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I’ve written multiple times about the world of watches being vast, but as far as I can tell, it has nothing on the world of fragrances. While perfumery is an art - just as is horology - there is inherently less complexity in mixing components together than there is conceiving, manufacturing and assembling hundreds of moving parts.

From the supply perspective this means that the barriers to entry in the fragrance industry are relatively low, leading to a landscape that offers everything from highly polarizing “niche” products, to celebrity-branded scents, to designer fragrances from the giants of luxury (Dior, Chanel, Armani, etc.) that are formulated to be as broadly pleasing as possible and (hopefully) sell millions of bottles.

The variety of scents on offer leads to a paradox that you find in every enthusiast hobby: on one hand people can’t stop wanting to try what’s new, but on the other hand they are happy to spend large amounts of energy online debating what their choices would be if they had to limit themselves. In the watch world it’s the obsession with being a “One Watch Guy”, and in the fragrance community it’s about “5 For Life”.

I have not been deeply into fragrances for nearly as long as I have been fascinated by watches, which made me hesitate about whether or not I was ready to tell you my own list of 5 fragrances I’d be happy with for the rest of my life (in theory!). I overcame this hesitancy after realizing the following:

1. The fragrance landscape is indeed so vast that no one can realistically hope to experience it all.

2. To the extent that you can categorize the vast number of fragrances out there into defined categories (fougères, gourmands, florals, etc), I feel pretty comfortable saying that if I dislike one category, I probably won’t tear my hair out worrying whether or not I’m overlooking a particular fragrance in that category. Sure, sometimes things come out of left-field and make you re-think your assumptions (James Stacey from Hodinkee would say “have strong opinions, loosely-held”), but when you’re looking to pare down drastically, you can’t use the pruning shears without first using the machete.

3. Some scents are meaningful for reasons other than just, well, how they smell. The “Proustian” madeleine is a good illustration of just how much our thoughts and feelings are tied to smell, so if there is a scent that means a lot to your life, clearly that will weigh more heavily than purely technical considerations such as projection and longevity.

Finally…

I made sure to put “At the Moment” in the title!

As I discover new fragrances in the hobby, if it becomes necessary for me to make changes, I’ll either modify this entry (while noting the edits) or perhaps even write a whole new post if that’s merited.

Ok, with that out of the way, onto my list.

Honorable mention: “Tommy” by Tommy Hilfiger

I realize I’m cheating by adding what is essentially a sixth choice, but the truth is that while I don’t wear this one very often, this fragrance is very, very near and dear to my heart and I would be sad if I could not smell it ever again.

If you’re interested in a fuller run-down of my thoughts on this iconic fragrance, please check out my recent article.

Eau Pour Homme by Armani

This is a fragrance that, like Tommy, I’m including for sentimental reasons, but unlike Tommy, I do enjoy this fragrance greatly (in fact I’m wearing it as I type this!).

Armani Eau Pour Homme was the fragrance - the only fragrance - that my dad wore. As long as I can remember what he smelled like, it was Armani Eau Pour Homme. He passed away in 2014, but anytime I smell this eau de toilette (EdT), I am instantly taken back to seeing him in a suit, heading off to work.

Along with the notes, Fragrantica lists a few interesting tidbits about this fragrance, namely that like Tommy this was the house of Armani’s first foray into men’s fragrance, and on a personal note, Eau Pour Homme came out in 1984, my birth year.

This is one of those times I wish I’d known more about this hobby before my dad died, I would have asked him so many things: did you wear this before or after I was born? what made you choose this one in particular over other fragrances? do you remember where you bought your first bottle?

If I had to fathom a guess as to how my dad came onto this, it would have to do with how he approached style. He didn’t grow up with a lot of money but used that as motivation to end up doing really well for himself and his family. Along the way, he zero’d in on “reference points”, as markers of quality and success, such as a Porsche 911, a Montblanc fountain pen and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. To the extent his approach was “one and done”, he’d reach his milestone and that would more or less be it, it would be time to move on to the next reference point.

