Cologne 101: The Scents of It All

It's spring and with the change of season comes the need to change that cologne or perfume. Time to move from that fall/winter woody scent into something fresh or floral.

There are two main cologne/scent classifications; Floral/ Fresh (which includes citrus and green) and Gourmand/ Woody (think vanilla, tobacco and the spices of the Orient). The newest entry is the Aquatic or Oceanic scents (think ck One), which contain calone, which is a synthetic scent. Calone is often used to accent floral and woody fragrances. It also stabilizes a fragrance so its bouquet is basically the same on everyone (again think ck One).

Style Note - Fragrance is deeply individualistic-when you find a signature scent, wear it! I happen to love vanilla (a gourmand, fall scent) and usually wear fragrances that contain it as an element year round.

1 - Atelier Cologne, Vanille Insensée.

Notes of Madagascar vanilla, jasmine and fresh lime with rich oak moss, woods and spicy coriander. This cologne, because of the mix, perfectly walks the line between spring/summer and fall/winter. $175.

2 - John Varvatos, 10th Anniversary Fragrance.

Notes of bergamot, orange, Ceylon cinnamon, mixed with patchouli and amber. This is a classic fall/winter fragrance because of its spicy, sexy, very male ingredients. $88.

3 - Bulgari, AQVA pour Homme.

Contains aquatic scents, grapefruit and a touch of sandalwood. Evocative of the ocean, the surf and the beach, this is the perfect scent for Southern California long weekends. $79.

4 - Byredo Parfums, Mister Marvelous.

Handmade from Mandarin leaves, neroli flower, green lavender, bamboo, black amber and cedar. This is what I wear! How can you not love a cologne called Mister Marvelous?! $220.

Style Note - BYREDO is a Stockholm based fragrance house founded in 2006 by Ben Gorham (cute!). Go to Byredo.com and check them out! They do the coolest fragrances, candles and body care products!

5 - Jo Malone, Blue Agava and Cacao Cologne.

Intense, combining lime, grapefruit and blue Agava flower then a mix of vetiver, cinnamon and cacao. Jo Malone makes some of the most exciting fragrances in the business of scent. She believes in mixing and layering multiple fragrances to get a distinctly individual "scentual" experience. $110

It's very difficult to pick favorites for all you, but run, don't walk, to your fave high-end department store and check these two out, Byredo Parfums and Jo Malone London.