![\"\"](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/torso.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cSo many perfumes, so little time,\u201d we perfume fanatics think. I not only ponder the scents I\u2019m missing today, but all the perfumes from long ago I never got the chance to smell. I like to peruse glossy perfume books but often feel \u201cbitter\u201d as I admire beautiful illustrations and photographs in old perfume advertisements. Many famous perfume houses, and their creations, disappeared long before I was born \u2014 companies like L T Piver, Gilot, Corday, Dorin, Delettrez, Rimmel’s Perfumery. Whenever I see certain famous perfume bottles, I get greedy and regretful: Molinard\u2019s \u201c1811\u201d in honor of Napoleon Bonaparte, with a bicorn hat stopper; Schiaparelli\u2019s Snuff (a pipe-shaped bottle housed in a cigar box!); or, perhaps my most coveted bottle, D\u2019Orsay\u2019s Toujours fid\u00e8le from 1909, topped with a crystal bulldog.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s a man to do?<\/p>\n
Five years ago, Robin compiled a list of 100 fragrances every perfumista should try<\/a>; most of those fragrances were for women (with some unisex perfumes and four masculines included too). Today, I\u2019m presenting a list of 50* perfumes geared towards men, especially newcomers to perfume adoration.<\/p>\n Why only 50 perfumes? I started with 75 fragrances on my list but over time, 25 fragrances were \u2018sacrificed.\u2019 There are fewer men\u2019s perfumes on the market than women\u2019s; and as I\u2019ve prepared this list and re-tested masculine fragrance candidates for it, I\u2019ve not been able to justify including more than 50 masculine fragrances on my must-sniff compilation. (This made me feel better about all the perfumes I\u2019ve missed out on in this life.)<\/p>\n The ranks of classic men’s fragrances have been decimated by IFRA\u00a0restrictions,1<\/sup>\u00a0the rising costs and scarcity of certain raw materials, and inept reformulations. Great perfumes for men have been\u00a0reformulated beyond recognition or discontinued;\u00a0many fragrance lines are now more concerned with the bottom line than with \u201cheritage\u201d or quality. Among the casualties of IFRA et al<\/em> are Rochas Moustache<\/a>, Monsieur Rochas, Alain Delon Iquitos, Krizia Moods, Lagerfeld Pour Homme, Pierre Balmain \u00c9b\u00e8ne, Patou Pour Homme, Ricci Signoricci, Houbigant Foug\u00e8re Royale <\/a>(modernized)\u2026on and on.<\/p>\n Of course, the list below is personal<\/em>. There are perfumes on the list I love\u2026and some I hate (but still feel you should smell to add to your perfumista cred). I\u2019ve also limited myself to perfumes that are readily available in the U.S. and that were not<\/span> on Robin\u2019s \u201c100\u201d list (some of which were contenders for my list too \u2014 Guerlain Jicky<\/a>, L\u2019Artisan Parfumeur Bois Farine<\/a>, Calvin Klein ck one<\/a>, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan<\/a>). Perfumes that once seemed de rigueur<\/em> for masculine perfume lovers to sniff are no longer interesting to my nose: Pino Silvestre, Geoffrey Beene Grey Flannel<\/a>, Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme, Old Spice<\/a>, Brut<\/a> and New West for Him by Aramis \u2014 to name a tiny sampling.<\/p>\n Colonia is on my list not because I adore it (I like it), but because every man should smell its clean, floral talcum powder aroma. When one hears \u201ccologne\u201d one thinks simple mixes of citrus and light woods. Colonia Eau de Cologne is a gateway-scent for men who want to explore flowers, but in a \u201cconservative\u201d (not conservatory) way. Colonia is fast approaching its 100-year anniversary; it\u2019s nice to smell a \u201csurvivor,\u201d and a perfume that\u2019s not been ruined by reformulations.