Best Men's Colognes

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 test out and 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!

9 Best Escada Perfumes for Her

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Escada is a fashion house that is absolutely prolific in the women’s fragrance sector. They have released dozens of perfumes over the past 3-4 decades and as such it can be hard to narrow down the best of the bunch.

In this post, I am going to present nine of what I consider to be the top smelling fragrances from the brand. I’ll try to keep it updated over time, in order to bring in newer scents, and move off of the ones that are discontinued.

What are the Best Pefumes by Escada?

Sweet and Attractive

Escada Magnetism By Escada For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5 Ounces– Sweetness of fruits such as berries, other fruits, and some rich gourmand undertones blend with some light spices and green notes to create a sexy and intoxicating fragrance.

Sensual, strong, long lasting. Magnetism is a sweet perfume with vanilla and caramel notes, but also is lined with basil and other green outdoorsy notes, to create a unique balance.

The dry down gives off the aroma of berries, light vanilla/caramel, and a powdered smell. Magnetism has really good performance, without being too overpowering.

Candy without the Tropics

Candy Love– A lot of the Escada fragrances, really go heavy on the tropical fruity notes and/or flowers. Candy Love does have fruits, but it is much more of a gourmand candy perfume than others on the list.

It has an apple note up top (and also berries it smells like), with a base of vanilla and whipped cream. A bit crisp and fresh, with a light rose note included. But, this one is about the fruity sweetness with a creamy finish.

Very cute and has more of an innocent vibe than something like Rockin’ Rio. Pretty simple and more along the lines of a teen perfume, but still quite nice. The vanilla and whipped cream dry down, especially.

Flor del Tequila

Flor del Sol by Escada– Up top, you get tequila. A strong shot mixed with orange and grenadine notes, which give it a fruity aroma, that will also be plenty powerful. It’s crisp and boozy, almost a melon-like aroma, but just not quite.

The middle features a dahlia floral note, which doesn’t strike me as being all that dominant, ever in the mix. It’s there adding a different sort of sweetness versus the fruitiness, but didn’t seem massive.

It’s a sweet, energetic, somewhat bitter, and fun perfume to wear. Flor del Sol is mostly straightforward and linear in its development, but as another summer wear option, I like it.

Flirty Party Scent

Escada 100 Ml EDT Spray, Rockin Rio, 3.3 Fl Oz– Citrus and floral notes that give Rockin’ Rio a very tropical feel as the name would indicate. Pineapple, pina coloda, sugar cane, tangerine, and papaya are the highlights.

Rockin’ Rio is a fantastically delicious summertime scent, with an upbeat and sunny aroma.

This is the kind of perfume that you would wear casually to a party or outdoor event, not an office or close quartered environment.

Rockin’ Rio has a very large sillage with plenty of pineapple, papaya, and a sugar note running throughout. Probably best for younger ladies, who want a fun and flirty scent.

Tropical Fruits and Florals 

Miami Blossom– This one opens up with a juicy mix of watermelon and pineapple. It’s more sweet than it is sharp or tart. Very fresh fruitiness with berry undertones.

The beginning is super tropical with those fruits, along with jasmine and tiare flower. The fruits will lose some of their steam and the floral notes will take over to finish, with a bit of woodiness/musk in the base of the fragrance.

But, the floral notes won’t be the main attraction here. The pineapple seems to fade away more so than the watermelon, which is interesting.

Really bubbly and fruity, great for summer, not overpowering or too sugary. Casual wear that has a great energy to it for the hotter days.

Mango Based Goodness

Escada Taj Sunset by Escada for Women 3.3 oz Eau De Toilette Spray Another sweet tropical fruit based perfume but this one is softer and more mellow than Rockin’rio with a anchor of mango.

The mango is buoyed by citrus and a base note of sandalwood. It is a very fruity fragrance, but a more discrete, and mature one when compared to the one above.

This one has some good sillage and the longevity is also better than average. The orange note is pretty noticeable at first, before it becomes more of a mango show.

Fruit Blend with Jasmine/Freesia

ESCADA MOON SPARKLE by Escada EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ– Has a youthful and sort of girly air to it. Moon Sparkle is a moderate and sweet scent that isn’t a tropical fruit fragrance. You get apple and strawberry with floral notes of freesia and jasmine.

