Fragrance: 212 & 212 VIP for Men

Excuse the long delay between postings, charity work and late a late summer ball (or two) have taken their toll and a dose of relaxation was in order. Without further ado, let’s talk about perfume.

212 for Men has been around since 1999 and is often regarded as something of a classic, especially in South America – it should be noted that Herrera is Venezuelan by birth. It opens on a slightly green and spicy note, with additions of lavender, lemon and definitely ginger (which isn’t listed as an official top note). Let it dry down for half an hour and the ginger is retained and is combined with a dash of pepper and violet to create spicy and almost floral scent that wafts around you rather well.

Base notes of sandalwood, musk and vetiver give it a fairly dry finish which lasts nicely. Longevity as a whole is great, with it lasting a good six hours (on me). Silage is also quite acceptable but won’t blast the heads off of everyone around you. You wouldn’t think it’s a scent of the (late) nineties, it has none of the pseudo-sophistication that permeated other aspects of the decade and retains its modernity very well.

212 for Men VIP on the other hand opens with passionfruit, lime and pepper and I don’t think I have another perfume quite like it. It is meant to reflect the atmosphere of the VIP New York party scene – caviar, vodka, gin and exclusivity (whatever that smells like). Not only does it promise this, but also claims it will arouse the jealousy of those around you and convince them you are beyond a “mere mortal” and are the object of all our dreams and desires. Middle notes are listed as gin and vodka – now I don’t detect gin but do detect juniper, the berry used to flavour gin. Most people wouldn’t notice the distinction but I suppose it’s due to the fact I’ve tasted so many gins over the years! Not quite sure if the vodka is detectable or not but it is this middle phase of the scent that is my favourite – after a while, a lovely spearmint note cuts through everything and is very refreshing.

The base notes are fairly woody and amber is also rather prominent (I like a good amber base to a scent), as is leather. It is stylish and exclusive but not in the classic English gentleman style – its certainly more reminiscent of the American party animal who will raise eyebrows yet still be socially acceptable. A special mention must also go to the spray pump which dispenses the juice nice and fiercely, none of that mucking around here.

Both are available at good department stores, priced at around £35 for 50ml. Neither are priced in the premium bracket but both smell like it.

Fragrance: Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme

The place of my travels today was Cambridge, a beautiful university town in East Anglia and home to many fond memories for me. As I was readying myself to leave (hip flask – check, fountain pen – check, book for the train – check) I pondered which scent to wear. Never an easy task, but today was an exceptional poser – I needed something formal (but not too formal), youthful (but not too youthful) and something that would go down nicely with the older generation (but not appear too old itself). Step forward Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme.

Launched in 2012 and a follow on from the successful Allure Homme Sport, it has top notes of mint, mandarian and cypress (ranked in that order by prominence). Initially quite refreshing, it quickly mellows to reveal a heart of not too spicy black pepper and sage which lasts quite well. However, it is the last phase in which I think it finds true greatness, where white musk and tonka bean conjugate to create an base of gourmand edibility. Throughout all this, you never totally lose the mint you first encountered as a top note, but it’s very much in the background, brooding, as it were. Happily enough, Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme EDT also lasts – it clung to me for a good eight hours, which included getting stuck behind two smokers at a rather obstinate set of traffic lights.

The only thing about this fragrance I don’t like is the name – one word in the name, to be precise. Sport. What is it doing there? There is nothing especially sporty about it, at least not that I can detect. I usually equate sport scents as being rather generic, bland and not especially memorable but neither of those adjectives apply here.

But apart from its moniker, there is nothing else to dislike. It's an incredibly reliable scent and one that will be coming with me on many more journeys!

Fragrance: Mont Blanc Legend

Mont Blanc is a brand that has been with me for many years. My (late) father first introduced me to them with the gift of a fountain pen when I was at school, and since then they have held a special place in my heart. Sadly, my pen is being repaired by Mont Blanc (the only people who can repair MB pens are MB themselves) so I can’t include in the picture, as I originally intended to.

Suffice to say, I was eager to try their latest scent, Legend. The first thing to note is the presentation – the beautiful black lacquer bottle, with signature MB logo on the top is one you definitely won’t be embarrassed to leave lying around, being sleek and stylish. The pump is also first rate (it’s not often I mention the pumps) and dispenses quite a generous amount of scent.

The fragrance itself is an aromatic fougere and opens in a fairly fruity style (apple?) which is tempered with lavender, rose and bergamot. It is very masculine and rather mature, although it isn’t so mature it would be out of place on a younger chap. The apple note lingers into the middle stage and combines with oakmoss, which then dies away to leave you with the subtle warmth of sandalwood and tonka bean. It lingers very well and sillage is good, so you won’t need to re-spray every half hour.

It’s very much suited to a chap who wants to emphasise his masculinity but without “blowing the bloody doors off”, to quote Sir Michael Caine. Legend is a subtle yet still powerful fragrance which is suited to all occasions. And despite the expensive brand behind it, you can pick up 50ml for only £37 (in Harrods). It’s rare that perfumes of this quality are so well priced. Buy.

