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The Fragrances and Cologne Gifts He Wants This Christmas
Good smells equal good presents
A fragrance or a cologne is a very personal thing to a man. Our sense of smell, like our clothes and our grooming ritual, has been honed over a number of years to cater directly to number one. A number two isn't always so welcome. Because a number two can get it wrong.
Luckily enough, Esquire has spent more than 10 minutes in the fragrant, heavily made-up bowels of a department store. We've got the headaches to prove it. In fact, we've spent years poring over this stuff: the good, the bad and the very, very musky, and just as trends dictate men's style and haircuts, the same applies to men's fragrances and colognes. It pays to mix the current rotation up. Despite cool, zeitgeist-y, 2020 rebrands, some scents should stay in the past.
But not these one. These ones are all great. And upon unboxing and taking that first cautious sniff on Christmas day, he'll be glad number two stuck their nose in. Here are the best men's fragrances and colognes for him.
Jo Malone
Citrusy notes are often ring-fenced for summer. But in Jo Malone's Orange Bitters, it's warmer, and richer thanks to a base of amber and sandalwood, and thus the the perfect scent for getting very slowly hammered in front of a roaring fire.
Orange Bitters Cologne, £50, lookfantastic.com
Bulgari
In a bottle shaped like an extra-terrestrial artefact in a Ridley Scott film (a good thing), and filled with a classic, amber-based scent directly inspired by the Med (an even better thing), Bulgari's Le Gemme is a rare example of style and substance.
Le Gemme Ambero, £255, harrods.com
Louis Vuitton
Following the success of Louis Vuitton's summer scent, 'California Dreaming', Météore lives up to its predecessor thanks to a balanced blend of Sicilian mandarin and vetiver that works just as well year-round.
LP0160 Météore, £200, louisvuitton.com
Acqua di Parma
100 years is a long time. And yet Acqua di Parma's original objective hasn't changed all that much: to make great-smelling fragrances that last, and fragrances that are always reserved for something a bit extra special.
Colonia, £65, johnlewis.com
Narciso Rodriguez
Cuban-American designer Narciso Rodriguez isn't quite a household name, but it is one who used by those in the know. So, when he unwraps this unexpected yet punchy mix of musk and citrus and woody notes, he'll also have a new designer name to toss around in conversations to deep nods and impressed brows.
Bleu Noir, £50, johnlewis.com
Comme des Garçons
CDG likes a unisex fragrance, and with Rouge's left-field blend of vegetal roots, beetroot and Egyptian geranium, so will you (and him).
Rouge, £120, doverstreetmarket.com
Carolina Herrera
Though Saffron Lazuli is unisex, Carolina Herrera's focus on heavier notes – predominantly those of tonka bean and orris – evokes a classic Middle Eastern fragrance, and thus one most men will recognise. And then quickly stuff into the bathroom cabinet.
Saffron Lazuli, £235, harrods.com
Aesop
Marrakech Intense: sounds a bit like the club-hopping package deal for your next trip to Morocco. Except on Aesop Airlines, this is a first class affair with the cult skincare label mixing a very specific blend of spicy, floral notes for a fragrance that suits everybody.
Marrakech Intense, £65, aesop.com
Atkinsons
Oud, an agar-based fragrance with roots in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, is enjoying something of a renaissance. And in Atkinsons' Oud Save the King, you've a refreshing take on an already distinctive scent.
Oud Save the King, £165, selfridges.com
Salvatore Ferragamo
A citrus, woody fragrance designed for wear by date, and night, and everything in-between might sound like its catering to everyone (and thus no-one). The thing is, Salvatore Ferragamo's scent for men really does tick all the boxes for a great all-rounder.
Eau de Toilette, from £37.40, escentual.com
Jean Paul Gaulthier
Harking back to a time when Christmas was rammed full of burly, chiselled sailors that were clucking for shore leave, Jean Paul Gaulthier's hit fragrance Le Male – a vanilla-based fragrance of lavender and iris – is back en vogue. Well hello, sailor!
Le Male, £56, lookfantastic.com
Cartier
The Pasha de Cartier is tried and tested: it is traditional, it is respected, it smells like a dream with a heady mix of wood and amber notes. He'll be thrilled.
Pasha de Cartier, £95.20, libertylondon.com
Byredo
There's a reason why Byredo sits on the bathroom counter of your friends that throw really, really good dinner parties. It's because the Swedish label makes really, really good stuffs, including Tobacco Mandarin: a unique mix of mandarin, coriander and, yes, a bit of smoke too.
Tobacco Mandrin, £235, byredo.com
Montblanc
You certainly haven't conquered Patagonia this year, and that trip is on ice indefinitely. But you can smell like the crystal clear heights of an undisturbed mountain peak with Montblanc's Explorer: a light but kinda leathery fragrance inspired by glacier peaks. Nothing quite like the smell of fresh Matterhorn in a morning.
Explorer Fragrance, £84.80, johnlewis.com
Shiro
For a bubbling under brand that deserves major kudos, Shiro London is a perfect gift for someone looking for something a little difference. Which, in Incense Clear's case, means a unisex bergamot and pine blend that's striking, but still subtle.
Incense Clear, £135, shiro-shiro.uk
Issey Miyake
Japanese design royalty Issey Miyake does his own thing a lot. The same thinking extends to the fragrances too, as the Fusion d'Issey packs summery touches – lemon and coconut water – within a solid, winter-friendly scent.
Fusion d'Issey, £41.16, lookfantastic.com
Creed
Enter: the high priest of men's fragrances. Creed Aventus is, arguably, one of the most coveted scents of recent times, and that's not going to change anytime soon.
Aventus, £280, johnlewis.com
Eight & Bob
Designed in conjunction with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Organisation, and released to celebrate the anniversary of Bobby's historic run, Eight & Bob's special edition is light, crisp and actually timeless. Happy birthday (well, Christmas), Mr President.
Original RFK Special Edition, £110, lookfantastic.com
Dolce & Gabbana
Your postponed Roman Holiday smells like this: a masculine, smoky mix of neroli and cardamom direct from the spring in Dolce & Gabbana's The One.
The One, £72.24, lookfantastic.com
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