The Colognes of Famous Men. I’m always looking for ways to really get to know famous men from history.
Phtaloblue by Tauer Perfumes. The claims that I made on the Men’s Biz website bear repeating, and in fact, they are worthy of further elucidation: What’s apparent is two things: Tauer has made a stylistic shift, now reinventing classic genres (viz.
Les Annees 25 Bis), and has spent his time perfecting the warm water [l’eau chaude] theme in particular with L’Eau and L’Air des Alpes Suisses, reaching perfection with Phtaloblue. Oh, Binary! Gold Man by Amouage. Take this line by Susan Sontag as a starting point: “[w]hat is most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine.”
What does this mean, and why does it matter? I think there’s something of a Postmodern slick to this line, demonstrating the necessary reliance of a concept on its other. For instance, masculinity gains its excess of value – that which makes it excellent, essential, excessive – with the presence of something indeterminately and indescribably feminine, and vice-versa. Masculinity par excellence, requires the feminine. Femininity par excellence, requires the masculine. What becomes apparent is the instability of this binary. What has this got to do with Gold Man? Attention is now paid to the scent itself. Fragrance review.
Everything there is to know about the feminine fragrance by Trussardi from the early 1980s (1984 to be exact) can be seen right from the start.
The mock croc white bottle is revealing everything there is to know about this distinguished, yet extinguished scent. It's substituted by lesser mortals. But it keeps a soft spot in the hearts of some of us. Both Trussardi scents (men's and women's) from the early 1980s were encased in that most evocative and luxurious of materials—supple leather—which hugged their contours the way one envisions the molds used by a sculptor. The shape is recognizably that of a flask, and Nicola Trussardi himself was responsible for that gorgeous presentation. Peau d'Ambre Eau de Parfum by Pierre Guillaume Paris, Parfumerie Generale.
Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir: fragrance review. This discontinued gem is shining in a deep purple bottle of sumptuous line that would match a wonderful smoky eye that looks so at ease on an autumnal night out.
Sensuous Noir takes the good parts of Lauder's Sensuous (that idea of woody notes enhancing the natural scent of the skin) and taking it up a notch, adding patchouli with its dark sweetness interlaced like a shadow on said skin. More voluptuous, more intense, more sensual than the original version of Sensuous, the second version by Estee Lauder - Sensuous Noir includes characteristic wooden tones, an abstract floral hint and soft aromas of cozy oriental balsams that carry the entire composition. Sensuous Noir has a stronger, more intoxicating and more seductive scent than the prior fragrance by Estee Lauder with half the same name, although the latter is also quite sensuous and silky and worth your time and money.
Fragrance review. The scent of Sensuous is rather clever, even if not particularly ground-breaking, balancing all the ingredients and chords in an effect that would make you feel, like one reviewer said, "the victim of your own fragrance snobbery.
" We tend to bypass mainstream releases in favor of niche, and yet there are some mainstream releases which make us wonder what we have been neglecting, or viewing with unwarranted contempt, and Sensuous is one of those scents.Sensuous in 2008 was moving the boundaries from already well known Estee Lauder floral notes towards an opulent oriental woodsy-amber concept, to praise the beauty and sensuality of women all ages. Fragrance review. In the Grey Flannel scent by American designer Geoffrey Beene, crisp greenery and musk tonalities (plus that seductive coumarin in the bottom) combine to evoke a man in a tailored suit, perfectly groomed, clean-smelling without one iota of modern aquatic “freshness.
" The man who wears this in cooler weather is the quiet type, a smart businessman or someone who has been opting for it for half his life and wisely knows not to change. If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it, as they say. The only misstep? Perhaps that flannel in question is really purplish-green instead of grey? Men's Fragrances to Capture (This) Woman's Heart. Evaluating a masculine fragrance is always harder than evaluating a fragrance that is divested of its loaded semiotics of gender, or which appeals to my own femininity heads on.
