This luxury Italian fashion house founded in 1985, has been in the business of producing perfume since 1992. With a string of successful, iconic releases to their credit, Dolce & Gabbana bound back in 2008 with a masculine fragrance to match its feminine counterpart launched just 2 years earlier. The One for Men is a runaway success and a tip of the hat to devout masculinity.

A woody spicy scent, The One is presented in a weighty glass flacon with broad, square shoulders... its composition something of a breakaway from the masculines previously presented in the D&G portfolio. The opening of basil, coriander and grapefruit is herbaceous and aromatic, but almost instantly, one senses a delicious ambery warmth rising from beneath. Spicy cardamom, vegetal amber, cedar and dried tobacco imbue the fragrance with feelings of comfort and familiarity. It is masculine and endearing... something perfect to snuggle up to in the colder months. For those who found beauty in a bottle of Vera Wang Man, well ,The One might just be, um “the one”!

Dolce & Gabbana The One for Men is the first masculine to follow this woody / spicy / oriental trajectory and thus is a standout in their portfolio. It can be worn for all occasions.

46 years after the launch of Hermes' iconic feminine fragrance Caleche, in-house nose Jean-Claude Ellena revisited the Caleche theme in 2007 with the creation of Kelly Caleche... a scent responsible for turning a whole new generation of perfumistas back to this enduring and iconic French brand.

Kelly Caleche is a vivacious and delicate scent, handled with all the panache and expertise expected of Ellena and Hermes. A floral / woody / musky perfume, Kelly Caleche is Ellena's interpretation of a visit to an Hermes leather warehouse... it embodies the smell of the finest leather, blanketed with an abundance of petals.

It opens with pretty blossoms of muguet and narcissus and a twist of grapefruit which lends a brightness to the topnotes. A bushel of husky iris, mimosa, tuberose and rose caress one of the most beautiful leather accords I've smelled... the texture is like that of napped suede, and this aroma lingers long into the trail. Kelly Caleche feels enchanting and sensual.

A definite must for women who long for understated elegance that is completely devoid of fussiness and pretentiousness.

Want to be let in to one of our best kept secrets? Angel Schlesser perfume by Spanish designer Angel Schlesser is a knockout! The author of this scent is none other than in-house Guerlain nose / perfumer Thierry Wasser!

Schlesser's fashion oeuvre celebrates minimalism, which is perhaps best represented with the presentation of this, his first feminine perfume launched in a pristine rectangle of matte white glass. But what it holds is far from uniform and straightforward. Angel Schlesser Femme is a sparkling aldehydic floral that shimmers with rousing bergamot, mandarin and orange blossom... these facets twinkle over radiant jasmine and a deeper aromatic heart of cypress, black currant and cardamom. Red and green pepper lends a huff of zippy warmth which one can detect in the background, and the entire composition is underpinned by cedar, and musk. For a scent with some complexity, there is very little evolution from first spritz to the final whisper on skin – and I suspect that is where Schlesser's signature of purity and minimalism reveals itself.

This scent has definite presence and works incredibly well during (but is not limited to) the warmer months. It has a clean, sharp radiance which never fails to amaze.

Presented in a glass flacon of deep oceanic blue, Issey Miyake's masculine launch of 2004 L'eau Bleue d'Issey Pour Homme is a woody aromatic scent that is an olfactory snapshot of the mediterranean.

An abundant cornucopia of aromatics, herbs, woods and spices, this fragrance defies the “clean marine” qualities he captured in his 1994 woody aquatic offering L'eau d'Issey, and reminds us of the more robust, complex masculines on the market. It opens with bracing lime, orange, mandarin and orangewood which lead into an oily / sappy landscape of rosemary, juniper and cypress. This coniferous heart is rendered even greener with the addition of ginger. One feels a sense of mountainous green hills with broad, sweeping vistas over the blue Agean. A base of cedar, patchouli, sandalwood and oakmoss proffer an earthy quality that is as dense and fragrant as a forest floor littered with leaves. It is perhaps less 'abstract' than some of Miyake's other creations... it feels somewhat literal and exact.

L'eau Bleue d'Issey is a masculine for men who favour fragrances that are earthy and primal. It has above-average persistence and sillage. It is an often-overlooked gem from the Issey Miyake range. 

In 2012, Jacques Guerlain's Art Nouveau masterpiece L'Heure Bleue celebrated it's 100th birthday, which I see as testament to the adoration of millions for this timeless scent. Considered one of the classical perfume pillars in Guerlain's vast timeline, L'Heure Bleue (The Blue Hour) is a feminine fragrance full of nostalgia and wistfulness that still casts a big shadow on the perfume world today.

Composed in 1912, Jacques Guerlain wanted to capture a poetic moment at twilight when there is a sense of melancholy in the air... an hommage to the minutes between day and night, when light is dwindling and the sky is painted in hues of dark blue. It is challenging to describe this perfume because it manages to transport the wearer to a different point in time, unleashing thoughts and recollections from the past. However, it captures many aspects of Paris in a bottle... toasty, buttery French pastries, evaporating rain, dusty drawing rooms with wooden panels, wax candles burning in a church... everyone's perception is unique unto themselves. The topnotes are bergamot and aniseed, the heart notes, heliotrope, carnation and neroli, and the basenotes, iris, violet, vanilla, tonka and resins.

