For Him

Dior Sauvage. From Dior, the Parisian couture house founded by Christian Dior in 1946. Bergamot opens with a crackle, Sichuan pepper appears a few seconds in, lavender holds the centre. The most-sold men's fragrance in the world, with the kind of profile most men recognise from across a room.

Hermès Terre d'Hermès. Hermès, the French house that began as a Parisian saddlery in 1837 and has never stopped making things slowly and by hand. Orange peel and grapefruit at the opening, then a pivot into something mineral. Vetiver pulled through flint and cedar. Sophisticated without effort, the kind of scent that settles slowly into a room rather than announcing itself.

Versace Dylan Blue. From the Italian house Gianni Versace founded in Milan in 1978. Calabrian bergamot and fig leaf at the top give it a green, almost cool opening. Indonesian patchouli pulls it into something darker and aromatic underneath. Less obvious than Eros, less classical than Versace's Pour Homme.

Rabanne Phantom. Paco Rabanne, the Spanish-born Parisian couturier who launched his first fragrance in 1969 and built a reputation for designing the future. Lavender meets lemon in a way that shouldn't work but does, with vanilla and vetiver underneath. The bottle is a sleek matte robot. The juice inside is unexpectedly gentle, almost cosmetic in feel.

Atkinsons James. Atkinsons has been blending fragrance in London since 1799, holding royal warrants from George IV onwards. This one is named for the founder. Bergamot and mandarin at the top, then tobacco, patchouli and oakmoss into a leathered base finished with vanilla. Dandy and dark, almost never seen on Irish shelves.

Bvlgari Man in Black. From Bvlgari, the Italian jeweller founded in 1884 on Rome's Via Sistina by a Greek silversmith. Spiced dark rum, leather worn into a soft armchair, tonka and tobacco. Rich, sweet and slowly resolving, with enough weight to fill an evening.