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 Kilian Paris fragrances for men.
If you’ve been paying attention to Fragrance Friday over the past few weeks you’d know that I’ve been highlighting specific brands each week that I’ve had a sufficient level of experience with. I’ve included some of the editions below so you can look back over them. And this week, I want to pay some attention to what is personally one of my favourite fragrance brands.
- Best Creed Fragrances For Men
- Best Jo Malone Fragrances For Men
- Best Xerjoff Fragrances For Men
- Best Tom Ford Fragrances For Men
That’d be Kilian Paris, inspired by the dark cognac cellars that Kilian Hennessy grew up in as heir to the eponymous spirit empire his ancestors built. As the eighth generation of the Hennessy family, Kilian clearly wanted to forge a new path for himself and so trained rigorously in perfumery, going on to work for brands such as Christian Dior, Paco Rabanne and Giorgio Armani. After years of working under these labels, he went out on his own to launch the Kilian brand in 2007, bringing a decidedly modern take to classic French perfumery.
And it’s worked quite well. I’d readily associate Kilian with quality perfume and long-lasting accords. His style is nowhere near as traditional and charmingly simple as Creed, but rather he seems to lean towards contemporary tastes and divisive scents. Perhaps not as divisive as something like an Amouage, but there’s a notable distinction to Kilian perfumes that have pushed them to the forefront of my collection with scents like Rolling in Love and Shield of Protection regular favourites of mine.
As such, here are five Kilian fragrances I think represent the brand’s ethos very well.
Rolling In Love
Heart Notes:Â Iris, freesia
Base Notes:Â Tuberose, vanilla, tonka bean, musk
I’ve highlighted Kilian Rolling in Love many times over the past few years and that’s simply because it’s one the best fragrances I own. Period. My tastes lean toward gourmand, so what perfumer Pascal Gaurin has managed to pull together here is nothing short of perfect to me. The almond milk and ambrette on top give the unisex fragrances a charming, nutty character before quickly bringing in a lot of powdery iris and freesia, working to build up a profile comparable to red velvet. It’s unique, irresistible and a great example of Kilian at his most creative. However, if you don’t like sweet perfumes you may not take to this one immediately.
Kologne, Shield of Protection
Heart Notes:Â Rosemary, neroli
Base Notes: Cedarwood, cashmeran, green vegetal notes
I’m not quite sure about the name, but Shield of Protection is one of the better Kilian fragrances released over the past year. The green mandarin and bitter orange notes on top immediately bring a burst of freshness, going for something a bit cleaner and purer than what you’d typically get from the brand. It aligns well with Kilian’s spirit-inspired perfumes like Vodka on the Rocks and Angel’s Share, but moves towards something more botanical for gin lovers. I would credit this mostly to the neroli and rosemary slotted in at the heart of the fragrance’s journey, which projects really well almost as soon as you spritz it on.
Angel’s Share
Heart Notes: Cinnamon, tonka bean, oak
Base Notes: Praline, vanilla, sandalwood
Angel’s Share is quite obviously part of Kilian’s spirits collection. It smells like a sweet sherry cask, dialling in that really rich aged cognac vibe. The sillage on this one is very strong, leaving behind a trail of sweet vanilla and cinnamon mostly. Then you’ve got a base of praline and sandalwood to tie it all together, cutting through some of that sweetness with a notable woodiness that helps restrain the fragrance and keep it from being too much of a vanilla bomb.
Black Phantom, Momento Mori
Heart Notes: Coffee, caramel, almond
Base Notes: Heliotrope, sandalwood
Chocolate, caramel and rum – these aren’t often notes that perfumers would mess around with, given they can easily make for an excessively sweet and imbalanced profile. And yet perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur has turned in a brilliant, heavy gourmand scent that’s heavy, long-lasting and wears incredibly well. It’s Kilian to a tee, opening up with a thick slap of sweetened rum before balancing that out with coffee, caramel and almond. By the time sandalwood comes in to clean it all up and bring some creamy woodiness.
Gold Knight
Heart Notes: Honey, vanilla
Base Notes: Patchouli
Pascal Gaurin may have given Kilian his best work with Rolling in Love, but it’s hard to deny what he’s done here with Gold Knight. Honey is the central note, which is another left-field decision but fits quite well into the simple yet very, very effective profile. Anise and bergamot sit at the top and smartly stick around in some form towards the dry down, where patchouli sits to bring its characteristic creamy woods to the endearing heart of honey and vanilla. And no, it’s not as sickly sweet or syrupy as it sounds – a testament to the quality of Kilian fragrances.