L'Heure Bleue feels introverted, haunted, and with a sorrowful pang of yearning. It is unrivaled in its beauty, and indeed a breathtaking example of artistry and genius by the hand of one of the world's most respected and revered perfumers. Try it today.

When launched in the mid 80's Bel Ami was considered the “grand seducer.”.. a scent that felt confident and self-assured, and one that left women swooning in its wake. Classified as a Woody Chypre for men, this scent was created by perfumer Jean-Louis Sieuzac in an era of gratuitous excess... it embodies all the brawn and overt masculine energy common to many mens perfumes released in the 80s, but with the expected Hermes DNA of luxury and finesse.

Straight out of the bottle Bel Ami bowls you over with an infusion of woods and citrus: lemon and mandarin, which are rendered toasty and warm by a punch of fragrant cedar. Herbaceous sage and peppery carnation add depth and intricacy, and a thick ribbon of vanilla and patchouli, a rich earthiness. Mosses and resins flesh out the basenotes and the sum of all these individual facets feels spicy, leathery and sexy. It is a fragrance which is bold, commanding and unrepentant.

Bel Ami feels suave, masculine and unapologetic. Revived in the 2000's and revered as one of Hermes' best masculines to date, I expect Bel Ami will charm and seduce for many years yet.

A guilty pleasure of mine, Azzaro Chrome is a scent launched in 1996 that never fails to ignite interest in those around me. A masculine scent that plays with woody / herbaceous aromatics and crisp citrus notes, Chrome is a bracing, energizing fragrance that offers simplicity and complexity, rendering it a great go-to scent for any time of day.

Chrome opens with top notes of lemon, bergamot, neroli and pineapple – a zesty, bright flight which feels summery and clean. As it evolves on skin, a more profound heart unfolds... a spicy/mossy blend of oakmoss, coriander cardamom and rosewood mingle with soft florals: cyclamen and jasmine. These accords revolve over a foundation of  sandalwood, cedar and musk. The overall impression is one of relaxed sophistication... it can be worn with crisp white shirts and denim, or with smart/casual suit and tie. 

As the name suggests, Chrome has a glinting, almost-metallic quality – one that renders it fascinating and intriguing to those around you. It wears incredibly well on skin – particularly in the warmer months – which, to my mind, is when this scent really comes alive.

For an uplifting fragrance that offers uniqueness and gathers complements, Chrome delivers every time.

Emperor of daring couture and inter-planetary perfumes, Thierry Mugler shot to stardom in 1992 with the launch of his first fragrance, Angel; a scent that took the world by storm and rivaled the likes of Chanel No. 5 in terms of global sales and appreciation. In 2005, Mugler looked to the celestial heavens for inspiration once more and plucked Alien from the ether... a luminous feminine fragrance which is revered for its otherworldly beauty.

Alien – as the name suggests - is a scent evocative of intergalactic gardens and twinkling starscapes. Focusing on the main accord of jasmine, Mugler created a shining, multi-faceted scent with incredible persistence and titanic sillage... a radiant spiraling nebula of colour and light. Orange blossom, precious woods and amber lend a solar warmth to the composition, but Alien also remains somewhat cold... a cryogenically-frozen profusion of flowers grown in refrigerated air.

The ultra-modern faceted violet flacon looks like a shard of spaceglass that fell to earth from the heavens. A resolutely feminine perfume, if it is luminosity and uniqueness you yearn for, then Alien is a must-try.

Emperor of daring couture and inter-planetary perfumes, Thierry Mugler shot to stardom in 1992 with the launch of his first fragrance, Angel; a scent that took the world by storm and rivaled the likes of Chanel No. 5 in terms of global sales and appreciation. In 2005, Mugler looked to the celestial heavens for inspiration once more and plucked Alien from the ether... a luminous feminine fragrance which is revered for its otherworldly beauty.

Alien – as the name suggests - is a scent evocative of intergalactic gardens and twinkling starscapes. Focusing on the main accord of jasmine, Mugler created a shining, multi-faceted scent with incredible persistence and titanic sillage... a radiant spiraling nebula of colour and light. Orange blossom, precious woods and amber lend a solar warmth to the composition, but Alien also remains somewhat cold... a cryogenically-frozen profusion of flowers grown in refrigerated air.

The ultra-modern faceted violet flacon looks like a shard of spaceglass that fell to earth from the heavens. A resolutely feminine perfume, if it is luminosity and uniqueness you yearn for, then Alien is a must-try.

For fans of feminine, flirtatious florals, look no further than Carolina Herrera's Chic... a scent launched in 2002 that has captured the hearts of many a woman (and many a man!) with it's spritely, passionate charm.

Chic – just as the name suggests – is a well-edited perfume that has never lost it's timeless beauty. Packaged in a stunning glass flacon with accent red edges, Chic represents ageless elegance with a vibrant twist. It opens with a flourish of Bulgarian rose and blushing red freesias... these tippy-toe over a lip-smacking citrus heart of mandarin and orange which contribute to the bright, sunny nature of this scent. A voluptuous base of vanilla and white musk draw people in for closer consideration.

Carolina Herrera has managed to produce an enduring, pretty floral which will appeal to women of all ages. It has modest projection, but lets face it... sometimes a little modesty can be a colossal attractant.

Contemporary. Trim. Chic.