K by Dolce & Gabbana Gift Set

Juniper berry is the material that sets K by Dolce & Gabbana Gift Set apart from the run of men's fragrance, and it is the first thing you notice.

Inside are the 100ml Eau de Parfum, a 50ml shower gel and a 50ml aftershave balm. Juniper is the material behind gin, cool and resinous and slightly bitter, and here it arrives alongside blood orange and sicilian lemon, so the opening is citrus with an edge rather than citrus on its own. The middle is the part that gives the scent its character. Pimento brings a dry, peppery heat, clary sage is herbal and dry with a bitter edge, lavender adds a clean, almost soapy calm, and geranium cuts through the lot with its green, slightly metallic sharpness. Then it settles properly: vetiver dry and rooty, patchouli earthy and dark, cedarwood clean and pencil like, so the finish is austere rather than sweet.

Ten materials, arranged in clear tiers, and the movement from bright bitter citrus to a dry base is the whole idea. The composition is credited to Daphné Bugey and Nathalie Lorson.

As a gift it has the advantage of being masculine without being obvious. It avoids both the sweetness and the heavy aquatic cleanness that dominate the men's shelf, which makes it a good choice for someone who has got tired of what he already owns. The set arrives presented, so it needs nothing more from you than handing it over, and it suits a man who wears fragrance to work as readily as in the evening.

Italy, 1985, two designers: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana built the house and continue to set its creative course. The scented side of it belongs to Shiseido, which has held exclusive worldwide rights to the brand's fragrance, makeup and skincare since October 2016. Beauty and eyewear are the only categories put out to licence at all.