Category Archives: Cologne

A crisp white shirt hangs on the door. A black leather belt lies coiled on the counter. A shelf lined with Tom Ford Private Blends tempts the eye and nose. Frederic Malle and Jean Claude Ellena are there too. The fragrances of a gentleman – refined and elegant – co-mingle in pleasant camaraderie. Remembering the fragrance counter at Barneys, when the collective scent of the store and all its olfactory offerings struck a resplendent chord of harmony but could not be narrowed down to a single source specimen, he smiles at what the years of procuring cologne have created: a personally-curated collection of scents.

He opens the glass door and carefully procures the bottle of ‘Bois D’Orage’. He brings the bottle to his nose and inhales, confirming the selection. Two quick sprays over his chest, where he will be the one to smell it the most. Some put it on their wrist or other pulse points. He keeps it closer to his heart; the accessory of fragrance has never been applied in the service of anyone other than himself.

Outside, dawn’s soft sky, echoed by some ridiculous late-season snow, lends a cool blue tone to the little square of light, buffered by a soft white shade. The bare branches of a dogwood allow a mostly unfettered view of the backyard. A late-to-arrive winter left most of the tan papery leaves of a Japanese maple intact and hanging onto their perches. The ruminations of a morning. The ablutions of a gentleman.

He tugs his sleeves and folds the French cuffs into place. A shiny new pair of cufflinks catches the light – silver crowns in facetious, fabulous fashion. He threads them through the slits then adjusts the sleeves as gentlemen have been fussing for ages. Sliding into a glen-plaid jacket, he pulls the sleeves out just enough to peek through the edge. A gentleman hints. A gentleman whispers. A gentleman holds his cards close to his chest.

Ladies with an attitude, fellows that were in the mood…

Stepping outside, a Prada bag slung over his shoulder, he inhales. Beyond the ‘Bois D’Orage’, a hint of spring rides on the breeze. No smile betrays his hope, and no one sees behind his Tom Ford aviators. He ducks into the waiting car and is whisked away.

Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it.

Nothing says spring like a new fragrance for the cologne cabinet. Since we’ve had a chilly start of it, this warm and woodsy offering By Kilian – rather unfortunately named ‘Straight to Heaven’ – is the latest addition to my addiction, where it fittingly bridges the transition between winter and spring. The first time I encountered this exquisite gem was in New York several years ago. My Mom and I had just come out of the Plaza and were about to head back to our decidedly-less-fancy hotel when the windows of Bergdorf Goodman and their Men’s Shop called to me. We stepped gingerly through the revolving door and the relative calm was an immediate balm from the bustling street. To the right, a curved wooden and glass display case housed part of their colognes.

I stopped first at the Tom Ford section, quickly assessing that there were no new Private Blends in evidence, and fished around for some news on what might be coming next. Nothing. I crossed over to another counter where a pushy but fabulous salesperson was spraying a multitude of sample cards and intoning me to try them out. At the time I was new to the oud game, but I told her I liked things on the woodsy side, though also partial to citrus and some element of sandalwood. She showed me a new oud By Kilian, which was nice, and then, almost as an afterthought, sprayed a thick white card with their signature scent, ‘Straight to Heaven’. As repellent as the name was, the scent itself was divine. Reluctantly, I admitted I loved it, but at about $300 it wasn’t in my financial vocabulary. Not then, anyway. I pocketed the card and we made our way back out to the sidewalk. Ever since that fateful day in May I’ve thought fondly of the scent, and that moment, and the promise of spring, and it’s remained in my memory.

Having haunted me for all this time, the scent has remained elusive due to my own design. I’ve resisted procuring samples because I didn’t want to alter the memory in the event that I one day did find a way to purchase a bottle. Fragrance is a powerful memory trigger, far more effective than song or sight. I did some reading up on ‘Straight to Heaven’. (When things are out of reach, financially or otherwise, I find solace in researching and reading about them.) A rum-based spicy member of the woody family, the literature attributed its complexity to patchouli, dried fruits and nutmeg, along with notes of musk, cedar, amber and vanilla. Once again, something that sounded hideous on paper (more like a recipe for a dish I would never make) turned into something wondrous when it reached the skin.