<\/p>\n Mystra shows how just a few ingredients can make a big impression. In this pungent mix, there\u2019s frankincense, labdanum and mastic \u2014 notes that every perfume lover should recognize.<\/p>\n XXV presents an original take on incense. XXV\u2019s incense is brightened with fruit: citrus and\u00a0sweet berry skins (with a ratafia-like character). Incense need not be \u201cserious\u201d and \u201creligious,\u201d you can almost imagine adding XXV to a cocktail. (Honorable Mentions in the fruit-incense genre are Memo Luxor Oud<\/a> and Erik Kormann Eau de Fr\u00f6hliche<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Gold Pour Homme is the male equivalent of a knock-out, va-va-va-voom perfume; the rich, almost-overpowering, notes revolve around jasmine and musk. I\u2019ve had people tell me I smell sensational when I wear this fragrance, and others pinch their nostrils, letting their fingers act as a ‘clothespin’ to block out the scent. Good luck, folks! Nothing blocks out this one, and it\u2019s a great intro to Middle Eastern masculine perfumery; in the Middle East, men are NOT afraid of flowers or desert-encompassing sillage.<\/p>\n At least one Annick Goutal fragrance had to be on my list. I love many of the fragrances in the AG line-up and still mourn the discontinued Monsieur. Ambre F\u00e9tiche<\/a> almost beat out Sables for my list because it\u2019s one sensational amber fragrance. But Sables is like nothing else here: a mix of rich, slightly smoky, dark, salty aromas, an elixir with everlasting flower at its heart.<\/p>\n Route du Th\u00e9 was one of the earliest fresh<\/em> fragrances to showcase “tea”\u00a0\u2014 in this case a sharp, tea-tonic.\u00a0Route du Th\u00e9 was released near the time New West and calone made their dramatic entrance; tea hasn\u2019t stopped \u201cbrewing\u201d since\u2026.<\/p>\n Continuing the \u201cgrown-up\u201d discussion, nothing could be simpler and more gorgeous, and gracious, than the combination of high-quality citrus, amber, vetiver and sandalwood. This smooth formula is one of my favorites on days when I want to present a calm, poised and \u201cin charge\u201d image.<\/p>\n Men are no longer subjected to derision for wearing an Eau de\u00a0Parfum<\/em> (well, not as often as back in the 1990s when Boucheron Pour Homme released its perfume for men). Twenty years later, Boucheron\u2019s mix of citrus, herbs and flowers still smells good\u2026and on the cusp of feminine perfume territory.<\/p>\n Ever heard of santolina or posidonia? As you navigate the perfume world, get used to \u201ceccentric\u201d ingredients lists that try to appeal to perfume lovers\u2019 exotic longings \u2014 and assume the majority of these ingredients are made in a lab. Whether harvested or created in a \u201ctest tube,\u201d the briny, \u201cseaside-industrial” odors of Bvlgari Aqva Pour Homme make it a mainstream, designer fragrance with character.<\/p>\n Caron has seen better days. The inept reformulations of classic women’s perfumes has left the house with a magical past and a wan present. (Time for re-reformulations!) Thankfully, for now, two of Caron\u2019s most striking men\u2019s perfumes remain to remind us of Caron\u2019s daring days of yore: inscrutable, whimsical Le Toisi\u00e8me Homme and forceful, manly Yatagan.<\/p>\n D\u00e9claration presents a \u201dmasculine sweat\u201d accord; its powerful cedar-cumin-bigarade notes will either attract or repel. Here\u2019s to \u201cdirty\u201d in this too-fresh, calone-infused world.