I really want to like the male Chanel fragrances but can't seem to! Help!

[AndyL]

- Bleu - Great fresh scent but something about it is too sharp or too spicy. I like Dior Homme EDP more, followed maybe by YSL Y.

- Allure - Same, the various versions are not my fresh scent because there's some spicy undertone I don't like, and Blanche has way too much citrus for me.

- Pour Monsier - I should like the chyptre and the citrus, and there seems to be some spice underneath I don't like.

- Egoiste - Love the complex smell, but the note smells messy and a little too musky to me. Platinum is lighter and fresher but doesn't grab me either.

- Exclusifs - Tried the range from Coromandel to Sycamore to Eau de Cologne. Love the complexity, don't like something about each like a spice note. I may go back to try Cologne but it didn't grab me as much as something like Dior Homme.

This is just how subjective fragrance's are. I don’t get any ”spices” from Bleu, Allure, PM, or the exclusifs you mention. Egoiste is probably the most spicy, yet it’s too musky for your liking. If anything, to me, “Chanel” is not spicy. It’s light, wispy, and airy… mostly in the heart and base.

Again, others experience houses and their fragrances in their own way. Really can’t follow other peoples noses in this, just have to follow your own.

 

[PaTomas]

In the end, you will discover that the beauty of fragrance is certainly in the nose of the beholder. And maybe a house may grab some, but normally its a fragrance.

When I smelled Platinum Egoiste, I knew I had a fit with MY personal taste. Pour Monsier, too, and Antaeus wonderful for me. But there's definitely, in some houses, a dna, underlying common note, sometimes texture, that grabs some people, or turns others away altogether.

One man's hype is another man's turnoff.

I smelled Terre D'Hermes 5 years back, and said, "Orange and sour vinagre. NOT."
This year, 5 years down the road, when a woman said its got to be her favorite to smell, I said to myself, "Which of us is nuts?". Open to anything, I bought a bottle out of trust. Now its magical. Never smelled so beautiful. I can't believe it.

 

[WarmJewel]

Yes, it's a strange feeling seeing numerous people here and elsewhere praising Chanel scents as their best ever scents, while one scratches one's head wondering "Is something wrong with my nose?".

I think it depends on what era Chanel you're interested in. Their more recent offerings are in my opinion not that great although to be fair I've not tried all of them. Bleu de Chanel did nothing for me and Platinum Egoiste didn't do much for me either.

On the other hand vintage Chanel Pour Monsieur and Antaeus are exceptional and must, again in my personal opinion, rank right up there with some of the very best masculine fragrances ever produced. There's a very good reason those two are still in current production—people still buy them.

 

[Ifti]

aside from regular Egoiste, Chanel didn't work for me at first. I got into them with the launch of Le Lion. Currently my favorite is 31 Rue Cambon, but others have started to grow on me.

Oh yes, Le Lion is definitely staying!

 

[mrcologneguy]

Felt the same way for years, but eventually the brand won me over. The Les Exclusifs line is what did it, though eventually I fell for the rest. Still not a huge fan of Allure, but I suppose I’ll come around on that one, too.

I have had my eye on a nice new bottle of Chanel No. 5 EdP for a while now. Seriously great stuff, buying it as a reference purchase for our collection. It’s in great formulation lately, smells great, and it’s just different enough from the vintage EdC in my wife’s collection to warrant a new purchase.

 

[cheapimitation]

Don't force it but do keep trying! Gosh it must have taken me at least 5 years to really come around to Chanel. I remember trying all the Les Exclusifs when I first got into fragrance because they were so highly recommended. They would have been the EDT at that time and I remember thinking they were just OK and overall a bit old fashioned (at the time I was very into CDG). I slowly dipped my toe in with No. 18 about 3 years ago which is maybe the least likely place to start. But now I'm a total convert and would rate my Chanel fragrances as the best in my collection. There is just something so special about the way they are constructed and quality of the ingredients they use.

