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.
Every time Father’s Day rolls around you’re most likely thinking of the latest tech gadgets, spirits, watches and fashion – all things included in our Ultimate Father’s Day Gift Guide. Very rarely do blokes think of something as niche and targeted in the world of grooming and style as men’s perfume. Sure, you might think your dad needs a top-up of Acqua di Gio or Sauvage, but I’m betting most wouldn’t really think outside of what you’d see plastered against the glass of a Chemist Warehouse. There are much better Father’s Day fragrances out there beyond just the most popular ones.
If you’ve read this column before you’d know that we think very highly of perfume as a way to elevate one’s style and create a significant presence that feels both unique and impactful. There’s a lot of power in making yourself known before anyone even spots you, and if dad is still young enough at heart to value that then there are few gifts that make more sense than Father’s Day fragrances.
I’ve pulled together just some of the ideal Father’s Day fragrances I’ve been feeling lately, both old and new, that you should take a look at if you’re scrambling for any last-minute gift ideas before dad day hits on Sunday, September 3.
Some of these are quintessentially manly, like Creed’s exceptional ‘Viking Cologne,’ Montblanc’s ‘Legend Red’ and Atkinsons’ ‘Oud Save the King.’ Others represent those more modern tastes that are increasingly favouring unisex perfumes because no matter how much of a traditionalist you’re dad might be you never really know what’s going to win him over when it comes to scent. It’s a purely psychological, nostalgic play at the best of times, so take a moment to look through these six Father’s Day fragrances and land on the one you think dad will appreciate the most.
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Best Perfumes That’d Make Great Father’s Day Gifts
Montblanc ‘Legend Red’
Gentle, fresh and pleasant. If dad has already been exhausted by leathery fragrances and is looking for a men’s perfume that is fresh and airy but still quite masculine, get him Montblanc ‘Legend Red.’ The newly launched fragrance leans heavily on those really refreshing, pleasant notes that are ideal for summer but can work just as well during those colder months, starting off fruity and slightly spicy with blood orange, grapefruit and cardamom and then taking a turn towards those cleaner notes like cedar, clary sage and juniper berries. The mahogany and tonka bean in the base anchor the fragrance’s profile in something much richer and sweeter, capping off a simple but very effective scent.
Top notes: Blood orange, grapefruit, cardamom
Middle notes: Cedar, clary sage, juniper berries
Base notes: Atlas cedar, mahogany, tonka bean
Creed ‘Viking Cologne’
Shaped after an image of Norway’s complicated topography, Creed ‘Viking Cologne’ is one of the more impressive and unique fragrances from this historic French Maison in years, and certainly something dad will love if he likes something with impact.
It’s got that typical Creed freshness in the opening, offering something versatile and easy to wear before turning towards peppery, spicy notes like nutmeg, rosemary, sage, and geranium. The base is where it really goes for the jugular though, throwing out strong but not excessive pops of vetiver, sandalwood, cedar, olibanum and patchouli to help build a creamy finish that lingers beautifully. An impressive show or force and the ideal Father’s Day perfume if dad is of the go-hard-or-go-home variety.
Top notes: Mandarin orange, lemon, pink pepper, bergamot
Middle notes: Lavender, geranium, nutmeg, rosemary, sage
Base notes: Vetiver, sandalwood, cedar, olibanum, patchouli
Dolce&Gabbana ‘Light Blue Italian Love Pour Homme’
Designer fragrances always play it safe and Dolce&Gabana isn’t straying far from that tendency with ‘Light Blue Italian Love Pour Homme.’ While there are several iterations of this very well-known perfume, there’s something about Alberto Morallas’ sense of occasion here that just makes it shine that much brighter.
I would assume it’s the simple, pleasant opening of grapefruit and quintessentially Italian bergamot that set the tone – this is a Mediterranean perfume in every sense, perfect if dad still has that day-club mentality and needs something to wear to the beach or at a golf club. The heady middle of green notes blended with violet leaf and an ozonic marine accord help bring out that liveliness as well before a full-bodied woody base dominated by guaiac wood sinks into something a bit more typically masculine.
Top notes: Grapefruit, mandarin orange
Middle notes: Seawater, juniper
Base notes: Musk, amber wood
Atkinsons ‘Oud Save the King’
Historic British fragrance house Atkinsons is nothing if not ideal for a perfectly postured sense of nobility. And if dad really wants to dial into that sense of classicism, take a look at Atkinsons ‘Fashion Decree.’ Having been around for decades, Atkinsons has plenty that should work for the old man, with most of the brand’s masculine perfumes focusing on bringing out different shades of oud.
One of the better ones is ‘Oud Save the King,’ designed after a bouquet crafted for Egyptian price Muhammed Ali Ibrahim with opening notes of earl grey and a bergamot accord to build up that essential British elegance before nose-diving into all this beautiful smoke built up by orris, leather suede, sandalwood and an oud accord.
Top notes: Earl grey, bergamot accord
Middle notes: Orris, leather suede
Base notes: Sandalwood, oud accord
Versace ‘Eros Eau de Parfum’
Many perfumes inspired by European destinations typically draw inspiration from Italy, France or Portugal. It seems lately not manner have been paying attention to Greece and yet that’s exactly what Versace has done with the godly ‘Eros Eau de Parfum.’
The oriental-woody scent was only launched two years ago and leaves behind the typical grapefruit and bergamot notes you’d usually associate with a Mediterranean perfume and instead picks up with an opening of lightly candied applies tossed with lemon, mandarin orange and mint. The mint helps distinguish the perfume a bit and set a spicy base for the bridge towards a base of sandalwood, bitter orange and creamy patchouli.
Top notes: Candy apple, mandarin orange, mint
Middle notes: Amborxan, clary sage, geranium
Base notes: Sandalwood, bitter orange, patchouli
Casamorati ‘Lira’
Casamorati ‘Lira’ is a bit of a wild card here for this round-up for Father’s Day fragrances. It’s actually marketed as a women’s fragrance and yet it’s something I’d gladly wear on a special occasion as it’s not excessively feminine and could work just as well as a unisex perfume. If that sounds right up dad’s alley, he should take to Lira pretty fast.
It’s a masterclass in elegance with an exceptional sense of balance worked up by Chris Maurice. Think powdery in a way many women’s perfumes are. Still creamy but tied up with a sense of dessert-like sweetness that’s slightly buttery and exceptionally pleasing. You’ve definitely got that cake-like opening from bergamot, blood orange and lavender, but then the middle of rose, jasmine, cinnamon and licorice blossom takes it in a new direction, bridging into a complex base of vanilla, musks and caramel.
Top notes: Bergamot, blood orange, lavender flowers.
Middle notes: Rose, jasmine, cinnamon, licorice blossom.
Base notes: Vanilla, musks, caramel.