I can picture how he might have applied this philosophy to choosing a fragrance. The year 1980 was when Armani the brand really took off thanks to the designer’s clothes appearing in American Gigolo, and it’s likely that if you picture a “power suit” from that decade, it’s due to Giorgio Armani’s influence. I suppose my dad knew that Armani was popular and a mark of success, liked the smell, and that was that.

So, onto that smell then.

Setting individual notes aside, the best way I can describe this at a high level is smokey-citrus; in fact, don’t @ me for this, but I see this as a very, very loose analogue to Montblanc Explorer’s (ok, strictly speaking, Creed Aventus’) juxtaposition of those two elements. To be clear, these smell NOTHING alike, but the underpinning idea, to me, feels similar.

More generally, this is a fragrance that seems to be compared a lot to Dior’s Eau Sauvage (not Sauvage, but rather the original, classic Eau Sauvage), but really you could broaden that to offerings from brands like Acqua Di Parma as well. Indeed, the citrus DNA shows up in that Italian brand’s offerings, and it’s quite easy to picture a distinguished, tanned, mature gentleman (perhaps the American Gigolo himself, post-retirement?) relaxing in his Lake Como villa while wearing Eau Pour Homme.

The word “mature” really is key here, because at first glance everything about this fragrance is dated, from the bottle to the ads (the former has been updated slightly in the last few years, the latter have not, presumably because Armani has been throwing its ad spend behind powerhouses like Acqua Di Gio and Code).

At first sniff however, this fragrance holds up. As a I wrote in my article on Tommy, with fragrances you really have to be clear on what causes you to think of a fragrance as “dated”: is it because the notes and formulation are really from a different time, or because you associate the fragrance so strongly with bygone memories?

I’m nearly 40 so you’d think I’d associate this smell with my childhood and consider it dated, but I don’t. This is probably not something I would have smelled otherwise were it not for the long-time, personal connection, but I’m glad I own it and objectively, to the extent that people still do wear the likes of Eau Sauvage and Acqua Di Parma, there should still be a place for Eau Pour Homme.

The only disappointing aspect of this fragrance is that because it is an EdT that relies so heavily on citrus, the performance is not that great; I sprayed on 6 - yes, 6 - sprays about 6 hours ago and it’s now down to a skin scent. Though my dad wore this all the time, winters included, if you care about things like fragrance seasonality this one will be limited to Spring/Summer.

A few flankers have been released which I only found out about recently. I haven’t tried them but unfortunately I can’t imagine their performance being much better (though if you think otherwise, or if they can be worn during Fall/Winter, please do let me know in the comments).

So yes, this is a very nice fragrance which captures very well the essence of Giorgio Armani’s eponymous brand, but for me, the reason I have to include this in my 5-for-life list is really straightforward.

It simply reminds me of my dad, and no matter how much my list changes, this will never be one of those changes!

L’Homme Idéal Extrême by Guerlain

Two words:

Cherry.

Pie.

That’s what this masterpiece from Guerlain smells like to me. The Ideal series has always been known for the almond note, but for me this relatively recent release is a gorgeous blast of cherry, mixed with a hint of plum.

When I smelled a sample of the L’Homme Ideal eau de parfum (EdP) in about 2018, I was immediately hooked and instantly bought a bottle. Perhaps it’s the engineer in me, but I’m always of the mindset that if I can buy a “hotrodded” version of something, then I will, so I was ecstatic to hear about this release from 2020 which supposedly turned up what was already a super decadent fragrance.

Whereas the EdP definitely does give you lots of almond, this newer release feels almost syrupy when you spray it on, and provides an amazing feeling of luxury; I don’t like the term “smelling expensive”, but this is one of those fragrances that absolutely sends the message “I chose this deliberately and I know what I’m doing”.

I am almost 50% of the way through a 100 mL bottle in just over a year, and it’s the closest thing I have to a signature scent. Though this is a fragrance that should technically be saved for evenings and cooler temperatures, I find that the heavy fruitiness works (for me) even during the summertime.

