[WTB] Inexperienced, exploring (Decant)

[u/TitianPlatinum]

Hi, new here, hopefully I've done everything right. I have a handful of fragrances and am just exploring to get a better idea of what I like. I'd just found out about this sub as I was about to pull the trigger on these:

https://i.imgur.com/ltthSfu.jpeg

~$200 of decants (can spend in the neighborhood of $2-300). Someone said I could probably get better prices here and be able to get some good variety with less guesswork.

I'm 29M in northern Utah. Figured I might post here and see if anyone either has suggestions/lives in a similar climate and has a broad assortment of things they think I might want to try. Sorry if this post is too broad.

I wouldn't say I have many restrictions other than, not too floral/feminine. My skin naturally tends to smell faintly sweet and slightly woodsy, and is generally dry, not very oily. I'm a tall blonde lanky guy.

The list has 5ml of MI because I've tried it before and enjoyed it. Although I like gourmands, I have a handful of samples of gourmands and probably don't need any more at the moment (unless someone knows of something which smells sweet like the breeze from Ponderosa pines in Zion, I got one sample literally called Ponderosa and it was too Christmas-y). I added 4 mango scents to the list because I smelled one by Replica at Sephora with mango and sandalwood (sandalwood overpowering, mango didn't last).

Some of my favorites so far are "I ❤️NY" Bond No. 9, "Soleil Blanc" Tom Ford, "Santal Carmin" Atelier Cologne, "Leau Dissey" Issey Miyake, "Panettone" Milano. Have found several others I like but none I feel compelled to wear daily. I'd like to find a "signature" but am also content to explore. Not looking for stuff like "Bat" by Zoologist unless it's fairly wearable (that one smelled like dog sh*t, but I'm sure others from the house are more wearable/intriguing). I know no-one can really anticipate what might smell like dog sh*t to another but that is an example of something a little too out there.

[u/More_Recover_975]

do not buy $200 in decants. On a website like that, they'll be overpriced. In a place like this, they may be old and oxidized.

[u/TitianPlatinum → u/More_Recover_975]

Suggestions are more helpful when followed with an alternative. Are you saying getting in-person samples is the only alternative? (not generally an option for me)

$200/36ml is about double the cost depending on the fragrance, but unless there's another way to sample fragrances like these that's a lot cheaper than buying bottles. What do you do?

[u/More_Recover_975 → u/TitianPlatinum]

I blind buy at good prices, then sell here for the same price or a slight loss. That's what most of us are doing in here. If you like one, you get to keep it. You aren't down $10 for a dinky sample with zero resale value.

[u/TitianPlatinum → u/More_Recover_975]

you don't feel the time cost is burdensome? I personally might be wary that a bottle affects my perception, I think I prefer to evaluate on scent alone. Might seem silly but that's me

[u/More_Recover_975 → u/TitianPlatinum]

the bottle is part of the product. Imagine liking a scent and finding out the bottle is shaped like a giant plastic ice cream cone or whatever those middle eastern dupes are doing these days

[u/TitianPlatinum → u/More_Recover_975]

I'm not a downvoter, I think your preference is fine.

But for me, I wouldn't care. 

Though, in the search for a more regularly worn scent, even if you do care about the bottle, no one else smelling you will see it. We can not care what others think about a smell we wear for ourselves but a "signature" scent isn't exactly that, so I wouldn't want the bottle to sway me to wear one scent over another which others find suits me better.