Aramis is a division of Estee Lauder. This company, that has many successful cosmetics division, decided in 1964 to add a line of products for men only. Aramis is that division and sells fragrances and grooming products for men. Whether the name is actually taken from Aramis of The Three Musketeers is debatable. It would fit the theme of Aramis cosmetics since the character, one of the three musketeers, loves women and is full of intrigue.
Always for Men begins with heavy citrus notes that can last longer than most top notes. Aramis Always has top notes, which are: lime, ginger, lemon, and mandarin. The middle notes are: mint, marigold, and cardamom. The low notes are cedar and vetiver. The packaging is pretty standard and not very ornate. It leans more towards a modern and casual mood, much like the fragrance itself. It does come off as a bit aquatic in scent, even though it doesn’t appear to be categorized that way. It’s a sporty mix that is suitable for most casual get-togethers. Some people have noticed a similarity of this fragrance to Armani’s Acqua Di Gio.
This is the type of fragrance one can start with if new to men’s fragrance lines. It’s citrus top notes will be pleasing to just about everyone. It plays it safe with cedar and vetiver low notes and the small bit of spice in the middle notes aren’t too extreme. It is obvious from the packaging that this is a scent that wants to cater to people who may be afraid to wear scent. This is definitely a beginner’s fragrance, but good for anyone who wants something casual and light. It is said to have moderate staying power, so if you don’t like it, it will eventually dissipate without too much fuss
Britney Spears, the famous pop artist, has many credits to her name. She is a singer, a songwriter, an actress, and a mother. She was discovered in Disney’s famous Mickey Mouse Club where she was a mouseketeer. Since then, her career has skyrocketed bringing her international fame. As such, she is beginning to establish a line of products with her name. Her perfume line seeks to capitalize on her public image, which is one of daring innocence on the one hand and steaming temptress on the other. Her perfumes can be named something as innocuous as “Curious” to her recent “Midnight Fantasy,” which gives a broad view of the play on her public persona. Like most celebrity perfumes, the artist lends their name as an endorsement to an established company who uses it to market a fragrance based on the characteristics of that famous person. Elizabeth Arden is manufacturing the fragrance Midnight Fantasy.
Midnight Fantasy is a sexier version of the original Fantasy perfume. It comes in a very beautiful blue bottle. The top notes are: black cherry, framboise, and plum. The middle notes are: night blooming orchid, iris, and freesia. The base notes are: amber, musk, and vanilla.
The problem with celebrity perfumes is that their popularity can ebb and flow with the artist that endorses them. This is the case with Midnight Fantasy, which had very poor sales in January 2007, when Britney began suffering some dings to her public image. This can be an indication that the scent is not pleasing or that the public had second thoughts about owning something with the name of Britney Spears. Sales are now rebounding, so it appears to have been the latter, which is sad for a perfume that could stand on its own merits.
As stated by Catwalk Queen the newest Britney Spears baby Believe, is also made and promoted by Elizabeth Arden, wow !!! What a surprise ha ?
Calvin Klein, an American fashion designer, is best known for his jeans in America. The model for Calvin Klein jeans, Brooke Shields at the time, made the mark famous by stating: ”Nothing comes between me and my Calvins.” To be fair, the Calvin Klein name has become associated with many other ventures, besides jeans. There is a line of perfumes and cosmetics that was started in the late 1970’s. It was not as profitable as the men’s and women’s wear and so it was eventually sold to Coty, Inc., who continues to produce and sell the fragrances with the Calvin Klein name.
The fragrance Euphoria by Calvin Klein is a woodsy oriental. The top notes are: pomegranate, persimmon, and lush green accord. The middle notes are: lotus blossom, black orchid, and champaca flower. The low notes are: amber, violet, cream accord, and mahogany wood. It is considered a very romantic fragrance. The bottle is sensuously curved and yet modern and contemporary at the same time. It has a certain swan-like elegance to it. It is perfect for eveningwear.
The name and packaging says it all. You will most likely swoon for this scent, which is a cross between Thierry Mugler’s Angel and Calvin Klein’s Obsession. It is a very sultry perfume, perfect for a drink after work or a hot date. While Calvin Klein is not known for perfumes, in general, this is a good scent to keep around for those special occasions. It sits pretty on the bureau and it smells great. Like the brand, this fragrance is contemporary and yet alluring. It has that sexiness that the Calvin Klein jean commercials were all about, an innocent yet provocative come-hither fragrance. If you like Obsession, you will also like this Calvin Klein fragrance.
