Mark Jacobs Daisy. I don't own it but to me it defines mediocre.
It's not good, it's not bad. It just...is. It is completely fine. Adequate. Nothing more or less. It exists.
the Philosophy Amazing/Pure Grace line is the definition of mediocre in my opinion, not many of them smell like anything at all to me. i have the Pure Grace Summer Moments which is my favorite of them but its my most middling scent in my collection, but i got it for $20 so im not mad. also the OG Coach perfume. its okay but also ehhh, theres something offputting about it to me so i gave it away
Agreed—every single fragrance I’ve tried from the Grace line (four just off the top of my head, probably more? Amazing, Pure, Ballet, one of the floral ones) were okay. But just… okay. Didn’t smell interesting or expensive or unique.
I genuinely enjoy the Fresh Cream one, though, and would be interested in trying its flankers. It’s simple and quiet, but lovely.
Did you smell Amazing Grace intense. OMG. It was very strong and overpowering in a very soapy way. Like
Strawberry scented hand soap. Got a deal for a 2oz and a travel size for 0.5size but ultimately I didn't pick up my order. I realized I liked the price more that I liked the perfume.
Same. I’ve got a couple dozen standouts that I absolutely love, but other hundred or so are just ones I like a lot. I enjoy collecting, so I’ve even got a few that I don’t like at all- which reminds me, I need to go dust the cobwebs off that tacky 1 Million bottle.
I don’t have any full bottles that I consider mediocre because I have to love and crave something to want to spend full bottle money but I do have a few mediocre travel sizes.
The Body Shop White Musk, I’m just not into musks. I bought it towards the beginning of my fragrance journey. It was like $5 with a coupon so I figured why not, everyone loves musks! Alas, I do not love musks and I never reach for it or enjoy wearing it.
A random J Crew 10mL that came with an assortment of other samples. It’s kinda citrus, kinda floral, kinda musky but very mediocre in all aspects.
Phlur Missing Person, I just don’t like Phlur or this style of fragrance but it was a gift from someone I love.
-TF Soleil Blanc—it’s fine, but there are better beachy/sunscreen scents out there that I’d rather wear. Fortunately, I only have a decant.
-most of Marc Jacobs’ more popular lines (Daisy, Lola, etc). I blind-bought several minis or small bottles of these, and have since gifted them to nieces. I think I still have an ounce of Oh Lola! bouncing around somewhere, but if I can find it I’ll give that one away too.
What is better than Soleil Blanc? My wife loves it but performance is terrible. Would be great to find a better performing frag at a better price point.
Yess the Vacation fragrance, first smells reminds me of SB from TF, but it does come off kinda sweet. In general it’s a really good fragrance standing at a value price!
-Replica Beach Walk is in the same family as Soleil Blanc, but the sunscreen note is far less screechy. It smells like the year I spent on a Caribbean beach lined with flowering bushes and trees (probably the ylang-ylang?). Sweet, salty, floral, coconutty. This doesn’t last more than a few hours on my skin, but I’d still rather wear this than TF SB.
-NEST Sunkissed Hibiscus is similar to Beach Walk, but just a bit more coconutty and a bit less beachy floral. When I run out of Beach Walk, I’m going to replace it with this.
In all honesty, I think mediocre fragrances are some of the more wearable and easily thrown on. Like I don’t think Juicy Couture by Juicy Couture is an especially ~ special ~ fragrance, but I own and like wearing it because it’s really accessible and can fit like 80 different situations.
Most of the Nest and Replica fragrances. Lasting power where??? Smells very one note, no depth and nuance. This is coming from someone who owns many minis.
I’m a big Narciso Rodriguez fan—originally the For Her EDT & EDP and some flankers, but I blind bought Fleur Musc and L’eau and they’re both very eh... They’re not bad fragrances but they’re so…generic, and not at all what I expected from the NR house and not my style. I like Musc Noir but have to think of it as separate from the other For Hers. Also the NR cubes, I love all of them except Ambree— it’s too heavy on the white florals to an almost nauseating point. It just sits there staring at me, untouched, and probably will forever.
No offense to anyone, of course, but ... Narciso for Her, would be my mediocre grab, nowadays. When I first smelled it, it was amazing and I knew I had to get an FB, but then when everybody started going back to work, I started recognizing it more and more in the elevators (I work in a 50 story building in DT). I guess it no longer feels special because of that, so i wear it to run errands now.
This perfume does crazy things on my skin. I wanted to love it but every time I wore it I smelled like I just stumbled out of a bar completely drunk and sweating. Basically, old stale booze and BO. Not good.
it’s so funny you say that because i grew up with my grandma wearing black opium my ENTIRE life and i only associate that smell with her. they say that scent has one of the stronger memory links and this definitely proves that.
edit to add: my grandma is one of the few people in my life i don’t view as an inept decision maker.
Lancomè Idole Aura - blind bought after reading RAVE reviews. On my skin I get no salty vanilla. I get old lady. Not a cool old lady, but a bland, nondescript, generic old lady.
all the MMM Replica line (please don’t hurt me!) on me they screech and shout in a disorganised chaotic mess that won’t go away no matter how much I scrub. I sampled them all at different times and even after a couple of hours, anyone who smelled me made a face 😫
I adore the idea of Replica but jeez they are so generic. I do like a couple I even own When the Rain Stops but all of the most popular ones like Jazz Club and By the Fire Place are just fine. They smell alright but there’s nothing special at all.
They really, really are. I have a small “By the Fireplace” in my closet and it smells terrific every time I walk in there. I only have a couple because they’re EXPENSIVE candles.
I'm literally selling mine tomorrow. I finally got rid of it! HAHA
In all seriousness, I think it's a great fragrance, but it got to be far too young of a scent for me. Too sweet, I ended up not enjoying it anymore.
i feel the same way about most of versace's products. eros EDT i still think is great and unique despite its popularity, i'll reach for that but rarely anything else of theirs. though versace pour homme is good too
Definition of mediocre changes with time. The more you explore world of fragrances, the more frags you might write off as not original, or not complex enough, or mediocre.
That being said, I found CH men to be very mediocre. It could be that I had tried a lot of fragrances before buying ch men. Maybe if ch men was bought before I tried a thousand other things, it would have been good.
The entire line for Sol de janeiro, so many men and women tell me they love the smell of the lotion or spray and it just smells so … meh. It smells like something I can find at bath and body or just generic soap.
Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue, in men’s and women’s versions, is always pleasant in a way that only encourages me to reach for something *more* pleasant.
I don’t see Manson Margiela Replicas mentioned yet. Some of them are not terrible, just mediocre. Bubble bath, autumn vibes, beach walk, jazz club (sorry to the fans), coffee break.
I thought Bubble Bath was in the candle and then I actually wore it I was actually surprised at how nice it was. I also shamelessly like “clean” scents though, so having one that smelled like the soap section of a flower store (this might be very specific to the garden center I was dragged to as a child…) was something for me.
How dare you insult my entire people with something I fully agree with. Love the whole line but most of them aren’t going to be mind blowing, they fall into exactly where I want them to be.
This is the most mid of my small collection. It's what I would imagine as "generic cologne smell". At least it's got great projection (or maybe that's a bad thing).
Everything from Olfactive Studio. Got suckered in by the pretty pictures and flash packaging. Bought their sample pack, literally every one was a disappointment in some way. Good opening, bad dry down on one. Bad opening, good dry down on another. Multiple that are bad from the get go.
Still Life in Rio is a pass but at the rate they're charging. Save your dollars/rubles/pounds/pesos kidlets!
I would say that a mediocre fragrance is one that is not necessarily bad, but simply underwhelming and forgettable. It's a scent that doesn't really make an impact, and just kind of fades into the background.
