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!

Angels’ Share vs Grand Soir

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Angels’ Share by Kilian and Kurkdjian’s Grand Soir are two of the more popular high end perfumes. Both of them are unisex, which only serves to heighten their appeal. Since there is some overlap in style and purpose, these fragrances will often be compared. But, which one actually smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Grand Soir vs Angels’ Share

Grand Soir

Notes include: amber, vanilla, tonka bean, benzoin, labdanum

Click here to try: Grand Soir from Saks

Read my full review: Grand Soir Review

Angels’ Share

Notes include: cognac, tonka bean, oak wood, cinnamon, praline, vanilla, sandalwood

Click here to try: Angels’ Share at Sephora

Read my review: Angels’ Share by Kilian

angels review

Opening

Grand Soir starts off with it’s amber already on full display. Yes, the amber with the labdanum and some benzoin are going to be contributing heavily early on.

When pulled together, there is a light spice to the warmth and even some smokiness. The vanilla isn’t too strong at the beginning of the wear. However, that and the tonka bean will increase in strength into the middle of the act giving Soir some creaminess and powdery hints.

Meanwhile, Angels’ Share starts of with its signature cognac, oak, and its tonka bean note. The cognac has an apple-like sweetness to it, which is fantastic.

The sweetness is enhanced by the inclusion of vanilla and praline. Which all plays well off of the spicy punch of the cinnamon note.

Which is better? The Kilian has more going on. Grand Soir has some spice and smoke, but Angels’ Share is boozy, warm, sweet, and spicy with an array of notes coming on board early for the ride.

I’ll go with Angels’ Share.

Edge: Angels’

Projection

With my use of Grand Soir, I get a fairly strong opening and then it’ll hang 2-3 feet from the skin, for most of the way.

Angels’ Share starts off with about the same strength initially. However, I think it stays in what could be considered an upper moderate zone for much of the wear. It has a slower decline with its strength versus what I got from Soir.

Edge: Angels’ 

Longevity

Both of these fragrances last a very long time. With Angels’ Share, I get 9-13 hours of wear on my skin.

You’d think that’d be enough to overcome Grand Soir, but nope. Grand Soir will also hit the double digit hour mark easily.

Really, there’s no real separation here. It’s just a tie between them in this category.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Seasonally, Grand Soir’s amber and vanilla richness is suited for the autumn and winter months. With Angels’ Share, it’s the same. I’d avoid both when it’s too warm out.

Both are mostly for casual to semi-formal wears, but I think Soir fits better at the office or dressier functions, since it doesn’t have a cognac note like the Kilian.

While each is more for daytime use, I have worn Angels’ Share in nightlife situations and got plenty of attention from it. Not a club beast, but it’s got the boldness to stand out.

Overall, it’s pretty split. I think the edge goes to Grand Soir, however. It fits in more environments and is probably more of a true unisex versus Angels’ Share.

Edge: Grand Soir

Overall Scent

So, overall, which of these is the better fragrance? Despite the splitting of most of these categories, this is an easy call for me personally. I am a massive Angels’ Share fan. I bought a full bottle almost immediately after first testing a sample.

Grand Soir is also a very good scent. It’s one I thought that I’d love wearing, but it was more of a like. Mostly, I just get bored of the amber and vanilla combination after a while. It’s not a very dynamic perfume beyond that opening act.

Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. I do like that Maison Kurkdjian and it’ll be a good fit for those who don’t want the sweet, boozy, and spicy mix of Angels’ Share. Some people will prefer the low key warmth of Grand Soir.

For me, the winner is Angels’ Share. It smells better to me, has a bolder profile, and a more unique aroma than its competitor.

Winner: Angels’ Share

Cloud Pink by Ariana Grande

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Cloud Pink is the latest 2023 release in the series and from the entire Ariana Grande line. I only heard about it a few days ago and decided that I’d buy a full bottle, to test out for the site. I’m not a huge fan of Cloud, but wanted to see what this was all about. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Cloud Pink Smell Like?

