Gordon's All Time Top Ten Colognes

Cliff · Post by **Cliff** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 12:09 pm

Yur Velcome.

Cliff

Red Bob · Post by **Red Bob** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:51 pm

Ran across the 4711 here:

Glad I could be of such assistance tonight.............I've never felt more alive than at this moment! It's great!!

JRTASTER · Post by **JRTASTER** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:22 pm

gordon, et al., please help clarify: the neiman marcus on-line catalog carries a number of acqua di parma items under the sub-name:"colonia." but many of these items clearly appear to be either aimed solely at women ("fits in your travel bag or purse") or seem to be postioned as uni-sex. if i wanted the "men's" acqua di parma edc or edt, for what item should i be looking/asking. also, i'm lucky (?) enough to have a nieman's reasonably close to my home/work place, but are there any reliable on-line retailers carrying acqua di parma?? thanks for your expert insight and help. john

Austin · Post by **Austin** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:43 pm

You can get Acqua di Parma here:

www.aedes.com

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:59 pm

JR, Well, the original Aqua di Parma could, and sometimes is, considered a sort of 'unisex' fragrance, although it has, traditionally, mostly been worn by men. Audrey Hepburn suppossedly wore it at times. You want the classic Aqua di Parma Colonia, in the bright yellow packaging. I'd suggest making a trip to your local NM to check it out, and so that you can be sure of what it is you're after. I doubt that you'll find it for much cheaper anywhere on line anyway, at least any online source in the US.
Regards,
Gordon

yourmando · Post by **yourmando** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:51 pm

John,
Aqua di Parma is one of my favorite scents. As Gordon says, the original is just "Colonia," but there is also a new "Colonia Assoluta" that I would recommend trying. These are both in yellow cylinders but the former has a black cap and the latter a silver one. The Assoluta is formulated to last longer, and also has a different fragrance formulation but a similar smell. I actually prefer the scent of the Assoluta a bit more. In addition to the longevity, it has a more powdery dry down on me (I like this) and is spiced more on the masculine side. (However, I am a big fan of unisex and floral scents.) A mature scent with lots of class. I own both versions and wear them regularly.

Armando

ex-user · Post by **ex-user** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:55 pm

When I was a small child, say 10 years old, I would take an occasional sniff of my pop's bottle of Eau de Cologne 4711. It was a total mystery to me why he, (or anyone else), would wear it.

After puberty, my dad was forced to start hiding the stuff where I couldn't find it.

I am now 56 years old and I still love the stuff.

Robert

JRTASTER · Post by **JRTASTER** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:57 pm

thanks to all for the insights. i went to the aedes site but couldn't find acqua di parma. however bigelow chemists website has acqua di parma; free shipping, and because they don't have a store in nj, no sales tax. cheaper than driving to n-m or bergdorf's AND it arrived in 48 hours. very impressed!!! w/ the floris 89, awaiting field trials, probably when the weather turns a bit cooler (high 90's w/humidity to match here in the garden state). john

Bargepole · Post by **Bargepole** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:00 pm

Michel wrote:MdeM is still in production, not in the large plastic bottles, but since 2 years it's only available in the 'bees-bottle'. Unfortunately they changed the formula, the strong and weird, almost faeces-smell in the topnotes has gone. The new owner of Guerlain have changed all their old formulas, trying to make them easier to appreciate and because of some EC regulations. In their Paris flagship store you can buy the original formulas

Ludicrous EU regulations which, in reality, the appalling LVMH -- Guerlain's new owners -- are using as an excuse to lower quality and cut costs. I very much fear Guerlain has had it. BTW, the "faeces-smell" is a molecule called 'indole' which is a component of jasmine. Only the best Jasmin de Grasse has a strong indole note. Cost-cutting again. (Interestingly, white flowers like jasmine have the strongest, most animalic smells -- because they can't use colour to attract insects.)

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:43 pm

Bargepole, Yes, you're not the only one who has concluded that Guerlain, as a genuine quality purveyor, is probably finis. And, IMO, they are not the only firm that is using these "EU regulations" as a cover and a dodge for what are really cost cutting, quality cheaping, moves on their part. It's really a shame.
Regards,
Gordon

Ken · Post by **Ken** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:53 pm

Michel and Bargepole,

I recently purchased a bottle of M de M. I never had it before, so I can't compare it with earlier bottlings. But this fragrance definitely has an earthy, "dirty" topnote to it. Perhaps it is not as apparent as before, but it is certainly present.

Ken

Bargepole · Post by **Bargepole** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:05 pm

Ken wrote:I recently purchased a bottle of M de M. I never had it before, so I can't compare it with earlier bottlings. But this fragrance definitely has an earthy, "dirty" topnote to it. Perhaps it is not as apparent as before, but it is certainly present.Ken

Yup, still there but it's a cheaper jasmine and less animalic. I have two bottles -- old and new -- and I can tell 'em apart even through the closed fridge door. Just no comparison.

On the topic of Guerlain -- I was told by someone in the trade (at Harrods) that Guerlain's reputation and quality are in freefall. They're going for the duty-free market. Caron is picking up the former Guerlain clientele with their marvellous reintroductions -- not reformulations -- of so many of the old Daltroff classics; the most stunning of which is probably Tabac Blond, a dirty harsh compelling tabac, aimed at those 1930s women who drove fast and took lovers, but which works very well on men. On, for example, me. SWMBO disagrees. "It's my signature scent," she says. "Who introduced you to it?" I say; "Who picked it out for you? Who BOUGHT it for you? Now GIVE ME THE BOTTLE or things are going go downhill FAST, woman."

That's not the truth.

The truth is, I sneak it from her dressing-table when she's out.

So? She sneaks my Muschio and my Knize Ten.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:18 pm

Michael, Egad! She sneaks Knize Ten?! My wife better not try and pull that!.....but no, she wouldn't.....would she?....no, she's a Floris girl. Is your wife English? I knew one Englishwoman who insisted of wearing Blenheim Bouquet.
Regards,
Gordon

Limey · Post by **Limey** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 9:44 am

I am suprised to see Old Spice on the list. A classic and still a good value.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:20 pm

Limey, Unquestionably. There was no way that I could leave it off this type of list, given what the list was suppossed to be; ie, ten of the great 'classics' and most influential scents in the history of gentlemen's perfumery.
Regards,
Gordon

Bargepole · Post by **Bargepole** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:00 pm

bernards66 wrote: Is your wife English? I knew one Englishwoman who insisted of wearing Blenheim Bouquet.
Regards,
Gordon

English? Unmistakably. Think red-headed duchess gone to the bad... But not English-perfumed. Wears Messe de Minuit, Tabac Blond, Knize Ten, Sables, Route des Vetivers, Ambre Sultan, Yatagan etc. (But this gendering of perfumes has always struck me as bogus. I happily wear Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleu, Fleurs de Rocailles, Bluebell, Apres l'Ondée and, especially, Jicky. And how many men here are still engaged in The Quest For The Perfect Rose (or Violet)? We're ahead of the pack, and it works both ways.)

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 7:36 pm

Michael, Well, we are quite the reverse; strict demarcation of colognes, don't ye know, none of that 'unisex' business for us ( well, except for 4711 and Floris #127 maybe ). And I'm quite comfortable with it, especially as it keeps her away from my cologne stash ( which is considerably larger then hers....ahem ).
Regards,
Gordon