This American menswear designer worked in some prestigious fashion houses where he got his start: Calvin Klein and Polo Ralph Lauren. He eventually became vice president of the menswear design. In 1999, he decided to venture out on his own and created his own company. He started to expand his offerings to eyewear and added a fragrance too: John Varvatos for Men, in the fall of 2004. This designer has won numerous awards even being named 2001’s Designer of the Year. John Varvatos like to take old things and make them new again. He uses classic concepts and repackages them to suit his modern sense of style.
John Varvatos for Men is the only scent produced so far by this designer. It comes in a smoky glass bottle with black leather accents. While the materials are typically old-world, the presentation is distinctly modern. The fragrance is said to be a woody oriental. The top notes start out with tamarind tree leaves, Medjool date fruit, and Mediterranean herbs. The middle notes are coriander seed templar, clary sage flower, and Indian ajowan. The low notes are auramber, vanilla, black leather, eaglewood, and balsams. All of these ingredients are very old world, mixed into a new sensuous modern style.
The John Varvatos caters to men who are young urban professionals. It’s very metrosexual and distinctly cosmopolitan with an old world flair. It’s subtle yet intriguing. It can work well for a romantic setting or it is even subtle enough for more casual events. Wears well at night. If you are looking for a masculine scent that isn’t too flowery but has an old-world feel to it, this is it. The vanilla notes are not over-powering and black leather is very subtle. It is a very complex and very unique scent
Giorgio Armani, an Italian fashion designer, is known best for his Armani suits. However, he has a wide range of interests and investments with lines boutiques, jeans, home collections, clothing lines, and fragrances. It’s even said he will use his name for a hotel in Dubai. He has won much recognition for his haute couture, but is also a designer who has a social conscious. He was one of the first designers to ban models who were too thin, having a body mass index of less than 18. This helped to spotlight the dangers of eating disorders when it comes to the attainment of cultural beauty standards. Sustainable Style Foundation has recognized him as the best dressed environmentalist. The name of Giorgio Armani isn’t just about luxury, good taste, and high style. It is also about trends that can speak to sustainable living and health.
Giorgio Armani has many fragrances in their line-up. Armani Code for Women is an erotic blend of jasmine, orange blossom, and vanilla. It is very sensual and luxurious, as appropriate for Giorgio Armani. There’s nothing artificially-smelling or modern about this scent. Giorgio Armani uses his knowledge of old-world luxury to make this scent a winner.
The top notes are: bitter orange, jasmine, and Italian orange. The middle note has orange blossom. The low notes are vanilla and honey. It’s as scrumptious to wear, as it is to read about. The packaging too is a cool sensual, thin and elegant bottle with a light blue tint. It comes in eau de parfum and body spray. The perfume is marketed as “the code” for seduction, so it’s safe to say that it is appropriate to wear on dates and romantic occasions. This is a head-turner for most men and should be worn during the evening. It can be classified as a spicy oriental.
Prior to the evolution of modern chemistry, fragrances had to be distilled from natural substances and concentrated. The scents were mixed with musk, castoreum, or civet. These are substances produced in the odorous glands of some animals. Ambergris was also another popular ingredient, a substance that is secreted by sperm whales. If you are getting a perfume today, they will probably not be using any of these ingredients and instead opt for synthetics. In some ways, this is beneficial as the hunting of sperm whales purely for their ambergris and the like is not ethical or environmentally friendly.
There are still some fragrances that you can get that don’t include any synthetic ingredients: essential oils. These can be use to scent rooms in the home, added to potpourri, in the bath, and even, in some cases, used directly on the skin. However, you do have to do some research as some essential oils are too strong to be placed directly on the skin and can result in a rash or burning sensation.
The easiest way to use a natural essential oil is to dilute it with other oil or with water. You can use a base of almond oil with other fragrant essential oils to create massage oils or just a light hand lotion that is very fragrant. There is an essential oil for practically every plant or flower out there and it’s just a matter of finding the ones that you like. Keep in mind that many essential oils are use in aromatherapy to help create psychological changes in mood and well being.
Regardless of what you choose, synthetic or natural fragrance, you can have an allergic reaction to either. The key is to test it slowly instead of opting to put it all over your body at once. If you try a test spot and notice redness or itching, discontinue the use. Otherwise, it may be safe to use in larger quantities.
