We all know that Chanel no 5 is the largest selling woman’s perfume of all times. However, in the case of men, there is not one perfume which really stands out.
The usual suspects like Dior’s Eau Savage and Fahrenheit are often talked about when describing a gentleman’s vanity case but there is not one iconic essential which strikes the mind. Have men got a raw deal over the years?
Customising it in Paris
“Strangely for men there hasn’t been a Chanel no 5 equivalent. Most men’s cologne tend to become dated. If I get addicted to a scent, I buy it in bulk. I go to Paris and customise my own scent. It depends on my mood. It could be a mix of vanilla with some pepper. Among the branded perfumes, I swear by Dolce & Gabbana numeric series and sports. I also love Victor & Rolf and Prada,” says designer Arjun Khanna.
Some believe that earlier wearing perfume or cologne was not seen as a very masculine thing. “With changing times wearing a cologne is now very much an essential part of the male grooming process. So, in a sense, the male cologne market is relatively new,” says Vikram Raizada, CEO, Retail, Tara Jewels.
A concentrated oil blend
“My grandfather used to have this one bottle of Old Spice aftershave on his dressing table that I could swear lasted my entire childhood. I always think of that scent and that odd, white glass bottle as an icon for being a grown-up man. For special occasions, he’d dab on pure sandalwood oil, which is also such an elegant scent. I think the key to using a fragrance is restraint — use just enough for women to want to come closer for a better whiff,” says actor Rahul Khanna, who has been using a concentrated essence oil blend for the last several years.
Classics rule
“I guess the concept of a signature fragrance is really not new but was earlier not as widespread as its becoming now. Male fragrances were also harder to come by in my growing years. I personally found some leading fragrances from Givenchy and Giorgio Armani houses earlier and more recently from the Hermès and Creed houses being adopted pretty seriously by gentlemen in India,” says Vikram.
Eau de cologne but not perfume
Luxury consultant Emmanuel Balayer feels that the alpha-male is using eau de cologne not perfume. “Acqa Di Parma is the ultimate, followed closely by the classics perfumes like Eau Sauvage by Dior. The first strongly marketed men’s perfume was also by Chanel with Egoiste (means selfish in French — the metro-sexual revolution was in March); it takes time to create an icon such as Chanel No 5. I always come back to Antaeus by Chanel and sometimes lighter fragrances such as Davidoff Cool water for summer,” he adds.
Evolution in taste
Vikram had initially liked fragrances from the houses of Givenchy but later enjoyed fragrances from Hermès and Creed. He has now moved towards more basic and hence perceptually purer fragrances from Jo Malone. “I suppose the fragrances we choose are in someways an extension of our personality. We evolve as people over time and our tastes change and this would naturally apply to our fragrances too,” says Raizada.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}