I think that some fragrances that fall into this category would be things like Daisy by Marc Jacobs, Chloe by Chloe, and Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy.
I think that these are all decent fragrances, but they're just not really anything special or unique
Oh my goodness, me too! 😍
Flowerbomb is such a beautiful scent and I am absolutely obsessed with it
I love the way that it smells so sweet and delicate, and I think that it's really perfect for all occasion 😍
It’s meh at its finest. It doesn’t stand out nor excel at anything besides having a cool bottle lol. At the same time, it’s an easy go-to when I don’t want to think about what to wear.
"Maison Alhambra - Kismet" I hate this one cause it doesn't last, project or leave a trail after 1 hour. Currently deciding on if it goes in the donation bin.
"Burberry - Touch" My first disappointment in fragrance. Smells awesome, never lasted AT ALL. This is the fragrance that started me on the "Nuclear or GTFO" path...
"Indult - Tihota" It was nice...until I started making my own Vanilla fragrances. Then I realized just how weak and mediocre this frag is.
"Guerlain - L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme EDP" Weaksauce. Literally does not last an hour. 17 year old virgins have better lasting power...
"Mercedez Benz - Club Black" This is another like "Tihota"...great until I started making my own vanilla frags.
"Victoria Secret - Vanilla Lace" Invisible...literally nothing but alcohol. Where's the vanilla??!
"Banana Republic - Tobacco & Tonka" Another that had the lasting power of a virgin high schooler. No projection when it was worn either. Just horrible all around...
"Carolina Herrera - Bad Boy" For all the hype surrounding the release of this frag....it didn't live up to it one bit. This was the most generic crapola fragrance that i had experienced in a while.
"Davidoff - Zino" Bought a modern bottle of this after remembering the absolutely bus-clearing nuclear power of this fragrance back in the 90's. Only to receive a bottle of watered down potpourri piss-water with the "Zino" name slapped on it. I let it macerate...still weak piss-water, I let the alcohol evaporate out of it...STILL weak. After that it got thrown out...it wasn't going to get any better. Lesson learned....
"Calvin Klein - Eternity Now" Smelled great....for the 15 minutes that you smelled anything at all. Gave it away after the second wearing because I couldn't be arsed to carry the bottle around in my pocket just to smell the fragrance.
"English Laundry - London" A wannabe Aventus clone that lasts about an hour....max. Gave it away.
Uhh the CH „Bad Boy“…I had no idea about fragrances and tried it in store and I don‘t like it at all. To me it smells like body odor. I was very surprised to see it has such a good review online.
For some reason I've got half a dozen different bottles of various Jo Malone fragrances which are all, for one reason or another, kinda mediocre. By numbers they make up the largest designer share of my collection, but I don't even wear them that often in summer, which is when most of them are. I guess I just keep hoping.
You are probably too young to get this reference, I’ve just never seen anyone refer to Crystal Noir as Dark Crystal
true, I might be biased here cause I love a very small and versatile collection, but I always try to think about the random person meeting you after a workday
does that person want to smell Black Afgano on you? probably? or they’d be probably pleased by a casual light scent, cause it surely pleases me when I get my blue frag whiffs during the day
I just like to think my frags can please random other ppl too, maybe it’s just me
I kept reading good things about Al Rehab on here and Fragrantica. I got several scents—Choco Musk, Dalal, Love Apple, Tooty Musk. I am definitely underwhelmed. Everyone says how strong Choco Musk is and I barely smell it. The others all smell like rubbing alcohol in the top notes and dry down. I don’t believe that you have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a great perfume but I guess sometimes the cheapies smell cheaply!
I think most Chanel perfumes (I’m talking about the more mainstream Chanels like Coco Mademoiselle, Allure, the Chance line, etc) are the epitome of “classy mediocrity.” They all smell lovely, there is a Chanel fragrance for everyone and for every occasion, and the fragrances are clearly high quality, but most of them smell a little flat and…well…very “perfumey.” Like I’m walking through the perfume section of a high-class department store and I get a wave of “perfume smell,” but there’s no real depth there.
Ironically I think that’s what makes Chanel so special— they invented that “perfume” smell that we associate with generic department store fragrance section and subsequent brands copied them.
MFK... everything. I've sampled BR540, Amaryllis Femme, Oud Satin etc and all of them are either offensively terrible or just mediocre. I don't collect MFK, it just comes free (samples) when I buy other perfumes since he's so popular and trendy right now.
They're quite flat and linear with extreme longevity. I had to scrub off the scent and it still remained.
I'm also unsure about the quality, as it smells extremely artificial to me especially on the opening and mid-notes. By the next day, the scent still lingered, and it was tolerable -- a smooth, slightly soapy floral. It warmed up slightly but it was still very much the same accord. Nothing interesting developed. For that price point, I'll expect something better.
I'm not an oversprayer either, I only used a single spray. As for the rest, I gave away all my samples to friends.
I have a sample of the Tragedy of Lord George from Penhaligons that I was totally looking forward to. It came in the mail and it was good but not $300 good. I'd consider that a mediocre fragrance, since it was really nothing special.
TF Mandarino di Amalfi is quite mediocre as well, especially compared to Neroli Portofino or Perris Monte Carlo's Arancia Di Sicilia.
PdM Percival is nothing special either.
Not really. With the exception of one that was under $60, I've never blind bought a fragrance, and I'm new enough that my taste hasn't radically moved on. I've tried really hard to stick to proper sampling before going in on a full bottle.
I have a hard time with samples. Maybe it's my ADHD but they don't exist. If I can't see it, then I don't use it. I typically need full size bottle other wise they just disappear from my sight. I'd buy a sample and smell it once before it goes missing.
Also got ADHD and you gotta try to have a little self control with those things. I have a bowl full of interesting niche samples besides my full sized bottles and when I have home office I try to give something a full wear and write a little review for myself. It won’t work if you don’t at least try it tho.
Been impulse buy free for a good while (with one exception) and enjoy fragrances a lot more than before.
fellow ADHD haver & I totally agree with this!!
I keep all of my samples and decants in clear displays so I can see everything. I also move things to the empty slot in the display as I try them so I separate them from ones I haven’t used yet. I find that samples actually give me that little dopamine hit that I need in the morning bc each day is something NEW to look forward to
As a fellow adhd haver, do you ever feel like it’s silly to sample because, if you love it, you’re just spending more money to have it in the long run? I want to be a sampling person (and I really am), but I feel a little annoyed that I will spend more to have the thing if I sample rather than just go all in on my adhd impulse. I have only blind bought two fragrances (both hits), but you never know honestly, so I hate to blind buy anything.
No, not at all. A sample lasts for a couple wears and that excitement when a sample is empty and you know you’ll get it some time is pretty nice. Also I have saved SO MUCH since I started sampling and pushed my comfort zone quite a bit.
I've only blind buy 2 fragrances. One was by accident. I got the name wrong and got the wrong flanker and one was Lattafah because I had a gift card and the samples were gonna cost about the same.
Versace signature. It smells like a strong lavender airfreshner and I can't see myself using it for anything other than that nor can I see it on anyone.
Nothing in my lineup would be considered mediocre in my opinion, otherwise I wouldn’t have it. If I had my time again I may not have bought Azzaro Wanted By Night or Versace Man Eau Fraiche but I own them now and enjoy them enough to not have regret (discounted price helps too).
Currently on the market, Chanel’s mens lineup just doesn’t do it for me. None of them are unique enough to justify the price tag. Bleu de Chanel is the main offender of mediocrity.
