By Calvin Harris, H.W., M.
This article was prompted by a period of eight months were various readers in all walks of life sent questions to me in regards to choosing one’s personal scent. I felt it trivial at first, but with the frequency of the question, I feel there must be some need and importance to the question, so in response I hope you enjoy this special edition of the Deep Dive - A Long Read article.
I will start by stating that Men’s Fragrances are used as Good Luck Charms. I can remember to my childhood lore, around a cologne in the 1950’s called “Old Spice for men”. The use of it would give the wearer the look, feel, and good luck of a Sailor, or So it’s sales promotion would suggest. The concept is based upon fragrance being used as a lucky charm, a superstition, or let us call it a Talisman.
It may sound ridiculous, paradoxically, but in fact the irrational actually influences our brains more than many would like to believe.
Psychology professor, Bruce Hood (writer of the book “The Science of Superstition: How the Developing Brain Creates Supernatural Beliefs”) at a science fair demonstrated the power of superstition during a talk he was giving. Hood produced a blue jacket and then challenged the audience to try on the jacket in exchange for ten pounds sterling. Several volunteers came forward and agreed to do it, but before they could put on the jacket, Hood told them that the garment had belonged to a serial killer, named Fred West. With this knowledge, most of the volunteers refused to put it on. They were faced with instinctive rejection of the coat, due to an “ominous” discomfort based in superstition. This can occur with the most rational of people. After their reaction and yet before they left the stage, Hood would then inform the volunteers that the jacket really did not belong to any serial killer. He observed the audience’s reaction in finding out how our minds powerfully determine our attitudes towards even everyday objects.
One seldom consciously thinks that a man’s fragrance or cologne is used as a talisman, but in fact hundreds of thousands of men all over the world use cologne as such every day. The use of men’s fragrance consciously or unconsciously is done to create the allure of being desirable and pleasing for the wearer. A scent acts as an ally for the wearer during times of great stress or desire, as if to endow him with a sphere of influence, or a special power to protect or bring good fortune to himself.
Fragrances are imbued with the minerals, vegetation and/or animal properties of the earth and the earth traditions that use Talismans. For the wearer, this means to embody a particular notion of archetypal power with specific benefits to its possessor.
So, I can understand my young friends requesting guidance as to where to begin in this quest for the right magic elixir.
I would suggest that we first stop, step back, and consider some vital factors needed before moving on and making your choice.
Number one: let us stop and look under your own nose to your body. Do you know your own body? Have you seen it naked? Really spent any time with it naked? Let us suppose you have not. Then let us start there.
Know that your body manufacturers and emits natural scents that are called Pheromones. They act as communication signals, that can induce other individuals into moods and action.
Pheromones can raise alarm, infer safety, signal intimacy and sexual desire. These are but a few affects that pheromone messages can transmit and impact on behavior or physiology in others.
Pheromones are present in many bodily secretions, but attention is usually focused on axillary sweat places. Underarms get attention when sweat mixes with bacteria and can form the 16-androstenes the cause of the unpleasant odor and contribute to human malodor – ‘stink’.
Studies have been conducted, even forming teams comprised of scientists, along with perfumers and even parents, together to research the relationships between bodily secretions, their intensity, odor characteristics, body site locations, body reactions to the times of day, activity levels, and their durations, using test subjects that range in age from teens to adults.
Some of these studies, were designed to collect bodily sweat pooled from the subjects and used in various analyses such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/GCMS)) to identify scent or odor precursors.
It is alleged that Pheromones are the true aphrodisiacs of the animal kingdom and that they are manufactured naturally within the body. Claims to enhance your pheromones, or better yet, Unbridled Loins bought in a bottle, has of yet to be scientifically proven as a legitimate substantiated claim.
All of this is to say, that before you go off and buy something off the shelf, as man’s secret edge to making the ladies or the gents take notice of you, consider ‘you,’ yourself as your investment. This means an inventory of your strengths and weaknesses can work with and for you, to maximize your intended results. This brings me to the concept of ‘Somatic’ alchemy meaning a body mind connection within which you already operate. I will come back to this idea later.
Many men feel unique and that they bring to the table something that no other man can; this observation should factor into your consideration of your choice of scent. Remember, it is not about splashing on something to cover up or mask who you are, but to enhance and exude yourself.
