We’re not even half way through the year, but we’ve already seen a veritable flood of high profile fragrance launches for men. With so many on the market it’s tough to know which scent is the best for you, but never fear - we’ve taken the mystique out of the process with our round-up of the four best male fragrances this side of summer. 

Charming and fresh: Issey Miyake Homme Sport

Almost 20 years after the launch of the original Issey Miyake Homme comes Issey Miyake Homme Sport, a fresh and invigorating cologne for men. The fragrance brand is launching their debut sport scent at a very good time, too. 2012 heralds an incredible summer of sport, from the London Olympics to Euro 2012, and many of the biggest brands are bringing out their own fresh and sporty cologne.

Issey Miyake Homme Sport is the sexiest of the bunch. It’s not just a lighter version of the original scent, but an entirelt new composition that draws inspiration from the exhilaration of extreme sports, and a passion that drives the will to succeed. Notes include invigorating grapefruit, warming nutmeg, and sensual sandalwood.

Quirky and sexy: Diesel Only the Brave Tattoo

Diesel’s brand new scent Only The Brave Tattoo captures the unique sexiness of body art in an aromaticand fruity eau de toilette. Inspired by the bold designs of tattoo mastermind Mister Cartoon, this bold fragrance leaves an imprint on the skin like impermanent body art; an artistic expression of life love and creativity.

Spices and woods dominate this intensely masculine fragrance, though a crisp top accord of Granny Smith apple lends a touch of brightness. The heart blends sage and bourbon pepper, before a drydown of wood, smoky tobacco and patchouli round off the seduction.

Sensual and heady: Paco Rabanne Black XS L’Exces

This new interpretation of the original BlackXS fragrance is intense, sexy and a little bit dark. It is inspired by the magnetic appeal of a rock star, someone whose stage presence is not just limited to the stage. It's a scent that marries glamour, talent and hedonism with a touch of insubordination.

The woody aromatic scent bursts into life with Calabrian lemon and lavender in the top notes, before a heady ozonic accord in the heart and a sensual amber and patchouli base leave a distinctive trail.

Downright seductive: Jean Paul Gaultier Kokorico

It’s tough to follow in the footsteps of a fragrance classic like Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male, but JPG’s brand new scent Kokorico is doing just that – by making its mark in an altogether more sensual way. Where Le Male is fresh and clean, Kokorico is dark, hypnotic and very sexy.

The unreserved scent has been designed with aphrodisiac qualities in mind.  Its composition includes almost edible notes of cocoa bean and fig, together with a resonating trail of woods that is as unreserved as the designsof the enfant terrible of fashion. The striking bottle is a great feature – from the side it emulates the shape of Le Male, and from the front it's the silhouette of a man’s face in profile.

Guest post by: Emma

Emma writes for Escentual, a British makeup and fragrance website. For a self-confessed beauty junkie it's the ideal job. You can find men's fragrances from

Paco Rabanne and all the others there.