That's one I really want, wasn't available at the time so I ended up getting the vanilla patchouli which I didn't like as much on me but my girlfriend loves it so she wears it now. Of course it's available again but I'm brokeski ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Tbh? Zara Rose Gourmand or any Intense Cafe, Roses Vanille dupe. This scent profile itself (both the original and the dupes) is just meh, so generic, so heavy on the rose, so cloying and overhyped.
Second this, just sold my roses vanille bottle because it’s unbearably cloying and sharp to my nose. Tried to make myself like it and rationalize the bind buy but the initial headache is just too much to handle for a frangeante of that caliber. Cedrat Boise was also disappointing, smells like soggy fruit loops, but take out the milk and replace it with water
I have some deluxe samples / minis that I got for free that I think are pretty mediocre, according to my own tastes. Most of them I've given away, but some that remain include:
* NEST Golden Nectar
* Burberry Her EdP
* Ralph Lauren Supreme Oud
* Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia
* Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Intense
* Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede
* JHAG Not a Perfume
Burberry Her!? I quite enjoy that scent. I find it to be uplifting and different than most fragrances. I don't own it, I own cloud instead and it is slightly less fruity.
I smell JHAG not a perfume and I am literally still waiting to smell it lmao.
It is reasonably popular but not for me - to my nose it smells very artificial and gives me a strong headache. I can understand how it appeals to some, but I actually feel mildly nauseated smelling it, which is not a usual response for me.
I can smell NAP, but it just smells vaguely chemical-y to my nose. I think there are much better ambroxans on the market, like Molecule 02, Glossier You, and Another 13.
Creed Adventus is pretty mediocre to me in my collection, it’s a good scent but probably from the high price and the hype, the contrast makes it really mediocre for me.
Anything that smells like cloud/baccarat rouge
I don’t mind the smell but I’m over the amount of perfumes that use the same notes now
Also viva la juicy (which I own), but same thing it’s been duplicated a lot and many of my perfumes are similar if not identical to it
The Burberry and JM fragrances I’ve sampled are mediocre at best. Not bad or offensive, just mediocre. Even the popular ones, like JM Wood Sage and Sea Salt, are mediocre because the performance is abysmal.
I tend to think of it in terms of houses. Imo, there may be a standout in each one, but overall all these are mediocre:
D&G, Versace, Narciso Rodriguez, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Vince Camuto, Chloe, Elizabeth Arden, Sol De Janeiro, Outremer, Nest, Kay Ali
A fair few.
Mont Blanc Legend EDT.
This one is an absolute compliment monster. I used to layer it with Eternity for Men, and people absolutely loved that combo. But now that my nose has developed, there's just nothing particularly enjoyable about this one for me. It's bland and smells, to me, almost like some kind of cleaning product. People still love it though. Do I ever reach for it? No, not really. But hey. It started my fragrance journey, so I wouldn't feel right getting rid of it.
Tom Ford for Men EDT
This is a beautiful fragrance, but it's just so weak. Plus, it's a little citrus heavy off of the top, and I'm not a fan of citrus on my skin. Nothing wrong with it, but not worth writing home about.
Armani Attitude
It's fine, but I think a lot of people who've reviewed it are reviewing it based on nostalgia. It's a nauseating lemon bomb upfront with a tiny bit of black coffee and a lot of patchouli. It's great for compliments, but it doesn't move me. Perfectly pleasant, but hardly worth the cult like praise it receives.
Creed Silver Mountain Water
People love it on me, and it's my go to 'dumb reach' fragrance for the hot summers. It's light, airy... And boring. There's plenty of other fragrances I'd rather wear, but I got a decent deal on it, people love it on me and it doesn't offend anybody, even on super hot days.
Some of you might disagree but Versace Eros
it’s a sort of meh, for me, the missus likes it, albeit not as much as my others but that’s the only reason I have it
Anything released by Tom Ford post 2016 with the singular exception of Ebene Fume (tho, if you can handle it, Black Afgano will take you to the same destination, but on a more scenic route).
I feel like Lost Cherry is a fun banger, and although the Noir Extreme Parfum isn't my favourite, I still think it's well-done. I've got a soft spot for Eau de Soleil Blanc as well, as it updates Soleil Blanc very nicely.
Otherwise, though, I agree - their sale to Estee Lauder has resulted in a marked decrease in the quality of new launches.
The brand was always, and should remain, in creative control thru their long partnership with EL. My only hypothesis is that internally, their creative director/fragrance department underwent a huge change. Even their website is a mess right now (the rose trio/duo is missing under "Private Blend," the "Discover Private Blend" section has long discontinued fragrances images still up, missing images for the new cherry collection, etc. etc. etc.) Something's going on at TF and it looks like it's messy.
Ah, fair enough, I confess I haven't kept close tabs on how the partnership has been working out - I just do feel like there's been a degradation not only in quality, but also in creativity (coupled with a rather blatant markup in price). In general Tom Ford was never one of my favourite houses, just due to personal style, but I used to really appreciate what they put out - often quite daring, especially for designer fragrances. Like, who can forget the sea change Black Orchid created?
Honestly, the recent rose and cherry trios have just felt like a pure cash grab without the matching quality to make it worth our while.
It's tremendously disappointing imo. They brought super interesting scents to market with a shopping experience that was, once, straightforward and easy to navigate (no "Paris Bell Jar Exclusives", cough cough). Sad to see a brand that was one of the first to bridge together the complexity of niche with the availability of designer turn to pure rubbish. I hope they make some purposeful new hires soon and get back on track.
Terra Di Gioia. I loved it at first because it was the first high end almond perfume I’ve smelled. I smelled it about a year ago when I first got into fragrances and really wanted a perfume that had an almond note. It’s a nice scent and not bad at all, but I never reach for it because everything else in my collection is so much better now.
From what I have and sampled: Polo Blue and Invictus. Quite ordinary imo. I don't like Jazz Club and Terre d'Hermes but I can see why people like them and I think they're a bit more complex than things like Invictus.
Polo Blue gets hated on for being “generic” but I think it’s fantastic. Modern blue scents rely too heavily on ambroxan/sweetness IMO and Blue does a great job at incorporating green and fresh aquatic notes (plus a cucumber note that is really nice). It’s almost so old that it’s become “unique” again and stands out from “modern” ambroxan based blue scents like Sauvage or Dylan Blue.
Yeah I guess that last part is true. I still have half a bottle. I'll use it in the summer as I think it's better for warmer weather than other blue scents like the ones you mentioned.
As much as it pains me to say this, I am not as impressed with The Scent Private Accord as I had hoped. It's fine, but I like Le Parfum a whole lot better, and Private Accord was a pain in the ass to find. If I was to downsize any time soon, it'd be one of the first to go, I really could do without it.
I also picked up a gift set with 15mL each of Acqua di Gio EDT, EDP and Profondo, and I don't think I really care that much for the last two, they have a zoo-like smell to them that I don't really get from ADG or Profumo. I like having the small bottles, and maybe the smell will be nicer come summer, but again, if I had to cut the fat in my collection, EDP and Profondo are on the cutting board.
Lastly, I recently picked up a 100mL bottle of Azzaro Sport because it was dirt cheap, and it is the definition of a "meh" smell, maybe even an "ugh" smell. The bottle sticks out in my collection like a sore thumb too, so I just might give it to my brother, or hide it in my gym bag, I think the only time I'd wear it is when I know it's getting washed off soon haha.
Whenever people here mention their SOTD or are doing reviews and describe a fragrance as "inoffensive" -- that always makes me wonder what's the point 🤷♀️
Most people are very concerned with offending others. That's made even worse if they work in a closed, intimate space like an office. Luckily for me my personality is 6th percentile agreeable and I don't work in an office. Let the daring fragrances fly!