Maybe start with the most modern releases and work your way back, and avoid the mass sellers (Allure, Gabrielle, Bleu etc). I'm thinking Boy, Le Lion, 1957, Paris-Edinborough, Paris-Deauville.

 

[Alex]

Yes, it's a strange feeling seeing numerous people here and elsewhere praising Chanel scents as their best ever scents, while one scratches one's head wondering "Is something wrong with my nose?".

I own Egoiste because I got it cheap, but the only one that ever grabbed me somewhat was Allure Homme Edition Blanche.

On the other hand, something may well be wrong with my nose - I can't smell anything much in Aqua Di Gio, Sauvage or Dylan Blue.
Regards,
Renato

Let me know if you ever decide to sell your Egoiste😉

 

[Renato]

Let me know if you ever decide to sell your Egoiste😉

Hi Alex,
I'll ruminate over it. While not enthralled with Egoiste, it does have some sentimental value.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[samcherr]

Not sure whether I'm looking for convincing, validation or moral support here, but I really want to like the male Chanel fragrances but can't seem to! I genuinely respect them as having a complexity and longevity I really want to like, but something is just not right about each of them for my nose.

Should I reconsider any of these, or accept my tastes?
- Bleu - Great fresh scent but something about it is too sharp or too spicy. I like Dior Homme EDP more, followed maybe by YSL Y.

- Allure - Same, the various versions are not my fresh scent because there's some spicy undertone I don't like, and Blanche has way too much citrus for me.

- Pour Monsier - I should like the chyptre and the citrus, and there seems to be some spice underneath I don't like.

- Egoiste - Love the complex smell, but the note smells messy and a little too musky to me. Platinum is lighter and fresher but doesn't grab me either.

- Exclusifs - Tried the range from Coromandel to Sycamore to Eau de Cologne. Love the complexity, don't like something about each like a spice note. I may go back to try Cologne but it didn't grab me as much as something like Dior Homme.

No need to like Chanel if you don't
I was going to suggest egoiste but apparently it is not for you.
Maybe look in to other brands instead? I only own Egoiste from the brand myself, and am content with that.

 

[kreteknose]

or the

It's not like they are the only game in town.
More than enough to keep your nose occupied.
In a year you may change your mind.

y

Don't force it but do keep trying! Gosh it must have taken me at least 5 years to really come around to Chanel. I remember trying all the Les Exclusifs when I first got into fragrance because they were so highly recommended. They would have been the EDT at that time and I remember thinking they were just OK and overall a bit old fashioned (at the time I was very into CDG). I slowly dipped my toe in with No. 18 about 3 years ago which is maybe the least likely place to start. But now I'm a total convert and would rate my Chanel fragrances as the best in my collection. There is just something so special about the way they are constructed and quality of the ingredients they use.

Maybe start with the most modern releases and work your way back, and avoid the mass sellers (Allure, Gabrielle, Bleu etc). I'm thinking Boy, Le Lion, 1957, Paris-Edinborough, Paris-Deauville.

why avoid the mass sellers though?

 

[ojingoh]

Chanel more than most has a house style, which in practical terms means a base formula. "Base" being the literal combination of aromachemicals used to deliver the "Chanel-ness" that their frags are composed of. I can mostly pick out similar notes in various Chanels, and I'm not talking about flankers. Their sandalwood+coumarin+labdanum base is very 'Chanel-y' to my nose. It's a very specific combination and I'd wager source too.

I smell it even in this era of flankers. Mostly it's too creamy for me (Egoiste) but works in others (Antaeus.) To me even recent Chanels have it - I bought Coromandel EdP for my special lady friend, it smells very Chanel.

 

[Alex]

I really like PM EdT but in current version its longevity is around 30 minutes give or take. Shame really, I cannot understand why Chanel cannot make it last longer.
I opted for PM Eau de Parfum instead. Lovely scent.

