Here are seven of the best classic men’s fragrances. These fragrances are so time-tested that one of them might very well be responsible for your parents getting together in the first place. That’s right, men–there’s a good chance you owe your very existence to one of these downright classic colognes. Here’s your chance to say “thank you” or at the very least carry on the tradition. Don’t underestimate the power of a fragrance. With smell linked so closely to memory, the scents you wear can create impressions and evoke emotions – whether it’s intrigue, attraction or nostalgia.
So, whether you’re a fragrance fresher looking for your first signature scent, a cologne junkie wanting to complete your collection or a significant other in search of the perfect gift, you could do a lot worse than to start with one of these best men’s fragrances of all time.
Lancôme Hypnôse Homme
After the success of Hypnose for women, Lancome launched masculine version of this perfume in a similar bottle. Actor Clive Owen is the new face of Lancome’s Hypnose Homme men’s fragrance. Perfume is built on a contrast between aromatic and oriental notes. The composition starts out with relaxing fresh notes of bergamot, mandarine and green mint note followed by a spicy cardamom accord. Its aromatic heart is made of lavender note from the South of France harmonized with spices and almond note. The oriental base is composed of patchouli from Indonesia, musk and amber. It was created by Maurice Roucel in 2007.
Hypnôse Homme from Lancôme is a quintessential masculine scent for men. A blend of crisp Cardamom and Mint capture the attention as spicy and seductive notes of Indonesian Patchouli and Musk keep you enthralled. The exquisitely crafted bottle, with its pure lines and sensuous body, evokes a powerfully mysterious masculinity. Spray about 20 cm from skin, focusing on the warmest areas of your body: pulse points on the wrists, behind the earlobes or knees to intensify the alluring effect.
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio
Inspired by beauty of Pantellerie, where he spent his vacation, Armani created the aroma of Aqua di Gio for men and women. The fragrance for men is a scent of freedom, full of wind and water. The composition is built of a perfect harmony of sweet and salty notes of sea water and nuances of sunny warmth on your skin. Aqua di Gio is full of scorching Mediterranean sun. Bitter citrus with aromatic nuance of rosemary intertwines with salty, sea nuances and pellucid hedione. Sharp notes of spices are softened by woody base with warm, musky trail.
When you take a quick look at the bottle of Armani Acqua di Gio you will find that Armani has tried not to make their brand sound too pompous and that is why they have kept the design of the bottle as simple as possible. The metallic matte finish on the bottle makes the bottle look simple and beautiful but apart from that the bottle has no unique fancy shapes. However, the scent of this perfume can really make you feel better in an instant because it has very natural scents that will take you closer to the oceans and the misty marine freshness.
Bvlgari AQVA Pour Homme
This fragrance is more like a view of the billowing sea at dinner. These deep aquatic notes, with the really only very slight saltiness, are otherwise very clean and hardly change on my skin until the end. On my skin the scent is already loosely left for 5-6 hours. On clothes it lasts much longer. Vibrant, pure, and masculine, this crisp blend of mandarin and petit grain, spiced with sexy mineral amber, evokes a brisk, aromatic freshness, with an elegant Mediterranean touch.
Aquatic, noble and masculine, AQVA pour Homme evokes the power and beauty of the sea. The perfection of a spherical flask. Aquatic blue and green merging together, capturing light, creating deep reflections. As the name would imply, this is targeting the ever-popular, this is targeting the ever-popular ‘aquatic’, Mediterranean, citrus-y fragrances of which Acqua di Giò is so emblematic. It’s got the straightforward mandarin notes, and then the sea-brine whiff that comes from the Posidonia (basically, seaweed) that is in there. But this one won’t knock you off your feet with its originality: it does feel as if Bvlgari have created this fragrance just so they can have an Acqua di Giò clone in their stable.
Hermes Terre d’Hermes
Terre d’Hermes by Hermes has reached an iconic status since its release in 2006. Conceived by Jean-Claude Ellena, Terre d’Hermès is a metaphor for materials, a matrix that speaks of territory as well as matter, earth, and roots.This vertically structured scent is based on an alchemy of wood, the scent first introduces the gaity of orange, the bitterness of grapefruit and the vivacity of pepper and of fresh spices. This “vegetality” flirts with the mineral effect of flint and the coarseness of vetiver. Dominated by cedar, the fragrance goes deeper with the sweetness of resins and the impalpable voluptuousness of benzoin.