Nothing is as underwhelming as to go to an event and find that a half dozen other men and maybe women too, are wearing the same cologne fragrance that you are. The scent of that cologne then becomes about the cologne and not a representation of or even a masquerade of you. More importantly, observing the room around you, you will find you have purchased a product, (usually the most popular brand of the moment), that is masking you and everyone else that wears it, and what is worse, you find you have very little in common with all the others wearing that same scent, such as the irritating colleague from your office, or the man married 10 x over and still can’t get it right, or your rival from hell, or those you consider the idiot classmates from high school, to name a few.
A Scent or Fragrance we want to believe is personal to us, holds the fantasy that we alone are the only one who owns or knows about that cologne. Of course, this is pretty unrealistic given that the major brands of cologne lurk on every continent, and in every retail or department store across the globe.
So what we have come to is this:
We want a cologne fragrance that does not come across to our olfactory receptors as a mask, but works with your body chemistry. You are seeking a ‘Somatic’ alchemy experience, meaning that it can produce a body mind connection. Because smell is a vital component in your social interaction and in attracting a mate, we must remember that people’s choice in friends and mates are a blend of mental and biological pairing. Be it friends or partners, we seek people who are neither too similar nor too different from our own nature and natural bodily scents. We seek out those whose scents are distinct enough to be interesting and inoffensive, yet similar enough to us so as not to be totally new and uncomfortable.
The right scent to compliment your Somatic journey may vary due to your stage of life and growth. And if in transition, may demand a different attitude and slant on what you want to project about yourself in conjunction with image and chemistry.
If you are new and getting started in this search for a signature scent, to accelerate your search, and perhaps in the end save a great deal of money in the search, I would suggest investing in a High-end fragrance of natural ingredients vs synthetic ingredients. Blends made by a professional mixologist will help you select a crafted scent right for yourself. It will seem like a large out lay but as a quality and long-lasting product, it is well worth the investment
I would direct you to purchase a small batch of various cologne blends from any of the Luxury Fragrance Houses at a fraction of their regular price.
Men can often miss a sense of discovery to find a scent that truly feels personal to them – and this is where the exclusivity of this niche, called fragrance or perfume house comes in.
The price of their full-size bottles of cologne can be down right off-putting and restrictive, as well as the availability on some lines in their collections. Yet in the end, the shopping experience is usually a more rewarding one, with well-crafted and creative scent blends. And to find that some Fragrance Houses go back centuries.
Most are available for online shopping. In some major cities, you can find their boutique stores, or their products in upscale department stores. This allows you to get up close and personal with the product, and to try before you buy.
The experience does not need to be boring nor predictable… you may even walk away with a sense of discovery of a product that feels really personal to you.
So, if you are game enough to try, I present to you a few of the finest – old and new – iconic fragrance houses.
I will begin with what is my go-to Fragrance House, the House of Creed. CreedBoutique.com. Creed official boutiques found in the U. S. are located in New York, Beverly Hills, Miami, and Las Vegas. The House of Creed products are also sold on-line and in High-end Retail Stores.
A quick disclaimer, Creed was acquired by the private equity firm, BlackRock, Feb 27, 2020, ending six generations, 260 years of a father to son, family owned business in operation since 1760.
This fragrance house traces its origins back to the English tailor, James Henry Creed, who founded the company in London in 1760. However, it was not until 1854, when Creed moved to Paris, did their fragrances become the main line of business. The Creed House has supplied many crowned heads and celebrities during its long history. It has long attracted an exclusive patronage, as well as copycat versions of its product. Scents created by Creed would soon find the market scrambling to “emulate” (and shamelessly copy fragrances such as Creed’s Aventus). In my over 30 years relationship with the House of Creed, I own two blends unique for me. One was purchased decades ago when I worked in Corporate America. That cologne, my oldest of the two colognes, was used only for special occasions. It was my “power fragrance” called Royal Oud (it was discontinued, now has an updated release). This fragrance for me was earthy, exotic, sensual, and sophisticated. Over the years as I have matured and lived most my life on the California coast, I find I have slowed down and gained control over my own schedule and time table, and with that, surprisingly ,my taste in fragrances changed to lighter and fresher, such as my current scent from Creed called Silver Mountain Water, which when mixes with my own body chemistry gives me a relaxed fun, and a fresh, direct and open Mystique.
