The best powdered colognes aren’t always the most obvious choice. “I want to smell the powder” isn’t the first thought most of us have when shopping for a new perfume. And yet, when you smell a powdery scent, there is often something undeniably comforting and invigorating. It’s a cleanliness, and a freshness: It often smells just right.

That’s because powdery perfumes smell like old-fashioned cosmetics. A travel trunk on a steamboat, or the bathroom at the opera. There is of course a deeper olfactory magic at play: powdery scents are more closely related to lighter musks and aromatics, although some amber and vanilla scents also possess a powdery quality. But in general, powder is one of those note categories that doesn’t necessarily fall under a specific fragrance family, but can enhance almost any scent.

So which notes indicate some sort of powdery essence? First and foremost you have the iris (which you may also see listed as iris root). The majority of powdery perfumes today will exploit this flower for this freshness. After the iris, you can find other flowers like rose, violet and heliotrope, as well as musk and opoponax resin. But above all, it’s the kind to know when you feel it.

Some powdery scents might tip into floral territory, but many won’t. Still, both are great candidates for a spring scent, and powdery scents are especially prominent as perennial signature scents. That’s because powder transcends seasonality and feels just as much in place during the winter when you want that warmth and comfort.

An important tip for perfumes with a high powder content: always start with a light application. If it’s too heavy, because of that old-fashioned cosmetic feel, you can easily smell like a department store makeup counter.

In any case, the following six scents are our picks for the best powdery colognes, each with their own unique ability to envelop the wearer in a comforting aura and appreciated second-hand by anyone lucky enough to be within range. .

Diptych Orpheon

Forgive the candor, but every whiff of Orpheon stirs up something along the lines of “God is sexy“. It’s an ode to the great hours of the Parisian night, and perhaps to everything that happens in the club’s toilets. That said, Orphéon does not ooze sex; instead, it is the comforting part of such an encounter. It’s closeness, trust, warmth. So don’t worry about wearing it and sending the wrong signals.

Valentino Uomo Intense

Valentino has one of our favorite powdered vanilla expressions. The freshness of iris blends wonderfully with edible notes like vanilla. Uomo Intense is imposing and makes a great night out or date night scent. He is the bachelor of the group.

Amouage Interlude Iris Black

This is an amber scent with a powdery expression, and one of the heaviest and darkest scents on this list. Orris clings to leather, myrrh, oud and vanilla to envelop the wearer in a warm, sensual ray. It’s probably the coldest scent here, but it could still work well all year round.

Geoffrey Beene Gray Flannel

For nearly half a century, Gray Flannel has comforted itself with a blanket of violets, iris and moss. It has a soapy finish, giving the wearer a magnetic quality – it’s as if it becomes the flannel itself, drawn close to those in its orbit. Perfect, you want to project the “Hot Dad” energy, whether or not you have a child. (And it’s hard to beat the price.)

Louis Vuitton Orage

Medium Powder Storm is the olfactory equivalent of a chakra cleanse, a day at the spa, a Palm Springs poolside joint…all rolled into one, with refreshing zeal. It’s citrus and patchouli up front, but that iris and musk give it real depth.

Ermenegildo Zegna Essenze Florentine Iris

Florentine Iris is incredibly soothing and kinetic at the same time. Meeting its trio of iris notes for the first time (along with jasmine, musk and violet) is simply harmonious and correct. So you can only imagine the power you have when you wear it. Apply responsibly and be prepared for a barrage of “what perfume are you wearing?”