Notes include: dragon fruit berries, pink pineapple, coconut water, vanilla orchid, blush ambrette, musk, praline, amber woods, magenta moss

Click here to try: Cloud Pink

My Full Review

Here’s how the perfume is described: Empowering and optimistic, the Ariana Grande Cloud Pink fragrance is inspired by a confidence that reveals both beauty and strength, no matter the storm.

Upon first spraying Cloud Pink, I notice that it isn’t radically different from the original Cloud, but it does have its distinctions.

(As an aside: the bottle cap was really loose on mine. Not sure, if that’s the case with others, but it’s annoying).

It’s softer and sweeter, especially in this opening act. Cloud, always had a strong lavender note, especially on my skin. With Pink, that is gone. It does have the same sort of warmth, just with a more fruity/tropical top.

The coconut water returns. This time it is flanked with dragon fruit and pineapple, instead of pear and bergamot. Specifically, this is a pink pineapple. From what I can tell, this is just a sweeter candy-like note, instead of that sharp/tart generic pineapple found in other scents.

Still, that’s not all that powerful and I get much more coconut water and a light berry smell from the dragon fruit. Though, that pink pineapple seems to be prominent for a few minutes, at least.

Like, the other Cloud scents, I am also getting that musk note for the entirety of the wear. This time, it is joined by ambrette more so than the praline, which is still somewhat present. A stepped up amount of vanilla orchid and musk, really come to dominate the aroma past that 30 minute mark.

It’s still fruity, but it starts having more of that fluffy ‘cloud’ feeling. To me, it’s less creamy than the original. Yet, Cloud Pink has moments where its powdery, sugary, and almost like a cotton candy kind of smell.

As we get further along, the more this smells like Cloud to me just without the lavender. Sweet musky woods, with a touch of earthiness. The moss is something I can pick up, if I really press my nose against the skin. Not a huge factor here.

Musk, vanilla orchid, ambrette, woods, and a general sweet mixture of notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like Cloud, you get a rather strong opening with Cloud Pink. Seems to hit that same 6-8 foot radius with its projection, also. Moderate overall, will leave a scent trail in your wake, but pretty consistent with its power.

With the longevity, again, I don’t notice any difference here versus Cloud. Pink still seems to be in that 5-6 hour range for me. Not great, but it is still noticeable deeper into the wear. So, Pink doesn’t just turn into a complete skin scent.

Seasonally, this is still going to be one mostly for autumn through early spring. It’s not an ‘eau fraiche’ version for the summer, despite the inclusion of the dragon fruit and pink pineapple. Though, if the humidity isn’t bad, you can probably use it at night during this time of year.

I still would consider this one a daytime wear, mostly. Casual, fun, and upbeat rather than anything formal. It’s a pretty sort of perfume, I don’t find it all that sexy, and you’d probably want to go with something else for evenings out. Again, you can use it, but I wouldn’t consider it Pink’s main use case.

Essentially, what you used Cloud for, you’ll use Cloud Pink for.

Overall Impressions of Cloud Pink

Overall, do I like Cloud Pink? Yes, I like it better than the original Cloud and slightly more than Cloud 2.0, since it’s a bit more unique. Though, you are getting a ton of that same DNA still.

I do like the fruitier and tropical influence of the opening act especially. Since the lavender isn’t a factor here, I get more enjoyment out of Pink. Plus, it moves away from having too much of the Baccarat Rouge influence.

This isn’t like Burberry Her with its fruitiness, either. That one has an extremely loud fruity burst and Cloud pink is subdued in comparison.

It’s less creamy in the dry down, but still has a great warmth and fluffy feeling to it. The latter stages are as if the original Cloud formula had the weightings of its notes shuffled around a bit.

If you liked the original Cloud, you’ll almost certainly like this one. Even the performance is in line with Cloud and most of the other best smelling Ariana Grande perfumes.

If you’re like me and weren’t too enthusiastic about the original, I’m not sure this changes your mind. I like it more, but am still not amazed by Cloud Pink. It’s an improvement, since that lavender note bothered me so much, just not reaching a super high level of enjoyment either.

