It often falls on me to choose fragrances for the husbands, fathers and sons of the women in my life, and it’s a task I relish. I’m partial to wearing a masculine scent myself, and am always mustard-keen to sniff out what’s new and interesting. I use that last word pointedly, because men’s perfume can often be a crashing bore. For at least two decades, mainstream brands seemed to peddle the same old watery, slightly fruity concoctions that smelled more like loo cleaner than man of elegance. “Fresh” and “clean” said all the fancy press packs, as if clean even has a smell, and as if this was all that men desired in a fragrance.
But one can still have lightness, brightness, airiness, even a little soapiness, without losing character and personality: here are some new ones I love, each especially good at this time of year, when heavy, musky, dirty concoctions can feel a bit obtrusive and lecherous. Ulrich Lang Apsu eau de toilette (£75) is among my favourites. It’s an exceptionally modest, cut-grass smell punctuated by peppery herbs and a dash of citrus, and seems to smell as lovely on women as it does on men (indeed, several of those featured this week are comfortably unisex). It has a glassiness that will cut nicely through the oncoming claggy weather, though the huge bottle should easily see you through winter.
Also herbal, but a little gutsier, is Aesop Tacit (£70), which smells strongly of a basil plant left on a hot kitchen windowsill and has surprisingly good longevity for a “green” scent. Jo Malone Black Cedarwood & Juniper (£44) is bigger and boozier than the brand’s other colognes, and with its slightly mysterious, foresty fogginess, is woodsier than most on this list, though a touch of sweetness provides some sunlight through the treetops.
If you’re hazy on the distinction between clementine and mandarin (don’t get me started on satsuma and tangerine), dissecting Atelier’s delightful Clémentine California might drive you, well, bananas. Over hints of vetiver and spice, the soft citrus is almost playfully dominant. It could almost count as one of your five a day. It launches at the end of the month. If you can’t wait that long, try Hermès Eau d’Orange Verte (from £56). All of the above are light enough to allay fears of the cloying and complex, yet intriguing enough to show that fresh needn’t mean boring.
