International Fragrance Day 2022

Happy International Fragrance Day! A day to celebrate all things aromatic. It’s like Christmas Day for us fragrance lovers. Well, not quite, because every day is fragrance day for us. I thought I’d showcase a selection of scents that sent me down the rabbit hole to mark the occasion.

These were the first four fragrances I purchased (obviously not these particular bottles). I’ve had several bottles of each through the years. Indeed, these are formative scents for me. One’s I wore in high school, and certainly fragrances that were very popular in the mid-90s—a veritable who’s who of classic men’s scents. None of them need any introduction.

The most popular was probably Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio. And I think it still holds the record for highest selling men’s perfume of all time. The accessible nature of the citruses mixed with a hefty dose of calone worked wonders in the Australian summers. If my memory serves me correctly, it was the most popular among my high school brethren at the time too.

Then we have Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male. A puff of sweetened talcum powder. The dependable lavender, vanilla, and mint combination in the iconic bottle. How many flankers are we up to now? Far too many, but it’s the original I return to repeatedly. For the record, my favorite flankers of Le Male are Fleur de Male and Le Male Essence. 

Eternity for Men by Calvin Klein, aptly named, is next. It’s been around since 1990 and still holds up well over 30 years later. Another iconic aromatic fougere where the lavender and woods harmonise with the citric top notes to nostalgic effect. The 90’s in a bottle, and unlike MC Hammer’s pants, it never seems to go out of style.

Finally, the oldest scent pictured, and it just so happens to be my favourite of the bunch: the late 80’s powerhouse Fahrenheit. Dior Fahrenheit was released in 1988.The music charts were dominated by Madonna, George Michael, and Guns N Roses. A transitional time, and in a way, Dior’s Fahrenheit seemed like the perfect precursor to the early 90’s Grunge scene. Petroleum-like violet leaf mixed with intense woods, biker leather jacket, and a hint of freshly cut grass. A heady mix that waved goodbye to the excess of the 80s and heralded in a new era in music, fashion, and indeed fragrance.  

These fragrances are still around today, albeit in a somewhat different guise. That says a lot. They still sell and resonate with today’s consumers. They all have had their fair share of flanker treatment, but the originals are always the best. At least in my book.

Enjoy the day! I’m off to spritz some Fahrenheit and reminisce.

Note: All images are by me.