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 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!

Skulls & Roses by Ed Hardy

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I was shopping in Target the other day and made my usual stop to the fragrance aisle. I’m pretty sure that I had tried every one of those colognes with the exception of this weird looking one in a black skull bottle. I kept seeing this bottle all the time but never bothered to smell it.

Well, I bit the bullet and tried it out and thought that I’d share my thoughts on this Christian Audigier fragrance for men, Skulls & Roses…under the Ed Hardy banner. In this post, I want to explore a bit on how it smells, performs, when it could be worn, and if I think it’s worth it to purchase a full bottle of this juice.

What does Skulls and Roses for Men Smell Like?

Notes included: lavender, bergamot, oakmoss, musk, cardamom

Click here to try: Skulls and Roses ED Hardy Colognes for Men, 2.5 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

From the bottle design and the name, I was expecting this scent to be something dark, sort of loud, and with a possible rose note lurking somewhere in there. Instead, what I got from this cologne was something clean, pleasant, and surprisingly very nice for the price point this sells at.

The opening is a blend of the lavender, bergamot, and a semi-spicy musk/cardamom mix. Totally not the winter beast I predicted it’d be. It’s a very light and familiar smell, sort of reminiscent of Mont Blanc, though a tad different in my opinion.

I sprayed it twice on my forearm and went about my day. It was fairly strong at first but definitely not overpowering and I kept bringing it up to my nose to smell some more. That’s always a good sign.

I really think that they got the musk note just right with this one. The note doesn’t feel like it dominates, but it does accentuate the clean aroma, brought on my the lavender and bergamot.

Skulls and Roses isn’t a very complex type of cologne that goes through multiple phases, in fact, it’s almost completely linear. That really isn’t a bad thing, as they got the opening done correctly, and didn’t need to stray too far from its roots in order to make a good smelling fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise it’s fairly moderate for the first hour or so and then really became a light scent on my skin after that.  That initial burst is good. It will create a decent radius around you, before moving into a range that is more intimate.

However, the longevity as a close to skin scent was pretty decent, at about six hours. This is the type of cologne that performs but will mostly only be noticeable in situations in which someone pulls closer…again, not a bad thing.

Update: Trying this a few more times over the years and it is indeed a steady 6-6.5 hours on my skin. Basically, no matter the circumstance, that’s what I’ll get.

I’d say its also a pretty good bet, for a date night scenario with its fresh sort of soapy vibe. There’s just enough bergamot and spice to keep it interesting. It’s not the sexiest fragrance on the planet or anything like that, but it’s attractive enough, especially at this price point.

Mostly though, I’d view this as a casual daily wear, for younger guys. Something that you can throw on before school or at your job or just hanging out around town.

If you need something cheap and clean, this one would serve well. Skulls isn’t a wintertime scent like I expected, I wore it on a mild day and it seemed very well suited for that and I’d venture a guess that it’d be fine in the summer also.

Overall Impressions of Skulls and Roses

Is Skulls and Roses worth a buy? I actually dug this cologne quite a bit. It’s not top tier, but you can do a lot worse, and it exceeds my expectations for something of this caliber.

It’s very simple and while not the best performer, it gets the job done. Plus, it’s inexpensive enough that one could just apply a bit more than usual to get the full effect.

It’s under $30 a bottle and often much cheaper than that. Skulls and Roses is a solid casual cologne that could also double as a date night go to. It isn’t a projection monster, so not great for the club scene. Very nice and I even kind of like the bottle design now, too.

I don’t think that this fragrance is going to blow any one away, but it is a great value play when compared to many others in its general price range.

J’adore vs. Miss Dior EDP Perfume Comparison

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In this edition of my fragrance comparisons, we are going to take a closer look at two women’s perfumes from Christian Dior, Miss Dior EDP vs. J’adore. Which of these popular ladies’ scents from the luxury designer, smells the best? Which lasts longer? I have worn, tested, and reviewed each scent and will break them down by category before declaring an overall winner.