When Sephora finally featured it on their website, I quickly dug out the gift certificate that Andy had presented on Valentine’s Day and used it to pay for a portion of a bottle. I’ve been in need of a fragrant jolt, something special to kick off a spring season that seems determined to stay on the snowy side of things. ‘Straight to Heaven’ bridges that gap beautifully. It opens with the aforementioned blast of rum, and all the other ingredients conspire to make an initially-questionable cacophony of sensation. One is unsure whether to sniff, feast, swallow or run from the thing. Relax and let it play out, or get riled up and upset because the relief and the dry-down will be even better; there’s a reason the bitter is designed to go with the sweet.

I’d forgotten how powerful the opening was, as well as how quickly it dissipated, so I went with the roller coaster until it evened out. And then it was absolute heaven. Maybe the name wasn’t so silly after all. A sophisticated woody scent soon emerges, with just enough spicy sweetness to balance the dry heart of the cedar. The fragrance remained semi-prominent for only about five hours, slightly disappointing given the enormous price point, but this is a scent designed for intimacy, not screaming and shouting. It pounds on the door and arrives in an over-the-top party outfit, but then wants nothing more than to sit in a quiet corner and be worshipped by the few super-select deemed worthy.

In other words, it’s a scent after my own heart.

“What is most intimate is what will speak to others. Perfumers build the labyrinth in which we lose ourselves out of all those secret harmonies and connections. They bring out its beauty: reinvent it so that it can be felt by all.” – Denyse Beaulieu, ‘The Perfume Lover’

Tom Ford gets all the flashy olfactory glory in these parts, but his scents aren’t always the most user-friendly. That’s partly why I like them. They are not meant for everyday use (nor are their price points). For everyday office wear, I prefer something softer and more subtle, something less garish and out-there. That something should retain an elegance and refinement as befits a person struggling to maintain some sort of nobility and style in a world of Axe body spray and Cool Water.

The House of Hermès had a genius run when it employed Jean-Claude Ellena as its fragrance-maker. Mssr. Ellena crafted the exquisite ‘L’Eau d’Hiver’ which is an understated classic for Frederic Malle. Yet it was his work for Hermès that truly struck a chord with me. Under his tenure they produced some wonderful scents, such as the gorgeous Jardin series featuring garden-inspired fragrances from around the world. I recently discovered that he was also the person behind my latest acquisition – Voyage d’Hermès.

In the past few years, on the hunt for the ever-elusive niche scent that no one else around me had, I’ve veered into pricey territory, giving Andy and my parents undue financial stress when it came to Christmas and birthdays. Along with those heftier price tags came heftier fragrances – if you’re going to drop $310 on a small bottle of Eau de parfum, it damn well better project, slaying with sillage and leaving no doubt who was coming and going. That is all very well for special events and memory-making moments. For the long stretches of in-between time, however, someone like Mssr. Ellena handily beats the heavy hand of Tom Ford. Perfect for the office or family gathering where one wants to be distinguished but not glaring, Voyage d’Hermès is a quietly sophisticated addition to the fragrance arsenal.

A frigid lucidity greets the New Year. The clarity and clean slate demand something fresh and pure. The heaviness of the holidays now behind us, we are free to move beyond the excess and seek out something simpler. To that end, I’m trying out a classic Frederic Malle fragrance, ‘Geranium Pour Monsieur’. Created by Dominique Ropion, this is at first glance a spring or summer fragrance, but as I occasionally do with some citrus scents, I find winter a perfect time in which to wear it. We need something to break up the claustrophobic weight of the moment. There are more than enough weeks to surrender to the smoky, heavy warm scents of winter; some days you need something to break it all up.

