Meet Garrett Pike

When I received my first straight shave at Martial Vivot Salon I met Garrett Pike. While he attended to me, we had a pleasant chat where I learned he was a fragrance enthusiast. We exchanged thoughts on different scents and he even turned me on to a few I hadn’t yet sampled. What struck me about GP was he quiet confidence. He knows his craft and his attention to detail makes you feel you’re in good hands. When I met him recently for a chat, he dropped a bomb on me but more on that when he’s ready.

How did you get into being a barber?
I played golf through out high school and college so I started out by cutting the hair of the guys on my team. My brother is also a hair stylist, and watching him do it looked like the best job ever, so I made the decision to go to beauty school.

You deal with a lot of men. If you had to recommend one grooming tip to men, what would it be?
The grooming tip is tough because there are so many. On the street I see a lot of guys with way too much product in their hair. Less is more, start with a pea size amount, and if you need more simply add more.

What’s your earliest recollection of fragrance?
My first memory of fragrance would have to be the polo cologne in the green bottle. My dad would spray it on before he would go to church, and I always thought it was such a masculine scent.

What fragrances are currently in your rotation?
Right now I have 3 scents in rotation – Gypsy Water and Fantastic Man by Byredo, which I think are great everyday scents for spring. The other is Leather Oud by Dior. Being a barber I always like having a very manly scent in my rotation and Dior cuts the leather oud smell with a little cedar and sandalwood so its has a great balance for me.

How often do you go out looking for something new? What specifically do you look for?
I try to go looking for scents every season. I am looking for something that makes me interested. So many times I smell perfumes, and the first thing I think is, “that smells like…” and its something that I’ve smelled before. When I smell something and its completely new to my nose, or its something classic that has been reinvented better, that is what I buy.

Have you ever purchased the same fragrance more than once? If so, what was it and what about it made it worthy of a repeat buy?
The only scent I’ve bought twice is Sel Marine by Heeley. It’s my favorite marine scent and it’s one of the few that doesn’t smell like Cool Water. Its like leaving the beach.

How would you finish this statement. “My most memorable fragrant moment would be…?
My most fragrant memory I have is from boarding school. I went to a hundred year old boarding school in Virginia and the campus was surrounded by old oaks, magnolia, and pine trees. The smell would change every season, like the trees were taking turns being the base, heart, and top notes.

Thanks GP.