New York nightlife mainstay and tranny performance artist Amanda Lepore has jumped onto the celebrity fragrance bandwagon. She has launched a fragrance called “Amanda” with notes of champagne, steamed rice, cucumber, strawberry and mandarin…seriously. What did you think Amanda would smell like? [NY Times]

Adidas’ newest line SLVR (it’s eco-friendly, relatively affordable and functional clothing, not a Motorola phone, we swear) has opened a new store in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. [NY Times]

NowSmellThis has a great review of Guerlain’s Mouchoir de Homme (Gentleman’s Handkerchief), a true classic scent (it was created by Jacques Guerlain himself in 1904). Unleash your inner fop and inhale this potent potion. [NowSmellThis]

The Van Wagner billboard company has rejected a new Armani Exchange ad meant for the Meatpacking District in NYC because of a naked man’s behind is visible in the background. Have they never seen the Tom Ford ads with the fragrance bottle wedged between a woman’s thighs and barely covering her vajayjay? [The Cut & Towleroad]

Football star and Gisele-lover Tom Brady admits to his grooming routine. He wears moisturizer and so should you. Be like Tom. [Butterfly Diary via The Cut]

Is Kris Van Assche out at Dior Homme? The blog rumor mill is out of control with gossip the English bad boy Gareth Pugh will take the helm of menswear at the house that Hedi Slimane built. [Grazia via Hypebeast]

Manuel Puig, the head of the Puig fragrance empire, sat front row at Bottega Veneta’s fashion week show on Saturday. Could there be a Bottega Veneta fragrance on the horizon? Never say never. [WWD]

A new men’s shop has opened on the interwebs and received a kind writeup in WWD. Check out Studio Homme, which carries the latest collections from Comme des Garçons, Pierre Hardy,  Lucien Pellat-Finet,  Alexis Mabille, Unity, Sultan, Natalia Brilli, Moscot and many more. [WWD]

There are 400 receptors in your nose that interpret the things you smell. Now, researchers have turned their microscopes to these receptors to better understand  the science of fragrances. [National Geographic via The Cut]

We’ve received a tip that Marc Ecko will release his first fragrance in September. Previous reports pointed to a Fall release, but it looks like September is the target drop date. His first scent isn’t for the ladies. Well, it could be for the ladies if their men are wearing it.

Last November, Ecko announced a licensing agreement with Parlux Fragrances (the same team that brought you fragrances from Guess, Andy Roddick and Paris Hilton) to develop and market men’s and women’s scents.

While the details of the fragrance are still unknown, the press release announcing the relationship in November quoted Ecko as saying, “I can’t tell you yet what it WILL be – but it won’t be conventional.” That leaves things pretty wide open.

Photos: Courtesy of Diesel

Diesel is preparing to launch a bold follow-up to it’s Fuel For Life fragrance this spring.

Meet Only the Brave, an oriental woody scent that doesn’t play by the rules. It walks the line between clean and dirty, hard and soft, familiar and exotic. This eau is a sexy modern fragrance that mixes the masculine notes of cedar, coriander and leather, with the softness and warmth of amber, labdanum, lavender, violet and styrax.  Stir in some the exotic notes of tolu wood, ebony wood and black rose. Then, add a splash of bright and tangy notes of mandarin orange and lemon on the top and you’ve got a punchy opening that mellows into a sensual scent that will draw people close. It doesn’t overpower like other colognes and isn’t so soft that people might think you borrowed a woman’s perfume. It’s undeniably masculine. And if anyone tries to call it girly, just punch them in the face with the amazing, pale blue, fist-shaped bottle with a brass-knuckle-style logo.

Diesel’s Only the Brave reminiscent of how a man should smell when he’s having happy hour drinks after work. A little dirty, a little musky, but by no means filthy. Perfumers Aliénor Massenet, Olivier Polge and Pierre Wargnye managed to create a fragrance that makes dirty sexy again. Luckily, bravery isn’t required.  All the liquid courage you’ll need is in the bottle.

Key Ingredients

Top Notes: Lemon blosson, Mandarin Orange, Corriander leaves

Middle Notes: Labdanum, Black rose and Lavender

Base Notes: Amber, Tolu wood and Ebony wood.

Look for it this May at Diesel stores and Diesel-Fragrances.com.

$52.50 for 1.7oz,  $65.00 for 2.5 oz.

Ralph Lauren is poised to launch his fifth Polo fragrance this September with Polo Explorer and it promises to be a must-have scent for the season. In my opinion, Explorer is a breath of fresh air for Ralph Lauren’s fragrances because it breaks away from the other scents that all kinda start to smell the same after a while. Explorer contains a diverse blend of notes that add an exotic edge to the portfolio.

Here’s the run down on the notes:

Top Notes: South African Mandarin & Sicilian Bergamot

Base Notes: Argentinian Mate & North Sea Amber.

There are other notes, but I’m not sure if they are also base notes or middle notes: Cuban Mahogany and Australian Sandalwood.

Check out the handsome spokesmodel after the jump!

And what great men’s fragrance would be without a handsome spokesmodel? Meet Rory, the adventurous and dashing, Scot (i think?) who is slated to appear in men’s fall fashion magazines this August and September on behalf of Polo Explorer. Here’s a photo from the fall ad campaign for your viewing pleasure:

Photos courtesy of Ralph Lauren Fragrances.

Your sense of smell is a powerful force. And in the sweltering heat of summer—amid the potpurri of sweat and sunscreen—it can be a blessing and a curse. So, do your part to make the world a sweeter smelling place and douse yourself with Gucci’s latest fragrance for men—Gucci Pour Homme II. Does it get any sexier than Gucci? It’s not exactly the “smell of sweat on a man’s balls,” but you won’t be disappointed.

Not only is Pour Homme II a sophisticated and sensual cologne that will make everyone want to stand a little closer to you, but its formulation walks the line between manly musk and shower fresh so it appeals to men of all ages. If you prefer a signature scent that you can wear year-round, Gucci II is light enough for summer and warm enough to last well into the colder months. Do you know someone who constantly marinates in their cologne? Luckily, it’s tough to overdo this one because it quickly dissipates into a subtle scent—but that also means you might want to reapply before heading to an afterwork happy hour.

Gucci Pour Homme II features a blend of citrusy bergamot and soothing lavender on top, spicy pimento, black tea and warm cinnamon at the heart and olive wood, manly musky notes, tobacco leaves and smokey myrrh rounding out the bottom. It might sound like an oddly odiferous cocktail, but it interacts beautifully with your body’s chemistry. So, don’t trust the scent strip at the fragrance counter. Spray it on your skin and inhale. Summer smells better already.

Eau de Toilette,  $50-$65, at Saks Fifth Avenue stores.