Perfumer Tries The Highest Rated Winter Fragrances On Fragrantica | Mens Cologne/Perfume Review 2023

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Make sure you guys check out ‪@sammacer‬ ‘s channel to learn about technical perfumery! What are your thoughts on his opinions on these ‘best winter fragrances’?
FRAGRANCES FEATURED
Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP Eau De Parfum
Azzaro The Most Wanted
Dior Homme Intense
Aaron Terence Hughes ATH Hard Candy
Xerjoff Naxos

[@clandestinecoherence]

love that he actually uses the 1-10 scale instead of 6-10 hahaha

[@ejcandrin]

It's so refreshing

[@panzergott4080]

Aaron Terence Hughes is the biggest culprit of this

[@ManicMindTrick]

I know a person who does the 8-10 rating...

[@riblet1000]

Sam's videos are excellent! He provides some of the best fragrance reviews on the internet: honest and insightful. His comments are intelligent , educational, and meaningful.

[@mohi131313]

He has the right to have his own taste ! And I fully respect it

[@minimalisthealth]

Noble

[@___tomo385]

When I first smelled The One it caught me off guard because i thought it was actually quite fresh so I agree with this dood

[@beastjimmy507]

That's what I liked about it. Great freshness combined with depth. Top 3 frag for me, forever.

[@fettuccinealraver]

The freshness is real. It’s more of a versatile scent that I’d wear anytime than a date night only scent

[@popeye5274]

@@fettuccinealraverI wear it to the office. I’m enjoying it.

[@Dimasterim]

Especially the EDT, it’s a very light scent.

[@gogortilos99]

He is actually quite correct about the bases.Lot of the perfumes turn into shit in the drydown

[@ManicMindTrick]

The dry down is where the real perfume is at.

[@clipsssviral]

@@ManicMindTrickPartially agree. Both middle and base are the best.

[@ManicMindTrick]

@@clipsssviral Yeah you are right. Some citrus EDCs are tops only and should be evaluated in their own way though.

[@clipsssviral]

@@ManicMindTrick What do you think about myslf?

[@undercovermc]

@@ManicMindTrick Correct. If a fragrance only has a good opening then it is a catfish and isn't worth most people's time

[@princeterry6243]

More videos like this with him, love his opinion .. unbiased! ❤

[@ManicMindTrick]

Yeah I think of a particular actress who gives fragrance scores when you say that.

[@justaddlight]

So happy Sam does the rating scale justice. 😄 I noticed about 7 years back that the scale was not 0-10 but really 1, then 5-10, where 5 basically represented every number below 5 except 1. 😂 Very interesting psychological phenomena when asking people on the street to rate a product. Almost nobody goes below 6 and almost everybody chooses 7; 5 being a strong dislike and 10 being a strong like. Perhaps remedial math is underrated? 🤭

[@GamingPancakesYT]

I have thought this for the longest time and it makes me so angry 😂. When I rank things, 5 is neutral, meaning I feel neither positively or negatively about it. Everything above is positive and everything below is more negative

[@jimlittle5769]

@@GamingPancakesYT Perhaps it's just that most of the times fragrances smell at least decent, but the great ones stand out. I have smelled hundreds of fragrances, and it's rare I actually completely dislike a fragrance. The worst comments I'll usually say would be comments like, 'Meh', 'It's ok'. 'Pleasant but forgettable.' Things like that. At the end of the day most fragrances, especially the ones mentioned often are at least ok. Makes sense, then, that 6-10 is more often given.

[@TheFeintOfHearts]

Well this is how the school system has trained people for 12+ years. 5/10 = failure, 7/10 = mid/average. Not surprising adults have that same frame of reference going forward.

[@krytxps]

yea, i feel like the numbers should be assessed after the rating, if you establish what is average for you, than anything else will automatically have to be under 5, if you look at it that way, its easier to escape the numbers bias

[@madrigal924]

10 - Masterpiece 9 - Great 8 - Very Good 7 - Good 6 - Fine 5 - Average 4 - Bad 3 - Very bad 2 - Horrible 1 - Appalling

[@unkind4ever]

i thoroughly enjoyed this guy's brutal opinion, more of him please

[@aryan_khanna_]

Can you both do a collab with Chris and ATH, we need a perfumers vs reviewers game of some sort 😂😍

[@TimTheEnchanterpoo]

Not after he sh** all over Hard Candy like that....

[@RS3NDIT]

@@TimTheEnchanterpoo idk ATH doesn't seem like the kinda guy to take that personally. His reviews are purely professional, you can hardly be mad at it

[@TimTheEnchanterpoo]

@@RS3NDIT If the guy had succinctly described what he didn't like, I'd agree with you, but he basically intimated it was overpriced garbage...