The fragrance emphasizes the mineral, woody scents of Terre D’Hermès, underscored with lively citrus and shiso notes. A new, essential gravity is made poetic in this limited edition. “Feel the earth as you lie on your back with your eyes in the heavens”, said Master Parfumeur Jean-Claude Ellena. Terre d’Hermès is a symbolic narrative about matter and its transformation. A novel that expresses the chemical power of the elements. A fragrance between earth and sky. A journey full of strength and poetry.
Chanel Bleu de Chanel
It has an intense woody scent, its top notes open with refreshing notes, then reveal a rich harmony illuminated by sandalwood from New Caledonia. With its rich, bold shades, it leaves a strong, elegant effect. tribute to masculine freedom in an aromatic-woody fragrance with a captivating effect. This timelessly feminine fragrance is packaged in a mysterious navy blue bottle. This version of Bleu de Chanel perfume comes in the form of a strong eau de parfum that reflects the spirit of design. An ode to masculine freedom expressed in an aromatic-woody fragrance with a captivating trail. A timeless scent housed in a bottle of deep and mysterious blue. Bleu de Chanel is presented here in an eau de parfum with an exquisitely pronounced scent that reveals a determined spirit.
Composed by Jacques Polge, the Creator of Chanel Fragrances, Bleu de Chanel reveals itself in three acts. Act 1 – Freshness: A spirited burst of freshness ripples across the skin. A sense of liberating well-being is released. Citrus accord, Vetiver, Pink pepper. Act 2 – Energy: A rush of explosive energy galvanises the senses. The taste for action is electrifying. A positive current of vitality takes over.Grapefruit, Dry Cedar notes, Labdanum. Act 3 – The senses: The body gains an untouchable confidence, embracing a masculinity that is enigmatic, irresistible, impenetrable. Frankincense, Ginger, Sandalwood. Its enigmatic blue defies definition. Too blue to be black, too black to be blue. A bottle of dense, solid glass which blends authority with elegance. One of a kind, unlike anything else.
Dior Fahrenheit
Christian Dior Fahrenheit is a sensual fragrance full of the opposites for the men who have found their inner harmony. It perfectly combines fragility with strength and manliness with tenderness. An interesting mixture of contrasting fragrances to open the gate to the world enriched with its own emotions and the power of its spirit. Fahrenheit made its debut during the late Eighties – the decade defined by big scents with bold personalities that took risks. For those unfamiliar with this modern classic, perfumers Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Maurice Roger created a unique, masculine juice that was packed with floral notes of the less traditional kind (hawthorn, honeysuckle and a big hit of violet leaf). The predominant leathery note (from styrax and musk in the base) also carried a hint of something abstract – like petroleum or motorcycle exhaust.
Fahrenheit symbolizes the pioneering spirit of Dior. It’s a fragrance built on the bold marriage of extremes that attract in an almost magnetic way: hot and cold, subtlety and power. A unique and contrasting signature, with a powerful enchanting trail. Fresh Sicilian Mandarin notes, and the surprising combination of masculine Wood and Leather with an unprecedented Violet accord. A resolutely contemporary fragrance characterized by a meeting of extremes. Fresh, elegant notes blend in perfect harmony with bolder, more virile overtones to create a scent that is warm, subtle, and distinguished.
Givenchy Pour Homme Blue Label
This is a relaxing and carefree version of Givenchy pour Homme. It is a fresh and dynamic fragrance for an active man which appreciates freedom. The fragrance has preserved the elegance, but has gained a new rebellious note. The combination of woodsy notes has got a new intensity and accord due to fresh cocktail of grapefruit and bergamot and presence of hedione. This perfume, as well as Givenchy pour Homme, was created by Alberto Morillas and Ilias Ermenidis in 2004.
It opens a little citrus-like but it is more refined, with fresh mildly sour and fruity notes coming through and a hint of spicy ones too. The spicy and sweet bergamot and the authentic bitter grapefruit hit hard in the top notes blend well with the hedione, which adds that particular floral jasmine-magnolia smell. After the opening it melds pepper and cardamon, giving it a little more depth that otherwise would not be there. Not too much floral, despite the amazing lavender presence, but the wood and pepper definitely give it a dry feel.
