As I imagine him, the Géranium Pour Monsieur man is “casual” but always well groomed. He enjoys nature — sunshine, the sounds of birds, crickets and cicadas. The Géranium Pour Monsieur man can’t walk past a blossom without sniffing it. He rubs leaves between his palms and scratches bark with his fingernails to savor their aromas. The Géranium Pour Monsieur man, his dog at his side, would happily spend a quiet afternoon following a butterfly through country fields — a sprig of fresh, sweet grass between his lips, a wildflower tucked in his jacket buttonhole.

Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums Géranium Pour Monsieur is a charming and unpretentious fragrance (outdoorsy, but not “sporty”) created by perfumer Dominique Ropion; its notes include geranium, mint, rhodinol, aniseed, clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, incense resinoid, styrax benzoin, and white musk. When I first read Géranium Pour Monsieur’s ingredients list, I was worried the spices and musk would end up masking the mint and geranium, but spice and musk are used judiciously and don’t distort the slightly floral, herbal “greens” and dry woods in the fragrance…

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