8 Fragrances Similar to Invictus

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Invictus by Paco Rabanne has been really really popular, over the past handful of years. It has also spawned many flanker fragrances of its own. With that being the case, there are a lot of guys who want something similar to this best seller, but not the original itself.

For this list, I have selected similar smelling or styled colognes for men to Invictus. Some will be closer than others, with some just in the same general family as our target fragrance.

What Colognes Smell Similar to Invictus by Paco Rabanne?

Popular Designer Wear

Uomo Born in Roma by Valentino– This was a fragrance which really reminded me of the Invictus line, in terms of smell and style. It’s not an exact copy, by any means, but the opening act really does favor what we’re looking for.

Roma starts off very sweet and with an undertone of mineral oil and violet leaf. That aspect isn’t something that I’m personally too keen on. I actually prefer Invictus in that regard.

With that you get ginger, salt, and sage. The spices here aren’t heavy and like what you get in some of the Invictus lineup. But, this Valentino doesn’t have the aquatic accord.

As it dries down, you get more wood, vetiver, violet leaf. It’s much less sweet and pretty different from Invictus, at that point. Still, if you like the Paco Rabanne, you might enjoy this. Uomo Born in Roma Review

Another Popular Scent

Azzaro Wanted Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Azzaro Wanted does often get compared to Invictus, as they do have plenty of similarities. They are not, however, the same. Just colognes with a close style and which go after the same market.

Some guys, think this is the superior scent, but I’m not one of them. However, if you want something along the lines of Invictus, it is indeed one you should check out for yourself.

The main difference in terms of smell, is that, Wanted is spicier and woodier in its presentation. The lemon note also seems sharper. Cardamom, to my nose, is the ingredient responsible for most of the distinction between these scents.

Wanted dries down with a smooth and fresh fruitiness, with apple, tonka bean, and juniper berries. Azzaro Wanted Review

Similar Nightlife Fragrance

Carolina Herrera 212 Vip Men Party Fever Eau De Toilette Spray For Men, 3.4 Ounce (Limited Edition)– 212 VIP Men Party Fever is a really interesting scent, that can be sort of difficult to find nowadays, but is still floating around. It has elements of the bold nightlife scent 212 VIP, as well as Invictus, and some distinct elements.

Update: Really difficult to find nowadays. I wouldn’t pay a ton for this.

Now, I want to state, that this isn’t the same smell as Invictus. Rather, VIP Men Party Fever, has a similar sweet fruity with wood profile as does our target, without the saltiness of the aquatic notes.

It provides a blend of citrus and apple notes with freshness from cedar, a nice ginger spice, and a touch of cannabis. Very much a youthful and sweet smelling scent.

Yep, but you won’t smell like a smoker. This isn’t as loud and lacks the booziness of 212 VIP, but delivers a nice warm weather wear, that evokes the style of the Invictus line. 212 Party Fever Review

Overlap with Invictus

JIMMY CHOO Man Intense Eau De Toilette, Fougere Oriental Woody, 3.3 fl. oz.– Man Intense starts off smelling quite a bit like Invictus and the original Jimmy Choo Man.

Then, it does develop its own personality distinct from those two, while remaining in the same ballpark. Oh, and it smells better than both.

The drydown is fresh and clean with notes of: melon, lavender, and tonka bean. Doesn’t have the oceanic notes of the Paco Rabanne, but gives you the fruitiness and some light amber with peppery spice. Read my full review.

Cheapest Glory

Milton Lloyd Fame & Glory x2 by Milton Lloyd– If you’re looking for a cheaper option to smell close to Invictus, Fame & Glory by Milton Lloyd, should fit the bill. Milton Lloyd fragrances, do generally, hit the mark of the colognes that they are inspired by.

I haven’t tried this one out personally, yet. However, at a price point of $10-15, it might be a worthwhile shot at finding a replacement for the more expensive Paco Rabanne.

