Mefisto Gentiluomo is, as the name suggests, a gentleman’s cologne, composed in the style of the eaux de cologne used in upscale barbershop joints in Italy circa 1888. Like its progenitor, Mefisto, Gentiluomo takes what seems to have become a dirty word in perfumery – clean – and makes it sexy again. Think the steamy aromas in a traditional Italian barbershop after a shave – triple-milled soap, plush white towels, $500 handmade leather loafers, and the sweet creaminess of sandalwood lotion massaged into warm skin. Yes, Gentiluomo wins the day by being gorgeously, luxuriously clean without leaning on cheap musks or powder.

Right off the bat, Mefisto Gentiluomo playfully updates its predecessor’s model by brushing its bright, salty citrus notes with icy mint and a burst of bitter green leaves. It wows on the basis of just how natural and mouth-wateringly fresh it smells. Salty lavender lends a subtle ozonic feel – not marine or aquatic per se, but rather a hillside of leathery herbs brushed by sea air. We’re impressed with the bubble of sweetness that floats up here, a slightly candied citrus or lavender note that serves to balance out the sharper notes, giving it a polished, modern vibe. But if Mefisto Gentiluomo starts out in the maquis of a Mediterranean hillside, and lingers in the luxuriantly bright, clean atmosphere of a traditional barbershop, it ultimately comes to rest in the milieu of a Florentine artisan’s workshop, where the scent of suede mingles companionably with the patina of centuries-old wood. The flowers contribute only a softness of texture, but the iris stands out, bathing the aromatics in its spectral glow. Handsome, refined, and full of Italian braggadocio, Mefisto Gentiluomo is a fresh barbershop fougere with a hidden creamy floral-citrus core that pulls it out of 1888 and right into 2018.