Tale of the Tape: Miss Dior EDP vs. J’adore

J’adore

Notes include: jasmine, orchid, plum, rose, mandarin, musk, ylang-ylang, blackberry

Click here to try: Christian Dior J’Adore Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce

My Review: J’adore Review

Miss Dior EDP

Notes include: jasmine, blood orange, patchouli, mandarin orange, rose, rosewood, pink pepper

Click here to try: Christian Dior Miss Dior, 50ml/1.7 oz.

My Review: Miss Dior

Opening

Update: Dior changes the formula of the Miss Dior line, every so often, while keeping the name. I’m keeping this page, as is, and will try to remember to create a new page when I fully test the newer Miss Dior. So, this post is based on the previous version of Miss Dior EDP, and not the newer 2021 edition.

J’adore opens with a massive floral accord, which consists of: ylang-ylang, jasmine, orchid, rose, and freesia. It’s got a green/watery aroma underneath the floral notes.

The fruit notes are light within the composition, however, they do add a nice juiciness and a bit of sharpness to the perfume.

Miss Dior starts off with citrus fruits, patchouli, and rose. It’s essentially a blend of orange and lemon, with patchouli, and a hint of rose.

The rose note isn’t too strong in either of these perfumes, at this stage. After about 15 minutes, the rose really begins to take over, and the patchouli flanks it. The citrus notes begin to fade into the background.

Which is better? I like the citrus opening of Miss Dior better than the plethora of floral notes from J’adore. It’s not massively better, but it simpler and juicier.

Edge: Miss Dior

Projection

Neither of these scents are extremely loud, by any means. Miss Dior is pretty moderate throughout the wear. Meanwhile, J’adore is a lighter sillage fragrance, but isn’t weak. Between the two? I’d say Miss Dior is the stronger scent.

Edge: Miss Dior

Longevity

Miss Dior lasts on my skin for about 8 hours. J’adore will go for 8 hours, at least, but can go for even longer depending on the climate. Both perform well, but J’adore is a bit better.

Edge: J’adore

Versatility

This Miss Dior fragrance is best served in the colder temperatures, all the way up to moderate, but not the high heat. J’adore has a springtime vibe, but can fit in just about any season. Outside of that, both of these perfumes can serve as a daily wear option. Smell nice, elegant, but not really ‘sexy’ nighttime scents.

Edge: J’adore

Overall Scent

Miss Dior is a nice scent. I really like the citrus and patchouli opening. Then, the rose takes over, and you get additional spice and a very solid rosewood note at the base. It’s simple and it smells good. The performance is good and the fragrance won’t give out in the middle of the day. It’s actually a very close competitor with J’adore.

However, I think that J’adore gets the edge, here. It’s bright and pretty. It is a floral fragrance, with the usual greenness thrown in, but you also get some fruit notes. The plum and melon are fresh and give the perfume an underlying juiciness.

The sillage is lighter, but you do get a few more hours of wear, versus J’adore and it can go year round.

For these reasons, I’m going to give it the win against Miss Dior EDP. It’s not that much better, but it has an advantage, and is a great daily wear floral perfume. These are both awesome options from Christian Dior, and it almost comes down to, which scent you prefer. As, both of these fragrance meet expectations.

Update: Again, this is between the old version of Miss Dior and J’adore. I’d probably still pick J’adore versus the modern edition of Miss Dior EDP. However, I only smelled that one time, as of this update, and am not 100% on that outcome.

Winner: J’adore

6 Best Smelling Cuba Colognes

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Cuba Paris is a brand which produces a line of very inexpensive fragrances for both men and women. Now, for most brands that this describes, their products aren’t usually any good. However, Cuba seems to be able to produce men’s colognes with a good quality. Not elite, but much better than many other cheapies.

Beyond that, they have the ability to replicate some famous scents in their own way, or even come up with something that is wholly unique to the Cuba brand. For this post, I have selected six colognes from the line, which I feel are the best. Obviously, with such a large catalog of fragrances, I had to leave some off but this is a great place to start.

What are the Best Smelling Cuba Colognes?

Citrus and Powder

Cuba Brazil Copacabana Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce– One of the lesser known fragrance offerings from Cuba. Copacabana opens up with a great citrus blend and floral notes, which gives it a bit of a powdery edge.

