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When shopping for a new cologne either for yourself or as a gift for someone else, a good place to start is by seeking out a list of the best selling colognes, in order to find something which already has a broad base of support. After all, if they’re are best sellers then they ought to smell at least somewhat good, right? Here is my updated page, keeping track of these fragrances.
How I assembled this List
I went through dozens of online retailers websites from around the globe, creating top 20 lists from their stock, sorting by top sellers.
Obviously, I don’t have sales data for each fragrance, so a lot of this is guess work and seeing repeating patterns. Plus, I do have lots of search information with this website in particular, that helps me have a deeper understanding of the market.
Also, there is the limitation based on what the criteria for each retailer’s sorting mechanism is. Is the top seller sorting based on sales from the past day or how many months back?
I also used dozens of websites in different regions, as some places like Sephora only carry certain brands. I chose sites from among discounters, mid-range retail shops, and high-end department stores. That way, there’s plenty of variety.
It’s not perfect, but this top 20 list is a pretty good representation of the top of the top sellers.
The only fragrance that I know for sure is the top seller in the world is Sauvage. LVMH has stated that to be a fact. That’s only because it is the first men’s fragrance to outsell all other women’s fragrances too.
There is a ton of overlap across sites, which is what gives me the top 20. But, I’ll share some fragrances here that were best sellers in their particular market space, that don’t make the main list.
At the discounter level, these colognes are still very popular:
In the UK and EU, there are some scents that hit the top 20 sellers in those regions, but not in the US…including:
- Terre d’Hermes
- Fahrenheit
- Boss Bottled
Now, the main list is strictly men’s colognes. Here are some of the top-selling unisex perfumes:
- Santal 33
- Another 13
- Myrrh and Tonka
- Baccarat Rouge 540
20 Best Selling Men’s Fragrances
Again, outside of the top spot, this isn’t really going to be in complete order. The second through the fifth or sixth spot, is probably pretty correct, but not necessarily in order. After that, there isn’t a ranking really, just colognes that make the cut.
I’ve combined many of the EDP, EDT, Parfum flankers into one main entry for these fragrances. That way it’s not just a repeating list of variations of the same colognes. So, it’s actually going to be more than 20 options.
Sauvage– The number one spot and a scent that is pretty ubiquitous at this point. The original EDT still gathers a lot of sales. However, the Eau de Parfum and Elixir versions are also consistently topping retailer bestsellers. So much so, that they’re just getting combined into this one spot on the list.
Elixir takes the Sauvage name in its own direction, still tied to the formulation in some ways, but smelling quite unique. The EDP is the best of the original set of flankers, in my opinion. I would go with that one versus the EDT any day of the week.
Bleu de Chanel– Bleu de Chanel doesn’t appear like it will ever lose its spot on this list. It’s tough to tell which version is the best seller, at this point, but I think it might be the EDP.
All of them are great in their own ways. The citrus and amber and spicy mix has become a staple. Clean and still beautiful to wear after all of these years. Very much worth a spot in anyone’s collection.
Eros– The Eros line is still going strong. I used to really love the initial release, among my old favorites. However, to me the lemon note in the EDT has gotten way more pronounced and it doesn’t smell the same, in my opinion. Plus, it’s not as powerful and long-lasting.
The original batches had a great blend of mint, vanilla, lemon, etc. It was fantastic. I’ve tried multiple minis and samples and never recapture that original magic. Though, it’s still worth it among the popular designer colognes, not to make it sound as if I hate Eros…I don’t.
The EDP, Parfum, and Flame have become top sellers themselves in various regions.
Aventus– Through no fault of its own (other than being a great fragrance), Creed Aventus has just become annoying to talk about.
The massive popularity has spawned dozens of knock offs and other colognes trying to steal elements of its style. The industry sure knows how to beat a trend to death. Nonetheless, the original remains a best seller even with its lofty price.
Y EDP– Well, the Y line is represented mostly by the EDP version. It is pretty much a bestseller across every website that features it. Y Le Parfum, has also crept up and is routinely in that 10-20 range, so it’s getting combined into one entry.
I have a bottle of EDP, that I do still wear. I was higher on this fragrance when it came out, but don’t enjoy it quite as often in my rotation. Le Parfum is actually a lot of people’s favorite from the line. I like it, though, it never was really my thing.
Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 6.7 Ounces
Chances are that you’ve smelled this wildly popular cologne before, even if you didn’t know about it. Acqua di Gio is a fantastic scent that is always among the top sellers.
The citrus, the sea notes, the florals. It’s such a balanced and well done fragrance. It’s easy to forget about as it’s been a staple for over 25 years now.
I grabbed samples of this a year or two ago to see how it still performed. The scent is still the great aroma, that I remember. The longevity has taken a hit. Now, it’s around 5-6 hours. Not amazing, but AdG is usually available at a fairly affordable price. Acqua Di Gio Review
Paco Rabanne 1 Million By Paco Rabanne For Men Edt Spray, 3.4 Ounce
The newer bottles don’t seem to be as powerful or as long lasting, as the original batches were. Nevertheless, it still is like 85% of what it once was.
The leather, rose, and citrus opening create a sweetish ‘grape bubble gum’ sort of aroma. This is mixed with spices and an enveloping warmth. The dry down is less of the sweet, more of the leathery amber and spice blend. I’m still a fan, even if it’s no longer a part of my rotation. 1 Million Review
1 Million Elixir– 1 Million Elixir was more of a surprise to me. I hadn’t realized how popular this flanker had become. But, it was consistently running near the top of websites from the USA and EU. We’ll see how long it lasts, but for 2023 it makes the cut.
