Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cologne

How?!: Perfume Smell OUT of Laundry.

Shane — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:12:42 -0800

Is it possible to get cologne smell out of clothing? I kind of "inherited" a half-dozen nice sweaters that reek of perfume, and I'm allergic as well. I've tried mucho baking soda and soaking in the wash machine; haven't tried vinegar yet; past (somewhat related) threads suggest Ozium and Synthrapol, but they're really not for this purpose.

Off to Germany for two weeks...

backseatpilot — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:01:48 -0800

Travel advice for Nordrhein-Westphalia, please! I'll be in NRW for two weeks starting on Monday for business, and I'll have at least a little bit of time for some tourism. Most of my Germany experiences have been in the south, so I really don't know all that much about North Germany.

I'll be about an hour to the southwest of Düsseldorf, and I'll have a car. I'm marginally aware of the Things To Do in the area (thanks Wikitravel!) but I'd like to hear some recommendations that lean towards a more geeky bent. I do have a few specific questions:

-Wikitravel for Köln mentions some sort of congestion restriction in the city center for autos, so what's the best way to get into the city? Is there a specific town with a train station I should drive into and take public transit from?
-Wuppertal - worth going there for the monorail?
-Has anyone been to Drachenfels and the Schloß nearby? Is it worth seeing? I'd like to visit a castle, so is there a "better" one to go to?

If you've got any other places you visited and were really wowed by, I'd like to know about those, too!

(I'll actually be staying just over the border in Brunssum, so if there's anything to see in that side of the Netherlands/Belgium, let me have it!)

What to do in Northern Europe?

wayofthedodo — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:41:44 -0800

TravelFilter: Amsterdam, Cologne, Copenhagen, Oslo. 2-3 days each. Mid-November. What to do? I'm going to those cities in Mid-November, and spending 2-3 days in each. What should I do? Where should I eat? Cheap is good, but I'm more interested in interesting/exciting/fun/unique. Where should I stay for cheap?

Also, how cold will it be? Should I bring a light jacket + sweaters? Heavy jacket? I live in LA, so cold for me is having to wear jeans.

My friend is continuing on to Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Moscow, then taking the train to Beijing. Any suggestions for him?

WANT TO PRODUCE A FRAGRANCE: HOW?

defmute — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:56:31 -0800

I want to sell a cologne. How do I do that? I have a brilliant idea for a new fragrance. Now what? Can I patent a fragrance before it goes into production?

Cologne Nearby Countryside?

priorpark17 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:07:32 -0800

Colonge - need to get out to countryside and end up in a few days later in Munich. I am in Cologne next Friday. I have to fly out from Munich on Tuesday afternoon. Where should i go on Saturday and Sunday to see some of the countryside/lakeside? Ideally I would like a lakeside town with a bit of a walk. Ideally, I would like to do it all by train. I am thinking having the the Monday night in Munich maybe fun.

Help me smell just like a lady!

AsRuinsAreToRome — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:34:52 -0800

I'm trying to replicate a cologne out of a ingredients from a lotion my girlfriend bought several years ago at Bath and Body Works. My girlfriend of four and half years bought a bottle of lotion from Bath & Body Works from their "Breathe" line of products. Consequently, I believe the product line is now discontinued. There is something in this lotion that drives me nuts. Its smells incredible. I would definitely classify it as a "girlie" scent, but not overtly so. I've never smelled anything like it. Not citrusy, not froo froo. Just....AWESOME.

So as soon as we heard the Bath and Body Works Breathe line was going to be discontinued, we went and bought about 7 bottles of this lotion. Since then, my girlfriend rarely uses this lotion. She still likes the smell, but thinks the actual lotion base has too much of a "heavy" quality and prefers and alternate brand of moisturizer. Thats fine. I can cope with that.

But every very days I'll dab a little bit of this lotion on the back of my hand just so I can get a whiff of what once was. Upon looking at the ingredients a few things jump out at me: amber, white tea, and myrr. It is quite possible that I'm nasally addicted to one of these scents.