There’s a noticeable lavender and at least some rose within the composition. It is a fresh sorts of fragrance, which dries down with some clove spice, and underlying woody notes. Pretty straightforward fragrance, but smells quite nice, and has good performance.

Bleu de Cuba

Cuba Shadow– Shadow is a newer release from Cuba, which appears to try and mimic the scent of Bleu de Chanel. It’s a hot market to have a similar smell to popular designer fragrances, but this doesn’t hit the same mark exactly.

Sure, there are similarities and the notes are basically the same, but the aroma itself it pretty different.

The citrus isn’t as good here and the initial freshness of the mint and ginger notes, don’t come in as well, either. But, things do settle and Shadow becomes a wonderful blend of these familiar notes.

It becomes a smoother clean sort of fragrance. Musk and the floral aspect, seem heavier in this compared to BdC, but it’s at its most similar after the first hour or so.

Most Popular Cuba Fragrance

Cuba Gold By Cuba For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounces– Smooth vanilla, vetiver, jasmine, and lavender. This one does have that famous Le Male scent, though, this precedes that popular fragrance.

You can definitely smell the similarities, though, this has more jasmine and is less spicy/smoky. Although, that is still around in the dry down period, thanks to the vetiver. It turns warm, sweet, and powdery with a great amber note.

A Million Bucks

Cuba Royal By Cuba, 3.30-Ounce– Royal is a fragrance, which often gets compared to 1 Million by Paco Rabanne, and it is easy to smell why. Royal is warm, starts off quite sweet, and has plenty of tobacco/spice during the dry down.

Is it an exact match? No, but when talking about a $10-12 option, it is close enough. This isn’t as close as Cuba Shadow is to BdC, for instance. Neither is exact, but the influence on each is totally there.

For instance, this doesn’t have the same leathery scent nor the distinct mint. While this is fairly strong, it doesn’t have the same sillage or staying power as 1 Million. Nonetheless, Royal is a fantastic option, particularly as a nighttime wear for guys who want to save money.

Sweet Warmth

Champs Cuba Prestige Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3 Ounce– Cuba Prestige is an under the radar cheapie, that actually scores high marks across the board, from its smell to performance. It kicks off with lemon, bergamot, and black currant which gives it a fruity sweetness and bright disposition.

Then, Prestige takes the sweetness into another direction, with floral powder of jasmine and lavender. It becomes warmer as the amber note progresses, for a baked goods like sweetness. Very interesting scent, well worth a shot.

Spiced Tobacco Fragrance

Cuba Red By Cuba For Men Edt Spray 3.3 Oz– Red has much less sweetness, than the other fragrances on the list. It’s dry with tobacco, woods, but gets boosted by some wonderful spice.

Cuba Red is a masculine cologne, with a strong tobacco note, which is an ingredient you’ll need to like to appreciate this. It has an underlying earthy/outdoorsy quality. Similar to Burberry London, though, not entirely.

I like that they went in more in a unique direction with Red, versus just trying to match London beat for beat. The end result is really nice and gives you somewhat of a different wear versus many of the modern colognes on the market.

Polo Black vs. Acqua di Gio

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For this entry into the men’s fragrance comparisons, I want to take a look at two fragrances from Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren, respectively. The two colognes in question, have been very popular for a long time now, Polo Black vs. Acqua di Gio.

Which of them is the better smelling scent? Which has better longevity?

I am going to break down my experiences with each in a variety of categories, before declaring a winner. Also, my original review of each, is linked below for further reading.

Tale of the Tape

Acqua di Gio

Notes include: bergamot, tangerine, neroli, jasmine, rosemary, patchouli, rock rose, hyacinth, persimmon, marine notes

Click here to try: Acqua Di Gio By Giorgio Armani For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

Read my review: Acqua di Gio 

Polo Black Tale of the Tape

Notes include:  mango, sandalwood, tonka bean, tangerine, sage, lemon, patchouli

Click here to try: Polo Black by Ralph Lauren for Men – 4.2 Ounce EDT Spray

My review: Polo Black Review

Opening

Polo Black opens up with a very nice mango note that is flanked by spicier notes of sage and patchouli. There are further citrus notes of tangerine and lemon, which aren’t as strong but do have a presence in the composition.

