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.

Fragrance: Hugo Boss Velvet Amber

Hugo Boss have been flogging perfumes for some time – most men will, at some point, have come into contact with a Boss scent and their newest, Boss Bottled Sport, is reviewed on this very blog. Yet, whilst they are all perfectly good, acceptable fragrances, they are all aimed at the mass market. Popularity can soon turn into ubiquity and for a product that is designed to make you stand out, this isn’t ideal. So Boss have  used their roots as a tailor for inspiration and produced a new collection of 50ml EDTs, available in the UK exclusively at Harrods.

Velvet Amber grabbed me instantly – I had been looking for a reliable amber scent for some time and was very taken by it. It is smooth, creamy (yet slightly bitter) and the tiniest bit powdery. After the initial dry down, you’re left with a very sophisticated vanilla base, which retains the initial amber, resin hit and never lets go. It is also remarkable how it can be beautifully sweet without developing into something sickly – having worn it for 8-10 hour stretches, it’s definitely not a scent you end up hating. To be honest, I’m having a hard time finding the correct words to describe it. My best advice is to smell it yourself.

That said, it’s not a fragrance for daily use – it is very much in the exclusive eveningwear category. Not least because it’s only available in 50ml bottles and at £110 a time you won’t want to go coating yourself with it every time you leave the house. Lasting power is exceptional however, so when you do wear it you won’t need to be constantly re-applying. Being quite sweet and rich, you would be forgiven for assuming it would asphyxiate those around you but this is certainly not the case; Velvet Amber is noticeable but never, ever overpowering.

To sum-up, I can’t get enough of Velvet Amber. It is one of my ‘special occasion’ fragrances of choice and has proved a reliable partner when visiting the opera, the ballet and any social function I can think of. Is it really exclusive? It seems to be – I can’t find many reviews online (and almost none on blogs) and have never met another man who uses it, which leads me to believe that you’re almost guaranteed to be the only wearer at any given event. This adds nothing to the wear-ability of the perfume itself, but is very nice all the same. It also comes in a beautiful flacon presentation box and velvet drawstring bag. If you go into Harrods, you find all five scents in the series arranged in the order they should be sampled. It’s well worth a visit (presuming it’s still there!).

Velvet Amber 50ml EDT is £110 and available exclusively at Harrods.

Fragrance: Scent on a budget – Body Shop

The glass of fresh water is essential when testing perfume,  to cleanse the nose!

I’m conscious of the fact that a lot of the products reviewed here are pricey – not every man can afford to (or want to) spend a lot of money on their perfume. In that vein, I’ve selected a couple of affordable yet sophisticated scents, that have an air of quality about them.

Body Shop White Musk for Men is a lovely, light scent that interestingly moves straight to the dry-down phase. But that’s not a bad thing – the base notes are a blend of musk, sandalwood and tonka bean and all are recognisable. I’ve noticed that many men like musk based fragrances to begin with, but after a few minutes find them too heavy and too cloying - White Musk is the antidote to this problem, giving you a musky aura but without turning sickly. Adjectively speaking (if such a phrase is permissible), it’s quite a sexy scent – seductive and attractive but not bullish or brash. In the same way that white gold is the often classier alternative to pure gold, White Musk is the perfect summer scent if you want radiate understated sophistication.

Body Shop Arber on the other hand, is certainly not musky but is a slightly spicy and woody EDT, with prominent top notes of mint and coriander. Interesting that the bottle is brown, as it reminds me very much of the earth (in an excellent way, I should add). Nice as the top notes are, they don’t linger but they do leave behind a very beautiful sandalwood base note that hangs around longer than I expected it to. It doesn’t fill the room behind you (and that’s no drawback) but it will certainly be noticeable in an embrace or when you’re sat next to someone, which is what counts.  It is great for a date or romantic encounter when you don’t want to wear a generic fragrance or smell like every other guy.

To conclude, it is possible to get a good scent without spending the earth – White Musk EDT is £16 and Arber is £15.

