Fragrance Favorites
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the bodybuilding champion turned action star and former governor of California, has named three favorite fragrances: Guerlain Vetiver, Bijan and Brut. They span a French classic, a Beverly Hills status scent and a drugstore icon. Here is what each one is and how to try them yourself.
Favorite Fragrances
- Guerlain Vetiver
- Bijan
- Brut
About the Fragrances
Guerlain Vetiver dates to 1959 or 1961, depending on the source, and is credited to Jean-Paul Guerlain. It was one of the first fragrances to put vetiver at center stage, and Guerlain still makes it.
Bijan is the fragrance line of the Beverly Hills designer Bijan Pakzad. Its best-known bottle, Bijan Men, won a FiFi Award in 1988 and is a spiced oriental fougère of lavender, citrus and nutmeg over amber and oakmoss. Brut, launched by Fabergé in 1964 and composed by Karl Mann, is a sweet, punchy fougère with lavender, anise and a warm vanilla-tonka base, and it is still sold widely and inexpensively.
Wearing It Yourself
These three sit at very different price points, so there is no reason not to try all of them: Brut is easy to test at a drugstore, while Guerlain Vetiver and Bijan are worth sampling before buying a full bottle. Give each one time on skin, since a crisp, grassy vetiver opening and a sweet fougère drydown tell very different stories. Use this list as a map, not a mandate.
Why it matters
A favorites list that runs from luxury to drugstore shows that price is not the point; the scent is. Use it to try classics across every budget.
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