These men’s fragrances keep the compliments coming
Kurt Dacheng Ji, widely known @BloggersBoyfriend, swears by Aēsop fragrances for their long-lasting qualities.
You put on cologne for one very good reason, right? You want to smell good. But tell us if this sounds familiar: you spritz on your favorite scent and soon, you can't smell it—and no one else can either. Thus, it's not doing its job.
Turns out, not all bottles of cologne are created equally. Fragrances can all but evaporate when they have a lower perfume oil concentration. Without going into a whole lesson in French fragrance nomenclature, your standard Eau de Toilettes (the EDT on the bottles) have 5% to 10% while heavier Eau de Parfums boast a perfume-oil concentration upwards of 20%. The less actual perfume oil you have, the more alcohol in the formula, which leads to evaporation. Then there are more artisanal brands, which tend to use higher quality oils and essences that will result in a longer-wearing scent. Often, it takes some trial and error. But that's what you have the Valet. team for ... we tested plenty to find you the best ones to buy right now.
The standout scents from Los Angeles-based fragrance house Goest are designed to work with, not against, the scent of the human body, with internal structures that mimic our natural chemistry. The Grand Tour fragrance starts green with fresh herbs and citrus, but slowly finishes into a more substantial woody, leathery vibe that somehow keeps getting better the longer you wear it.
$140 by Goest
Developed back in the 1920s, at the original Kiehl's apothecary in New York's East Village, the brand's original musk was discovered three decades later in a vat labeled “love oil.” A subtle, gentlemanly scent that's old fashioned in the best way imaginable. It's one part light and floral, one part dark and masculine. What starts out with fragrant orange blossoms dries down into a long-lasting earthy musk with a touch of patchouli spice.
$35 by Kiehl's
Perfumer Geza Schoen plays with the molecules of fragrances to create truly unique combinations that you've never smelled before. The popular Molecule 05 is soft yet cocooning, with a rich, aromatic muskiness. It's built around the molecule Cashmeran—created in a laboratory at IFF in the late '70s. It's got a warm, sunny camp vibe—with notes of dried firewood and sweet pine resin.
$150 by Escentric Molecules
Just because a scent is long-lasting, doesn't mean it has to be overwhelming. This is for people who want to smell good, but not necessarily like they're wearing a fragrance. It's got a nice, shower-fresh feeling. There's a touch of salted praline sweetness, undercut with a subtle musky spice. It's actually made with sustainable vanilla from Madagascar, and is so light, they say it can be layered under other colognes.
$98 by Clean Reserve
Byredo's Ben Gorham wanted to make a set of scents which had more presence in an “extrait de parfum” concentration, so he launched a Night Veils collection. This one is our favorite. While you definitely get the candied citrus at first, that gives way to a deeper spice—cumin and pepper mixed with smoky wood and dried leaves for an almost medicinal profile, in the best possible way.
$330 by Byredo
Aēsop's popular and unorthodox cologne celebrates the evocative aromas of Marrakech's Moroccan souks and surrounding desert. A tangy and spicy mix of clove and cardamom are warmed and rounded out with the scent of wood and old baskets filled with dried flowers. This “Intense Parfum” is the fragrance in its most potent form so a little goes a long way and lasts all day and night.
$97 by Aēsop
Caswell-Massey, founded in 1752, was the first fragrance and personal care product company in America. Their long-wearing Number 6 fragrance is crafted from the original handwritten recipe, using floral and herbal distillations that would have been available in 1772.
Number 6 EDP, $88 by Caswell-Massey
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