Best Formal Fragrances For Men | Most Complimented Fragrances for Black Tie
– The black-tie dress code is one of the more prescriptive
dress codes for men, and if you want
to adhere to the rules, there’s not much room
for personal expression. It’s kinda designed that way. Everyone is supposed to look uniform, and you could argue that it’s a platform for women to shine. So there are very few
opportunities within black tie to add some personality and individual touches to your outfit. One of the ways you can do it, however, is through the fragrance you wear. I’m Brian Sacawa, you’re
watching “He Spoke Style,” and today we are taking a look at my seven favorite black-tie, or formal fragrances for men.
(relaxing hip-hop music) If you’ve watched some of my
fragrance videos in the past, you know that I like to say that fragrance is the final detail of any outfit. It finishes it off, it
pulls everything together, and it projects something about you. All the fragrances I’ve selected today are from my collection. So, again, if you have seen some of my previous fragrance videos, some of these will be
familiar to you already. There are certain criteria that I look for when it comes to a black-tie
or formal fragrance. I want it to be distinctive,
elegant, elevated, intriguing, and intoxicating. As I said, when it comes to black ties, there’s not a whole lot you can do, in terms of the outfit, to stand out. That’s why, in my opinion, your fragrance choice is so important. It can make you feel a certain way. It’s a great conversation starter. That’s why I like it to be
distinctive and intriguing. And it can make you stand out.
Let’s get to it now with my first pick. This is Creed’s Spice and Wood. If you’ve seen the video where I go through everything
I wore it on my wedding day, you will know that this is the fragrance that I wore when
Robin and I got married. It’s classified as a
woody, fresh fragrance, and on the Creed website, they call it unexpected and tenacious. The top notes are apple, bergamot, and lemon. Heart notes, angelica root,
pink berries, vetiver, patchouli, cloves, pimento, and birch. And base notes are iris, cedarwood, oakmoss, and Tonkin musk. It’s very elegant and masculine, with a very airy quality to it.
It’s not overpowering,
just kinda sits there, and you notice it without
actually noticing it if you know what I mean. And it’s got a very dry kind
of feel and scent to it, which is why I chose
it for my wedding day, because it was humid, and this was a
nice counterpoint to that. It’s got a modest projection. I get anywhere from four to
eight hours of longevity. It’s a great year-round pick. You can never go wrong with
it in a black-tie situation. Creed’s Spice and Wood. Next is honestly an all-time
favorite, Tom Ford’s Oud Fleur. It’s so good, it’s classy, it’s elegant, and I would say, kind of surprising. It’s hard to pin down the notes here.
We looked around. The best we could find was from Basenotes. They have a huge list,
including pimento, ginger, cardamom, rose, oud,
sandalwood, patchouli, osmanthus, davana,
date, cinnamon, leather, ambergris, castoreum,
incense, styrax, and cistus. A lot to digest there. What I can tell you is
that what I smell primary is the rose, first and foremost, oud, and from a distance, you get the incense. There’s almost a mild churchy,
kind of spicy quality to it. If you’ve ever been
interested in rose fragrances, but maybe a little worried that they might seem too
feminine, give this one a try. It’s just so unique and sexy. Big projection, solid six to eight hours. This one is great in
the spring and summer, though I could also see wearing it in the wintertime as well. Next we have Danger Parfum
Cologne by Roja Parfum. Classified as oriental,
top notes are lemon, bergamot, lavender, and tarragon. Heart notes, lily of the valley, jasmine de Grasse, and violet. And base notes include
rhubarb, clove, patchouli, oakmoss, cedarwood, vanilla, tonka bean, leather, ambergris, and musk. I feel the top notes and the heart notes are a bit misleading.
