The Stylist

The Stylist is the most playful of the five St Giles characters: tropical, boozy and a little eccentric, dressed in a dark woody suit. Michael Donovan's London house asked Bertrand Duchaufour to give each character its own scent, and this one is meant to stand out because it is well put together, not because it is loud. It opens with a sparkle of aldehydes and bitter orange, then mango and rum arrive together, like a fruit cocktail with a splash of dark spirit. The heart turns resinous and smoky: palo santo and frankincense add quiet gravity, and tamarind brings a sour, sticky bite that stops the fruit turning sugary. The base is the real surprise. Two cedars, from Morocco and Virginia, carry a smooth, dry tobacco, with oakmoss and musk underneath and a soft, creamy vanilla that gives the whole scent a milky finish. It lasts very well, often eight hours or more, and the projection is strong, so one or two sprays are enough. It works in every season, a little more in spring and autumn, and suits leisure, evenings and nights out. Opinion is split: fans find it cheerful, elegant and instantly noticeable, while others find the fruit and rum juvenile or the dry-down thin. It sits closer to a boozy, fruity-woody niche scent than to a designer sweet, and it is the most unisex-smelling of the house's five. Sold in 50 ml and 100 ml, it is worth a sample first, because the mango and rum split opinion more than the woods do.