BERLIN (AP) — Traditional Christmas markets were opening across Germany on Monday, drawing revelers to their wooden stands with mulled wine, grilled sausages, potato pancakes or caramelized apples.
In Berlin, the famous market at the city’s Gedächtniskirche church opened with service open to the public on Monday morning. Other openings included the Christmas markets at the Rotes Rathaus city hall, Gendarmenmarkt and Charlottenburg Palace.
Christmas markets are an annual tradition that Germans have cherished since the Middle Ages — and successfully exported to much of the Western world. Vendors sell not only snacks and drinks but also handmade candles, wool hats, gloves and shiny Christmas stars in all colors and shapes. Children enjoy rides on chain carousels, Ferris wheels and skating on ice rinks.
Security is an issue at all markets across the country.
In the western city of Cologne, the Christmas market in front of the city’s famous double-domed cathedral was packed with big crowds on Saturday.
“We sense a very good atmosphere here, so we feel that in these difficult times we are currently experiencing, we can give visitors a little moment of respite here,” said Birgit Grothues, the spokeswoman for the market. “We see many smiling faces under our illuminated tent.”
Nonetheless, she said that after last year’s attack in Magdeburg, the city created a special security plan for its markets in close cooperation with police. It includes an additional anti-terrorism barrier and private security, she said.
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Associated Press writer Daniel Niemann in Cologne, Germany, contributed to this report.
What every modern man needs to know about cologne, sillage, and the art of fragrance as the fifth sense of personal style.
Most men know how to buy pants. Some even know how to choose whiskey, which for some reason feels easier. Yet when it comes to scent, they either ignore it completely or approach it like someone trying to guess a password: hurried, vaguely ashamed, and absolutely incorrect.
Smell is part of your personal style whether you’ve chosen it or not. The scent of fresh laundry, the lingering effect of your morning coffee on your breath, and the remnants of last night’s backyard-grilled-ribeye all accompany you. With intention, fragrance becomes something else entirely. Like polished shoes or standing up straight, it doesn’t garner applause, but it’s noticeable when missing.
Men call it simply “cologne.” That word covers a lot, and most of it isn’t helpful, and partially inaccurate. Scent is expansive. And when used properly, it refines everything else regarding your presence, like holding eye contact for just the right amount of time.
Fragrance Basics: Dilution, Concentration, and Cost
(Or, Why Your Nose Should Never Tingle)
Fragrance is a cocktail of aromatic compounds, alcohol, and occasionally water. The “concentrate,” if left undiluted, would sear your nostrils and possibly melt your furniture. That’s why perfumers blend in alcohol: so you can wear a scent without losing friends, your security deposit, or your sense of smell.
Concentration is the secret lever behind strength, longevity, and price. Some ingredients, like oudh or iris butter, are so costly they might as well come with a credit check. Citrus oils sit at the other end. A skilled perfumer knows how to balance rare naturals with crisp synthetics, so the final product doesn’t remind anyone of chemistry class or accidentally cleaning the counter with lemon floor cleaner.
Projection is what people notice when you stand still: how far your scent radiates before anyone even sees your tie. Sillage (rhymes with “massage”) is the wake you leave behind as you move, the subtle whiff as you walk by in the hallway. Neither should crash a dinner party or get you a warning at the office.
As practical matters go, the ratio of concentrate to alcohol is more than just a number on the label. It decides how boldly your scent steps out into the world and how long it hangs around after you’ve left. This is where projection and sillage show up. Higher concentration means richer scent, more hours on skin, and usually a little more “hello” when you walk in. Lower concentration leans fresher and lighter, fading sooner, rarely announcing itself past arm’s length.
Get the concentration right and your scent will work for you exactly as your clothes: contributing to the overall experience but not distracting. You want someone to tell you that you smell nice in the same way you’d want someone complimenting a piece of your outfit: because it’s noticeable and refined, not unavoidable.
Fragrance, when done right, requires restraint. Projection, sillage, and longevity are adjustable settings, not a moral stance. The goal isn’t to dominate the room. The goal is to be smelled without being… discussed. No one wants to hear, “Someone’s wearing cologne,” in that flat office voice that means they’re not really curious, just annoyed.
