Recently, I was in New York on holiday with my boyfriend (yes, I am going to cling to it for as long as I can), and had the pleasure of witnessing him trying to purchase his own cologne. What I learnt? Men actually care more about what girls think of their cologne than they do themselves. He spent so much time mumbling about how he shouldn’t have to buy his own cologne, it should be a gift, he’s never had to pick his own before now, blah, blah, blah, that I ended up abandoning him in favour of the women’s section.
The silver lining of the whole situation is, I now have a gift idea stored in the bank next time my brother/boyfriend/dad has a birthday. Better still, recent weeks have seen a slew of new men’s fragrances hit the market, so there’s plenty of choice on offer. Here are just a couple to get you started…
1. The Essence: What man wouldn’t want to smell like this sporting royal? The latest scent from Becks is incredibly sexy, combining fruity scents of pineapple, apple and grapefruit with base notes of tonka bean, cashmeran and patchouli heart. It is confidence in a bottle.
2. Acqua Di Gio Essenza: I think Aqua di Gio is one of the sexiest men’s fragrances ever to be created, so it comes as no surprise that I’m a fan of this extension of the original. Slightly more sophisticated than its big brother, Essenza features a new note of Cascalone, as well as fresh notes of Cologne, Sicilian Bergamot essence and grapefruit zest.
3. Seductive Homme Blue: This fresh scent combines spicy, peppery notes with an earthy base of cashmere wood. Masculine yet fresh, the fragrance is inspired by the intensity of the ocean and the earthy warmth of sand. The end result is an exciting twist on the original Guess Seductive Homme formula.
4. Le Male Collector's Edition: Housed in a signature JPG bottle, this scent makes its mark with mint, coriander and lavender, with a heart of orange blossom. Perfect for the man who wants to emulate Roman warriors of eras past.
5. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Dreaming in Portofino: Inspired by the Mediterranean, this scent is perfect for the girl that wants her man with a side of sexiness formerly reserved for Italian dreamboats. Opening with top notes of litchi and musky ambrette seed, it melts into floral tones, ending with base notes of amber and woody patchouli.