Acqua di Gio also has citrus notes of bergamot and tangerine, but is instead joined by the marine note accord, making it an aquatic fragrance. It’s slightly salty and has a great chilled freshness.

It also features jasmine and neroli, among other floral notes, sitting underneath of that. I get a lot of jasmine coming through the last few times, that I’ve tried Acqua di Gio. That, with the citrus is still awesome.

Which is better? I like Acqua di Gio, but I really enjoy how Polo Black starts off. Coming back to AdG after a long time away, I was tempted to give it the edge. But, Polo Black takes it still.

It is a great blend of fruits and spice, but uses mango, which is a rather unique note versus what you’d find in other men’s fragrances. It’s quite well put together and very enjoyable.

Edge: Polo Black

Projection

The projection of either of these fragrances is pretty moderate. Neither produces an extreme sillage, but you will indeed, notice that they are there. So, will those around you. However, there’s no real advantage here.

Lighter on the moderate scale for either. Mostly going to sit in that 3-4 foot range, as a radius, around where you sprayed the fragrance.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Again, the performance of these two colognes, track extremely close to one another. With either of them, I get 6-7 hours of wear, on my skin. No more than that and it’s a consistent result.

The older bottles of AdG could go a bit longer, but that hasn’t been the case in a long time. Some of the latest times that I’ve tested it, it might go 5-6 hours. But, these two are still basically equal.

Edge: Push

Versatiltity

Both of these scents can be worn for nearly any occasion and can go year round pretty much. However, the Armani holds up better in the summer, than does Polo Black.

I’m talking about the really hot days, more moderate temperatures, and Black is fine. Doesn’t do as well in high heat and humidity.

Edge: Acqua di Gio

Overall Scent

These fragrances are very close in terms of their uses and performances. I honestly enjoy wearing both of them, but, I do need to make a choice of which one I would reach for most of the time.

Acqua di Gio is an absolute classic, that has been imitated countless times, and is still a best-seller. It smells good, has solid sillage and longevity, and it is a great starter cologne for guys. It’s just one that does everything well.

In fact, there are times where I do actually prefer to wear Acqua di Gio. Yet, I don’t think it’s enough to top Black.

Polo Black is the better smelling of the two fragrances, for me. The mango and citrus top notes are paired fantastically with the spicier notes, at the start.

Then, the dry down period reveals a more woodsy and tonka bean-laden heart. It’s just got a more unique profile and has a very enjoyable wear. It’s not miles ahead of AdG, but I think that this Polo scent, tops its competitor.

Winner: Polo Black

7 Best Smelling Ylang Ylang Perfumes

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Ylang-ylang is a floral note that is featured in a whole lot of different perfumes. But, that’s usually as a feature or supporting note, instead of being the star itself. However, for some folks out there, the yellow flower is something that they love and want it front and center in their fragrance. This page is going to serve as my running list of the best of the bunch.

What are the Best Smelling Ylang-Ylang Perfumes?

Ylang, Fruits and Vanilla

Ylang in Gold– Ylang in Gold from Micallef is a very popular pick out of the ylang-ylang offerings. It’s actually quite fruity and has a nice vanilla/coconut creaminess to it. Then, even a light floral powdery undertone.

Ylang is the strongest within the composition, but it doesn’t stand alone. The peach note is probably the most noticeable fruity aspect of this fragrance, but even early on the coconut and some citrus gives it a slightly tropical feeling.

The latter stages are vanilla, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, and just a general mix of the sweet and floral notes. Really, those notes smell like an impression, rather than being anything distinct.

There are other editions of this perfume. For a woodier, less vanilla and fruity based version, try Ylang in Gold Nectar.

Sunny, Salty Floral

Embruns d’Ylang by Guerlain– This one is a high-end ylang-ylang fragrance from Guerlain. The company itself, seems to be the only one selling full bottles right now. With the price, you’d do well to track down a sample on eBay or somewhere else.

Anyway, Embruns d’Ylang is a bright and beach yellow floral fragrance. It has a coastal sea salt/sea spray note that gives this one a nice dynamic with how it plays off of the ylang-ylang note. Though, I didn’t feel this was super salty when I smelled it once.