Fragrance Categories by Concentration
A quick note before the breakdown: Concentration doesn’t necessarily equal quality. It simply refers to how much fragrance oil is in the mix compared to alcohol or water. Higher concentration means stronger presence and longer wear, not necessarily “better.” Many men’s fragrances are only offered as an Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum, and that doesn’t make them less refined. It’s a bit like confusing a whiskey with the highest ethanol content as “the best”.
Concentration is not just about strength. Because different notes evaporate at different speeds, the concentration changes how a fragrance actually smells on your skin. A woody amber in parfum may feel dense and resinous, while the eau de toilette version of the same scent might highlight the citrus opening and read fresher.
If you find a scent you like wears off quickly, moving up to a higher concentration may be the answer. It’s also possible a scent you like is so strong it becomes annoying to keep smelling on yourself after an hour.
With that in mind, here’s how each concentration typically behaves in practice:
Perfume / Parfum (20–30% essence)
The most concentrated, longest-lasting option. It clings to skin for 12 to 24 hours, sometimes more. Wear it carefully. It suits men who enjoy depth and richness. It is the most expensive concentration and not all men’s fragrances are offered as parfum. Experiment with using less than you’re used to. Half a spritz to start.
Eau de Parfum (EDP) (15–20% essence)
Usually lasts 5 to 8 hours. This is where many modern fragrances sit because it offers a balance: enough depth to be interesting without becoming overwhelming. When people talk about a fragrance with character, they’re often describing an EDP. Also half a spritz to start until you dial it in with how it works on your body.
Eau de Toilette (EDT) (5–15% essence)
It typically lasts about 3 to 5 hours, which makes it lighter and easier to wear in everyday life. This is where most men’s fragrances live, from long-established classics like Acqua di Gio and Drakkar Noir to modern staples such as Dior Sauvage. EDTs are the most common format not because they’re “lesser” but because they present enough to be noticed in close company, subtle enough to reapply without overwhelming anyone. For many men, especially those buying one bottle they expect to use regularly, EDT is the natural fit.
Eau de Cologne (EDC) (2–4% essence)
Bright, quick, and often citrus-forward, with a lifespan of about two hours. Useful for a refresh, but rarely the one fragrance a man keeps on his shelf. Historically important, but today often more of a side character.
How Not to End Up With a Bottle You Hate by Next Tuesday: Buying and Sampling Strategy
Men rush into full bottles the way I rush into buying groceries when hungry, with appetite and regret. Sampling changes the odds. There are discovery sets (pre-curated sample collections that come with a coupon for a full bottle), “decant” services that split bottles into five to ten milliliter vials, and boutiques that will happily spray until you look dazed.
Pro tip from a guy who once panic-bought a celebrity scent at a duty free: start with a sample, wear it through a normal day, and only commit if it keeps behaving politely.
The best way to try a scent is to head to a store and use their paper testers first. Then, when you find one you like, spray a small amount directly on your skin, such as your neck or wrists. Notice how you feel about it over the next few hours. Does it evolve in a way you like? Can you still smell it after an hour?
If you must buy sight unseen, buy small.
Men’s Fragrance Price Buckets and Value Heuristics
(Or, Why Smaller Is Smarter)
Fragrance comes in a handful of standard sizes:
30 ml (about 1 oz): travel size, easy to finish and replace
50 ml (about 1.7 oz): the balanced choice, lasts long enough without overstaying its welcome
100 ml (about 3.4 oz): the “full size,” a commitment that rarely pays off
200 ml (about 6.8 oz): enough to supply a small army or scent a walk-in closet
Like most things, larger bottles almost always have a lower cost per milliliter, and brands want you to notice. It’s designed to make the smaller bottle feel like a ripoff. Here’s the catch: that savings only matters if you actually finish the bottle before you get bored or the scent loses its punch.
Most men don’t. The big bottle gets sidelined for something new, sits half-used, and eventually fades in strength, along with your supposed “savings.” The value bias tricks you into buying more than you should which ≠ a good value.
I’ve yet to regret a 50 ml bottle, even with a higher per ml price. I actually find the prices for this size to feel more appropriate for what I want to pay for smelly water than the larger sizes anyhow. Running out is a decision point, not a waste. Better to buy what you’ll finish than to let a bigger bottle become background clutter.