At least I can asses femininity first hand and dismiss the hyperbolic claims of modern advertising with a wave of a well-manicured hand. But what happens when the claims to "assured masculinity" (surely that has a genetic component, so it's not much of a choice most of the time) and "assertive fragility" (or any such oxymoron) are brandished in advertorials? Do they make sense, do they reflect themselves into the scents in question, do they influence my own response on them? The fact is that masculine fragrances, especially in the designer segmentation, are getting sweeter and sweeter by the minute, no doubt following modern ladies' launches which have familiarized modern women with an excessive amount of sugar. Fragrance review. Solid Fragrance Sample Pack - Fulton & Roark. The Best Men's Fragrances from 1950 to Today. From Issue Seven of Gear Patrol Magazine.
Wearing fragrance is nothing new. In fact, some historians date modern perfumery as far back as the late 1300s. But as time marched on, the scents we put on our skin changed dramatically. You may no longer be able to spray yourself with a medieval cologne, but you can still find great options from the early to mid-20th century that are still in production and on the shelves of your local department store. We picked one scent from each decade, starting with the 1950s, to trace how men’s tastes have evolved. Chant d'Aromes by Guerlain: fragrance review. As I lay my hands on the black and ivory keyboard of my Pleyel, fingering Le Lac de Côme, I can't but feel the optimism and bright sunshine of a summer's day that Chant d’Arômes by Guerlain evokes in me as well.
One of the lesser known Guerlains, it is akin to an innocent young love that is blossoming into the happiness of womanhood. This summer I happily rediscovered this old flame of mine and have been enjoying its tender peachiness and delicate, caressing powderiness anew. Chant d’Arômes was created in 1962 by young Jean Paul Guerlain for his future wife, who was so loyal to her favorite Ma Griffe by Carven that she didn't wear any of the fragrances of the house her fiancé was about to inherit! Notes:top: mirabelle, gardenia, aldehydes, fruitsheart: rose, jasmine, honeysuckle, ylang-ylangbase: benzoin, musk, vetiver, heliotrope, moss, olibanum. Best Smelling Products You Can Buy for Your Home and Body - Best Incense, Candles and Deodorant. As Tom Ford once said, “Good manners and good cologne is what transforms the man into a gentleman.”
With all due respect to the most tasteful man in the world, that’s only half the story. Cologne is one tool for smelling good, but being well-fragranced in all departments takes a bigger toolbox. To scent your life, you need to look at your home, laundry, medicine cabinet, even your car. Here’s how to get it done easily, even if you’re not a cologne guy. What Makes a Modern Fragrance Tick? Several fragrances flummox the shelves of department stores nowadays, more than at any other time in history; greed is a sin.
But few of those survive or make their presence memorable enough to warrant having fans mention them after their afterglow has subsided. I began wondering: what makes a contemporary fragrance tick? What makes for its saving grace? Dark Legends of White Flowers: Tuberose, Gardenia, and Sambac Jasmine - Flowers of Seduction and Death. Unisex Perfumes and Candles - Imaginary Authors. Shop Imaginary Authors in Fragrances, Men's and Bath, Body & Wellness. Memoirs of a Trespasser Eau de Parfum by Imaginary Authors. Ultimate Two-Fragrance Collection. Happy Anniversary Molinard! 170 Years of History, Craft, and Love of Perfume ~ Fragrance News. The house of Molinard just celebrated its 170th anniversary, an event they graced with the launch of a new fragrance named Bel Air.
The fragrance evokes a floral bouquet that we discovered during a press lunch on a spring day at the pretty Brasserie d'Auteuil. An Ode to the Perfumes I've Loved Before ~ Columns. Okay, so this isn’t technically an ode, but good and catchy titles are hard to come up with, people! I confess that I did attempt (albeit briefly) an acrostic poem, but nothing doing—it sounded ridiculous. It’s better to just type words into paragraphs. But I digress. After having owned many, many perfumes over the years, I recently started thinking about The Ones That Have Sent Me Over The Moon. The fragrances detailed below span from the 1980s all the way into the 2000s, and they are the ones my mind conjures up as strong, past loves.
