Mash Up, Men Smell Good!

It goes without saying that a man should smell good and to be fair there is nothing quite like the fresh (and only fresh) whiff of perspiration…but let’s not beat about the bush here, a sexy man can truly add to his natural odour with the best fragrances. So, have a look at some of the new perfumes hitting the market now, just in case you or your man are need of an update.

Photography Jason Yates

Left to right – 1st blue and gold bottle Versace Dylan Blue

The new fragrance celebrates  the Mediterranean. Woody notes of ambrox evoke tradition, while exquisite citrus, bergamot and grapefruit give off modernity. Aquatic hints (that whole sea salt trend) add invigorating freshness. Black pepper, papyrus wood and incense form the  heart of the fragrance. And the base? Well, this is a combination of mineral musk, tonka beans, and saffron.

Left to right – 2nd blue and gold bottle Bvlgari Man Black Orient 

This new scent  has spicy aromatic opening notes of rum alongside peppery cardamom. The mid notes include florals, namely tuberose and oriental Taif rose, with a base of oud and leather.

Left to right – 3rd black bottle Comme des Garçons Blackpepper

Black pepper sounds hot, well think spice but not the hot Indian spice, more of the spicy smells of autumnal forests in Europe. Notes include Madagascan pepper, cedar wood, akigalawood, tonka bean. Like all Comme Des Garçons fragrances there is no distinction of top middle and base notes just an all-encompassing warm yet invigorating aroma.

Top to bottom 1st Blue glass bottle Nobil Homo The Merchant of Venice.

The Merchant Of Venice is a luxury fragrance house directly inspired by the city’s trade routes and ports where the centre precious raw materials, spices, and luxurious materials were exchanged. The house has 67 perfumes with the first created in 2013 and the newest this year.  Nobil Homo has spicy and woody notes derived from precious raw materials discovered during the ancient Venetian trade routes.  It is based on a modern fougére structure, with a mossy and smoky base given by patchouli and birch, combined with lemon and bergamot followed lastly by apple and pineapple.

Top to bottom 2nd  glass bottle Cologne Cashmere  La Manufacture

Another fragrance that evokes autumn for both men and women.  Bergamot and Mandarin warm the heart alongside woods of Guaiac and Sandalwood with amber, Haitian vetiver and marron glace of all things to round up this scent.

Carla Chabert, the perfume perfume creator says-

“ Contrast is the pivot of this fragrance; I sought to combine both freshness and sensuality. Luminous fruit (bergamot and yellow mandarin from Italy) are combined with darker, unpolished substances: Guaiac from Paraguay, Amber and Vetiver. I chose Vetiver from Haiti because of its smoky characteristic reminding me of short winter days and log fires in the chimney. I constructed the sensual note around Marron Glacée, a typical winter treat “

Top to bottom 3rd  glass bottle Bracken for Men  Amouage 

 A new, aromatic Fougere fragrance for men launched this year. Top notes are bergamot, lemon, cypress, lavender, nutmeg and cloves; middle notes are geranium, sandalwood, cedar and cinnamon; base notes are patchouli and musk. Subtle and enigmatic,  Bracken has yet again an aura of autumnal forests and comes with a stunning glass embossed bottle encased in a stunning paisley box.

Top to bottom 4th  black bottle Lignum vitae Beaufort London 

Beaufort is the new kid on the block within the niche fragrance world.  It’s a brand you will be hearing a lot more about.  Headed by Mr Rock and Roll Leo Crabtree. His five fragrances combine the most unexpected and exotic raw materials and he is quickly going to become the go-to fragrance for those that don’t follow any kind of perfume rules or trends. Lignum Vitae combines elements of wood, metal and salt with  the name coming from  an incredibly dense wood used in clocks on ships.  You will soon find out that Leo’s nautical family connections weave  through several of his scents but here with Lignum Vitae  it is the most unexpected with a  gourmand hit of cake! Yes really, a hit of warm baked goodness mixed with salt woods and metals, for something quite unique.

Left to right 1st- Lola James Harper “Play Again Now 24”

The new fragrance by Lola James Harper is called “Play Again Now 24” and was launched in 2016. It is for women and men and its notes include opoponax, benzoin, cardamom, cedar, cinnamon, labdanum, myrrh, myrtle, iris, vanilla and vetiver. A brand that approaches everything just a little bit differently from most perfumeries. A shop consisting of music print candles alongside 18 fragrances.

Left to right 2nd- Jusbox “Beat Café”

Another interesting brand to keep an eye on for a somewhat fresh approach is Jusbox.  All the fragrances are inspired by musical periods of time Beat Cafe is a ‘nose dive’ into the musical era know for beatniks and Jazz! This woody spicy fragrance for women and men was created by Dominique Ropoin for Jusbox and is inspired by the beat generation of the post-war era and the rebellion against established structures. The top notes are black pepper, coriander and cognac which create a warm, leathery echo. The base of the scent is made of vetiver, cedarwood and styrax and the heart note consists of labdanum, leather and tobacco. Furthermore, the fragrance is influenced by the sound of Bob Dylan’s music and the early sixties youth generation.

Left to right 3rd- Etat Libre d’Orange “Hermann à mes côtés me paraissait une ombre”

“Hermann à mes côtés me paraissait une ombre” by Etat Libre d’Orange is a woody, aromatic fragrance for women and men which includes geosmin, island musk, pepperwood, petalia, rose, patchouli and ambroxan. Its theme is shadows, night and dark forests which is all combined in this scent.  There certainly is a theme of forestry this season.

Left to right 4th- Mizensir “Bois Iridescent”

This floral woody musk unisex fragrance by Mizensir is called “Bois Iridescent” and the top notes consist of bergamot, mandarin orange and hedione. The middle notes are iris and violet leaf and the base notes include sandalwood and ambergris.

Just because we mainly mentioned new men’s fragrance here just in case you ladies want something rather lovely for yourself, check out the new Amouage scent. Not so much about a forest this time but more about a garden full of flowers.

Amouage “Lilac Love”

“Lilac Love” is the first fragrance in Amouage’s “The Secret Garden Collection”,  it is inspired by the spirit of classical femininity of the modern woman. The theme of the scent is the free exploration of feelings, thoughts and experiences and it focuses on the simple and traditional things in life, according to the creative director Christopher Chong. The top notes include gardenia, peony and heliotrope and the heart is made of orris, cocoa bean and tonka bean. Sandalwood, patchouli and vanilla create the floral heart note.