Strawberry is paired with a bit of a sharp black currant note at the top and the fruit notes later drop off some. There also is a peach note or just the aroma, which comes in more during the dry down.

Overall, Moon Sparkle is sweet, with very good performance. This is somewhat like Miami Blossom, so that could be an alternative, if this is no longer available.

Tropical Drink with Hibiscus 

Sunset Heat-Another moderate and sweet scent for the summertime. Similar makeup to Taj Sunset, but this one dries down with a hibiscus note, that takes over the composition to an extent.

At the top, you get the mango and pineapple, as the strongest fruit notes. It’s rather like a drink, with a juicy/nectar quality to how Sunset Heat smells. This is definitely one of their better tropical sort of perfumes. There is a nice coconut, that furthers that beach drink kind of aroma.

Pineapple seems to be the note that wins out, in terms of strength, by the end. Earlier, it is much more of a mix.

Update: This is one that seems to be difficult to find around nowadays. I wouldn’t overpay, if you happen upon a bottle of Sunset Heat.

A Balanced Berry Blend

Escada Sexy Graffiti (Limited Edition) Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounce– A lighter to moderate and sweet affair that is highlighted by strawberry, raspberry, violet, vanilla, and grapefruit. Yes, Sexy Graffiti is alluring, while the others on the list are more of an edible fruity mix.

The raspberry and strawberry have a similar quality to the other perfumes on the list, but when it dries down the violet, vanilla, and cashmere notes really come into their own.

It can be harder to come by a bottle of this nowadays, but it is still available.

Y EDT vs Eau Fraiche Comparison

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Y EDT has spawned four other flanker cologne since its release a few years back. One of them, was last year’s Y Eau Fraiche. A lighter and fresh take on the Y DNA. Which one of these fragrances is better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy? I’ve worn and reviewed both and share my thoughts on the head to head in this post.

Tale of the Tape: Y EDP vs EDT

Y EDT

Notes include: bergamot, ginger, aldehydes, violet leaf, geranium, sage, cedar, musk, incense, ambergris, fir

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau De Toilette Spray 100ml/3.3oz

Read my original Review: Y EDT

Y Eau Fraiche

Notes include: lemon, pepper, ginger, mint, juniper, lavender, geranium, and cedar

My Review: Y Eau Fraiche

Opening

Update: YSL released an updated version of Y EDT in 2022. It’s slightly different from the original released in 2017. This post is about the original 2017 version. Everything still basically applies, however.

Y EDT opens up with a cool and crisp aroma. There is a light bergamot note, along with aldehydes, which gives the EDT a bright and sunny disposition. Underneath that, is violet leaf, ginger, and a light ambergris. It is a very good smell, light, and clean.

Eau Fraiche shares lots of overlap with EDT. It has the lemon, ginger, and mint. However, it also does away with plenty of the other notes. It’s actually cleaner, fresher, and has a bit of a spicier kick with the black pepper note.

While they are somewhat similar at the start, there is enough distinction between them in the early stages? Which do I prefer? I like Eau Fraiche. It’s got a cold vibe and really comes across great in the warmer weather.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Projection

Y EDT has a moderate sillage for much of the wear. Noticeable, but not heavy or a super projecting monster. It does settle much lighter, however.

Eau Fraiche is the weaker concentration and so never hits the same level of power as EDT. It’s a lighter summer wear, but actually is pretty good for this sort of scent. Just not to the same level as its competitor.

Edge: Y EDT

Longevity

With EDT, I pretty consistently get 7 hours of wear. Not spectacular, but passable. Eau Fraiche on the other hand, gets me 6 consistently and 7 on occasion. Again, the scent won’t be as powerful, but it almost keeps pace with the original.

Edge: EDT

Versatility

Y Eau Fraiche is a rather limited fragrance. It’s built for late spring/summer and is best worn during the daytime. That’s what it’s built for.

Y EDT is more of an all around daily wear, that can venture into pretty much any season, and many situations.

Edge: Y EDT

Overall Scent

So, with Y EDT having better performance and versatility it is going to be the winner, right? For me? Not exactly.

Point blank, I like the way Eau Fraiche smells more so than EDT. Yes, the end up quite similar, especially in the latter stages. However, I really like that cold lemon and summertime vibe. I wore Eau Fraiche at the beach and it worked very well.

Sure, it’s got a limited use case, but it’s just a better scent. In fact, EDT is my least favorite of the Y lineup.