So my question to you, internet, is - are there any colognes or essential oils that I can buy to mimic this same scent but still keep it within the masculine spectrum? Any recommendations for affordable online retailers of said scents?

How to dress (or not dress) on my visit to Cologne, Germany?

RedReplicant — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:33:14 -0800

I'm going to be visiting Cologne, Germany on a research trip at the end of the month-- how should I dress? I'm an American PhD student from an East Coast university, speak decent (but not flawless) German and generally I try to avoid the major pitfalls like bright white tennis shoes, obnoxious t-shirts and fanny packs. However, one of my professors keeps suggesting that if I wear any color at all I will look like a tourist. Generally my uniform is a nice pair of slacks or jeans, a colorful top and a jacket or cardigan. Is that going to look out of place? Any pro-tips would be greatly appreciated, as it's my first time going to Germany alone rather than with a group of students.
Thanks!

Good Cologne like Ferragmo's Subtil

morallybass — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:41:00 -0800

Cologne Filter: I like Subtil by Ferragamo. Recommend me something new! I've never worn cologne until a year ago when I found Subtil by Salvatore Ferragamo, pleasant and mild fragrance that seems to work well for me. I know nothing about cologne, this was a lucky accident. I'm a 27 year old professional with fairly simple tastes.

Help!

Thanks.

PS: If I'm not giving people enough information for good advice, let me know what kind of things would help.

Tourist fun in northwestern Germany

transporter accident amy — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:54:06 -0800

Family members who will be visiting me in Amsterdam in April have requested that we spend a day in Germany. What cool stuff can we do in northwestern Germany, fairly close to the Dutch border? I'd like to keep the train trip under three hours each way (and I would love to keep the tickets under €50 per person, round trip). They don't want to travel by air or stay overnight.

* Level of touristyness can be high or low.
* Museums are fine, although history is preferred to art.
* Old buildings/castles/churches are a big plus.
* Natural beauty is a plus.
* Everyone is able-bodied, but highly physical activities like hiking or horseback riding are probably out.
* They're non-drinkers, so no beer gardens/wineries.
* We're totally limited to public transportation.

(I thought of Cologne, but it's kind of at the upper end of my travel time and cost desires.)

Other than hope

boy detective — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:52:59 -0800

What does Barack Obama smell like? Despite the creepy and irrelevant nature of this inquiry, I am genuinely curious to know. Pine? Pencil shavings? I want a composite scent based on hard facts. It cannot be an impossible task; he is extremely famous and daily comes into contact with thousands of people who have functioning aural facilities.

- Is his choice of cologne known publicly?
- What about detergent?
- Does he enjoy onions on his sandwich?
- Does anyone have a first-hand account?

I tried a search to no avail, but it's likely I am missing some relevant article (I can't be the first person to wonder. Um. You know?)

Thanks!

He's the one they Dr. Smellgood

ian1977 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:22:33 -0800

Help me find a replacement cologne! I am extremely picky about cologne. My biggest complaint is that most smell too 'frat boyish' or 'Speed sticky' or 'douchey.'

But once upon a time I found Javari cologne at the Body Shop (Shoppe?). Its spicy, not a hint of pine, kinda citrusy, gingery, woody. I love that stuff. I am on my 3rd bottle. But alas, it is out of production...

Any Javari fans out there find a suitable replacement? I've smelled guys that have cologne on that I would like, but thought it would be weird to ask some random dude what cologne he is wearing.

Cologne Filter

keith0718 — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:49:15 -0800

I need ideas for natural body colognes. I use mainly unscented body products--deodorant stone, pine-tar soap, etc. I would like to put on something that makes me smell good in an earthy sort of way--but nothing too strong.--just something my wife can enjoy when she gets close to me. I like patchouli, but not the stereotype that goes with it.

looking for old cologne?