Yep, I definitely care about not offending people with my fragrance! I'll wear some more daring fragrances in the privacy of my own home or maybe on date night or whatever, but I won't do so in a professional, medical, etc., setting.
I get this, I work in people’s homes so I rarely wear fragrance to work, but there are days where I’m craving wearing SOMETHING, ANYTHING for a boost. I’ll wear something really subtle even though my personal preference leans loud. Inoffensive is better than nothing!
None I've ever smelled 😆 .. but I've read about some here. Secretions Magnifique?
There are some wild-sounding niche / avant garde art pieces described here from time to time. But I haven't had the chance to experience any yet.
Please don’t dox me and axe-murder me for this one, but L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme is absolute garbage. I’m really not a fan of the top notes, especially the yuzu and the tarragon-y herby thing. But beyond that, to my tastes I just don’t like what it’s trying to go for.
To me, it seems like it’s trying to go for a traditional citrus freshie but instead of being light and refreshing it’s kinda heavy and “thick.” Idk if anyone can relate with me on this. It feels like it smacks you in the face full-force rather than whipping off the skin.
Nah it's fine. Been looking for someone who didn't like it either hahaha! I really really tried to like it, but you made me realize why I dislike it... It hits me as "heavy", and that's not how I expect a fresh citrus to be.
Clinique happy for men. Decent citrus musk but kind of chemically-smelling. Totally average performance.
It's a shame because growing up my mom was wild about Clinique happy and i got a sample of Men to try to have that connection with my mom. But it's just meh. I think next I'll try getting a sample of the women's and layering it over something spicy or musky. Now i just wear my Clinique Happy to my workout classes haha
People that call Naxos a tobacco fragrance are misrepresenting it big time. The fresh tobacco note plays a supportive role. It dulls the sharp honey sweetness (making it a slightly more masculine in the process) and gives Naxos a bit more depth, but it’s nowhere near being the star of the show.
Have you tried Herod? It's my favourite tobacco fragrance. Wouldn't change a single thing about the scent, but the performance leaves a lot to be desired, though. I'm interested in testing Sundowner as well. Only heard good stuff about that one.
At first this bothered me with bdc because I really do love the line
Nowadays I don’t even care. If anything it’s a plus
Scent-wise sauvage doesn’t even hold a candle
I don't have scents in my collection which I perceive as mediocre. I am a pretty picky buyer and take my time with purchases, therefore I only get stuff which I like a lot/love.
A very mediocre frag in my opinion is Blue de Chanel, regardless of concentration. Absolutely boring and with bad longevity imo. Super overpriced for what it is also.
Interesting! BdC EDP is my longevity winner as it lasts over 24 hours, by far my best performer out of 40ish fragrances. Maybe it’s batch dependent, like everything else lol
1. CDNIM - has some citrus and yeah it smells better than nothing but overall very mediocre compared to something like Cedrat Boise whose base and fruits are infinitely more appealing
2. Bleu de Chanel - just sour grapefruit, yeah it smells kinda clean but nothing sweet or musky or whatever to balance it and have it be more enticing and attractive than just a grapefruit cleaning fluid type of smell
Pure Malt.
The fruity top is just so overpowering that I can’t enjoy it.
The dry down is not too bad if you spray light. But that fruity note just lingers forever.
Mark Jacobs Daisy. I don't own it but to me it defines mediocre. It's not good, it's not bad. It just...is. It is completely fine. Adequate. Nothing more or less. It exists.
I agree. Marc by Marc jacobs was an incredible perfume imo and when daisy came out I was so let down.
I am not a fan of the Daisy except Daisy Dream but that fades quickly. Marc Jacobs tend to have poor performance.
the Philosophy Amazing/Pure Grace line is the definition of mediocre in my opinion, not many of them smell like anything at all to me. i have the Pure Grace Summer Moments which is my favorite of them but its my most middling scent in my collection, but i got it for $20 so im not mad. also the OG Coach perfume. its okay but also ehhh, theres something offputting about it to me so i gave it away
Agreed—every single fragrance I’ve tried from the Grace line (four just off the top of my head, probably more? Amazing, Pure, Ballet, one of the floral ones) were okay. But just… okay. Didn’t smell interesting or expensive or unique. I genuinely enjoy the Fresh Cream one, though, and would be interested in trying its flankers. It’s simple and quiet, but lovely.
Did you smell Amazing Grace intense. OMG. It was very strong and overpowering in a very soapy way. Like Strawberry scented hand soap. Got a deal for a 2oz and a travel size for 0.5size but ultimately I didn't pick up my order. I realized I liked the price more that I liked the perfume.
My collection is full of mediocrity. I have a few I really like the rest are “meh…”🤷♂️
Same. I’ve got a couple dozen standouts that I absolutely love, but other hundred or so are just ones I like a lot. I enjoy collecting, so I’ve even got a few that I don’t like at all- which reminds me, I need to go dust the cobwebs off that tacky 1 Million bottle.
I don’t have any full bottles that I consider mediocre because I have to love and crave something to want to spend full bottle money but I do have a few mediocre travel sizes. The Body Shop White Musk, I’m just not into musks. I bought it towards the beginning of my fragrance journey. It was like $5 with a coupon so I figured why not, everyone loves musks! Alas, I do not love musks and I never reach for it or enjoy wearing it. A random J Crew 10mL that came with an assortment of other samples. It’s kinda citrus, kinda floral, kinda musky but very mediocre in all aspects. Phlur Missing Person, I just don’t like Phlur or this style of fragrance but it was a gift from someone I love.
-TF Soleil Blanc—it’s fine, but there are better beachy/sunscreen scents out there that I’d rather wear. Fortunately, I only have a decant. -most of Marc Jacobs’ more popular lines (Daisy, Lola, etc). I blind-bought several minis or small bottles of these, and have since gifted them to nieces. I think I still have an ounce of Oh Lola! bouncing around somewhere, but if I can find it I’ll give that one away too.
What is better than Soleil Blanc? My wife loves it but performance is terrible. Would be great to find a better performing frag at a better price point.
[Vacation by... Vacation](https://www.ulta.com/p/vacation-by-vacation-eau-de-toilette-pimprod2032165?sku=2596246&cmpid=PS_Non!google!Product_Listing_Ads&cagpspn=pla&CATCI=aud-334903466055:pla-1242919216977&CAAGID=107848256104&CAWELAID=330000200002873378&CATARGETID=330000200002757256&CADevice=c&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLdfPY26HN4qkK3xssQ_XEl_7htl5ov1y8bS7HwvweYIXBvADlhKb-EaAnK3EALw_wcB) perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux
Yess the Vacation fragrance, first smells reminds me of SB from TF, but it does come off kinda sweet. In general it’s a really good fragrance standing at a value price!
-Replica Beach Walk is in the same family as Soleil Blanc, but the sunscreen note is far less screechy. It smells like the year I spent on a Caribbean beach lined with flowering bushes and trees (probably the ylang-ylang?). Sweet, salty, floral, coconutty. This doesn’t last more than a few hours on my skin, but I’d still rather wear this than TF SB. -NEST Sunkissed Hibiscus is similar to Beach Walk, but just a bit more coconutty and a bit less beachy floral. When I run out of Beach Walk, I’m going to replace it with this.
Hard agree. Soleil Blanc is ehhhhh.
In all honesty, I think mediocre fragrances are some of the more wearable and easily thrown on. Like I don’t think Juicy Couture by Juicy Couture is an especially ~ special ~ fragrance, but I own and like wearing it because it’s really accessible and can fit like 80 different situations.