That’s not to say that it is a bad fragrance, it isn’t. Though, it isn’t spectacular either. If you need an all around cologne, you could do worse. And if you’re in that situation and choosing between these two, go with EDT.

The better scent is Eau Fraiche.

Winner: Eau Fraiche

9 Best Gardenia Scented Perfumes for Women

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Gardenia is a fairly popular ingredient in many women’s perfumes. This white floral is both distinct in its aroma and well-loved by folks around the world. It often gets paired with tuberose and assorted greenish notes, but my list, will not be strictly limited to those types.

In the end, I have selected 9 ladies’ perfumes, which I consider to be the best gardenia scented fragrances on the market. Obviously, this is opinion, and there are plenty of other great ones but I wanted to keep things concise.

What are the Best Smelling Gardenia Perfumes?

Creamy Gardenia and Tuberose

Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion By Annick Goutal For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 oz– Creamy smooth scent with the gardenia flanked by jasmine and tuberose. Gardenia Passion does have a noticeable orange blossom, in the mix, and this is a big time floral perfume.

It dries down with a bit of a greenish aroma, like plant stems, to go along with the flower petals.

It’s getting harder to come by a bottle, but it is still affordable, when you do. It’s got enough of an earthy edge to keep things interesting. Update: Yeah, it’s got very sparse availability nowadays.

Realistic Gardenia Scent

Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia 1 oz Eau de Parfum Spray Fragrance for Women– A very good entry from the Estee Lauder Private collection, it is of course highlighted, by the two namesake notes.

They sit at the top and dominate the fragrance, but the background players are actually quite noticeable in this one.

Rosewood, carnation, and some lilac play their parts and move in and out of the scent during the wear.

The gardenia is stronger than the tuberose, for the most part, but the tuberose does have its moments in the lead. Nice sweetness and a very lifelike gardenia note.

Armani Antigua

Gardenia Antigua by Armani– This is my newer addition to the list and one that I liked quite a bit when I smelled it. I don’t think it was massively popular since its release, but Antigua is worth checking out.

Gardenia Antigua is a sophisticated and classic use of gardenia. Light and gorgeous with a musky undertone throughout the wear.

Neroli and mandarin give it a touch of a citrusy aroma with ylang-ylang and jasmine providing the further floral backup of our target note.

Bright with enough sweetness to keep things delightful. It is apart of the more expensive Armani Prive line. So, it might not be a blind buy for everyone. Though, Antigua is a perfume that gardenia lovers should try to smell.

Gardenia and Fruit Blend

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci Eau de Toilette Spray 3.3oz for women– So, this Gucci is a change of pace on the list, as it isn’t a ‘pure’ floral gardenia. Instead, it also incorporate fruit notes such as berries and pear, to give the perfume a different dynamic.

Nonetheless, it is a supremely fresh fragrance, with sweet fruits and a clean aroma. The opening is the pear blossom, citrus/berries, and brown sugar. Freshness rather than some massive overpowering sugar bomb.

Frangipani also has a prominent role as the main floral attraction early on. But, the gardenia will then come much more into play, and become the focal point.

It dries down more floral than fruity, but that opening blend, is quite good and well worth a try.  Gorgeous Gardenia Review

Dewy Gardenia Perfume

Gardenia by Elizabeth Taylor for Women, Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3-Ounce– An inexpensive option with more of a green aroma, than just entirely, flower petals. Gardenia by Elizabeth Taylor is a bold option that includes lily-of-the-valley and a dewy fresh scent.

It can start off strong, but moves quickly into a lighter scent, but with a great all day longevity. Dries down with musk to go along with the lily and gardenia. A good one to pick up, without having to spend much.

This one has more of an overall flower garden fragrance, like after a light rain, versus just being a collection of petals.

Popular Fresh Fragrance

Kai Eau De Parfum– Fairly straightforward, very feminine, and super gorgeous gardenia based perfume. Yes, there are other floral notes, which play the background, and create a bouquet effect. However, the gardenia note is in full bloom with Kai.

It is a very natural and classic sort of ladies scent, definitely one for the gardenia lovers. Kai has a fairly green profile, but with a airiness, to the entire composition.

best gardenia perfumes

Luxury Gardenia Scent

Creed Fleurs de Gardenia Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 2.5 Ounce– A higher end option from a designer known for using choice ingredients, in their fragrances. Gardenia is joined by lily and peony, for a floral based scent, but one that is different from the others listed.

