Just yesterday, I presented you three wonderfully feminine fragrance gifts for the day of love and lovers in the article Irresistible niche fragrances for her – Our top 3 for Valentine’s Day. Today, I’m presenting three creations that I think are perfect for men or anyone who prefers more masculine or tart fragrances.
The classic division into men’s and women’s fragrances is obsolete for many of us and everyone can, may and should please act according to their own taste. 😊 For anyone who is still looking for a suitable gift for Valentine’s Day and would like to find something in the niche fragrance category, I recommend the following three eau de parfums that have particularly stuck in my mind.
B683 – Marc-Antoine Barrois
In April 2021, I presented you the eau de parfum B683 by the French luxury couturier Marc-Antoine Barrois here in the Duft-Tagebuch (to read here) and at the same time also the corresponding B683 Extrait, which was newly launched at that time. So please don’t be surprised if I keep drawing comparisons to the extrait in my quote below about my impressions of the creation. 😊
Like all of Marc-Antoine Barrois’ creations, the fragrance was developed by perfumer Quentin Bisch, who used the ingredients black pepper, saffron, chili leaves, nutmeg, violet leaves, ambergris, labdanum (cistus), musk, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss and ambroxan. The eau de parfum takes its name from the story “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, in which the asteroid B612 appears. The sequence of numbers in B683 refers to Marc-Antoine Barrois’ month and year of birth.
B683 opens with a bright fruity note, which is soon joined by creamy and soft nuances. Ambroxan is not long in coming in B683. A gentle peppery spiciness accentuates this surprisingly bright creation. Soft leather notes gradually emerge in Marc-Antoine Barrois’ creation, paired with spicy accents, warming cistus and ambergris. Eau de Parfum B683 is significantly brighter, warmer and lighter than the extrait. The leather notes remind me more of supple light brown suede than the deep black smooth leather of the Extrait. B683 envelops me like a cozy and supple cashmere scarf. Although the eau de parfum certainly has presence and power, B683 seems like a tame tiger against the concentrated force of the extrait. Beautiful, yet more pleasing than its younger and highly concentrated brother. Smoky accents appear in the finish. The fragrance composition becomes more intense and richer, but the creation still remains significantly lighter than our first candidate today.
The Blazing Mr. Sam – Penhaligon’s
Anyone who has been reading here for a long time or regularly will know that I am a big fan of Penhaligon’s Portraits fragrances. A fan of the first hour, one might say. Because the entertaining stories about the British aristocratic family with all their intrigues, abysses and affairs are simply brilliant. In addition, each portrait creation is a real striking head, not only visually but also story-wise, which I really like. The fragrances are also all beautiful, which perfectly rounds off the overall package of this unique collection from the British luxury fragrance house.
Perfumer Christophe Raynaud was responsible for the creative realization of The Blazing Mr. Sam and used the fragrance notes cinnamon, saffron, vanilla, patchouli, tobacco and cedarwood. The bull’s head on the bottle already suggests that we are dealing with a quick-tempered, daredevil Mr. Sam and this is also reflected in the fragrance.
The Blazing Mister Sam starts really loudly and with a lot of bling-bling: precious saffron rumbles in at the fragrance door, with a medicinal touch, cold and warm at the same time. With its characteristic notes, cinnamon provides a sharp spiciness that harmonizes perfectly with the typical saffron nuances. This deliciously frivolous combination of spices is joined by the dark and moist notes of patchouli. Sweetish honey tobacco underlines and enhances the spicy ensemble. Cedarwood and vanilla shimmer in the background, lending The Blazing Mister Sam a lovely gourmand quality and warm woodiness. The American among the fine Brits is a stunner: the 12th portrait fragrance is present, persistent, loud and yet wonderfully warm and spicy. The Blazing Mister Sam is not just a blazing bull in name and bottle: a spice bomb at its finest! It’s certainly not to everyone’s taste, but that’s not what the daredevil American The Blazing Mister Sam wants to be.
#004 Lifeguard – HUNQ
I introduced you to #004 Lifeguard and all of HUNQ ‘s other creations launched to date in November 2021 (read about them here) and number 4 has stuck in my mind so much that I have to put it straight into this list of the top 3 niche fragrances for him.
Because #004 Lifeguard is of a different caliber olfactorily than the two compositions already mentioned. As the name suggests, it has something to do with water or the sea. The fragrance notes are aquatic notes, bergamot, frankincense, labdanum (cistus) and cardamom, which combine to create a wonderfully powdery and warm marine scent that is perfect for anyone who prefers lighter and fresher fragrance compositions.
#004 Lifeguard opens with a citrusy sea breeze, accompanied by a spicy floral sweetness. Gently powdery, Ambroxan envelops the fragrance from the outset and lends it a cozy softness. Cardamom adds a pinch of green freshness, while Hedion underscores the composition with creamy and bright floral nuances. Also #004 Lifeguard is characterized by a lucid transparency as well as a certain and not to be despised synthetic note, which can certainly be attributed to the latter ingredients. The creation is warm and skunky, with a subtle saltiness that is reminiscent of the sea, the beach and summer.
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