Masculine Musk
As promised with last week’s look at the best female fragrances, it’s time to take a peek at what Santa might want to consider bringing all the gentlemen this holiday season in the cologne department. Much like with women, colognes are an awesome gift because the price point is right for just about any dude on your list – father, brother, husband, boyfriend – and you’d be hard-pressed to find any guy (except maybe those with a sensitive nose) that wouldn’t appreciate a new bottle of indulgence to enjoy for the next year. And with that…my picks:
Strellson D.STRICT – $59 (for gift set including shower gel)
The Backstory & Bottle: Fashionable men in the know are already well-aware of Strellson’s uber-trendy line of clothing, and many of them are flocking to the brand’s metropolitan-inspired scents as well. This year’s new offering is D.STRICT, which comes in encased in a smoky black bottle and minimalistic accoutrements…except for the smell of course.
The Scent: This spicy fragrance channels both barbershops and lounges – with sweet vanilla notes offset by allspice, ginger, and smoky incense, it’s a throwback to the Don Draper’s of the world, in their 21st century incarnation of course.
The Guy: Well-groomed and worldly, this is a scent for a seriously confident sort.
The Place: The Bay & at select Strellson line carriers
Lacoste L.12.12 For Men (in blue, white & green) – $39-$62
The Backstory & Bottle: Got a guy who can’t quite make up his mind? Enter the newest trio of Lacoste fragrances from prim and preppy atelier Lacoste. Three unique scents designed to capture his mood, any day of the week.
The Scents: All of the scents are meant to have a sporty appeal, but each is definitely distinct. White has a pure, tropical-inspired fragrance, with glistening grapefruit playing off of cardamom and ylang ylang. Blue draws inspiration from the great big sea, with a crisp masculine scent that’s offset by orange blossom and mint. Green, naturally, is an earthy-toned scent laced with a citrus splash and classic birchbark. All three breezy scents will take you lakeside with a single spritz.
The Guy: Loves the great outdoors – but in a cabin-dwelling, kayak-paddling kind of way.
The Place: Your favourite department and drugstores should have this set, plus you can get free samples online for stocking stuffers.
David Beckham Homme – $49
The Backstory & Bottle: Sure you guy may not be able to bend it like Beckham, but at least he can smell like him with this light and bright cologne bedecked with the footie star’s well-known moniker. The clear, clean bottle should give you some clues to just how this one smells.
The Scent: That is to say, it smells lovely, airy, and sporty – no heavy musks weigh this one down. Instead, expect a burst of fresh citrus and ginger with hints of earthy tones like leather and cashmere wood.
The Guy: Might be a Beckham believer, or he may just be a guy that’s always on the go, much like David himself.
The Place: Sears and drugstores
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme – $89 (for gift set including aftershave balm, shampoo, and shower gel)
The Backstory & Bottle: The faceted, soft grey of this striking bottle is reminiscent of Salvatore Ferragamo’s sleek design aesthetic – you can practically picture this on a business-minded guy, the type that wears cufflinks and is secretly clamouring for a designer, well-cut suit from the likes of Ferragmo.
The Scent: Head over the Far East with this Asian-influenced scent, with powerful notes of mandarin orange, pepper, and cardadmom accented by soft florals and musks.
The Guy: Ideal for the guy that matches the bottle – polished, professional, and an appreciator of fine things.
The Place: I spotted the gift set at Holt Renfrew, but try the more upscale department stores / fragrance boutiques in your town to see if you can find the individual cologne.
CK One Shock For Men – $65
The Backstory & Bottle: You can’t have one without the other, now can you? At least not when you’re talking about splitting the world’s most popular unisex scent into two distinct fragrances for ladies and gents – as Calvin Klein did this holiday season. The boys’ bottle has got a fancy new re-imagining for itself – opaque, glossy black with a splash of graffiti green give it a decidedly urban look.
The Scent: I don’t know what it is, but there’s something oddly comforting and musky about this scent. Despite the ‘radical’ bottle design, envision homey tobacco and woodsy notes with a powdery complement of patchouli, lavender, and basil.
The Guy: Is fresh-faced and ready to face the world with this comforting, warm aroma.
The Place: Shoppers Drug Mart is your numero uno place to buy this one.
Admittedly, picking a scent for guys can be a little tough. Female fragrances tend to have such varying ‘families’, but a lot of the guy colognes I tested for this post started melding together. But you know what? Once a guy adopts a signature scent, it sure is a nice thing to lean in for a hug and get a waft of your gift-giving skills. If you’d like to give a guy (or yourself) a head start, I’ve got a bottle of CK One Shock to give away to one lucky reader. To enter:
1) Leave a comment below before January 4th, 2012 and tell me which of these colognes is most appealing. Be sure to use a valid email address so I can contact you if you win!
2) Entries are limited to one per person per email address (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around January 5th to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.
3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible to participate in this promotion.
4) Bonus Entry Time: A great big thank-you to my regular readers, and an invite to those of you who haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet to do so…everyone who’s a subscriber? Remind me in your comment and you’ll score a bonus entry. Not a subscriber? Sign up now, let me know, and you’ll earn a bonus entry as well.
Want to go read the full rules & regs? You can email me for em. Good luck ladies& gents!
