'Bringing a cartoon to life is no easy task. Even the most well-developed cartoon characters are still, by nature, two-dimensional. Bringing them into the live action universe goes well beyond cosplay; it requires imbuing these characters with humanity. No one knows this better than Nicholas Galitzine, who is currently charged with playing arguably one of the most iconic animated characters of the last several decades: He-Man.
As the star of the upcoming live action Masters of the Universe film, Galitzine is embodying a character generations of boys have grown up idolising. The first step is hitting the gym and growing out his hair. Somewhere in that process, surprisingly, is figuring out what He-Man smells like.
It could be serendipity, then, that Galitzine (a self-professed fraghead) is also now the face of Emporio Armani Stronger With You Parfum, a warm, masculine scent—releasing this March—with a strong chestnut accord enrobed in a layer of spiced vanilla and a base of amber.
Created by perfumer Cecile Matton, Stronger With You Parfum is a bold, long-lasting cologne with a grounded, velvety earthiness that lends it a maturity and confidence. It’s also a fragrance Galitzine himself has fallen in love with and says he prefers to wear at night to play up the sensuality of the scent.
It’s the air of masculine confidence, not to mention the name, that makes Galitzine believe this may well be the perfect cologne for He-Man himself. The actor took a break from his intense training schedule (#bulkingseason) to sit down with Esquire to discuss what drew him to the partnership with Armani, what he loves about wearing fragrance, and why he always wears cologne to the gym.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
ESQUIRE: Are you a fragrance guy?
NICHOLAS GALITZINE: I am totally into fragrance. It's really interesting actually meeting so many people who are not and just don't spray on anything every day. It's completely part of my routine.
ESQ: Have you always been into fragrance?
NG: I mean, not always, but I think as my personality and my sense of identity started developing, I would try different scents that would really not fit me. It’s a nice progression to find something that really works with you and you wear it for a couple of years and then you get kind of bored and you try something else. But it's weird: You start to associate scents with people in your life and when they change, you're like, "Oh, who are you? I don't recognise you because I don't like this, go back to the old one."
ESQ: Do you wear it every single day or do you switch it up?
NG: It's kind of a bit of both. I mean, I definitely will wear it every day because it feels like it's just as routine as putting on deodorant for me. I'm spending so much time in the gym now, I think it's also nice to bring a bit of class to the gym and not just get sweaty and disgusting for a few hours. Some weeks I'm like, "Oh, I fancy just putting a different one on every day," or every other day, or different occasions, whether it's a day thing or a night thing. It's quite fun when you start to break down your life like that and you can break it down by scents; it becomes a playful thing you can do.
ESQ: Gym fragrance is a real thing! I smell it every day. Do you always wear it to the gym?
NG: Yeah, I do. My gym is literally a tent in North London in a studio with my trainer and the other actors on set, so our gym experiences are probably very different, but that's cool to know it’s a thing. I think it's interesting—maybe it's hard to separate the notion of hard work and smelling and feeling great. I think if I'm wearing something that smells great, it makes me feel like I can work harder in a way. There’s a bizarre mental thing behind that, I’m sure.
ESQ: Being a fragrance guy, what drew you to Stronger With You?
NG: It was the whole package for me really. I've been such a fan of the Armani brand for a really, really long time. Something I also associate with Armani is that groundedness, that earthiness, that sensuality and masculinity. There's just something very sexy about Armani and certainly this fragrance. And just the way the whole shoot was lit and the setting and the bodies together, the collective, I just loved the vision for it, and I was such a fan of Jonathan Alric and Harley Ware who both shot the visual and the video for the campaign too, and it just became a no-brainer; I just loved everyone involved.
ESQ: I've always wondered, when you're shooting a campaign like this, are you wearing the fragrance while you're shooting?
NG: I actually was. I don't think it was compulsory, but I was wearing it. I mean, it was everywhere on set, and they want you to spray it once or twice, and then you are holding the bottle and trying to find the right position in the light and everything. Even unintentionally, it will just creep onto you in one form or another.
ESQ: You talked about the sensuality and the groundedness of the scent. Is that how you feel when you wear it?
