Instant Change

Try a new scent on for size

PICKING A NEW FRAGRANCE isn’t just about smelling different. Your scent is your brand, your identity (as any good dog would tell you, if it could talk). So when you change your fragrance for the summer, you have to ask yourself: what type of man do you want to be? This season, fragrances fall into one of three camps. Are you the type of guy who’s down for anything, anytime? Go sporty. You want to up your gravitas? Pick something intense. Own a yacht, or want to feel like you do? Aquatic scents are just the ticket.

Paco Rabanne

Invictus Intense As if the original Invictus wasn’t manly enough, the new Intense formulation is practically bottled testosterone, without the musk. The note structure is all about the juxtaposition and balancing of opposites — salt versus amber for the base, and then the push and pull between aromatic laurel and orange blossom against spicy black pepper and cardamom.

Ralph Lauren

Polo Red Extreme This revved up scent uses notes of coffee, black ebony wood, and blood orange to create a rich and energetic fragrance. Less polo player in the countryside, and more thrillseeker on an adrenalinerocketing motorcycle ride. Better than a cup of coffee in the morning, and it will stick with you longer.

Burberry

Mr. Burberry Eau de Parfum If the original Mr. Burberry was London during the day, the latest iteration is the city at night. A woody base of amber and vetiver is topped off with warm notes of tarragon, cinnamon, and patchouli. It’s a heady scent, for heady evenings.

John Varvatos

Limited Edition Artisan Blu Eau de Toilette Artisan Blu is composed of a combination of citrus (bergamot, bitter orange), herbs (basil and clary sage), flowers (lavender and florentine iris) and woodsy notes (patchouli and cedarwood) for a complex scent that conjures up a summer spent by the sea.

D&G

Light Blue Eau Intense Pour Homme While the newest Light Blue may have Intense in its name, it’s a different beast than say, Invictus. Juniper provides the sea-faring scent, while mandarin and grapefruit on top captures summer. With amber and musk as the base, you get an earthy quality that also helps the fragrance last longer.

Dior Homme

Sport Eau De Toilette Having undergone a transformation by perfumer François Demachy, the new Dior Homme Sport uses a blend of blood orange and grapefruit — it’s summer, get used to the citrus — but cuts their sharpness by pairing them with cedrat and vetiver respectively, to create an invigorating scent. This is followed by sweet pear and spicy pink peppercorn and nutmeg.