Fragrance: Sartorial by Penhaligon’s

Sartorial is a contemporary interpretation of a classic Fougère; the traditional notes of oakmoss, tonka bean and lavender have been exquisitely stitched together with woods, ozonic and metallic effects, leather, violet leaf, honey and spices to create the perfect illusion of a tailor’s workroom. The modern thread running through Sartorial is beeswax; echoing the blocks of wax each thread is run across before stitching. This sweet smudged note ties together the more traditional elements; the oiled flash of shears cutting cloth, the rub of fabric beneath fingers, tobacco tinted cabinetry, puffs of chalk in the air and old paper patterns vanilla with age (from Penhaligon’s website). 

Head Notes: 

Aldehydes, Ozonic Effect, Metallic Effect, Violet Leaf, Neroli, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Fresh Ginger 

Heart Notes:
Beeswax, Cyclamen, Linden Blossom, Lavender, Leather

Base Notes:
Gurgum Wood, Patchouli, Myrrh, Cedarwood, Tonka Bean, Oakmoss, White Musk, Honey Effect, Old Wood Effect, Vanilla, Amber

Sartorial (2010) is one of Penhaligon’s newer fragrances for men (despite their lack of gender specific branding, I think this is definitely aimed at males) and aims to conjure up an olfactory image of a tailor’s workroom. At first, it’s very fresh and gleams rather metallically (neroli commonly adds a metallic note) but this soon calms down, thanks to a carefully blended mixture of lavender, violet leaf and a hint of black pepper (although this is by no means a peppery or spicy scent).

During it’s middle phase, it smells more akin to a barber’s shop as opposed to a tailor’s workroom – slightly soapy, rather like some of the shaving balms that old fashioned barbers apply after a cut throat razor shave, although there are still nods to it’s sartorial background, beeswax being one of the most prominent. Why beeswax, you might ask? Good one. Beeswax is commonly used to coat sewing thread, in order to reduce tangling and knotting. Leather and vanilla also play their part, making the dry down a real Proustian journey of images (although not memories). Silage (how it trails behind you, for those who don’t know) is rather good, as is longevity - If you apply it correctly (pulse points, back of the neck etc) then you should get a good six or seven hours out of it, but it depends on your own body chemistry. 

So, what do I think? Glad you asked me that. Well, Sartorial is at heart a standard fougère fragrance, but a delightful one. The individual ingredients are nicely reminiscent of a tailor’s fitting room, although the scent as a whole, understandably doesn’t smell much like a Saville Row workshop. What I do like is that it is different enough from other fougère fragrances (think Paco Rabanne Pour Homme) to make it stand out. I was able to choose a perfume out of the 34 available to me (and trust me, Penhaligon’s scent library is full of exquisite choices) and chose Sartorial over all the others.

Who would wear it? Hmm. It’s not quite one for a “Burlington Bertie”, as such a character would choose something far more ostentatious (interestingly enough, I picked this up at Penhaligon’s in Burlington Arcade, off Piccadilly), but it’s certainly one for a ‘gentleman’. Since I’ve owned it, I worn it has been a reliable partner in court (for the day job), to the opera, the ballet and two Proms concerts. On at least three of those occasions, I’m happy to say it has been remarked upon and in a most complimentary fashion too. Interestingly enough, the tailor’s workroom they refer to is that of Norton & Sons of Saville Row, whose shirt can be seen in the photograph above.

Sartorial reminds me of the age of Edwardian elegance, a period of reflection between the grandiose pomp of Victoriana, before the political and social turbulence  of the First World War. A time where great minds flourished; Somerset Maugham, Edward Elgar and George Bernard Shaw spring to mind. A time of great political orators - Britain has not since known leaders of the calibre or Lloyd-George or Joseph Chamberlain. It was a  time defined by endless afternoons in the garden, underneath a sun which never set upon the British Empire.

Disclaimer: A gentleman must always disclose - Sartorial was one of two scents provided to me gratis by Penhaligons after a fragrance profiling session. Rest assured, this did not impact upon the review. Veritas omnia vincit.

Bvlgari – Man & Aqua

I was ambling through Harrod’s yesterday afternoon (Thursday’s are so dull) and got chatting to people in the perfume department, which is all too easy, and one of the assistants asked me if I had tried Bvlgari Man. Luckily for me (not for her), I recalled that I have in fact tried it and own a bottle. For some unfathomable reason it had been languishing, along with it’s companion, Aqua on a shelf, unused for some months.

Bvlgari Man is a woody, oriental fragrance that opens with notes of bergamot and violet – right from the start however, you get plenty of nice, rich wood, mainly sandalwood. This woodiness stays throughout, once the bergamot has dried away and opens up a wonderfully soft (yet perfectly strong enough) heart. It is it’s base notes though that make me really like Man. Slightly spicy, musky wood with amber – there is something else in there that is slightly sweet, but as yet it has remained, by me at least, unidentified. It isn’t a scent for the younger man though, better suited to his older brother I would suggest. Definitely one for the evening or a formal function as it exudes class and sophistication.