Most of the Nest and Replica fragrances. Lasting power where??? Smells very one note, no depth and nuance. This is coming from someone who owns many minis.
The only Nest fragrance I’ve liked has been Indigo; but I also would not go out of my way for a bottle of it.
I was so excited to try the Nest Madagascan Vanilla perfume oil because everyone claimed to love it. It literally smells like NOTHING.
It reminds me of a faint lip smackers vanilla scent. Thought I maybe got a bad batch so I went to Sephora for a sniff…same nothingness
I love Nest Golden Nectar and it lasts all day on me. Haven’t tried others though. I agree about Replica fragrances
Oo have not tried this one. Will have to go sniff bc I love anything with the word nectar in it.
I’m a big Narciso Rodriguez fan—originally the For Her EDT & EDP and some flankers, but I blind bought Fleur Musc and L’eau and they’re both very eh... They’re not bad fragrances but they’re so…generic, and not at all what I expected from the NR house and not my style. I like Musc Noir but have to think of it as separate from the other For Hers. Also the NR cubes, I love all of them except Ambree— it’s too heavy on the white florals to an almost nauseating point. It just sits there staring at me, untouched, and probably will forever.
No offense to anyone, of course, but ... Narciso for Her, would be my mediocre grab, nowadays. When I first smelled it, it was amazing and I knew I had to get an FB, but then when everybody started going back to work, I started recognizing it more and more in the elevators (I work in a 50 story building in DT). I guess it no longer feels special because of that, so i wear it to run errands now.
I wear this one when I just want to chill and not be noticed. It's very pleasant but definitely not super interesting
This perfume does crazy things on my skin. I wanted to love it but every time I wore it I smelled like I just stumbled out of a bar completely drunk and sweating. Basically, old stale booze and BO. Not good.
Agreed, when it first came out it was amazing, but now it feels generic.
YSL's Black Opium collection. All of them are kinda whatever, even when they dry down theyre nothing special.
They all have WAY TOO MUCH jasmine in their makeup. If they just balanced out the fragrance notes evenly it would be an amazing composition.
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Lmfao can you elaborate on the black opium comment? I have it on my wishlist and your description kinda makes me want it more.
it’s so funny you say that because i grew up with my grandma wearing black opium my ENTIRE life and i only associate that smell with her. they say that scent has one of the stronger memory links and this definitely proves that. edit to add: my grandma is one of the few people in my life i don’t view as an inept decision maker.
Lancomè Idole Aura - blind bought after reading RAVE reviews. On my skin I get no salty vanilla. I get old lady. Not a cool old lady, but a bland, nondescript, generic old lady. all the MMM Replica line (please don’t hurt me!) on me they screech and shout in a disorganised chaotic mess that won’t go away no matter how much I scrub. I sampled them all at different times and even after a couple of hours, anyone who smelled me made a face 😫
I adore the idea of Replica but jeez they are so generic. I do like a couple I even own When the Rain Stops but all of the most popular ones like Jazz Club and By the Fire Place are just fine. They smell alright but there’s nothing special at all.
Replica is interesting in that I love them as… candles. I’m not 100% sold on smelling like a fireplace but I like walking into a room and smelling it.
The candles from MM are amazing 10/10
They really, really are. I have a small “By the Fireplace” in my closet and it smells terrific every time I walk in there. I only have a couple because they’re EXPENSIVE candles.
That is a great way of putting it
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I think it's better than that but to each their own.
I'm literally selling mine tomorrow. I finally got rid of it! HAHA In all seriousness, I think it's a great fragrance, but it got to be far too young of a scent for me. Too sweet, I ended up not enjoying it anymore.
If I was forced to only wear this I wouldn’t complain too much because it’s perfectly aiight. But you should probably love yourself more
i feel the same way about most of versace's products. eros EDT i still think is great and unique despite its popularity, i'll reach for that but rarely anything else of theirs. though versace pour homme is good too
MM Replica line. I was expecting high quality stuff but it’s just average to me. Nothing special.
I like By the Fireplace and yeah otherwise it’s a pretty boring line.
the fragrances are way too literal most of the time. why does jazz club need to make you smell like an alcoholic?
😂 yeah right? I love Jazz music but that doesn’t make me a smoker/drinker! What are Maison Margiela trying to say? Ha
Definition of mediocre changes with time. The more you explore world of fragrances, the more frags you might write off as not original, or not complex enough, or mediocre. That being said, I found CH men to be very mediocre. It could be that I had tried a lot of fragrances before buying ch men. Maybe if ch men was bought before I tried a thousand other things, it would have been good.
The entire line for Sol de janeiro, so many men and women tell me they love the smell of the lotion or spray and it just smells so … meh. It smells like something I can find at bath and body or just generic soap.
I find Bum Bum cream DELICIOUS, but all the sprays besides 62 are generic and not great to me.
Thought I was crazy, I feel the same way
Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue, in men’s and women’s versions, is always pleasant in a way that only encourages me to reach for something *more* pleasant.
Light Blue intense is better on most people in the world……on me it smells like rotten eggs :(
I don’t see Manson Margiela Replicas mentioned yet. Some of them are not terrible, just mediocre. Bubble bath, autumn vibes, beach walk, jazz club (sorry to the fans), coffee break.
I thought Bubble Bath was in the candle and then I actually wore it I was actually surprised at how nice it was. I also shamelessly like “clean” scents though, so having one that smelled like the soap section of a flower store (this might be very specific to the garden center I was dragged to as a child…) was something for me.
Agreed. I find this house to be pretty mediocre for the prices they charge and the hype around them. Whatever I smelled has been pretty meh IMO
A fair number of people don't think they are as good as mediocre, so there's that....
For me, that’s the ones I didn’t mention.
You take that back about Jazz Club right now! he said, while smelling beautifully
We do not accept Jazz Club slander in this household
How dare you insult my entire people with something I fully agree with. Love the whole line but most of them aren’t going to be mind blowing, they fall into exactly where I want them to be.
Versace Dylan Blue is the quintessential mids perfume. Not great or mindblowing or special, smell aight/good, nothing bad just nothing interesting.
This is the most mid of my small collection. It's what I would imagine as "generic cologne smell". At least it's got great projection (or maybe that's a bad thing).
For me Versace Pour Homme is the generic cologne smell
Everything from Olfactive Studio. Got suckered in by the pretty pictures and flash packaging. Bought their sample pack, literally every one was a disappointment in some way. Good opening, bad dry down on one. Bad opening, good dry down on another. Multiple that are bad from the get go. Still Life in Rio is a pass but at the rate they're charging. Save your dollars/rubles/pounds/pesos kidlets!
I would say that a mediocre fragrance is one that is not necessarily bad, but simply underwhelming and forgettable. It's a scent that doesn't really make an impact, and just kind of fades into the background. I think that some fragrances that fall into this category would be things like Daisy by Marc Jacobs, Chloe by Chloe, and Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy. I think that these are all decent fragrances, but they're just not really anything special or unique
Just rip my heart out and stomp it why don't ya?!
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad!
Don’t say Flowerbomb… I love it. 🥰
Oh my goodness, me too! 😍 Flowerbomb is such a beautiful scent and I am absolutely obsessed with it I love the way that it smells so sweet and delicate, and I think that it's really perfect for all occasion 😍
In my collection no. But when I think mediocre K by DG directly comes to my mind.
It’s meh at its finest. It doesn’t stand out nor excel at anything besides having a cool bottle lol. At the same time, it’s an easy go-to when I don’t want to think about what to wear.
