In your fragrance journey, what have you learned about your likes and dislikes that surprised you?
For me, it was florals.
I was first inclined not to like them based on preconceived notions. I thought florals would be headache-inducing. I thought of florals as feminine and even grandmotherly, though I did know that lavender was common in traditional fougeres. That being said, lavender was not a note I particularly enjoyed. Iris was pretty much the only floral I knew I liked because Prada L'Homme and Dior Homme Original were a couple of my favorite bottles in my limited collection.
Instead, what I found was that florals were my favorite group of notes. Wildcard was the one that truly opened my eyes. The florals made it refined and elegant while still retaining its masculinity. I then sought out several clones within the Lafayette Street and Reflection Man realm: Shiyaaka for Men (silver, red), Nitro Pour Homme (brown), Rave Royal Supreme the King, and Dunhill Desire for a Man (red).
Myslf clones and takes like Nitro Elixir showed me that I especially love orange blossom. I'm hoping to find a good Prada Paradigme clone because I love that scent. Orange blossom is not listed as a note, but I swear that's in there. I'm on the fence about picking up La Fede Intoxicate Mystique. I've also recently picked up Ahmed Al Maghribi's Saadaik, which also has orange blossom along with lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, and others. It is the most feminine of all my colognes, but I'm starting to appreciate that aspect.
What are your likes and dislikes that have surprised you?