10 Unique Alternative Fragrances For Grooms

10 Unique Alternative Fragrances For Grooms


There are big hitters in men’s scents, and most are associated with one Hollywood star or another, so the chances are the guys you know already wear them. Picking from alternative fragrances for grooms means you’ll be sporting something a little more niche and more exclusive. Plus, it adds to the happy memories you will have of your big day, something chosen especially for the occasion that will turn heads.

Some couples like to pair their scents, picking fragrances with complementary notes or families, and there are of course timeless fragrances for grooms that can also be considered. But, if you are looking for a lesser-known scent to be your wedding day fragrance, or a special gift for your groomsmen, these are our top 10 buys.

Alternative Fragrances For Grooms

Alternative Fragrances for Grooms - Enbarr by Cloon Keen
1. Énbarr EDP by Cloon Keen, €170/75ml, is an equestrian-inspired eau de parfum by perfumer Celine Guivarc’h. With stores in Galway City, Dublin’s Powerscourt Townhouse Centre and Belgravia in London, it offers high-end scents with distinction. Énbarr is inspired by racing and the name refers to a mythological Celtic horse. The masucline scent is an intoxicating oud with aniseed and wood qualities and has an intriguing blend of incense extract, patchouli, saffron, sweet fennel and white thyme oil.
Alternative Fragrances for Grooms - Akro Dark EDP

2. Akro Dark EDP, €129.95/100ml, is from the hottest niche perfume brand. A partnership between iconic master perfumer Olivier Cresp and his daughter, Anaïs, the 11-piece collection is inspired by the smells and ambience of London’s Ladbroke Grove. Dark eau de parfum is a sensual and bold scent and unlike other fragrances for grooms. It has notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, fiery cinnamon, hazelnut and vanilla. This is the type of scent that makes people drool when you walk by.

Alternative Fragrances for Grooms - Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan EDP

3. Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan EDP, €221.95/100ml is an exotic and rich scent based on amber resin elevated with notes of patchouli, labdanum and benzoin. Deeply masculine, its intoxicating facets are offset by a dose of vanilla in the dry down, which adds an element of warmth and creaminess that softens the balsamic juice. For the guy who likes to stay a little mysterious, this is one of the best and most exclusive fragrances for grooms you can buy.

Alternative Fragrances for Grooms - DS & Durga Italian Citrus EDP

4. D.S. & Durga Italian Citrus EDP, €175.15/50ml, is a reinterpretation of a classic men’s cologne with a lasting citrus note that continues into the dry down of the scent. Fresh and tart, the eau de parfum is an ode to the Italian Riviera. The opening notes of pressed lemon and blood orange make way for violet leaves, oakmoss and sensual musk ambrette. An energising and oddly familiar fragrance, this is perfect for a wedding in the sun, or for a guy who likes his scents to be classic with a modern twist.

MEMO Paris Argentina EDP

5. MEMO Paris Argentina EDP, €259.90/75ml is a wildly rich and interesting scent from John and Clara Molloy who are of Irish and Persian heritage. Argentina is a dance of notes like Turkish rose (which has a spicier quality than the simple rose), magnolia, musk mallow, pepper and a trio of jasmine. The base note is a smoky and warm oud that grounds the scent, leaving a long-lasting magnetic trail in its wake.

Escentric Molecules Molecule + Patchouli EDP

6. Escentric Molecules Molecule + Patchouli EDP, €145/100ml, has that familiar Iso E Super molecule that is said to enhance the wearer’s pheromones, creating an addictive cedarwood skin-scent fragrance. This scent adds two extracts of patchouli, the larger of which is patchouli coeur which adds softness to the scent. A drop of patchouli oil gives the fragrance that hedonistic quality which marries so well with Iso E Super.

Frederic Malle Geranium Pour Monsieur EDP

7. Frederic Malle Geranium Pour Monsieur EDP, €190/50ml, was created by legendary master perfumer, Dominique Ropion for the self-styled perfume architect. A harmonious and sophisticated fragrance, it is very much a classic men’s scent. Using spicy notes of aniseed, clove and cinnamon with geranium, mint, sandalwood and white musk, Ropion has created an adventurous scent that wears well on the skin.

Kilian Paris Black Phantom EDP

8. Kilian Paris Black Phantom EDP, €245/50ml has at its heart – rum, coffee and cyanide, three notes you don’t often see together, the last especially. Black Phantom ‘Momento Mori’ tells the tale of a pirate ship on turbulent seas, with its rum accord from Martinique akin to ‘pirate water’ and a strong coffee and vetiver at the heart. The cyanide accord represents a deadly bite suffused by dark, creamy sandalwood and sugar cane. Complex and unexpected, it’s exactly what to expect from a Kilian Hennessy scent where intrigue surrounds every one of his fragrances.

Tom Ford Vanille Fatale EDP

9. Tom Ford Vanille Fatale EDP, €336/50ml is the deeper amber woody pairing for Ford’s Vanilla Sex, a blockbuster scent. The gold-bottled Vanilla Sex is heavy on the popular note and is grounded in sandalwood. For this iteration, a resinous vanilla comes through in the dry down, but the fragrance opens with notes of mahogany wood, an addictive coffee absolute and a roasted barley accord. Rich and robust, the duo would work beautifully for an unexpected scent pairing.

Bon Perfumeur 901 EDP

10. Bon Perfumeur 901 Nutmeg Almond Patchouli EDP, €85/100ml is a tremendous fragrance for the price and size. The composition of this scent has garnered plenty of fans, who love the fresh and modern combination of the notes inside. It opens with a shot of ginger, mandarin and uplifting grapefruit. Creamy and soft almond accord is at the heart, which has vanilla tones, and its dry down is a gorgeous blend of tonka bean, patchouli and musk. As fragrances for grooms go, this is a big people-pleaser!

See our guide to face and body grooming for your wedding plus the best beard oils for men!

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