NG: Definitely. It's very in line tonally with the things I like to go for. And it feels very "evening." I think the whole intention behind the thematics for the campaign and the setting was that it's young, it's energetic, it's going out—it has all of those sort of qualities that I respond to in a fragrance.
ESQ: You always tend to choose really different roles. How do you choose these roles and when you're getting into character, do you think about things like what kind of fragrance they would wear, what kind of grooming they would have?
NG: I'd never really thought of using fragrance as a tool for preparation, but it's something that actually I find fascinating and I think I might use going forward, because I think it can help ground you in who you're playing. But in regards to the grooming, I mean, 100 percent, that's a huge part. I always like working closely with the hair and makeup team as well as the costume team because I love for these characters to feel like they exist within themselves and not as derivative of something else.
I'm just trying to choose people that test me and that scare me and feel very, very different from me in a lot of ways. It's exciting just putting on these different hats. And scary. But that's the challenge, that's the joy.
ESQ: I can imagine that taking on a role like He-Man, there's a transformation aspect to this part that's really important. So apart from the hair and the muscles, what kind of fragrance do you think He-Man would wear?
NG: We’ve been talking about whether He-Man would be a Stronger With You guy. Adam is very different from He-Man in a lot of ways, and certainly in how he progresses. I imagine his fragrance might change a bit. But He-Man is someone who obviously displays a confident sense of masculinity and that very much speaks to this fragrance. There's something that feels very assured and confident about it, which I think definitely would exist with He-Man. I mean, Stronger With You is a pretty good title for a He-Man collab.
ESQ: Call up the marketing team right now. You travel a lot—do you have any tips for travelling with fragrance? That can be a headache.
NG: I wish I was a carry-on only person, but I'm too high maintenance, there's just too much to bring. I bring all of my physical and emotional baggage with me everywhere I go so packing the fragrance is the least of my problems.
ESQ: Do you wear fragrance on airplanes?
NG: Yes. I don’t understand people who don't. Why would you not just want to smell good all the time wherever you go? I don't get it.
ESQ: I'm with you. I mean, I wear fragrance no matter what. Even if I'm just sitting in my apartment by myself.
NG: I just remember the one time in my life I haven't worn fragrance, but a moment that really was impressed upon me. It was for one audition and I was asked to not wear fragrance before going because I think the casting director had a very sensitive nose or something like that. That was the only time. I'll respect that, but otherwise I'm wearing fragrance.
Originally published on Esquire US
There are many famous groups with an ampersand in their name: Simon & Garfunkel, Hall & Oates... uh, Drew & Napier. But none quite as renowned as Viktor&Rolf. (They, of the surrealistic dresses at the SS23 Haute Couture Collection.) Synonymous with avant-garde fashion and bold scents, Viktor&Rolf adds another scent to its SPICEBOMB collection: the SPICEBOMB DARK LEATHER.
Since its debut in 2012, SPICEBOMB has been a Viktor&Rolf’s signature; a scent that displays the impact of masculinity (thus the grenade). This fragrance was to befit the look of the bottle: bold, daring, and unforgettable.
What you have with the SPICEBOMB DARK LEATHER is an interplay of opposites. The grenade-shaped bottle is coated in a matte black lacquer with a black leather-textured logo wrap and the fragrance is a dark, smokey and complex. “Fragrance is so personal and can bring out different elements of one’s personality,” Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren explain. “SPICEBOMB DARK LEATHER is all about exploration and bringing out your most sensual self.”
Created by master perfumers Jean-Christophe Hérault and Carlos Benaim, SPICEBOMB DARK LEATHER opens with the SPICEBOMB's signature black pepper coupled with the zest of bergamot and grapefruit. The citrus and spice then give way to a heart of pimento berries, nutmeg, and cinnamon, layered with the herbal sweetness of lavandin. Finally, we end with a smoky tobacco and soft woods. It’s a scent designed to linger, defying easy definition while exuding magnetism.