<\/p>\n Comme des Gar\u00e7ons does not shy away from \u201ckooky\u201d or difficult fragrances (or at least they didn\u2019t in the past). Sniff this one for odors that conjure everything from overheated\u00a0machinery to factory chemicals.<\/p>\n Commercially successful and strangely distressful for many perfumistas, Silver Mountain Water gets adoration and hatred. I have a complex relationship with Silver Mountain Water; it\u2019s like a\u00a0(semi)boyfriend\u00a0one only meets in secluded places…for fear he will embarrass you.\u00a0For me, Silver Mountain Water smells like the male equivalent of a women\u2019s \u201cpop\u201d scent \u2014 super-TEA and fruits substituting for women\u2019s fruity florals. I find Silver Mountain Water\u2019s hyper, ozonic tea-musk and rich, clearly artificial, fruit accord, gulp, appealing, and I\u2019ve owned two 100 ml bottles in my life and used every drop in each (unusual for me). Every time I\u2019ve worn Silver Mountain Water in public, I\u2019m abashed, even as the compliments stack up.<\/p>\n Iconic or moronic\u2026you decide.<\/p>\n Eau Sauvage and Fahrenheit have changed over the years but still possess enough of their zest and odd accords to qualify as must-sniffs for men (vibrating-fizzy jasmine in Eau Sauvage and \u201choneysuckle & tar\u201d in Fahrenheit).<\/p>\n Diptyque used to formulate some of the most original, interesting perfumes in the niche market; sadly, it\u2019s been aiming for mainstream cred for years now\u2026and boring me as a result. Eau Lente and L\u2019Eau are from Diptyque\u2019s glory years; their \u201cancient\u201d and \u201cantique\u201d characters make bold statements.<\/p>\n If you DON\u2019T want to stand out in any way, wear Light Blue Pour Homme: a splendid example of a \u201cmodern\u201d designer\/department store man\u2019s fragrance \u2014 light (indeed!), predictable (with the same ingredients you’ll find in a hundred other men’s fragrances) and BLUE! (bottle and juice\u2026the color blue is often a \u201cwarning\u201d sign in men\u2019s fragrances\u00a0\u2014 Banality Ahead). Light Blue Pour Homme is the nadir of male perfumery.<\/p>\n Eau d\u2019Italie, like Diptyque, started off producing off-center works \u2014 interesting, \u201cpeculiar\u201d fragrances that smelled like nothing else on the market. Slowly they moved, just like Diptyque, into well-made mainstream fare (nice, but not enticing to me). These two fragrances are stand-outs from the early days of the line:\u00a0“quiet” Sienne d\u2019Hiver is cold, damp winter in a bottle; when you start feeling numb with cold, wear boozy, leather-tinged Bois d\u2019Ombrie to warm things up.<\/p>\n Often, perfume PR copy uses words like “shocking” and\u00a0“unusual” to describe fragrances…but rarely do those words apply to the perfume being promoted. In the case of S\u00e9cr\u00e9tions Magnifiques, shocking<\/em> and unusual<\/em>\u00a0apply!\u00a0This fragrance shows how far a perfume house will go to attract attention; S\u00e9cr\u00e9tions Magnifiques is gross, unwearable, and, yes, \u00a0\u201cshocking.\u201d Smell it to experience the outer limits of modern perfumery.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is a low-end\/high-end pairing: a popular, ditzy, all-time best seller and its more reserved, more profound sibling (not so intent on pleasing everyone). These both smell good, but there\u2019s good and then there\u2019s good<\/strong><\/em> in perfumery. Your nose will tell the difference.<\/p>\n These renowned\/\u201cvintage\u201d Guerlains are some of the greatest hits of a great perfume house. These are must-smells for perfume lovers.