Scents for Guys

by Valerie Gladstone — September 21, 2007

I've always liked fragrance on guys--not sweet-smelling, icky stiff, but just a hint of lemon or musk. But most of the men I've known would never admit to liking, let alone wearing anything resembling a perfume. Well now, according to a recent New York Times article, 20-somethings are going crazy about scents. It cites as an example a small, fashionable shop called Le Labo in a trendy downtown New York neighborhood and Barneys on Madison Ave, both of which are doing huge business in men's fragrances. Unworried by being thought feminine and freed by today's cultural diversity, their customers simply want to smell as good as they look. Why not! There's a wealth of fragrance information at basenotes.com and sniffapalooza.net.

Best sellers:

• Rose 31, $125 (100 ml) at Le Labo and Barneys
• Comme des Garcons Series 2 Sequoia, $70 (100ml) at Comme des Garcons and Jeffrey
• L'Ombre dans L'Eau by Diptyque, $70 (1.7 oz) at C.O. Bigelow
• Bois d'Orage by Frederic Malle, $160 (100ml) at Barneys
• Carthusia Numero Uno $110 (3.4 oz) at C.O. Bigelow
• Dior Homme, $69 (100 ml) at Sephora
• Tom Ford Oud Wood, $450 (250 ml) at Bergdorf Goodman
• Prada Eau de Toilette, $68 (3.4 oz) at Sephora
• Chanel Eau de Cologne, $175 (200 ml) at Sephora

For less-expensive alternatives, consider Essence Oils from Kiehls, in many scents, $15 (1/8 oz) at www.kiehls.com or lead your guy to fragrances by starting him off with Aveda's Rosemary Mont Bath Bar (7oz $11) or Rosemary Mint Body Lotion (6.7 oz $20) www.aveda.com.

No reason why we all shouldn't smell delicious!