Introducing the best in men’s grooming for the year. The third segment in this four-part series is a list of highly recommended fragrances and body products to get your body looking and smelling like a million bucks.
Best gentlemen’s fragrances
Best fragrance for special occasions: Fancy events call for fancy fragrances and one of our favourites is Penhaligon’s Halfeti. The eau de parfum begins with a hint of sweet woods and spices before drying down to an elegant blend of powdery floral notes that have garnered compliments. The fragrance is potent, so it’s a good idea to mist the air and walk through it rather than spray it direcly onto the skin. The lingering scent should see you through any soirée.
Product: Halfeti EDP, Penhaligon’s
Available at Penhaligon’s for $360
Best party fragrance: A sophisticated scent like The Lab’s Pepper & Tobacco may be all you need to get a conversation going at a party. At first spritz, the bright and effervescent blend of citrus notes gets you energised for a night out. By the time you’ve reached your party destination, the scent would have blossomed to reveal notes of pepper and tobacco.
Product: Pepper & Tobacco EDP, The Lab
Available at The Lab Fragrances from $98
Best everyday fragrance: A decent everyday scent should be crisp, clean and pleasant – traits we like in Acqua di Parma’s Yuzu EDP. It owes its citrusy freshness to a blend of yuzu and bergamot that shrouds you with a cheerful energy whether you’re getting coffee or attending a book club meeting. Mimosa, violet leaf and lotus notes complement the freshness with their comforting aromas.
Product: Yuzu EDP, Acqua di Parma (Signatures of The Sun collection)
Available at Escentials from $345
Best fragrance for important meetings: Spritz this on to add an authoritative air around you before you go into that business strategy meeting. We like the bitter sharpness from the aromatic notes of rosemary, mint and basil, as we found that it helped with focus and clarity. Touches of amber, geranium and lavender round up the fragrance with a dose of sweetness, which keeps things approachable and friendly.
Product: Beau de Jour EDP, Tom Ford
Available at Tom Ford counters from $200
Best Body Products for Gentlemen
Best gentleman’s hair removal product: While most other hair removal creams tend to leave painful chemical burns, this one dissolved even the most stubborn of our unwanted hairs gently and effectively when used as directed. We also appreciate that the conditioning botanical extracts left our skin feeling nice and smooth. Another bonus: it doesn’t have that strong stench of urea
Product: Body Hair Removal Cream, No Hair Crew
Available at beautycircus.co for $28.80
Best body scrub: There’s nothing like a peppermint body scrub to invigorate our senses in the morning. While the minty aroma prepares us mentally to face the day, the pumice stone bits help to improve blood circulation and slough off dull dead skin cells as we work the product across our body. The blend of amino acids and glycerine conditions the skin as well.
Product: Exfoliating Peppermint Body Scrub, Malin + Goetz
Available at beautyemporium.shop at $66
Best gentlemen’s body wash: We haven’t found 2-in-1 products in the market quite as effective as this one. Its lather removed dirt and grime effectively from our skin and hair, while vitamin B5 prevents them from drying out with its hydrating and conditioning properties. Botanical extracts of bison grass and Chinese galanga work in conjunction to energise the skin cells, giving you shiny hair and healthy skin as a result.
Product: Shampoo & Shower Gel, Clarins Men
Available at Clarins for $36
Best body treatment: Maison Christian Dior’s luxurious body creams have put us into the habit of cocooning ourselves in soothing emollients. This one sinks into the skin easily and protects it from getting dried out in air-conditioned environments. Of all the options, we found Ambre Nuit’s scent of amber, bergamot and grapefruit to be most comforting.
Product: Ambre Nuit Body Cream, Maison Christian Dior
Available at Maison Christian Dior for $135