These are all male-leaning or unisex, but I have no problem wearing Fils de Dieu or Le 3’ Homme myself and I am a tiny, rather unimposing female. The Jungian personalities that I decided would be best suited to each fragrance is also just my opinion. I would never discourage anyone from wearing what they like unless they ask for it explicitly! Mr. Chokkattu and I decided that these were the most versatile that we collectively own, so the list is obviously biased in our direction.

Nearly all of the fragrances in mentioned in this list come from Twisted Lily’s The Sands sample collection which I purchased for him a few months ago. I would like to take this moment and congratulate myself on being able to choose gifts really well, and also bask in the smugness of getting Mr. Chokkattu’s older brother in on the fragrance game without actually having to interact with him. (He basically stole the sample of Tom of Finland Mr. Chokkattu had received from Scent Trunk.) Anyway.

Enjoy the list!

The Debater: Tauer L’Air Desert Du Marocain

• Wet: oak, amber, vetiver, cedar, balsamic vinegar
• Dry: vetiver, cedar, coriander, amber, jasmine, balsamic vinegar

Mr. Chokkattu’s first love, and the one he wears the most often, LADDM is a dark, woody, smoky, slightly sweet thing with a low voice and dark hair. It starts with a sharp balsamic over a dark base, and then evens out, and as per the name the resulting fragrance is dry, hot, and slightly sweet. I really like this one, and Mr. Chokkattu only let me borrow this one because he has another sample of it.

The Entrepreneur: Malbrum Shameless Seducer

• Wet: paint thinner, cumin, civet
• Dry: civet, cumin, mimosa, grapefruit, Myvatn red rock

This one’s a little wilder than the others; its animalic qualities come out right off the bat in some perhaps not super lovely ways at first, but it melts into this interesting, delicious amalgamation of appraising and approval, if that makes any sense at all. Think of, perhaps a young Clint Eastwood. Steady on the outside, but all fire on the inside, solid as a smoldering geothermal landscape.

The Mediator: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis

• Wet: lemon, bergamot, floral
• Dry: lemon, bergamot, floral, a little sand, soap

We decided to include this one because it’s the closest to that “fresh” label boys seem to gravitate towards. It has a cleanly-scrubbed soapy feel which Mr. Chokkattu likes, but I’m not a fan of. Sand isn’t listed, but it’s definitely has a subtle different, funkier quality to it; not as aquatic or generically acerbic as the designer brands tend to be. Inoffensive, as one might say, though not without its fans.

The Entertainer: Caron Le 3’ Homme

• Wet: five spice, Playmate toys, lavender
• Dry: clove, lavender, oakmoss, coriander, bergamot

A suggestion from another fraghead that I didn’t expect to like as much as I did. Super tasty and just a little innocently ostentatious, it works on the silent influencer as much as it does on someone who gives speeches. It’s very likeable, which I think is very different than the “inoffensive” I gave Aqua Universalis. At a party, you nod at Universalis and then walk away because someone else invited him. Le 3’ Homme you make sure you personally invite, not because he’s the life of the party but because he elevates the party and it’s easier to have fun when he’s present.

The Consul: Etat Libre d’Orange Fils de Dieu

• Wet: fig, autumn leaves
• Dry: ginger, cardamom, tonka, fig, grass, amber, vetiver

Fils de Dieu is a happy autumn scent, all sun filtered through red and gold leaves and warm pie and “pick-your-own” farms. This is a fragrance the optimist likes, because it’s comforting to themselves and others. It doesn’t have the edge of By Kilian’s Intoxicated or L’Artisan’s Tea for Two, and though I list fig, it’s not vague and atmospheric like Imaginary Author’s Yesterday Haze or Diptyque’s Philosykos. It knows it’s happy.

The Commander: Zoologist Rhinoceros

• Wet: rum, leather
• Dry: oud, leather, tobacco, pine, cedar, wormwood, vetiver, sage, lavender

I’ve reviewed Rhinoceros before! Rough and harsh at first, the big alcoholic rum note is like a brash laugh from someone you’re not sure you want laughing. This fragrance is hard lines, bad boy sexy, and the person to really pull this off would have to be irresistibly grating on rational thought. Like you know you’re not supposed to follow someone with those kinds of anger issues and that sort of reputation, but you really, really want to. Personal power.