Scents for suave men

A guide to selecting fragrances for the ‘fashion-conscious’ man.

ISLAMABAD:

Smell is one of those immediate traits one notices in a person. Depending on the scent and its application, it’ll either be palpable from a mile away or get picked up from a more intimate setting.

Like a memory, the right kind of perfume is unforgettable. Yet, when randomly selected and sprayed a little too intensely, one’s signature scent can quickly become overpowering, if not downright off-putting. This problem is faced by both sexes, although men are far less informed when it comes to purchasing and applying the ‘right’ fragrance (hint: it’s not Axe body-spray).

Know your body

This is a cardinal step in the right direction. First, consider body type: athletic or lean? Sporty or urban? In the world of fragrances, working with contradictions is usually a plus. This means that if a man is on the bulkier, sporty side, he should consider softening his aesthetic — smelling like a mass of turbo-charged testosterone is neither fashionable nor attractive — with floral notes and hints of patchouli (try Fleur Du Male by Jean Paul Gaultier or Hot Water by Davidoff). The leaner urbanite needs a darker, muskier scent to balance him out. This is when woodsy tones come into play: sandalwood, pine, oak, moss and nutmeg. Grey Vetiver by Tom Ford is a great choice, especially for the professional man. It’s one of those scents that evolve, starting with a clean, office-appropriate citrus that — as the day progresses — appropriates nutmeg and moss tones.

Evolution

When selecting the perfect perfume, it helps to know that most fragrances created these days have a three-pronged aroma: top notes, heart notes and base notes. With the example of sartorial ‘Antidote’ (by Viktor and Rolf), one notices that the top notes consist of an alluring spice that softens and turns sweet in its ‘heart’ phase — usually three to four hours later. This is the climax, when the smell evaporates off the skin and leaves a memorable trace. In its final configuration (base), the cologne settles into a woodsy, musky tenor, still sweet but with traces of sandalwood and moss.

Competitive colognes

To maintain the uniqueness of his signature smell, a man one must be diligent about keeping an eye out for trends; he must ensure that he owns at least one cologne which stands out from what his peers use frequently. Locally, this is an easy feat to accomplish: “People don’t like ‘new’ colognes,” explains Navid Quraishi, perfumer at Mediplus Pharmacy in Islamabad. “Here, men like brands they’re used to, like Hugo Boss and Bvlgari.” He lists the au current top sellers: Guilty by Gucci, Legend by Mont Blanc, Cool Water by Davidoff and Attimo by Salvatore Feragamo. These are all great smells but the clever man keeps the one cologne that’s above the cut.

Application

A man never haphazardly sprays his cologne over his person. Instead, he targets small, concise amounts on ‘heat-sensitive’ spots: neck, chest, armpits (never directly; always over a shirt), wrists and behind the knees. Again, spraying directly isn’t good for the skin; it’s always better to spread the cologne on the desired areas with the wrist, while staying watchful of not ‘rubbing in’ excessively as this dilutes the scent and cancels out the essential ‘top notes’ that need to grow and evolve.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2011.