The fragrance a man wears is as personal to him as his clothes. Select the right one, and the way people perceive you can change – for the better, we hope. Still, it’s no good spritzing something on your way out of the house only for it to vanish into the wind by the time you’ve reached your destination.

What you need is a fragrance with good sillage and longevity. A quick crib sheet for the uninitiated: sillage is a French word meaning the projection power of a scent and longevity is how long it lingers on the skin after application. In other words, these two things determine how soon someone can smell you before they see you. You’ll want to avoid that, of course, by not going overboard – one or two spritzes should always be enough. When it comes to a good scent, choosing something that stands its ground without being overpowering is paramount. We’ve picked out six scents that excel in sillage and longevity – and smell amazing – below.

British perfumer Floris has been around for a cool 290 years, so it knows a thing or two about staying power. Its latest fragrance, Vert Fougère, is a great example. Named after the fougère (fern) fragrance family, Vert Fougère is a wintry take on a green fragrance. It smells fresh and earthy, but at the same time quite sweet, thanks to top notes of grapefruit and galbanum.

Le Labo has earned itself a reputation for being one of the coolest boutique perfumers of the moment, but that’s not to say its fragrances aren’t accessible. Tonka 25 is a versatile, balanced fragrance that can be worn throughout the day, but also works for the evening. It’s warm and deep, but still manages to be fresh, and combines notes of orange flower, Atlas cedar and musk.

Commanding but never suffocating, Monsieur was conceived for Frédéric Malle by nose Mr Bruno Jovanovic and is referred to by the brand as “virile, with a twist”. It’s hard to argue with that. The masculine fragrance is a full-bodied, undeniably seductive mélange of mandarin and rum that blends with patchouli before cedar, suede and incense muscle their way through to last all the way through the night. Intoxicating indeed.

Mr Francis Kurkdijan isn’t known as an olfactory genius without reason. When the perfumer was only 26, he created Le Male for Jean Paul Gaultier, which turned out to be, oh, just one of the best-selling fragrances in the world. Since then, he’s developed some seminal fragrances under his own name. Amyris Homme is a fascinating mix of rosemary, amyris, coconut, coffee, iris and milk chocolate. It’s light and sophisticated and is generally regarded as a particular triumph for the perfumer. One or two sprays are enough to garner plenty of compliments. 

If a scent can be iconic, TOM FORD Oud Wood is it. Oud, which comes from the resin of the agar tree, is one of the most expensive raw materials in the world and is not to be sniffed at. TOM FORD’s fragrance uses it brilliantly well. It’s an authoritative, elegant scent that will give you an air of sophistication, whether you wear it with a suit or not.

Oud and bergamot are classic cornerstones of masculine fragrances, and Jo Malone mixes them here to great effect. A heady and sweet fragrance, Oud & Bergamot is citrusy at first before opening out to a broad, cedar wood scent that is soft and subtle enough to be sprayed a few more times than usual. Attractive and light, it’s the kind of thing that works well as a signature scent.