Dad’s of the world, Father’s Day is your day and as you know, it’s the day where you can be spoiled by your loved ones as thanks for all of the important things you do. But what if you took some time to spoil yourself? Wouldn’t that be a pretty neat idea? I think so! In this post I’ve put together a list of five handsomely scented things that you can gift to yourself on 18 June to say thank you to you, for being a straight-up baller day in, day out. So instead of relying on your loved ones to treat you this Father’s Day, why not treat yo’self instead?
You really can’t beat a gift set. I see them as a great way to test out a scent’s accompanying body products because they inevitably come with a shower gel or body cream. In fact, I’ve bought many a full bottle shower gel after having a taster from a gift set. If like me, you fancy something fragrant with an added extra then a gift set is the way to go.
Now, if you’re into something a bit more classic then you can’t go wrong with L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake. I call this an ‘architectural aquatic’. It’s an exploration of minimalism in scent made with three bold structures; citrus, aquatics and woods. It’s also an essay in synthetics, boasting an overdose of calone, a ketone with a blindingly fresh marine vibrancy that is almost floral. The effect created by L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme is of a vast white space lit brightly. In the centre of the room sits a small piece of driftwood. Minimalism, structure and radiance are what make L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme so distinct and so timeless. Treat yo’self to this gift set which includes a nifty neoprene wash bag and a 50ml shower gel too!
L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Gift Set: £43/75ml Eau de Toilette + 50ml Shower Gel
For something a little bit newer and cooler there is Zadig & Voltaire’s This is Him! I think every gent should have a bottle of this in his wardrobe. It’s an accessible easy-to-wear scent that avoids appealing to the lowest common denominator, which mainstream masculines often do. Instead Z&V This is Him! is a ruggedly sexy punk perfume that carries a vanilla-heavy amber accord accented by cooling incense. It smells irresistible and good enough to bathe in, which is handy given that this gift set comes with two shower gels to help you do exactly that…
Zadig et Voltaire This is Him! Gift Set: £42/50ml Eau de Toilette + 2 x 50ml Shower Gel
One of my favourite product launches this year isn’t actually a perfume – it’s something quite different altogether. When I first tried the Solaris bracelet by Vanacci I was completely blown away by just how fricking handsome it was. Capturing the solar system in porous lockstone, the Solaris bracelet allows one to spritz on their favourite scent and carry it with them throughout the day (the stone locks in the scent and slowly releases it over time). What’s more, the bracelet comes in a range of semi-precious stones, with the most striking being the ‘nebula’ pictured above. Oh and I should mention that there is a special edition that also includes Pluto for those who like to believe that it’s still a planet..
Vanacci Solaris: £34.99-£59.99.
Jasper Conran may not be the first name that pops into one’s head when they think of masculine perfumery but I was particularly struck by how affable their ‘Naked Man’ (I’m not sniggering at the name, honest…) fragrance is. Naked Man is sweet and resinous, with familiar notes of violet leaf and bergamot, leading to a solid base of woods, vetiver and musk. It’s one of those scents that is so versatile it works on any occasion, whether in the board room, bedroom or the great outdoors. It also comes with a very handsome leather wash bag and when wearing it, clothing is entirely optional.
Naked Man Eau de Toilette: £24/40ml & £35/100ml
And now for something utterly decadent. Everything that Frederic Malle does for his Editions de Parfums collection is the absolute height of luxury, whether that be one of his masterful fragrances or their accompanying body products. This summer Malle is launching a grooming collection in his flagship masculine fragrance Vetiver Extraordinaire. The result is the Vetiver Extraordinaire Shave Cream and After Shave Balm. The former is a richly textured mousse that allows one’s razor to glide sleekly on the skin, whilst the other is cooling and soothing enough to prevent shaving rash. Both smell awesome with the scent of spicy, rooty vetiver. Go on, treat yo’self, you know you deserve it.
Vetiver Extraordinaire Shaving Cream: £60/100ml
Vetiver Extraordinaire After Shave Balm: £80/50ml
Disclaimer
Samples via Zadig et Voltaire, Issey Miyake, Vanacci, Jasper Conran and Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. Images are my own.
The Candy Perfume Boy 