The Fragrance Pyramid: How Scent Evolves Over Time
(Or, Fragrance is Like Lasagna or Criticism: Layers Matter)
Top notes: what you smell first. Citrus, herbs. These fade fast.
Heart notes: florals, spices, greenery. This is what most people smell on you.
Base notes: woods, musks, resins. The long goodbye.
The final phase is known as the drydown. It’s how the whole thing settles after the top and heart notes fade. It’s the story you end up with, representing the true character of the fragrance. Everyone’s skin tells it a little differently.
Counterfeits and Authenticity Checks
(Or, “I thought Aqua DiGiorno sounded wrong”)
Luxury makes counterfeiters busy. Quick checks matter: buy from authorized retailers, notice prices that feel too generous, and when in doubt buy directly from the brand. Counterfeits can smell off or irritate skin, so the small extra cost for authenticity is not vanity, it is sanity.
Decanting, Travel, and Bottle Care
For travel, small atomizer decants are indispensable, they fit a dopp kit and reduce anxiety about losing a favorite bottle. When bottles sit half empty, oxidation accelerates, changing the scent; transfer the remainder into smaller dark glass vials to limit air exposure if you intend to keep it long term. Keep caps tight, store bottles in a cool dark drawer or original box, skip bathroom shelves with steam.
Closing Thoughts
Scent finishes what your wardrobe starts. It’s not loud. It’s not showy. But it’s a detail that tells people you’ve thought this through.
Test on skin. Wait for the drydown. Apply less than you want. And over time, like jewelry or your clothes, find the few bottles that smell like you.
From smoky tobacco to rich spices and crisp vetiver, these scents blend warmth and depth, capturing the essence of our favorite season for fragrance.
I have to leave the house around 6:45 each morning to beat the traffic and make it to school on time. Last week, halfway to work, my wife texted me, What cologne are you wearing?I haven’t been able to go back to sleep since you kissed me goodbye because it smells so good. And that, gentlemen, is how you know you have a scent that works for your skin.
I say “works for your skin” because not every fragrance smells heady on every skin type. Tobacco, cypress, vanilla, citrus, these smell fantastic on my skin. Intense cedar and oud make me smell like a middle-school boy who put on some of his older brother’s aerosol deodorant.
As we come into fall (if it would ever cool down on the East Coast), it’s a good idea to have a fall fragrance or two for those days at the office as well as nights out on the town. But first, let’s get a refresher on the gradation of fragrances.
In terms of quality, performance (a.k.a. projection), and longevity, it goes…
Eau de Cologne: Lowest concentration of perfume oils (2-6%). You’ll need to reapply throughout the day.
Eau de Toilette: Enough perfume oil to last you through the work day (5-15%), but you’ll need another quick spray before you hit the town.
Eau de Parfum: The highest concentration of perfume oil that most luxury fragrance companies make (15-20%). This will last throughout the work day and well into the evening. It will also cost you quite a bit.
Pure Perfume: Also called extrait de parfum, this has the highest concentration you can buy (20-30%).
In keeping with my cry-once philosophy, I only buy eau de parfum when I buy a fragrance. I’d rather have a few long-lasting scents that will last me years than have to keep reapplying and thus rebuying.
Fall fragrances are all about warmth, earthiness, and texture. And while I recommend each of these, I don’t recommend that you blind buy. Go to microperfume, scentsplit, or any other website that sells samples, and try a sample on your skin first. Or at the very least, go to a store that sells the fragrance you want to try, and throw a spray on your wrist, walk around for an hour, and see how you like the dry down.
Here are the fragrances I like for this season.
This was my first expensive fragrance, and I’m just about to finish my second bottle. The opening is sweet vanilla with the warmth of tonka bean. The dry down brings the tobacco, with cocoa, dried fruit, and a wood sap headiness.
This fragrance was actually designed with the goal of encapsulating autumn. The main note is vetiver, which is a type of grass. The earthy, almost peppery, vetiver is stunning and sharp, but it’s rounded out with with notes of vanilla and cedar.
