10 Must Smell Perfumes

[cheapimitation]

I'm making a list thread and I hate list threads!

But I was about to reply to the "10 Must Have" thread with a list of fragrances I think everyone should smell and I realized I don't actually have most of them and OP of that thread was asking for 10 fragrances you own that you must have (ie. keep only 10).

So here's a thread for more of an "objective" must smell list. Which means you don't have to own them or even like them but list fragrances you think are important to a genre or brand that everyone should at least experience.

Explanation, discussion, reasoning etc are always vastly more fulfilling to me, but not a requirement.

I'll have a go:
1. Ganymede (represents cutting edge of "now" perfumery)
2. Chanel Cuir de Russie (iconic/historic)
3. Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady (iconic niche)
4. Hermes Eau d'Hermes (historic/the progenitor of JCE's work at Hermes)
5. Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan (the more ambers I smell the more I realize can be traced back to this)
6. MFK Grand Soir (for a modern amber and because I refuse to list BR540)
7. LV Ombre Nomade (the best representation of modern/fake oud)
8. Chanel Boy (a new masculinity, modern take on classic structure, TF Beau de Jour is probably the more objective universally relevant choice but I just like Boy so much)
9. Frederic Malle Carnal Flower (I tried to think of another floral masterpiece but this kept coming to mind)
10. PdM Layton (post modern fragrance, a copy of a copy, understanding masstige)

Wow I only actually own 3 of my own list, but I have samples of them all.

 

[StylinLA]

My must smell is more traditional

Creed Bois du Portugal
Creed Green Irish Tweed
Caron Third Man
Guerlain Vetiver
Malle Musc Ravageur
Dior Eau Sauvage
Hermes Eau d'Hermes
YSL Kouros
Chanel Antaeus
Brut/Pinaud Clubman

 

[hednic]

The Night
Egoiste
Green Irish Tweed
Eau Sauvage
Or Black
Macassar
Gengis Khan
Siecle
Vetiver Extraordinaire
Bel Ami

 

[lilacdays]

Andy Tauer L'air du Desert Marocain
Femme Rochas
Teatro a la Scala Krizia
Dior Homme Intense
La Melodie de L'amour Dusita
Guerlain Shalimar
Musc Bruno Acampora
Patchouli Antique Les Nereides
Fracas
Philosykos Diptyque

 

[chypre]

Mitsouko
Jicky
Jean Patou Joy
Chanel Cuir de Russie
No. 19 (or Lauder's Private Collection, which imho is a better green)
Coco
Antaeus
Musc Ravageur
Iris Silver Mist
Helmut Lang EDP

 

[Ken_Russell]

Great selections mentioned already, also adding a few ones not mentioned yet-in no further particular order:

Knize Ten
Aramis Tuscany
Armani Eau pour Homme
Esencia Loewe
Caron pour un Homme
Eau des Baux
ADP Colonia
Paco Rabanne PH
Sartorial by Penhaligons
Hermes Rocabar

 

[davidcalgary29]

Secretions Magnifiques, for its reputation: but you'll probably be disappointed
Lonestar Memories: when you want to smell like the inside of a firepit
Jardin d'Amalfi -- Creed's best scent, but not necessarily wearable
Tales from Zanzibar: if you want to smell like an exploding pinata
Interlude Man: do you want to try a male frag that's TOO MUCH? Do you?
Dior Leather Oud: cat pee eleganza
Drakkar Noir -- iconic, even though few will admit that they still wear it;
Farenheit -- ditto

 

[PaTomas]

Instead of my 10... some mentions:
Seconding Caron pour Homme that defines lavendar vanilla,
Seconding Drakkar Noir and Farenheit, still beautiful wears, Seconding Phylosykos for putting fig front and center on the notes' map,

Adding Grey Flannel as a timeless. Newcomers should all look for it.

 

[cheapimitation]

Andy Tauer L'air du Desert Marocain
Femme Rochas
Teatro a la Scala Krizia
Dior Homme Intense
La Melodie de L'amour Dusita
Guerlain Shalimar
Musc Bruno Acampora
Patchouli Antique Les Nereides
Fracas
Philosykos Diptyque

Interesting list, I've not smelled any of these except Philosykos! I'm into Dusita, is Melodie de L'amour your favorite from the line?

 

[lauermar]

I picked perfumes that are the tracks of my life. I have pleasant memories with them. The stories must be shared.

1. Chanel No. 5, my first perfume at age 6, summer 1965. Grandma let me play with the nearly empty cartridge.

2. Evening in Paris by Bourjois. My mom kept it in her bathroom vanity in the 1960s. I would hide it under my shirt, then put it on my Barbie dolls.

3. White Shoulders by Evyan. It was launched near the end of WW II, around 1944. I think mom liked it because it reminded her of my dad coming home.

4. Halston for women. I wore it disco dancing in 1979 with my boyfriend, who eventually married me.

5. Je Reviens by Worth. My wedding perfume in 1984. If you can find a vintage bottle, it's worth trying. Sadly, the newest reformulation is a disappointment.

