Light Blue for Women by Dolce & Gabbana
Design House: Dolce & Gabbana
Year Introduced: 2001
Fragrance Notes: rose, apple, musk and jasmine
Recommended Use: casual
Scent Life: 6-10 hours
Among men everywhere, the seemingly ubiquitous fragrance, Light Blue, has taken on a life of its own. No, guys aren’t wearing this exquisitely woody and spicy perfume—it’s explicitly pour femme—rather D & G’s happy or harrowing plume serves as the sensuous reminder to pass triumphs and defeats, with seemingly every lady worth chasing having donned this essence, one time or another. Perhaps, though, Light Blue’s memorability factor and ability to evoke complex emotions is more of a testament to how remarkable the scent is, than how marketable the scent’s been.

Michael by Michael Kors
Design House: Michael Kors
Year Introduced: 2001
Fragrance Notes: spiced patchouli, dry fragrant woods, with tones of leather
Recommended Use: Evening
Scent Life: 6-10 hours

A sensuous curveball for the partner of any man donning a suit or evening attire, Michael is in many ways the opposite of what we’ve come to expect from formal fragrance. Freed from the sort of plodding pungency often associated with upscale EDTs, Kors cunningly countered the industry with a scent anchored in a surprisingly succulent, smoked, spiced patchouli.

Corduroy by Zirh

Design House: Zirh International
Year Introduced: 2005
Fragrance Notes: grapefruit, aqua accord, mandarin, lavender, cardamom, cinnamon, davana, suede, cedarwood, sandalwood, guiac wood, kashmir wood, vanilla and tonka bean  
Recommended Use: casual
Scent Life: 6-10 hours

Perhaps the choice of the cultivated woodsman, Corduroy evinces spartan masculinity through a blend of freshness and nuance. Opting for the austere presentation of a complex concoction of woodsy and citrus notes, rather than an off-putting cocktail of heavy-handed musk and marketing, Zirh International’s 2005 debutee could very well be the cologne of the modern-day Paul Bunyan.

Boss in Motion by Hugo Boss
Design House: Hugo Boss
Year Introduced: 2002
Fragrance Notes: basil flowers, dry pink pepper and musk
Recommended Use: daytime
Scent Life: 6-10 hours
Boss, whose sense of fashion famously melds man with beauty, once again stays true to brand. In Motion’s lone three scent nodes of basil flower, dry pink pepper and musk converge to convey a warm vanilla essence. The cologne, gentle as it may be, is clearly made for a man; though, through an aroma ineffably familiar to the female nostril, In Motion cannot help but be inviting, if not alluring, to the fairer sex—especially if applied to the neckline of a starched oxford or v-neck.

Burberry The Beat for Men
Design House: Burberry
Year Introduced: 2008
Fragrance Notes: vetiver bourbon, violet leaves accord, leatherwood, black pepper cedrat
Recommended Use: Casual
Scent Life: 1-5 hours
Burberry’s aptly monikered The Beat packs a palpable briskness, positioning it above the ranks of otherwise stodgy upscale competitors. Though the seedlings of traditional masculine essence are apparent, with hints of leatherwood and black pepper cedrat to wit, therein lies an undeniable vigor—a fragrant sense of pace—that would allow this eau de toilette to cut through a winter chill or the dankness of a dreary autumn day.

Apple Bottoms by Nelly

Design House: Nelly

Year Introduced: 2009

Fragrance Notes: fresh citrus, tropical fruit, pink peony, apple blossom, rose, sweet coconut, sandalwood, cedarwood, golden amber, velvet musk

Recommended Use: Daytime, casual

While still totally acceptable to wear with the eponymous jeans, or even the ‘boots with the fur,’ you’d be hard-pressed to deem this classically smelling fragrance a “hip-hop” eau de parfum. With top notes marked by airy citrus notes, and dainty middle notes of apple blossom, rose, and sweet coconut, it’s clear that Nelly designed this tender perfume to grace the neckline of the apple of his eye—or at the very least, some serious eye candy.

Design House: Christian Audigier

Year Introduced: 2008

Fragrance Notes: amber, bergamot, mandarin, clary sage, thuja, sequoia
Recommended Use: Casual

Scent Life: 6-10 hours

The Ed Hardy flagship for men is the aromatic embodiment of Christian Audigier’s iconic brand: aggressively masculine, vibrant, cool and sexy.
Machismo emanates effortlessly as a musk buoyed in overt amber overtones, while mandarin and sage provide the perfect balancing act—cool and light. A dash of sequoia, too, contributes to the cologne’s natural nuances, though the reason for the titanic tree’s presence, and not-so-overt symbolism, may be, to again, add to the aura of Ed Hardy’s now infamous showmanship.

Design House: Tommy Hilfiger 

Year Introduced: 2001 

Fragrance Notes: a pine scent with clementines and lime as top notes 

Recommended Use: Daytime, casual 

Scent Life: 6-10 hours

A fragrance that evokes youth and exuberance with its airy, yet distinct, burst of citrus; a pine scent countervails T’s fruity overtones, offering a sense of masculinity emerging beneath its carefree exterior. By anchoring this scent in notes that are more subtly aromatic, Hilfiger has developed a scent that can be applied, and worn, casually, as its inherent lightness leaves little fear of coming off too strong.

Design House: Tommy Hilfiger

Year Introduced: 1995

Fragrance Notes: tangy citrus, cranberry and cinnamon apple pie, a warm and comfortable fragrance.

Recommended Use: Daytime, casual

Scent Life: 6-10 hours

Possessing scents both traditional and versatile, it’s no secret as to why Tommy Hilfiger chose this fragrance as his empire’s flagship. Cranberry and cinnamon apple pie form the makings of a musk, while tangy citrus nodes delicately tilt the scales in a more casual direction. The result is a warm, comfortable cologne which, since 1995, has charmed all who have found themselves guests of its airspace.

Design House: Lacoste

Year Introduced: 2005

Fragrance Notes: Black Currant, Rose, Tomato Leaf, Sandalwood, Citrus, Patchouli, Black Pepper

Recommended Use: Everyday, Casual

Scent Life: 6-10 Hours

A light, citrusy scent that dazzles year-round, though truly flourishes in the summer, with its hints of sandalwood and rose. With the strength to last the course of a day, yet not in the least overpowering, Essential essentially frees you from the fear of headaches or eye-rolling that comes with over-application. Anchored in an always en vogue lemonish base, the aroma fits well in any boardroom, though it’s patchouli undercarriage carries a slightly rebellious connotation as well.