Scents of Accomplishment

Although Ford’s first men’s fragrance comprises a dizzying array of components (everything from lemon-leaf oil to tobacco leaf to leatherwood), the resulting scent is simple and subdued. “I had a clear vision of what I wanted from the very beginning,” Ford says, “and then I worked with talented perfumers that helped me develop exactly that scent.”

Tom Ford’s 12 unisex scents are sold only at Bergdorf Goodman and Tom Ford boutiques. Each of the fragrances—including Bois Rouge, Tuscan Leather, and Tabac Vanille—has an exceptionally focused, elemental smell. They can be worn alone or layered on top of one another to create a signature scent.

Hermès stands apart from most big-label brands when it comes to fragrances. While many designers license their name to outside scentmakers, Hermès has a renowned in-house perfumer, Jean Claude Ellena. Ellena’s latest formulation for men is a woodsy composition of plant and mineral notes. It smells clean yet rustic, with a hint of orange and grapefruit.

One in a series of scents named for New York neighborhoods, Wall Street was designed with power brokers in mind. Its cucumber and marine notes are meant to evoke to the area’s waterfront location. “Our challenge was to make it fresh but at the same time powerful,” says Laurice Rahme, founder of Bond No. 9. “We worked with sea kale and ozone to invoke a powerful ocean liner.”

The King of Saudi Arabia commissioned this supremely indulgent and luxurious cologne for himself and his court in 1995. It is on the sweeter side of offerings for men, and the bottle was designed to resemble a bar of gold the King gave Creed for inspiration.

Kilian Hennessy comes to fragrances from a long line of cognac makers (yes, that Hennessy), so it’s fitting that one of his new colognes for men looks toward spirits for its inspiration. Absinthe Verte carries clear hints of bourbon and vanilla but is fresh enough for daytime wear.

In case fragrances heavy on citrus and woody or mossy notes don’t strike your fancy, Anvers offers a minimal and modern daytime alternative. The scent contains aromas of lime, sage, mint, and basil, and overall is reminiscent of clean laundry.

Fittingly named, Aqua di Parma’s newest offering for men is intense yet also fresh and focused enough for discreet office wear. It is a pared-down mix of citrus, wood, spice, and leather notes.