The Mechanic

The Mechanic is the St Giles character that growls: a celebration of the sensuality of physical endeavour. Michael Donovan's London house asked Bertrand Duchaufour to give each character its own scent, and this one turns the smells of the garage pit into something magnetic and muscular. It opens with earthy geranium and patchouli, with a herbaceous, almost fougere brightness. Then animalic castoreum meets smooth leather in a potent heart that wearers describe as an oily, hand-stitched leather with a smoky edge. The base is hot rubber, musk, oakmoss and a balsamic styrax that stays to the end, with a slightly vintage, aromatic moss. Some wearers also smell a sweaty, gym-locker note in the dry-down. It is powerful and pleasantly loud, so two sprays are plenty, and it lasts around ten hours. It suits autumn and winter best, and works for leisure, nights out and evenings, although one reviewer wears it from a suit at the office to the garage at night. Opinion is split between those who find it virile and addictive and those who find it harsh, or whose skin turns it to a soft leather floral. It sits closer to a leathery fougere than to a sweet designer, and wearers read it as masculine. Sold in 50 ml and 100 ml, it is worth a sample first, because the rubber and castoreum are not for everyone.