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The sweet smell of celebrity: A-list aftershaves – tried, tested, ranked and rated

James Franco is the inspiration for Coach's men's aftershave
James Franco is the inspiration for Coach's men's aftershave

The President of the United States has his own fragrance that you can buy, in actual shops. And it's called Success By Trump.

Yes, it may sound like a ludicrous postmodern notion dreamed up by Andy Warhol, but this is the reality of living in 2017. Nor is it only Mr. Trump getting in on the male fragrance market; a whole host of celebrities are etching their names on bottles and raking in the cash. So with a plethora of celebs for us guys to emulate, are there any actually worth placing in our bathroom cabinet?

Well, being a lover of all things fragrance, I decided to find out. Naturally, I felt it was only proper to start with Trump's scent. Alas, the fragrance has no PR contact in the UK, and it's either sold out or exorbitantly priced on Amazon. A frustrating start - although a one-line review on Amazon did make the search worthwhile: "smells vaguely of urine", wrote someone by the name of MoustachioedPistacio in March this year. I can only imagine.

Onwards, then, to Messers Best, Beckham, Ronaldo, Franco and Belfort...

Calum Best Original 

£8.99 for a box set containing 100ml EDT and a shower gel

Calum Best
Calum Best

My first foray in to male celeb fragrance was the unlikely new man about town we all want a pint with - Calum Best. It's fair to say Calum had a reputation for clinging onto his dad's coat tails in the early naughties, but he has managed to give himself a makeover since, becoming popular with millennials thanks in part to a slick new sartorial image and stints on various reality TV shows. Best Jnr is a true gent with a naughty edge.

Could it be that an aftershave is behind this new 'smelling of roses' images?

The scent is actually a lot classier than I was expecting - more complex and less obviously masculine then Calum's past might suggest. It has a distinctly floral note which makes it a wearable and modern men's fragrance. Perhaps not The Best in this list, but not far off.

4 STARS

Coach for Men

£45 from House of Fraser

Coach
Coach

From a man I newly admire to one I have always admired - James Franco. James is the face of Coach's new fragrance 'for him'. The brand says he is the perfect representation of the American spirit - and for once, the marketing gubbins is just about right. 

This is an uplifting and well rounded scent - maybe not full-blown Americana, but certainly wearable and chic. (It also wins points for the gunmetal bottle design, which looks a bit like a hipflask crossed with a grenade.)

4 STARS

David Beckham Respect

£25 from Superdrug

Think of male celebrity fragrance and the first bloke that pops into your head is probably David Beckham. Yes, he's the ex-footballer who's put his name, face and his ever changing hair to pretty much every product known to man (David Beckham underwear washed down with his Haig Club whiskey anyone?) so intuition suggests there'll be an aftershave out there. And, lo! Here comes Respect, he's 13th - and most recent - fragrance. 

Did it earn my respect? Sadly not. The nose is cheap on first spritz, and while it did settle into a slightly more enjoyable and less pungent smell after a few minutes, it's not something I'd actively want to spray on myself (unless, say, I happened to be 15 again and had just run out of CK One).

The bottle also looks cheap, like something my aunty might buy my for Christmas, possibly in a 3 for 2 offer. Aunty - if you're reading this, I think I'd prefer Lynx - again. 

1 STAR

Christian Ronaldo Legacy 

£40 from Boots

Another all-conquering brand from Planet Football. CR7 apparently has a salary 32 million euros a year; would even a small proportion of that have gone into creating a net-busting fragrance, or is it more miss than hit? 

The answer is somewhere in the middle - let's say he hit the post with this one. The fragrance is strong - too heavy for the daytime. Come evening, it comes into its own: the musky, fruity tones work well for formal dinners or busy bars. 

The bottle has a nice, high end look, all black and gold with an intricate gold carved top that would look becoming on anyone's bathroom shelf. 

3 STARS

Jordan Belfort 

£150 from jordanbelfortfragrance.com

Jordan Belfort
Jordan Belfort

Jordan Belfort, AKA the real Wolf of Wall Street, is a controversial figure and maybe not the first you would expect to launch a fragrance.  Whatever you think of his morals, he is the living, breathing version of the mantra 'you have to look it to be it' - or, in our case, smell it to be it.

First, you have to buy it to believe it. At £150, this box set is the priciest on this list (the box contains two scents and a money clip, which I'd recommend discarding immediately). But it's more or less worth the cash - easily the nicest of all the celebrity smells I've rubbed on myself.

The 'phenomenal' fragrance is a day scent: wearing it made me feel like the man in the office everyone thinks is a bit of a dude - the one in an immaculate suit with just the right amount of designer stumble. The 'chemistry' scent supposedly harnesses the natural science of pheromones to make you more attractive and desirable to those around you (watch out, Calum Best). Both, I thought, we interesting, pleasant scents - ones that I'd be happy to wear most days... and nights.

5 STARS