The Scent of Norway, By Way of New York City

Fragrance has a language all its own, with so many personal associations it's a marvel we find ways to describe it at all. Some men loathe heavy scents, others live for amber and musk, and many people–Americans in particular–obsess about smelling soapy and clean. At FA2L, we're always looking for something special and, perhaps, a bit disconcerting. We like colognes that remind us of warm skin (not vanilla-laden crème brûlée), and Kristiansand New York does that. The press kit mentions olfactory building blocks like white lavender, mandarin and clary sage, but we smell a hot sauna, fluffy towels and warm white sheets. Add snow, and you've got Scandinavia in a bottle.