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Male fragrances, deodorants and other smellies

Choose a scent for every occasion from our selection of fragrances just for men.


Puma Urban Motion Eau de Toilette, R280.00 for 40ml
Reviewer: Joey Evans, 3rd year law student

I’ll be honest, I was very sceptical when I was first handed a Puma fragrance. I wasn’t convinced that sports gear manufacturers should dabble in all sorts of other products. Shouldn’t they stick to selling running shoes? Well, Puma’s Urban Motion has really changed my mind about that: it’s awesome! I’m a sporty person and the edgy, modern design of the bottle and the whole image around this product really works for me. The fragrance is fresh, fruity and slightly spicy, yet beautifully subtle. Best of all, it passed the all-important girlfriend test with flying colours. She adores it and thinks it’s really sexy. If you’re looking for a hip and happening smell to go with your trendy, city-living image, this is the one.

 


Revlon Man Radar Deodorant Body Spray, R18.99
Reviewer: Miles Hamilton, high school learner

I do a lot of sport, so I need a good deodorant that I can use. I’m quite fussy about the smell of deodorant, but I liked this one. Some deodorants are a bit overpowering, but this had a nice, clean and fresh smell that wasn’t too strong at all but still lasted for a long time. My only gripe is the bottle’s design. For such a mod-smelling scent, the packaging strikes me as a little outdated. Still, if you’re looking for a hard working, fresh-smelling deodorant that won’t break the bank, this is it.

 


Mitchum Power Gel Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant, R36.99
Reviewer: Andreas Späth, freelance journalist

I’ve been using this for the past month and have been really impressed. The gel spreads smoothly and evenly and - perhaps a little surprisingly - it doesn’t leave you feeling all wet and sticky under your arms at all. It also doesn’t leave any of those nasty halos of dried residue on your clothes. The smell is pleasantly sharp and fresh with just-out-of-the-shower citrusy and fruity notes which last for hours. The active ingredient, aluminium sesquichlorohydrate, is a safe, tried and tested compound that has been shown to substantially reduce sweating. I’ll happily recommend this to any active guy who needs to be confident about smelling great and controlling perspiration all day long.

 


Dunhill 51.3N Eau de Toilette, R675.00 for 50ml
Reviewer: Paul Ingpen, marketing and strategy director

I’m a somewhat typical 40-something South African male who grew up in the sanction era and still hasn’t come to terms with the post isolation explosion in luxury brand items like watches, sports gear and fragrances. Every trip to the mall is like Charlie’s visit to the chocolate factory. The novelty is still such that I tend to wear a different watch, underwear brand and fragrance every day, so when I was asked to review the latest Dunhill fragrance I ripped opened the deep blue and silver packaging like a 3 year old. I wasn’t disappointed. The box description reads like a food recipe with more spice references than Platter’s wine guide, so I ditched any pretence of depth or subtlety and opted to rely on the age old test: trying it out on the ladies in the office (who outnumber the boys 25:3). The name of the fragrance refers to the GPS coordinates of the city of London - home to a certain secret agent. So with 007 on my mind I shaved, donned a tie, splashed on some Dunhill 51.3N and headed into the city. This fresh new smell was mature and subtle and made me feel good. At the office I shimmied past a few desks and was concerned when I’d made it all the way to accounts without so much as a raised eyebrow. Then it came: “God, which one of you boys smells so good? That’s killing me!” - one of my female co-workers had picked up the scent. Being a conscientious and dedicated product reviewer, I invited her a bit closer for a formal appraisal and she confirmed that I’d best get my wife’s consent before wearing this weapon without her on my arm – it was as good for her as it was for me.

 


Lacoste Challenge Eau de Toilette, R610.00 for 75ml
Reviewer: Bernhard Walter, restaurant chef

I love the fresh, athletic and sporty scent of Lacoste Challenge, the latest fragrance for men from Lacoste. It’s sophisticated and classy without being old-fashioned. In fact, putting it on makes me feel really youthful and exciting, which goes perfectly with my outgoing personality. Lacoste Challenge has citrusy undertones with some great spicy and almost exotic accents to back them up. It comes in a funky bottle sporting the trademark Lacoste crocodile symbol. Very cool and definitely recommended!

 


Tom Ford Grey Vetiver Male Fragrance, R995 for 50ml
Reviewer: Philip Langley, web designer

Scent is the most powerful sense of all, able to conjure places and memories long gone. Tom Ford’s new Grey Vetiver is a spicy eastern land laid end-to-end with grasses and citrus fields and smoke of ages. When it touches the skin it takes you there with a heady thump, no questions asked. A few people noted that it assaulted their nostrils but they did not linger to bask in the warmth of its base note. To me it seems a reaction against the sickly sweet metrosexual perfumes of late. This is unabashedly male.

 

 


Usher VIP Eau de Toilette, R495 for 100ml
Reviewer: Taylor Ahlgren, Curriculum Development & Training Manager, Grassroots Soccer

Usher Raymond's new fragrance, VIP is bold and strong, with a really woody scent. While it's supposed to be for everyday use, I would rather have a lighter fragrance for daily use and think VIP is more suited for a night out or if I'm attending an event - the fragrance is warmed by spices of nutmeg and saffron, which can be a little heady. The bottle is made of heavily weighted glass, inspired by high-end liqueur bottles in rich gold tones. It takes a while to settle so I only really appreciated it a few hours after spraying it on. Ultimately, it's quite likeable and definitely worth a try if you're looking for a dress-up fragrance.

More men's grooming products:
Skin care products for guys
Men's bath & shower products
Shaving products
Hair products for men

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