Another Alternative Option

Rasasi Hawas for Men EDP – Eau De Parfum 100ML (3.4 oz)– Not exactly a  match, nor is it an exact Invictus Aqua aroma. Hawas for Men, is like a brother to those fragrances, with its own distinct personality.

It has aquatic notes, but this doesn’t feel quite as oceanic. Hawas has a nice amber note, a bit more of a soapy quality, and the sweetness isn’t as pronounced in the beginning.

A nice sharp citrus blend with apple and hints of spice from cinnamon and cardamom. Fresh with a light wood in the base.

Similar Designer Style

MONTBLANC Legend Spirit Eau de Toilette, 3.3 Fl Oz– To me, this would smell closer to Invictus Aqua, than the original. Even then, it’s not super close. Nonetheless, the style of Legend Spirit, is in the same family as these fragrances and worth checking out if you like Invictus.

With Legend spirit you start off with grapefruit and an aquatic accord, much the same as Invictus. With this one, you also get a nice dose of pink pepper and cardamom.

This is a warmer scent, that has more spice and musk/woody base, with less citrus than the Paco Rabanne offerings. It feels more wearable for an older guy, than the often times too youthful, Invictus. Legend Spirit Review

Clean, Less Sweet

English Laundry Cambridge Knight Eau de Parfum, 3.4 fl. oz.– Another not exact aroma, that actually shares similarities with the above Legend Spirit, as well.

Black currant and grapefruit blend with aquatic notes, not as candy-like or as salty as the Invictus scents. The black currant gives this a different vibe, with a certain tartness and sharpness.

Later, Cambridge Knight really brings in some nice musk, with woods. To go along with the other notes, everything feels very clean. The performance here, is great, as it lasts long and projects itself well.

Bleu Noir EDP by Narciso Rodriguez

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Bleu Noir EDP is another flanker fragrance from this Narciso Reodriguez line of scents. It was released in 2022. I recently bout a sample of this one along with the Parfum, in order to give each a full test and review for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is EDP worth a try?

What does Bleu Noir EDP smell like?

Notes include: musk, ebony wood, amber, cedar, and vetiver

Click here to try: Bleu Noir EDP

My Full Review

The opening of Bleu Noir EDP is mostly about the musk and the vetiver notes. Fresh, sort of earthy with a hint of dirtiness under the cleaner aspects. It’s got a fairly dry profile, at this stage. 

As we move along, I get less of the vetiver on my skin, and the musk takes the top spot for the rest of the way. With that, comes the ebony wood and amber, and Bleu Noir becomes smoother and much warmer. 

There is still a slight sweetness here and even a powdery touch. Even though, this one doesn’t officially have that same iris note that is in the Parfum version. 

This is how it goes on for most of the way. The aroma of the vetiver will continue declining and some cedar will be more apparent with the ebony wood.

The final dry down for me, is essentially just the musk and amber with a very light woody scent floating about in the background. This isn’t a very complex fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is at best moderate. It’s a lighter fragrance that hangs around your skin without a ton of projection. During that first 30-60 minutes or so, you do get some nice ability to project, but this isn’t a massive scent.

The longevity is pretty good, not great. On me, it lasts between 6-7 hours, before finally disappearing. Again, the back half is especially when this one is sticking close to the skin. It is still around and somewhat noticeable, but past the 7 hour mark, I get nothing from it.

Seasonally, because it isn’t a heavy cologne, it can kind of fit in most scenarios. It’s probably not the best for high heat and humidity, but outside of that this Bleu Noir flanker will hold up well.

It is also very versatile in terms of when you can wear it. It can work as a daily wear scent to the office and be worn out at night. It’s not the boldest nightclub scent or the sexiest fragrance you might grab for a night out. But, it will fit in well enough, and not really be a bad choice.

Overall Impressions of Bleu Noir EDP

Overall, do I like Bleu Noir EDP? It’s pretty good, but nothing special. The Parfum version is indeed better than this one. 

