Create a Lasting Impression this Season with these Best Long Lasting Perfumes for Men India 2020

Men have always been fascinated with perfumes and the history of perfumes is as old as the history written by mankind. Modern perfumeries were created in the late 19th century, but fragrances have been a part of various cultures like ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and India for thousands of years. Knowledge of perfume making came to Europe in the early 14th century from Middle East where fragrances were created using the steam distillation method and Hungary was the first country to make alcohol based perfume in late 14th century, where it was called ‘Hungary Water’. Then it reached Italy and France in the 16th century and perfume bloomed in the 18th century under Napoleon. He was so fond of fragrances that he would even apply some before marching for a battle.

Men’s fragrance was formally introduced in 1709, when an Italian Giovanni Maria Farina living in Cologne, Germany invented Cologne Water and named it after his new hometown. Eau de Cologne derived its name from a French Word which means ‘cleaning water’ and it served mostly a sanitary purpose till the 18th century. But in the 20th century, men’s perfume was created by Ernest Daltroff in 1934 and named as “Pour Un Homme” which means ‘For A Man’. Perfumes were exclusive for the royal families or the super rich till the early 20th century until in the 1970’s designers like Gucci Pour Homme (1976), Paco Rabanne Pour Homme (1973), Ralph Lauren Polo (1978) and Azzaro Pour Homme (1978) launched range of their own colognes. But the real boom in perfume industry came in the 1980’s with famous designers introducing their brands, starting with Calvin Klein (Calvin in 1981), Guy Laroche Drakkar Noir (1982), Giorgio Armani (Pour Homme in 1984), Hugo Boss (Number One 1985) and Davidoff (Cool Water in 1988) revolutionized the perfume industry.

History of perfumes in India dates back between 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE when it was known as Ittar and the distillation process is mentioned in Ancient Indian scripts as Sushruta Samhita and Charak Samhita. A 1975 report by Dr. Paolo Rovesti mentions about finding a distillation apparatus and oil containers made of terracotta, which carbon dates to 3000 BCE. Plants, flowers and other materials were boiled in large vessels and oil was extracted from the vapor of this water which was purified further to make perfumes.

Twenty first century has seen humanity recovering quickly from the after effects of two world wars, many civil wars and stepping into the era of globalization. With the advent of IT era, world is becoming a global village and people are more concerned about their appearance than ever before. Now men pay more attention to their look and fashion sense, thus the way you look and smell has a greater importance now. Men who wear nice cologne create an impression of being stylish and hygienic. Studies have proved that women are mesmerized by men who wear a perfume or cologne even if they are less good looking.

About 80% of men don’t wear fragrance or cologne on regular basis, basic reason being lack of basic information about the benefits of smelling nice. Also, it’s an industry largely dominated by women and most men don’t think that it’s necessary to wear a perfume. However, wearing a perfume is not only an invisible fashion, but it also helps to connect with people at an emotional level. A nice and soothing scent can instantly uplift the mood of a person who may be interacting with you and he would remember you with the smell of your scent as smell triggers memories better than other senses.

As mentioned earlier, men who wear perfumes are seen as someone who cares about himself and is more organized. However, not any perfume would create that impact. For example, a strong perfume used by a college student may not be apt for an office going man. Similarly, party wear cologne is not suitable for a business meeting. There are several cheap copies of the popular brands available in market, but they are nowhere close to the real ones neither in strength or smell; and will notice the smell evaporating after half an hour. Hence, there is no point investing in such duplicate perfumes.

Perfumes are prepared by mixing and treating extracts from several raw materials through natural sources as well as synthetic materials. Hence, there are thousands of perfumes with different smells and not everyone can be right for any and every occasion.

There are different Fragrances for men categorized under Perfume, Toilette and Cologne. While a Cologne (Eau de Cologne) is a term used for masculine scents in North America for ages and is made from 2 – 4 % perfume oils mixed with alcohol and water. Cologne has a fresh, fruity and light smell and can last for about 2 hours. Second is Toilette (Eau de Toilette) which has a 5 – 15% perfume concentrate dissolved in alcohol and can last for about 3 hours. Perfume (Eau de Parfum) consists of 15 – 20 % perfume essence and stays with you for 5 – 8 hours, hence suitable for office goers. And finally Parfum which is a distorted verison of per fumum (through smoke) which is a Latin phrase, can last for up to 24 hours as it has 20 – 30% unadulterated perfume essence. So, depending upon the occasion, your budget and the strength of the perfume, you can choose the right fragrance for you.

We have researched about the most liked and desired perfumes for men and selected the top 10. You can check the list and select the one which best suits your taste and style.

One of the biggest German Fashion House, Hugo Boss named on its founder and popularly known as Boss is headquartered in Metzingen, Germany and was founded in 1924. In the 1930s it used to sell Nazi Uniforms, but after the WWII and death of its founder in 1948, they started focusing on men’s suits and since then they have evolved as a Global Fashion House producing clothes, footwear, accessories and fragrances.

The Hugo Just Different Eau De Toilette Spray has a sweet, aromatic and masculine smell with top notes of mint and Granny Smith Apple and base notes of fir and Cashmeran. This fragrance was launched in 2011 and a 75 ml bottle is available for Rs. 2,861 on www.strawberrynet.com.

