Maybe his birthday is coming up? Or an anniversary? I’ve raided my boyfriend’s shelf to bring you 5 decadent homme fragrances. Nowadays labels are less defined, it’s all about the unisex scent so who’s to say you can’t purchase these for yourself! Or like me, gift them to your partner on the condition that you can borrow it from time to time 😉
Tom Ford – Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum
Let’s start with a favourite – when Adrian wears this number, men and woman alike comment on how amazing he smells and I AINT EVEN MAD because Tobacco Vanille is a masterpiece.
Uber spicy on application, it softens as it wears with rich tobacco notes and sweetened vanilla. Tobacco often equals ashtray to my nose but the composition here is careful and balanced albeit potent, one spritz is plenty (I keep telling Adrian but he insists on two!) and of the fragrances mentioned today, this one has the best longevity and sillage.
Notes: tobacco, tonka bean, vanilla, cocoa, dry fruit accord and sweet wood sap.
It’s a chameleon fragrance as it leans much sweeter on me than it does male skin but equally beautiful on both. Pure opulence. US stockist. AU stockist.
Giorgio Armani – Acqua di Gio pour Homme Eau de Toilette
Such a classic! Acqua di Gio is an entry-level-grown-up fragrance (pretty much every 20 year old male I know has worn it) so forewarning, it might give you former flame déjà vu.
Fresh, aquatic and very easy to wear, Acqua di Gio is the perfect pick if either you or your partner are sensitive to scent – migraine friendly, so to speak 😛 I’ve worn and enjoyed it myself, although it’s such an iconic fragrance that I’m sure people passed me on the street thinking ‘is she… wearing Acqua di Gio?’
Notes: citrus, aquatic and woody notes (in that order).
A review online described it as ‘sexy Italian man in a bottle’ and that is spot on. Available at every department store so if you detest the idea of smelling like everyone else, skip it. US stockist. AU stockist.
Charenton Macerations – Christopher Street Eau de Parfum
An off-beat unisex fragrance, Lucky Scent hits the nail on the head here – Unlike unisex fragrances that target a lowest common denominator (i.e. choosing the least offensive, neutered ingredients for formulation), Christopher Street revels in the unexpected harmonies of its strong masculine and feminine notes.
Notes: Alcoholic lime, bitter orange, leather, tobacco, clove bud, incense, moss, musk, myrrh, patchouli.
Note breakdown is very accurate here: it starts off with as a strong alcoholic lime beverage, progressing to a bitter orange and ending in a leathery patchouli. It’s citrus heavy at every stage (avoid if that isn’t your thing) but whereas many citrus scents are wishy-washy-fruity, Christopher Street feels rugged and raw.
Sexy, like a worn leather jacket. Worldwide stockist.
Mont Blanc – Emblem Eau de Toilette
Emblem feels familiar, some might even say generic but I enjoy it all the same so I imagine many of you would, too. Along with Acqua di Gio, Emblem strikes me as a ‘safe’ gift – you’d be hard pressed to find someone who vehemently dislikes it.
Notes: grapefruit, violet, cardamom, woods.
I’m not sure that cardamom is officially listed but it most definitely peaks out without veering into gourmand territory. The violet is pronounced without being excessively floral and the dry down is woody without being heavy. See what I mean? Totally safe.
The bottle is rather striking, too – everyone likes an attractive bottle 😉 US stockist. AU stockist.
Malin + Goetz – Cannabis Perfume Oil*
Despite the name, Cannabis smells nothing like weed though I do see the connection, it’s rather herbal/bohemian so the oil rollerball feels like a suitable delivery system. A combination of bright and earthy notes, Cannabis is a grounding fragrance reminiscent of essential oils (void of any synthetic notes).
Oil-based fragrances tend to sit close to the skin so it’s more of a cuddle me and you’ll smell it scent, as opposed to a I permeate every space sorta thing.
Notes: fig and pepper, orange and lemon, sandalwood and patchouli.
The fig and patchouli are lost on my nose but I detect plenty of orange, lemon, pepper and sandalwood. The Malin + Goetz Cannabis Candle has become somewhat of a cult product and for good reason, the scent appeals equally to both genders. US stockist. AU stockist.
What are your favourite fragrances of the moment? Homme, femme or unisex recommendations always welcome 😉
xxkarima
* Denotes products sent for consideration. Some links are affiliate links.
My favourite fragrances are Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille (High five!), Guerlain’s Shalimar, Cuir Beluga and Tonka Imperial, Chanel’s Coromandel, Hermès’ Ambre Narguilé, Dior’s Bois d’Argent, Serge Lutens’ Chergui and By Killian’s Back to Black. All of them are unisex (except for Shalimar), but I don’t really subscribe to gender norms when it comes to perfume and I oftentimes wear scents marketed to men. In fact, I generally don’t like typical fragrances for womens, since I don’t like florals and I don’t care for citrus and fresh (except for fig scents like Philosykos, which I adore). Also, much to my dismay and to the detriment of my bank account, all of them are hideously expensive 🙁 Thank god for splits and decants and for generous SAs who take pity on me and give me samples! 🙂
Loveeeee me some Tobacco Vanille 🙂 I agree, I tend to like unisex fragrances too. Will check out your suggestions 😉
x
I like fairly simple fragrances for myself, like Clean Ultimate and Caudalie The de Vignes. They seem to work well with my body chemistry. However, this has not kept me from ordering a be jillion samples from Lucky Scent, which I will investigate as soon as this damned cold shoves off! I also loved a men’s scent in the 80’s I believe called Kouros (YSL?)…sadly no longer made. I’d totally wear that (and did). I’m not a big fan of scent on men, though.
Apropos of nothing…would you consider doing a post on your current fave bright lippies? Pinks, oranges, corals, purple/magentas? The longer, the better! I’m soooo nuded (is that a word?) and browned/greiged out. I’m sure I’m not the only one! Xx love ya.
Also have the dreaded cold 🙁 I’d love to do a post (or maybe a video) about bright lipsticks, thanks for the inspiration!
x
These past years my favorite men fragrance has been the affordable White Musk for men by the body shop. I much prefer it to few more expensive options that my boyfriend wears 🙂
I wore this for years, also 🙂
x
This might be a silly question, but I’m curious about how you go about (or learned to go about) sussing out what notes are in a fragrance. Generally when I smell a perfume, a few notes jump out at me, and I can tell they smell quite different after several hours of wear, but how do you identify a clear base, heart, and top note chord?
Typically, I’ll actually read the ‘official’ notes listed by a manufacturer as I’m sniffing my wrist. I’ll continue sniffing throughout the day and try to determine which notes are more prominent as the fragrance develops.
x