It felt to me like in the long summer of 1994, everyone I knew was wearing Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme – the first masculine release from the now-iconic Italian fashion house. Today, some 20 years later, it is sadly seldom seen which is unfortunate, as many robust men's fragrances from the 80s and 90s are too often cast aside in favour of our modern proclivity towards scents that are touted as 'fresh and clean'. But this is an extraordinary scent that just wont go away... its universal appeal just sees it keep springing back into fashion! Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme is a pioneering aromatic-fougere blend. Its characteristic opening of lavendar and citrus feels classic in its approach, but almost instantly a tidal wave of peppercorns wash forth and tingle at the back of the nose. An aromatic facet of sage blends seamlessly into the resolutely masculine backbone of tobacco and cedar. As this bold, sharp and commanding eau de toilette warms on skin, its effects are amplified, perfuming the air around the wearer like a warm cashmere mantle.

In a world where cookie-cutter aquatic scents are the norm, Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme is a timely reminder of true artistry in mainstream perfumery. It should be considered a staple of any man who enjoys the sophistication of a scent that can be worn to the office, and the informality of a fragrance to be worn for a night on the town.

In 1999 with a new millennium just over the horizon, the world was looking to the future with a modern, streamlined eye, and Gucci Rush - a Tom Ford triumph for the Gucci group - was very much keeping in kind. A modern fragrance that felt both contemporary and customary in equal measures, Rush forged new frontiers with its individual fruity chypre mix.

Presented in a hard-edged flacon of scarlet plastic, Rush by its very name, evokes connotations of stimulative drug use – something euphoric and addictive. The scent itself dances somewhere between earthy and synthetic – plush notes of peach, freesia, jasmine and rose collide with coriander, patchouli and vetiver to create something unique and memorable. Somehow this perfume is evocative of a luscious floral cocktail whilst at the same time has a highly polished synthetic  'pleather' shine. Warm, sexy, alluring... Rush is the drug of choice for women who want to mystify and captivate their man.

A little goes a long way. Rush is perfect for nights brimming with promise and for girls who like life in the fast lane.

Coming right off the back of the powerhouse feminine perfumes of the 1980's (think Dior's Poison, or Giorgio Beverly Hills), in 1992 Oscar de la Renta unleashed his own titanic floral green fragrance Volupte upon the world. Big and sexy, Volupte still possessed the rousing robustness of those feminine scents that had gone before her.

The perfect companion for a slinky dress and heels, Volupte strides around with vampish abandon... a citrus / floral opening composed of mandarin, mimosa, freesia and osmanthus sets the tone for a scent brimming with florets of flowers... its heart beats with carnation, jasmine, muguet and ylang-ylang. It's precisely this blossoming abundance of flowers that gives Volupte her appeal... she is unashamed and out looking for fun. A trail of amber, frankincense, patchouli and sandalwood leaves men swooning in her wake.

Volupte – whilst a revered perfume of the past – also has its place in the here and now. If there were ever an unapologetic temptress that has maintained her sizzling good looks... Volupte stands a head and (bare) shoulders above the rest.