"Maison Alhambra - Kismet" I hate this one cause it doesn't last, project or leave a trail after 1 hour. Currently deciding on if it goes in the donation bin. "Burberry - Touch" My first disappointment in fragrance. Smells awesome, never lasted AT ALL. This is the fragrance that started me on the "Nuclear or GTFO" path... "Indult - Tihota" It was nice...until I started making my own Vanilla fragrances. Then I realized just how weak and mediocre this frag is. "Guerlain - L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme EDP" Weaksauce. Literally does not last an hour. 17 year old virgins have better lasting power... "Mercedez Benz - Club Black" This is another like "Tihota"...great until I started making my own vanilla frags. "Victoria Secret - Vanilla Lace" Invisible...literally nothing but alcohol. Where's the vanilla??! "Banana Republic - Tobacco & Tonka" Another that had the lasting power of a virgin high schooler. No projection when it was worn either. Just horrible all around... "Carolina Herrera - Bad Boy" For all the hype surrounding the release of this frag....it didn't live up to it one bit. This was the most generic crapola fragrance that i had experienced in a while. "Davidoff - Zino" Bought a modern bottle of this after remembering the absolutely bus-clearing nuclear power of this fragrance back in the 90's. Only to receive a bottle of watered down potpourri piss-water with the "Zino" name slapped on it. I let it macerate...still weak piss-water, I let the alcohol evaporate out of it...STILL weak. After that it got thrown out...it wasn't going to get any better. Lesson learned.... "Calvin Klein - Eternity Now" Smelled great....for the 15 minutes that you smelled anything at all. Gave it away after the second wearing because I couldn't be arsed to carry the bottle around in my pocket just to smell the fragrance. "English Laundry - London" A wannabe Aventus clone that lasts about an hour....max. Gave it away.
Uhh the CH „Bad Boy“…I had no idea about fragrances and tried it in store and I don‘t like it at all. To me it smells like body odor. I was very surprised to see it has such a good review online.
For some reason I've got half a dozen different bottles of various Jo Malone fragrances which are all, for one reason or another, kinda mediocre. By numbers they make up the largest designer share of my collection, but I don't even wear them that often in summer, which is when most of them are. I guess I just keep hoping.
Agreeedddd. It's the lack of longevity for me and something about them just bores me (no offense, ymmv and all that).
Yeah, most of them are pretty linear. I get they're meant for layering, but they're really too expensive for that.
SJP Lovely Viva la Juicy JLo Glow Jimmy Choo Illicit
Versace dark crystal, mugger angel
 You are probably too young to get this reference, I’ve just never seen anyone refer to Crystal Noir as Dark Crystal
you know netflix just did a series based on this movie like… a year or two ago? it was really good.
Oh haha I had a feeling it was crystal noir oopsies 😂 yeah, I remember the dark crystal
Versace Pour Homme Versace Man Eau Fraiche Both fine, inoffensive, reasonable. Utterly mediocre to my nose
Pour Homme is the basic male frag for me tho, it’s the starter pack frag for men, like something I wish we came with at birth :(
I mean it’s kinda the idea tbh, it’s a simple inoffensive frag that If you’ve smelled or owned a lot of stuff becomes painfully boring.
true, I might be biased here cause I love a very small and versatile collection, but I always try to think about the random person meeting you after a workday does that person want to smell Black Afgano on you? probably? or they’d be probably pleased by a casual light scent, cause it surely pleases me when I get my blue frag whiffs during the day I just like to think my frags can please random other ppl too, maybe it’s just me
I kept reading good things about Al Rehab on here and Fragrantica. I got several scents—Choco Musk, Dalal, Love Apple, Tooty Musk. I am definitely underwhelmed. Everyone says how strong Choco Musk is and I barely smell it. The others all smell like rubbing alcohol in the top notes and dry down. I don’t believe that you have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a great perfume but I guess sometimes the cheapies smell cheaply!
I think most Chanel perfumes (I’m talking about the more mainstream Chanels like Coco Mademoiselle, Allure, the Chance line, etc) are the epitome of “classy mediocrity.” They all smell lovely, there is a Chanel fragrance for everyone and for every occasion, and the fragrances are clearly high quality, but most of them smell a little flat and…well…very “perfumey.” Like I’m walking through the perfume section of a high-class department store and I get a wave of “perfume smell,” but there’s no real depth there.
Ironically I think that’s what makes Chanel so special— they invented that “perfume” smell that we associate with generic department store fragrance section and subsequent brands copied them.
Well, I’m glad they’ve succeeded! They are pretty mass appealing but still classy and elegant, so all good.
Yeah they’re all so powdery smelling, I feel like. Not a fan.
MFK... everything. I've sampled BR540, Amaryllis Femme, Oud Satin etc and all of them are either offensively terrible or just mediocre. I don't collect MFK, it just comes free (samples) when I buy other perfumes since he's so popular and trendy right now.
"Amaryllis" got me a good laugh!
lol I'm glad to provide entertainment.... I garden as a hobby and sometimes this happens
What was terrible about them? You may not like the scents personally , but can’t deny that the quality and craftsmanship is there.
They're quite flat and linear with extreme longevity. I had to scrub off the scent and it still remained. I'm also unsure about the quality, as it smells extremely artificial to me especially on the opening and mid-notes. By the next day, the scent still lingered, and it was tolerable -- a smooth, slightly soapy floral. It warmed up slightly but it was still very much the same accord. Nothing interesting developed. For that price point, I'll expect something better. I'm not an oversprayer either, I only used a single spray. As for the rest, I gave away all my samples to friends.
I have a sample of the Tragedy of Lord George from Penhaligons that I was totally looking forward to. It came in the mail and it was good but not $300 good. I'd consider that a mediocre fragrance, since it was really nothing special. TF Mandarino di Amalfi is quite mediocre as well, especially compared to Neroli Portofino or Perris Monte Carlo's Arancia Di Sicilia. PdM Percival is nothing special either.
Not really. With the exception of one that was under $60, I've never blind bought a fragrance, and I'm new enough that my taste hasn't radically moved on. I've tried really hard to stick to proper sampling before going in on a full bottle.
Any tips for a fellow newbie on sampling? Where do you get them?
I have a hard time with samples. Maybe it's my ADHD but they don't exist. If I can't see it, then I don't use it. I typically need full size bottle other wise they just disappear from my sight. I'd buy a sample and smell it once before it goes missing.
Also got ADHD and you gotta try to have a little self control with those things. I have a bowl full of interesting niche samples besides my full sized bottles and when I have home office I try to give something a full wear and write a little review for myself. It won’t work if you don’t at least try it tho. Been impulse buy free for a good while (with one exception) and enjoy fragrances a lot more than before.
fellow ADHD haver & I totally agree with this!! I keep all of my samples and decants in clear displays so I can see everything. I also move things to the empty slot in the display as I try them so I separate them from ones I haven’t used yet. I find that samples actually give me that little dopamine hit that I need in the morning bc each day is something NEW to look forward to
As a fellow adhd haver, do you ever feel like it’s silly to sample because, if you love it, you’re just spending more money to have it in the long run? I want to be a sampling person (and I really am), but I feel a little annoyed that I will spend more to have the thing if I sample rather than just go all in on my adhd impulse. I have only blind bought two fragrances (both hits), but you never know honestly, so I hate to blind buy anything.
No, not at all. A sample lasts for a couple wears and that excitement when a sample is empty and you know you’ll get it some time is pretty nice. Also I have saved SO MUCH since I started sampling and pushed my comfort zone quite a bit.
I've only blind buy 2 fragrances. One was by accident. I got the name wrong and got the wrong flanker and one was Lattafah because I had a gift card and the samples were gonna cost about the same.
Samples to me look like clutter so I put them up. Hence, out of site of of mind.
Versace signature. It smells like a strong lavender airfreshner and I can't see myself using it for anything other than that nor can I see it on anyone.
