Celebrate & Indulge for Him: Four Colognes for the Occasion
- , by Shushanik
- 5 min reading time
1 / 7
Black tie asks for more than a clean cologne. The notes that do it, and four bold colognes for him, from the biggest night of the year to a spiced crème brûlée.
Black tie, a milestone birthday, the night of the year: a clean office cologne disappears in that room. A celebration cologne should be rich, warm and long-lasting, and it is allowed to be noticed.
That is why the occasion belongs to the richest men's notes: oud, labdanum, cinnamon, tonka. Celebrate & Indulge is one of our seven mood collections, scents chosen for how you want to feel; this one is for the moments you want to remember. Here are the notes that do it, and four bold colognes for him that wear them best.
The key notes
Oud
Dark, leathery, ambery, spicy: the resin a wounded Aquilaria tree makes to defend itself. It commands a room at one drop.
Labdanum
Animalic, spicy, ambery, with a little cinnamon; from the leaves and twigs of the Spanish rock rose. Warm as a coat lining.
Cinnamon
Cinnamic, balsamic, warm, ambery, woody; distilled from the inner bark, in Madagascar. Festive heat.
Tonka and praline
The Indulge side: coumarin's hay-and-almond warmth, and toasted sugar.
Four for the occasion
All four are in our Celebrate & Indulge collection, and each wears differently: what leads, what stays on skin, and when to reach for it.
1. Xerjoff Alexandria II
Leads: Cinnamon, apple and rose over oud, sandalwood and vanilla, with lavender in the opening.
On skin: Spiced apple and lavender for an hour, then a rich rose-oud-vanilla amber that lasts twelve hours and trails all night.
Wear it: The biggest night of the year. Deep winter.
2. Amouage Jubilation XXV Man
Leads: Frankincense, honey and bay leaf into myrrh, opoponax and oud, with blackberry on top.
On skin: Fruity-herbal for twenty minutes, then a dense, honeyed incense that stays close and warm for ten hours.
Wear it: Black tie, velvet lapels. Autumn through winter.
3. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir
Leads: Labdanum and benzoin over vanilla and tonka: amber that glows rather than burns.
On skin: Sweet, resinous amber from the first minute, softening to a balsamic skin glow; eight to ten hours.
Wear it: The amber for a long winter evening. October to March.
4. Parfums de Marly Althaïr
Leads: Cinnamon and cardamom over vanilla, tonka and praline, with orange blossom above.
On skin: A spiced crème brûlée from the first spray; the vanilla-praline warmth lasts ten hours and projects for four.
Wear it: The Indulge side of the edit, for him. Cold nights, celebrations.
Which one is yours?
- It is the biggest night of the year: Alexandria II.
- The dress code is black tie: Jubilation XXV Man.
- You want amber, warm but not loud: Grand Soir.
- You want the sweet, indulgent one: Althaïr.
Sampled by the mL
Rich colognes take an hour to show what they are; on a blotter they all smell of spice. The difference between these four shows on skin, deep into the evening. So test before you commit to a bottle: all four come as samples.
Try one at each occasion. The one that is still on your collar the next morning is yours.
Browse the full Celebrate & Indulge collection or our sample library. Not sure where to start? Our two-minute perfume quiz matches you to scents from your answers.
The short version
- A celebration cologne should be rich, warm and last the whole night.
- The notes that do it: oud, labdanum, cinnamon, tonka and praline.
- Four for the occasion: Xerjoff Alexandria II, Amouage Jubilation XXV Man, Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir, Parfums de Marly Althaïr.
- Two sprays are plenty; these project. Start with samples.
Questions we hear
What cologne should I wear to a black-tie event?
Something rich and resinous that stays close: Jubilation XXV Man is the classic black-tie choice; Alexandria II for the biggest night, when you want it to trail.
What is the difference between amber and oud?
Amber is an accord, usually labdanum, benzoin and vanilla: warm, sweet, glowing, as in Grand Soir. Oud is a resin from the Aquilaria tree: darker, leathery, commanding, as in Alexandria II.
How much should I spray?
Two sprays. All four project for hours, Althaïr for four, Alexandria II all night. Where to put them is in our spray map for him.
The seven moods
This post is part of our mood series: seven collections of scents chosen for how you want to feel, from the first coffee to the biggest night of the year.
- Morning Boost: Five Fresh Perfumes to Start the Day
- Focus & Flow for Her: Four Perfumes for the Working Day
- Focus & Flow for Him: Four Colognes for the Office
- Move & Thrive: Five Fresh Perfumes for Moving
- Harmony & Meditation: Five Perfumes for the Quiet Hour
- Relax & Wind Down: Five Perfumes for the Evening at Home
- Romance & Presence for Her: Five Perfumes for the Evening
- Romance & Presence for Him: Five Colognes for the Evening
- Celebrate & Indulge for Her: Four Perfumes for the Occasion
- Celebrate & Indulge for Him: Four Colognes for the Occasion
Keep reading
- Where to Spray Perfume: The Spray Map for Him
- How to Store Perfume: Lessons from the World's Largest Perfume Archive
- How to Build a Fragrance Wardrobe: Four Shelves for Every Moment
This article is also a carousel on our Instagram, @aromastylists: "Celebrate & Indulge · For Him". Which one is missing from yours? Tell us there, and we'll find it.