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Going to your classes in college, you won’t necessarily see too many well-dressed and stylish people. Many times, in fact, there will be plenty of people rocking sweats and baseball caps. If you’re one of those people who wants to buck that trend or you want to simply smell great at a house party, investing in the right cologne can go a long way to making sure you make a good impression.
Fragrances are designed to fit different lifestyles and personalities and a good college cologne should match with the circumstances you’ll find yourself in or what you own style is. What is the best cologne for college students? Well, there isn’t one definite answer as it depends on your own tastes. However, with this post I want to present you with some great options that should have you covered no matter who you are or who you’re buying for.
What are the Best Smelling Scents for College Men?
Note: I’m not getting into the super inexpensive options in this post. Here is my list of cheaper buys for all age ranges.
Invictus Flanker
Invictus Legend– The original Invictus is still a best seller. To me, that scent is okay, but if you want something similar but better…go with Legend. Intense is also an option, but that might be too boozy for most guys.
Legend is closer to Intense than the original but with a more aquatic and fruity profile. Thus, making it easier to wear on a day to day basis.
It starts off with those marine notes, amber, and grapefruit. An interesting addition to this version of Invictus, is a metallic note sort of like in Azzaro Chrome. You get the usual sweetness of Invictus and the bay leaf undertones.
Warm amber, slight spice, woodiness, and that metal note make up the base. Legend is a very powerful scent and can hit double digit hours of wear. Invictus Legend Full Review
New Take on an Old Classic
Acqua di Gio Profondo– The original AdG has been a staple for around 25 years or so. However, it is past its prime and doesn’t deliver the same quality (here are cheaper alternatives to the original).
The good news is that Armani, has put out two flanker versions of this scent that are much better than the original, in my opinion. Profondo and Profumo. I’m listing Profondo as the better option for college guys, as it has a brighter and bluer aquatic profile, and is a complement getter.
Profumo is great and one that I really enjoy wearing in summer. If you want a darker, deeper scent, with more intensity and incense smokiness…go with that. Profondo gives you citrus, aquatic freshness, with a woody and herbal base.
Simple and Versatile Prada
Luna Rossa by Prada– Luna Rossa is a very simple fragrance, but also smells wonderful. It has spawned a number of flanker fragrances. I could also go with Sport, here. That one, doesn’t have as good of performance as it should, though.
This is a super fresh and clean sort of scent. Luna Rossa kicks off with citrus and spearmint, being the two main attractions. It is very upbeat and the mix is joined by lavender and sage, the latter giving it an extra kick.
This one settles down into a blend of lavender, mint, and some remaining citrus. A unique sort of smell, that keeps it simple, but excels at everything. Prada Luna Rossa Review
The Explorer
MONTBLANC Explorer Eau de Parfum, 3.3 fl. oz.
Explorer starts off with a very nice bergamot citrus that gets paired with the fresh spices, pink pepper and sage. Underneath that, sit cacao and leather. It will become bright, fresh, and very smooth to wear.
Explorer is very versatile and easy to wear. It doesn’t have monster sillage, but it does have a good ability to project itself. Plus, a 6-8 hour lifespan, on the skin. This is a good choice for an all-around crowd pleaser. Explorer Review
The Better Sauvage
Sauvage EDP by Dior– I know that it is still the best seller, but my opinion of the original Sauvage, has only declined with the hype. It was never very high to begin with. Nonetheless, I was really surprised by how good the eau de parfum version of Sauvage was. It blows away its predecessor.
From the opening spray, EDP is so much smoother and doesn’t have the same sharpness as the EDT. You get the ambroxan amped up, with the citrus and Sichuan pepper toned down. That, is no longer a heavy spice and is joined by anise and nutmeg, giving this version a better balance.