Base notes I think speak
more to the fragrance. It’s got a very deep and sexy
kind of scent, very masculine. And although this is a modern fragrance, I feel like it has a very
transcendent quality to it. I would almost consider it an under-the-radar kind of modern classic. This is a really interesting fragrance because I think it’s really big, but it’s also subtle at the same time, which I think adds to
its overall sex appeal of it. It’s perfect for a black-tie event. This is one I would reserve
for the fall or winter, and possibly early spring as well. Next, another favorite of
mine is Nanban by Arquiste. It’s a woody oriental fragrance that is meant to evoke the exotic cargo in the hull of a 17th Century ship. And that is honestly exactly how the notes for this one read. On the top, you’ve got Malabar
black pepper, Persian saffron, black tea accord, and Chinese osmanthus. Heart notes, coffee
absolute, Spanish leather, sandalwood, and myrrh. And base notes, we have
frankincense, styrax, copaiba balsam, and cade. It has a very churchy,
incense quality to it from the frankincense.
This is a very interesting, sensual, and seductive fragrance. Huge projection, very long-lasting, sexy, completely intoxicating,
and statement-making. This is one you’re gonna want to reserve for the colder months. As soon as it gets crisp in the fall and throughout the winter, this is an
amazing black-tie option. Doing a bit of a 180 here as we move to Zegna’s Italian Bergamot
from the Essenze Collection. Might be weird to think of
putting a citrus fragrance in an elevated black-tie category, but this is one, in my opinion, that belongs there. Let’s get to the notes, very simple. The top note of bergamot,
the heart note is rosemary, and the base notes are neroli
and vetiver, that’s it. I think part of the reason this one works in an elevated setting is that the citrus is not overpowering.
I feel like there is
a great balance between all of the elements here. It’s got a freshness, plus
refinement and elegance to it, which makes it appropriate
for wearing with a tuxedo, as opposed to on a beach
vacation or something. In my head, it kind of evokes
scenes from “To Catch a Thief” with Cary Grant and
Grace Kelly, very classy. Moderate projection, much longer-lasting than you might expect
from a citrus fragrance. It would get
you through an evening. Best in the spring and summer, and would work perfectly
for an outdoor event. And now swinging a completely
different way back again, we have Black Afgano by Nasomatto. This is maybe one of the
most intense fragrances I have ever smelled.
So, let’s just get to the notes here. The top notes are cannabis and green notes. Heart notes are tobacco,
woody notes, and resin. And base notes,
frankincense, and agarwood. I was introduced to this fragrance by one of the coolest guys I have ever met, Giampaolo Alliata. Robin and I were visiting Milan, and of course, as a fan
of all things sartorial, I wanted to stop into Al Bazar, which was where Giampaolo
was working at the time. So he had this fragrance on, and I could not help
but ask him what it was and where he got it. So he pointed down the street and said, “There’s a little boutique down the street “where you can grab it.” I did, and this is the third bottle I think I’ve had since then.
So this is extremely sexy, but beware that it is extremely powerful. One spray is more than
enough, a huge projection. It will stay on your skin
for a very long time, and also on your clothes
too, so, just be aware. This will make a statement,
and people will talk. Finally, I wanted to throw
in one that I included in my 10 most classic fragrances video. And that is Knize Ten,
the gentleman’s fragrance. Introduced in 1924 and
considered very old school and very elegant.
Notes for this one include
lemon, bergamot, petitgrain, rosemary, geranium,
rose, cedar, carnation, sandalwood, leather, musk,
patchouli, and ambergris. Knize Ten is light, it’s elegant, it’s very distinct, it’s very different. This is not what I would call
a modern masculine scent. It’s kind of old-school gentleman. That’s what it smells like. It’s spicy, it’s floral, it’s got a little bit of
citrus and some pepper. Dries down with a little bit of sweetness. It’s not overpowering,
it’s subtle and elegant, and it’s distinctive. You don’t smell things like this nowadays, which is why I think it’s
a really interesting choice for a black-tie event. Links to all the fragrances
mentioned in this video are down below in the description. Chime in in the comments with your favorite black-tie fragrances. You know I’m always looking
for recommendations. Please give this video a thumbs
up if you liked my picks. Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell for notifications every
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Until next time, thanks for
watching, and stay tailored. (slow piano music).
