Elemental scents

Summer’s most anticipated fragrance launches, unveiled exclusively for ShortList

John Varvatos collection

Creating a wardrobe of fragrances, John Varvatos debuts three scents (in sponsored_longform with Elizabeth Arden) this month. The collection includes John Varvatos – with notes of Mediterranean herbs, West Indian tamarind leaves and tobacco, the sensuous John Varvatos Vintage and the modern John Varvatos Artisan.

£43 for 75ml, £60 for 125ml (each) by JOHN VARVATOS; exclusive to Debenhams, debenhams.com

Gentlemen Only eau de toilette

Current tastes for a bygone era have seen a rebirth of classic fragrances with a modern edge. Givenchy’s Gentlemen Only reinterprets the original signature men’s fragrance (Givenchy Gentleman, created in 1975) using only the finest essences and natural ingredients. This scent opens with green mandarin orange, pink peppercorns, nutmeg and birch leaves, drying down to reveal cedar, patchouli and vetiver.

£41.50 for 50ml , £58 for 100ml by GIVENCHY; johnlewis.com

Velvet Desert Oud eau de parfum

Originally perceived as an overbearing ingredient, the growing trend to use oud with abstract and complementary notes has unleashed a plethora of fragrances that experiment with the heady wood in the most surprising and unusual ways. Dolce & Gabbana’s Velvet Desert Oud, an extension of its premium Velvet Collection, is the latest. The scent has a heady wave of incense and smoky undertones inspired by heat and a touch of mysteriousness.

£170 for 50ml by DOLCE & GABBANA; exclusive to Harrods, harrods.com

Potion For Man Blue Cadet eau de toilette

A contemporary take on fresh, energetic fragrances has seen perfumers explore new ingredients. Dsquared2’s Potion For Man Blue Cadet contains pine leaves, bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit, white cedar and musk for body, resulting in a light, crisp and quenching scent.

£54 for 100ml by DSQUARED2; (available from 1 May) 01273-408800