<\/p>\n Herm\u00e8s makes some great fragrances; choosing just three was hard. All these are \u201cold fashioned\u201d even if reformulated. Having survived their re-do\u2019s, Bel Ami, Eau d\u2019Herm\u00e8s, and Equipage compare favorably to my three Guerlain picks above; they showcase the creativity of the past\u2026matched by few new perfumes, even in the niche category.<\/p>\n The high-toned \u2018ozone\u2019 lover got lucky when L\u2019Eau D\u2019Issey Pour Homme came out in 1994; this perfume lists a zillion interesting ingredients, but smells of only one accord that seems more ordinary with every passing year (its scent is now prevalent in detergent, household cleaners, and the like).<\/p>\n Le M\u00e2le is a modern take on an old-time barbershop perfume: when I smell it, I imagine clouds of talcum, buckets of suds, showers of Eaux de Cologne. This, along with Joop! below, was a gay sensation \u2014 every gay man I knew\u00a0seemed to own a bottle. Funny how these two powerhouse perfumes have hung around and been co-opted by straight guys who boast of their \u201cbabe-attracting\u201d qualities. Pending IFRA standards, due to go into effect in the summer of 2013, could deprive Le M\u00e2le of its heavy dosage of coumarin…so try it NOW.<\/p>\n This modern orange blossom fragrance adds musk, herbs and fresh fruit aromas to\u00a0flowers to create a masculine floral fragrance; Artisan is a good choice for men wanting to escape sport-ozonic fragrances without going too far into left field.<\/p>\n Knize 10 tied with my other favorite leather scent on this list: Chanel Cuir de Russie. Knize 10 is a bit smoother than Cuir de Russie, and without Cuir de Russie’s heavy\u00a0birch\/tar accent that \u201cupsets\u201d some people.<\/p>\n Timbuktu has been in my perfume cabinet since it was released; I never tire of it. Its incense-y vetiver with a touch of \u201csweat\u201d doesn\u2019t conjure \u201cdirty\u201d at all, except in a sexy way.<\/p>\n Route du Vetiver is my all-time favorite vetiver perfume. Thankfully,\u00a0Ma\u00eetre Parfumeur et Gantier has not neutered this perfume with a major reformulation. Route du Vetiver may start off almost \u201crotten\u201d and off-putting with compost bin vegetal\/fruit notes, but quickly it turns into a deep, smooth, tropical vetiver perfume.<\/p>\n Montale was one of the first perfume companies to jump onto the oud caravan that’s still barrelling through all scentdom (surely there’ll be an Ivory Soap oud bar out soon?); do smell the Montale \u201coud\u201d note that helped start the oud\/Middle East\u00a0perfumery\u00a0revolution in the West. Montale\u2019s oud note is synthetic, and easily recognized these days, but it has its place and Black Aoud is one of the best uses of this note I can think of; it\u2019s medicinal, powerful (without being cloying), floral and it won\u2019t\/can\u2019t be ignored by anyone in your vicinity. (Honorable mention in the oud category: Le Labo Oud 27<\/a>.)<\/p>\n I\u2019m not a big fan of the foug\u00e8re genre; foug\u00e8res often make me feel, of all things, claustrophobic: not \u201cfree\u201d (as in a fern-filled woodland). This fern perfume is a modern, almost \u201charm-ful\u201d (as opposed to \u201ccharm-ful\u201d) take on foug\u00e8res. It\u2019s gutsy, not dandified and fussy.<\/p>\n This cologne formula, only one of two on my list, is a winter holiday in a bottle: intense citrus (candy, pomanders) and green\u00a0and spicy notes\u00a0conjure a fresh Christmas tree.