10 Designer Fragrances of the last Decade...

With all the choices the perfume market has to offer, it's hard, if not impossible, to say: "I've smelled everything". There are thousands of fragrances out there for every taste and every budget. Often, as perfume enthusiasts, our attention seems to be grabbed by the fascinating niche and indie products, hand crafted perfumes who are sold in a very exclusive way. I agree to a certain extend that the "Designer" fragrances are not like in the 80's and 90's, where we've seen legendary releases such as Dior's Fahrenheit(1988), JPG's Le Male(1995), Gucci's Envy(1998) and so on...

But when we take the time and do our research, there are definitely some unique designer scents that hit the market in the last decade. I want to pay homage to 10 of these fragrances...P.S. These are not necessary my favourites, just a list of scents that I think anyone who has an interest in perfumes should smell.

• Yves Saint Laurent M7 (2002) : Infamous for its oud accord, M7 is what happens when Tom Ford is at the head of a designer house. Very unique take on oud in the designer market. This fragrance is very sweet, powdery, almost syrupy and sits on a woody base. Very soft and gentle oud note, nothing sharp in the composition. Nice fragrance for the fall and winter that will set you apart from the average Joe.

• GUCCI Pour Homme I (2003) & GUCCI Pour Homme II (2007) : I've smelled Envy, and I still think this line from the house of GUCCI is the best one as of now. GUCCI PH I is an oriental woody scent with lots of cedar and incense in it...very masculine and quite unique on the market. It's younger brother is even better IMO. It features a combo of black tea, cinnamon and pepper....Fresh at the top and the spice in it makes it burn on your skin in the heart....Beautiful tea accord and sweetness from the cinnamon as well. A must smell. 

• L'Instant de Guerlain Extreme by Guerlain (2005) : Although I consider Guerlain to be a niche house, they do have a line distributed a large amount of retailers, next to designer houses. LIDGE is part of that line. Even though it's getting harder and harder to find, this scent is being incredibly hyped. It is extremely high quality fragrance and it's very unique. The opening is an introduction to a great overall fragrance. You get a citrus/cedar combo with anise in the background, making the top really different from all the citrus based scents on the market. The heart of the fragrance displays a beautiful coco note with some woods, almost walking the gourmand but not quite there. I think this is one of the best to check out if you got the chance.

• Dior Homme Intense (2006/2011) : The "original" a.k.a. the vintage formulation came out in 2006 and since then, this one has been reformulated in 2011. Although there are few small differences, no matter which version you get is a quality fragrance! This one features a beautiful coco note, iris and a soft cedar note at the base. Favourable during night time. Very sexy stuff. 

• Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme/La Nuit de l'Homme(2006/2009) : YSL's response to the "modern" releases in the 2000's. Very well done fragrances that get a lot of love and attention. The original "L'homme" is a very  versatile semi fresh scent. Great signature scent. The "La nuit de l'homme" flanker is a little darker and sweeter, with improved longevity and projection. I do prefer the flanker but I think both are amazing creations and are worth trying. 

• Burbbery London (2006) : One of the most hyped fragrances in the community. It's a modern classic. London is an oriental fragrance with notes of cinnamon, porto wine, pepper, leather [etc]. It's a great everyday fragrance to be worn in the fall or winter. Works well in every occasion and it will keep you warm. Very complex, yet easy to appreciate fragrance that's worth a sniff.

• Narciso Rodriguez For Him (2007) : This is one of my all time favourites! Blended by Francis Kurkdijan, this scent is a masterpiece. Very simple formula, very complex result. The patchouli in this one is very intense and it's combines with musk and violet leaf. People often compare it to wet concrete and I can see that. It's very "noir" and mysterious, although not very hard to wear. This one will keep you entertained for sure. 

• Paco Rabanne 1 Million (2008) : Hate it or love it, sometimes you gotta give props where props are due. This fragrance is a top seller for a reason: It's appealing, loud and "different". Compared to bubblegum, this fragrance has a very sweet side. The opening is my favourite part due to the blood orange kick. There's is also a very subtle leather note. I think this is a game changer simply because it set a new standard in sweet fragrances in the men's section. On that note, watch how much you wear of this because you might smell like a few other people in the club...

• Thierry Mugler A*Men Pure Malt (2009) : Inspired by the luxurious whiskey industry, the Mugler house said they used the original A*Men and aged it in whiskey casks in order to get that genuine malt flavour. Although I enjoy and love this fragrance very much, I don't believe in their stories... It does have a beautiful whiskey flavour note in it, combined with berries at the top and caramel and woods at the base. I do feel the A*Men architecture behind this flanker, but I think it lacks some components such as longevity and projection. Still, this is one of my all time favourites, for personal reasons. 

• Van Cleef & Arpels Midnight in Paris (2010) : Once again, I don't know how to position myself toward this house (niche/designer), so I decided to include it in this list. This fragrance is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. Starting off with a leather note, it quickly turns into a beautiful dark floral scent, with hints of amber. To me, this is very reminiscent of Dior Homme Intense in an indirect way. It deserves much more attention than it has right now in my opinion. 

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