5. Giorgio Red. It became my signature perfume in 1989 when I was a young, married working woman.

6. Eternity by Calvin Klein. Happy memories of pharmaceutical launch meetings with my colleagues. We all wore it in the 1990s.

7. Red Pearl by Paris Bleu. It is an indie perfume nobody knows about or wears. I bought it from a street vendor in Soho, NYC in 2004. I was in town training with a pharmaceutical company. It is a spicy amber oriental with a distinctive sillage like no other. Years later, I smelled it at an open air shopping mall in metro Chicago. The sillage was left by a lady who knows. I searched a long walkway looking for her so I could ask her about it, but I never found her.

8. L'Heure Bleu by Guerlain. I bought this on a family trip to Disney in Florida in 2006. They had a fragrance shop where I had the bottle engraved.

9. La Petite Robe Noir by Guerlain. I went on a religious pilgrimage to Europe in 2010 with my daughter. It included a stop in Paris, where I bought my bottle in the Guerlain shop.

10. Rumba by Balenciaga. I sold it in 1993 when I was a part-time cosmetics rep and college student. I was 34 and finishing my undergraduate degree. Rumba was too old and rank for my taste then. It is now 2023. I was playing my late father's 1957 Latin music album. Suddenly, I wanted a perfume like a flamenco dancer. I remembered Rumba, so I ordered the original Balenciaga version. It is perfect. I don't hate it anymore; now I'm obsessed with it.

 

[lauermar]

I'm selecting perfumes that tracked my life and have pleasant memories associated with them. Too good not to share.

1. Chanel No. 5, my first perfume at age 6, summer 1965. Grandma let me play with the nearly empty cartridge.

2. Evening in Paris by Bourjois. My mom kept it in her bathroom vanity in the 1960s. I'd hide it under my shirt, then put it on my Barbie dolls.

3. White Shoulders by Evyan. It was launched in the aftermath of WW II, around 1945. I think mom liked it because it reminded her of my dad coming home.

4. Halston for women. I wore it disco dancing in 1979 with my boyfriend. We got married in 1984.

5. Je Reviens by Worth. My wedding perfume. If you can find a vintage bottle, it's worth trying. Sadly, the newest reformulation is a disappointment.

5. Giorgio Red. It became my signature perfume in the 1989 as a young working woman.

6. Eternity by Calvin Klein. Happy memories of pharmaceutical launch meetings with my colleagues in the mid-1990s.

7. Red Pearl by Paris Bleu. It is an indie perfume that nobody knows about. I bought it from a street vendor in Soho, NYC in 2004. I was training with a pharmaceutical company in 2004. It is a spicy amber oriental with a distinctive sillage like no other. Years later, I smelled it in an open air shopping mall left behind by a mysterious lady in the know. I searched a long walkway looking for her so I could ask her about it, but I never found her.

8. L'Heure Bleu by Guerlain. I bought this at a trip to Disney in Florida in 2006. They had a fragrance shop where I had the bottle engraved

9. La Petite Robe Noir by Guerlain. I took a religious pilgrimage in 2010 with my daughter. It included a stop in Paris, where I bought my bottle in the Guerlain shop.

10. Rumba by Balenciaga. I sold it in 1993 when I was a part-time cosmetics rep and college student. I was a 34-year-old married adult working on my degree. I thought Rumba was too old and rank. It is now 2023. I was playing my late father's old Latin music album. Suddenly, I wanted a perfume like a flamenco dancer. I ordered the Balenciaga version, and it is perfect! I don't hate it anymore; I'm obsessed with it.

 

[Bonnette]

There are so many perfumes that I have yet to smell, but even so, for me these stand out as must-smells (not necessarily because I like them, but because they have become reference scents within their categories:

Chanel No. 5
Joy
Tabac Blond
L'Heure Bleue
Tabu
Mitsouko
Jicky
Cuir de Russie (Chanel)
Coromandel
Opium

 

[lilacdays]

Interesting list, I've not smelled any of these except Philosykos! I'm into Dusita, is Melodie de L'amour your favorite from the line?

Absolutely, Melodie de l'amour is a white flowers masterpiece. I don't really appreciate any of her latest releases,, they are mainstream and loud in my opinion. A few of the on my list are vintage and you can find them for a fairly reasonable price if you want to get into the rabbit's hole

 

[Pheusinger]

Malle Musc Ravageur
YSL Kouros
Eau Sauvage
Tauer L'air du Desert Marocain
Farenheit
Jicky
Dior Leather Oud
Chanel Sycamore
Houbigant Fougere Royale
Acqua di Parma Colonia

Ask me on a different day and I may give you a different list.

 

[sakecat]

Of the historical scents, I chose ones that still seem to be like themselves in their current versions.