[@DrRDW]

​@TimTheEnchanterpoo he was respectful in his response to ATH fragrance. He said it was fine, just equally impressive fragrances for less money. He said it's not his style. Even compared it to going on the br540 direction, which we so know the price of that.

[@SamWayne85]

I was originally critical of this guy but after smelling more fragrances blind and raw, its amazing how your smell changes when you dont know what to expect. Interesting take for sure

[@Dimasterim]

I don’t necessarily agree with his ratings but I like someone that has his own thoughts on fragrances and doesn’t thoughtlessly regurgitate the common opinions that everyone on the internet seems to agree with. It’s nice to get a different perspective, to see how other people perceive and rate the fragrances you like.

[@user-tb5yn7dn9n]

Thanks again for the collab, I won't be tired of watching these kind of videos

[@LuisRiveraFigueroa]

I like Sam's honest opinion. Sometimes reviewers tend to describe how certain fragrance are "objectively" good in terms of blends or creativity. But, at the end of the day, they are somewhat unwearable. Or people around you, aka. wife/friends hate it.

[@Trump2024Kentucky]

I like the brutal honesty in this video. I also wish all reviewers would be more honest like this guy. 👍🏼🇺🇸

[@firmitas68]

I disagree. You have to think of people's feelings and having your opinions be mainstream.

[@jimlittle5769]

Well, it's his opinion, nothing more. If you agree with him, that's fine, but fragrances smell different to different people and everyone has preferences. Doesn't make people who like the ones he doesn't dishonest. This expert thought Naxos had incense, rose and amber. Barely mentioned honey and didn't mention tobacco. So, I mean....

[@Trump2024Kentucky]

@@jimlittle5769 True. It is his opinion only but it seems to be an honest one. I agree with parts and disagree with other parts (I.e. I really like The One and would give it an 8) but I like the way this review was done. 🙂

[@-C_pat_H-]

This is the best rating video I have ever watched. Finally someone with knowledge is completely honest!!

[@eusebiocatanho]

Refreshing reviews! Scent by the scent, no twisted influence from names, no herd perceptions... And by someone who actually knows what he's speaking about! Thank you!

[@GraceAbove223]

This was a spot on review. It was honest and I basically agree with what he said about each fragrance.

[@angelgallo7326]

This guy is sick, keep bringing the bro back for more vids

[@slikjmuzik]

I agree on The Most Wanted. I like it better than Most Wanted Parfum and Wanted by Night. It just doesn’t perform like either of them, so if I’m wearing it to go out, I put ambroxan on my skin first then layer this on top. People always want to know what I’m wearing.

[@lgeiger]

Sam seems to really like Xerjoff perfumes and I agree. I'm personally not a big fan of Naxos, but I get why it's so popular. Sam also has a very fine nose. The way he rates perfumes is totally different to Aaron Terrence Hughes, but I appreciate both their opinions. I personally have not been influenced by the bottle design or the note breakdown. In Initio's Oud for Greatness I personally smell no oud at all and I recently heard that it actually does not even have real oud in it, which totally makes sense to me now.

[@silverstaralchemist]

I'd love to see him react to more from ATH's line!

[@ohfour-seven6228]

Great to see your videos with Sam. He really brings an interesting perspective to his reviews, especially when you mention the price point. Looking forward to more with the two of you!

[@teok8855]

Fml first person I hear describe the DG The One smell like I smell it, there is freshness in the opening and then at the base amber-y with hints of tobacco, and it disappears.

[@nokyoteefowt4699]

I loved his reviews. Would watch more videos of his. Thanks for the great content

[@andremerritt2670]

This guy is brutal lol...that's how ratings are supposed to be done. The honesty is refreshing.

[@Charlieboyfragrance]

I like this guy .. I love azzario most wanted night and Naxos he's on point those others last an hour why buy it

[@3omar_a7maad]

some ethyl molytol whipping through the base

[@DVinstapics]

The most wanted is one of my fragrances for life, it's outstanding

[@abirmahmud4259]

Love the honesty! How it should be. Let’s see more of Sam on this channel.

[@zankfrappe5145]

I enjoy these vids👍I love the honesty, which can be scarce in fragcomm

[@aredd92]

I 100% agree about iris being a polarizing note. I just cant bring myself to like it as much as these fragrance youtubers say I should, lol.

