Mark Buxton

Mark Buxton is the personal line of one of perfumery's most prolific noses, the creator behind work for houses including Givenchy, Paco Rabanne, Versace, Cartier, and a long collaboration with Comme des Garcons. Trained in the old-school tradition yet fluent in the contemporary, he was among the first commercial perfumers to build a brand under his own name, quietly and without fanfare. The collection first appeared in 2008 through his partners; Buxton bought back the name in 2011 and has run it himself since, redesigning the packaging and carrying two of the original scents forward.

His signature reflects a perfumer's love of structure: woods and aromatics with a floral lift and a deliberate streak of bitterness that keeps things interesting. Absinthe and clary sage give the line its herbal, slightly austere edge, while red apple and pineapple add an unexpected brightness. Start with Wood and Absinth for its herbal-woody backbone, or try Why Not A and Why Not a Fougere for a more playful read. True to his motto that simplicity is the height of luxury, these are compositions with a clear point of view.