1. Coty Wild Musk - musk
2. Fracas - tuberose
3. Jean Patou Joy - aldehydic floral
4. Montale Black Aoud - rose/oud
5. Reminiscence Patchouli - patchouli
6. Shalimar - amber
7. Angel - gourmand
8. Bandit - leather
9. BR540 - contemporary niche
10. Dior Sauvage - contemporary designer masculine

 

[Zenwannabee]

Must smells for reference:
—Shalimar
—Chanel No. 5
—Eau Sauvage
—Brut
—Equipage
—Azzaro PH
—Grey Flannel
—Bel Ami/Fahrenheit
—Cool Water
—Eternity

 

[cheapimitation]

I'm selecting perfumes that tracked my life and have pleasant memories associated with them. Too good not to share.

1. Chanel No. 5, my first perfume at age 6, summer 1965. Grandma let me play with the nearly empty cartridge.

2. Evening in Paris by Bourjois. My mom kept it in her bathroom vanity in the 1960s, and I would take it.

3. White Shoulders by Evyan. It was launched in the aftermath of WW II, around 1945. I think mom liked it because it reminded her of my dad coming home.

4. Halston for women. I wore it disco dancing in 1979 with my boyfriend, who married me in 1984.

5. Je Reviens Worth, my wedding perfume. If you can find a vintage bottle, it's worth trying. Sadly, the newest reformulation is a disappointment.

5. Giorgio Red. It became my signature perfume in the 1980s as a working woman.

6. Eternity Calvin Klein. Memories of pharmaceutical launch meetings with my colleagues. We all wore it in the 90s.

7. Red Pearl Paris Bleu. It is an indie perfume that nobody knows about. I bought it from a street vendor in Soho, NYC in 2004. I was training with a pharmaceutical company in 2004. It is a spicy amber oriental with a distinctive sillage like no other. Years later, I smelled it in an open air shopping mall left behind by a mysterious lady in the know. I searched a long walkway looking for her so I could ask her about it, but I never found her.

8. L'Heure Bleu Guerlain. I bought this at a trip to Disney in Florida in 2006. They had a fragrance shop where I had the bottle engraved

9. La Petite Robe Noir Guerlain. I took a religious pilgrimage in 2010 with my daughter. It included a stop in Paris, where I bought the bottle in the Guerlain shop.

10. Rumba Balenciaga. It launched in 1988, and I sold it in 1993 while working my way through college as a part-time cosmetics associate at JC Penney department store. I hated it at the time. But the other day, I started playing my late father's old vinyl records. One is a Latin music album. Suddenly, I craved a perfume that evokes a flamenco dancer. This is it, and now I'm obsessed!

Thanks for the list, I love the personal stories with each one!

I'm often visiting Orlando, FL as my parents live nearby and I remember inquiring at the Guerlain counter at a Neiman about some things they didn't have and they suggested the Guerlain store at Disney but I never made it there! Kind of regret it as it was just before they switched over bottles and I was looking for a bottle of Derby from the Parisiens line which is now impossible to find.

 

[cheapimitation]

Many recommendations for Shalimar and I'm kind of ashamed to admit I've still never smelled it!

At first because I usually don't like vanilla and I also usually don't like vintage scent profiles, but I've come around to some vanilla fragrances lately and I love Le Lion so I might be into it. Dozens of times I've passed by it at the counter and thought "nah not today", at this point I almost don't want to try it just to keep the mystery alive. 😂

 

[hollywoodforever]

• Chanel No. 5
• Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDT
• Baccarat Rouge 540 by MFK
• Dior Homme Intense
• Chergui by Serge Lutens
• Sel Marin by Heeley
• Rose 31 OR Santal 33 by Le Labo
• Oud Ispahan by Dior
• Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Beene
• Musc Ravageur OR Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle

 

[Tourtiere]

These are excellent lists. Good job OP, great topic idea!

I don't have any fragrances to add to this list, except that I think everybody must smell (must wear for a day, actually) a classic Amouage at one point. Not Interlude, not Jubilation, certainly not Reflection, but one of Gold, Dia and/or Ubar. They really are their own thing!

Also I'm not seeing any Eau de Colognes mentioned (or at least none I immediately recognise), but I think it's important to smell both 4711 and Chanel's EdC to get the spectrum in that genre

 

[lauermar]

These are excellent lists. Good job OP, great topic idea!

I don't have any fragrances to add to this list, except that I think everybody must smell (must wear for a day, actually) a classic Amouage at one point. Not Interlude, not Jubilation, certainly not Reflection, but one of Gold, Dia and/or Ubar. They really are their own thing!

Also I'm not seeing any Eau de Colognes mentioned (or at least none I immediately recognise), but I think it's important to smell both 4711 and Chanel's EdC to get the spectrum in that genre

I have Amouge gold in the 14K crystal flacon shaped like a mosque.

 

[Tourtiere]

I love to hear that! Lucky you

I myself am content with my present-day formulation of Gold Man, but I'm glad I got a chance to smell (and wear!) the original Gold, once upon a time.

 

[Bal a Versailles]

Where do I begin, to tell the story of how great a love can be? All the mentions are already mentioned. A little love for Annick in Musc Nomade, Safran Troublant, Ostara by Penhaligons, Nahema, Cristalle, L'Air de Rien, Terre d'Hermes, Dune, Shalimar Cologne 2015 or Shalimar Legere and Bal a Versailles.