Sourcs by wmagazine Courtesy of ARAMIS

Casual fans of Dwyane Wade, former Miami Heat point guard and now Utah Jazz co-owner, may not know that since retiring from the NBA in 2019, he’s become passionate about beauty and wellness. Alongside his partner of 11 years, actress Gabrielle Union, he’s discovered a passion for all things skincare: skincare, nail care, hair care, and, most importantly, self-care. “I’m sure some people will be surprised, and that’s a good thing,” Wade said of his recent shift, which includes becoming the global ambassador for Aramis’ Intuition fragrance. “I hope it sparks some curiosity about why this change is happening.” Fragrance has always been an integral part of Wade’s life, even if his foray into pedicures and serums was previously uncharted territory. “As a kid, you’re very impressionable. And I was impressed by my dad and my uncles when I was younger,” he says. “I saw them do this every time they were getting ready: Once they were fresh, they would spray themselves with cologne before going out. As a kid, I wore my dad’s cologne; it was way too strong for me at the time.” These days, Wade decides which scents he sprays, and Intuition is, naturally, at the top of his list. Below, the 43-year-old father of two shares how he discovered “manhood” through beauty routines, and the fragrance tradition he shares with his daughter Zaya Wade.

How often do you wear cologne?

It doesn’t matter if I do nothing, it doesn’t matter if I just watch the Bears on Sunday. I’m going to wear cologne every day of the week.

What types of perfumes do you prefer?

I need my perfume to accompany me throughout the day. When you put on certain perfumes, they stay there, in your nose, and you only smell that; you don’t smell anything else. I don’t like that. I generally opt for softer, fresher, or cleaner scents. You can put them on again and no longer smell like you’re working in a perfume shop.

Did you take Intuition with you when you went on your annual sailing holiday with your wife, Gabrielle?

Well, yes. When you go on vacation, you want to make sure you have everything you need. The last things I pack before leaving are my toiletries and my cologne. In my bathroom, I have a space reserved for all my cologne bottles. I choose the ones that match my outfits or the atmosphere of the place.

Sourcs by wmagazine Courtesy of ARAMIS

Is there a non-scented smell that you strangely love? Like the smell of gasoline at a gas station, for example…

Oh, absolutely not. I was just saying to my wife: we were talking about some of the ingredients in Intuition; one of my favorites is lavender. I love getting massages, so I always make sure the massage bed, my pillows, or the oil used are all lavender. It relaxes me, it calms me. And I love the benefits: stress is reduced. I like the sweetness of it, the gentleness of it, but not too sweet. It’s like what I drink. I don’t drink bitter things, I don’t like strong smells.

Would you say massages are your favorite form of self-care?

It was probably my favorite form of self-care before I understood all the other forms of self-care. As you grow up, you associate certain things with: what women do, and what men do. And as you get older, you become more confident, more assertive, more confident in your masculinity. Then you realize [women] have been cheating forever, and we were fucking with it. We just sat there, acting tough. I realized I really enjoyed it. It makes me feel good. So, I take great care of myself. I go to the hairdresser, I get facials. My grooming is impeccable, on point. I also want soft skin! Why can’t my skin be soft, why can’t I exfoliate?

Has your daughter, Zaya, taught you anything about beauty?

Well, she didn’t teach me beauty, first of all. She has to learn. We teach her. [Laughs] She’s 18 now, and it’s really cool to see Zaya adopt her own beauty routine and skincare. She loves perfumes. We organize gift dinners, we go to dinner together and give each other gifts. Most of the time, it’s different perfumes to try. We share that.

Interview by @wmag