The downside to this fragrance is that I don’t think it’s that easy to come by in the US, though here in Europe I can quite easily find it for way less than 100 euros. This relative scarcity works in my favor because it means I won’t end up smelling like everyone else around me who’s wearing cologne on a given day.

Despite the somewhat limited availability, the price remains very fair for what you’re getting. To me, this is very much a niche-quality scent, from a house with real heritage, and you could even make the case that Guerlain is a niche house (to the extent any LVMH brand can be referred to as “niche”).

I love Guerlain L’Homme Idéal Extrême and I hope that you all join me in loving and purchasing it because it would truly be a sad day if I ever found out I could no longer buy it due to discontinuation!

Explorer by Montblanc

Is this a really boring choice?

Yes.

Is this nevertheless a good choice that I could absolutely wear for life?

Also yes.

This is a fragrance that’s already been talked to death in the fragrance community (if you would like a primer here is the link to Explorer’s Fragrantica page) so I won’t spend too much time on the scent itself, but rather touch on two qualitative aspects related to it.

First is addressing head-on that this a clone/interpretation of Creed’s Aventus. In the watch world we’d call such a thing an "homage” and it would be quite polarizing, whereas the fragrance community seems to be much more forgiving of such products. I have to imagine this has to do with the fact that to all but the most sensitive of noses, the interpretation smells like the inspiration, or may in fact even offer a new, appealing twist.

That’s important in the case of Aventus, because it is expensive. I would love to buy the absolute best of everything but even with my decade-plus of experience in acquiring luxury goods (often at non-luxury prices), I still have to make choices and if I can get something that is 95% of the experience for 10% (or so) of the price, then I will favor that option.

Let’s also not forget that Creed used Montblanc’s Individuel as the basis for Original Santal!

That brings me to the second point about Montblanc Explorer, which is the brand’s credibility as a fragrance house.

Usually I’m skeptical of companies branching out beyond their signature products, as it just feels like a cash grab, best left to the respective experts in those other categories. Again, the fragrance world stands apart because it’s very common for clothing designers such as Dior and Chanel to have world-class fragrance departments (I wrote a bit more about why companies launching fragrances have every incentive to take them seriously in my Tommy piece).

I’m a big fan of the Montblanc brand and the quality that you feel in their leather goods and writing instruments absolutely shows up in Explorer, from the weight of the cap, to the leather wrapped bottle, and of course to the quality of the juice. Speaking about the house’s fragrances more generally, several of them have been very positively vetted by the fragrance community, so this is a brand that has succeeded in branching out.

It hardly gets any safer than Montblanc Explorer, but sometimes, safe is what you need, and for that reason, this fragrance earns a spot on my Top 5 For Life.

Nuits et Confidences by Annick Goutal

This ones is going to seem way out of left field, not only because it’s unlikely that many people in the fragrance community have heard about Annick Goutal, but also because I believe this scent is primarily marketed towards women (at least that’s the impression I get from the huge blue pom-pom tied around the cap!).

I also would never have heard about this brand had I not made a stop with my wife in a Houston Neiman-Marcus a few years ago. We went by the fragrance counter and a member of the sales team was pushing this brand quite hard, saying they had just recently gotten exclusive distribution rights to it in North America.

My wife really liked one of Annick Goutal’s rose fragrances (which I eventually bought for her, along with another), but the one that made a lasting impression on me was Nuits et Confidences.

Nuits et Confidences smells like a marshmallow custard cream, with maybe a little caramel thrown in. If you dislike vanilla-bombs this will not be for you, but if you are at all into gourmands I’d recommend getting your nose onto this one.

What I really like about this fragrance is that it’s sweet in a very rich, decadent way, like the Guerlain fragrance on this list, but unlike very popular “clubbing” fragrances that I’m sure you’ve tried on before. In fact, like L’Homme Idéal Extrême also, I would definitely describe Nuits et Confidences as a fragrance that smells “wealthy”, but whereas the former is niche-like with a designer price, the latter is niche…

With a niche price.

