154 MEN’S HEALTH MENSHEALTH.CO.UKScents
Fragrance counters tend to be piled with homogenous
bottles targeting libidinous adolescents. Forgo the
eau de bro in favour of these more cultured optionsGUIDE TO STYLE – 03 / 17
Photography By Sun Lee
CABINET RESHUFFLE01
Pepper Spray
“Younger men tend
to go for cardboard-
cutout scents with a
standard citrus-wood-
amber structure,”
says Dariush Alavi,
author of Le Snob:
Perfume. “But pepper
is a difficult note to
render long-lasting,
so it lends this a more
refined edge.”
Blackpepper by
Comme des Garçons
£83 selfrides.com02
Hirsutes You
“This scent feels more
mature because it’s
retro,” says Alavi. “The
patchouli is redolent
of a burlier masculinity,
but cleaned up by new
distillation methods,
so you won’t go out
feeling like an extra
in Boogie Nights.”
Monsieur by
Frederic Malle £150
fredericmalle.com03
Vanilla Guy
‘Gourmand’ fragrances
are ones that contain
edible notes – in this
case, almond and
vanilla, the latter being
common in pre-’90s
scents. “This is noble
and intoxicating,”
says Madeleine Cable,
fragrance buyer at
John Lewis. That
means more Clooney,
less Bieber.
Jo Malone Myrrh &
Tonka Cologne Intense
£105 jomalone.co.uk04
Men Only
Givenchy might be
more associated with
Parisian catwalks, but
fragrance-wise it’s
very much a case of
heritage over fleeting
fashion. “It’s a twist on
tradition, mixing tonka
bean, rich pepper and
patchouli,” says Cable.
The result is timeless.
Gentlemen Only
Absolute by Givenchy
£70 johnlewis.com05
Mr Hide
“It might be called
Patchouli, but it’s the
guaiacol obtained from
beechwood that gives
this its cultivated
edge,” says Alavi. Think
Sex Panther, minus
the nostril-stinging
pungency and actual
bits of panther.
Patchouli 24
by Le Labo £165
libertylondon.comHeritage
scents
prioritise
lasting appeal
over instant
impact02
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STYLING: ERIC DOWN | WORDS: JAMIE MILLAR | SET DESIGN: SLM