[@SchoolOfScent]

The vast majority don’t even have real ‘Iris’ in them, the natural note is ‘Orris Root’ and is a lot more interesting imo

[@aredd92]

@@SchoolOfScent Interesting. The ones I am mainly referring to are DHI and GG Reserve Privee…this style of scent has just not grown on me at all.

[@NazgulfromLOTR]

OMG Finally! Im not the only one finding medicinal nouances in Naxos! Its cough syrupy especially when worn. I didnt get that when smelled upclose. Still a nice scent, a slightly bit overpriced in my opinion and i don't quiet agree with the crazy hype "best fragrance ever made" appelatives. But still a nice fragrance. Love these vids with Sam. Keep them coming!

[@gerryadams9868]

Love these videos keep them up!

[@stevegould7252]

Authentic video... Lovely challenge... I rate this video a 9.5/10

[@ameyer3408]

Proves the point about smelling off paper. On paper he didn’t get the tobacco in Naxos.

[@SultanAlAli23]

Dude is ruthless .. DHI is the the goat by the way

[@stayfresh222]

These fragrances were bought to him blindly not hand picked himself to do a review on, if so that would give him a slight advantage as to somewhat know a little about a fragrance before reviewing (like ATH). This is what you call a raw review.

[@Yourcheerz]

ATH bashed every perfume he reviewed blindly too

[@cyrusbiarash9457]

Do you think that Prada Luna Rossa Black is a good winter daily?

[@sxvvy9631]

When is Mr.majestic shipping ? I’m from the US just wondering 🙏🏽 can’t wait for it to get here and try it!!

[@SchoolOfScent]

Mid December 😁

[@minimalisthealth]

Could see Omar starting to get mildly uncomfortable when Sam started dunking on his favourite ATH Hard Candy, haha.

[@HR-dz3de]

Been watching your vids for the past few weeks, great work! Would you consider time stamps?

[@nickyb7185]

Love Sam. Love his channel

[@topnotesfragrance]

Sam is the GOAT

[@danesthesia09]

I don't begrudge the guy for his opinions, I just dont agree with most of them. He's the professional, and he is smelling off strips only, but I just haven't had similar olfactory experiences.

[@broadwaynicky]

Thank you for dropping the best fragrance content and for supporting Palestine!

[@fadyelshamy3860]

Hey Omar, I recommend that you keep your beard without shaving the top of it. Looks better on you and gives you the aplha male energy.

[@yitziyyb]

So nice of The Flash to make an appearance.

[@jakovljubesic261]

I really think you two should do a colab in perfumery

[@Lucas-ck1po]

Bring more of this guy

[@Gajsu1]

I wish you included Spicebomb extreme here. This is my favourite winter/christmas fragrance.

[@redspades6097]

The most overrated and overhyped fragrance of all time. Nothing special.

[@Gungrave123]

weaker than the OG in every direction@@redspades6097

[@alanking5001]

He really knows his stuff very interesting 👍👍

[@Timboslice321]

Honest review 10/10

[@joeytroia]

In my personal opinion I like ‘the one’ EDT better than the EDP.

[@rotta8548]

Sam is awesome man. He's just being honest and giving HIS opinion

[@xMisteriousGaming]

Kinda offtopic but what wrist watch is that? Looks amazing

[@KNOXX707]

If perfumers had the same nose, we'd have no variety.

[@ManicMindTrick]

I dont think it comes down to nose but personal taste. And thank god we are different.

[@KNOXX707]

@ManicMindTrick Of course it comes down to nose. Not everybody picks up the same notes, nor do the notes smell the same to everyone, because our brains are all wired differently. Nothing to do with peronal taste.

[@ManicMindTrick]

@@KNOXX707 perfumers all have highly trained noses. And according to Luca Turin who tried to look at this more scientifically we roughly smell the same thing, but our emotional response is different to different smells. Its the vision, taste and skill of the perfumer plus the wishes from the employer which will determine the outcome. Maybe we are talking about the same thing.

[@rainingsmoke2720]

I like this guys rating system

[@adithchandra1]

Is it redundant to buy reserve privee while I already have Dior Homme Parfum?

[@aasiishj1412]

Hi Champ, hope you doing good Love your content and the way you present it .. would really appreciate your opinion on below Considering I am new to oud fragrances and have just used Chopard oud Malaki , which of the below two would you suggest 1) Gucci Intense oud 2) Any from the Amouroud ( please suggest your favourite in this case ) I would really appreciate your help 🙏🏻 More power to you !!

[@Mattheo76]

Gucci intense oud smells like a graveyard, it does or like a cold church. I hate it, it smells grandmaish...