Moon River: Tea Time with Maison Huygens. The house of Huygens, a French cosmetics company focusing on the most beautiful natural raw materials and working with a maximum of organic ingredients, announced their novelty named Moon River at the end of 2018, an "intense cologne" which, like many others, plays the card of freshness, inspired by the tasting of tea in a citrus garden in Morocco. Just like in their other colognes, the house promises the use of 95% natural ingredients and 84% ingredients from organic farming. Signed by perfumer Corinne Cachen, Moon River shows citrusy contours, aromatic and woody, against a backdrop of white musks. "Originally, we wanted to work on two Colognes in parallel: one revolving around a note of green tea, the other articulated around sweet orange. In the course of my exchanges with [Huygens co-founder] Daan, the idea of mixing the two became obvious ... Moon River was born from this exquisite association," explains Corinne Cachen.
Musk Collection: Sylvaine Delacourte ~ Niche Perfumery. I remember in 2016, when my colleague Miguel announced the launch of the first Sylvaine Delacourte collection dedicated to musk and made a great interview with her, that there were many people in the comments who wanted to try them. Ormonde Jayne exclusive PRIVÉ: Review and Questions & Answers with Linda Pilkington ~ Niche Perfumery. PRIVÉ by Ormonde Jayne, the British niche perfumery that is the brainchild of Linda Pilkington, is the latest eau de parfum which marks a 16-year course in gathering the choisest ideas in perfume making and infusing artisanship and technical artistry into a true luxury product. BOUCHERON Fleurs. A Treasure of Portuguese Perfume Bottles ~ Art Books Events. After being dormant for decades and decades, Portuguese perfumery is slowly rising up from oblivion, and proof of this is the birth of niche houses like Comporta and Yntenzo, as well as the development of old traditional houses like Confiança and Ach Brito.
Profumo di Firenze: The True Florentine Smells ~ Niche Perfumery. Florence is city of perfumes (and angels). L'Arte de Gucci: Dark Rose Chypre ~ Vintages. This black and gold bottle in the shape of either a sail or a wide mourning dress has long been on my "to buy" wish list. Monsieur Couturier: The First Fragrance for Men ~ Vintages. The Jean Couturier perfume house is world-famous for its great aldehydic-flowery chypre, Coriandre.
The bottles in green Brazilian malachite boxes are still selling well in Russia, despite changes in taste and formula fine-tuning. The Russian distributor assured me about that. Wild Spirit: A Walmart Discovery ~ Bargain Fragrances. Best in Show: White Musk (2019) ~ Best in Show. Musky pertains to a whole category of smells which derive from several sources, both from the animal and the plant world. "White Musk" in particular became a concept and a commercial entity at the end of the 1970s, when the ethical concerns for the harvesting of real animal musk from the Tonquin deer musk raised enough controversy to ban the hunt for the Nepalese critter's musk pods. Synthetic musks were used since the beginning of the 20th century in commercial perfumery, in one form or another, but it was the hydrophobic properties of a particular classification of synthesized musks which gave rise to their use in the laundry detergent industry, making the mental leap between cleanliness and that particular radiant sweetish smell of what we call "white musk".
Dolce&Gabbana The Only One 2. Definition and Classification. Leather Series 12: the Modern Leathers. Fragrance review. Tom Ford Beau de Jour for the Private Blend Collection. A Brief History of Scent, by Beau Friedlander. Club de Nuit Intense Man Armaf: What's the Hype? ~ Columns. Guerlain Mon Guerlain Bloom of Rose ~ New Fragrances. The Legendary Guerlain Mitsouko Fragrance Turns 100! ~ Columns. Canoe Dana: New and Vintage ~ Vintages. Three More Shiseido Treasures: Saso, Myth of Saso and Murasaki ~ Vintages. Chloé Nomade Eau de Toilette ~ New Fragrances. Lapidus Pour Homme: Our Long-time Friend ~ Columns. Nishane: Múnegu and Pachulí Kozha. Hidden Cheap Gems ~ Columns. Voskanian Parfums: Eco Perfumes from Armenia ~ Natural Perfumes.