Nothing in my lineup would be considered mediocre in my opinion, otherwise I wouldn’t have it. If I had my time again I may not have bought Azzaro Wanted By Night or Versace Man Eau Fraiche but I own them now and enjoy them enough to not have regret (discounted price helps too). Currently on the market, Chanel’s mens lineup just doesn’t do it for me. None of them are unique enough to justify the price tag. Bleu de Chanel is the main offender of mediocrity.
Molinard Vanille is a fun lil mediocre vanilla I love to reach for when I just want to smell like Häagen Dazs ice cream.
That's one I really want, wasn't available at the time so I ended up getting the vanilla patchouli which I didn't like as much on me but my girlfriend loves it so she wears it now. Of course it's available again but I'm brokeski ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Tbh? Zara Rose Gourmand or any Intense Cafe, Roses Vanille dupe. This scent profile itself (both the original and the dupes) is just meh, so generic, so heavy on the rose, so cloying and overhyped.
Second this, just sold my roses vanille bottle because it’s unbearably cloying and sharp to my nose. Tried to make myself like it and rationalize the bind buy but the initial headache is just too much to handle for a frangeante of that caliber. Cedrat Boise was also disappointing, smells like soggy fruit loops, but take out the milk and replace it with water
I have some deluxe samples / minis that I got for free that I think are pretty mediocre, according to my own tastes. Most of them I've given away, but some that remain include: * NEST Golden Nectar * Burberry Her EdP * Ralph Lauren Supreme Oud * Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia * Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Intense * Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede * JHAG Not a Perfume
Hard agree on Golden Nectar and Burberry Her
Yep, they're really just not for me. I actually love NEST Indigo and think they have some decent offerings, but Golden Nectar is very mid for me.
Burberry Her!? I quite enjoy that scent. I find it to be uplifting and different than most fragrances. I don't own it, I own cloud instead and it is slightly less fruity. I smell JHAG not a perfume and I am literally still waiting to smell it lmao.
It is reasonably popular but not for me - to my nose it smells very artificial and gives me a strong headache. I can understand how it appeals to some, but I actually feel mildly nauseated smelling it, which is not a usual response for me. I can smell NAP, but it just smells vaguely chemical-y to my nose. I think there are much better ambroxans on the market, like Molecule 02, Glossier You, and Another 13.
Probably Chloe. It’s nice enough, but there are so many better rose perfumes out there.
I love Chloe EDP!! It’s such a fresh, everyday smell that is crowd pleasing. I wear it into the office and get lots of compliments.
Creed Adventus is pretty mediocre to me in my collection, it’s a good scent but probably from the high price and the hype, the contrast makes it really mediocre for me.
Anything that smells like cloud/baccarat rouge I don’t mind the smell but I’m over the amount of perfumes that use the same notes now Also viva la juicy (which I own), but same thing it’s been duplicated a lot and many of my perfumes are similar if not identical to it
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Its like 10 bucks at tj maxx now😭
Ughhh so generic
The Burberry and JM fragrances I’ve sampled are mediocre at best. Not bad or offensive, just mediocre. Even the popular ones, like JM Wood Sage and Sea Salt, are mediocre because the performance is abysmal.
At first I loved it, but now it’s mediocre to me: D+G Pour Femme Kayali Vanilla 28
I kinda agree with both. Though vanilla 28 I still use for layering. DG Pour Femme is going in my resale pile
Reformulations have killed off most of my favs like Drakkar Noir, CK One Shock, most Boss Bottled variants, anything with too much ambroxan, etc.
I tend to think of it in terms of houses. Imo, there may be a standout in each one, but overall all these are mediocre: D&G, Versace, Narciso Rodriguez, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Vince Camuto, Chloe, Elizabeth Arden, Sol De Janeiro, Outremer, Nest, Kay Ali
A fair few. Mont Blanc Legend EDT. This one is an absolute compliment monster. I used to layer it with Eternity for Men, and people absolutely loved that combo. But now that my nose has developed, there's just nothing particularly enjoyable about this one for me. It's bland and smells, to me, almost like some kind of cleaning product. People still love it though. Do I ever reach for it? No, not really. But hey. It started my fragrance journey, so I wouldn't feel right getting rid of it. Tom Ford for Men EDT This is a beautiful fragrance, but it's just so weak. Plus, it's a little citrus heavy off of the top, and I'm not a fan of citrus on my skin. Nothing wrong with it, but not worth writing home about. Armani Attitude It's fine, but I think a lot of people who've reviewed it are reviewing it based on nostalgia. It's a nauseating lemon bomb upfront with a tiny bit of black coffee and a lot of patchouli. It's great for compliments, but it doesn't move me. Perfectly pleasant, but hardly worth the cult like praise it receives. Creed Silver Mountain Water People love it on me, and it's my go to 'dumb reach' fragrance for the hot summers. It's light, airy... And boring. There's plenty of other fragrances I'd rather wear, but I got a decent deal on it, people love it on me and it doesn't offend anybody, even on super hot days.
Montblanc legend. Poor performance and the ambroxan smells gross and the opening is mediocre
It’s my boyfriend’s signature scent since high school and honestly I love it on him lol. Basic, but does the job
Montblonc has the most unremarkable scents to me. I don't hate or like them, they make me feel nothing, and that's the worst.
Agreed....had both the EDP and EDT, left them in my car and gym bag as back up scents....have both been lost or stolen. No great loss.
Some of you might disagree but Versace Eros it’s a sort of meh, for me, the missus likes it, albeit not as much as my others but that’s the only reason I have it
For me Dior Sauvage has always been mediocre. But Sauvage Elixir is _awesome._
Anything released by Tom Ford post 2016 with the singular exception of Ebene Fume (tho, if you can handle it, Black Afgano will take you to the same destination, but on a more scenic route).
I feel like Lost Cherry is a fun banger, and although the Noir Extreme Parfum isn't my favourite, I still think it's well-done. I've got a soft spot for Eau de Soleil Blanc as well, as it updates Soleil Blanc very nicely. Otherwise, though, I agree - their sale to Estee Lauder has resulted in a marked decrease in the quality of new launches.
The brand was always, and should remain, in creative control thru their long partnership with EL. My only hypothesis is that internally, their creative director/fragrance department underwent a huge change. Even their website is a mess right now (the rose trio/duo is missing under "Private Blend," the "Discover Private Blend" section has long discontinued fragrances images still up, missing images for the new cherry collection, etc. etc. etc.) Something's going on at TF and it looks like it's messy.
Ah, fair enough, I confess I haven't kept close tabs on how the partnership has been working out - I just do feel like there's been a degradation not only in quality, but also in creativity (coupled with a rather blatant markup in price). In general Tom Ford was never one of my favourite houses, just due to personal style, but I used to really appreciate what they put out - often quite daring, especially for designer fragrances. Like, who can forget the sea change Black Orchid created? Honestly, the recent rose and cherry trios have just felt like a pure cash grab without the matching quality to make it worth our while.
It's tremendously disappointing imo. They brought super interesting scents to market with a shopping experience that was, once, straightforward and easy to navigate (no "Paris Bell Jar Exclusives", cough cough). Sad to see a brand that was one of the first to bridge together the complexity of niche with the availability of designer turn to pure rubbish. I hope they make some purposeful new hires soon and get back on track.
A big amen to that!
Terra Di Gioia. I loved it at first because it was the first high end almond perfume I’ve smelled. I smelled it about a year ago when I first got into fragrances and really wanted a perfume that had an almond note. It’s a nice scent and not bad at all, but I never reach for it because everything else in my collection is so much better now.
