Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Tuesday, 5 Jan 1993 14:16:56 EST
From: <SECBH@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: soc.motss
Subject:    re: Nominations for best men's colognes

In article <1993Jan4.204040.5631@wixer.cactus.org>,
will@wixer.cactus.org (Bill Staniewicz) writes:

>Does anyone have any idea what the most popular
>may be within the gay community. Is there any special
>preference? Are the manufacturers aware of this?

>Perhaps we could have nominations and take a vote.

Brew your own.  That's a suggestion, not a brand.  And unlike
bathtub gin it can't kill you, though it can burn your skin if you
don't mix the stuff right.

In the late Fifties an acquaintance of mine - a rather well-put-together
dancer had a wealthy Frenchman as a patron.  My friend wanted to quit
hoofing so his patron gave him the choice of a cash settlement to
get started on or some perfume formulas (perfumes were the family
business.)  Rob took the formulas and did quite well by them. (He
also no longer needed the patron.)

For the adventurous, here a couple of the formulas adapted for home
brewing.  The names aren't in use as brand names.
In NYC there are two stores
which sell essential oils and fragrance oils and prepared diluent
in which to dissolve the mixture of oils.

(The usual proportions are one ounce of blended oils to at least
 four ounces of diluent.  Rubbing alcohol makes a lousy diluent,
 by the way.)

"Asie": 1 Egyptian Geranium, 1 Lemon, .25 Bitter Almond,
 .25 Balsalm. (The initial impression is that you have unwrapped an
 ill-preserved mummy.  However, after the first sixty seconds
 the scent changes considerably and ceases to be mephitic, and while
 unusual is very pleasant.  Using plain old geranium oil gives you
 a very subdued and somewhat different product.)

"Shinju": 1 Bitter Almond, 1 Lemon, .25 Sandelwood
 (If my memory serves me well the word "shinju" refers to two lovers
  in a suicide pact.  When this potion was being created there was
  a story in the papers of a Japanese woman and her American lover
  who had killed themselves with cyanide.  Cyanide (I was told) smells
  faintly like bitter almond and thus the name.)

"Algeciras": 1 Spanish Lavender, 1 Sweet Orange, .25 Almond, .25 Bay
 Laurel (Spanish lavender has a spicier scent unlike English or French
 lavender, which is what most Americans are used to.  In the Seventies
 I had a Columbia grad student for a boyfriend and we used to sun in
 my garden.  Sometimes I would break off a handful of Spanish lavender
 and rub it over his sweaty body and then we would have sex.  Proust
 may have his tea and madeleine, and I shall stick with Spanish lavender.

All of the above are very strong when they are first put on, but they
quickly tone down in strength so that the scent is usually discernable
only near skin level.

You can find the ingredients for these brews in NYC, Boston and SF...
probably in other large cities.  Caswell-Massey sells the diluent and
some of the oils and they sell by mail order.

One word of caution if anyone is tempted to try this stuff: Don't
make the proportions of oils to diluent stronger as it will irritate
the skin severely for several minutes after application.

Think of cologne as being like sex:  It's much more fun to make it
than buy it.

Jack Carroll
Newsgroups: soc.motss