Top-5 Acquatic Perfumes for Men
- Posted by: angeli.krohmal
The process of formation of perfumery in the world history of fashion is complex and diverse, and we have already opened the veil of some of the secrets of this wonderful world, striking our noses and imagination. And what about men's perfumery? What principles guided perfumers and fashion brands, dividing perfumery by gender and determining which notes, directions and families are better suited to the stronger sex?
In the 20th century in the perfume industry there was a real boom and blossom: great brands were formed, the chemical industry developed, new ways of processing different aromatic materials were found. In addition, global historical events made their contribution - from the First World War to the global reformation of states in the 90s. All these factors have had an impact on the development and changes in the world of perfumes. After the sexual revolution and with the development of advertising, it became possible to define especially clearly the differences between perfumes intended for men and women. And if about women's fragrances everything is quite obvious, then the men's segment of perfumes has its own peculiarities. When choosing a fragrance for himself, the stronger sex is most often focused on 2 main parameters: either that the perfume conveyed a sense of power and grandeur or the fragrance should prolong the feeling of freshness and purity in any of its manifestations. Responding to such requests, perfumers and cosmetic concerns began to develop and develop variants. Thus began the formation of aquatic trends in perfumery for men.
Aquatic fragrances are one of the youngest, it was only in the 80s of the 20th century that this theme was purposefully developed as a central theme. Although in global chronology the first such compositions were already attempted by niche brands, for example, Molinard brand created Brise Rivièra. The main existential question was: how to convey the fragrance of pure water in a perfume if it smells like nothing? Of course, we can rely on natural phenomena, as a stream in the forest, the seashore and even a swamp have their own special olfactory imprints. But men's perfumery about water notes assumes the presence of exactly the effect of "wet cleanliness and freshness". How is this achieved in man-made aromatic compositions?
It's all about imagination, collective images and chemical tricks, of course. To depict with other notes something that does not exist (the scent of water in this case) is a much more difficult task than to convey the natural smell of orange, cedar wood or lily of the valley. Nevertheless, perfumers have made many perfume "sketches" that sound fresh and clean. One of the first successful experiments was the chemical compound "Calone 1951" - a gathering sound of freshness, ozone with marine notes and the watery aspect of watermelon and melon rinds. The case for aquatics has moved on.
Aquatics of the 90s
This perfume profile became very popular against the background of the already boring saturated compositions on the theme of lush flowers and overripe sweet fruits. Therefore, the new substance began to try to be placed in perfume pyramids consisting of the lightest possible ingredients. The first notable hit was Cool Water by Davidoff 1988. It was followed by such significant compositions as Lanvin Oxygene and L'eau par Kenzo. Perfumes of this kind became a breath of fresh air - and literally. Chemists began to work on expanding the aquatic range, creating variants based on calone: it was a variety of elements with a more marine bias, then with a touch of light flowers such as hyacinth and lily of the valley, then the scent of wet soil after rain. The risks were that if you overdo it with such elements, instead of crystal clarity you could get swampy, not fresh water after a bouquet in a vase or even brine.
But in fact, it is not only synthetic material that the creators use to design the very "wet" effect. To a greater extent, it is a complexly composed fantasy sketch that emphasizes the presence of fresh air and pure water in the fragrance. Most often such paintings are sparkling citrus, light flowers (for example, lily of the valley, lotus, magnolia and even violet - and no, you should not be afraid of them in men's perfumery),notes of herbs and even some spices. For example, By Kilian Water Calligraphy is a great example of a perfume with flowers, which sounds great on men. Since the sense of smell often actively works in pair with associative thinking, inhaling such a composition one can clearly imagine exactly such natural marks with space and pristine pure aspect.
In men's perfumery, such compositions are often created on the basis of, let's say, male rituals. This is how lavender became popular in perfumes for men, characterized by its dry coolness and pure sound with almost no hint of sweetness. In this way we can also say that aquatic fragrances are very related to aromatic notes: crisp, juicy herbs consist of a large amount of water, and therefore herbs such as basil, mint, sage, rosemary, present in the pyramid in small quantities also create a marine or watery effect. Carner Barcelona Salado is our editor's choice on this topic.
As is already obvious, there is no absolutely pure water fragrance, so it is better to focus on other families that you like. In addition to the options above - floral aquatic and aromatic aquatic - you can find a "wet" fragrance in almost any other family.
Fruity aquatic scents are quite popular. Here you should just pay attention to the fact that the fruit is not too sweet: for example apples, carambola, pears and even coconut in its unripe coconut water form can be a great refreshing option. An offbeat but very fitting example on such a theme is Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Teazzurra.
Citruses are excellent companions for "watery" notes in perfumery - classic colognes, which are famous for their refreshing effect, will always come in handy. The main thing here is to test carefully, as citrus compositions often contain their blossoms - fleurdorange and neroli, which can be quite dense and sweet. Montblanc Explorer Ultra Blue and Guerlain L'Homme Ideal Cool can be good options.
Woody watery fragrances also exist. We recommend paying attention to light-colored woods that don't carry resins. For example, Kenzo Homme Eau De Toilette Intense or Mendittorosa Albatros.
No matter how you look at it, the family of marine fragrances as such also exists. If you want to smell the real sea and its coast, then we advise you to look at Tom Ford Oud Mineral, Pierre Guillaume Paris Entre Ciel Et Mer.
In the last few seasons, such concepts as "salty" and "mineral" fragrances have appeared in the trends. Such compositions have gained popularity largely because of the pandemic and because after the hyper-saturated fragrances of the 10th years, which even on men's shelves were excessively sweet and saturated, society wanted lightness, purity and coolness. Predominantly these directions are engaged in niche perfume brands. In such compositions you can quite clearly catch the aromas of salty sea stones and pebbles, seaweed thrown ashore, driftwood and even wet concrete. An amazing feature and a distinct advantage is that perfumes of this profile have high persistence and a bright trail, because they are created mostly from synthetic materials. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt is an undoubted hit and almost a pioneer of this subspecies. Much noise was made by the fragrance Concrete from the eccentric brand Comme des Garcons. Also a large number of similar compositions can be found at 2787 brand and it is worth paying attention to the aquatic line of niche brand Les Liquides Imaginaires.
Note to remind: just because there is a lot of "synthetics" in a perfume does not mean that it sounds unnatural or dangerous, as we have told you in our previous articles, perfume production is subject to strict control and high standards.
In some ways, the most appropriate time of year to use such perfumes is summer. However, in the world of perfumery, there are no strict rules regarding seasonality. You should like a perfume at any time, it can be a nice addition that makes your image whole. The whole trick is dosing when using it. In addition to this, by limiting ourselves in the time we use a perfume, we may miss out on an unusual experience and not discover a previously unexplored facet of the beauty of our favorite fragrance.
One of the main requests of modern men in relation to perfumes is to smell fresh. It is aquatic fragrances that do the job perfectly. In the past, aquatics had its own peculiarities in sound, but today the profile has changed and improved. We offer you a small set of very interesting and unconventional perfumes on the theme of freshness, purity and aquatic notes.
