Released in 2025, Intense French Riviera comes from the house of Mancera and was created by Pierre Montale, the man behind almost every fragrance in the Mancera line. This is the richer, deeper follow-up to the original French Riviera, and where the first one was a bright, breezy aquatic, this version dials everything up. It's not just a stronger formulation; it's a reimagining that keeps that Mediterranean soul but adds weight, warmth, and staying power, making it just as viable on a cool evening as it is under the summer sun. It opens bright and zesty. The tangerine and lemon hit you straight away, but it's the ginger and black pepper that really define the opening. There's a spicy, zingy edge here that stops it from being just another generic citrus aquatic; it feels alive and has a proper bite. As it settles, the heart reveals sea spray, that authentic mineral, ocean-damp stone vibe which is softened by tiare flower. The real surprise here is the faintest touch of oud. Yes Montale seems too be a sucker for all things out. But it's not loud or smoky, it adds a resinous, woody depth that you don't expect in a marine fragrance, sitting alongside cedar and vetiver to give the whole thing solid structure and backbone. It dries down beautifully to sea salt, ambergris, and white musk — clean, salty, and skin-close, but with that ambergris giving it a rich, almost animalic warmth that lingers for hours. Where the original felt like a quick dip in the Mediterranean, this one is more like sitting on the terrace as the sun goes down — the air still warm, the salt still on your skin, but everything deeper and richer. It's an aquatic that doesn't behave like most aquatics 6+ hours on skin is easily achievable, and it manages to feel fresh without ever being thin or watery. If you like your marine scents with some actual substance and character, this one's well worth your time. My Rating: 9/10 Scent: 3 Longevity: 2.5 Sillage: 2.5 Would I rebuy? 1

Here’s the fragrance news worth paying attention to as of August 18, 2026—with the fluff stripped out. - Roja London – Elysium Absolue Pour Femme launches tomorrow, August 19. It was created by Julie Lerendu of Robertet working with Roja Dove and centers on rose, lychee, fig, raspberry, sandalwood, patchouli, and amber. It’s a 75 mL EDP at $330. Early testing from Fragrantica describes very large opening sillage and roughly 12-hour longevity. - Regalien – Hidden Origins Collection is much more interesting from a perfumery standpoint. Three extraits were introduced: Aurora: Halfeti Dark by Dominique Ropion, Anemos: Cappadocia Wild by Hamid Merati-Kashani, and Agora: Golden Horn by Honorine Blanc. They’re 80 mL extraits at €270. Anemos is the one I’d put at the top of the sniff list: citrus, leather, oud, nagarmotha, labdanum and amberwoods. - Rasasi just released Hawas La Mer and Hawas Gold Digger. What makes this news interesting is that the inspirations aren't being hidden: La Mer is described as inspired by Louis Vuitton Pacific Chill, while Gold Digger is inspired by Ultra Male. La Mer uses peppermint, citrus, blackcurrant, jasmine, carrot seed, fig and amber woods. This is another good example of a Middle Eastern brand moving from loose similarity into clearly identifiable interpretation territory. - Gucci Guilty Eau de Toilette Intense Pour Homme is new. The structure is surprisingly simple: sea salt, lavender and palo santo. Rather than making “Intense” mean sweeter and thicker, Gucci seems to be going mineral/aromatic/dry woody. Of the new mainstream men's designers, this is one I'd actually test. - Fragrance continues to carry the U.S. beauty business. Prestige fragrance dollar sales grew 6% in the first half of 2026, while mass-market fragrance sales jumped 15%. More interestingly, prestige unit sales were essentially flat while average prices increased about 5%, and EDP/parfum concentrations posted double-digit growth. Translation: consumers are increasingly spending more per bottle and moving toward stronger concentrations rather than simply buying more bottles.

For this warm Sunday on Long Island I went with something a little different today — Acqua della Regina from Santa Maria Novella. One of the things I have come to love about fragrance is that sometimes I’m not simply wearing a scent…I’m wearing a little bit of history. I tend to really enjoy Heritage houses and their stories. And this one has quite a story. Santa Maria Novella traces its roots in Florence all the way back to 1221, when Dominican friars began cultivating herbs and preparing remedies. Acqua della Regina came later, in 1533, when it was created for Caterina de’ Medici and taken with her to France for her marriage to the future King Henri II. That is nearly 500 years of history in the fragrance I put on this morning. 😎 The fragrance itself feels remarkably appropriate for a warm summer Sunday. It starts with a beautiful combination of Italian citrus, neroli and petitgrain, but there is also lavender, rosemary and clove underneath that gives it a fresh herbal and slightly spicy character. What I like most is that it doesn’t smell “modern” in the usual sense—and I mean that as a compliment. There is something wonderfully clean, elegant and restrained about it. The citrus isn’t particularly sweet. It feels greener, brighter and more natural, with the herbs and spices giving it just enough character as it develops. It’s one of those fragrances that reminds me why I enjoy Heritage houses so much. I certainly appreciate new fragrances and new ideas, but there is something pretty special about enjoying a composition whose story reaches all the way back to Renaissance Florence. A quiet Sunday, beautiful weather, nowhere I need to rush… Acqua della Regina feels just about perfect today. 😎🇮🇹

Today is an office day with my accountant, so once again I wanted something that felt appropriate for the day ahead. Not necessarily formal. Not something loud or overly serious. Just clean, polished and intentional. Today that meant Always Now from Bottega Veneta. It opens with a wonderfully fresh combination of citrus — bergamot, lemon, green mandarin, orange and clementine — but what really makes it interesting to me is the Italian basil and fresh ginger running through the opening. There is a very green, almost crisp quality to it. As it develops, petitgrain, spearmint and neroli continue that freshness before the fragrance settles into vetiver, cedar and musk, which gives it just enough structure and refinement underneath. On a warm and humid August day like today, that balance works beautifully. It feels fresh without becoming generic. Casual without feeling careless. And sophisticated enough that I’m perfectly comfortable wearing it across the desk from my accountant this afternoon. 😎 I’ve realized more and more that this is part of what I enjoy about choosing a fragrance each morning. The question isn’t always, “What is the most interesting thing I own?” Sometimes it is simply… “What feels right for the day I’m about to have?” Today, Always Now feels exactly right. 🌿

This one needs no introduction. Haven’t worn it in a long time, but it’s a chilly morning and I’ll be driving around today with a client from the Middle East. He’s commented before on how much he likes fragrances, and this is one of his favorites in cool weather. Going to be a nice surprise for him today.