The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The My Looks collection dropped in 2020 as Wolfgang Joop's entry into scent. Joop built his reputation in Hamburg through fur designs, and My Looks Man translates that DNA into something wearable: fresh, assertive, with an unusual note that keeps people leaning in to ask what they're smelling. The opening arrives clean and immediate, a burst of citrus and green that doesn't announce itself so much as present. There's an unexpected edge, something sharp and almost vegetable that cuts through what might otherwise settle into predictability. As it develops, the scent breathes into the skin rather than pooling on top, settling into a drydown that feels intentional rather than accidental.
Wasabi in a fragrance isn't just novelty for novelty's sake, it introduces a sharp, almost horseradish-like edge that grounds the sweetness and prevents the watermelon from reading as dessert. Cardamom bridges the gap, adding warmth beneath the cool aquatic notes. White amber in the base gives it staying power without heaviness, a synthetic smoothness that reads modern rather than cheap. The composition threads between fresh and warm without ever fully committing to either, which is, perhaps, exactly the point.
The evolution
The opening announces blood orange immediately, juicy and unavoidable. Black pepper follows within seconds, a spice that cuts through the citrus brightness. The wasabi announces itself within two minutes, green, bracing, almost medicinal in its sharpness. Then the watermelon emerges as the citrus recedes, soft and sweet against the wasabi's bite. The heart settles into an aquatic-watermelon blend with cardamom warmth underneath, more restrained than the opening. The drydown is white amber and wood, clean, minimal, intimate sillage that lingers close to the skin for the remaining hours.
Cultural impact
The My Looks collection represents Wolfgang Joop's fashion house, founded in Hamburg in 1986, extending into fragrance. JOOP! had built its presence through fashion and lifestyle products before adding scents to its portfolio. The wasabi note stands out as an unusual choice, lending the fragrance a sharp, clean quality that sets it apart from more conventional masculine scents. Rather than relying on expected masculine archetypes, the composition leans into unexpected aromatics that create tension and intrigue. The result feels assertive without aggression, modern without coldness, and distinctive without shouting for attention.