Obscurum — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:42:18 -0800

Can someone help me find the name for a specific cologne from about 8 years ago? I'm trying to find a cologne I received as a christmas gift about 8 years ago. It was in a small brushed silver metal spray can, and had clear blue letering on it. All I remeber of the name was that it was a 3 digit number that I think started with 31. Anyone have any ideas on the name and where it could be purchased if possible any more?

Things to do in Essen and surroundings

barrakuda — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:41:53 -0800

Moved to Germany from the US. Need advice on rebuilding my life. I just moved to Germany (Essen to be exact) last weekend. I have a job, an apartment and a husband - so no need for advice in regards to these. What I do need help with is:

1) Making friends - how do I go about it in a city like Essen? I am not particularily shy but I wonder how to make friendships when I work from home and I am done with my studies (I am 27).

2) Finding some of my favorite (American) services/websites - e.g. the German equivalent of Netflix, craigslist (not craigslist.de but something similar which actually is used in Germany), online bookstore that has an offering of English books (is amazon.de any good?), free city publications with upcoming events or community websites (catering both to expats and non-expats)

3) Ideas for fun things to do in the city as well as recommendations for the best restaurants, bars, clubs in the Essen-Dusseldorf-Cologne area. Recommendations for a good manicurist and waxer. Generally recommendations for what is good around here, regardless of category.

4) Any general advice on what to do once you move to a new place.

Thanks.

how do you find the right cologne?

edtut — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:49:32 -0800

how do i find my scent - what deodorant to use? in 2001, i bought a cussons spray deodorant in australia (a small red pack with a grey lid ). i didnt realise really at the time, but people kept commenting. i mean in the workshop, canteen, in class, all over - about 8 different people asked what cologne i was wearing. anyway i had to go overseas, and when i got back they had stopped making the same one! so i tried their new type, and never got a reaction. so my two questions are
1. was it just a con-incidence, or do particular scents work amazingly in some scenarios
2. if there is a special scent that works for a person, how do u find what it is (the magic ingredient)

Petrichor/Bergamont perfume

rdr — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:37:11 -0800

Wikipedia says that petrichor is " the name of the yellow organic oil that causes the familiar scent of rain on dry earth". The article also mentions that perfumes have been produced from it. Which perfumes? Are there synthetic perfumes that come close? Failing that I'm looking for an interesting men's cologne with strong bergamont notes.

How to smell good without cologne?

Malad — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 17:14:45 -0800

As a guy, how do you smell really good without the use of cologne? Some people, I've noticed, have a great fresh smell to them, but I'm not sure how they get it. I try using scented soaps, but it doesn't give nearly as strong an effect. Is it lotion? Does skin type matter?

Cologne picking tips

joshuaconner — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 00:33:18 -0800

Cologne picking advice: it can't be as simple as "just pick what your like" or "bring a girl with you and buy what she likes"... can it?

How do I reverse engineer a smell?

iurodivii — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:57:37 -0800

How do I reverse engineer a scent? Well over a decade ago I purchased a small vial of homemade perfume/cologne in the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show. I am getting close to using the last of it, but I love the smell so much I want to figure out a way to copy it.

It is not patchouli, or any of the other common scents you find in that crowd. I do believe that there is some Frankincense and most probably Myrrh. Unfortunately these oils are quite expensive (around $50 an ounce) so I want to avoid just buying oils and mixing them. I also have no idea what the carrier oil is.
I have read Jitterbug Perfume and it did not answer my question.

Are there any Master Perfumists out there?

Watery Mud d'eBay...?

dmaterialized — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:40:34 -0800

Why does a brand-new bottle of cologne smell very different (and not in a good way) from a small sample vial of the same? i just bought a bottle of Terre d'Hermes (which I think is wonderful, and great on me) based on how great the sample vial I got on eBay smelled. The "real thing" is a lot less sharp and the layers are a lot muddier. It actually smells like it could be a knockoff! WTF? (a little more inside) I bought both the sample and this "real" on eBay, but this is NIB and for all intents seems perfectly legit. Is it because of a different spray type? Is this potentially due to the way it was stored? The only thing I noticed is that when I took it out of the package the bottle was really cold. It's since warmed up, and (two or three days later) it smells a little closer to how I expect--but it's still definitely not right.