The scent is in the name, but it’s not like the pepper you put on your dinner last night. There’s something magical about this fragrance. It’s black pepper, myrtle pepper, vetiver, cardamom, and cedarwood. Call me crazy, but this is the embodiment of Earth, wind, and fire. Want to start small? Try the bodywash; it’s outstanding.
Creed has been making perfumes in France for 265 years, and when you smell their perfumes, you understand how they’ve made it this far (and charge this much). There are literally too many fragrance notes to name here, so let’s just say this is an amber scent with pepper and floral notes. Creed says this fragrance is inspired by the stars in the night sky, and when you smell it, somehow that makes perfect sense.
When I first met Katie, The One was my signature fragrance. I wore the eau de toilette version, which lasted well through the workday for me. But the EDP version is so reasonably priced, you may as well get the best. I’m not sure exactly how to describe this fragrance: It’s orange, and sage, and basil and tobacco, and for lack of a better description, it just smells so damn good.
Harlem Perfume Co., a division of Harlem Candle Co., is a relatively new player in the fragrance game, but they’re doing something right. Langston, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance poet, Langston Hughes, is the writer’s perfume. With notes of cinnamon, orange brandy, and sandalwood, it sings of mahogany bookshelves and leather journals filled with fountain-pen printed thoughts. Oh, and the bottle is stunning.
Imagine Tobacco Vanille, but with cinnamon and rum. Side Effect is a compliment getter; it’s the one that causes strangers to ask what in the world you’re wearing. Just make sure you sample it first; the leather notes may land warm on your skin, or they may turn you off.
I’ve heard it said that Ombre Nomade is the smell of royalty. The oud wood, raspberry, and incense come together to create a journey through the desert. I’ve yet to find an oud that compliments my skin, but luckily when you order a bottle, Louis Vuitton sends you a small sampler with it. So if you realize the scent doesn’t work on your skin, you can return the unopened full-sized bottle.
This is the cologne that Jay Gatsby would’ve worn. It croons of parties with famous socialites, endless bottles of champagne, and black ties. The Dandy opens with whiskey on the rocks with a touch of raspberry and bergamot (which is a type of orange). The base consists of oak, cedarwood and musk. It’s masculinity at its fanciest.
While shopping with a friend last year I sampled this fragrance at a Niemen Marcus about two hours from my house. It was intoxicating, but I couldn’t decide if my wife would like it or not. When I got home, she said, “My God, what is that scent? Please tell me you bought that.” Someday I’ll get a bottle, but for now, it’s the one that got away. Giorgio Armani designed this fragrance himself, striving to capture the scent of the Italian church he attended as a boy. Somehow, he managed to do it. It’s incense, vetiver, cedar, and cool pepper. It is, in short, pulchritudinous. Look that up.
In my ideal writer’s setup, there are always two cigarettes within arm’s reach. One bears a faint kiss of red lipstick; the other is a stubbed-out squiggle. Both are ceramic (smoking’s not for me), but they are talismans nonetheless—part of artist Amiee Byrne’s body of work that recasts everyday objects in clay. Past pieces include a coiled extension cord, a stack of pastel dish sponges, a deflated Mylar balloon. But her cigarette series, which spans large vases and a ceramic-topped fragrance collaboration (Smoker’s Kiss) with perfumer Emily L’Ami, has lit a collective fuse. Her upcoming solo show, “Aftermath,” opening June 24 at Los Angeles’s Franchise gallery, illustrates the point. Alongside imaginative new vignettes—an exploded piñata, say, or the disaster zone following a toddler’s tantrum—there will be a self-contained little smoke shop, for anyone needing a facsimile fix.
“This cancerous stick is so special to so many people,” says Byrne, an Australian with a studio in Los Angeles’s Silver Lake. “People really, really identify with it, and for lots of different reasons.” There is the cinematic glamour, the youthful transgression, the rituals after dinner and sex. A loved one’s pack-a-day habit triggers sensory memories; quitting does too. (My grandfather kept celery sticks in his shirt pocket: a substitute for chewing tobacco.) In an oblique way, smoking—loosely defined, with room for incense and tobacco-inspired cologne and Byrne’s individual cigarette butts, which she is offering for sale for the first time—made sense as an organizing principle for this offbeat Father’s Day guide. Everyone can relate.