SPICEBOMB DARK LEATHER is available in 50ml and 90ml sizes at leading department stores
Musicians and fragrance makers use different senses but share the same goal: capturing a vibe. And if there is one thing Pharrell Williams understands, it is how to capture a vibe. (If you doubt that, please put down this magazine, play the song “Happy” and reacquaint yourself with reality.)
So when you hear that the idea behind his debut fragrance for Louis Vuitton was to bottle the scent of the sun, it doesn’t sound quite as off-the-wall as it might coming from someone with a more literal approach to the world. Master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud clearly saw the potential, working with Williams to distil an amorphous concept into something you can smell by focusing on the process of photosynthesis.
“It may sound abstract, but if you look at life, photosynthesis is the starting point for everything,” Belletrud says in discussing the new scent, LVERS. He and Williams lean heavily on an ingredient called galbanum, a Persian plant resin that smells, in a word, “green”—almost overwhelmingly so. Imagine the rainforest floor just as the light cuts through the canopy, burning off the mist and bringing everything to life, and you’ve got the idea.
Cedar and sandalwood anchor the fragrance in the impression of tree trunks warming in the sunlight, while bergamot and ginger give it a fruity, zesty top note that fills the nose at first spritz but dries down to something more subtle (and just a little sexy, too). The scent speaks to the overall feeling Williams is cultivating as creative director of Louis Vuitton Men’s—something open and optimistic, opulent yet not ostentatious.
You can even see it in the bottle, which filters the golden-hour hue of the eau de parfum itself through a prismatic finish. Watch the colours dancing off the surface, spray the liquid on your skin, and there it is, clear as day: a vibe, perfectly captured.
Since joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2015, Son Heung-Min has captivated football fans globally with his exceptional goal-scoring abilities and eventual leadership as the club's captain. His remarkable journey from Hamburg to becoming one of the Premier League's top scorers—including reaching an impressive milestone of 100 Premier League goals—showcases his dedication and perseverance.
As a testament to these values, Son naturally fits as Ralph Lauren Fragrances' newest regional brand ambassador. Son demonstrates that hard work, determination, and resilience can turn any dream into reality, reflecting the spirit of Polo 67—a scent for the modern man who is determined as well as values self-expression.
Crafted meticulously by Master perfumer Marie Salamagne, Polo 67 features a distinctive blend of fresh and fruity notes, such as citrus, vetiver, sun-drenched bergamot, and a sweet pineapple accord. The fragrance radiates a warm vibrance that's perfect for an all-year round scent.
"I am honoured to partner with Ralph Lauren Fragrances. The message of achieving your dream through hard work and determination is something I deeply connect with, both on and off the football pitch. I hope this collaboration inspires others to design their own dreams with passion and never give up," says Son of the partnership. It's difficult to not be enamoured by the charismatic player, and Ralph Lauren Fragrances is hoping that you'd feel the same way about its fragrances too.
The Polo 67 eau de toilette is now available at selected retailers.
We are sat in a private salon towards the back of Diptyque’s latest store in Singapore. It’s the third standalone Diptyque store on the island, and it is ensconced in Ion Orchard’s revamped beauty-centric B2 level, flanked by multi-label Escentials and Jo Malone London—the former would officially open the next day.
For a small city and market like Singapore, opening a third standalone store seems excessive, especially since they are all concentrated within the central region. Eric Cauvin concedes. “We do have three stores here, which is quite a lot. But if we’ve opened this third store, it’s because the first two been successful. We have had a love story with Singapore for many, many years,” reasons Diptyque’s international commercial director.
That love story is perhaps the most apparent in this latest Ion Orchard outpost. Cauvin politely asks for the door of the room to be opened—the brand was getting ready to host a lavish opening party here a few hours later—and raises his arms towards the fresco that envelops the given space outside. Pastel green walls have been handpainted with a plethora of random blooms that extend to the ceiling—the work of one Jacky Mak. The Singaporean artist has also lent his hand to the walls at the front of the store, creating a monochromatic teaser to the floral burst at the back.