Fragrance: Lemon scents

L-R: Avalon by Murdock (£70), Blenheim Bouquet by Penhaligons (£58), Jean-Marie Farina by Roger & Gallet (£32), Verbena Eau de Toilette by L’Occitane en Provence (£38).

The fruit of the lemon tree has been used for it’s refreshing and cleansing scent for hundreds of years and this is no surprise – is there anything that smells cleaner and crisper than a freshly halved lemon? Not only is it the perfect addition to a cocktail, it is a wonderful base for a perfume and here are my top four “lemony” scents. Links to each are in the title.

Avalon by Mudock
Like all four scents on trial here, the top note is fresh and heady lemon. Murdock claim it is a modern twist on an Edwardian recipe, so this dates it to the period 1901-1910. The initial lemon burst is strong but dries down fairly quickly, to leave you with a mixture of citrus, bergamot and lavender with lavender being stronger than the bergamot. It’s quite an old fashioned scent (mainly because of the lavender) but this gives it a definite charm. It doesn’t last especially well, but it’s marketed as a cologne so you’re not looking at getting a full day’s wear out of it. It’s quite delicate and the addition of lavender is novel. A very good lighter citrus fragrance.

Blenheim Bouquet by Penhaligon’s
Blenheim Bouquet is a perfume with an illustrious history behind it – created in 1902 for the 9th Duke of Marlborough (and named after his ancestral home, Blenheim Palace), it has been a favourite of the nobility for years – notable wearers have included Sir Winston Churchill and The Prince of Wales. The 9th Duke himself held several (minor) political offices and had two failed marriages (the latter was especially loveless) but Blenheim Bouquet harbours none of that melancholy. It opens with a nice lemon burst, again with lavender, but is nice and peppery. The initial strength lasts longer than the Murdock to reveal a base of pine and musk -  it is also after a few minutes that the lime note shines through. I chose it as one of the two perfumes I took with me after my fragrance profiling at Penhaligon’s, so it’s safe to say I like it. Staying power is good for a citrus EDT, at three to four hours and it’s the longest lasting of all four scents reviewed.

Jean-Marie Farina by Roger & Gallet
Jean-Maria Farina (a member of the illustrious Farina fragrance family) had a booming perfume business in early 19th century France (eventually bought out by Roger & Gallet) and counted among his many customers the Emperor Napoleon himself, who reported ordered up to 60 bottles of this cologne a month. Top notes are striking lemon (tempered by lime), bergamot, orange and rosemary so this is definitely more of a “citrus family” scent than a lemon scent. Again, as it’s an EDC, the top notes die away fairly quickly but it does leave a lovely woody (sandalwood and cedarwood) base behind it which lingers longer than you’d expect for an EDC. It’s also the least expensive of the four, so if you’re on a budget and want a lovely citrus perfume (with a wonderful history) then this is the one to go for.

Verbena Eau de Toilette by L’Occitane en Provence
Verbena EDT has perhaps the strongest (and most edible) opening notes of all four perfumes – it smells very much how lemon sweets should (but rarely do) taste. It isn’t the most sophisticated lemon based fragrance but makes no claims to be, as it lasts very well and it’s very refreshing and clean. It’s probably the scent out of the four I would use for lounging around the house in and I don’t mean that in a bad way, after all, if you’re going to be surrounded by a smell all day you’d have to find it pleasant. The staying power is actually rather good, you get a good couple of hours of strong citrus fragrance. Once it dries down, you’re left with a subtle mixture of lemon, geranium and rose which has a real Mediterranean feel to it. After the Penhaligon’s, it has the second longest staying power.

So, there you have it. Each fragrance has it’s own unique charms and intricacies, but remember that each one will react in different ways on different people. What lasts on me might not last on you (and by default, what doesn’t last on me might linger on you for hours). My advice – go try them all!

Gin: Brecon Special Reserve Gin

Brecon? But that’s in Wales, right? Who ever heard of Welsh gin? Well quite. However, Brecon Special Reserve is perhaps the best gin I’ve tried recently and it deserves high praise.

