Lucky You for Men by Lucky Brand

I’ve done literally hundreds of fragrance reviews on this site from the very expensive to the completely cheap. It can be tough to compare the top shelf stuff to the inexpensive wearers because frankly they’re not the same thing. As such, I tend to grade the inexpensive colognes on a different scale, so to speak.

They are there for everyday wear, to smell good, and to have decent enough performance…if they pass those hurdles and it fits your style, then they are usually a decent buy because you don’t have to break the bank to acquire them.

Today I’d like to take a closer look at Lucky You under the Lucky Brand label and under the Liz Claiborne umbrella, which is usually available for under $15 a bottle.

What does Lucky You Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: tamarind, bamboo, cardamom, cotton flower, musk, sandalwood

Click here to try: Lucky You Lucky Brand Cologne Spray 3.4 Oz For Men

My Full Review

During the opening of Lucky You, I really have a hard time detecting exactly what the notes are supposed to be.  It’s green, fresh, somewhat soapy, and has its own distinct aroma. Looking at the ingredients, I can tell why it can be difficult, as most of those notes aren’t everyday smells.

After a few minutes, I definitely start getting the musk note, which isn’t heavy but does give this cologne some character. The opening does come on pretty strong, even if Lucky You is overall pretty mild.

There’s really green almost grassy note supported by a base of various woods, which while making it interesting, might scare some folks off initially.

Since this is a Liz Claiborne creation, I compare it to scents such as Curve or Bora Bora or Mambo.  Out of the four, Curve is still the best smelling, in my mind.

However, I think I’d put Lucky You as a secondary candidate, it has its own unique thing going on while still being attractive. It isn’t any type of grand creation that will blow you away, it’s pretty synthetic smelling, but there is a definite appeal here.

The fragrance itself is rather simple and straightforward. Most of the development, is one note gaining strength while another fades. For instance, more musk early on, with a grassier/floral disposition later on. It loses some of that soapy clean quality, while still remaining totally fresh.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Lucky You isn’t strong outside of the first few minutes. Also, the longevity is pretty weak also, one will need more sprays than usual to get anything more than a few hours with this.

However, if you do over-spray, it’ll go for 4-6 hours, mostly as a skin scent. If you’re wearing a t-shirt you don’t care much about preserving, it can spray on fabric and last a decent amount of time. Still not a workhorse.

It’s best served as a casual fragrance for younger guys (think teens to mid 20s) and since it is so inexpensive, it fits naturally into that demographic. This isn’t a date night or club wear, though…it’s an everyday, casual school/work type of scent.

Lucky You is a nice little change of pace from the usual fare, in the spring and summertime. It wears very well in the warmer weather, without having an aquatic or super citrus vibe like others.

Overall Impression of Lucky You

Overall, is Lucky You worth a buy? If you fit into the demographic and need something really inexpensive to wear on a daily basis, I might give it a try. It doesn’t really fit with me so I’ll pass.

I also think that there are much better smelling scent for cheap (as I’ve documented here and here) but I won’t say this is a bad buy. Lucky You is pretty good, although it’s longevity leaves much to be desired.

But again, it costs like $10-12 per bottle usually, so I can’t complain too much about performance. It’s a nice smelling starter cologne for those on a tight budget. If you can afford more, definitely go with something else. Even if you can’t, there are still yet more options.

Best Men's Colognes

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.