The Haute Spot

I usually try to have half a dozen or so different colognes on hand at any given time. Out of that half dozen, one or two are usually a new cologne I’m trying out in order how to gauge how much I like wearing it and at what times I like to wear it. It’s the intern out of my cologne rack. The rest of the rack is dedicated to five colognes that I try to keep on hand throughout the year. These are the olfactory champions who have never steered me wrong.

Aqua di gio by Giorgio Armani

Aqua di Gio is by far my favorite summertime cologne. It is very light and airy, almost ethereal. It is a wonderful balance of citrus, herbs, and wood scents. Everytime I smell it, I think of the beach, which is the place I wear it the most.

Dolce & Gabbana for Men

Dolce & Gabbana for Men is exquisite. The scent is fresh and sharp and very smoky. This is the type of cologne I like to wear at night, especially out at a restaurant or a good bar. It is very refined and nicely balances citrus notes with spicier scents.

Beyond Paradise for men by Estee Lauder

Beyond Paradise is another great cologne. It is woody and green, but still very mysterious. It’s mystique is probably due in part to the esoteric mixture of exotic fruits and woods. I find that it’s very versatile, appropriate for daylight and moonbeams. It is very masculine and sensual, so I love wearing it around the females.

L'eau d'Issey by Issey Miyaki

Another great warm weather scent, L’aeu d’Issey is very delicate and exhilaratingly light. The main component of the scent is the Yuzu fruit, making this cologne very japanese in more than just it’s manufacturers name. I also love the use of blue water lily, nutmeg, cinnamon bark, and saffron. The cologne comes off as very hip and modern, perfect for social outings.

Black Code by Giorgio Armani

This Armani’s first attempt at a masculine fragrance done in the Oriental-style and they really were on to something here. It is understated and very elegant, making this my obvious first choice for formal outings. It has a very confident feel and all the notes, especially the bergamot, lemon, and tonka bean, come together very nicely.If you haven’t heard of this cologne, it might be because Armani changed it’s name from Black Code to Armani Code. I still call it Black Code out of habit and I don’t plan on stopping, not even if Armani himself were to beat me with a sack of cologne bottles.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Lacoste Essential is a great fragrance, really fresh and crisp. It is a very light and casual fragrance, very inoffensive and green. It creates an aura around you without overpowering your presence.

The top notes are tangerine, bergamot, tomato leaves, and cassis. The middle notes are black pepper and rose. The base notes are patchouli, sandalwood, and wood accord. It’s very clean smelling and a perfect scent for the daytime, especially during the summer and spring months. Essentials lasts for about 6 to 8 hours, give or take an hour or so.

An interesting fact about Essentials is that it retains the fragrance of the top notes throughout its duration, which is neat since in most colognes the top notes evaporate within the first hour or so. That means instead of your cologne smelling a certain way for an hour and then changing into a slightly different scent for the rest of day, you’ll have that consistent scent throughout.

According to Lacoste, this is due to their patented Time Release Technology which basically traps the top note oils in the perfume and releases them steadily over time. Another little neat perk of the this technology is that when your body heat goes up, it releases a burst of scent. This is probably bad for running away from wolves, but great for day out in the sun or playing light sports.

BUY IT Lacoste Essential 4.2 oz bottle $65

Popularity: 5% [?]

If you’re like us, you probably include shampoo, conditioner, face scrub, shaving cream, toothpaste in your morning regimen. Now this is fine, if not a little metro, when you’re in the comfort of your own home. But what happens when you travel? Are you really going to pack everything in your toiletry bag and hope it doesn’t spill on all your clothes. Well chances are, that’s probably what you’ve been doing. Until Now.

Dr. Bonner’s Magic Soap is an organic marvel. It can be used as shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, even toothpaste if you’re in a pinch. We love it in the peppermint scent to revitalize you from the long nights out. Pick up a bottle and throw it in your bag on your next trip, that is, if you don’t use it all at home.

BUY IT Dr. Bonner’s Magic Soap $3.99

Popularity: 5% [?]

This should be the cologne of choice for any discriminating man of taste. Vintage by John Varvatos is probably one of the best colognes out there right now. It has a complex aroma, containing notes from a variety of different scents, some of the clear notes being the rhubarb, tobacco, leather, and the fir balsam. It’s also an almost guaranteed lady killer.

I really like it because it’s one of the few colognes that doesn’t have to be overly citrus or sharp while still being very crisp and clear. It has a spicy and smoky smell that you don’t really encounter much and gives a definite masculine feel. I plan on wearing it all the time before every Joe Q starts catching on and playing it out like they did Aqua di Gio, the original lady killer.

Popularity: 5% [?]

For those of you that travel often, or even those that are tired of buying new blades for your handheld razor. Here is a cool new gadget from Braun. This battery operated, self-contained, ultra-portable marvel has earned rave reviews from amazon and is worthy of adding to your travel kit, because unintentional scruff is never in fashion.

This review is what sold us:

This bad boy is really awesome. I kid you not. I had to live out of a suitcase for approximately forty days a little less than a year ago. Since I was in transit and my previous shaver had more or less run itself down, I opted insetad to buy this puppy. Thinking, naturally, that if it lasted me a month it will have still been a sound investment as it was priced so incredibly low.

That was ten months ago.

I use it every day.

Every. Day.

And have changed the batteries once.

Ten months. Every day. One battery swap.

That is all.

Braun Pocketgo P70 Shaver

Braun Pocketgo P70 Shaver $20

Popularity: 6% [?]