[@aasiishj1412]

@@Mattheo76 oops my god .. thank you so much for saving me .. would you have any alternative suggestions for oud bro ? In the same price range or slightly here and there ?

[@Mattheo76]

If you like sweet oud, I would go for Mancera Aoud Vanille or Oud Exclusif, I really like that, it lasts all day long it is like an oudy ambery scent. Very nice...Or Montale Oud Dream, or Black Aoud. @@aasiishj1412 Oud Dream is sweet rose oud, and Black aoud is a dry rose oud, really dark and has a projection and sillage to fill a room. The other ones too, no only need 2 sprays of them.

[@Mattheo76]

If you like real oud, ATH Oud is in my opinion one of the best. Another good bit cheaper oud is swiss arabian oud azraq. @@aasiishj1412

[@amaterasublack3519]

We need AAROn TEReNCE HUGHEST

[@jimlittle5769]

I don't really see that happening. Maybe though.

[@Charlieboyfragrance]

If its a beast its worth it , why by a scent that's gone in an hour especially for 100-150 and then 200

[@Paragon_CS]

Hey, I just started with perfumes. Does someone know if the release of new perfumes is usually in waves of different brands or is it totally random and 1 by 1?

[@chuggermagic]

Hi, In your note breakdowns when you mention lavender, I'm 99% sure it's actually lupins that are shown in that clip not lavender.

[@Yourcheerz]

Let Sam smell Kouros vintage 😂 Great vid

[@justinboyer5449]

Might as well give Sam a Xeroff sponsorship at this point..

[@kungenftww]

I'm pretty new to all this but I found a few fragrances that I hate and I would like someone to tell me the common note or smell between them to avoid when blind buying. The frags are acqua di gio the black one / lattafa fakhr / kenzo pour homme ... what's the common thing here because they smell like eggs and give me a headache ?

[@willmarshall4685]

You are probably reacting to calone oil which is used as an oceanic accord in many aquatic blue fragrances. Some people have a very strong reaction to this oil as they perceive it as rotten eggy. I’d avoid the blue aquatics in general as most of them use this oil. If you like blues but hate the eggy smell try something like Chanel’s Blue De Chanel or Loewe’s 7. Both are outstanding blue fragrances that do not use calone oil. As far as the headache. All of the fragrances you listed use heavy doses of Ambroxin which is a synthetic accord that has a vaguely fresh and woody scent and helps extend the life of a fragrance. If spray on a fragrance with a lot of Ambroxin and you put your nose close to it you will probably get a headache. Unfortunately, this accord is now found in pretty much every modern male fragrance. Ways to avoid the headache/nose blind problem is to spray the fragrance on and avoid getting your nose sniffing your hand. You can also seek out niche fragrances that use more natural ingredients…but do your homework because even the some of the most expensive niche house use high doses of the molecule. Baccarat Rouge is one example. One house to consider is Chanel…they use excellent ingredients and all of their fragrances are very balanced and smooth.

[@bobbytelevision]

@schoolofscent Class is in session! Great work here! Hope to see more of this.

[@DavideV101]

What about Layton ?

[@rrroumn]

I miss some time stamps in these videos or a permanent label that would allow me to skip to a fragrance I'm looking for.

[@seanghazanfari8442]

Kinda od interesting to me that the azzaro edp intense is ranked higher than the parfum. I think the parfum is far more masculine, warm, sweet, and spicer, and just overall MUCH higher quality than the edp intense

[@Mattheo76]

I smelled all the azzaros and I dont like them. They smell cheap and like a sirupy mess.

[@profound369]

I agree with his sentiments here. I dont think he deserves to get dogged on

[@yeshenaczas9116]

hi could i buy from you your prada lhomme? i heard you want to get rid of it in one of your videos

[@momezzy8864]

Robin thicke has good taste

[@MegaMushfiq]

broo this guy is amazing.....

[@minhoek3252]

every youtuber gotta have his own perfumer,am i right?

[@5litremania]

I was also disappointed with Dolce gabanna the one. Initially it's really nice, but has no staying power whatsoever. Turns to a skin scent within an hour..

[@iraklis9999]

can u tell us which parfums does this guy like??

[@kaydencampbell1498]

He has a channel. He likes ambery fragrances

[@thetravelingnomad6203]

Great video; Validates the rule of "ONLY trust your own nose". All impressions and take on stimuli is individually biased.

[@evgheniyzhivotovskiy6573]

From where I can buy DG the One I can't find it in my local stores and online stores like make-up

[@Mattheo76]

Save your money, its not worth it in my opinion. I hate the smell after wearing it a few times and its weak as fuck. There a lot of better options. I got a lot of compliments from Boss Bottled Oud or YSL Tuxedo/Lattafa Kismet.

