipstick and potentially foundation (someone correct me, please):

Originally Posted by averagejoe

Speaking of Dior Divas, check out Natalie Portman's beautiful sultry new Dior ads. I think that they're for lipstick and potentially foundation (someone correct me, please):

Almost can't recognise her in the second visual!

Originally Posted by averagejoe

Speaking of Dior Divas, check out Natalie Portman's beautiful sultry new Dior ads. I think that they're for lipstick and potentially foundation (someone correct me, please):

Yea the first visual is for the relaunch of diorskin nude and the second is for the collection of nude lipsticks and nail vernis!

The second photo makes her look at little. It like monica bellucci! Theres something weird about it though.... Her face looks quite wide?

Originally Posted by eminere™

Almost can't recognise her in the second visual!

True. Reminds me of the first J'adore ad with Charlize Theron where she covers herself with a piece of golden silk. I didn't recognize her either in the ad.

Originally Posted by hightea_xx

The second photo makes her look at little. It like monica bellucci! Theres something weird about it though.... Her face looks quite wide?

The styling is quite nice in this ad. It's a different direction compared to previous ads because her hair seems a bit "wild", almost like the Victoria's Secret models.