u/chipmunkcheeks666

Personally, I'd go for the 50ml. I usually buy smaller bottles because I have quite a few fragrances in my collection, and even those take ages to finish.

Hibiscus Mahajad also has insane performance, so you really don't need many sprays per wear.

Obviously, it depends on how often you plan on wearing it, but I'd rather get the 50ml and put the difference towards another fragrance down the line.

Nothing wrong with liking Armaf. If you enjoy the fragrance, who cares. You definitely don't need to spend hundreds on a bottle to have a good collection.

For $20-50 I'd also check out Lattafa, Afnan, Maison Alhambra and Rasasi. You can get some genuinely good fragrances from all of them in that price range.

I'd also recommend sampling stuff whenever you can rather than buying loads of cheap bottles just because they're affordable. $30 here and $40 there adds up surprisingly quickly, and eventually you'll figure out which types of fragrances you actually love.

And don't worry too much about whether something is considered "mid" on here. Wear what smells good to you.

I honestly don't think it has to be that deep or that black and white. There are always going to be things you enjoy that your partner isn't particularly into.

When I really got into fragrances, my wife basically told me that while she likes that I'm so passionate about it and thinks a lot of my fragrances smell great, she actually prefers my natural smell. I think that's pretty understandable when you're close to someone. Their natural skin/musky smell becomes part of what you associate with them, and covering that up with fragrance all the time isn't necessarily going to be something they prefer.

It doesn't mean I stopped wearing or collecting fragrances. I just don't need to wear a strong fragrance every time we're together, and there are some she likes more than others.

Sounds like you're already doing something similar anyway. She doesn't mind a couple of yours, so maybe let her smell some others and see what she likes. You can wear those around her and save the ones she doesn't like for other occasions. Doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I agree with this. I've been to Japan several times and can confirm that strong fragrances generally aren't appreciated in public spaces, especially in restaurants and other dining environments.

I'd go for something clean, fresh and relatively close to the skin rather than anything with heavy projection. You can still wear fragrance, just keep the sprays fairly conservative.

A few easy ones to sample if you're looking for fresh, clean and versatile:

• Versace Pour Homme - citrusy, clean and super easy to wear
• Prada L'Homme - clean, soapy and slightly powdery
• Bleu de Chanel EDP - fresh, woody and works pretty much anywhere
• Acqua di Giò Profondo - aquatic, fresh and modern
• Montblanc Explorer - fresh, woody and relatively affordable
• Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée - crisp citrus with a woody/mineral drydown
• Dior Homme 2020 - clean woods, masculine and very versatile
• Chanel Allure Homme Sport - fresh, creamy and easy everyday wear
• Issey Miyake L'Eau d'Issey Pour Homme - fresh, citrusy and inexpensive

I'd go to a store and try a bunch of these rather than blind buying. They'll give you a pretty good idea of which type of "fresh and clean" you actually enjoy, and then you can branch out from there.

D'Orsay Sur tes lèvres is a beautiful iris fragrance.

Sample a lot and don’t rush into full bottles. It’s very easy when you’re starting out to buy something just because you like it, only to realise later that you have three other fragrances filling basically the same role.

I’d also go for smaller bottles whenever possible. Once your collection grows, even 30–50ml lasts forever. I’ve downsized quite a bit for exactly that reason.

Most importantly, buy what you genuinely love rather than what Reddit, YouTube or Instagram tells you that you should own. Five bottles you’re excited to wear is already a better collection than 10 - 15 bottles you bought because they were hyped.

It's from the store. Not every location offers it though.

One of my favorites of all time. So easy to wear, and just so classy, imo.

https://preview.redd.it/ahv94yklsgqh1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9f8ba51c7c29f16420b401448255e2f1a139339

It's a very nice collection!

