When one starts reaching back into the boundless history of a House like Guerlain, you can easily lose yourself in the legend and fantasy... more than 700 perfumes have been recorded to the house's credit, but several you will find have been in production for more than 100 years! One such scent  – Mouchoir de Monsieur – was in fact the House's very first commercial masculine, released to the well-heeled of Parisian society in 1904... and its still available today!

Mouchoir de Monsieur (Monsieur's Handkerchief)  was produced at a time when the Parisian well-to-do used to perfume their pocket squares... they would in turn be held over the nose and mouth to mask the stench of unwashed street-urchins, the slums and littered streets of the day. Mouchoir de Monsieur is an oriental fragrance for men comprised of traditional notes of bergamot, lavender, verbena, jasmine and rose, over richer facets of patchouli, cinnamon, amber, vanilla and mosses. It has become iconic for its curious blend which dances between clean and bright, and somewhat musky and carnal. Mouchoir de Monsieur has been heralded as the “male version” of Guerlain's highly-revered Jicky – a scent that was created the same year as Gustave Eiffel revealed his famous monument that towered over the capital: 1889.

A somewhat sensual twist on the eaux de colognes of yesteryear, Mouchoir de Monsieur doesn't disappoint with its timeless elegance and “right kind” of mustiness.

A brilliant masculine release for Prada that is every bit an oriental as it is a fougere, Prada Amber for Men is as textured and as comforting as it gets! The main accord of amber has a honey-like quality that evokes feelings of warmth and familiarity... its the olfactory equivalent of wearing a cashmere sweater in winter. Non-aggressive and familiar, this is the perfect scent to snuggle up to... Prada has won over a whole new audience of men, and the women who love them!

Prada For Men is a breath of fresh air in the mens fragrance market. It is both warm and slightly soapy – evoking feelings of freshly lathered skin that is rinsed, warm and bare. It has a distinct air of an impeccably groomed man – hints of geranium and citrus hint at a leaning towards a more barbershoppy, classic slant, whilst leather, saffron, vanilla, amber and sandalwood feel decidedly modern and almost edible.

An exceptional choice for most occasions, Prada for Men is long-lasting and works every bit as well with suit and tie, as it might with open crisp white shirt or a tee and jeans. In the wintertime, it serves as the perfect, comforting mantle to pull around oneself. (Its a winner on date-night too)!

In 1951, the first ever scent launched by the House of Hermes was simply named “Hermes Water” (Eau d'Hermes) – a perfume that the reputation of one of the world's most revered luxury goods giants was built upon. Eau d'Hermes was authored by Edmond Roudnitska, who had turned to the iconic Birkin for his inspiration. He wanted to create “...the fragrance wafting from the interior of a Hermes bag... a note of delicate leather coated with the fresh scent of citrus fruits and flavored with spices”.

Eau d'Hermes is everything Roudnitska intended – it opens with a shimmer of bergamot, petitgrain and lemon, but moments in takes a hard turn towards an aromatic flight of sage and lavender. Subtle flowery notes of jasmine and geranium tippy-toe over a bold heart of spices: coriander, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. The trail is an ambery / woody / leathery one in which vanilla, labdanum, sandalwood, birch, cumin and mosses linger on skin. The composition is exquisitely-crafted, and despite its bountiful list of accords, somehow manages to remain transparent – without losing its opulence and sophistication, of course. Eau d'Hermes is a stunning fragrance for both men and women... it can be used as a signature scent when dense florals or screaming aquatics just don't seem to fit. Expect nothing but excellence from this iconic scent from Hermes' glorious past.