Why should women have all the fun with being able to refresh their fragrance throughout the day with a perfume lift? Of course most men don’t carry purses or bags, so this new line of solid perfumes from Solid State is just the answer to what us gentlemen need for all day perfumed freshness. Solid State, a new venture from Australia, kicked off their line with three different offerings just for men. Each is unique, but all are compact in size and perfect for carrying around in your pocket.
VOYAGER
WHAT I SMELL: Voyager is radiant. The combination of the rose and the leather provides this sweetened tinge to a dried and smokey and incensed boot leather. It’s masculinity with a measure of mystery due to the rose. And the projection is incredible; as it warms on your skin, the perfume really illuminates. A little gloss of Voyager goes a long way so use sparingly. Voyager rates 3.5 bones.
Voyager notes: leather, rose, white musk
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A sexy cowboy.
JOURNEYMAN
WHAT I SMELL: Journeyman is quiet. The perfume is light, soft and subdued and is very much a skin scent. This perfume would be perfect for hot summer days when you want to feel fresh and breezy. There’s an ease and warmed salty crispness that makes Journeyman an easy wear. Journeyman rates 3 bones.
Journeyman notes: warm, cedar, vetiver
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A warm summer day on a breezy ocean coast.
WAYFARER
WHAT I SMELL: Wayfarer is spicy. The perfume feels as if there’s a top layer of chili peppers on top of a base of tobacco. There’s a bit of sharpness which seems to stem from an unrefined vanilla. Journeyman, like Voyager projects rather large and as it wears and melds with the warmth of your skin, the spiced vanilla really comes front and center. Wayfarer rates 3 bones.
Wayfarer notes: spicy tobacco, vanilla, cacao
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: An ivy league college football day tailgate.
BOTTOM LINE: Solid State Colognes are a no brainer. They smell great, are affordable, easy to carry in your pocket and easy to use. I can’t wait for my next trip…now the question is, which one to take?!
You can purchase Solid State Colognes via the Solid State website for $24 each or $62 for all 3.
WHAT I SMELL: Whip has a wonderfully bright citrus opening. It sparkles, is lightly spicy and overall zesty, and is warmed with a light lavender which gives it a very classical feel. I love it when a citrus fragrance can make you feel like you’re wearing a starched white shirt when you may just be wearing a t-shirt. Whip does just that. After around 10 minutes, the zesty opening starts to calm, and the citrus begins to meld with the delicate florals which are incredibly pretty. There’s a heavy dose of galbanum which is mixed with an oak moss; creating a radiant haze of powdered freshness. After around 30 minutes, the perfume is met with a very light leather which tames the green of the perfume and which makes the final stage smooth as silk. Whip is uncomplicated, fresh and easy to wear and is perfect for when you are dressing up, or dressing down.
1953: Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen at the age of 27 while New York celebrated the opening of the Guggenheim Museum and Audrey Hepburn starred in “Roman Holiday”. Le Galion launched Whip, a fresh and young fragrance, especially refreshing in the summer. Originally created for men, women also grabbed hold of it quickly.
A return to its origins; to freshness, tone and distinction for this timeless Cologne fragrance; a fragrance that suits both men and women. Although in classic fresh and citrus fragrance territory,Whip exudes a certain modernity, It opens on a very citrusy note, created by the marriage of lemons from Verdelli and Calabrian bergamot. Tarragon, lavender and cardamom provide the aromatic notes. The heart of the fragrance is worked around floral notes such as jasmine, violet and a hint of iris, all accentuated by the powerful woody notes of galbanum. The background is softened and warmed with heady notes of oak moss, patchouli and vetiver grass oil. Leather notes give this fragrance its huge personality.
Head notes | Verdelli Citrus, Calabrian Bergamot, Tarragon, Lavander, Cardamom
Heart notes | Jasmine, Violet, Iris, Galbanum
Base notes | Oak Moss, Vetiver, Patchouli, Leather Notes
The Croquet Game, Edouard Manet – 1873
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A beautiful bucolic day, perfect for a game of croquet.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE WHIP: clean, neat, classic
Expense: 140 Euros for 100 ml Eau de Parfum from the Le Galion website
WHAT I SMELL: Special for Gentlemen opens with a beautiful warmed luxurious lavender, tinged with citrus and bergamot. There’s a lovely powdered amber which is highlighted by a pulsating cinnamon, but it’s so incredibly subtle as it mixes with the amber and labdanum. After around 15 minutes, a slightly soured edge appears along with a powdered vanilla and oak moss. The perfume is reverant, solid and masculine but not in a beefy or heavy-handed way. In the end, you are left with a warmed, slightly soured vanillaed perfume that is proper; but very sensual at its core. Very sexy.