The classification of scent goes all the way back to Theophrastus in ancient Greece. He was responsible for categorizing many of the perfumes and plants brought back from Alexander the Great’s conquests. While he didn’t actually produce the traditional system of scent classification, he was certainly a good start. Scents that are popular change with every season and time period. Even the traditional system of classification of scent has evolved into a modern scent classification which includes oceanic and gourmand scents that were previously impossible to duplicate with natural ingredients.
Traditional scent classification is fairly recognizable today. They are: oriental, woody, leather, fougere, chypre, and floral. Oriental scents give one the impression of a spicy trip to the Orient. Woody scents evoke forest woodland. Leather scents smell like their namesake. Fougere scents are a mix of fresh herbs and woodland scents. Chypre scents are named after the scents of the Greek isle of Cyprus. Floral scents are everything floral in nature and can be single floral perfumes to multi-floral scents. Most of these scents can be produced from natural components and are available in nature surroundings.
The modern scent classification adds four more scent categories. There is a green scent classification, which smells of grass, juniper, and pine. The oceanic scents smell like the ocean. Citrus or fruity scents are perfumes with these smells. Gourmand scents smell like desserts and have a heavy vanilla background. Many of the newer categories were added because of the use of synthetic chemicals that can now capture and reproduce a smell that was previously not possible. This added to the broad range of perfumes now available for purchase to the general public. As more experimentation continues with the use of scent, we may find that even new categories are added and new scents produced for the mass market.
There is nothing more luxurious than a bath, unless it is a bath with scented body oils. Scented body oils rely on the principles of aromatherapy and natural ingredients, without adding alcohol. They are often made with base carrier oil, like almond or sunflower oil, infused with herbal essential oils and fragrances. They are used to treat different problems from dry skin to itchy scalps. They can come in invigorating scents as a pick-me-up or in calming scents when you need some stress-relief. They not only work on the body, but some people even use them for their hair too.
If you want a soothing bath, you can try to get some scented body oils for the bath that soothe the nerves. Chamomile, lavender, and jasmine scent are all known to soothe jangled nerves. The fragrance of jasmine is also said to have aphrodisiac qualities. Whether you want to relax after a stressful day or set the mood for a sensual night, scented bath oils can do the trick naturally and subtly.
Other scented bath oils may have more invigorating scents. You might have some with rosemary, which also makes a great hair tonic. Rosemary is said to stimulate circulation and improve mental awareness. Citrus and mints can also stimulate the energies and make you feel refreshed. If you are not sure what scented oil is right for which use, read the herbs that are being used and research them.
Other ways to use scented body oils is to use them in place of hand lotions. They are usually light and the skin soaks them up quickly. They can relieve dryness all over the body, even the face. If you have a partner, you can also use them as massage oils to help relieve stress or spark that special mood.
The Egyptians discovered glass at about the same time they discovered essential oil fragrances. The combination of the two ended up being perfume. This began an earnest exploration in the use of plants and other natural elements to produce fragrances that could be used for various ceremonial rituals. Back then the science of fragrance was most closely attuned to what we refer to as aromatherapy today. The fragrance was used to help people get into specific religious moods and to enhance lovemaking rituals. At first, this art was reserved only for those of noble birth and people in the priesthood, but the use of scents to remove the odors of the body became such a boon that it eventually went out to the masses.
The perfume industry came into its own when Alexander the Great invaded Egypt. He sent back numerous new plants and perfumes that were analyzed and classified by a Greek by the name of Theophrastus. He was the first to try and classify the scents and is the basis for the traditional classification of scents we have today.
The traditional classification consists of the following categories: floral, oriental, woody, leather, fougere, and chypre. These were scents that could be derived naturally through the distillation of plant essences or other natural materials. It wasn’t until chemists began to use chemicals to create scents that some newer categories were added that relied on synthetic procedures. These were: green, oceanic, citrus or fruity, and gourmand scents. In the past, citrus scents weren’t long-lasting or concentrated enough to be made into perfumes, although they could be made into bath splashes. With modern science, we are now able to synthesize many scents that were not available to our ancient ancestors. This has also helped to reduce the reliance on animal components like civet, musk, and ambergris, making the synthetic perfumes an ethical and green choice in the end.