The men's fragrance selling out for under 12 euros

Men's fragrance: from the 3-euro Floïd to the 300-euro Creed

A bottle of cologne from Mercadona for 9 euros. A Floïd at three euros for the 750 ml bottle. A Quorum by Antonio Puig from 11 euros. And, at the other end, a Creed Aventus that costs as much as a monthly mortgage payment. The question that opens the conversation —"masculine, elegant and classic"— ends up turning into a catalogue of fragrances where price and results don't always go hand in hand.

The first thing that stands out is that nobody agrees on what "smelling good" means. Some argue that Floïd is a top-notch aftershave that commands a premium abroad, while others warn that Spanish women generally don't like it. Geography matters: one participant says his vvife, who isn't Spanish, loves the smell of Floïd. Another admits his partner forbids him from coming near her after shaving. That's no small detail: the same cologne can be a magnet or a repellent depending on who smells it.

From Terre d'Hermès to the plastic bottle from the supermarket

The first serious recommendation to appear is Terre d'Hermès, by Hermès, with Tom Ford as an alternative. These are the safe bets, the ones that never fail, the ones that show up on any list of men's fragrances. But a few messages in, the thread veers to the other extreme: a plastic bottle, special edition, "and go conquer the world." Irony runs through the whole conversation. One participant suggests Chimbo as a cologne and a green scouring pad as an exfoliant. Another replies with Eau de Chortina. The tone is jokey, but underneath lies an economic thesis: if the goal is to smell good, the price hardly matters.

That's where the 9-euro Mercadona cologne comes in. One participant bought it, says it smells pretty good and that for that price it does the job. Another adds the Quorum by Antonio Puig, from 1981, from 11 euros, and confesses to owning twenty bottles of perfume: it's one of his favourites. The list of cheap classics is rounded out with Tabac, Brummel, Agua Brava, Varon Dandy and Armani Mania, which is no longer quite so budget. The underlying question is always the same: how long does the scent last?

Why a 6-euro cologne can be money down the drain

Longevity is the sticking point. One participant puts it bluntly: if you buy a 6-euro cologne and it lasts five minutes, that's 6 euros in the bin; a 60-euro perfume can last twelve hours. The reply comes quickly: no need to go to extremes — if a clone lasts six hours instead of twelve, it does its job. The exact calculation is tricky, they admit, but the logic of cost per hour of scent wins out.

That's the league where cheap copies of expensive perfumes play. Some maintain that they're often more than good enough and that only a trained nose would notice the difference. The Mencarbonmen ones, they say, are the most frequently mentioned. Against that, defenders of the original argue that the sillage and longevity are simply not comparable. And in between, a recurring warning: beware of counterfeits sold online, especially Bleu de Chanel.

The factor no brand can control: the wearer's skin and the smeller's nose

The conversation drifts into less advertising-friendly territory. A cheap cologne can pass for high-end, but it all depends on each person's skin. The same perfume smells different on two people. And then there's the human factor: there are colognes one partner loves and another can't stand. Floïd is the extreme case. One participant wears it daily because his partner likes it; another admits it's a scent that's too distinctive: people either love it or hate it.

The most upvoted scents for attracting women are Creed's Aventus, described without nuance as "panty-dropper," and Chanel's Egoiste Platinum. Also mentioned are Nasomatto's Black Afgano and Bulgari pour homme. One participant recommends Acqua di Parma but warns that it doesn't last long and is more of a spring and summer scent; its more intense version lasts longer and has earned him compliments. Another points to Dior's Fahrenheit with a line that sums up the thread: nothing is more masculine than smelling of petrol.

The question nobody answers: what for, when and with whom?

Amid the catalogue, someone throws out the awkward question: what for, for when, on what occasion and why? The implicit answer is that there's no single cologne for everything. There are everyday perfumes and perfumes for special occasions. There are colognes for work and colognes for the night. And there are colognes that only work if the wearer knows exactly who they want to impress.

The thread closes with a low-cost experiment: a gift set with cologne, aftershave, shower gel and a travel bottle for 4.95 euros at Simply. The buyer's verdict is lukewarm: he didn't dislike the scent, but it didn't win him over either. For everyday use, at that price, it's not bad. The conclusion hanging over the whole conversation is that perfume is the most irrational expense in male consumption: you pay for a promise that depends on your skin, the weather and the nose of whoever smells you. And yet, nobody gives up on finding the perfect bottle.