Our beauty and wellness editor has sniffed out the best men’s scents to buy to put a smile on his face this Father’s Day, including Hugo Boss, Davidoff and Dolce & Gabbana
With Father’s Day 2025 just a few weeks away, if you’re still looking for one of the best gifts for men to treat him to this year then a fragrance is always a good bet. I’ve tried loads of new launches and these are the ones that I think are worth the money, whether he prefers strong and intense scents or lighter, fresher fragrances; in fact, even if you aren’t sure about his olfactory opinions, I don’t think you can go wrong with this selection below.
From Hugo Boss and Dolce&Gabbana to Davidoff and Barbour, here are some great men’s scents that you can still buy in time for Father’s Day…
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Best men’s fragrances for Father’s Day 2025
Dolce&Gabbana Devotion For Men Eau de Parfum
Currently from £66.40 for 50ml from Debenhams (usual price £83)
The fashion house goes well and truly back to its Mediterranean roots with this sultry scent. Inspired by the Sicilian tradition of adding a twist of lemon to your daily espresso as you sit in a sunlit town square watching the world go by, it balances rich and spicy coffee notes with zesty citruses and earthy patchouli.
Davidoff Cool Elixir Parfum
Currently from £33.60 for 30ml from Debenhams (usual price £42)
An intense new twist on a classic, this parfum gives Davidoff’s trademark oceanic notes a decidedly more exotic spin with notes of lavandin and rose oxide, plus a rich oud base. Don’t let these floral-sounding ingredients confuse you; this is a take on the ‘fougère’ fragrance family, traditionally men’s scents, and one that’s full of character.
Hugo Boss BOSS Bottled Absolu Parfum Intense for Men
Currently £63.07 for 50ml from Sephora (usual price £77)
The BOSS Bottled perfumes are great failsafe options if you’re not sure of your recipient’s exact olfactory tastes and, as its name suggests, this one is the strongest and most long-lasting of the lot, with the highest concentration of its key notes of leather, incense, patchouli and cedarwood. Rich and warm yet with universal appeal, it’s guaranteed to delight.
VIVO by Cerruti 1881 Eau de Parfum
Currently from £51.20 for 60ml from Debenhams (usual price £64)
This bottle from Parisian fashion house Cerruti 1881 looks like something from the Da Vinci Code, and you even need to complete a little puzzle to open it (the ‘V’ needs to be lined up with the ‘1881’ to open the lid). Meaning ‘alive’, inside you’re rewarded with an energetic and youthful scent, with hints of ginger, apple, sesame and saffron.
MESSI Eau De Parfum
£55 for 100ml from The Fragrance Shop
Want to know what, arguably, the greatest footballer of all time smells like? Apparently it’s a combination of fresh cardamom, wild cypress, leather (leather football boots, perhaps…?) and vanilla bean, if the soccer superstar’s new fragrance is any indication. Like the great man himself, it’s subtle and understated, a great gym bag option or everyday spritz.
Barbour Coastal For Him Intense Eau De Parfum
£90 for 100ml from The Fragrance Shop
Barbour’s classic country gent has taken a bracing walk along the blustery British coastline – the rugged Northumberland coast, to be specific – to inspire this fragrance, with refreshing notes of bergamot, pink pepper and clary sage to blow away the cobwebs, combined with sea-sprayed marine accords, washed up sandalwood and a comforting warmth from tonka.
Rabanne Million Gold Elixir Eau De Parfum
From £85 for 50ml from Boots
Shopping for a dad with expensive tastes? An actual gold bar might be out of the question, but this new Rabanne EDP is the olfactory equivalent. Sensual, confident and opulent, it’s centred around vanilla – an unusual find in men’s scents – which gives it a warm decadence. Combined with zingy bergamot and spicy cardamom, it’s a confidence boost with every spritz.
Issey Mayake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Eau de Parfum
Currently from £51.20 for 40ml from Debenhams (usual price £64)
No one does aquatic fragrances quite as well as Issey Mayake, and this newest, intense iteration is inspired by the mysterious ocean depths. Sichuan pepper wakes up your senses upon first sniff like a splash of water to the face, complemented by invigorating notes of lemon and balsam fir, and a base of cedarwood. It’s elegant freshness in a bottle.
