Careful with that Axe

It is not enough for a guy to look gorgeous like Clive Owen, serenade you to sleep with Jeff Buckley’s falsetto voice, cook an amazing gourmet meal ‘a la Mario Batalli or even offer up the big warm hug of Barney. More importantly, he has to represent your favorite smells, too.

That’s the deal with Axe, anyway, when the brand got fragrance nose Ann Gottlieb to create their latest collection that promises to magnetize women — just like in those TV commercials.

“It is a privilege, an honor, to work with Ann Gottlieb,” says Edward Arandia, marketing manager for Axe. “She is a true master of her art, and her work with Axe will surely energize the brand. It’s an exciting time for Axe.”

Dig this: Ann Gottlieb started her career with Estee Lauder who was her mentor. Her big break in scent blending occurred with Calvin Klein men’s fragrances from Obsession and Eternity to unisex scents like CK One, CK Be, and CKin2u.

The great thing about Gottlieb’s olfactory radar is that it gives the green light to male scents that women will surely fall for like a ton of bricks. She shares, “If I know enough about the target audience, I can develop a scent for anyone. The way I work is less about ingredients than the feelings they evoke.”

And this is exactly what Gottlieb did for Axe. With five variants that are designed to give men an extra boost of confidence and an edge over others in the law of nasal attraction, she chose the perfect ingredients to make Axe scents instant classics.

Click

Axe’s Click is the fragrance that Ben Affleck made famous. Perfect for gutsy and really masculine men, Click sparkles with top notes sampling cranberry orange —like a Sea Breeze cocktail with vodka. A dash of bergamot and pepper blends well with kumquat and ginger. Soft musk and sandalwood leave a lasting impression.

Vice

If you’re for something daring like tasting the forbidden fruit, then Vice is perfect for you. Inspired by both smell and taste to engineer this scent, Vice is blended with sensual fougere notes intertwined with naughty, juicy and fruity notes like raspberries and strawberries with a woody and dry down.

Touch

With its woody scent, Touch is a mellow fusion of watermelon, mandarin pea and crushed leaves. Blended with black pepper, cardamom and honeysuckle, it includes a sensual base and undertones of precious white woods, rich patchouli, golden amber and sheer musk. It is designed for that moment of “anticipation before the first touch, when you’re first meeting a girl.” 

Dimension

Dimension is my personal favorite because it reminds me of something clean like fresh laundry that will suit our tropical weather. Like a unisex scent, the citrus notes are combined with aromas like lavender and thyme. Plus, the Italian bergamot and mandarin adds an unusual twist.

Pulse

Perhaps the most successful fragrance here is Pulse. Known for its burst of fresh citrus, basil and pear mixed with floral notes like jasmine and geranium, it includes sensual spices of cardamom and black pepper, ending with the clean and sexy lines of clear woods and sheer musk.

“Axe is a premium fragrance in a body spray perfect for young, hip consumers,” concludes Gottlieb. “A fragrance is like a beautiful work of art. My job is like being the conductor of an orchestra. Fragrances are an embellishment of the senses because they make us happy.”

No wonder Axe knows the way to a woman’s heart — that is, thanks to a woman’s nose.