 

[speckmann0706]

Give Chanel Anteaus a try if you don’t like this one just explore other houses.

 

[Foamywax]

If Egoiste was drinkable I'd drink it..
I love it.
Love bleu EDP too.
I had a hard time finding a big bottle of Antaeus last year . Managed to get my hands on one but I'm not that crazy about it . I do hope my feelings change in the future. Its happened before.

 

[PrinceRF]

Should I reconsider any of these, or accept my tastes?

You should accept your tastes and move on. All to often, it's easy to get caught up over-analyzing scents and thinking that you should like something logically, whether it's due to complexity, price point, group consensus... But really, life's too short to try to force yourself to like something that just doesn't work for you.

But be open to giving them a sniff down the line. Sometimes tastes do change.

 

[kreteknose]

Chanel more than most has a house style, which in practical terms means a base formula. "Base" being the literal combination of aromachemicals used to deliver the "Chanel-ness" that their frags are composed of. I can mostly pick out similar notes in various Chanels, and I'm not talking about flankers. Their sandalwood+coumarin+labdanum base is very 'Chanel-y' to my nose. It's a very specific combination and I'd wager source too.

I smell it even in this era of flankers. Mostly it's too creamy for me (Egoiste) but works in others (Antaeus.) To me even recent Chanels have it - I bought Coromandel EdP for my special lady friend, it smells very Chanel.

I think this is really it, not any brand consciousness (which makes no sense in Singapore where I am, since you are not going to flex wearing a Chanel scent where 1 in 5 ladies passing by the Chanel table in a high end department store will be carrying the handbag).

I really thought there is a spicy note underneath each male Chanel fragrance that I don’t like, all the way to Chanel Exclusifs Eau de Cologne. At the same time, I love how complex each scent is and you clearly know there is something in each, I just personally don’t like the spicy note and personally think there is too much going on in each so I just don’t like any specific scent there.

And I wanted to talk about it to feel out and articulate my tastes.

 

[StylinLA]

I think this is really it, not any brand consciousness (which makes no sense in Singapore where I am, since you are not going to flex wearing a Chanel scent where 1 in 5 ladies passing by the Chanel table in a high end department store will be carrying the handbag).

I really thought there is a spicy note underneath each male Chanel fragrance that I don’t like, all the way to Chanel Exclusifs Eau de Cologne. At the same time, I love how complex each scent is and you clearly know there is something in each, I just personally don’t like the spicy note and personally think there is too much going on in each so I just don’t like any specific scent there.

And I wanted to talk about it to feel out and articulate my tastes.

It's fine to not like them. You are your own journey and taking us along for the ride.

If you become taken with sampling and buying scents, you may in a year or two revisit Chanel and find you do like some. I like a few, but it didn't happen all at once.

You've mentioned Chanel and women's handbags a couple of times and I wonder if that association bothers you in some way. No matter either way.

 

[kreteknose]

the handbags don’t bother me and I think they look great on a lot of women, down to those who take them to the supermarket in t shirt and flip flops on Sunday morning. every woman in Singapore probably has one, I mentioned them only in response to the comments about Chanel having to do with flexing a brand, and that perspective is alien to me since I live in Singapore.

 

[Ifti]

Have you tried Le Lion?
@GRISMONTAIGNE review hits the nail on the head!

 

[Nom de Guerre]

I'm team Dior when it comes to the lower-tier fragrances marketed to men. Fahrenheit, Dior Homme (even DH2020), Eau Sauvage, Higher, Dune.
The upper tier is a different story, apart from Eau Noire, I'd go with Chanel over Dior.

 

[kreteknose]

al

Have you tried Le Lion?
@GRISMONTAIGNE review hits the nail on the head!

along with Rue Cambon, Sycamore, Coromandel… some spicy note underneath I don’t favor

 

[GRISMONTAIGNE]

I'm team Dior when it comes to the lower-tier fragrances marketed to men. Fahrenheit, Dior Homme (even DH2020), Eau Sauvage, Higher, Dune.
The upper tier is a different story, apart from Eau Noire, I'd go with Chanel over Dior.

