As View the Vibe’s in-house fashion and beauty addict with a Y chromosome, it only made sense that Philip start his own column devoted exclusively to grooming products for gents. Philip’s Pick features all the best items for men who believe putting in the effort to look and feel great (both inside and out) is not just for the ladies. Our boy also tests all the products himself, which is probably why he looks so great all the time… right?
I am a serial monogamist with fragrances. I’m not one of those people who commits to one during the week but still sometimes uses another on the weekend. Nor do I get around and switch every day. Nope, when I’ve entered into a committed relationship with my fragrance, it’s the only one in my life… at least for a year or two. In my regular perusing of Sephora one afternoon (or as I like to think of it, fragrance speed dating), I happened to come across Yves Saint Laurent’s L’ Homme and, after having heard good things, decided to give it a try. Instantly I knew there was a connection. After a couple more test sprays on the stick and then finally on my wrist, I took one big whiff and knew that this L’Homme was the one.
Most descriptions would describe L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent as woody and fresh with gentle notes of bergamot, ginger, and vetiver. Sephora notes that it is “infused with the force of attraction of a man with style and sensuality” and is a “unique combination of luxury, art, and modernity for timeless elegance.” Alright, I’ll take the compliment.
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In my experience, the sweet woody smell is an appropriate level of masculinity for me without feeling too jockish nor so sweet that I smell like a spray-tanned, ripped King West dude-bro. This balance and subtlety makes YSL Homme a great choice not only for when I’m at the office but also as I transition into my evening plans.
Perhaps most prominent among the reasons why I love this cologne so much, though, is the fact that it smells good on me. By that I mean it works well with my body’s natural chemistry and doesn’t change enormously from what it smells like in the bottle. For all my friends who borrow a spray, I find it also still very pleasant. As any fashionisto worth their Prada knows, many colognes do not smell anywhere near the same from one person to the next (barring Aqua Di Gio… no comment). I think it is this synergy between YSL Homme and myself which is why I have decided to commit to it so strongly… for now at least.
What are some of your favourite colognes? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
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