Thinking back over the years on POL the only perfume I can think of that I can't remember anyone actually saying anything bad about is Bois des Îles. There are some who say they can't wear it, but I can't recall it being criticized.

Can you think of any perfumes that you believe are universally liked or respected and above criticism, even by those it doesn't suit? It ain't easy!

Hmm, that is a tought one. The classics (Mitsuoko, L'Heaure Bleu, Shalimar, etc) seem to be respected by most. Serge Luten's work has always seemed almost revered by most on pefume boards, though Miel de Bois seems to get very little love.

Poor SHALIMAR got terribly "raked o'er the coals" on a recent POL thread... Never dreamed so many could dislike it... [My attitude with SHALIMAR is "What's not to like?"]


I daresay that only some pure essential oils could be universally loved. Never a commercial concoction. SOMEONE out there ain't gonna like it. How about sweet orange zest? Fresh lemons? Fine rose otto? Pure authentic vanilla? Mysore sandalwood? Fir or spruce?

After that, I'd think anything else would cause sharp divisions of opinion.... When we say "universally", we are including children and quite elderly seniors, both of whom, I suspect have some curious likes and unexpected dislikes, just as with their food preferences...

I recall that the Bantu of South Africa recoiled in horror at the smell of Western perfumes and colognes... Saw it with me own eyes.

Above criticism? No. There's always someone. . . .

Above "professional" criticism (as in an educated nose)? Maybe something like 4711? It's been around for a couple of hundred years, so it must be doing something right! Or maybe just your basic eau de cologne.

Otherwise, the only one that comes to mind as a true standout (not one I'd wear) is Chanel No. 5.

Yes, it is tough.

What I mean by "universally" is basically in all the things we read and hear about concerning perfume, among people who wear and talk about perfume, where opinions are regularly expressed. I guess you would say the "pefume community." I would certainly agree on Shalimar (What's not to like?) and those like Chanel No 5 and 4711, which have proven themselves winners over the years, and yet there are plenty of people who express strong criticism or dislike of them. Are there any, maybe some even not so well known, that seem to escape criticism?

"You can please some of the people some of the time, but never all of the people all of the time."

Despite the truth of that statement, I think the fragrance companies are constantly striving to find the lowest common denominator of fragrance. "What will everyone like? What will absolutely no one dislike?" This line of thought has lead the the mediocrity that floods the department stores of the world.

Actually, though, I think that Chanel No. 5 is the closest thing to being universally liked. If I were to choose one scent that is almost guaranteed to not offend and that almost anyone would say smells good, it would be No. 5.

I don't think there is such a thing, any more than there is universally liked art, or food, or fashion.

I have to agree with Mary and others who have said more or less this same thing. There's not a scent in the world that everyone is going to like. Now, finding something universally disliked would be easier! Skunk spray! Garbage trucks! Fracas! (hehhehheheh!!!!!!!)

(I am one of those people who really doesn't like Bois des Isles. I refer to it as "Chanel no. 5 for Men" in the privacy of my home. I keep a small bottle of the parfum around mainly to remind me why I don't need to buy any more of it.)

I don't have what may be known as a "sophisticated nose"...so this might be moot, but, hey, y'all did post "univerally liked"...and I don't care for Mitsouko, Chanel #5, and 4711.
Bois des Isles is OK, but I would not wear it...

I would hate to live in a world where there were universally liked things. That would be just...creepy.

I think there's such a thing as "universally inoffensive," which I think includes No. 5. Otherwise, no; you can never please everyone.

To be perfectly honest with you: in that context and with psychology being what it is, I am betting several people in the privacy of their own home and their own mind, do not like many of the well respected fragrances but are a little reluctant to voice that opinon publicly for fear of being considered "uncool". Some may voice an averse opinion, but many do not.
I am going by all those "efforts" to "get" something mentioned on boards from time to time (say for instance "Mitsouko" or "Chanel No.5" which are reserved for that kind of fragrances and not for more pedestrian stuff which gets rejected much more easily)

Therefore I seriously doubt that there is anything universally appealing (although I do think that something like a classic Eau de Cologne is not likely to offend anyone)

(and btw, I do recall a very recent thread on No.5 which focused on its being perceived as aspirational/bourgeois by some)

I think some of the classics, #5, Shalimar, and similar iconic scents could be placed in a universally liked if you take the universally as something that pleases most people and can be admired or appreciated by others....
I include 4711 off the top of my hat and perhaps we could include, perfumes that capture the scent of [b]the
rose, the wood, the scent of the herb and field, these concepts contained in scents have gotta be "universally" liked surely..?[/b]

I think Diorissimo is loved universally.

Much as I think it perfectly wonderful, I have heard one man (an acquaintance) say that it reminds him of his grandmas' scented doilies (sp?). I don't think he was saying it in admiration either.... :-(

nope

Smelka, I think Diorissimo is a good example of what I'm trying to get at. Of course not everyone will like Diorissimo, but you don't see it getting panned. Every perfume will be liked or disliked by someone, but I don't recall seeing much if any criticism of Diorissimo, even by those who don't favour it for themselves.