Completely understand. I think it also depends on how often you’ll wear them and how big your current collection is. I usually go for the smaller bottles and even those last me ages. I actually traded my small bottle of Oud Satin Mood with my sister for an 11ml because you only need a few sprays. The performance on that stuff is crazy.

https://preview.redd.it/pynxf9nue8qh1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=edcf1f8e5e0b79c3ddaf23e2ce482a91ad16d8c8

I love these from MFK:

• Oud Satin Mood
• Gentle Fluidity Silver
• Grand Soir
• Amyris Homme Extrait
• L'homme A La Rose
• 724

Performance has been pretty great for me. Good longevity and I still catch whiffs of it hours later. I actually remember wondering who smelled so good once before realising it was me.

A couple of weeks ago I was outside waiting for someone and, as I was leaving, a guy came up to me and asked what I was wearing. I can probably count on one hand the number of times a stranger has commented on my fragrance, so that was pretty interesting.

Great house. One of my favorites actually. I especially enjoy Speed Legends, Blue Talisman, and Brompton Immortals.

I first smelled this at H Beauty while I was on a trip and absolutely loved it, but couldn’t justify the price at the time. I eventually picked up the Harrods Calendar this year for the 50ml from the advent calendar and personally think it lives up to the hype.

Interestingly, I don’t get it as a predominantly (jammy) rose fragrance. The rose is definitely there, but to me it’s more of a creamy saffron / amber, with the vanilla, musk and incense giving it this really smooth, luxurious texture. I can definitely see why you’d experience it differently though if your nose is particularly sensitive to rose.

They’re very similar scent-wise since they’re basically the same composition. The 50ml Extrait is a little richer and denser, with the leather/oud coming through more, while the 100ml EDP is slightly airier and more fruit-forward, especially in the opening. The drydowns are very close though.

I own the 50ml Extrait and absolutely love it. If you already love the DNA and prefer the smaller bottle anyway, I’d personally go for the Extrait. But if you want more bang for your buck, the 100ml EDP is probably the better buy since you’re getting twice the juice and it still performs really well.

I love Ani, but I found it a little too dense for my taste, so I ended up going with Hundred Silent Ways instead. I love that peachy vanilla it has. I eventually gave my bottle to my sister when I downsized my collection though.

Reflection Man is probably my number one fragrance of all time, but I wear it year-round. I personally wouldn’t consider it a cold-weather fragrance specifically.

• Widian London
• Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur
• Ex Nihilo Brompton Immortals
• Amouage Reflection Man
• Guerlain Angelique Noire

Amouage Reflection Man

https://giphy.com/gifs/iGpdSizVSdPJfiVG9O

They’re definitely worth checking out. They’re probably best known for their extraits like Oud Maracuja, Hibiscus Mahajad, Oud Stallion and Oud Cadenza, and in general their extraits have pretty serious projection and performance.

I actually picked up Hibiscus Mahajád at one point and really enjoyed it initially, but after a while I found it a bit too sweet and floral for me. My wife absolutely loves it though, so she wears it now.

One of their newer releases, Musc Nurasana, is probably my favourite from the house at the moment. It’s a really beautiful musky scent with bergamot, rose and dry incense.

If you’re open to something that focuses more on the tea side, definitely try Guerlain Néroli Outrenoir. Bright neroli and bergamot contrasted with this darker smoky black tea accord. One of my favourite tea fragrances and really easy to wear.

I also tried Givenchy Trouble-Fête recently and liked it a lot.

They’re pretty different fragrances and moods imo. L’Immensité is definitely the easier and more versatile wear, especially if you’re mostly looking for something for the office and gym. Outlands and Timber are more distinctive and interesting.

I think it really depends on what you’re still missing in your collection. If you already have plenty of easy everyday fragrances, maybe one of the Amouages makes more sense. If not, I’d probably keep L’Immensité, especially since you already really like it.

Personally, l prefer the EDP over the extrait. While I really like the extrait, I also find it a lot more dense. The EDP is a lot more airy, and fresh.

All of them should be available in store.