No, this one does not come cheaply, but to be fair it is an EdP formulation, and I’m inclined to say that if you’re looking for compliments, your chances of getting them with Nuits et Confidences are high; it really does smell that delicious and if you identify as male you’ll stand out as someone who isn’t afraid to go a little outside of the box.

Sauvage Elixir by Dior

If you let out an audible groan when you saw that I included a Sauvage - perhaps the most bought line on the planet (article behind paywall) - on this list, I understand, because for a long time I wanted nothing to do with the fragrance.

I’ll start with the advertising, which of course relies solely on Johnny Depp. I won’t say that I’m completely immune to celebrity brand ambassadors, but who we relate to is highly personal, and I never have related to Johnny Depp, at all.

For one, I’m nowhere near as good looking as he was in his prime, and I’m realistic enough to know that simply spraying this on won’t magically sculpt my cheekbones. Perhaps more importantly with regards to Sauvage, I do not relate to Johnny Depp now.

Leaving aside the craziness of his recent trial, he seems to have abandoned his effortless style in favor of forty-year-old-guy-starting-a-buttrock-band steez. I’ve really enjoyed his films in the past, I think he’s a phenomenal actor, but him appearing in the Sauvage campaigns actively dissuaded me from trying this fragrance out.

When I did get a sample of the EdP, I was very, very underwhelmed. I think part of this has to do with the nature of “blue” fragrances in general; they’re meant to be mass-appealing so not only can they smell pretty flat to begin with, to the extent that everyone has hopped on the blue trend in recent years, if you smell one blue fragrance, you almost feel as though you’ve smelled them all.

That’s essentially what I felt when I first applied this: “it’s ok, I don’t see what the hype is, and I certainly wouldn’t spend my money on this over a bottle of something else I’m already intending to buy”.

And then a few months ago I was sent a sample of Sauvage Elixir. Not having cared much for Sauvage EdP I was in no hurry to apply this one, but as soon as I did…

HOLY.

SHIT.

This is absolutely NOTHING like the Sauvage(s) you’ve smelled before. This is rich, full, gorgeous, amazing perfumery, truly niche-quality stuff from one of the best designer houses in the fragrance game.

I cannot talk about this fragrance without mentioning its longevity. As soon as I sprayed this on - one tiny spray from a sample bottle, on my wrist - I could tell this was going to have some staying power. I then checked the Fragrantica page, and lo and behold, there is a longevity category beyond “long-lasting” named “eternal”, and Sauvage Elixir has overwhelmingly been voted into that tier.

This isn’t simply “beast mode”, this is “final-form-super-mecha-zord-battle-bot-beast-mode”.

This formulation is so strong that it has almost ruined my other fragrances, in the sense that I want them all to be as well-done, over-the-top, and long-lasting as Sauvage Elixir. I would happily re-buy every fragrance on this list, as well as a few others, if they were hypothetically released as Elixir concentrations.

If you look up YouTube videos for Sauvage Elixir, you’ll find that the community is in pretty unanimous agreement about Dior crushing it with this release, while also commenting about the price.

Yes, for a designer brand, this is expensive: it costs well over $100 USD and only comes in a 60 mL bottle.

In the case of Sauvage Elixir, I think this is a fair price. This a fragrance whose concentration is so strong that at MOST you’d want to start out with two sprays, and don’t even think about using this in the high-heat of Summer.

Even those two sprays will still likely linger on you the next day - longer if they ended up on your clothes - so once you start taking that eternal longevity into consideration, the cost-per-wear on Sauvage Elixir seems really reasonable.

What I’m saying is this: whatever your thoughts are on Sauvage, and especially if you have never smelled Sauvage before, you must run down to your local fragrance counter and check out Sauvage Elixir.

Just be prepared to never look at the other bottles in your collection the same way again.

Your turn

What do you think of this list? Are any of my choices on your Top 5 For Life, or does yours go in an entirely different direction?

Please let me know in the comments!

Note: Minor wording edits made after the initial publication of this article.