BVLGARI - AQVA Marine

Perfectly named cologne from Bulgari that evokes sea and sun with a light fresh scent.

Thierry Mugler Cologne

My second favourite cologne is by French perfumer Thierry Mugler. Partly citrus but very complex. Changes over time as the citrus fades to a complexity of scents. (The name of the cologne has been changed to Mugler - Come Together and is marketed as his/hers. I don't know if the formula has changed: the packed and colour of the cologne looks the same.)

Guerlain Homme - L'Eau Boisée

As the name suggests this is a woodsy scented cologne with a touch of vetiver (I like vetiver). But, it is more woodsy and works well as a fall/winter cologne.

George F. Trumper - West Indian Extract of Limes

A favourite of mine as a light summer lime-scented cologne. A classic from the prestigious and long established (1875) London perfumers George F. Trumper (usually abbreviated Geo. F. Trumper). It has a magnificent lime scent but has the distinct disadvantage, perhaps because of its natural ingredients, of being short lived. The scent fades very quickly — 2-3 hours. For an expensive cologne you have to splash on liberal amounts to have a lasting scent.

L'Occitane En Provence - Eau De Vetyver

My first quality cologne was Eau de Vetyver from the French perfumer L'Occitane En Provence. Unfortunately, they no longer produce this fragrance. I tried it as a sampler (bought on eBay) then bought one of the few remaining bottles. Vetyver (or vetiver in English) is a lemon-scented grass native to India that I particularly like as a summer cologne. I first bought a Vetiver cologne made by Crabtree & Evelyn many years ago, but that too is no longer produced by them. This is still my favorite. (See Fragrantica notes) 10/10

Murray & Lanman - Florida Water

A popular cologne in the nineteenth century, very floral, citrusy and with spice notes, notably cloves. Simple and intense but inexpensive. Created as an American version of Eau de Cologne, it is still made from the original 1808 formula (which coincidentally was exactly hundred years after the creation of Eau de Cologne in 1708).

Walter Wolfe Racing - Steel

This was my first really favourite cologne. I bought this one consistently throughout the 80's and 90's until it was no longer available. I know find it quite simple compared to the French and British colognes I now use, with a straight-forward scent. But it still has a briskness that is nice in its simplicity.

Walter Wolfe Racing - Leather

An old favourite of mine was the Walter Wolf Racing - Steel release. I bought this one on spec a few years ago because the Steel version was my favourite cologne in the 80's and 90's and it was impossible to find. It is a simpler, more straight-forward scent than the ones I typically use now, but it is a decent woodsy/leathery scent.

The history of Cologne

Eau de Cologne (or Water from Cologne) was created by perfumer Johann Maria Farina of Cologne, Germany in 1709. Its name has ever since come to be used as the generic name for scented formulations.
His original formula contained a mixture of oils of lemon, orange, tangerine, clementine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit, blood orange, and bitter orange. It can also contain oils of neroli, lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, petitgrain (orange leaf), jasmine, olive, oleaster, and tobacco.
On creating his signature formulation he stated, "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain,"
(See also Wikipedia - Eau de Cologne.)

And Original Eau de Cologne is still produced today. 

 

 

What it's all about

I've started this blog to track and note my choices in colognes over the years to today.

I've recently been using fragrancebuy.ca for my cologne purchases. It is a Canadian online retail with discounted prices. They also often have specials, such as free shipping, which I've used a couple of times. Reliable and fast shipping.

A good source for samples is MyFragranceSamples.com. It is better to try out a tiny, relatively inexpensive, sample before committing to a standard sized bottle. The sample size is typically 3ml and sells for $7.00-$10.00.

Fragrantica is a good cologne review site that breaks down fragrances by discrete notes.

For what it's worth, Bespoke Unit has a list of the top ten men's classic favourites.

There are a few good Youtube channels reviewing fragrances. A Gentleman's Journey, Gent's Scents and Joy Amin discuss dozens of quality fragrances.

---

My buy lisrt:

• Azzaro Wanted by Night
• Versace Pour Homme Oud Noir