The Phenomenon that was Hai Karate, otherwise known as “the Lady Killer”. Please, feel free to insert your own joke here.
Splash it all over, you Brut !
When I say heritage, I don’t mean smelling like an old person, nor do I mean the overpowering pong of Hai Karate or Brut, nothing could be further away from the truth. When I talk about heritage I mean a fragrance that has a history stretching back over 200 years.
Increasingly guys want to smell a little different, hence the explosion in the shear number of mens fragrances on the market today. Men don’t want to walk into a bar and be overpowered by the woft of Joop. Plus a great opener, when wanting to chat someone up is always, “Mmmmm you smell great, what are you wearing?” And let’s be honest we want ladies to reciprocate this. So what better way to induce this reaction then to wear a fragrance that you can be sure not every Tom, Dick or Harry will be wearing.
Two such fragrances are 4711 & Green Irish Tweed by Creed. 4711, pronounced “forty-seven eleven”, is one of the oldest recognised cologne brands. Often referred to as aqua mirabilis or “miracle water” the exact formula is still a secret today, which dates back to the Cathusian monks of the 17th Century. The Unisex fragrance’s ingredients include Lavender and Rosemary for a calming effect to steady the nerves and Neroli, extracted from bitter orange blossom to guarantee a positive attitude, which, hey lets face it, we all need right now.
Then we have Creed, founded by James Henry Creed in 1760. The House of Creed soon drew the attention of Royalty throughout Europe, even a certain Queen Victoria appointed Creed as the official supplier to the Royal household. Still today Olivier Creed, oversees the House of Creed as President and insists on using natural ingredients rather then synthetic ones. My personal favourite from over 200 scents they have produced over the years is Green Irish Tweed. A blend of floral and woody ingredients that infuses, Violet leaves, Florentine Iris, Sandalwood & Ambergris to create this unique, fresh, masculine and natural aroma which cited Carrie Grant, Robbie Williams & Prince Charles as fans.
4711 is available from good independent pharmacies & branches of Boots Nationwide. Priced at £16.95 for 100ml. (See image below)
Green Irish Tweed by Creed is available from Harrods, Libertys, Harvey Nichols & Selfridges and is £135 for 75ml. creedfragrances.co.uk (See image below)
4711
Green Irish Tweed by Creed