Underneath that, is hints or rose and musk, and some pink pepper. Fleurs de Gardenia is a fresh bouquet with plenty of interesting earthy and green undertones throughout.

This is somewhat like the Elizabeth Taylor scent, listed above. This one has that musk note, however, and more of a soapy vibe.

Inexpensive Tropical Gardenia

Jovan Island Gardenia For Women Cologne Spray 1.5 Ounce– Another cheapie, but a very good gardenia scented fragrance.

Island Gardenia is a bit of a tropical take on this style of perfume, with light notes of peach and coconut, at the top.

The gardenia is joined by tuberose and features a creamy smooth finish with a bit of vanilla. Not too heavy, but a fantastic deal at the price, for those who love this ingredient.

Classic Style Fragrance

Penhaligon’s Gardenia Eau de Toilette, 3.4 fl. oz.– A soft and sweet blend of gardenia and tuberose, this one is a classic that has been around for ages. At times, it is green or sweeter, but it always ends with white flowers taking back control.

Other floral notes dance under the main attractions, providing bursts of lovely smelling petals, with that sweet attractive ambiance that the entire thing provides.

Very solid performance and just a wonderful all around wear. This one can be super pricey, just FYI.

Explorer Ultra Blue by Montblanc

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Explorer Ultra Blue is the follow up to the very popular Explorer from Montblanc. It was released in 2021, but I grabbed a sample more recently to test it out and see if it was actually worthwhile. How does Ultra Blue Smell? Does it last long? Is it better than the original Explorer?

What does Explorer Ultra Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: pink pepper, bergamot, sea notes, fruits, ambergris, wood, patchouli, leather

Click here to try: Explorer Ultra Blue

My Full Review

Here’s how Mont Blanc describes it: Explorer Ultra Blue celebrates the Blue found throughout nature. Intense, infinite, and fresh, the eau de parfum reveals a citrus woody marine fragrance. Embark on an epic journey.

The opening of Ultra Blue doesn’t come across like the original Explorer. Actually, the opening of this fragrance is a lot like Light Blue Living Stromboli with how it smells.

Citrus, pink pepper, aquatic notes, and vetiver are the overlaps between them. This one starts out blended more, with a less intense use of the pink pepper (heavily featured in the D&G cologne).

After about ten minutes, this will separate away from that comparison, and more towards being its own thing.

Ultra Blue does have its own overlap with the original Explorer, but the smell is different. Notes shared, include: bergamot, pink pepper, leather, vetiver, amber. Different weightings and you replace the cacao with sea notes (which is simply going to be different).

It’s fresh, with a hint of citrus, a salty marine accord, and woods. Actually, some smoothness in there from a touch of leather.

That’s my dry down. A light amber, mixing with a mix of the marine, woods, and some leather. Not super deep or complicated.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The first hour or so does have a nice punch to it. It’ll extend out to about a seven-ish foot radius from where you sprayed, at its peak. By the end of that hour, it’s come closer to the three foot range.

So, Explorer Ultra Blue does pretty quickly dissipate with its power and ability to leave a scent trail. Not a heavy scent, that’ll bog down on you. At it’s height, it does have a substantial heft for a fresh aquatic.

The longevity here isn’t all that great. It’s okay, on my skin, in the 5-6 hour range in total. The last couple of hours are pretty light and skin scent level.

Seasonally, this is a cologne that is more for the spring and summer months. But, honestly, I’d be fine with it anytime other than when it is really cold out. That fresh bite, might be too much.

It’s a clean and fresh daily wear. Not very formal, romantic, or a club beast. It’s one that you can wear to work (at most jobs), casually, or at school if you’re a student.

Ultra Blue is pleasant and probably not ever going to offend anyone.

Overall Impressions of Explorer Ultra Blue

Overall, do I like this cologne? It’s okay. I don’t hate it, but I’m sure that I’ll forget about this one in a short amount of time.

Ultra Blue isn’t unpleasant, but there’s not much going on here that really grabs my attention. The aquatic accord is pretty nice, the citrus isn’t that strong, and all of the other notes kind of end up blending together.

If you want an easy blue aquatic with a relatively pleasant woody base…this could fit the bill. Though, I’d want a massive discount for it. Ultra Blue is very serviceable, though never spectacular.

