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Well hello gentlemen, and how are you today? It's the first of December and I have found myself in a very festive mood indeed. It's cold, it's grey and it snowy, and that means that winter is upon us. While most people shudder at the thought of winter, I find myself bursting with energy for some odd reason. Not only is this my favourite time of year in regards to the holidays, but it's also my favourite time of year for fragrances. So many of my personal collection are at their best in the winter time, and I have been waiting to share them with you! Some would argue, but I think that everything just smells better in the cold weather. The scents are crisper and linger in the air and your clothes longer, without the sweaty musk of summer to wisk them away. It's for this reason I absolutely love this time of year for a great scent. So my friends, without further ado, here are my top picks for winter this season!
This has been a winter staple for me for the past 3 years now. It's absolutely perfect for a cold night, whether it be out on the town, or next to a fire with your lady. It's deep, musky, sensual and classic. It's a timeless scent in my opinion, and it almost always evokes compliments. I am almost through my first bottle and this will most certainly be replenished as soon as i use the last drop. I prefer wearing this at night time, and it absolutely rocks formal occasions. Word to the wise though, use sparingly. It's a strong scent so 1-2 sprays maximum. Any more than that and it turns from alluring to appauling.
It's well known that I am a huge fan of the Johnny V family, and vintage is no exception. Following along the same line as the original, this scent has fantastic notes of leather, suede and tobacco, but is also very woody with almost a sweet accord on the topnotes. This is a very manly scent, with a rustic feel to it. It brings to mind big corded sweaters and chopping wood on a winter morning during a brisk snowfall. It's a warm scent that evokes emotions of safety, and has just a hint of the classic manliness that characterizes old school scents. The only drawback of this scent is that unfortunately like many of the JV scents, it wears off much too quickly. Which is a shame since the basenotes of leather and tobacco are just way too awesome to fade that fast.
This scent is completely different than the one above, but also similar in some ways. It has a hint of vanilla-like sweetness on the top that's just enough to be completely alluring. It's fantastic for day or night use, but i use this almost always in cold weather only. It requires only a couple of sprays, and when paired with a wool coat or cashmere scarf it holds all day long. It's somewhat woody, somewhat powdery, and somewhat fruity all at once. Admittedly I wasn't a fan of this one at first, but it grew on me tenfold. Definitely worth a purchase.
Some of you may remember this scent from my pics for summer, well it's back and in its proper home now. While it works in summer, it excels in winter, blasting its peppery topnotes into the brisk winter air with unmatched force. It's manly but not overpowering and extremely distinct. The bottle is sleek and classy, and this scent is simply one of a kind. Your nose will get used to it, but it will maintain its head turning power all day long, especially if placed properly. This one is at the forefront of my winter arsenal (i'm wearing it right now in fact). It comes in 3 different sizes, and it does take a little while to fall in love with, so try a tester first...but i guarantee you will love this one.
It took me a while to narrow down my list to only five scents, and while i considered keeping this one a secret, I just couldn't. This is a scent directly from Italy, and it has a hefty price tag to go along with it. This was given to me as a gift last autumn, and I did not like it at all upon first smell. It took a little while to grow on me, but when it grew, it grew at breakneck speed. This is an astoundingly masculine scent, extremely woody and undoubtedly european. Although i generally go for the heavier scents, this was a bit deep even for me...but the more i smelled it the more i fell in love with it. It has complexities beyond the naked nose, which leads to its mystery. two sprays is almost too much for this one, and it lasts a very long time....with a price tag of 100 euros, i use this one sparingly, as much as i would love to wear it every day. It's a perfect cold weather companion, and bridges the gap between autumn and winter perfectly. It brings to mind old school christmases and fireplaces and long treks to find the perfect tree. I love it, and if you can find it, and are willing to spend the money, you will love it too.
So there you have it gents, my top five picks for this winter. It was a hard choice, and it was so tough to narrow it to just 5 that i included some honourable mentions....and when i say honourable mentions, I mean I should have just extended the list because they are as good as any of my picks. They are as follows, in no particular order: Kenneth Cole Black - as per my review this one is just fantastic, like slipping on an old, perfectly formed leather jacket, amazing. Gap Blue no. 655. This has been discontinued in Canada, but is still available in select places in the US. it's an amazingly unique and original scent that I was SO excited to find again, since my original bottle is 12 years old this month, and i only have a few drops left. And with a price tag of around $20, you can't go wrong. Also, an old standby, Polo Black. manly, dark and warm. One spray is enough to last the whole day, and it's just a classic, manly scent.
So there you go guys, I hope this helps, and if you have any winter time favourites of your own, let me know!
Until next time,
S.G.
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