It opens up with a crisp fruity kick of green apple. The blend underneath is a Damask rose, osmanthus, and davana. The rose is a lighter and sweeter variety. The dry down is mostly about the vanilla and tonka bean with everything else playing a bit role.
I enjoyed this one. It’s actually one of the better flankers from the 1 Million line, so maybe it will have some staying power. 1 Million Elixir review
Profondo– Another AdG fragrance and I’ll give this one it’s own spot on the list. This one is popular worldwide, but Profumo is up there in popularity in Europe.
This version is aquatic, fresh, and woody with a nice citrus opening act. Doesn’t have the smokiness of Profumo and is less of a salty sort of marine accord. Good balance and performer. Profondo Review
Dylan Blue– I get the popularity for this one. It’s not my favorite, by any stretch, but the opening has been something that I’ve enjoyed from time to time.
It is interesting that Dylan Blue Pour Homme is still the only men’s release from this line, even with immense and steady sales. The women’s line now stands at three fragrances.
Still, this is a nice option for younger guys who don’t want to overthink things.
The One by Dolce & Gabbana– This is one of my favorite colognes. Most people’s only gripe, is that it doesn’t last long enough. For me, if I spray enough, the longevity is fine (Eau de Parfum). But, you will have to spray more than you usually do with other fragrances.
The warmth, tobacco, sweetness, and spicy elements are all so fantastic. Get the EDP version, because the longevity of the EDT is actually terrible, and there’s no getting past it no matter how much you spray.
I’m glad I picked up another full bottle last year. Notes include: coriander, grapefruit, tobacco, cedar, orange blossom, and ginger among others. The One EDP Review
Versace Pour Homme (Signature)– This Versace scent is fairly unique in its composition of notes. It’s a blend of woodsy and floral scents such as jasmine and kashmir wood that make it a fragrance that stands out.
It’s still chugging along it seems. This was one of the colognes which was on the original 2014 era list. People stiil love it. Versace Review
Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana– Another great choice in the casual cologne market. Light Blue is a highly popular choice for both men and women for good reason, it’s light, subtle, and smells fantastic.
Light Blue is such an easy first cologne, as it is super versatile, and checks a lot of boxes as to what you’d want in a fragrance.
Eau Intense has especially gained in popularity over the years, too. I saw it pop up as a top seller across multiple sites. However, the original is still the higher ranked of the two. Even if Eau Intense is actually better. Light Blue Review
Gucci Guilty– Guilty is another one that has spawned almost countless iterations over the past decade-plus. The original EDT is still a very nice wear and fairly unique while being mass appealing.
A balanced lemon, pink pepper, and lavender note start things off. It’s a lighter cologne, floral with further touches of neroli and orange blossom. A bit sweet, somewhat woody, and overall pretty linear with its presentation.
Guilty EDT is extremely versatile and an easy all-around fragrance to start a collection with.
Born in Roma– I don’t get why this one has become so popular, maybe its comparisons. The series as a whole is kind of meh, but apparently sells better than the previous Valentino Uomo line that it sort of replaced as the flagship. Even though, that had way more beautiful colognes.
To me, it’s mid. The whole series just doesn’t do much to get me interested. This one in particular isn’t anything special. It has a strong resemblance to Invictus, but I think I like the Paco Rabanne more.
It does have it’s own soapier personality in the dry down. Even then, the mineral accord and violet leaf aren’t my favorite notes. Born in Roma review
Phantom– Another Paco Rabanne, another scent that I don’t much care for. Phantom has a nice enough start, but isn’t really great overall. Maybe people really like the bottle?
The start is a lemon zest, with a juicy and somewhat tropical undertone. It smells like a pineapple or maybe even a touch of mango. That is a brief experience. Then, it becomes a lavender dominated scent with earthy, woody, and herbal notes. Phantom Review
Invictus by Paco Rabanne– The sweet and youthful Invictus is perpetually among the top sellers in this past decade. It has spawned a ton of flanker fragrances to boot.
Invictus Victory is the most popular at the moment and is another cologne that I combined with its parent into one entry.
Victory smells more like the Pure XS line that Paco Rabanne came out with versus being another Invictus flanker. It’s sweet and boozy. The vanilla and amber notes really come through well in the dry down, almost producing a blend of chocolate and vanilla aromas.
Luna Rossa Ocean– A lot of the Prada Luna Rossa fragrances are in the mix. The newer Ocean appears to have secured a spot in the top 20, though.
This one is a mixed bag. I loved the opening act. I wish that they could have captured that and made it last for 8 hours. The problem is, it is short-lived and the back half of the fragrance while smelling nice, is very weak.
Suede, caramel, and tonka bean with a fresh bergamot citrus was a great idea. The rest of the execution, eh…Luna Rossa Ocean Review
Le Male Le Parfum– Following in the footsteps of the original Le Male and Ultra Male, Le Parfum is now the premier option from Gaultier.
Very nice with the appealing DNA of the original Le Male, especially coming from the lavender in the beginning. This is sort of an updated version of the classic.
It also gives you hints of Ultra Male, without the same powerful sillage (though, performance is still very good). Very warm with spicy punches throughout and wrapped up in that familiar JPG vanilla note.
The Most Wanted Parfum– From ‘The Wanted’ line The Most Wanted Parfum is now the best seller on most sites. I cannot really disagree with the demand for this cologne, as it is one of the two best from the series. The other is The Most Wanted EDP.
The opening ginger note is absolute fire. I love that spicy kick and the sweet toffee dry down is also great. Not very complicated scent, but a very good one all around.
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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.