The opening is fine, not my favorite. Though, I do like the middle, when you still get some of the vetiver with the amber and woods also in balance with one another.

Still, even with that, I’m never completely loving wearing this cologne. It’s nice enough and has its moments that are quality, just nothing that I need to have in my rotation.

The performance is pretty basic too. Bleu EDP is the type of fragrance that you can wear almost anywhere, but it’s not going to stand out or blow you away with how long it lasts.

That all being said, it’s probably worth a try, at least. The pricing isn’t crazy and it can cover so many bases for guys, that it warrants consideration. The smell itself might endear itself more to you, than it did for me.

Nautica Voyage vs Azzaro Chrome

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For this edition of the head to head fragrance comparisons, we are going to be taking a closer look at two inexpensive and popular options for men: Azzaro Chrome vs. Nautica Voyage. Which of these two best sellers, is the better buy? Which smells better? Has the top performance? I have tested and reviewed both and will break it down below.

Tale of the Tape

Nautica Voyage

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, lotus, amber, mimosa, and oak moss

Click here to try: Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 oz

Read my original review: Nautica Voyage Review

Azzaro Chrome

Click here to try: Men’s Chrome by Azzaro Eau de Toilette Spray – 3.4 oz.

Notes include: neroli, lemon, bergamot, rosemary, pineapple, musk, woods, and jasmine

Read my review: Chrome Review

Opening

Azzaro Chrome opens up with lemon and pineapple, this citrus blend, is fresh and pretty sharp. With that, is jasmine and neroli, and the second one is quite prominent up top. Chrome is a bright with an aquatic sort of aroma, despite there not being any oceanic notes.

Combined,  it is all pretty familiar and yet unique. It does get compared to CK One, but it does have a distinct aroma. Yes, vaguely metallic, at times.

Voyage starts off with crisp apple with mimosa and plenty of musk. It’s got a ‘green’ aroma with aquatic undertones and the muskiness. Voyage is clean with a watery scent.

Which is better? I’m going with Chrome, as the citrus/floral/aquatic composition, is much better at the start than is Voyage. The Nautica can be too much of a mess at first, and can take time, to settle.

Edge: Chrome

Projection

Chrome starts off pretty strong for me, it can be really bold, right out of the bottle. Later on, it is much more of a moderate scent. Voyage, is basically moderate, right out of the bottle. It’s pretty consistent, but lighter than Chrome is.

Edge: Chrome

Longevity

Nautica Voyage delivers 5-7 hours of wear, on my skin. It’s been the same result, over the years, time and time again. Not getting more than that. Azzaro Chrome will go for 7-8 hours, which outclasses its competitor, on most occasions.

Neither of these have ever been super performers for me. However, they’ve always been above average and can provide great value.

Edge: Chrome

Versatility

Both fragrances have good versatility. Neither is a nighttime scent, however. Chrome would probably fair better for office wear versus Voyage. Other than that, there’s not too much separation here. Both can be worn year round and serve as an inexpensive daily wear.

Edge: Chrome (slightly)

Overall Scent

Is it a clean sweep for Chrome? Yes.

While I like Nautica Voyage, it’s not a really ‘great’ cologne, just a great cheap cologne. It has a nice overall aroma, but to me, never smells as good as Chrome does. It doesn’t have the same performance level, either. But for less than $20? Having a bottle, isn’t a bad idea.

Chrome, on the other hand, features a great citrus/floral formula with underlying aquatic notes and a ‘metallic’ edge. It’s such a simple wear, but one which, gets plenty of complements and has the performance to last a workday.

Its dry down, becomes woodier, with hints of musk, and the citrus notes still sitting on top. The price at retail is usually pretty high, but every so often Chrome seems to get marked down dramatically at secondary sellers.

That $35-50 range is pretty standard, but I’ve seen bottles go for under $30 too. Basically, the price difference isn’t as large as it may seem. The Azzaro actually hovers much closer to the Nautica range than it first appears.

Chrome is wonderful in its niche and has been doing it for decades now. It wins this match up with ease.

Winner: Chrome