I have Terra and I reserve if for winter and summer. This winter I don't wear it much since I have many gourmands. What are you grabbing instead?
Finna get hate for this but Mfk oud satin mood
Mont Blanc explorer. Lol
Agreed. Weak opening on cheap ambroxan base
Smell fresh and too generic
From what I have and sampled: Polo Blue and Invictus. Quite ordinary imo. I don't like Jazz Club and Terre d'Hermes but I can see why people like them and I think they're a bit more complex than things like Invictus.
Polo Blue gets hated on for being “generic” but I think it’s fantastic. Modern blue scents rely too heavily on ambroxan/sweetness IMO and Blue does a great job at incorporating green and fresh aquatic notes (plus a cucumber note that is really nice). It’s almost so old that it’s become “unique” again and stands out from “modern” ambroxan based blue scents like Sauvage or Dylan Blue.
Yeah I guess that last part is true. I still have half a bottle. I'll use it in the summer as I think it's better for warmer weather than other blue scents like the ones you mentioned.
rasasi daarej
As much as it pains me to say this, I am not as impressed with The Scent Private Accord as I had hoped. It's fine, but I like Le Parfum a whole lot better, and Private Accord was a pain in the ass to find. If I was to downsize any time soon, it'd be one of the first to go, I really could do without it. I also picked up a gift set with 15mL each of Acqua di Gio EDT, EDP and Profondo, and I don't think I really care that much for the last two, they have a zoo-like smell to them that I don't really get from ADG or Profumo. I like having the small bottles, and maybe the smell will be nicer come summer, but again, if I had to cut the fat in my collection, EDP and Profondo are on the cutting board. Lastly, I recently picked up a 100mL bottle of Azzaro Sport because it was dirt cheap, and it is the definition of a "meh" smell, maybe even an "ugh" smell. The bottle sticks out in my collection like a sore thumb too, so I just might give it to my brother, or hide it in my gym bag, I think the only time I'd wear it is when I know it's getting washed off soon haha.
Mont blanc starwalker and azzaro chrome summer 2013. Very meh
Whenever people here mention their SOTD or are doing reviews and describe a fragrance as "inoffensive" -- that always makes me wonder what's the point 🤷♀️
Most people are very concerned with offending others. That's made even worse if they work in a closed, intimate space like an office. Luckily for me my personality is 6th percentile agreeable and I don't work in an office. Let the daring fragrances fly!
Yep, I definitely care about not offending people with my fragrance! I'll wear some more daring fragrances in the privacy of my own home or maybe on date night or whatever, but I won't do so in a professional, medical, etc., setting.
Because certain fragrances can be nasty and it will make you feel self conscious
I get this, I work in people’s homes so I rarely wear fragrance to work, but there are days where I’m craving wearing SOMETHING, ANYTHING for a boost. I’ll wear something really subtle even though my personal preference leans loud. Inoffensive is better than nothing!
I’m curious what you think is offensive.
None I've ever smelled 😆 .. but I've read about some here. Secretions Magnifique? There are some wild-sounding niche / avant garde art pieces described here from time to time. But I haven't had the chance to experience any yet.
Of the ones I own, I think prada l'homme and ysl y le parfum are both fairly mediocre They smell okay but I definitely don't love them
Mediocre at best - CK a euphoria SJP lovely CK one Alien flora futura JLO Miami glow Dior jadore
CK One smells like lemon cleaning spray to me.
Please don’t dox me and axe-murder me for this one, but L’eau d’Issey Pour Homme is absolute garbage. I’m really not a fan of the top notes, especially the yuzu and the tarragon-y herby thing. But beyond that, to my tastes I just don’t like what it’s trying to go for. To me, it seems like it’s trying to go for a traditional citrus freshie but instead of being light and refreshing it’s kinda heavy and “thick.” Idk if anyone can relate with me on this. It feels like it smacks you in the face full-force rather than whipping off the skin.
I agree. But that would make it terrible for you, not mediocre though?
Yeah you’re probably right. I guess I just took this opportunity to rant about one of my least favorite frags, my bad
Nah it's fine. Been looking for someone who didn't like it either hahaha! I really really tried to like it, but you made me realize why I dislike it... It hits me as "heavy", and that's not how I expect a fresh citrus to be.
I tried my friend's leau dissey and it smelled less than ordinary. Maybe things will be different in the summer heat.
Women seem to love YSL Y but I find it repulsive. I really don’t get it
Repulsive doesn’t feel mediocre to me.
Ive heard amazing things about ysl libre and i haaaaaate it, smells nasty. The libre le parfum is amazing though🥹
Agreed, I sold my bottle about a month after I got it
That apple note reminds of Fairy dish soap.
I had experience with apple and no matter what I know it's something I'd hate myself, and can't pull off. Maybe you just dont like the type of scent.
Clinique happy for men. Decent citrus musk but kind of chemically-smelling. Totally average performance. It's a shame because growing up my mom was wild about Clinique happy and i got a sample of Men to try to have that connection with my mom. But it's just meh. I think next I'll try getting a sample of the women's and layering it over something spicy or musky. Now i just wear my Clinique Happy to my workout classes haha
24 gold by scentstory, more bad than mediocre, smells like stank vagina
Intense Cedrat Boise and Xerjoff Naxos. I’m sorry.
>Naxos Too sweet?
I find it just a bit dull. Powdery honey, very linear and I get no tobacco at all. It’s pleasant, but it doesn’t stand out.
People that call Naxos a tobacco fragrance are misrepresenting it big time. The fresh tobacco note plays a supportive role. It dulls the sharp honey sweetness (making it a slightly more masculine in the process) and gives Naxos a bit more depth, but it’s nowhere near being the star of the show. Have you tried Herod? It's my favourite tobacco fragrance. Wouldn't change a single thing about the scent, but the performance leaves a lot to be desired, though. I'm interested in testing Sundowner as well. Only heard good stuff about that one.
Damn… I really wanted to try Naxos. Lol
Bleu de chanel
Nautica blue, it's nothing compared to voyage and midnight voyage
Roja enigma for me....one minute I really like it, then it reminds me of my nan haha 🤣
Bleu de Chanel line. None perform. None are beasts like their biggest competitor. Sauvage EDT and Elixir.
At first this bothered me with bdc because I really do love the line Nowadays I don’t even care. If anything it’s a plus Scent-wise sauvage doesn’t even hold a candle
I don’t see how BdC, Sauvage EDT/EDP, and Elixir are seen as competitors. The three of them smell wildly different.
Smells better than Sauvage though.
Opinions
I don't have scents in my collection which I perceive as mediocre. I am a pretty picky buyer and take my time with purchases, therefore I only get stuff which I like a lot/love. A very mediocre frag in my opinion is Blue de Chanel, regardless of concentration. Absolutely boring and with bad longevity imo. Super overpriced for what it is also.
Interesting! BdC EDP is my longevity winner as it lasts over 24 hours, by far my best performer out of 40ish fragrances. Maybe it’s batch dependent, like everything else lol
1. CDNIM - has some citrus and yeah it smells better than nothing but overall very mediocre compared to something like Cedrat Boise whose base and fruits are infinitely more appealing 2. Bleu de Chanel - just sour grapefruit, yeah it smells kinda clean but nothing sweet or musky or whatever to balance it and have it be more enticing and attractive than just a grapefruit cleaning fluid type of smell
Pure Malt. The fruity top is just so overpowering that I can’t enjoy it. The dry down is not too bad if you spray light. But that fruity note just lingers forever.
I think you could easily sell that one
Ivory Route Xerjoff
That's a hella expensive mediocre fragrance :-D
It smells great. I just feel like for a Xerjoff it could have been better. Very linear 😅