Tambour Sacre Rubini: African Spirit ~ Columns. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Intense ~ New Fragrances. Vanilla Collection by Sylvaine Delacourte: Vanilla and Miracles ~ Fragrance Reviews. The House of Robertet: 200 Years of Passion for Nature ~ Columns. Giorgio Armani - Emporio Armani In Love With You & Stronger With You Intensely ~ New Fragrances. Mylène Demongeot: Perfumes from Her Secret Cabinets ~ Columns. Lancôme La Nuit Trésor Diamant Blanc ~ New Fragrances.
The Inspiration Behind Love Tuberose by Amouage ~ Interviews. Meeting Atelier Oblique ~ Fragrance Reviews. Mauboussin Homme: The First Masculine Fragrance ~ First Fragrances. Krasnaya Moskva: The Life of a Legend ~ Vintages. Amouage The Library Collection Opus XI ~ Niche Perfumery. Chris Rusak: Quasi Una Absurdia, Io, and 33. Best in Show: Amber (2018) ~ Best in Show.
A Chypre of the XXI Century: Chypre 21 James Heeley ~ Columns. It's Mademoiselle, Actually.... Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel – A Sectional View ~ Fragrance Reviews. Xerjoff Shooting Stars Uden Overdose ~ Niche Perfumery. Perfume as a Personal Story: the Auteur Viewpoint. Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Eau de Parfum ~ New Fragrances. Rochas Moustache Original 1949 & Moustache Eau de Parfum ~ New Fragrances. Loewe Esencia pour Homme Eau de Parfum ~ New Fragrances. The Merchant Of Venice Murano Collection Mystic Incense ~ Niche Perfumery. Return to Form? Agar Ebene (Hermès) and Other Scents. A New Campaign for Euphoria ~ New Fragrances. Khanjar, by Omanluxury: The Smell of Love and Power ~ Fragrance Reviews. J'Adore Absolu: A Cinematic Escape ~ Fragrance News. Perfume as a Personal Story: The Historical Beginnings. Thierry Mugler Angel: fragrance review. Xerjoff Coffee Break: Golden Moka and Golden Dallah ~ Niche Perfumery.
Revisiting a Classic: Revlon's Jontue (1976) ~ Fragrance Reviews. Mugler Aura Eau de Toilette: Aura of Piety and Compassion ~ Fragrance Reviews. Why is a Compound That Smells Like Feces Put in Perfume And Chocolate? PS Fine Cologne Paul Sebastian cologne - a fragrance for men 1979. 40th Anniversary of Polo Ralph Lauren ~ First Fragrances. Best Green Fragrances for Men. 6 Best Classic Colognes. The Best Men's Fragrances from 1950 to Today. Mon Vetiver Eau de Parfum by Essential Parfums. #NextGenPerfumer: Mackenzie Reilly ~ Perfumers.
The Cologne Guide. Trudon – Révolution. Onycha by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2016. Slowdive by Hiram Green 2017 review Australian Perfume Junkies. Shalini – Parfum & Jardin Nocturne. Tom Ford – Oud Minérale, Tobacco Oud Intense and Oud Wood Intense. Carnal Flower for Frederic Malle: Fragrant Thoughts to Enter 2018. The Cologne Guide. Mille Feux, Matière Noire, and Dans la Peau by Louis Vuitton. Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre D’Orange. The Fresh Scents of the 70s Part 2: Eau de Rochas ~ Vintages. The Fresh Scents of the 1970s, Part 3: Eau de Campagne by Sisley ~ Vintages. Patchouli Nosy Be by Perris Monte Carlo 2014.