With the changes in the formula, the citrus is fresh and juicy, as it should be. The longevity here is amazing, and honestly, one of the best from the more popular designers. Sauvage eau de parfum is the best, from that line, with Parfum being second. (Update: Elixir is the best now, but quite pricy). Sauvage EDP Full Review
Sweet Red Spice
Spicebomb Infrared EDT– This newer edition of Spicebomb is a great choice for men in their early 20s. It takes parts of the familiar Spicebomb DNA and infuses it with a blast of reddish notes. Red berry oil, cinnamon, and peppers.
The result is a sweet, warm, intense spice up top. Then, Infrared will become a fresher sort of spicy cologne, with tobacco, and that great fruitiness from the red berry notes.
One could go with the Night Vision series from this line, but Infrared is much more appealing and my opinion and delivers a good performance without being overwhelming. Spicebomb Infrared Review
Powdery Clean with Spice
Burberry Brit– Burberry Brit is a very smooth, green, powdery, and slightly spicy scent. It’s one of my favorite from Burberry, the other being London, but this one is a bit more versatile. If you want a woodsy/tobacco scent, go with London.
It opens up with a blend of ginger, nutmeg, and tonka bean. Underneath this, is a nice bit of citrus, that really only hangs around for the start. It has some sharpness in the beginning and more of an outdoorsy aroma.
Then, the wild roses kick in but they balance quite well with the ginger note and tonka bean. This combines to create the powdery finish. Solid performance. Burberry Brit Full Review
Classic, Well-Loved, Affordable
Jean Paul Gaultier– Le Male by JPG has been a super popular fragrance for younger guys since the 1990s. I actually prefer the discontinued release, Ultra Male, to this. However, this one is much more suitable for daily wear outside of the nightlife. It doesn’t have the same level of power that it once did, but Le Male is still pretty good in terms of performance.
It opens up with vanilla, mint, and cinnamon. A sweet and spicy blend with a bit of citrus and plenty of intensity. The fragrance will settle down into something warmer, cleaner, with some underlying creaminess.
Vanilla, lavender, and mint will lead the way. Under that is woods, amber, and some smooth tonka bean. Le Male is super easy to wear and gives you a fresh option for daily wear. My Review of Le Male
Fresh, Herbal, Aquatic Polo
Polo Deep Blue- I like this newer release from the Polo lineup. I’ve never been a huge fan of Polo Blue, but this or the EDP are the best options. Deep Blue adds a very similar mango note to the opening, as found in Polo Black.
For a younger man, I’d go with Deep Blue or Polo Black. The mango here is paired initially, with what the brand calls ‘deep aquatic accord’, which provides a bit of a salty oceanic sort of aroma. It’s not a super heavy addition, but it is a great touch.
This is a fresh and moderately aquatic cologne. The second stage comes with the herbal and woody notes, mainly, sage and cypress. My only complaint, is that it finishes smelling like the other Polo Blue offerings, but with more ambroxan. It’s still good, but I like the first half best. Deep Blue Review
Bright, Clean, Attractive
Gucci Guilty Black– This is probably the best of the Gucci Guilty line of scents. I rank it slightly ahead of Guilty Intense. Black, is a very clean and well-balanced scent, that offers notes of coriander, lavender, and orange flower as the main attractions.
Up top, you get a bit of a citrus aroma from the neroli and a nice cedar wood in the base. However, it blends together and it can be difficult to pick out the individual notes, but the result is a very attractive and versatile cologne for guys.
Not a huge powerhouse, but Guilty Black has very good longevity and can be worn in a variety of situations. Plus, it is a rather unique scent that stands out from the crowd. Gucci Guilty Black Review
The Best and Most Wanted
Azzaro The Most Wanted Eau de Parfum Intense | Cologne for Men 1.7 fl oz– This is the most recent release from the Wanted line by Azzaro here in 2021…and it is absolutely the best one.
The warmth and slight spiciness of the cardamom notes comes through early. But, it also has a lemony sort of scent to it as well, giving a nod to the first edition of Wanted. It has a bit of fruitiness, but more of a fresh spice and great sweetness provided by caramel.
It’s a tug of war between sweet and spice and a balsamic finish. Really good performance with this one and a fragrance that is an awesome choice for this demographic. The Most Wanted Review
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Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.