Cue in reason #3:
Diorissimo, Mitsouko, No.5, etc. are considered (for better or worse) masterpieces. Panning them would be seriously uncool. Everyone knows that ;-)

Not that one can't profess an utterly dismissive opinion, but they're careful to say that it's their personal taste, chemistry, time of the month, bblah blah blah.....

Now, the general public who is unaware of all those factoids we perfumephiles know about the above, a different matter altogether... ;-)

I do not think there is any fragrance that is liked by everyone. In my own family, I have a niece that does not like the smell of vanilla...now how strange is that? ...and I, myself, do not care for many of the "wood" fragrances. No you can not please everyone.

no

I will alo vote for Chanel No. 5, Shalimar and add L'Air du Temps. These seem to be three of the most recognized and popular fragrances through many decades -

No, no, no on the Shalimar front. I can't stand that stuff, as much as I've tried and forced myself to like it over the years.

I think there's a difference between universally admired and universally liked. The first are easy, the second is impossible. For what it's worth, many of the first category don't work for me on a personal level, and that is probably because they are so very grand. It would be like, would the Sistine Chapel fit in my house? Universally liked, on the other hand, tends to have more modest proportions, but those proportions are necessarily fluid, because someone may dislike jasmine or musk or lavender or whatever.

I definitely agree, however, that many perfumes made nowadays do attempt for a mean appeal, and that is has lessened the admiration somewhat, but then there is niche, which demands admiration but sometimes does not care how it appeals. Before, the very best perfumes had modest expectations of both, now it's very polarized, or so it seems to me.

Eh, maybe it's because many of us haven't had a chance to get even close to it? I, for instance, have never even seen a bottle of Bois des Isles.



No, it isn't easy. Maybe we could find a perfume that is respected by all of us here - that would be an interesting thing to try to find one. However, I believe that it is impossible to find a perfume that we all like (to wear or sniff). I remember that we tried to find such a perfume once, ages ago. Everything was shot down: even my signature perfume that most POLers "approved" was despised by someone. There just was not a perfume that we all would "like".

Appreciation and respect, on the other hand, are a different matter. I respect Chanel 5 and its creator but the two of us have grown apart from each other as I have become more and more sensitive to jasmine. I don't like it anymore but would not criticize it. I appreciate many perfumes that have depth and are complex yet well balanced and smell terrific on someone else but they would not suit me.

Should we try and find a perfume that we all respect the way Five-O means?

A solo scent, say of fresh lemons or grass? Maybe one of the Demeters would fit this bill better than any inspired "recipe" from Guerlain or Lutens.
I guess the Demeters would be considered a targeted "scent" and not the art of "perfume". I don't know. It's all so individual.

I've never heard anyone pan Eau de Charlotte. I think it's a bit too innocuous to actively dislike, probably. Of course, now that I've said that, someone will be bound to pipe up ...

No, I don't think there are any perfumes that are universally liked in perfumista communities. Though everyone *should* like No. 5, of course. In EDP or parfum.

liked vs loved vs admired right....Chanel 5, EL beautiful. You can't hate them, you can admire them or not, love them or not but I think both fragrances have universal appeal. Bois is too limited in exposure or distribution; too exclusive via price point to seriously consider. IMO

Well I guess if we consider the classics...those that have been around for many many years...SOMEBODY must be buying them ,which means they must be more universally liked than those that have come and are now gone.

[quote name='Dain' date='Aug 17 2008, 09:04 AM' post='396821']
I think there's a difference between universally admired and universally liked.

Dain nailed it.

For example, I truly loathe Femme and L'Air de Temps, but I see their place in the spectrum of great fragrances. I'm not big on Diorissimo either, especially post tweaking, but at the time of its release, it was an important scent. Ditto several of the classic Guerlains. I don't like them, but I "admire" them. I don't see everyone liking anything - even the most inoffensive of citrus or soliflores. Does anyone hate essentially pure lily of the valley? If not, then I'd nominate Yardley's LotV, but I don't think that will fly either.

I'm another person who thinks, "NO ... there are no universally liked perfumes". I believe there was a thread similar to this a few years ago. People volunteered names of what they considered universally favourite or at least inoffensive scents. And right off the bat, I thought, "no, I don't like those ones at all". I have tried Mitsouko and just can't stand it. I appreciate others like it but I can't bear smelling the scent in any form. I like Chanel 5 but know others who find it to be "bug spray". I can't bear the smell of Shalimar. I love Fracas and the drydown ... to me ... is absolute heaven. Some people detest scent - others only like big florals - while some prefer gourmand - another wants leather and chypres. I think it's hard to nail down a universal favourite.

All of the points are well taken. It's very possible that no one perfume remains above criticism. It's true you don't hear much bad about lily of the valley, either Diorissimo or the Yardley's LOTV (which I think is one of the best), or any other.

I had an idea... What about Apres L'Ondee? Anyone dislike that? It's both respected and liked, perhaps?

Sorry. Respect, yes. Like, no.

If I could get it minus the anise, I'd be on board. But, no me likey either.

Respect, yes. Like, no. I wanted to like this one so much, as I do with most of the old Guerlains, unfortunately, it doesn't interpret well on my skin.