Bois D'Argent is a special, special creation to me, as far as Privee's

 

[kreteknose]

conversely, I like the Dior Privee line, but haven’t latched onto a specific scent from there

 

[Nom de Guerre]

Bois D'Argent is a special, special creation to me, as far as Privee's

I wish I could say the same

Iris

purely based on how they smell on skin, two fav iris scents are: Aedes de Venustas Iris Nazarena, and Dior Homme Eau for Men Cologne (2014)

basenotes.com

 

[Salumbre]

Not sure whether I'm looking for convincing, validation or moral support here, but I really want to like the male Chanel fragrances but can't seem to! I genuinely respect them as having a complexity and longevity I really want to like, but something is just not right about each of them for my nose.

It has been already pointed out, but it bears repeating: You appreciate them, but they are not for you. And that's fine.

And, of course, if you gift me your bottle of Egoiste, I won't complain...

 

[kreteknose]

Think I will give Chanel another look. I still haven't found a fresh scent that I really like that also projects, but the lady unexpectedly likes Allure Homme Sport. I've gone through the usual suspects like Dior Homme, Dior Eau Sauvage, and Versace Eros Parfum, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (and missed Acqua di Gio Profumo) and am still looking. Went through some niche scents from Terenzi Orion to PDM Sedley.

 

[sniffer64]

I agree with the OP, because I have the same situation. I also agree with the several posters who say "no problem, like what you like." I think what the OP is getting at is that Chanel, more than any other designed house, makes you feel like there is something wrong with you if you don't like them. They obviously use good ingredients, are very well blended, and seem to be universally lauded. I even own Antaeus (loved the vintage, not so much the current) and a full bottle of BDC Parfum (which is good, but not great).

Chanels, to me, are kind of like jazz music - I know I should like it, but I just don't.

 

[kreteknose]

By the way, I read the excellent book "Deluxe". It discusses at length how perfume became a marketing driven cash cow for big brands, but also says Chanel at least maintains higher standards for perfume than others down to maintaining a source of real French roses for No. 5. Is this still true in 2023?

 

[AndyL]

Think I will give Chanel another look. I still haven't found a fresh scent that I really like that also projects, but the lady unexpectedly likes Allure Homme Sport. I've gone through the usual suspects like Dior Homme, Dior Eau Sauvage, and Versace Eros Parfum, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino (and missed Acqua di Gio Profumo) and am still looking. Went through some niche scents from Terenzi Orion to PDM Sedley.

There is plenty to like about Chanel, IMO. You mentioned looking for a frag that projects... now a few standouts aside, mostly they are refined, light, and wispy in the dry-down. Allure Homme is fresh but I'm not sure it projects any more than Dior Homme. Maybe a few more sprays will do the trick. Good luck!!

 

[GRISMONTAIGNE]

I agree with the OP, because I have the same situation. I also agree with the several posters who say "no problem, like what you like." I think what the OP is getting at is that Chanel, more than any other designed house, makes you feel like there is something wrong with you if you don't like them. They obviously use good ingredients, are very well blended, and seem to be universally lauded. I even own Antaeus (loved the vintage, not so much the current) and a full bottle of BDC Parfum (which is good, but not great).

Chanels, to me, are kind of like jazz music - I know I should like it, but I just don't.

I do enjoy 1957, Coromandel, 31 Rue Cambon, Cuir de Russie and Bois des Iles, but it feels feminine on me, so i dont want to wear them. I still enjoy the scents, but much more on the ladies, than on myself.

 

[kreteknose]

Allure Homme is fresh but I'm not sure it projects any more than Dior Homme. Maybe a few more sprays will do the trick. Good luck!!

Allure Homme Sport

 

[FOXHOUND]

Antaeus is a classic but there are a lot of others in that vein I would reach for first.