Firstly, one must remark on the presentation – the bottle is bottom weighted, with an elegant tall stem and a cork stopper – this alone marks it out amongst it’s competitors for class and style. But let us delve deeper…

Handily, the botanicals are listed on the front of the bottle: Juniper from Macedonia, orange peel from Spain, Chinese cassia bark, Sri Lankan liquorice, Madagascan cinnamon, French angelica root, Russian coriander, Indian nutmeg, Spanish lemon peel and Italian orris root.

The aroma upon initial uncorking is quite heavily juniper laden – the botanicals are nothing out of the ordinary, so this tends to point towards Brecon Special Reserve being a fairly traditional gin and this is true to an extent. But when sipped neat and with tonic (Fever Tree again) the overwhelming sensation is that of smoothness. There is none of the coarseness you find with other gins, this is as smooth as a freshly planed plank of the finest oak you could lay your hands on. There is a hint of spice (to me, it’s more nutmeg than the others) but the smoothness lingers and it makes a perfect cocktail. It is fairly heavy on the juniper, so might not be to all tastes, yet never becomes harsh.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this gin though is not the taste (nor presentation), but the price. I picked my bottle up for a mere £16 in a John Lewis Food Hall, which isn’t exactly known for it’s cut price merchandising or special offers. At such a price I can’t think of a better gin for your money; it beats many prominent brands at this price point and higher. If you’re looking for a traditional, yet smooth, quality gin then this is the one for you.

Fragrance: Profiling session at Penhaligon’s

Choosing a scent these days is a tiresome affair, especially if you are a man. Go into any department store or high street shop and you’re bombarded with different smells as soon as you enter the front door. This gets progressively worse as you get to the actual perfume counter, where all and sundry are spraying scents around with gay abandon, without realising that this actually makes it harder to assess whether you like a perfume or not (or at least like it enough to buy it). The staff (in my experience) only add to this confusion, by badgering you into buy something or by recommending hopelessly inadequate, often celebrity branded scent.

Hence when Penhaligon’s invited me to attend a fragrance profiling at their Burlington Arcade (just off Piccadilly, London) store, I was only too delighted to accept. For those unaware, Penhaligon’s have been one of the cornerstones of British perfume since 1870, when William Penhaligon opened his first barbers shop on Jermyn Street. Along with their current Royal Warrants (they supply perfume to Princes Phillip and Charles) they’ve been a supplier to Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, Princess Diana and other illustrious folk.

The setting for a profiling session is a private room above their shop (where all their 34 fragrances are on display) with complimentary tea and refreshments on hand (you don’t get that at The Perfume Shop). The profiling starts before you get to smell anything, with questions about your musical tastes (classical/opera in my case), hobbies and the like. Perhaps the most important question is where you intend to wear your perfume – it is not often you will find a scent that can be worn safely to the office and is yet suitable for an evening at the ballet, for example. Only after answering these questions do you get to smell anything, although it is well worth the wait as Penhaligon’s have a large selection to choose from – some 34 scents, to be exact.

The focus during the session is never on trying to sell you a perfume, which is rather refreshing. The only aim is to find a fragrance which suits you and you like. Being indecisive isn’t likely to get you anywhere however, as narrowing down your tastes to just two perfumes is tricky if several happen to take your fancy. You do learn a great deal about perfume and best practice for testing it – all of the samples are spritzed onto cards outside the room and you are encouraged to take a sip of water to cleanse the olfactory palate after each group of 3 scents (sipping water is much better than sniffing ground coffee, as the coffee smell will linger in your nose and affect your perception of perfume).

So what did I choose? Alas, I just couldn’t narrow it down to one but was granted a reprieve and allowed to choose two – the illustrious Blenheim Bouquet and Sartorial (more on those shortly).

If you’re going to buy a scent at Penhaligon’s then their fragrance profiling session is a must – after all, if you’re going to splash the cash on a premium perfume (they aren’t cheap) then it is imperative you choose the right one. The staff are very knowledgeable, can identify all their perfumes with just a quick sniff and are most certainly not pushy. If you’re looking to indulge yourself (or a relative), then this is an excellent and stylish way to do it.