Yahoo Lifestyle 7 Cologne ‘Flankers’ That Might Just Be Better Than the Original Scents
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Fragrance houses are often like film studios; if they release a hit, they might sooner craft a “sequel” than gamble on something totally new. That’s the general idea behind “flankers,” which act as remixes on a flagship fragrance. It’s why Polo Ralph Lauren Blue comes in a parfum, an eau de parfum, and an eau de toilette—and why there are countless iterations of Jean Paul Gaultier’s classic Le Male. And as shoppers have gotten smarter about fragrances, flankers have gotten better and better.
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“Ten or 15 years ago, the word flanker had a negative connotation, because it just seemed like the fragrance brands were trying to push another thing in,” says Linda G. Levy, president of the Fragrance Foundation. “What’s s going on in the business today, which is interesting, is the consumer has a great interest in the range from light to intense and so on.” She calls modern flankers, which offer distinctive twists on an original scent, younger siblings to the founding scents.
This isn’t dupe territory; rather, these brands take their own IP and add (or subtract) flourishes. They might punch it up into a more heavily concentrated expression, or tweak a few key ingredients—all while paying homage to the structure and spirit of the main bottle. And sometimes, the sequel is even better than the first. (Or maybe the flanker is the third remix, or fifth, or well beyond—some houses have dozens of flankers that live under one banner scent, like an entire olfactive universe.)
Here, seven men’s flanker colognes that prove you can teach an old scent new tricks.
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Hermès Terre d’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver EDP
There’s no such thing as an overdose of vetiver, as evidenced by this flanker to the iconic Terre d’Hermès. We know there will be pushback to calling this one better than the original. But you will turn heads with the spicy-woody Eau Intense Vetiver, you will get compliments, you can wear it year-round, and you won’t likely smell like five other guys in the office. Let them have the original. This one’s better.
Buy Now on Sephora:
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Dior Sauvage Eau Forte
Sauvage is the best-selling fragrance in the world. So, in addition to a number of delicious punch-ups (an EDP and Elixir, namely), it’s no surprise that Dior and its master perfumer Francis Kukdjian chose to forge new pathways with “Eau Forte,” an alcohol-free, water-based, milky splash that uses all the same notes. This might actually qualify as a reinvention of the wheel; sure, it’s not the first alcohol-free scent, but it does mark a shift if Dior is trying it out with Sauvage. Eau Forte is polarizing on paper, but it is resplendent both in the air and on the skin. Its spicy top notes punctuate on first impression, and it dissipates into a deliciously musky cloak.
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Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Ginger EDT
Escentric Molecules’s iconic scent, Molecule 01, is essentially just the note Iso E Super, a barely-there ingredient that possesses subtle woody, ambery, or even powdery properties. Some call it a “skin note” because it wears so lightly and transforms to each wearer differently. So, it was with much fanfare that EM unveiled a roster of flankers for the banner scent, each with a key note added to the blend; think patchouli, mandarin, and iris—and in the best sense, think spicy ginger. It’s everything perfect and subtle about Molecule 01 but with just enough bite to add that extra nuance and warmth.
Buy Now on Escentric Molecules:
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Montblanc Explorer Platinum EDP
Platinum takes Montblanc’s pillar scent, Explorer, to new heights. This fresh, head-clearing remix is like a mountainous summertime stroll, with wild herbs sprouting beneath a skyline of cedar. It dials down the nuance of the original scent, but is a reminder that life really can be simpler—at least, that’s one of the moments of clarity you’re likely to have with a huff of Explorer Platinum.
Buy Now on Montblanc:
Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely EDP
Armani makes two delectable gourmand scents, each with an army of fans. Who is to say which recipe is better—Stronger With You EDT, or Stronger With You Intensely EDP? We’ll err on the latter, if forced to pick. This one is a play on opposites: the freshness of lavender, tethered to the savory trio of toffee, vanilla, and cinnamon. It’s a sweeter spin on the original, but its taste lingers on the skin much longer.
Buy Now on Giorgio Armani:
Valentino Uomo Born In Roma Intense
If you take the Valentino Uomo Born in Roma, then put it through a prism, you would get this “Intense” inversion on the other side. The result adds a dusting of vanilla to refreshing notes of vetiver and lavender. It’s every bit as refreshing as the original, but much more warming and wintry in its execution.
Buy Now on Sephora:
Buy Now on Nordstrom:
Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Solar Lavender EDT Intense
Few fragrances can ever achieve the perfection and singularity of L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme, one of many masterclasses from perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. We won’t cast Solar Lavender in that scent’s shadow; instead, let’s bring it out into the sun, where it can radiate in its own right. This fresh, simple, spicy-lavender expression certainly grew up under the same sun as the original LdIPH, but was raised to carry its own uplifting POV.