Its stablemate, Bvlgari Aqua on the other hand is a lovely aquatic (surprise surprise) scent. It manages to be both light and dark at the same time, something many aquatic scents don’t manage. The sea is, after all, not a country stream – it has a dark heart, full of hidden depths. It opens with a lovely citrus (more orange citrus than anything else) blast – nothing unusual but nice all the same. It is the heart where the wafts of sea breeze come through with a wonderful seaweed note. By seaweed, I don’t mean the vulgar, methane like smell you get when visiting the coast, but a deep, dark and slightly salty note that has a definite aquatic feel. Unspecified woody notes and amber make up the base and linger surprisingly well, although it takes at least two hours for them to really shine. Where would I wear it? Hmm. I think it’s definitely a date scent.

Man is available from around £45 and Aqua from around £41.

Fragrance: Clinique – Happy for Men & Chemistry

I’ve always thought of Clinique as being something of a strange one when it comes to beauty brands – whilst others doll up their staff in chic clothing and the like, Clinique staff are somewhat sternly dressed in lab coats and give off the impression of finding themself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet their fragrances I’m quite partial to.

Clinique Happy for Men is a light EDT with generic citrus top notes (lime and some kind of mandarin orange I would guess, not much lemon) that dries down to a somewhat floral heart. The mid range has definitely some rose and jasmine but also feels a little “leafy”. The base notes are cypress and sandalwood and there is really no ambiguity about either of them. It’s a fairly straightforward scent that I like (but don’t wear all the time) that has served me well over the last few months.

However, it is perhaps one of the most popular fragrances I’ve known with members of the opposite gender, henceforth known as lovelies women. I can’t remember a perfume that has made the women around me comment so much as this. I don’t know if Clinique have dropped in a few pheromones but I am consistently complimented whilst wearing it. Perhaps this is why it is called “Happy”. All in all, it is a good summer fragrance for daytime use and reasonably priced, at £43 for 100ml.

Clinique Chemistry (originally launched in 1994, although not widely available in the UK for some while) is rather different – a heady mix of citrus, ginger, amber and lavender which is slightly soapy (the good soapy, that is). It really is quite unique and initially rather strong. It dies down fairly quickly however, leaving behind a slightly spicy citrus scent which is definitely more lime citrus than anything else with traces of ginger and lavender. After a while, these middle notes disappear and the base notes of cedar and sandalwood are revealed.

Throughout all this, the “soapiness'” I mentioned earlier lingers nicely and I think it is that which ultimately defines the scent. Whilst I like it (I think I like everything) I can see how some men definitely wouldn’t. But as with all scents, never buy blind. The best time to apply is straight after a bath or shower before going on – you’ll not only feel clean, you’ll smell clean. Also priced at £42 for 100ml.

Both Clinique scents are available from Clinique direct and major department stores (John Lewis, in my case).

Gin: Hendrick’s

Chances are, if you drink gin, you know of Hendrick’s. It’s dark brown olde world apothecary style bottles are a standard feature in most high end bars nowadays and it’s become the premium gin of choice for many. But does it deserve the hype?

The first thing to note about Hendrick’s is that it is not a London Dry Gin in the legal sense – it’s two most prominent botanical flavours are added after distillation, therefore it can only be called a “distilled gin”.

Sipped neat, Hendrick’s is easy on the juniper and very “rosy” and floral. There isn’t any harshness or spiciness and it’s quite drinkable. The aroma is also, unsurprisingly, floral.

The real test as always however, is part of a G&T. Hendrick’s suggest adding a slice of cucumber as opposed to citrus which I did, but only after trying it first without (with FT tonic). I can’t honestly say there was a huge cucumber presence, it is definitely the (Bulgarian) rose that is stronger and I’d be surprised if everyday drinkers (who might not be frequent “Ginners”, so to speak) could detect it if they didn’t know it was there. Adding a slice of cucumber does make for a pleasant G&T but not enough for me to switch away from citrus on a permanent basis. A second cocktail, this time with Schweppes tonic made for a slightly different experience as there was a slightly more prominent cucumber note - perhaps the subtly of Hendrick’s isn’t quite suitable for marrying up with Fever Tree tonic.

Hendrick’s seems to be a brand aimed at those who aren’t especially fond of London Dry Gin. It lacks a heavy juniper hit and whilst it’s floral notes are easily palatable, it isn’t a hard enough drink for me to want to be drinking it all night long. For all it’s gimmicky publicity (a gin that is now standard in Wetherspoon’s is hardly one that is “loved by a tiny handful of people”), it does make a refreshing cocktail and is a perfectly suitable gin to have in your cupboard. Though as I've said, the cucumber isn't my favourite note of all time, it is great if you fancy a change.

On a side note, I would be interested to know if you’ve been to Wetherspoon’s for a Hendrick’s and Tonic. A friend of mine ordered that very cocktail in a central London branch of the pub and was served it with the cucumber diced. Suffice to say, it really did have somewhat overpowering notes of cucumber, but for the wrong reason.

If you don’t especially like (or haven’t really tried) gin before, then perhaps you should give Hendrick’s a whirl. Although I would make this initial experience in a pub (£24.50 on a bottle isn’t cheap if it turns out you can’t stand the stuff) and make sure the cucumber is sliced.