[@evgheniyzhivotovskiy6573]

@@Mattheo76 But on my skin it's a pure sex, nothing better than DG the one for me, but performance little bit sucks

[@ruffe7655]

@@Mattheo76 thats false, it is strong atleast the edp version, and lattafa is a joke compared to D G the one.

[@ruffe7655]

@@evgheniyzhivotovskiy6573 buy the edp it is great for winter i got it.

[@Mattheo76]

Kismet is a Tuxedo clone for 30 bucks. An the one edp is not that strong it lasts on me 4 hours.@@ruffe7655

[@Charlieboyfragrance]

Azzarios are bangers

[@teastayshot4352]

REVIEW NICKI MINAJ Pinkfriday2 PERFUME PLEASEE🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

[@biglenny8258]

This dude is the make a wish ATH

[@mr_gianduja]

5.5/10 Naxos? Does this guy have a cold?

[@johngregorio9183]

Should probably put the bottles on the screen that hes smelling

[@kingdarrian100]

Can you leave the fragrance in the corner or something while it’s being talked about

[@krios1373]

where can i buiy his fragrances?

[@SchoolOfScent]

Google ‘Zurai Fragrances’ :)

[@foki_official]

Sure he's well informed, bt have to say I didn't agree with a single thing he said. His preference is one thing, bt his descriptions seemed way off for some 🤷‍♂️

[@jasvirsandhu1158]

This Guy has a Designer Nose…. That is my opinion after watching two videos. He likes designer fregrances. I am curious how his Fregrance smell 😅

[@jimlittle5769]

Well a few problems. On a few of these, he was smelling notes that aren't even in the fragrance...like incense, amber and rose in Naxos? WTH? Second, judging fragrances on tester strips is a horrible way to judge fragrances...and, you know, a perfumer/fragrance reviewer should know that. In any event, a fun exercise...and really after four or five fragrances, it's hard to test them on anything else. I've seen other perfumers as guests on other channels where they test it on skin. I trust those more.

[@donjojo4756]

Completely agree with him on naxos. I didnt like it at all for the same reasons.

[@jimlittle5769]

He gave it an 8 out of 10. He liked it. He also said it had incense, rose and amber. He barely mentioned honey and didn't mention tobacco. I mean, fine if you don't like Naxos, to each their own, but he did a complete swing and miss in practically every note he said it had.

[@donjojo4756]

@jimlittle5769 yea, i noticed he switched afterward. But the medicinal effect is so accurate.

[@jimlittle5769]

@@donjojo4756 I mean, to some people sure. If we all liked the same stuff, we'd have no variety at all.

[@donjojo4756]

@jimlittle5769 idk i was just pointing out that i had the same reaction. Not squating over it and disrespectfully discharging bodily fluids all over naxos.

[@jimlittle5769]

@@donjojo4756 I am all for people liking what they like and respecting people's choices. Heck, one of my closest friends (the one who got me into this hobby) and I disagree often and many times it's about our favorites. I didn't take your comments any other way besides you don't like it. No reason for me to slam other's opinions on frags.

[@alakazamhippity3192]

4/10 on hard candy and calling it weak is a wild take 😅

[@ManicMindTrick]

It isnt weak that is for sure but it is too sweet and generic. And I disagree about the baccarat rouge comparison, more le male.

[@alakazamhippity3192]

@@ManicMindTrick I have at least 30 fragrances and none of them smell like hard candy I dunno what you're smelling tbh

[@ManicMindTrick]

@@alakazamhippity3192 have you tried le male perfume or elixir?

[@luscious_linda]

I want Sam to get a different t-shirt.

[@marcopa86]

No Spicebomb Extreme in the highest rated winter fragances? Really?! 😛

[@redspades6097]

They choose from the best, not overrated and overhyped like spicebomb extreme. 😊

[@kevin-sj3wt]

azzaro after watching this video📈📈📈📈

[@bigbraintime5361]

I love that this guy comes in here and sais he hates fragrances that have been praised all over KZbin and tiktok and people go crazy, like how dare he take them out of their echo chamber

[@obietobi]

Should've refresh his senses with a coffee bean because smelling other perfume can fck up other perfumes.

[@nhatnamdao2916]

lmao I would love to see this guy make fragrances nearly as good as some of these

[@bilacdasilva1561]

are you serious bro?? he gave DHI a 6!

[@michaelbullock8011]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@Gungrave123]

what fragrances is this perfumer being the nose behind?