Some men want a fragrance for every mood they find themselves in, others want a One-go- to Scent. Whatever you decide, it begins with your exploration of who you are and what statement, about your life, do you want to present.
Next, finding that cologne to match your persona. Some men may feel a bit uncomfortable about going into a Fragrance house Boutique or even a high-end retail store to buy cologne.
For those curious about the experience, I have selected two videos for you to watch, to help subside anxiety or nervousness about the experience. I very much suggest watching the first video:
GL LIVE: Fragrance W/ Cody Buchanan - The House of Creed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTKF4o5wTSw
AND for a more rounded view of scents:
8 Classic Fragrances for Gentlemen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrV9nC0EYUQ
Floris London
The British Fragrance House, that rose to become the equal to Creed, is the House of Floris in London. This was Founded in 1730 by Juan Famenias. Famenias opened his first store at at 89 Jermyn Street, which stands there today, run by his direct descendants, the Bodenham family. House of Floris was put on the map in 1820 by his creation of a scented comb made for King George IV. Other luminaries such as Winston Churchill wore a fragrance called Stephanotis and Special No. 27, whereas Ian Fleming, author of James Bond - 007, preferred cologne No.89. These are classic scents. House of Floris products are sold at High-end Retail Stores or on-line at florislondon.com.
Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle
Starting in the late 1980’s, perfumer Frédéric Malle became frustrated with the commercial and synthetic direction of some of the major Parfum Houses. To help preserve the creativity in the industry, he established the Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle as a space to showcase the industry’s very best crafted scent Designers”. Over the years, the house has given a platform to some of the biggest mens cologne designers in the business, including Dominique Ropion, Carlos Benaim, Jean-Claude Ellena, Olivia Giacobetti, Edmond Roudnitska, and Maurice Roucel to name just a few.
The collection now contains a veritable list of modern classics. His boutiques are around the world and would be well worth a visit. Frederic Malle is also on-line and can offer you a men’s cologne trio “sample experience” for $20 plus tax and shipping. https://www.fredericmalle.com/contact-us
Sometimes it can feel like these House Fragrance are more about fancy bottles than for the actual juice inside. They can be so pricey, but does that make them good?
Consider labor intensive blending, natural ingredients, and the cost of certain natural ingredients, like orris or jasmine, or Ylang Ylang might cost more than gold. Truthfully, beyond a certain point, you are paying for the name, the mystique, and an experience. Therefore, the first time buyer is looking for something authentic for them. Going to a high-end store or even going on-line, affords you the opportunity to answer questions regarding your preferences. This in turn, can have you learn a great deal about yourself and your relationship to scents. At different times of the year, many of these Parfum Houses will offer samples or trio gift sets ranging between $20 and $40 dollars that will give you a range of scents to discover and will hone your knowledge to select your fragrance(s)
Just to be fair, let me introduce you to a few of the new kids on the block.
MiN New York
New to the scene is Chad Murawczyk and Mindy Yang Scent Stories, launched in 2014.
They are known for abstract, innovative, conceptual and modern fragrance themes, such as one fragrance being described as fresh, green and very edible.
Find them at min.com
Kilian
Killian Hennessey from the Hennessey Cognac family (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessey), opened his fragrance house in 2007: His innovation included refillable fragrance bottles, scented cuff links and accessories. His cologne
Aphrodisiac is purported to work like catnip – on some!
Azzi Glasser
Azzi Glasser has been called the perfumer to the stars. She has created scents for private clients that have include actors Orlando Bloom, Tom Hardy, Jude Law and Johnny Depp. In 2015 she launched her signature collection; Here she matches her scents to the characteristics and style for the client, and in this way to help customers navigate her collection. https://theperfumersstory.com/
There are far too many Fragrance houses to mention, yet I did want to give you a taste of adventure in one of our more personal pursuits in life. I hope this has been an opportunity to explore some of the concepts of Fragrance -its blending, being aware of your own somatic chemistry, and naming your desire. A journey which you too can take to arrive with your perfect Talisman elixir.
Some closing words on the subject comes from:
Niels Bohr, the scientist and Nobel prize winner, who hung a horseshoe outside his cabin in the mountains. When some visiting colleagues, from the scientific community, noticed it, they asked if he was superstitious and really believed in “such things.” To this, Bohr replied that no, since he was a man of science, he didn’t, “but I’ve heard that such things work even if you don’t believe in them.”
Let me know what you think.