Welcome to Fragrance Friday, where each week we’ll be keeping you abreast of the newest and most iconic releases in the dynamic world of men’s fragrances. Born out of the desire to showcase one of the most overlooked, yet versatile, elements of any discerning man’s style this weekly column will help you finesse your own signature scent. This week, we’re looking at the best Creed fragrances for men.
Last week I took a look at some of the best Tom Ford fragrances for men, and I wanted to keep down that brand-specific path by taking a leap over to France and looking at Creed.
The House of Creed has a rich and indelible history in perfumery and I’ve touched on the legacy many times before. All you need to know is that there’s a certain prestige that has been built up behind the name, to the point where Creed is often seen as the pinnacle achievement for a man’s fragrance collection based on reputation alone.
Plenty of the entertainment world’s big guns have made a Creed their signature scent before. From this round-up a few weeks ago about the fragrances certain celebrities wear, both JAY-Z and Pierce Brosnan called out Creed as their go-to. For Jay, it was the musky and decadent Creed Millésime Impérial, and for Pierce it was the exceptionally fresh and crispy Green Irish Tweed.
As I pointed out in my comparison between Creed and Amouage, Creed favours the more reliable and adaptable profiles. Some see this as safer, and therefore a tad boring, while others – like me – really appreciate having a one-and-done fragrance that’ll last all day, not divide the room and stay dynamic from top to base.
These perfumes from Creed, perfect for both men and women, fit that reputation for versatility to a tee.
Best Creed Fragrances For Men
Green Irish Tweed
If it’s good enough for the best Bond in history (fight me) then it’s good enough for you. Green Irish Tweed is an unimpeachable staple of modern perfumery, worked perfectly to start with this really crispy, zingy lemon verbena with iris and then morph with violet leaf only to sink down into ambergris and sandalwood. Simple, sophisticated and classic – it’s unmistakably a Creed fragrance.
Top notes: Lemon verbena, iris
Heart notes: Violet leaf
Base notes: Ambergris, sandalwood
Millésime Impérial
Perfumer Illias Ermenidis ended up giving Oliver Creed some of his finest work in 2013 when he turned in Millésime Impérial. The regal profile justified Creed’s most ostentatious bottle, with the gold vessel standing out dramatically in any collection. Here you’ve got sea salt and dashes of fruit on the top before the middle gets a bit more specific with Sicilian lemon, bergamot, iris and mandarin orange. It’s mostly all about the heart here, and the base only serves to accentuate it, bringing back those salty sea notes and blending them with musks and woods.
Top notes: Sea salt, fruity notes
Heart notes: Sicilian lemon, bergamot, iris, mandarin orange
Base notes: Sea notes, musk, woody notes
Aventus 10 Year Anniversary
Launched just a few years ago to celebrate 10 years of the Maison’s most iconic perfume, Aventus 10 Year Anniversary plays on the original fan-favourite by elevating those contemporary pineapple, floral and spicy notes with a bit more complexity. Master Perfumer Oliver Creed and his son Erwin wrote the perfect blueprint for a timeless fragrance and this newer version only improves upon it in every way.
Top notes: Pineapple, bergamot, black currant, apple, pink pepper, green notes, orange
Heart notes: Birch, melon, juniper berries, rose, patchouli, jasmine, cyclamen, hedione, neroli
Base notes: Ambergris, ambroxan, leather, musk, oakmoss, vanilla, cedar
Viking Cologne
Contrasting with images of a warm, summery day, Creed Viking Cologne is a tribute to the topography of Norway conceived as an airy, reasonably complex scent that’s lighter, cooler and less dense than its predecessor. You start with that freshness and then almost immediately start to pick up those really herbaceous, peppery middle notes before the woods start coming through and bringing it home. It’s a great example of Creed playing around in the current era and remaining relevant.
Top Notes: Mandarin orange, lemon, pink pepper, bergamot
Heart Notes: Lavender, geranium, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
Base Notes:Â Vetiver, sandalwood, cedar, olibanum, patchouli
Silver Mountain Water
Creed’s sense of class and sophistication is really defined by Silver Mountain Water. Nowadays, this perfume isn’t mentioned quite as much as the others on this list, but there’s no shortage of things to love about this alpine fragrance created by Pierre Bourdon. The snow-capped Swiss Alps were clearly the image used to carve this profile, which starts out with fresh bergamot and mandarin before peeling back into green tea and blackcurrant and then hitting it hard with the woods.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin
Heart Notes: Green tea, blackcurrant
Base Notes:Â Galbanum, musk, sandalwood, petitgrain
