nick wrote:Any ideas to fall frags that are slightly eccentric yet wholly accessible - and decidedly masculine? Enjoy the idea of niche fragrances but don't dig the whole Unisex thing. I like the presence fruity/floral notes but done in a way that does not come off as wearing womens perfume. Dior Homme does this well but I'm looking for something a bit different.
"Decidedly masculine" is difficult to pin down, and (imo) only works with scents like Dior's Eau Sauvage or other unmistakably testosterone-y scents (although I knew a girl who wore ES and it was perfect - I don't much care for "genders" in fragrance, particularly as what gets marketed towards whom has been pretty variable over time). I am very drawn to florals, and (last time I checked) am relatively masculine (most of my fragrances are some type of pretty flower).
Have you tried Serge Lutens? I find most of them fairly "clean," including the florals. De Profundis (chrysanthemum) and Sarassins (Jasmine) are excellent florals (I also like Tuberose Criminelle, but it is more...adventurous); Chergui and Ambre Sultan (one of my favorites) offer more masculine options (although another female friend had settled on Chergui). Ambre Sultan is one of my favorites - I find amber perfect for fall and winter (Ambre Russe is also very nice, but people may think you're drunk).
Chanel's Coromandel is also a favorite of mine, which I think of as a spring scent but most others seem to find autumnal. I find it very sensual, and when worn by a man, nicely surprising. I get a lot of patchouli and white chocolate out of it, but I find that the whole thing has a delectable rot to it that I associate with e.e. cummings, driftwood, beaches, and sex - but you might link to decaying leaves. This may be less accessible, but is truly a stunner.
What has to be one of the best buys in the whole game is a fragrance called "Midnight in Paris" by Van Cleef and Arpels. It's a lily scent, and smells...well, just like the title suggests. Moonlit flowers, a bit chilly, with the warmth of a leather glove - a scarf wrapped around its neck and, just maybe, slightly wobbly after dark. It's often on Amazon for really cheap, and even at retail is a steal. I wear it all the time, and it is really (I think) a beautifully balanced, masculine fragrance. That and Chergui are very accessible; for the others feel free to procure samples as you dare.
Oh, and since they've been mentioned; my favorite of the CDGS3I (whew) scents is Ouarzazate: dry bones, scoured by desert winds, as seen from altitude - and later thought about, with some melancholy, at a teahouse. Also good for fall.