Making scents of alchemy

As the Baathists' war against the Iraqi Kurds intensified in October 1983, Saddam Hussein visited Kirkuk, an ethnically diverse city in northern Iraq, to secure the loyalty of the area's oil workers. In Hollywoodesque overkill, two presidential helicopters landed in an open field, tanks cordoned off the streets, and Saddam, flanked by security guards, knocked on someone's kitchen door.

Luna Dawood-who was 24 years old then-was among those who shook Saddam's hand and welcomed him into their home. Legend has it that the dictator's cologne was so overpowering that, for days afterward, she was unable to remove the scent from her hand and the family's living-room sofa reeked so strongly that finally it had to be given away. While Saddam was famous for all kinds of excesses, his penchant for bombarding his audience with an olfactory avalanche was probably the tamest. But by no means exclusive to middle-aged despots or middle-eastern men. Generation Axe's breed of urban men like to announce their presence, and wafting aromas of tobacco, leatherwoods and oriental spice have become their way of marking territory.

It's a modern notion. The fragrances that wowed the men of the French court in the 18th century were florals and citrus brews with no gender divisions. The notion of gendered fragrances gained traction in the early 20th century as perfume and fashion, in lockstep, ceased being the exclusive reserve of the privileged and acquired a more democratic refrain. With the evolution of scents and sensibilities, a dividing line was put in place and only certain fragrances were considered appropriately masculine-and they were definitely not florals. They were spicy, leathery, woody, even musky.

However, modern day perfumers recognise that women have an interest in a lot of 'masculine' scents, and vice versa. The emergence of the so-called 'fresh' scents may be an attempt to try and harmonise those seemingly disparate worlds. Many fragrance products today are deliberately light and ambiguous, out to woo women who are not too thrilled with overly complex and/or flowery confections and men who are secure enough to experiment.

Calvin Klein's CK One, created and sold as a single product for use by either gender, was a landmark in the notion of androgynous fragrances. It was marketed as the 'one' fragrance for both men and women. More recently, perfume companies like Bond No. 9, Herms and Serge Lutens have also introduced unisex perfumes. Voyage d'Herms, a woody, fresh and musky unisex scent dedicated to journeys, was introduced earlier this year, while Bond No. 9's Brooklyn-another unisex fragrance that captures the gypsy spirit of the NYC borough-forayed into markets last year.

Articulating choice in a market exploding with options and opinions can almost give you a nosebleed: for overtly masculine, nose through musky or woody scents; lean towards metrosexual with clean and fresh; or take a sniff of citrus and aquatic notes for those who prefer contact sports.

Francois Demachy, perfumercreator of Parfums Christian Dior, likens it to love. "Choosing one or many fragrances to wear is a personal choice that defies rules. I personally prefer to wear lighter, cologne-like fragrances in the morning and during the day, and heavier fragrances in the evening. Decide according to desire and mood. It's like with love; you can choose to love one or many people at the same time or remain faithful to one during your lifetime", he says.

As a general rule of thumb, consider two vital factors when deciding which cologne best complements time of day, season or occasion-concentration and the notes of the fragrance.

Concentration: Eau de Cologne and Eau de Toilette are best worn indoors because of the smaller amounts of fragrant oils they contain. Men's colognes that come in Eau de Parfum (EDP) format contain so much fragrant oil that it is definitely wiser, and probably considerate, to wear these outdoors where the scent is less potent.

Notes are best considered when you want to wear a cologne specific to a season. For spring and summer, it's best to invoke fresh and floral notes because it features light citrus, floral and incense notes.

Induce generous dollops of energy and vibrance with fresh fragrances like Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana, Tiffany for Men by Tiffany, Vetiver Babylone by Armani Prive or summon the romance of floral notes with DKNY Men by Donna Karan DKNY, Ferr For Men by Gianfranco Ferr, and Amouage Gold Pour Homme by Amouage.

The spicy, deep and warm notes of oriental and woody fragrances are best saved for a wry autumn and a dry winter. Oriental colognes like Allure Homme by Chanel, Obsession for Men by Calvin Klein and Purple Label by Ralph Lauren will ensure your mystique outlasts your physical presence.

Then there are Aromatic Fougre colognes that do not fall into any one or two fragrance families but are a merry mix of many different notes. These colognes are for those who want a nuanced edge to stand out in a crowd: Very Sexy for Him by Victoria's Secret, Hugo by Hugo Boss and Adrenaline by Adidas.

Of course, for the OMG quotient to hold sway over the surge of the season, hark back to the classics; nothing conjures or redefines images more provocatively than the timeless. Green Irish Tweed by Creed for Men or Himalaya by Creed for Men or Silver Mountain Water by Creed for Men. These fragrances inspire crowds with their oriental, woody aroma. Vetiver Guerlain is a classic from 1961 with the grounding smell of vetiver. Men's Gucci by Gucci is another must-have for your collection with the heady aroma of spice, amber and leather.

Bold and exciting are the dominant trends for 2010 as sobering times make way for the sophisticated. Expect warm, woody notes, like sandalwood, amber and resin that have heft and character. But remember, whatever the fragrance, wear it sparingly; no more than two or three sprays.

Coco Chanel once memorably uttered, "The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you." Similarly the most seductive perfume is not the most expensive one but the one that smells great on you.