Fragrance Mens

Mugler’s Hot Cologne – Striking and Off-kilter

February 5, 2017

Mugler’s Les Exceptions range had completely bypassed my radar until I caught sight of an artfully minimalist yet chunky bottle on social media a few weeks ago and tracked them down. These, I have to try, so I’m kicking off in reverse order with the 8th member of the range, Hot Cologne. A smooth, fresh […]

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Carven’s L’Absolu and L’Eau Intense

January 9, 2017

One of the rubbish things about no longer being in the epicentre of the world (ie London) and moving to the cold hard North is that one tends to drop from press lists like an X Factor contestant dropping their inhibitions and their conscience. Throw in the constant turnaround in agency PR staff and your […]

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CK One’s Summer is a Verdant Tropical Splash

May 18, 2016

CK One owns Summer. Its blast of aquatic fruity or floral freshness, depending on the latest limited edition flanker is oft a welcome antithesis to the overt bergamots or rose layers that remain, quite rightly, ever popular when it gets mid way through the year. Since the mid 1990s, CK One’s distinct appeal was its […]

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Acqua di Parma Colonia Sandalo (exclusively for Harrods)

May 13, 2016

He bounded into my flat like an over excitable red setter, darting around me as usual, all beard whiskers and warmth with embraces, exclamations and gossip to relay. Clunking around the various bottles that lay forlornly on my kitchen table awaiting review, he sniffed and smelled like his canine spirit animal. He settled on one […]

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Cedro di Taormina–The 7th Release to the Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneo Range

March 2, 2016

It’s that time of year again when certain premium houses decide to tempt us willy-nilly with gorgeous zesty Mediterranean based fragrances that make Brits pine for warmer climes and have us clamouring for the nearest (sl)Easy Jet departure to the South of France or better, Italy. And then we mindfully counter-check this notion with the […]

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Frapin’s The Orchid Man. A Punch That Feels Like A Kiss

February 18, 2016

Reading the notes and inspiration behind Frapin’s The Orchid Man, as well as its name, lulls one into a false sense of security. My first thoughts, cased in its masculine, rich burgundy sleeve with bold typography, is that this will be a beast of a scent. Throw in the formidable hot-as-hell perfumer/creator David Frossard (pictured […]

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No.12 Lacha by ODIN New York

February 3, 2016

No.12 Lacha by ODIN is as sumptuous and narcotic with a deep masculine thrust as ever a perfume is likely to get. This is the essence of luxury masculinity in fine tailoring, measured and with good taste, kicking back in a Mayfair or St James gentleman’s club – aged Chesterfield Oxblood leather, sandalwood, crackling fires, […]

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All Aboard Aesop’s Marrakech Intense

November 20, 2015

Well this was a sweet and murky surprise. Feted skincare brand Aesop released Marrakech Intense last year but it had flown over my head in the midst of moving city, country, life. So, being chatted in-depth through the range at Aesop’s latest store in Stockbridge, Edinburgh, this was a revelation. Devised in conjunction with perfumer […]

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Just Desserts–Valentino Uomo

November 16, 2015

One of the more dramatic turnarounds in recent seasons is Valentino’s menswear proposition, which has been given a reboot in terms of relevance and repositioning. Now much younger and streetwear-driven, the collections follow some fairly stereotypical menswear conceits; £500 sweatshirts, recoloured camouflage, heavy trainers completely unsuitable for any sporting pursuit. The ubiquitous bomber. I could […]

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Tom Ford’s Venetian Bergamot

October 13, 2015

An interesting addition to the Private Blend stable at Tom Ford, where other fresh fragrances lie (such as the great Neroli Portofino and Costa Azzura) that cross the divide and are worn equally well by men and women. It’s obviously a winning formula, for Venetian Bergamot smacks of success with its spiced back notes to […]