Help Me Find My Signature Scent (M18, Love Fresh & Sweet Fra

Disclaimer: There’s a TL;DR at the bottom if you’d rather skip my fragrance experiences with different perfumes.

Hey everyone! I’m (M18) fairly new to the world of fragrances and—let's be honest—I may have gone a little overboard with blind buying bottles (not the smartest move, I know). As the title says, I’m looking for your suggestions for a new signature scent that fits my taste. Ideally, I want something mass appealing, that’ll get me compliments (especially from girls ), and works for any season or occasion: school, office, dates, parties—you get it. Bonus points if it’s blind-buy safe! My maximum budget is 250 USD for 100ml.

To give you an idea of what I like (and don’t like), here’s my experience with my current collection (16 fragrances).

Favorites (love them <3) [got compliments with these as well]

Baccarat Rouge 540: Absolutely obsessed! I am in love with this fragrance. I love it so much! It's fresh, not heavy, sweet but not too sweet, and just an overall lovely scent in my opinion. The longevity is great and it smells good in all seasons. If it weren't so expensive, this would be my signature scent forever (it currently is).Versace Man Eau Fraiche: I really love this summer scent. It's really lightweight and extremely fresh—the freshness is unbeatable. When I smell this, I instantly get good vibes. It would have been another candidate for a signature scent if it lasted longer.Versace Eros EDT: I didn't like it at first, but after smelling it a second time, I liked it a lot. I can't describe exactly what I like about it—it’s magic . This is my go-to clubbing perfume (I know it's mainstream). I don't wear it to school in the summer because it's a bit heavier (though still lightweight).

Neutral

Montblanc Explorer: The opening is pure alcohol, but it settles into a citrusy masculine scent. Overall, it's a good fragrance, just a tiny bit too heavy (or masculine) for my taste; it’s not as fresh as Versace Eros. Maybe the "heaviness" comes from the amber or woods? I’m not an expert.Terre d‘Hermes: A classic, sharp fragrance that I usually use for formal events like business meetings. It's an "I have my shit together" kind of perfume. Sometimes I get „old“ man vibes from it—not really teen-friendly—but I still use it. It's a great scent, but too mature to be my signature scent.Jo Milano Game of Spades Wildcard: Slightly above-average citrus fragrance—there’s not much else to say. I just miss the freshness of Versace Man Eau Fraiche.

Dislike

MFK Grand Soir: This may be a bit controversial, but I actually don't like this one. My rating would be between neutral and slightly dislike. I think it's because it's amber-heavy. As I said, I think I don't like fragrances that are heavy on amber. But if you ignore the fact that I don't like it, the fragrance itself is great in terms of quality and smells luxurious.Mercedes Benz Club Black EDT: There was quite a hype about this vanilla fragrance, and many described it as a great, fresh vanilla scent. I don't smell the bergamot in this perfume, so for me, it's just a really heavy vanilla scent. It's quite linear, except for being sweeter at the start. For my nose, this scent is too heavy and a bit cloying. I wouldn't say it's a bad fragrance at all; I just don't like it personally.Rasasi Hawas Ice: Another hyped-up fragrance that didn't live up to my expectations. Even though I like sweeter fragrances, this one is too sweet, and perhaps too masculine? (Hard to explain.) It's a powerhouse on my skin—I sprayed one spray, left the room, and after a minute, the new room I went into was filled with the scent. For my taste, it's too sweet and heavy (at least for a few hours), and it's extremely cloying to my nose (gave me a headache). I don't like it at all, and my sister doesn't like it either. I don't understand how so many other girls like this fragrance; apparently, it's considered a compliment-getter.

I have more in my collection, but they’re either average or too similar to others I already mentioned. To summaries:

TL;DR

Looking for a teen (M18) signature scent for all seasons and any occasion (school, office, dates, parties, etc.). It should be mass appealing, compliment-getting, and especially attractive to girls .

I hate heavy, synthetic, and cloying fragrances; I probably also don't like amber/ambroxan-heavy fragrances (I'm not sure). I prefer playful, fresh (truly fresh), less sharp fragrances—more on the sweeter side, and not too masculine. Ideally, something that’s a mix between Baccarat Rouge 540 and Versace Eau Fraiche (with maybe a touch of Eros). What are your suggestions?

Please don't judge me on my fragrance knowledge or my sense of smell. Everyone's nose is different

PS: I am not gonna make a blind buy on your recommendations - dont worry.

If you love BR540, I'd say you probably do like amber-heavy fragrances! There might be something else that's bothering you, cause that one's heavy on the ambroxide.

You've mentioned it a couple times so I just want to tell you: don't worry about whether a fragrance will be attractive to girls. Girls have just as many different opinions on fragrances as guys do. The important thing is whether you like it, because that shows you're confident in yourself, and that more than anything will get you compliments.

Your tastes in fragrance are pretty different from mine so take this with a few grains of salt but I'd recommend Saint Julep (sweet but also fresh, can be found pretty cheaply especially at discounters. You might also like their Yesterday Haze ) or Toy 2 Pearl (more fresh than it is sweet, summertime vibes).

Good luck!

Hi!

You could try Layton . Definitely mass apealling, versatile, nice, an all-roumder. Everybody seem to like it. In my country, ca. 160 Eur at discounters.

On the even fresher side, Renaissance (ca. 150 Eur/100 ml at discounters).

But, plase, try before you buy. There are no safe blind buys.

If you're gonna try Layton as @Jomas suggested you may as well try Layton Exclusif and Haltane too. I much prefer the Exclusif version of Layton to the OG as it is more woody and slightly less sweet. Haltane is based on the BR540 DNA but with added aromatics and oud.

You might also like Vibrato which is essentially a younger man's Terre d'Hermès Eau de Toilette. Similar grapefruit/vetiver vibe but with more smooth sweetness that I think appeals to the younger crowd nowadays.

This is more of a wildcard and not really related to your likes and dislikes, but Ganymede Eau de Parfum is a showstopper fragrance and fits your other requirements (versatile, compliment-getter, mass-appealing...eh maybe not so much). But it is another like BR540 that changed the fragrance game and smells utterly unique. Don't pay attention to the note pyramid; it smells like nothing that is found in nature. Best I can describe it is metallic-leathery-fresh. Couple of the reviews describe it as an "alien's new car smell" or "new spaceship smell" and that's kinda what it smells like to me too. Even if you end up hating it, it is one of the scents you have to smell at some point if you're gonna be a fragrance enthusiast.

How about Nọ 4 - Après L'Amour Elixir de Parfum? It smells like a fresher version of Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum to me... Great performance! Plus, you can find it at the discounters. $100 for 100 ml, or even cheaper sometimes.