The Summer Fragrances the Best-Smelling Men in Our Office Swear By

From the first waft, Thé Noir establishes itself as spicy and woody, anchored by heady tobacco and musk. The beauty of this scent—and fragrance, in general—is how it transforms from skin to skin. Some users note its fig and bergamot notes balance its woody essence. As for ELLE’s designer director, it’s the base of his scent pairings, which he softens with something a tad bit floral (Rose 31, more on that below).

Key notes: Fig, musk, bergamot, tobacco, cedar

Size: 1.7 fl oz

ELLE editor review: “Maybe it’s because I’m a Gemini, but I’m fascinated by the dynamic between Liam and Noel Gallagher from the rock band Oasis. It’s something about how they embody the creative self split perfectly in half: Noel is the diligent writer, the studio rat, the guy who will stay at his desk and get it done; Liam’s got the swagger to sell it, to manifest the fantasy. He literally gives the music a voice. Because any good piece of art needs both charisma and craft. So every time I go to Le Labo to refill my Thé Noir 29 and Rose 31, I have them write ‘Sometimes you’re Liam’ and ‘Sometimes you’re Noel’ on the bottles, respectively. And for the last decade this has been my scent: one spray of each, worn together. The alluring cedar, vetiver and musk of the Thé Noir announce themselves first, but on its own it feels sleazy. It needs the quieter, comfier base of the country Rose to give it a home. Something to tether it. Something to keep it from flying off into the night.”—Harry Gassel, designer director