Antaeus is one of my favorite scents. Which other fragrances in that same vein would you reach for before that one?

I'm always open to what others would like more than a particular fragrance that I'm really fond of.

Thanks

 

[Bavard]

By the way, I read the excellent book "Deluxe". It discusses at length how perfume became a marketing driven cash cow for big brands, but also says Chanel at least maintains higher standards for perfume than others down to maintaining a source of real French roses for No. 5. Is this still true in 2023?

I believe so, yes. They sold a set of booklets that talk about the farmers they are contracted with, with photos of the farms and the processing equipment. Lots of detail about what happens in which building, etc. It's hard to imagine they would stop.

 

[Toxicon]

Antaeus is one of my favorite scents. Which other fragrances in that same vein would you reach for before that one?

I'm always open to what others would like more than a particular fragrance that I'm really fond of.

Thanks

Oh for sure - not sure if you’d consider these to be similar or not, but I get certain similarities to Azzaro Acteur, Rochas Globe, and even Caron Yatagan.

Acteur is a rose/carnation/leather chypre for men - just amazing stuff, discontinued but readily available for decent prices online. Globe is another take on a floral chypre for men, very similar to Antaeus to my nose, minus the obvious animalics. Yatagan is further off, but I find the artemisia, castoreum, and something else in the base (patchouli?) often remind me of Antaeus too - weirdly enough, I find Yatagan much easier to wear.

Even further removed, sometimes I pick up similarities in the leather chypre base of Aramis, Cabochard, and other Bernard Chant leather chypres. Antaeus takes a different approach but seems to be building off that framework to create a different type of floral chypre powerhouse.

I think there’s a note in Antaeus that doesn’t sit so well on my skin, but I still appreciate the composition.

 

[UESNYC]

It is so common you smell it everywhere so for me a no go.

 

[FOXHOUND]

Oh for sure - not sure if you’d consider these to be similar or not, but I get certain similarities to Azzaro Acteur, Rochas Globe, and even Caron Yatagan.

Acteur is a rose/carnation/leather chypre for men - just amazing stuff, discontinued but readily available for decent prices online. Globe is another take on a floral chypre for men, very similar to Antaeus to my nose, minus the obvious animalics. Yatagan is further off, but I find the artemisia, castoreum, and something else in the base (patchouli?) often remind me of Antaeus too - weirdly enough, I find Yatagan much easier to wear.

Even further removed, sometimes I pick up similarities in the leather chypre base of Aramis, Cabochard, and other Bernard Chant leather chypres. Antaeus takes a different approach but seems to be building off that framework to create a different type of floral chypre powerhouse.

I think there’s a note in Antaeus that doesn’t sit so well on my skin, but I still appreciate the composition.

Ok, thanks for your input. I'll have to check some of those out.

 

[Toxicon]

Ok, thanks for your input. I'll have to check some of those out.

You can get minis of Acteur and Globe for pretty cheap online. I got an Acteur mini for $10 on eBay a couple years back; I think fragrancenet still has minis of Globe for $7 or so. Definitely worth a try!

 

[whoame]

It is so common you smell it everywhere so for me a no go.

Yes, that is one very valid point. And there are so many better fragrances around.

 

[whoame]

By the way, I read the excellent book "Deluxe". It discusses at length how perfume became a marketing driven cash cow for big brands, but also says Chanel at least maintains higher standards for perfume than others down to maintaining a source of real French roses for No. 5. Is this still true in 2023?

Yes, they have their supplier in Grasse for exclusive raw materials like jasmine, rose, tuberose and neroli. Those are used in their more exclusive formulations, not in No 5 edp for example. They usually point it out clearly in the fragrance description, it's the extra luxury point.

 

[UESNYC]

Yes, that is one very valid point. And there are so many better fragrances around.

I think Chanel’s men fragrances are like the Hokas of the fragrance world, if that makes sense.