Help me identify what I DON'T like about this perfume

[thebigshipsailed]

Can anyone help?
I love the idea of this type of scent but it never, ever works on my skin.
Aromatics Elixir has this scent, maybe Chanel 5, as does Papillon's Dryad.
It is an old fashioned sort of fragrance, somewhat mature and delicious, yet not for me. I am sure it is described as chypre?

I would love to find out what element of this type of fragrance offends me. Is it even possible to do that? The descriptions don't help, as I love almost all of the different notes, individually.
Understanding this might help me not to make mistakes in the future, so I would really like to suss it out.

I have Dryad on my wrist right now and keep sniffing at it to try to identify the problem, but I can't! I adore it's warmth and sophistication, but ...aagh. I am hesitant to say it might be the slight 'smokiness' or something high pitched (cedar?).

Any experts in here this afternoon?

Chypres are often characterised as smelling "inedible", which can sometimes translate to my nose as bitter or even poisonous. I love some chypres but I do find them harder work. The style (if not the individual notes) is quite old fashioned, I suppose, in this age of very sweet candy or fruity scents.

If you like warmth and woodiness you might get on better with fragrances in the Oriental family.i think Chanel Coco, rather than no5, would fall into this category, or search the "woody" or "oriental" category on Fragrantica for ideas!

Thank you, I will do that. I was wondering if it was the woody, mossy notes but it is something more shrill, maybe the cedrat?
I will explore the orientals, definitely. Am really hoping to find a warming, comforting winter perfume, but slightly unusual - when you ask for that most people suggest Mitsouko, which I imagine I won't like if I can't tolerate Dryad.

They also all fall into the “aldehyde” category which for me is best described as something alien, something “other”, that note you can’t quite put your finger on. I always find aldehydes a bit sharp but then I love big white florals and incense-based scents.

That sounds interesting! And likely the answer, I am sure someone once told me that the thing I recoiled from must be the aldehydes. Not too well up on this stuff though. But yes, it is sharp.

And if this is 'alien' (which makes sense to my nose) then I am likely after something more terrestrial , organic...I like the idea of gourmand mixed with incense.

It's the oakmoss.

Aromatics in White has all the cosiness with none of the nose punch.

...I also had Dryad (a sample based on recommendation from here) but couldn't stand it, which surprised me, as I usually like oakmoss and Dryad contains the real stuff, which has been replaced with stinky fake oakmoss in other perfumes.

Chanel Cristalle has been repackaged. Some posters on here say it smells different and I'm guessing Chanel have got rid of the real oakmoss and reformulated it.

Likely oakmoss or aldehydes. They’ve fallen out of fashion and people aren’t used to smelling them anymore and find them challenging.

As someone who loves the woods and being in nature I am surprised that these notes don't work for me.

Have you smell JM Myrrh and Tonka? I would say it’s quite incense gourmand. Lovely for winter.

I love aldehydes. My favourite, always had, scents are No5 & Arpege. Have yet to find a modern scent I even like as they smell too candy sweet or heavy oriental to me though I do keep testing in vain.

Will try JM Myrrh and Tonka, thanks!

My mum loved No5 and it smelled wonderful on her.

Most of the modern scents are far too sweet for me. One ingredient I absolute loathe is Tuberose. There are a few classics I like but something is wrong with them and it is bastard tuberose!!!