FINDING A dad-friendly scent is – in my experience at least – surprisingly difficult.
Sorry to indulge some stereotypes here, but everything about a designer scent is anathema to dads: they’re expensive, frivolous and often frustratingly pretentious, whereas dads tend to be thrifty, pragmatic and rarely vain.
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That’s why the scents most associated with dads are simple and affordable: Old Spice, Brut, that indescribable, woody, petrolly ‘garage’ smell.
However, I think I’ve found the successor to these scents: Cremo’s Italian Bergamot.
Credit: Supplied
Quickfire Q&A
How much is it? The gift set I tested, which includes a 16oz (473ml) body wash and 100ml fragrance, is £49.95 — the perfect amount for a Father’s Day gift if you ask me. Separately, the fragrance is £34.95, and the body wash is £14.95. However, you can save 15% sitewide when you sign up for Cremo’s mailing list.
Who’s it best for? Anyone who wants to smell good without fussing around with designer fragrances – hence why I think it’s great for dads.
What we loved: It genuinely smells really nice – fresh, clean, summery – in an unfussy way. It’s a classic barbershop scent. It also lasts decently well, which is a bonus in a fragrance this affordable.
What we didn’t: It perhaps doesn’t have the same complexity as a more expensive scent with similar notes – Aventus by Creed, for example – but not everyone needs that in a fragrance. Sometimes it’s just about smelling good.
Italian Bergamot Body Wash & Eau De Toilette Giftset, £49.95 from Cremo
In the UK, Cremo is a relative newcomer – it only landed on this side of the Atlantic late last year, after being purchased by the parent company of Bulldog, another big name in affordable grooming.
However, on the other side of the pond, it’s a big name, having established a cult following thanks to its affordable, effective product and friendly barbershop aesthetic.
First impressions
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Gift sets can often be a bit of a scam, if you ask me – you end up paying a decent whack for a few travel-size miniatures that don’t really deliver on their promises.
However, there are no such issues here – Cremo’s gift set comes in a nice, big box, and the products are neatly nestled inside a cloth bag.
Most importantly, both products are full-size: the shower gel is 16oz – just shy of 500ml – while the cologne is 100ml. Realistically, if you bought this for Father’s Day, he could still be using it by next June.
Design-wise, they’re nice enough, harking back to the old barber shops that Cremo has built its entire brand around. It harks back to a time when aftershave was something roughly slapped into cheeks rather than daintily dabbed onto wrists.
(However, with the body wash bottle, the brand has opted for one of my design pet peeves, plastic that looks like glass, which to me always has the opposite of the intended effect).
CUT PRICE
My new razor gives me the smoothest shave ever and right now it’s less than £16
SLEEP SAVER
I tried Kloris’ 96p-per-night CBD Sleep Patches and was out like a light
Does it deliver?
Credit: Supplied
Italian Bergamot Body Wash & Eau De Toilette Giftset, £49.95 from Cremo
I’m a bit of a fragrance snob, meaning I wasn’t expecting too much from Cremo’s rendition of a bergamot cologne.
However, I was really pleasantly surprised.
I’m not going to argue that it’s the most sophisticated, complex scent in the world, but it smells great – heavy on bergamot and musk.
It’s a classic barbershop scent; unfussy, clean and fresh. I’ve seen people online compare it to Aventus by Creed, and I can testify to their similarity.
The clean, orangey scent works perfectly in a bodywash, too; again, uncontroversial, fresh and thoroughly pleasant.
Most impressively, you can get all of this for under £50 even at full price – the gift set costs £49.95, and Cremo does free shipping on everything on orders over £30.
But, helpfully, you can get 15% off your first order by signing up for Cremo’s mailing list, bringing that down to a hair over £42.
The Verdict
Father’s Day is a notoriously tricky event to buy for, but I think this gift set is a safe bet.
Cremo’s Italian Bergamot is uncontroversial, masculine and overwhelmingly pleasant – I struggle to think of a man who would dislike this.
The generous size means that they’ll be using both the perfume and shower gel months after Father’s Day has passed, and with 15% off available, it won’t be a huge hit to your wallet, either.
Italian Bergamot Body Wash & Eau De Toilette Giftset, £49.95 from Cremo – buy here