Piercing the cold like a sliver of sunlight through an icicle, the bright notes of ‘Geranium Pour Monsieur’ are a welcome distraction. With a heady dose of its namesake grounding the whole experience, the fragrance also pulls in mint, rhodinol, aniseed and assorted spices to give it just a hint of warmth. It’s as light and breezy as it sounds, which means it’s not the longest-lasting out there, but a mid-day reapplication never hurt anyone. Such freshness is not long for such a brutal season anyway, but this is an instant antidote for the winter doldrums, when your olfactory senses are ripe for a surprising twist.

For me, fragrance is usually reliant upon seasonal influences. This is one of those rule-breakers that can find a place for itself in any season, not unlike Tom Ford’s ‘Oud Wood’ or the exquisite ‘Eau de gentiane blanche’ by Hermes. It depends on the mood and the whim of the wearer ~ a dangerous aspect for most of the time, but here it works.

My anniversary gift from Andy is typically a new fragrance, and this year proved no different. With Tom Ford’s latest Private Blend proving a re-tread of his ‘Mandarino di Amalfi’ I couldn’t justify that price point with something so similar, and though Hermès is my usual go-to spring scent (the wondrous Jardin series by Jean-Claude Ellena remains a vibrant seasonal accent) I was somewhat at a loss as to what to get. (This is a luxurious conundrum in which to find oneself. I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m lucky to lead such a charmed life, and I am grateful.)

The question over what new fragrance might tickle my olfactory fancy was decided as soon as I took another swing through Atelier’s Cologne Absolue line. I’d tried them all a while back, but fragrance needs to evolve for me. Very rarely does the first sniff or trial run result in instant love. I need to be wooed. Teased. Convinced.

That happened relatively quickly with a few sprays of the ‘Figuier Ardent’ – a lovely twist on the common fig. Slightly fruity, slightly sweet – two things I abhor in a cocktail but eagerly drink up on my skin – this is a slightly watery fragrance as well, which is why it tips into a realm I can eagerly appreciate. Perfect for the crux of spring and summer.

It was originally a summer fragrance for me. With its fruity rhubarb brightness and underlying white musk, Eau De Rhubarbe Ecarlate by Hermes was a surprise addition to my fragrance cabinet during the last fair season, yet it sort of got lost in the summer shuffle. When I was putting together an outfit for the first day of spring, and red was the chosen color of pants and tie, I recalled the red bottle of this gorgeous scent, and resurrected it a little early. Crafted by Christine Nagel, it’s a slight departure from the Jardin series that Jean-Claude Ellena left as his Hermes legacy, but it retains the elegance and sophistication of the house.

I’ve been out of the Hermes loop for a bit, so I’m not sure what they have on offer for this spring. I do know there is a new Tom Ford Private Blend coming out – Sole di Positano for the Portofino line – and another Oud, thrillingly titled Oceanus – so I’ll practice patience and see which one speaks to me the loudest. For now, we have rhubarb dreams and summer memories.

Oud, that rich and resinous substance that lends itself to some of the most exquisite fragrances in the world, has almost run into overexposed territory. A couple of years ago Tom Ford released a trio of Oud frags – Oud Wood, Tobacco Oud, and Oud Fleur – that were all delicious, and in the ensuing years we’ve gone into oud overload. Not that I’m complaining – we have yet to reach any sort of oversaturation point – and when something like Atelier’s recent ‘Oud Safir’ came along, my fragrance expert at Neiman Marcus gave me an unsolicited sample knowing I would fall in love instantly, and she was absolutely correct.

For me, this is oddly reminiscent of Byredo’s ‘Black Saffron’ and is just as potent. It’s a banger of a fragrance that softens as the day goes on, beginning in brash and sparkling form before veering into something rich and decadent. It’s like a jewel that has been transformed into a scent – hard and sleek, simultaneously opaque and transparent. It bites and soothes, and is warm enough for the fall and winter. Along with the agar wood, there is suede, pink pepper, and birch to resonate long beyond the top bergamot notes.