Manhood, masculinity and scents - PART III - Final

BARBECUE

photo credit:www.bestbarbequecooking.com

The smell of melting fat, dripping into the fire, making bigger flames; the aroma of the meat browning slowly...the smell of hot charcoal heating inside the grill is very masculine. Although women cook for ages, most barbecues are made by men. They simply love to buy the grill, the knives, the meat, the beer... For us latinos, barbecue is 100% a masculine thing. We think of the great grillers of the South of Brazil, El Gauchos of Argentina... I guess, just like Bull fighting is a male thing in Spain, barbecue is for us Brazilians.

Sandrina, a fragrance specialist and executive editor for the fantastic website FRAGRANTICA, (where she posts amazing fragrance reviews) mentioned in PERFUME TALKS (our facebook perfume discussion group), the smell of bonfires. For her it brings an olfactive memory of men. She also mentioned M by Puredistance - a fragrance with this smokey touch. 

FLANNEL SHIRTS

photo credit: Urban Outfitters.com

Originally made in Wales since the 16th century, flannel shirts were fabricated with  carded wool and worsted yarn. Today it is basically made from cotton, wool or synthetic fabrics. Whether worn by lumberjacks, grunge Nirvana fans, railroad workers or cowboys, flannel shirts, according to Michael Mattison, publisher, and editor of amazing SPICE OF LIFE, (a blog about spices, lifestyle and traveling), flannel lumberjack shirts was something trendy, back in the 70's - 80's and he recalls being hugged by his uncles, older cousins and grandfather. So, the smell of flannel mixed with musk, is a very personal masculine olfactive memory of his childhood. I agree with him. The smell of flannel is so masculine that Geoffrey Beene launched in the 70's, a masculine fragrance inspired by the fabric,  called Eau de Gray Flannel EDC, with spicy greens & citrusy notes, sandalwood, vetiver and musks. 

EAU de GREY FLANNEL EDC by GEOFFREY BEENE

GASOLINE, WD-40

photo credit: poundland.co.uk

Here in Brazil, women does work in gas stations, but this is in the last 5 years. Women does have independence nowadays, but mainly fixing things, taking care of cars, putting the hand on greasy things is a "man thing".

Well, I think this list could go on and on...you found here many references...a starting point to think about the subject. A reminder to amplify your horizons and smell the world. Olfactive awareness is a very powerful tool!

Perfume Talk members all participated by giving me a list of fragrances that, in their opinion, brings manhood to the skin:

Silvio Levi, co-founder of Esxence - Antimatiere EDP by Le Nez  by perfumer Isabelle Doyen. In his opinion, this is the way every man should smell!

Dominique Archambou, fragrance passionate - Déclaration Cartier - or a dirty leather note or a barbershop scent, such as a classic fougére.

Ane Walsh, natural perfumer - Henna accords, oudh, musk, oakmoss, cedarwood, tarrangon, cardamom, hops, citruses combined with lavender and pines.

Shelly Waddington, natural perfumer - Costos, Iso Super, Saussurea lappas and cumin.

Amanda Feely, opera singer and perfumer - patchouli, cigar, woody smell and moss.

Eudiza Quevedo, a Mexican fragrance lover and blogger, editor of A MAL PARIDA - salty, marine, chlorine, sperm notes...something between the freshness of Hugo Boss and strong fragrances such as Polo, English Leather (reminds of her dad), Carlo Corinto (her grandfather), plus - notes of cumin, armpits, ink from the newspaper and gasoline.

Heidi Schoerder, a fragrance lover - gas station!

Stacey Moore, natural perfumer - a bundle of Northwood Twigs that she sell at work.

Michelyn Camen - fragrance editor for Ça Fleure Bon - Encre Noir - a fragrance by Lalique. Which I agree 100%!