Instantly sexy

I’ve always had a preference for classic fragrances over trendy ones. It’s now common for every fashion label to come up with its own signature fragrance. Many end up vastly popular but only for a brief period of time. Wearing a trendy fragrance increases the risk of smelling just like everyone else, and who wants to be humdrum?

Only very few brands have created fragrances for men that have achieved that iconic status of crossing generations. Guerlain is one of them. There’s Guerlain Vetiver, a fragrance that’s been very chic since 1959. The exotic and oriental smell of Guerlain Habit Rouge has also long lingered au courant since 1965.

Guerlain’s latest men’s fragrance, L’Instant De Guerlain, is destined to become another classic. This sensual and woody scent has already gained a loyal international following since it debuted in 2004.

I discovered that one of Guerlain’s secrets to creating timeless fragrances is in its combination of the best ingredients sourced from all over the world. L’Instant is a surprising blend of cold and warm energies. It evokes a luminous cool element from citrus, star anise crystals, and peppery elemi (the latter two sourced from the Philippines). Its sensual warmth is created from jasmine petals from India, Mysore sandalwood, lapsang tea, bitter cocoa beans, hibiscus seeds, and patchouli flowers from Indonesia.

L’Instant smells elegant and sensual. Spray it on, think James Bond, and order that martini shaken, not stirred.