Last friday I went to the local
Beehive department store to check out a few fragrances. According to Chandler Burr a lot of male fragrances are junk or stripped-down feminine perfumes. There are however a few exceptions. Chandler speaks highly of Juice Couture's
Dirty English, Dior's
Dior Homme Sport and Hermès'
Terre d'Hermès. Marc Jabos'
Bang was given a three star rating, not because it smells only so-so but because
"Bang has only mediocre tenacity on skin".
Dirty English isn't available in brick & mortar shops in the Netherlands, probably due to regional marketing. Word has it it's been discontinued. The other three however were available. I smelled them all and must say that I was pleasantly surprised.
Bang is very nice and unusual at the same time. I smell pepper, and lots of it! Unusual but I like its smell. Something different for a change. The bottle looks nice but is awkward to handle due to it's dented shape. Next time remember that form follows function Marc. Mental note to self: remember to buy a bottle at a later date.
Dior Homme Sport indeed smells like ginger (as Chandler Burr pointed out), very fresh, light and cool. Proof that not all male fragrances need a (heavy) citrus opening. I like this one very much. This one would be a great fragrance for spring & summer. Nice bottle design BTW.
Terre d'Hermès is not as fresh, cool and light as Dior Homme Sport, somewhat heavier/warmer. But still it's delicate and very luxurious. It's a wonderful fragrance, it smells divine IMO. My 8 y.o. daughter liked this one best.
I took the paper blotters home with me and today Terre d'Hermès still smells so nice. I ordered a cute 12.5 ml bottle of Terre d'Hermès perfume for very little money which I received in the mail today (tuesday).
FYI, here's Chandler Burr's rating system:
(0) Do not inhale
(*) Inoffensive
(**) Eminently sniffable
(***) Breathtaking
(****) Total nose job
(*****) Transcendent
Remember: de gustibus non est disputandum!