It’s a bit sweet, but that saltiness seems to pair with the wood, upon first applying. Then, some jasmine. The ylang-ylang feels pretty thick in this and it has a rather strong sillage, at least early. Still, I’d try before buying to see if it vibes with you.

Citrus Spice and Ylang-Ylang

Ylang Ylang Nosy Be– Nosy Be opens things up with a spice and citrus blend up top. Grapefruit and cardamom seem to be the two main attractions. But, with some lemon and orange blossom thrown in.

The floral heart and vanilla note will really help to smooth this one out and give it a creamier sort of texture to the aroma. Ylang-ylang does dominate the floral aspect of course, but the orange blossom sticks around along with a bit of jasmine.

Yet, even with the vanilla Ylang Ylang Nosy Be doesn’t feel super thick or heavy. It’s fresh with a naturalistic sweetness. Drier once the vetiver and woods show up later on. This is the EDP version. There is a pricier Extrait de Parfum, but I haven’t tried, so it may be somewhat different.

Ylang and Carnation…with some Vanilla

Aqua Allegoria Ylang & Vanille by Guerlain– So, this offering from Guerlain is actually a fairly simple affair. The ylang-ylang is joined by the title vanilla, but also: jasmine and carnation. Just, those two will come in stronger at different times.

First, the ylang-ylang and jasmine. Later, that carnation really shows up. Even though, it’s actually a top note…whatever.

I don’t find the vanilla to be all that heavy versus something like Ylang in Gold or Nosy Be, even if it’s been given a title listing by Guerlain. Sharp aroma upon opening, but this perfume will soften up within a pretty short time frame.

I think that this has been discontinued now. So, you may need to dig for a bottle.

Sweet Creamy Ylang-ylang

51 Pour Femme Parfum– 51 Parfum from Roja Dove isn’t a pure stand alone ylang-ylang fragrance, but it does have a strong ylang note and is a fantastic wear.

Up top, you’re going to get raspberry and bergamot, giving it a fruity sweetness. This is joined by our target note, vanilla, and a host of white florals. Early on, it feels more like a bouquet than specifically focusing on the ylang-ylang.

But, as it dries down the white floral mix will take a step back. The dry down will be creamy and smooth, with hints of woods and spice. Vanilla and cashmere wood are here, maybe some light amber and musk.

Another expensive one, though, 51 Parfum is a great fragrance with enough ylang-ylang to grab a spot here.

Gucci Bloom

Profumo di Fiori– This is one of the entries from the Gucci Bloom series. Profumo di Fiori isn’t a pure ylang-ylang stand alone, but has a definite role within a blend of other floral notes.

Jasmine, tuberose, and Rangoon creeper are all there, as with most of the other scents from the Bloom lineup.

The jasmine has a bigger role early on, in my experience. The Rangoon creeper is lighter. Then, it will be more of the tuberose and ylang-ylang. It’s floral, but has a thicker substance to it, with a tropical vibe from our yellow flower.

It feels bright and has a creamy warmth to it, with enough woodiness to make things interesting. I don’t think that it’s ‘mind-blowing’, but this is a fantastic release from Gucci.

A Yellow Mix

Poeme by Lancome Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, Poeme, 3.4 Ounce– Poeme isn’t a pure ylang-ylang led scent. It’sa basket of floral notes, lots of yellow and white petals here. Right out of the gate, Poeme comes off strong and bold.

However, while it is quite floral, it doesn’t strike as a really ‘green’ bouquet because it is all tied together by the vanilla note and the inclusion of tangerine and plum.

The floral notes do indeed dominate, blend well together, but there is enough fruitiness in Poeme to keep it interesting. Peach really seems to survive for pretty much the entire run.

Lots of tuberose and mimosa fill up this scent, but when all the notes come together you have a clean, somewhat soapy, and sweet fragrance that can go all day.

Add to that, at times rose, ylang-ylang, and other floral ingredients will make an appearance. The ylang-ylang is mostly present past the opening act. Again, it’s a major player here, just not the sole star of the show.

So, if you want a blended use of ylang-ylang to use on other days, this Lancome can be a great fit.