“Did you also see the ropes as you walked through the store? Those are by another Singaporean artist, Natalia Tan,” Cauvin tells us. “This is our way of forming a connection with the local population, through its own artists, and we decided to make it really unique.” Mak’s murals and Tan’s braided rope knots are not the only Singaporean works that are contributing to the new store’s eclectic aesthetic. Furniture pieces—the likes of an orange lacquered table that was crafted in Singapore, as well as a mirror trimmed with wooden components by Singapore-based Studio Kallang—fill the space. The latter’s pieces have also found their way into a number of other Diptyque stores at home and abroad. The studio’s latest contribution is fixed atop a central fireplace akin to what you’d find in a typical Haussmann apartment in Paris.
“Every Diptyque store is unique; you wouldn’t find any two having the same look,” says Cauvin. “If you go to Japan, and then Paris, you’ll see some very nice stores but they’re all completely different from one another. But they’ll all have the same spirit and the same chemistry of local artistic collaboration. Our founders were artists, all three of them, so it’s really important that we keep that spirit.”
While many are familiar with Diptyque’s fragrances and candles that are almost always adorned with a playful arrangement of its typeface, its origin story is often left undiscussed.
Diptyque didn’t start out with what it’s now categorically known for. The brand’s founders—three friends with a passion for the arts and craftsmanship—launched Diptyque in 1961 at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris’ fifth arrondissement. It was a multi-label concept space with a selection of objects sourced from all over the world, or as Cauvin tells us, “It was the Colette before Colette” (referencing the now-defunct multi-label boutique that was the style and design space of Paris from 1997 to 2017). The candles were conceived in 1963, and fragrances introduced five years later.
It is precisely this heritage of being enthralled by artistry—not just French but also of many different cultures—and collecting and presenting them in a unique way that Diptyque continues to embody throughout its expanding range. Modernism is always at the forefront of the brand, and that extends to the design of all its products.
Les Mondes de Diptyque refillable candles, for example, are a revolution for the brand, both in concept and design. Instead of the maximalist labels, the glass vessel in itself is a work of art, comprising three stacked oval-shaped tiers with “Diptyque” elegantly spelt out at the bottom centre and the brand’s original address in its usual layout at the top. A glass cap features Diptyque’s fragrance burner emblem. Every design element—save for the Diptyque branding on the vessel’s body—is shaped from the glass itself, creating a seamless and minimalist look.
“The refillable candle is an evolutive version of the candle, but if you know our range, there are electric diffusers, and some new products that will come that are totally different. We need to keep being innovative in the way we scent the home, so you may be surprised at some of the new things coming but it’s important for us to make sure that we’re still the ones driving and creating,” explains Cauvin. There is a constant need to evolve and innovate, yes. But at the same time, as Cauvin reiterates throughout our conversation, it’s necessary for everything to make sense and tied to the origins of Diptyque.
Stepping back into Diptyque’s Ion store, it feels like entering the home of a collector—not just of art, but also of craft-centric pieces as though from a lifetime of travelling the world. Certainly, the foundations are Parisian and undeniably chic, but every element is a careful curation of experiences and stories. And as you smell each of the candles, you are transported to the exact moment they were designed to encapsulate—a magic that still permeates our spaces more than 60 years later.
The esteemed multi-brand fragrance retailer embarks on its exciting third venture with Amaris Jewel Changi—a captivating brick-and-mortar boutique and the first to be positioned in the east.
Like its stores in VivoCity and Paragon, Amaris aims to provide an immersive experience at the latest Jewel Changi location. The new space follows a similar vibe to its first two stores, with a contrasting colour palette of deep teals and metallic golds. Its purpose is to create a luxurious olfactory journey that captivates the senses of discerning individuals from all corners of the globe as well as educating customers on the interesting profiles and origins of the niche and premium fragrance brands that they have.
The Amaris Jewel Changi store is also more geared towards international travellers. More travel kits are stocked here from brands the likes of Atelier Cologne, Goldfield & Banks as well as Ex Nihilo. Not only are the the perfect size for any traveller's personal grooming kit, they also make for thoughtful gifts.
The Amaris Jewel Changi store is located at 01-257, and is open between 10am to 10pm.
