What makes a cologne smell...... cologney?

[Spider]

Sometimes colognes smell really nice, sometimes you can pick out the base notes and smell that it is unique. But sometimes they just smell nondescript and cologney.

Sometimes I read the scent notes on a cologne and think I'm really going to like it. This rarely ends up being true. Most of the time, I'm severely disappointed with something that just smells cologney. I obviously have no idea how scent notes interact and what the resulting scent will be once mixed.

So what notes or combination thereof are what gives a scent that generic, offputting, cologney vibe?

 

[CVargo]

Our friend Dave understands this process better than I do. But I would assume it is based off quality of ingredients meaning the essential and fragrance oils, and then probably what your base is ie what type of alcohol are you using. But I totally get what you mean. There are plenty where I smell it then look at the basenotes and I have to question myself lol.

 

[CBLindsay]

I often describe a scent as being "cologney" without being able to say what specifically it smells like. If pressed to describe what cologney means i might describe it as being sharp, tangy or metallic ...or all of that together. There are some colognes like Geurlain Vetiver that are based on a very natural (typically single note) scent, but those don't make me think "cologney".

Assuming the cologne isn't entirely synthetic, I think a generic cologne like scent is built on a few common scents - OakMoss, Linalool, Tonka Bean, Cummarin and maybe others like Amber and Musk.

 

[Dagwoodz]

Assuming the cologne isn't entirely synthetic, I think a generic cologne like scent is built on a few common scents - OakMoss, Linalool, Tonka Bean, Cummarin and maybe others like Amber and Musk.

Patchouli is another one that shows up in many a scent pyramids that people often describe as cologney. That as well as bergamot, oakmoss, amber, incense and musk are the most popular ones that I've seen. Now, each one will give a different type of colongey scent...bergamot is very bright and vibrant (think AdG), where patchouli, oakmoss and musk are very earthy. Amber and tonka bean are "warm" smelling...

Can you give an example of what you interpret as "colongey"?

 

[Spider]

Can you give an example of what you interpret as "colongey"?

I wish I could, I can't really describe it myself. But half of the colognes I pick up and sample all smell the same, and it's just that non descript colongey scent. Usually the same scent from "That guy" who used way too much and you can smell him across the room.

It's like whenever something is cologney, every note just blends and gets lost. Nothing stands out on it's own, and it just becomes cologne. Anything that I do like is usually something that just has a couple of noteworthy notes that stand out to define the scent.

 

[BarberDave]

It most cases "Cologney" is when the fragrance notes all blend together right off the bat IMHO A good fragrance with good Top, Middle, Bottom components should evolve on ones skin over a day and the various notes should be able to be picked out, and most importantly o good fragrance should smell different on every single user, as a good fragrance chemist will account for different body chemistry. There are some linear, cheap scents that we all like AV, JVM, Old Spice. These are made to be linear. Another factor is how good the receptors are in your nose, some can pick out a single note and some cannot. Snorting coffee with help in that quest, LOL Full beans even better ( just kidding )