True to the theme, the artist Bernie Kaminski has created a limited run of papier-mâché matchbooks for this occasion. (For details, see the listing below; proceeds go to Aid For Life, which provides assistance to asylum seekers in New York City.) His now 15-year-old daughter, Eleanor, unwittingly lent the first stroke of inspiration, bringing home a papier-mâché seahorse from school. In the years since, Kaminski has fashioned autographed baseballs, restaurant guest checks, a municipal pay phone. “I made some matchbooks that I put in a fake junk drawer,” he says, referring to a veritable magnum opus: Casio calculator, Film Forum ticket stub, measuring tape, ketchup packets, Rolaids—plus the black-and-white Odeon matches he has recreated for Vanity Fair. “It was only after I got the idea to put [the matchbooks] in a shoebox”—papier-mâché Adidas, filled nearly to the brim—“that I started cranking them out.”
Meanwhile, the chef and food scientist David Zilber offers a counterpoint to smoking with his new edition for Rose, the California-based cannabis outfit known for its produce-driven Delights (a riff on the Turkish sweets). Zilber, a Noma alum who co-wrote the restaurant’s sprawling guide to fermentation, got acquainted with the brand by test-driving samples in Copenhagen, including past collaborations with Enrique Olvera and Natasha Pickowicz. “I’ve long suffered from back pain (20 years in kitchens + scoliosis is a recipe for disaster), and their CBD gummies really, actually, worked to chill my nerves and muscles out whenever my lumbar was acting up,” he writes by email. “And as for the THC, well, they’re just perfect. Easy to dose and genuinely delightful.” Zilber momentarily had his hands full with a new baby, but the Rose partnership picked up late last year, “when I only just started to feel like I was getting the whole ‘being a dad’ thing under my belt.” His creation—Nashi pear with kimchi brine and a dusting of gochugaru—reflects a bright, inventive worldview. “Leaving the high-octane life of fine dining opened up so much for me, including fatherhood,” he adds. “That said, I’m currently more exhausted than ever. Haha.”
The top-selling men’s grooming brand is launching two new universal fragrances, Valley Mist and Canyon Incense – bottling the breathing landscapes across California
Press Release –
Jan 23, 2023
LOS ANGELES, January 23, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Following the success of the brand’s signature scent, Pacific Cannabis, men’s grooming and lifestyle brand Baxter of California announces the launch of Valley Mist and Canyon Incense, two new, California-inspired fragrances as part of its expanding collection of lifestyle products for men.
Baxter of California has bottled the essence and spirit of California to bring consumers two new fragrances inspired by some of the state’s most beautiful landscapes. Since 1965, Baxter of California has created products that embody the Southern Californian lifestyle and effectively care for the body and hair. These new fragrances capture the landscapes and aromas that are synonymous with the state – Valley Mist, inspired by the state’s vast orchards located in the low fertile grounds between mountains, and Canyon Incense, inspired by the fresh scents in the winding canyons across the state.
“We are so excited to share our new fragrances with the public,” says Jose Figueroa, Associate Brand Manager of Baxter of California, “Pacific Cannabis has been such a staple scent for our consumers, and we’re elated to connect with an even wider fragrance-loving audience with the addition of Valley Mist and Canyon Incense to our fragrance collection.”
Valley Mist is a daytime scent inspired by the morning mist of the fertile grounds and orchards in Southern California’s valleys. The fresh zest of the breeze contrasts with the sun-drenched sweetness of the fruit on the trees. The fragrance opens with bergamot, lemon and ocean mist. The fresh heart notes include fir needle, pine needles and jasmine leaf, and the fragrance finishes with base notes cypress tree, driftwood and sheer musk.
Canyon Incense is a nighttime scent inspired by the cooler, fresher air found in the twists and turns of the state’s canyon landscapes. This leafy, woodsy scent blends into the spicy warmth of the fading sun. This scent opens with notes of bergamot, nutmeg and apple peel. Earthy heart notes include canyon rock, amber mist and tonka bean, and the scent is rounded out with a base of guaiac wood, red cedar and sandalwood.
Baxter of California’s Valley Mist and Canyon Incense fragrances will be available in 3.4 fl. oz/100 mL bottles at baxterofcalifornia.com and retailers including Ulta, Macy’s and Amazon.