An American fashion house established by Calvin Richard Klein in 1968, Calvin Klein is an international fashion brand which specializes in lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, jewelry, watches, apparels, leather items and fragrances.

The Calvin Klein Eternity EDT for Men has top notes of mandarin orange, bergamot, Lavender and lemon, medium notes of lily, orange blossom, juniper berries, coriander, jasmine, sage, basil, geranium and lily-of-the-valley and bottom notes of amber, musk, sandalwood, Brazilian rosewood and vetiver. The 100 ml bottle of this balanced fragrance is available for Rs. 2,941 on www.amazon.in.

Ralph Lauren is famous for its Polo Tees and for 30 years this brand has been serving the world with beautiful clothes, accessories and enchanting scents. Ralph Lauren Polo Perfume symbolizes casual modern elegance with the perfume having a cool fresh and warm spice aroma to invigorate your mood and senses. With top notes of fresh sliced cucumber, tangerine, lush watery melon; medium notes of geranium and basil and base notes of amber, melon, sheer musk, washed suede and velvety moss, the Polo Blue Eau De Toilette 75 ml bottle is available for Rs. 3,350 on www.nnnow.com.

UCB launched its United Dreams collection of fragrances in 2014 with three women’s fragrance, and after a year later, the Men’s collection was also introduced to the fashion world. United Dreams Aim High has a masculine aromatic scent with high notes of grapefruit, bitter orange and lemon; heart notes are combination of nutmeg, geranium, mint and sage and vetiver, moss, amber and patchouli form the base scent. A 100 ml bottle of United Dreams Men Aim High Perfume is available for Rs. 1,299 at www.perfumeaddiction.com.

Bvlgari, pronounced as Bulgari is an Italian luxury brand well known for designer watches, accessories, jewelry, leather goods and fragrances. Company was founded in 1884 by Paolo Bulgari, and today it’s an international player in Fashion Industry with stores across the globe.

Bvlgari Aqua Eau De Toilette Spray is a luxurious perfume which enchants the senses with a blend of extracts from santolina, petit grain, amber, mandarin and posidonia. The earthy tone of this fragrance is long lasting and the beautiful round shaped 50 ml bottle is priced at Rs. 3,645 on www.amazon.in.

An American fashion brand Guess was founded in 1981 and deals in fashion accessories, watches, jewelry, shoes and perfumes. Guess Man is a citrus based fragrance with top note of wormwood, middle notes of white pepper, nutmeg, lavender and ginger and bottom notes of peru balsam, amber, fir, sandalwood, suede and musk. The 75 ml bottle is listed for Rs. 2,500 on www.perfume24x7.com.

Azzaro was founded by Loris Azzaro in 1967 as a fashion brand for women. Later Azzaro introduced their collection of fragrances and till date they have one of the best collections of perfumes created by the most talented creators. Azzaro Pour Homme Eau de Toilette has top notes of Bergamot, Iris, Lavender, Clary, Aniseed, Basil, Sage and Lemon, heart notes of Sandalwood, Juniper, Cedarwood, Cardamom, Patchouli and base notes of Oakmoss, Leather, Amber, Tonka Bean and Musk. A 100 ml tester would lighten your pocket by Rs. 1,999 and can be purchased from www.nextperfumes.in.

Ferrari Black is for men who want to leave a strong presence even after they have left the room, as the scent stays for a long time. With opening notes of plum, bergamot, lime and crunchy red apple; medium notes of rich cinnamon, velvety rose, jasmine and ending accents of musk, amber and cedar make it a premium perfume for men. Ferrari Black EDT 125ml for Men bottle can be ordered for Rs. 1,999 from www.perfumeaddiction.com.

We have carefully chosen the last two perfumes for men who are starting to experiment and use colognes and don’t want to spend a handsome amount on fragrances in the beginning.

A home grown company of Aditya Birla Group, Park Avenue is a well known player in the fashion segment in India. Park Avenue Euphoria Eau de Parfum has the fresh energy of fruity top notes with feisty orange flowers melting into an aromatic blend of amber (medium note) and musk (base note) and the 100 ml bottle is available for Rs. 348 on www.flipkart.com.

Adidas is popular in sports related clothing, shoes and accessories, but this Dynamic Pulse Eau De Toilette launched in 1997 by Adidas has a fresh vibe and will give you freshness all day long with scent of cedar, citrus and mint with base tones of fragrant woods, tonka beans and sweet fruits. The 100 ml bottle of this long lasting fragrance is available for Rs. 490 on www.hecmo.com.

Always test the perfume on wrist and you can test up to 4 perfumes at a time by also using the inner part of your elbows. Don’t test too many perfumes at a time; else due to sensitivity your nose will not be able to sense the exact smell of the preceding scents. If you have to test few perfumes, then take a break and refresh your smelling senses with a strong smell of coffee or tea.

If you are purchasing a perfume for the first time, better to go for a smaller bottle. The best places to apply perfume on your body are lower jaw, neck, shoulder, chest, inner elbow, forearm and wrist. And always store your cologne in a cool, dark and dry place to preserve its smell.