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After 50 years, Italian luxury design house Brioni has released a new self-titled fragrance. Act quickly though, because this scent is available for only a limited time. The inventory of the fragrance, which comes packaged in a leather case and retails for £250 per 100ml bottle, will be limited to only 100 bottles per Brioni store.

According to Brioni CEO Andrea Perrone, both the fragrance and its packaging represent the “maniacal attention to detail” that the company employs in all of its ventures. As an aside, Perrone just happens to be the grandson of Gaetino Savini, the company’s co-founder. In order to add to the feeling of exclusivity, both the creation and marketing of the new scent were carried out entirely in-house.

Even the design of the bottle exudes an air of exclusivity in that it is handmade by an Empoli glass-blowing company that was founded in the 13th century. Inspired by 1950s pieces that Perrone found in his grandmother’s home, the fragrance itself is just as timeless as the bottle.

Releasing a new fragrance aside, the company will need to expand into areas such as the Far and Middle East in order to continue its success. Perrone’s decision to expand into casual wear in 2004 was a wise decision, because this line has grown to become 40 percent of the company’s business. However, Perrone remains confident that tailored suits will make a resurgence.

Brioni makes a classic suit characterized by 50 years of impeccable production-line style tailoring. In 1956, the company even opened a tailoring school at its Penne factory, where young tailors are trained in the art and also learn computer technology and English. These fledglings are eager to travel whenever necessary, which makes them an even greater asset to the company. No wonder London’s Royal College of Art entered into a three-year partnership with Brioni in order to impart the fundamentals of tailoring on its young designers.

Vetiver is a classic ingredient in men’s scents and Tom Ford has captured it in his new fragrance aptly entitled “Grey Vetiver.” The robust and distinct vetiver was specifically chosen by Ford to reflect his traditional yet modern take on fragrance. For Ford, vetiver represents timelessness, character, and all things grounded in tradition. Released in 2009, sales of Grey Vetiver have exceeded projections, reflecting the wide-spread popularity of its main ingredient.

The scent of vetiver is cherished by men all over the world. Vetiver is a tall wild grass native to Java, Japan, Haiti, South India, and Indonesia. It is widely known for its soothing, calming, uplifting, and protective characteristics.

The vetiver plant has been used as an antiseptic, stimulant, sedative, and tonic throughout many different cultures. The essential oil of this grass is extracted from its roots through steam distillation. The oil has a smoky wood scent and is commonly blended with jasmine, lavender, rosewood, and geranium.

Grey Vetiver incorporates the key elements of vetiver in a subtle fragrance. The first notes of warm citrus later blend to a smoky smell, the essence of vetiver itself. The scent reminds one of nutmeg, warm woods, and pepper. The man who has never tried a fragrance that contains vetiver should make a point to purchase Ford’s scent. It is the best of both worlds because it is classic and comfortable, while at the same time mature and sophisticated.

The style of Grey Vetiver’s bottle is clean and classic, just like Ford’s scent. Those who enjoy the fashion designer’s other fragrances will find that Grey Vetiver does not disappoint. The fragrance contains notes of orange flower, grapefruit, sage, orris, nutmeg, amber woods, oak moss, and pimiento. A 50ml bottle retails for £50, a very reasonable price for such a high-quality scent.

After 20 years in fashion design, Belgium’s Maison Martin Margiela has released its first fragrance. The name of the fragrance is ironically titled “Untitled” and it was developed through a partnership with L’Oreal. The scent is characterized by cedar and jasmine base notes and top notes of a plant resin called Galbanum, lending it a unisex floral scent that reminds one of the Seventies-style green fragrances.

Danliela Andrier, the fragrance’s designer, explained that Maison Martin Margiela’s forey into fragrance was a significant move. Andrier believes that perfume has the power to stimulate memories of childhood or significant events. She states that perfume is both a sign of one’s presence and memory, making it almost part of a person’s DNA. The scent associated with that person remains long after the person is gone.

Fabien Baron, founder and creative director of the legendary Baron and Baron, developed the packaging for Untitled. Many will remember Baron’s role in Madonna’s Sex book. The bottle is simple, yet sleek, in appearance and is represented by clean lines and metal accenting. Baron stated that the design project was a challenge because he wanted to reach into the depths of new design while at the same time remain faithful to the product.

The strand around the neck of the bottle is a reference to Margiela himself. Margiela’s labels were sewn with four pick stitches that could be cut by the customer and this strand resembles those. Even the Olivetti font used on the bottle is an ode to Margiela. Olivetti is the font that Margiela used in his internal written communications.

Untitled was released in April and the 30 ml bottle retails for £45. The scent is classic, yet new, and sure to appeal to a wide variety of men. The features of the bottle’s design represent all that is Margiela…elegant, exacting, and exclusive. Consumers are already eager to see the release of another fragrance from Maison Martin Margiela, and they are hoping that they will not need to wait another 20 years.

Men’s moisturisers have become very popular over the last few years, but the way in which most of them do business has not. There is a huge movement for cosmetic companies to go green and to be cruelty free. It is almost ironic that the first company to be recognized by the BUAV, British Union for Abolition of Vivisection, is called Bull Dog.

In addition to not using this archaic methods to test their products, Bull Dog also has none of the chemicals that we are used to seeing in our moisturising products. When you look down at a normal label, you will generally see things such as synthetic fragrances, sodium laureth sulfate, parabens and artificial colours. Bull Dog refuses to put such things in their product and offers a natural version of a men’s mousturiser.

Bull Dog offers several different varieties of their moisture, so I checked the one that matched my skin type and I have to say, I was pretty impressed. The moment that you first put this to use, it just feels different on your skin. It is a hard feeling to describe, but it makes you believe that it is at least doing something. Because of this, it was time to do some investigating as to what was actually in this new moisturiser.

The label reads like a novel, but once looking at the ingredients, it became quite apparent why it felt like it was working, because it was. The product is rich in green tea extract and anti-oxidants, which are both miracle workers in the world of natural health products. It also contains essential oils and green algae. The algae works to rehydrate the skin and while this is an ingredient that is fairly new to me, I am impressed so far. This is definitely a product worthy of a trial run in any mans medicine cabinet.