<\/p>\n A sensational \u201cgreen\u201d perfume for men. An acquaintance who disparaged Polo as being \u201cold man\u201d made me laugh. He was wearing a pork pie hat, bow tie and trying (desperately, but unsuccessfully) to grow a beard. Oh, he had on a tweed vest too. Sadly, he was wearing a Burberry fragrance with this outfit, when Polo would have been so much more appropriate\u2026and fun. Irony is lost on the young.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve owned many Serge Lutens perfumes, but Miel de Bois is the most memorable. ALL my friends say it smells like cat piss but to me it captures the edgy aspect of honey, the twang. Beauty\u2019s in the nose of the sniffer, which leads me to\u2026.<\/p>\n This fragrance can compete (almost) with S\u00e9cr\u00e9tions Magnifiques in the \u201cugly\u201d contest, but its purposeful ugliness attracts many consumers with its bad-boy character. Too bad this bad boy is so uncomfortable to be around, with his stinky, unwashed hair, bad coffee breath, and sticky feet (sock-less) in damp boots. ICK.<\/p>\n The house of Yves Saint Laurent has put out some amazing perfumes for men and women, and these two HAD to make my list. Kouros is a flowers-and-musk bomb\u2026equal parts sweet floral and raunch. People may say it\u2019s \u201cdated\u201d or reminds them of \u201cMarrakech taxi drivers\u201d (so? what\u2019s wrong with Marrakech taxi drivers?) but it\u2019s instantly recognizable and shows just what men were willing to wear before the advent of dull ozone, laundry musk and drab sport fragrances. M7 tried to bring oud to the mainstream; it failed commercially (at first) but is now back in the Saint Laurent fragrance line as M7 Oud Absolu. Though it\u2019s been reformulated, it still smells like M7 to me.<\/p>\n Note: top image from Jean Paul Gaultier perfumes website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a01. You can read more about IFRA in On reformulations, or why your favorite perfume doesn\u2019t smell like it used to<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Schiaparelli](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/snuff2.jpg\")
*Author\u2019s Prerogative (i.e. \u2018exceptions to the rules\u2019): two of Robin\u2019s \u201c100\u201d picks HAD to be on my list too: Dior Eau Sauvage <\/a>and Guerlain Vetiver<\/a>. These two venerable fragrances are on my list but don\u2019t \u201ccount\u201d\u2026thus the numbers 51 and 52 you\u2019ll notice below. I know my \u201c50\u201d list will seem incomplete to, well, everyone, including myself. Do comment and tell me an important masculine fragrance that I left off (chances are good I\u2019ve tried it).<\/p>\n1. ACQUA DI PARMA COLONIA EAU DE COLOGNE<\/a><\/h2>\n
2. AESOP MYSTRA<\/a><\/h2>\n
3. AMOUAGE XXV<\/a>
4. AMOUAGE GOLD POUR HOMME<\/a><\/h2>\n5. ANNICK GOUTAL SABLES<\/a><\/h2>\n
6. BARNEYS ROUTE DU TH\u00c9<\/h2>\n
7. BIJAN FOR MEN<\/a><\/h2>\n
![\"Bijan](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/bijan.jpg\")
Bijan for Men debuted in 1987, and to my nose, the years have been kind to Bijan for Men. (Is there a \u201cplastic surgeon\u201d equivalent for scents hidden somewhere near the Beverly Hills Bijan store?) Bijan\u2019s herbal, wood-y, nutmeg-tinged formula is conservative, but with a soft edge (it\u2019s not too serious). This is a grown-up perfume for sure, but many men need to grow up when it comes to perfume and nix the 24\/7 use of sports (crap) fragrances. There\u2019s one big change to Bijan for Men though \u2014 it can now be had for $20 (qualifying it as a \u201ccheap thrill\u201d\u2026Bijan is rolling in his grave).<\/p>\n8. BOIS 1920 CLASSIC 1920<\/h2>\n
9. BOUCHERON POUR HOMME<\/a><\/h2>\n
10. BVLGARI AQVA POUR HOMME<\/a><\/h2>\n
11. CARON LE TROISI\u00c8ME HOMME DE CARON<\/a>