I do have a full bottle of Living Stromboli, which I purchased for review, and has a comparable opening. I prefer that Light Blue flanker to this and that was never cologne that I particularly loved.

Everything here is just fine. Smell is just fine, performance, quality, etc. The original had its somewhat different take on the Aventus style. Yet, it is a much better fragrance than this more unique Ultra Blue flanker.

Safanad by Parfums de Marly

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Today’s review is going to be of Safanad by Parfums de Marly. Now, I still have three or so fragrances from this house to do a write up on, from the samples I received a few months back. I’ve tried them all out, just need to organize my thoughts and post them on here.

Anyway, Safanad is our target for the moment. This PdM perfume was released in 2013. As usual, I will cover: what’s inside, how does it smell, develop, perform, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Safanad by PdM Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, sandalwood, vanilla, pear, ylang ylang, iris, orange, and amber

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Safanad for women Eau de Parfum 2.5 Oz./75 ml

Before we start let’s see how Parfums de Marly describes this perfume: Safanad “the Pure” Arabian breed, is personified through this Orange blossom note, leading to white flower bouquet, settling in a very sensual oriental base of sandalwood and vanilla.

My Full Review

So, the opening blast from Safanad is led by the orange blossom note and is flanked by ylang ylang and that familiar aroma of iris. It’s quite floral and does produce that bouquet effect that Parfums de Marly described it as.

The composition is dominated by the orange blossom, however, and the vanilla note emerges with is own sweetness to go along with the other floral notes. I do get a bit more of the iris than the ylang-ylang, but neither is particularly massive within the mix.

I’ve seen some other reviewers say that they get a lot of the ylang-ylang, but on my skin, it’s much less potent for whatever reason.

As it moves along, I do indeed pick up on a pear note in Safanad, it’s really not my favorite ingredient by any means but it is nice here. It’s there at the start, but gets overshadowed in my opinion, until things settle. A good little sparkle, but that’s about it.

About half an hour or so into the wear, it becomes a creamier sort of scent, with the iris and vanilla notes wrapped up in a warm and embracing amber.

It’s very well done and held together by the sandalwood base note. I’m not exactly sure what it is in this fragrance, but there is a very slight boozy element to Safanad, if I’m really paying attention. Can’t quite put put my finger on what is creating that vibe.

At the end, I get plenty of amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and orange blossom. Those are the notes that make it through and form the last dry down period.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Safanad has a moderate to strong sillage. I don’t find it overpowering, but wouldn’t want to go nuts with the sprays either. It’s exactly what it should be, not too powerful, but not wholly weak.

The longevity was decent on my skin, maybe 7 hours, but not more than that. Somewhat of a let down for something at this price point.

Not that you always need a perfume to go much longer than this. Though, it’s nice to know that it can when needed. I was expecting more, after it started off so strong.

Seasonally, this is a fragrance mostly for cooler weather. It’s like a comforting blanket, rather, than some airy fruity scent you’d find in the summer. It works for the autumn and winter. You could probably get away with it in springtime, also. I just wouldn’t like it in the high heat.

I don’t find this Parfums de Marly perfume to be particularly sexy, but it is attractive, and pleasant to smell. I’d say it’s a good daily wear, casual, or even formal.

It is definitely a more feminine fragrance and has a well put together vibe. Lovely, creamy, just not mouth watering.

Overall Impressions of Safanad

Overall, do I like Safanad? I do. It’s a nice floral scent for the wintertime and doesn’t go full on ‘green’ garden or bouquet the entire time. You get some lovely floral notes, amber warmth, creaminess/powdery, and a solid sandalwood peaking through.

This is a sweeter type of floral, without going full on sugary or becoming a cloying or immature mess.

The sweetness of the pear and the great orange blossom note are really a highlight. As is, the amber. I don’t have too many complaints with the way that this fragrance smells.

Again, maybe you’ll get more of the ylang-ylang than I do, but I also usually favor an iris note over that yellow flower. Just a preference and I also really enjoy orange blossom, in most fragrances.

The longevity isn’t amazing, but the performance here is pretty darn good overall. It’s a really pretty fragrance and one that has a unique-ish aroma, that will help one stand out from the crowd, while not being too in your face about it.

Safanad is among the better releases from Parfums de Marly. It gets overshadowed by Delina and some of the others, but is very good itself. If it sounds interesting to you, it’s well worth a try.