Cold Weather Scents To Kick Off The New Year
Five Scents For Fall
As the weather turns cooler, it’s time to put the bright, citrus scents of spring and summer down for a long winter’s nap and add some heavier, more robust fragrances into your rotation. The scents outlined below eschew the lighter scents of warmer weather in favor of substantial scents that can stand up to a brisk fall evening and the coldest winter chill. Here’s a video of me and Peter Brooker (From Tailors With Love) discussing my five scents for fall. If you’re interested a quick overview of scent terms check out our Fragrance 101 article.
Fall scent 1 – Le Labo – Tabac 28 – City Collection, Miami – Eau de Parfum
15ML – $128, 50ML – $310, 100ML $475, 500ML $1,760
This is one of my favorite new scents. This is a very boozy, smokey scent, that smells like having a good single malt and cigar around a campfire.
Fall scent 2 – Maison Margiela (MAR-ZHELA) – Replica – Jazz Club – Eau de Toilette
10 ML – $28, 100ML – $126
Jazz Club is the sweetest of the five I’ve highlighted here. There’s tobacco and wood notes for sure, but I also find a healthy dose of vanilla as well. Sweet, but not cloying.
Fall scent 3 – Louis Vuitton – Ombre Nomade – Eau de Parfum
100ML – $330, 200ML – $485 – ABLE TO BE REFILLED, TRAVEL SIZE ATOMIZER AS WELL
Ombre Nomade is Louis Vuitton’s first oud scent and it’s a great woody scent with a hint a rose.
Fall scent 4 – Tom Ford – Tuscan Leather – Eau de Parfum
50 ML – $240, 100ML – $325, 250ML $615
Probably my all time favorite scent! Great leather scent with a notes of raspberry, jasmine, and black suede.
Final scent – L’OCCITANE (LOX-EE-TAHN) – Eau de Baux – Eau de Toilette
100 ML – $59
A wonderful scent at a great price! Featuring notes of cedar, cypress, vanilla Eau de Baux keeps up with scents costing four times as much. If you like Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille but don’t want to shell out $240, this gets you into the ballpark without breaking the bank.
Five Of Her Favorite Unisex Products
Here are some of my favorite grooming products that Bobby and I share. I’ve never been a fan of overly sweet, or floral scents, deodorants, or body washes so you’ll see that reflected in my choices. When we first started dating Bobby wondered why I had so many men’s products in my bathroom! Even though some of the products are labeled as “men’s” I’d encourage ladies who feel the same way to give these a try; not all of us like to smell like pomegranate! -Leah
Brave Soldier – Shower Shave – $18
This is by far the best shaving cream or gel I’ve ever used. It’s specifically formulated to be used in the shower and not to rinse off like so many others do. I’ve been using this for a few months now and I’m able to shave my legs without a nick, and find the smell to be pleasant as well. I like that it re-lathers easily and is more of a gel than a cream so it helps the razor glide smoothly.
Olivina – Bourbon Cedar Body Wash – $14
This one is labeled for men, but the smell is absolutely fantastic! This lathers easily and the smell is not floral or overpowering at all. Olivina has a crisp woodsy smell with a hint of bourbon; my all time favorite spirit!
Kiehl’s – Facial Fuel – $35
Here’s another labeled for the guys, but as with all Kiehl’s products the ingredients are high quality and a little goes a long way. Facial Fuel is light weight, absorbs quickly, and leaves my face feeling clean. I have sensitive skin and this has never made me break out. It also never looks shiny or greasy after applying it, just a light tingling sensation that feels refreshing. I use it at night after washing my face, and it’s a great moisturizer under make up in the morning.
Image Skincare – Ageless Total Facial Cleanser – $30
I used to work at a Dermatologist’s office and I was able to try many medical-grade skincare products. Most of these come with a hefty price tag, but this facewash is the exception. It’s a glycolic based wash that helps with fine lines, wrinkles, and breakouts while improving the tone and texture of your skin. I use it once a day in the morning, but if you’re new to products with glycolic acid I suggest you start using it every other day so your skin can adjust as it can sometimes be dying (see “Facial Fuel” above). I don’t find the scent of this to be the most appealing, but it has drastically changed my skin for the better. Image doesn’t make a bad product, and this is my all-time favorite.
Tom Ford Private Blend – Neroli Portofino – $240, 50 ML
I love so many of Tom Ford’s Private Blend fragrances, but this was my first and I find myself reaching for it the most. This is a perfect daytime scent. It’s vibrant, fresh, elegant, and smells like a secluded beach on the Italian Riviera. This scent is irresistibly light and is perfect for layering if you like mixing Tom Ford’s blends. I suggest pairing Neroli Portofino with White Suede for daytime and Neroli Portofino with Tobacco Vanille for nighttime.
I absolutely love all kinds of grooming products, but finding some Bobby and I both enjoy makes getting ready more fun.
Fragrance 101
The world of fragrance can be confusing. Bases note versus top notes. Perfume versus Cologne. And what in the world is “sillage?” While no means comprehensive, this is a quick tutorial on fragrance terms so next time you’re purchasing a scent you’ll be more informed.
What’s In A Name?
Perfume, cologne, fragrance, scent, many of these terms are used interchangeably, but there really is a difference; not only in name, but ingredients. The four main distinctions of scents we’ll focus on are: Parfum, Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, and Eau de Cologne. The difference lies in the concentration of oils contained in the scent. Parfum is has the highest concentration, at 20-30% oil, while Eau de Cologne has 2%-4% oil. Not only is there a difference in how long a fragrance lasts based on the oil content, but there’s a difference in price. The higher the percentage of oil, the longer it will last, but the more it’s going to cost you.
What the heck are Sillage and Projection?
Have you ever been in an elevator (“lift” for those across The Pond) with someone whose scent just about knocked you over? That’s projection. Projection is what those in the immediate vicinity around you smell while you’re there. Sillage (pronounced “see-yazh”), on the other hand, is the trail of the scent that’s left behind after you’re long gone. Projection and sillage can both play into how your scent is received; choose wisely, no one wants to be “that guy” in the elevator.
The Great Pyramid
All fragrances are built with three main layers or notes: top-note, mid-note, and base note. These layers contain different notes that interact with one another and your body’s chemistry to create the overall scent, vibe, and feeling of the fragrance. The top notes are what you smell when you first spray the fragrance and it dries you’ll smell the mid-notes and eventually the base notes. When trying a new fragrance don’t judge it on the top note alone. If you’re testing at a retail store spray it on your wrists and go on with the rest of your shopping. Let it dry and, like a Polaroid, see what slowly develops.
Choose Your Scent
Scents are so personal that there’s really no “wrong” one to select. Whether you prefer something woodsy or sweet, spicy or floral there’s something for every nose. Knowing the basics outlined above should help you make a more informed purchase.
Tom Ford: Another Fabulous Scent
Launched in September 2017 as a limited edition and now available in a wider, albeit still limited, release as part of Tom Ford’s ever growing Private Blend collection of fragrances, Fucking Fabulous is not a scent without controversy. While the name certainly raises eyebrows (or makes eyes roll) it’s a scent that’s worth checking out.
My wife and I are both fans of many of Tom Ford’s other scents such as: Tobacco Vanille, Ombre Leather 16, Tuscan Leather, and Oud Wood and we tend to purchase fragrances that we can both wear. Fucking Fabulous is a unisex scent that I absolutely recommend giving a try if your nose gravitates towards darker scents. It’s an fragrance option heading into the fall and winter seasons.