12. CARON YATAGAN<\/a><\/h2>\n13. CARTIER D\u00c9CLARATION<\/a><\/h2>\n
14. CHANEL ANTAEUS<\/a>
15. CHANEL CUIR DE RUSSIE<\/a>
16. CHANEL \u00c9GOISTE<\/a>
17. CHANEL POUR MONSIEUR<\/a><\/h2>\n![\"Chanel](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/chanelantaeus.jpg\")
Chanel garners four entries on my list. Chanel Pour Monsieur Eau de Toilette (NOT \u201cConcentr\u00e9e\u201d) is the only scent on my list that you can\u2019t buy in the United States; to not include it would be a sin and make me feel stupid. Take a trip or have a friend overseas get you a bottle. Antaeus (a gender-bender these days), \u00c9go\u00efste (spicy!) and Cuir de Russie (deluxe leather) are required sniffing for perfume people.<\/p>\n18. COMME DES GAR\u00c7ONS ODEUR 53<\/a><\/h2>\n
19. CREED SILVER MOUNTAIN WATER<\/h2>\n
20. DAVIDOFF COOL WATER<\/h2>\n
![\"Dior](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/eaus21.jpg\")
21. DIOR EAU SAUVAGE<\/a>
22. DIOR FAHRENHEIT<\/a><\/h2>\n23. DIPTYQUE EAU LENTE
24. DIPTYQUE L\u2019EAU<\/h2>\n25. DOLCE & GABBANA LIGHT BLUE POUR HOMME<\/a><\/h2>\n
26. EAU D\u2019ITALIE BOIS D\u2019OMBRIE
27. EAU D\u2019ITALIE SIENNE D\u2019HIVER<\/a><\/h2>\n28. ETAT LIBRE D\u2019ORANGE S\u00c9CR\u00c9TIONS MAGNIFIQUES<\/a><\/h2>\n
29. GIORGIO ARMANI ACQUA DI GIO
30. GIORGIO ARMANI BOIS D\u2019ENCENS<\/a><\/h2>\n31. GUERLAIN EAU DE COLOGNE IMP\u00c9RIALE<\/a>
32. GUERLAIN HABIT ROUGE<\/a>
33. GUERLAIN VETIVER<\/a><\/h2>\n![\"Hermes](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/belami.jpg\")
<\/p>\n34. HERM\u00c8S BEL AMI<\/a>
35. HERM\u00c8S EAU D\u2019HERMES<\/a>
36. HERM\u00c8S EQUIPAGE<\/a><\/h2>\n37. ISSEY MIYAKE L\u2019EAU D\u2019ISSEY POUR HOMME<\/h2>\n
38. JEAN PAUL GAULTIER LE M\u00c2LE<\/a><\/h2>\n
39. JOHN VARVATOS ARTISAN<\/a><\/h2>\n
40. JOOP! HOMME<\/h2>\n
![\"Joop!](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/joop2.jpg\")
Joop! came \u201cout of the closet\u201d six years before Le M\u00e2le (and in a pink outfit no less!) I remember going into my hair salon on Santa Monica Boulevard\u00a0after this fragrance hit the stores and being floored by the super-rich, super-diffusive, super sultry Joop! Pour Homme that all the customers and stylists (it seemed anyway) were wearing. Joop! Pour Homme was heavy on spiced orange blossom, with some clove-carnation and jasmine thrown in too. Like many of the men I knew who loved it, Joop! Pour Homme was loud, proud and domineering. Now that I\u2019m not so \u201cdemure\u201d \u2026I like it.<\/p>\n41. KNIZE 10<\/a><\/h2>\n
42. L\u2019ARTISAN PARFUMEUR TIMBUKTU<\/a><\/h2>\n
43. MA\u00ceTRE PARFUMEUR ET GANTIER ROUTE DU VETIVER<\/a><\/h2>\n
44. MONTALE BLACK AOUD<\/a><\/h2>\n
45. PARFUM D\u2019EMPIRE FOUG\u00c8RE BENGALE<\/a><\/h2>\n
46. PARFUMERIE G\u00c9N\u00c9RALE COLOGNE GRAND SI\u00c8CLE<\/a><\/h2>\n
47. PENHALIGON\u2019S HAMMAM BOUQUET<\/a><\/h2>\n
![\"Penhaligon's](\"https:\/\/nstperfume.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hammam.jpg\")
Though it\u2019s lost some of its shimmer (gone is the real Indian sandalwood that’s been overharvested almost to the point of extinction), Hammam Bouquet still smells lovely, plush, and is a great example of English perfumery at its best. When I wear Hammam Bouquet these days I think of two things: Paris and Dutch still life paintings (harking back to an exhibit I saw at the Petit Palais <\/a>while wearing Hammam Bouquet) \u2014 dimly lit tablescapes with bright spots of light aimed at fruits, polished wood, and flowers.<\/p>\n48. RALPH LAUREN POLO<\/a><\/h2>\n
49. SERGE LUTENS MIEL DE BOIS<\/a><\/h2>\n
50. THIERRY MUGLER A*MEN<\/a><\/h2>\n
51. YVES SAINT LAURENT KOUROS<\/a>
52. YVES SAINT LAURENT M7<\/a><\/h2>\n