By Max Berlinger for GQ.
A trio of models weigh in on fall's newest scents.
While choosing a fragrance may be an incredibly personal endeavor — like picking out your outfit, or what you do in the shower — there's no denying that it effects those within your direct vicinity. And most importantly for guys, it has an impact on women who may come within sniffing distance. Knowing that, we brought in a trio of models to GQ HQ (nice work if you can get it, eh?) to smell some of the latest colognes to hit the market and tell us what they think about them, and about men's fragrances in general. Here's what we found.
Lisa Marie Jaftha
Agency: Major
Instagram: @lisamariejaftha
Do you like it when a guy wears cologne? Yes, of course. I love Christian Dior Homme.
Why? I don’t know. I smelled it on someone a year ago, and I was like, “Please tell me what that is,” and he wouldn’t. But I kept pestering him. I think it’s a unisex smell, I used to use it too.
Do you like unisex fragrances on guys? Yeah, as long as he’s not wearing something that smells a lot like a chick, it’s fine.
Are there any sorts of smells you like, not colognes, that you love on a guy? Slightly floral, something that smells fresh. Something athletic.
OK, tell me what you think of these colognes:
Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil: Ooh, that’s very citrus-y. I could deal with it. I like it, I’d give it a seven or eight out of ten. I could picture Tom Hardy wearing it. I thought maybe Leo or George Clooney too. Someone along those lines.
Ralph Lauren Collection Oud: That’s musky. It’s very deep, strong. Who would wear it... probably Morgan Freeman. I’d give it a five or six, but in moderation ... very little. In general, it’s nice if you smell the cologne, but I don’t want to smell you from 10 feet away.
Tom Ford Vert D’Encens: This is a bit more floral, but still musky. It’s like a mix of the two. It’s ... powdery. It’s OK, I’d put this at a four or five. It smells like Dior Sauvage. It’s not bad.
Winner: Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil
Karen Lima
Agency: One.1 Management
Instagram: @karenlimabrazil
Do you like it when guys wear cologne? Oh yeah. I love Carolina Herrera for men. I always look for new fragrances, because I like to buy them for myself. But for guys, I think it has to be strong. It can’t be sweet or like a girl’s perfume.
Do you have any other favorites? Oh, I love [Ralph Lauren] Polo. I like a normal amount, not too much. One spray of a good cologne is good enough.
Do Brazilian guys wear cologne differently than American guys? They do! It’s so funny, whenever I go back there’s a specific perfume that all the guys use. When you go back, they all smell like it. I forget what it’s called.
DS Durga Rose Atlantic: It’s not quite right for me. For me, this would be like a five. I don’t like florals for men, I like a man that smells like a man.
The Art of Shaving, Sandalwood & Cypress: Mmm, this is much better. It’s like woodsy. Oh, this reminds me of Johnny Depp. Very ... strong. It’s like hippie-ish.
Editions de Parfum Frederic Malle: I don’t dislike it, but it’s not my favorite. It’s like an eight. It’s not ... I feel like people won’t remember this. I like smells that make a big impact, that will make people remember you.
Mari Fonesca
Agency: One.1
Instagram: @marianne_fonesca
Do you like men wearing colognes? Not like. Love. Obsessed. I love to wear them, I have a six or seven that I use for myself. I am very sensitive to smell, so I like a guy who smells good. I love Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio. It's so fresh and sexy. I love Jean Paul Gaultier. There are some fragrances from Brazil that I like too, from Natura, they're from the Amazon. They are all fresh, very natural. It's just different from what we have in the US.
How much cologne do you think a guy should wear? I don't want a lot, but you should know he put some on, that there's cologne there, you know?
DS Durga Rose Atlantic: I like this. It's so good. I like that it's light and that it's fresh. I like that it's a little feminine. I feel like Matthew McConaughey would wear it.
Ralph Lauren Collection Oud: This is good, but it's a little too strong for my taste. I feel like a tough guy would wear it, like Tom Hardy.
Editions de Parfum Frederic Malle: Mmmm, I don't think I like it. It's too menthol. Maybe for breath. It smells a little bit like a bathroom, like a clean bathroom. But I don't like a person to wear it.
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