If someone is looking for the perfect men’s perfume gift set, it is safe to assume they are looking to treat a special man in their life – be it family, friend or colleague.
Fragrances continue to be a classic choice as a gift for men as it is regarded as a very thoughtful and personal gift.
However, what if the wrong fragrance is chosen and while you believe that one fragrance encapsulates your loved on, they have a completely different view of themselves altogether?
This is why men’s perfume gift sets were invented in the first place.
Benefits of a Men’s Perfume Gift Set
First of all, it empowers that special man to discover their own identity through cologne and fragrance. This is not only due to the choice of perfume available in a gift set, but also because the bottles in a gift set have larger amounts of scent liquid than a single perfume bottle.
Also, to be pragmatic, perfume sets often come with an offer when they are purchased which means you can save money to go towards another gift for that man in your life.
Which Fragrances Should A Men’s Perfume Gift Set Include?
Fougere
Fougere fragrances are certain the most commonly attributed to masculinity with many brands describing how these colognes represent a man who is cool under pressure and handles a crisis well.
The original Fougere perfume (Fougere Royale, launched in 1882) contained notes of oakmoss, tobacco, lavender and coumarin. These notes have been considered as the building blocks of Fougere fragrances ever since.
Fun fact: Fougere, (pronounced ‘foo-jair’) comes from the French word for ‘fern’
Gourmand
Gourmand colognes are also definitively categorised as masculine and make the perfect addition to a men’s perfume gift set.
They have become ever more popular in recent years, most likely down to their indulgent aromas produced from notes of vanilla, chocolate and coffee. If a man reminds you of dessert, you can safely assume he is wearing a gourmand fragrance.
Such a cologne is as seductive as it is versatile, although, we recommend that they are worn in the winter – a season of true indulgence.
Chypres
Chypre perfumes are a truly timeless fragrance for men who usually revolve around labdanum, oakmoss and bergamot. In fact, it is suggested that chypres fragrances can date back to the Roman Empire and are certainly often mentioned in manuals written in the 18th century.
They are associated more with the ‘mature’ gentleman and are often worn in the autumn. However, chypres fragrances are perfect for gift box as they are incredibly versatile and suitable for a wide range of scenarios.
Fun fact: Many mistake Chypre to be a reference to the cypress tree. In truth, it comes from the French word for Cyprus.
Oriental
Oriental perfumes are certainly considered as one of the more seductive fragrances and are distinctive through their emphasis on amber. The most common ambers notes that are used include patchouli, truffle and vanilla. Although oriental perfumes can be further categorised, for example, there are Spicy Orientals and Woody Orientals.
Nevertheless, if you have a young (or not so young) Batchelor in your life, this fragrance would be an accessory for a night on the pull.
Spicy
As previously mentioned, spicy fragrances do form a large sub-category of oriental fragrances. However, we believe that no man’s mini perfume set should be without a spicy aftershave. Nevertheless, oriental and spicy fragrances do fulfil very similar needs.
Although, as well as typical oriental notes, spicy perfumes often contain notes of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. Therefore, such fragrances are also commonly associated with sensuality and warmth – perfect for the evenings.
We would recommend a spicy cologne during the winter where notes such as cinnamon and nutmeg are certainly seasonally appropriate.
Floral
While floral ingredients are more commonly found in feminine fragrances, they are becoming ever more prevalent in men’s cologne, particularly the two cornerstone notes of jasmine and rose. The former adding refinedness and complexity and the latter builds cohesion amongst the other notes in the perfume
Floral fragrances are easily identified for they remind everyone of gardens, flowers and blossoms and are best worn during the spring and summer months to complement the blooming season.
Another added bonus with floral fragrances is that due to the heat amplifying perfume bouquets, just a couple of squirts (and perhaps a quick spritz in your hair) will achieve the desired effect.
Citrus
Citrus colognes are a perfume gift box essential and are designed for the long summers day.
As one might expect, citrus fragrances are mostly composed of strong fruity notes such as tangerine, bergamot and grapefruit. Although, in citrusy men’s colognes, Neroli is very common.
Furthermore, due to the strength of citrus perfumes, floral and chypres ingredients are often also included in order to round off the citrus.
Fun Fact: The world’s first Eau de Cologne was a citrus accord.
Aquatic
If you are buying a men’s perfume gift set for a man who loves the water, well that is when aquatic fragrances are at their best. Aquatic colognes are perfect for a sunny day by the sea, although they are also among the most versatile fragrances.
Also often known as ‘Ozonic’ fragrances, Many claim their aquatic cologne reminds them of the sea air lingering on their clothes.
Unfortunately, unlike floral perfumes where essential oils are extracted, science is still unable to put the beauty of the sea breeze in a bottle.
Woody
Woody fragrances are very distinctive and are known to remind people of nature through notes such as bark, patchouli, resin, cedar and vetiver.
Similar to other fragrances ideal for a men’s perfume gift set, woody perfumes can be split into different subcategories such as woody fruity or woody leather. However, unlike other fragrances, it is very rare to find a fragrance that is simply ‘woody’.
Fortunately, due to the influence in several other fragrance families, woody colognes, while best suited for the autumn, are very flexible. Although, they do better suit the rugged man rather than the refined gentleman.
Leather
Last but by no means least comes the leather fragrances who are considered to be the most formal cologne of any perfume gift set for men. It is for this reason that we advise you should avoid informal and casual settings and instead reserve the leather cologne for those formal occasions where your man is required to take charge.
Notes of smoky birch or bitter-smelling isoquinolines are unmatched in replicating leathery aromas while enabling the wearer to exude confidence and power.
What Men’s Perfume Gift Set Should I Buy?
There are countless gift sets on offer and you should certainly shop around. Although, we do invite you to consider our Fragrance Library | Perfume Experience Box. Not only does it include a vast array of perfumes, once the man in your life has found ‘their’ fragrance, but you can also get the cost of the experience box refunded when you buy the full-sized bottle.