Scents and sensibility, it’s time to have your say! What is the mysterious alchemy that makes the ultimate male scent? This summer think cumin; sun-browned salty skin; vetiver and cashmeran; soap, cigars, and musk.
Perfume is a way for him to express his virility. And it’s the accessory he never knew he wanted. For many guys, fragrance is undiscovered territory. After all, cologne is something worn mostly by continental types or, if there’s a ship on the bottle, grandfathers. Right? Wrong. Olfaction actually triggers both emotion and memory far more than sight and sound so any man who eschews wearing a scent misses out on an important tool in his presentational arsenal.
Of course, telling the right story is essential. Pay too little attention to what he is wearing, and his aromatic signature might be “teenager after gym class.” So how do you find that perfect match for him? Look for niche perfume houses such as Parfums de Marly to guide the way. Brands such as this are at the forefront of creating masculine olfactories that are unique and continually evolving. This season a good dose of French chic keeps you on track and ensures you find the perfect amount of sophistication in a bottle for the man in your life.
“Purchasing perfume is a delicate and very individual process so you must pace yourself, to find the perfect one. Make sure that when buying a fragrance, you test out different scents – inhale, exhale and think about the notes, are these fruity, floral, musky. It is also very important that when setting off on a fragrance experience, your skin is void of lotions and perfumes, as you won’t be able to properly feel the scents you are testing out,” explains Julien Sprecher, Founder of Parfums de Marly.
The twist? Remember, scents react differently to different body chemistry, so what smells good on you won’t necessarily smell the same way on him. So also think – what reminds you of him and what does he love? “If I was to pick just five of my favourite scents in the world, these would have to be a lavender field in Grasse, a forest of eucalyptus in California, the countryside after a summer rainfall, the smell of the Corsican shrubland in the morning and walls covered in star jasmine in June,” says Sprecher.
And if you’re still not sure, you can’t go wrong with an original fragrance with a radiant sillage designed as a manifesto for all generations of aesthetes. For example, Parfums de Marly’s Sedley eau de parfum opens up a new dimension in the men’s fragrance range. This classic yet modern fragrance is a blend of bergamot, spearmint and watery accord, with geranium bourbon, lavender and sunny notes and in the background the ultimate woody signature, which embodies tradition mixed with contemporary aestheticism.
Lastly, if he brushes by you, you catch a whiff and… it just makes you happy. That’s when you know you’ve found your winner.
