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Stronger With You from Emporio Armani and The One by D&G are two of the more popular fragrances out there for men. With a somewhat similar style, they can often be the final two options that people are choosing between. However, which one actually smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy, in comparison?
Quick Overview
My Verdict
Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP is the better-smelling fragrance. Stronger With You wins projection and longevity, but The One EDP has the better opening and overall scent.
The performance issues are real, but they can be overstated. If I had to pick one based on smell, I would choose The One EDP.
Here’s an alternative to SWY that is cheaper, if you wanted to just get both: Stronger with Dua
| Category | Emporio Armani Stronger With You | Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Starts with cardamom, pink pepper, sage, and mint, with chestnut and vanilla underneath. It takes a while to reach its best stage. | Opens with grapefruit, cardamom, basil, coriander, amber, and tobacco. It starts strong and stays appealing. | The One EDP |
| Projection | Projects better and leaves a longer-lasting scent trail. It stays noticeable after The One has quieted down. | Creates a more intimate bubble and becomes softer faster than Stronger With You. | Stronger With You |
| Longevity | Lasts at least 9 hours and can reach around 11 hours. It is clearly the stronger performer. | Usually lasts 4-5 hours with normal sprays, or 6-8 hours with heavier application. | Stronger With You |
| Versatility | Best for autumn, winter, cooler spring or summer nights, romantic wear, nightlife, casual use, and semi-formal settings. | Also best for autumn, winter, cooler spring or summer nights, romantic wear, nightlife, casual use, and semi-formal settings. | Tie |
| Overall Scent | The dry down is nice when the chestnut and vanilla take over, but the opening is the weaker point. | One of the best smelling popular men’s fragrances, with warm amber, tobacco, spice, grapefruit, and smooth sweetness. | The One EDP |
Tale of the Tape: Stronger With You vs. The One EDP
The One EDP
Notes include: grapefruit, basil, coriander, amber, tobacco, ginger, cardamom, orange blossom, and cedar
Click here to try: The One EDP
My Full Review The One EDP
Stronger With You
Notes include: vanilla, mint, cardamom, chestnut, amber, pink pepper, sage, violet leaf
Click here to try: Emporio Armani Stronger With You for Men Eau de Toilette Spray, 1.7 oz
My Full Review: Stronger With You
Opening
Stronger with You gives me a blast of cardamom up top, along with its other fresh and spicier notes. Pink pepper, sage, and mint. These are the leaders early on.
The undercurrent to this is the chestnut and vanilla notes, which really take over a bit later, but still have enough of a presence to make a noticeable impact at this point.
The One EDP will start off very much like the EDT version, but with some amped up notes. The grapefruit here plays a big role, along with the spice notes of: cardamom, basil, and coriander. All of which are soaking in a sea of warm amber.
The tobacco is also here, with its presence felt from the very start, and it will increase its role as we move along in the wear.
Which is better? To me, Stronger With You takes a while to really get going and into its best period. The opening is the weakest point, sort of jumbled.
Meanwhile, The One starts out great and continues pace. As such, it takes this category.
Edge: The One
Projection
Following the initial spray, these two actually aren’t far off from one another. Stronger With You does have the better ability to project, but it isn’t by much. The scent trail is longer lasting and it’ll project further off of the skin.
The duration of the sillage is where the real separation comes in. The One is already the weaker scent, at the peak of each fragrance. But, it quiets down much faster too. It’ll create an intimate bubble, while Stronger With You is still powerful.
Edge: Stronger
Longevity
Stronger With You also pretty easily takes this part of the contest, as well. It’ll last at least 9 hours and can go somewhere around 11 or thereabouts. It’s a very good performing scent on skin.
With The One EDP, normal sprays will get me about 4-5 hours of wear. With heavy sprays, I can go 6+ hours and up to about 8.
Heavy spraying is the name of the game with The One. But, doing so will get you fairly close to the Armani…Stronger still wins, however.
Edge: Stronger
Versatility
As far as when and how each should be worn, they’re basically the same.
Seasonally, autumn and winter, mainly. But, I will still wear them in spring and summer, if it isn’t too hot and humid. Though, it is mostly an indoor only option with air conditioning going.
You can wear them in a variety of situations, appropriate for a wide array of ages, but skew younger while not being something only teenagers can wear.
Romantic wear, nightlife, casual, and semi-formal.
Edge: Push
Overall Scent
So, overall, which one of these fragrances to I prefer?
I’m not a huge fan of Stronger With You EDT. The opening act, isn’t all that great, in my opinion. However, the dry down when the chestnut and vanilla get to shine is actually very nice.
In terms of performance, it is for sure at least a notch above The One. Has better sillage for longer and even when the are both in their lighter stages, Stronger just keeps going on.
But, in terms of smell and which one I actually own, it’s The One EDP. Any performance problems, while not being without some truth, are pretty overblown. I wear it often, no real issues on that front.
Frankly, The One is among the best smelling of the best sellers in the men’s fragrance space and the one I’m going with here.
Stronger With You Intensely or Absolutely would have a better case here, but even then, I still like the Dolce fragrance more. That being said, if you’re leaning towards Stronger, I’d get Intensely (I prefer this one) or Absolutely before the EDT original.
Again, The Dua Brand has their own inexpensive take on this style of scent called: Stronger with Dua
Winner: The One
Who Should Buy Emporio Armani Stronger With You?
Buy Stronger With You if performance matters most. It projects better, lasts much longer, and has a nice chestnut and vanilla dry down. It is best for guys who want a sweet, warm, youthful fragrance for dates, nights out, autumn, winter, and cooler weather.
Who Should Buy Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP?
Buy The One EDP if you care more about scent quality than raw performance. It has a smoother and more attractive blend of grapefruit, amber, tobacco, cardamom, basil, coriander, and warm spice. It is best for romantic wear, nights out, casual use, semi-formal settings, and close encounters.
FAQ: The One or SWY
Does Stronger With You last longer than The One EDP?
Yes. Stronger With You can last at least 9 hours and sometimes around 11 hours. The One EDP usually lasts 4-5 hours with normal sprays, or 6-8 hours with heavier spraying.
Does Stronger With You project better than The One EDP?
Yes. Stronger With You projects better and leaves a longer-lasting scent trail. The One EDP is more intimate and becomes softer faster.
Which one smells better?
The One EDP smells better overall. Stronger With You has a nice dry down, but The One EDP has the better opening and more attractive scent profile.
Is The One EDP good for dates?
Yes. The One EDP is excellent for dates because it is warm, smooth, spicy, slightly sweet, and intimate. Its softer projection can actually work well in close settings.
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Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!