Christmas Gift Shopping part 3: Masculine Fragrances For All Styles

Opting for a fragrant gift for a man poses two major risks: The first is the man in question is not interested in scent, period. The bottle will collect dust on the bathroom shelf and he will only wear it once a year or so, to please you. Why gift him with fragrance then? Probably in order to induce him, through a very well judged choice, to open up and experiment a bit for both your sakes. It's a market fact that 75% of masculine fragrances are bought by women.

Another risk is the man in question is very much determined in what they like (or think they like) and your favorite is not necessarily his favorite. Excepting perfumistos who have an avid interest in fragrance all by themselves and are not opposed to a owning collection of colognes for all occasions and moods (a fragrance wardrobe), many men are somewhat "married" to their scent of choice. Diverting them might be a tall order, but replenishing them with the old bystander time and again feels like refueling the fridge with milk. Not sexy.

So, here are a few suggestions for festive season gifts for men, stemming from a personal curation of relied upon choices that might see you through most styles of fragrance wearing. [You can find more Christmas Gifts Shopping Guides consulting our link. ]

pic via oystermag

• Stylish & Unconventional Chaps

Dior Homme: This out-of-the-box thinking on how a masculine fragrance should be (full of the flesh-meets-starch note of orris and a dusting of cocoa powder) has become a modern classic. It's still lovely and feels very to the minute, plus the austere bottle is luxuriously heavy and there are ancillary body products too. After Jude Law, now fronted in ads by Robert Pattison, subject of many a teen swooning. Available at major department stores.

Biehl Parfumkunstwerke GS03: This is a niche fragrance brand, meaning you will only find it at specialized boutiques or online (try luckyscent.com in the US or ausliebezumduft.com if in Europe, they also do samples for you to try before committing). But the plus is he won't be smelling like anyone else! A modern upbeat cologne, this diaphanous fresh aura will be buzzing around him for very long, but will never come across as intrusive. Soapy, lightly spicy with a hint of pink pepper and juniper, woody and sophisticated. Perfect!

• Sensual, Hedonistic Scents 

Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb: Candied citrus over tobacco, amber and vanilla make for a rich, satisfying cologne that invites you to peel off layer after layer. Great for winter and will have those who smell it salivating for more. Available at major department stores.

Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly: Some people hate patchouli, some people love it. It's such a distinctive material, no less because it's associated with the 1960s and hippies. But if he loves it,  oh how he will love Mon Patchouly by this niche Spanish brand that has infiltrated the United States last year. The warmest, plushest whiskey and rum evoking patchouli, darkish, with a chocolate underlay, it's good enough to imagine you're John Hamm for a day. Available at www.RamonMonegal.com

pic via GQ

• Tried & True, Surefire Bets

Prada Luna Rossa: Sometimes one doesn't want to venture too far out into uncharted territories. When reviewing this fragrance there was a mention of the "Modern Urban Male Accord": briefly, aromatics such as lavender, fanned on a laundry day clean base of modern ingredients that give diffusion and lasting power. Prada's cologne is among the nicest in this standard genre. Available at major department stores.

Chanel Sycomore: Vetiver is an exotic grass with a scent at once cooling and earthy, like upturned dirt. It has given us so many classics over the years (such as Guerlain Vetiver) that it's a staple in any discerning man's fragrance wardrobe. Chanel does a superb vetiver composition, lightly smoky and just beautiful beyond words. Available at chanel.com

• Budget-Considerate Fragrances for Men

If you're shopping the more economical end of the market, you can't go wrong with Old Spice. This timeless classic, full of the scent of carnation, agrestic lavender and warm spices has been modernized in its image thanks to the -by now a marketing case study- recent campaign. It won't remind him (or you) of his dad anymore. Phew...

Grey Flannel by Geoffrey Bean is a dependable choice that isn't too common. The scent is woody, traditionally masculine, with a delicious violet note on top that catches one's attention. Available online and at several drugstores.

The Tom Ford Grooming Collection: Ritual and Dollars

The upcoming Tom Ford Grooming Collection for Men (launching November 1st) is reportedly inspired by the grooming ritual that the sleek and cunning Texan designer follows himself. The video clip presents the expected toned torsos and meaningful "Blue Steel" looks by a chiseled member of the XY chromosome and is aimed at our gonads, typical for Tom Ford imagery. Tom is a fine marketeer, probably among the finest currently working in the fashion world, since everything he touches turns to gold. And that's despite his apparent lack of designer skills as evidenced during his stint at Yves Saint Laurent (a sin for which he must atone through more rigorous rituals than usual).



Tom himself goes on and on about how it's all about caring for your skin (this comes from the guy who has professed to take 3 to 5 baths a day? I'm surprised he has any skin left), that it doesn't need to be elaborate to be effective, that it shows respect to those around you (yes, dear heterosexual men who may be reading, salsa stains on your 5-day-beard-growth aren't sexy, wash already!), and it's about presenting your most handsome and impeccable self to the world.
The latter claim is actually a refreshingly honest and novel point in talking about beauty products; usually the commercials harp on how it's about what feels good to you, how it all evolves around you, how you're the center of your own universe, it's all about you, you, you, yada yada yada. But fine though the clip may be, one can't shake the impression that we're watching Patrick Bateman's morning ritual, something I had posted about before on these pages. At least I can't. There's something about it in the sleekness, the glistening skin under the caress of beautifying products, the narcissistic self admiration, the vacancy of the look through the mirror, the smooth voiceover...

Does this promo persuade me to go out and test the products? It certainly gives me pause to think whether 600$ for grooming (including lip balm, concealer and eye treatment) is accountable for my significant other and whether my bathroom shelf can withstand even more bottles, potions and lotions for the both of us. But I do like Ford's lipsticks despite the elevated price tag, so don't ask me too rigorously. Tom is a fine marketeer. He might even convince me to dabble in these in the end!