Roger et Gallet are known the world over, but what many people don't know is that the history of this particular cologne reaches right back into the 1600s! Giovanni Maria Farina (born Italy, 1685) settled in Cologne, Germany and founded the world's oldest perfume house that is still in existence. His famous Eau de Cologne took the continent by storm, and was delivered to all the royal houses in Europe. In 1709 Farina's ancestor Jean Marie Joseph Farina opened a perfume business in Paris which was later sold to Roger et Gallet, whom acquired the rights to Farina's famed formula. Said formula is still being bottled today, and adored in both hemispheres!

Farina's Eau de Cologne is a citrus aromatic scent for both men and women. Brimming with crisp, juicy lemon, lime, mandarin and orange, there is no shortage of zip and zing in it's flight... it is after a few moments that a bolder nucleus of petitgrain, carnation, rose and rosemary unfurls. This shimmering composition ripples across a foundation of myrtle, cedar, vetiver, clove and white musk. Universally known for its clean, crisp scent profile, this Eau de Cologne is a lifesaver in humid weather, and in the searing heart of summer. It must be applied with abandon, just as cologne was originally intended!

Splash it on as a single to make a lasting impression, or share it with your partner to envelop the happy pair with a radiant halo of sparkling aromats. Sometimes its true what people say... simplicity is best!

A Guy Robert creation from 1970, Equipage pre-dates every other masculine from the house of Hermesand set the olfactory benchmark for those that followed it! A classic oriental fougere, this scent has an olfactory profile that runs the gamut from citrus to florals, to aromats, to spice and woods... a virile creation that came at the dawn of a new sex-fuelled decade!

At first, Equipage has a clean - almost soapy - feel... a tip of the hat to men's grooming and impeccable style. It opens with a prickle of bergamot and lime, and steers straight toward a slightly bitter green/aromatic slant of sage and pine... this is underpinned by delicate florals (carnation and muguet) that dance over a considered heart and base comprising cinnamon, nutmeg, tonka, patchouli and vanilla. Surprisingly, it feels both austere and endearing... an enigmatic composition that walks a tightrope between strength and delicacy. At times, there is even a hint of saddle leather... perhaps a nod to Hermes' equestrian heritage, although in the olfactory pyramid, it is not listed there. Equipage has a lingering mossy, musky, woody base with just a huff of sweetness. This fragrance has been reformulated and slightly modified over the years, but it still feels resolutely masculine, and very 'Hermes'. Its considered composition lends itself to office wear, or occasions where one is required to remain more discrete and stately than showy or loud.

Equipage may have been created in the 70's, but its charm exists to this day. One for (but not limited to) the strong and silent types!

Perfumers to the British Royals Penhaligon's have just this year celebrated their 145th anniversary in the biz, so it can be said they know a thing or two about toiletries! With a timeline just about as vast as a Dr Who DVD box set, Penhaligon's have been perfuming people around the planet for night on a century and a half. Quercus (launched 1996) places a bookmark firmly between the pages of the 90's... it is a standout unisex scent that typifies the era; a time of genderless androgyny and simplicity. It can perhaps be said that Quercus is the CK One of the posh perfume populace (and I mean that in a good way)!

Much like the CK creation that stood iconic in the 90's, Quercus is a gratifying scent for both men and women – one built solidly on citrus. Top notes of Amalfi lemon, lime, bergamot and mandarin shimmer in a brisk, cool lagoon of jasmine and lily-of-the-valley... there is a sense of verdant greens and crisp fruits that just scream freshness and rejuvenation. But just before one begins to get the impression that Quercus is all ethereal fruit and flowers, a prickle of cardamom and a yellow-green ribbon of fragrant galbanum pull the composition earthward again. An oakmoss / santal base with musk and amber undertones gives the trail a distinctly chypre feel; all the while maintaining a sense of transparency and freshness.

Quercus may not be the most inventive Penhaligon's creation to date, but it is indeed a favourite amongst Penhaligon's aficionados who hanker for it's breezy, crisp-white-shirt appeal.

A soft, understated classic that should not be ignored.