1947: The Marshall Plan was launched. The French people dreamt of luxury and escape. Roger Vivier invented the stiletto heel, Christian Dior launched the New Look and Miss Dior, and Le Galion created Special for Gentlemen, a masculine fragrance, distinguished and refined; a fragrance to wear at all times. Discreet, refreshing, yet lingering, it is like no other. It is a luxury fragrance for men.
A tribute to the legacy of expertise, excellence and “savoir-vivre”. True to the spirit of Paul Vacher in the re-issue of this classic and elegant fragrance. A masculine fragrance, reviving the ancient traditions of the art of perfumery, using noble materials.
A beautiful Oriental Amber fragrance that opens on fresh and aromatic notes. Subtle notes of lavender and lemon are accompanied by a touch of woody galbanum. A balsamic note of cinnamon brings softness to the blend. This lasting woody amber fragrance is achieved by generously combining amber, cistus labdanum and patchouli. Finally, soft balsamic notes and a slightly animalised note lend this sensual fragrance lots of sensuality – a marriage of vanilla, opoponax and castoreum.
Head notes | Bergamot, Citrus, Lavender, Galbanum
Heart notes | Cinammon, Amber, Cistus Labdanum, Patchouli
Base notes | Oak Moss, Vanilla, Castoreum, Opoponax
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Henry Cavill in the upcoming release “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”; sexy, daring and dashing
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SPECIAL FOR GENTLEMEN: handsome, confident, controlled
Expense: 140 Euros for 100 ml Eau de Parfum from the Le Galion website
BOTTOM LINE: I love seeing the resurrection of these classic perfume houses. There’s a very straightforward elegance about each of the reissued perfumes which feel classic, but not historic, so you don’t feel as if you’re wearing a worn out version of your mother or father’s old wardrobe. As much as I like both of these perfumes, I have to admit that Le Galion’s Iris is probably my favorite from the reissued perfumes. Clean, light and pretty, it’s an iris that doesn’t drag you down in the dirt, but instead makes you feel like you’re floating on an iris cloud. Welcome back Le Galion!
WHAT I SMELL: Style opens wonderfully warm and herbal, accentuated by cardamom and nutmeg. Its clean and crisp, like a starched dress shirt. There’s a generous, thoughtful and inviting masculinity in the perfume. After around 5 minutes, the dried lavender starts to bring with it a rather large projection. It’s warm, dreamlike and very elegant. There’s a layer of incense that swirls below the lavender, that adds just a hint of sexiness to the rather formal composition. After some more time, the perfume becomes more woody and dry, but the incense still layers the perfume from below like the remains of a bonfire drifting in the distance. As the perfume continues to develop, the incense begins to wain and the sandalwood brings a welcomed light creaminess along with a light floral bloom to the dry and woody heart.
Top notes of the composition will offer a spicy blend of nutmeg, warm and gourmand cinnamon and cardamom, refreshed by luminous and sunny lemon zest. The heart of the composition accentuates floral notes of elegant jasmine and lily of the valley softened with aromatic lavender, while base notes provide us with warmth and precious woody notes of patchouli and sandalwood embraced by a mysterious veil of incense and sensual musk.
Joel McCrea , 1933 , RKO , Bird of Paradise
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A dashing 1930’s Joel McCrea; accessible and easy masculinity.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE STYLE: classic, controlled, elegant
Why should women have all the fun with being able to refresh their fragrance throughout the day with a perfume lift? Of course most men don’t carry purses or bags, so this new line of solid perfumes from Solid State is just the answer to what us gentlemen need for all day perfumed freshness. Solid State, a new venture from Australia, kicked off their line with three different offerings just for men. Each is unique, but all are compact in size and perfect for carrying around in your pocket.
VOYAGER
Journeyman notes: warm, cedar, vetiver
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: An ivy league college football day tailgate.
The Scented Hound 