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ABOUT BAXTER OF CALIFORNIA
Since 1965, Baxter of California has been a pioneer in understanding and meeting our personal care needs. Our curated range of hair, skin, shave, and body essentials and lifestyle products are all tested by master barbers at our award-winning Baxter Finley Barber & Shop in Los Angeles. Our products are designed for quality and versatility to provide consumers with everything they need to confidently be who they are.
BERLIN — A train communications system in Germany was targeted by sabotage Saturday, forcing both passenger and cargo trains to halt for nearly three hours across the northwest of the country, authorities said.
Operator Deutsche Bahn said early Saturday that no long-distance or regional trains were running in the states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony and Bremen. That also affected trains between Berlin and Cologne, neither of which was directly affected by the system failure, and between Berlin and Amsterdam, while trains from Denmark weren’t crossing the border into Germany.
The sabotage hit a primary mode of regional and intercity transport in Germany as well as disrupting supply lines for industries using cargo trains.
After the nearly three-hour suspension, Deutsche Bahn said the problem — a “failure of the digital train radio system” — had been resolved but that some disruptions could still be expected. It later said the outage was caused by sabotage.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing said cables that are “essential for handling railway traffic safely” were deliberately severed at two separate locations. He said Germany’s federal police were investigating the incident.
Federal police said the crime scenes were in a Berlin suburb and in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, German news agency dpa reported. There was no immediate word on who might have been responsible.
“We can’t say anything today either about the background to this act or the perpetrators,” Wissing said. “The investigation will have to yield that.”
Today, Lady Primrose, a boutique luxury fragrance company, announced two product launches while rolling out their stylized LP logo. Both new product launches are the first-time ever for the company.
Press Release –
Mar 3, 2022
DALLAS, March 3, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Lady Primrose, a boutique luxury fragrance company, today announced two product launches while rolling out their stylized LP logo. Both new product launches are the first-time ever for the company. The announcement was made by Michelle Balaz, Lady Primrose CEO and co-owner.
New to Lady Primrose is the launch of their men’s cologne, Gentlemen 1677. The product line currently includes cologne and candles. Well-received after being soft-launched at industry markets in Dallas, TX, and Atlanta, GA, plans are in the works to extend the brand line up with additional products soon. Neutral in notes, the scent profile is appreciated by all.
“This is a first-time cologne for Lady Primrose. Relaunching the company and revitalizing each collection inspired the team to dive into our scent dossier for something new. We were eager to complement our collections with a first for the company,” said CEO and co-owner Michelle Balaz. “Welcoming a new demographic is key for growth. We are so excited about this.”
Another first for Lady Primrose is their scented Laundry Collection, launched in both wash and fabric softener. Also soft-launched at industry markets, Laundry Collection is offered in their best-selling scents Tryst, Royal Extract and new 1677. Plans to also extend scents for laundry are in the works.
“Our clientele welcomes Lady Primrose fragrances into their homes through their favorite scented candles, room sprays, and more,” said CEO and co-owner Michelle Balaz. “Inspired by this and the boutique laundry trend, our Laundry Collection was a genuine extension for our customers! What a wonderful way to fully enjoy your favorite Lady Primrose scent!”
About Lady Primrose Lady Primrose is a boutique luxury fragrance company offered in fine retailer and luxury hotel resort property partnerships around the world. Widely recognized for fragrant collections Tryst, Royal Extract, Momentous, Necture, Celadon, Gentlemen 1677, Blue Agave, and Little Primrose, collections offer perfumes, cologne, body creams, poured cream soaps, dusting silk powders, candles, room sprays, boutique laundry and more. Launched in 1990, Lady Primrose is a fragrant forward legacy that spans decades incorporating fragrance recipes that date back centuries. Under new ownership, Lady Primrose’s corporate offices continue to be in Dallas, TX, and is a woman-owned company.
To learn more about Lady Primrose, visit ladyprimrose.com. Follow us on Instagram @LadyPrimrose.
Contact: Mary Sims Telephone: 214-747-7673 Email: mary_sims@ladyprimrose.comWebsite: www.ladyprimrose.com