Is it ruined? Was the sample vial just inaccurate somehow? Any ideas? Is there a scientific explanation for this?

Help with a charity gift request.

socrateaser — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 07:25:17 -0800

I need help locating a certain brand of cologne requested as a charity gift. The request is from a 14 year old male, and who wants "Sexy" cologne for men. On-line searches just seem to turn up "Very Sexy for Him" by Victoria's Secret. I'm not sure that is the right one. Any ideas, or thoughts on possibly substitutions? I know from my teacher friends that Axe body spray is all the rage with teen boys right now.

Avoiding cigarettes in Wien/Vienna and other smoker-friendly cities

allterrainbrain — Sat, 14 Oct 2006 06:56:29 -0800

Ideas for respectfully avoiding cigarette smoke when visiting a strong smoking culture (especially in Wien/Vienna, but advice for other cities is very welcome too). From my previous travels, I know & respect that most European countries have very smoker-friendly cultures relative to where I live (NYC). I'm just asking this question for my own needs (as someone who physically can't be around smoke other than very briefly), with no desire to question or debate any of these cultures as they exist.

For my upcoming month in Vienna, I'll be sharing a non-smoking house, and I've made sure that all the places I'm committed to spending time in (classical music venues) are actually non-smoking inside. From what I've read, there are also laws against smoking in public transport and some indoor spaces, but they're often unenforced.

I'm looking for your experiences / suggestions, especially in Vienna but also in general, of issues I should think about, places and restaurants I should seek out (for example, all Starbucks branches in Vienna are non-smoking [double sacrilege :)]), and issues I should keep in mind. Please help me by sticking to practical discussion (not debates about smoking).

I'd also love to hear recommendations of any tools you've used that protect against smoke (from simple half-masks to the "air supply" necklaces I've seen). Thanks!

Where can I find a good sage-scented cologne?

kimota — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 16:54:30 -0800

Anyone know of a good sage cologne? Yankee Candle's Sage and Citrus products smell amazing to me, and I'm fixated on the idea of finding a cologne to match the scent. A trip to the mall was useless, and while a google search turned up loads of sites selling various colognes with sage as part of the scent, there is of course no way of knowing how much like the Yankee Candle products they smell like, so I'm hoping someone out there has already trod down this path. Barring that, how big a production is it to make your own cologne?

What to do in Germany next week?

jedrek — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:05:09 -0800

Places to go and things to see (and photograph) in Berlin, Dusseldorf/Essen/Cologne and Vienna. On Sunday morning, I'm heading out on a little two week eurotrip, starting in Berlin and working my way to Dusseldorf/Essen/Cologne, then down to southern germany, swinging by Zurich and finishing up in Vienna. I'm going to be in each city/area for about 3 days (other than Zurich).

My main interest on this trip is photography, and as the days are way too short right now, I'm looking for stuff to see/do in the daylight (7am-4pm) - parks, buildings, squares, sights with views - a lot more than nightlife. Outdoors more than indoors.

The only one of these cities I've been to is Berlin, otherwise I'm quite the "n00b".

Too Many Perfume Choices: What Appeals to You, Guys?

Ugh — Thu, 23 Dec 2004 13:02:06 -0800

I need to get opinions on perfume, specifically from men, but women's experiences will help as well. (MI) About 5 years ago I stopped wearing perfume and started just splashing on a fruit or flower scented body splash after showers. (Did I lose the men already?)

I'd really like to start wearing perfume again but my problem is that a) i'm totally overwhelmed when I go into Dillards and i'm faced with 6000 to choose from and b) I want something that actually appeals to men because a lot of colognes that men wear make me go into convulsions. Ladies, is there one you've come across that always gets compliments from men? Men, do you even prefer for women to wear perfume? Any suggestions of ones to try would be greatly appreciated.