Canadian Gift Guide 
I think the David Beckham Homme is most appealing.
ksceviour at hotmail dot com
Im subscribed via email
ksceviour at hotmail dot com
hubby would love David Beckham’s Homme, he wears other David Beckham fregrancies, so it would be nice to try this one
David Beckham Homme is the most appealing
Subscribed via email
henglish at nb dot sympatico dot ca
My vote is for “David Beckham Homme”! That man (I mean scent) is delicious!
Most appealing: Salvatore Ferragamo, Attimo.
Cheers.
I’m also a subscriber to your e-mails!
I like the description of CK One Shock so that would be my vote. I am a subscriber already.
I’ll go for the David Beckham Homme. I think that is most appealing.
I subscribe via email.
dls(dot)1957(at)hotmail(dot)ca
I think the David Beckham Homme is most appealing
David Beckham Homme would be most appealing in my opinion.
My hubby would love the David Beckham Homme, I think it would be most appealing !!
dalleykt at live dot ca
Subscribed via email. dalleykt at live dot ca
I usually stick with Calvin Klein, but I’d be interested in trying the Lacoste trio.
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme
I would love to give my hubby the Attimo, it sounds sexy.
i love the description of this one
Salvatore Ferragamo’s Attimo pour Homme seems most sophiticated
I think that the Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme sounds the nicest..
I’m an email subscriber!
I think the David Beckham Homme sounds the most appealing.
I subscribe to your email.
David Beckham Homme sound sgood to me!
i’ve always been a CK boy,still am..
Thanks for the samples tip–trying to order one as we speak!
great contest
would like to sample this cologne
I would like the David Beckham scent!
CK One Shock For Men is the one I know I would love
bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com
I like the Lacoste L.12.12 For Men
brendawitherspoon at hotmail dot com
I am subscribed
brendawitherspoon at hotmail dot com
Lacoste for men is most appealing to me.
Subscriber 🙂
CK One Shock For Men
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme – $89 (for gift set including aftershave balm, shampoo, and shower gel) I think should work well on my man as it looks esquite and classy a business-minded guy, but with the Far East Asian-influenced scent, with powerful notes of mandarin orange, pepper, and cardadmom accented by soft florals and musks may make him more acceptable with my family from Asia, LOL
…but knowing him he would prefer the Urban look of CK One Shock For Men bottle as a loyal CK fanatic and the feeling of maturity with the envision homey tobacco and woodsy notes with a powdery complement of patchouli, lavender, and basil.
David Beckham Homme is most appealing.
would love the shock for men
subscriber of your page nrobak101@hotmail.com
David Beckham Homme sounds nice!
Lacoste!
Im a subscriber too!
CK one shock for men would be my choice
I like LaCoste fragrance on men..hot!
Strellson D.STRICT
they all sound nice, but CK Shock one sounds nice. My son would love it.
I think that David Beckham’s cologne sounds the most appealing.
Happy to say that I am now subscribed to you!!
I would love it if my husband wore the Calvin Klein new scent…SHOCK
I really like most of CK scents for women and men so I will select the CK Shock fragrance
I like the Lacoste L.12.12
CK One Shock is most appealing. I’m a subscriber.
Cheers!
I think I would choose the CK One Shock because I have always loved CK One. I know it is obviously different than the others but not having the opportunity to smell any of them, I will stick with the CK One. Thanks for such a great giveaway!
Happy Holidays!
Would love to try Shock.
The Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme cologne sounds the most appealing. Thanks for the chance to win.
Lacoste L.12.12 For Men
CK One Shock is the most appealing
karryknisley76 at hotmail dot com
The David Beckham one would be fun to try!
They also sound delicious, but the David Beckham Homme sounds the most appealing to me. Please accept this as my entry. Thank you!
Aliya D.
aliyadaya(at)shaw(dot)ca
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme is the most appealing
DB Homme!
I think the CK One Shock For Men would be the best suited for my hubby.
cK shock seems most appealing to me. and i am a subscriber!
I would be most interested in the avid beck ham scent because he description sounds yummy. This post is timed perfectly since my hubby never wears cologne and I.’ve been looking for some Christmas!
Attimo pour homme sounds so manly, sexy and exotic! This would be nice for my hubby! Something new!
I would love c k one shock!
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme sounds good
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme sounds exotic and inviting
David Beckham Homme!
Attimo I think is the most appealing, you what I’m saying.
I think the CK shock sounds like something my husband (and I!) would like.
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme sounds…sexy!
I bet the David Beckham smells wonderful!
The Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme is the most appealing
Ck one Shock sounds interesting!
CK One Shock For Men and I’m a subscriber.
The David Beckham Homme fragrance looks appealing.
I’m a new subscriber via e-mail.
CK One Shock For Men
Either the CK One or the David Beckham. Either would make my man smell good I’m sure!
I like the sound of the Lacoste line.
I’m a subscriber.
Strellson D.STRICT seems interesting
i would love for my hubby to have david beckham
I would like the CK One Shock
spynaert@gmail.com
Salvatore Ferragmo Attimo Pour Homme for me.
CK Shock sounds amazing! It has patchouli, which I love!
David beckem Hommes would be most appealing for sure:0 I do like ck but beckem has a good one here
The CK One Shock For Men sounds the most appealing to me!
David Beckham’s because he’s dreamy!
david good choice
I’m so excited!!
Thank you very much!!
That’s great Kelly! Did you send me your release forms yet?