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!

His Aspiration (Edition Bianca) by Dua Brand

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His Aspiration Edition Bianca is an inspired creation from the Dua Brand based on the formula of Allure Homme Edition Blanche. Seeing as that is one of my favorite Chanel fragrances to wear, in the summertime, I wanted to test if this one was up to par. So, I bought a small sprayer size from Dua months ago in order to post a review. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does His Aspiration Edition Bianca Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, tonka bean, amber, vetiver, musk, bergamot, lemon, vanilla, musk, and pink pepper

Click here to try: His Aspiration Edition Bianca

My Full Review

As with Chanel’s Edition Blanche this Dua fragrance opens up with the lemon out in full effect. Surprisingly, I do get a good deal of bergamot coming through ass well, a nice sour bite to match the lemon intensity.

Crisp, fresh, dry, with a little bit of spice. My batch doesn’t seem to have too much pink pepper involved, even in the early stages. That’s probably a good thing.

Underneath that citrus, tonka bean. The vanilla will come on somewhat, but I get a lot of tonka bean, much like in the Allure Homme Sport series.

At this point, it’s very close to what you’re getting with the Chanel. Chanel Edition Blanche have seemed to have more or less vanilla, depending on which batch I’ve received. Sometimes, it’s much creamier and others dry.

For this Dua, it tracks towards the latter. Some of that bergamot burns off, the lemon remains strong, and a blend of vetiver and sandalwood is very noticeable.

Lemon, sandalwood, and vetiver are the stars for the rest of the wear. Everything else, is jockeying for position underneath those three. Mostly, this consists of the vanilla/tonka bean pairing, cedar, and some amber.

It does have a more balanced approach with less lemon dominance, more creaminess, and a crisp baked goods aroma with the way the woods interacts with the lemon and vanilla.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage and projection ability is slightly better versus Edition Blanche. His Aspiration, will maybe give you an extra foot or two at its peak, in terms of radius. 4-7 feet or thereabouts. It also won’t diminish nearly as fast as the Chanel.

So, you get some extra time with it being noticeable, even while still being completely moderate.

The longevity was always a negative feature of the Chanel. Not horribly bad, but 5 to maybe 6 hours of wear time with it. Edition Biana, lasts for 7 hours on my skin.

Not a huge improvement, but still quite significant in comparison. Especially since you get a longer lasting period at its maximum strength versus  the original. A nice boost.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summer wear all the way. The lightness, the citrus, and that vanilla finish are great when it’s warm out.

Edition Blanche is pretty versatile within that time of the year. It’s low key enough for work, can be worn semi-formally, or even casually. It’s more of an attractive or delicious smelling fragrance versus being something sexy for the nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Edition Bianca

Overall, do I like His Aspiration Edition Bianca? Yes, it does a great job a recreating what you get with Edition Blanche, at a fraction of the price.

I’ve spent the past three summers wearing the Chanel and this quite often, so, I am personally kind of tired of it. I’m sure I’ll swing back around to enjoying this formula again, but I’m taking a break.

For others, this is a great one for the spring and summer months, if you want a fresh citrus and woods cologne. The performance is a step above the Chanel, not far and away better, but noticeably longer lasting.

This is an inspired creation that is worth checking out. Very close in smell to the original, better price and performance.

Soleil Brulant by Tom Ford

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Soleil Brulant was released by Tom Ford in 2021, as a part of the now extensive Private Collection from the brand. I’ve enjoyed the other Soleil fragrances in the line and was fairly interested in trying this one out. I grabbed a sample of it recently to test Brulant and give it my full review. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Soleil Brulant Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, bergamot, peppercorn, leather, vetiver, amber, orange flower, honey

Click here to try: Soleil Brulant

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Tom Ford describes it: CAPTURES THE HIGH-SHINE BRILLIANCE OF THE GOLDEN SUN BEAMING ON A PRIVATE OASIS. THE SUNKISSED FRESHNESS OF MANDARIN AND BERGAMOT MINGLES WITH SPICY PINK PEPPERCORN, GIVING WAY TO AN ORNATE AND REGAL FLORAL HEART WHILE ORANGE FLOWER ABSOLUTE AND A NOTE OF RADIANT BLACK HONEY RELEASE A SEDUCTIVE VAPOR. THE BACKGROUND BRINGS THE BURNISHED WARMTH OF DECADENT AMBER EMBELLISHED WITH RESINS AND WOODS. AN AIR OF VETIVER AND LEATHER STOKES THE SMOKINESS OF EXTRAVAGANT INCENS

Soleil Brulant opens like a spiced honey blend with a hint of bright citrus to lighten things up a bit. The perfume feels quite resinous, but not super heavy. Immediately, you do get the burning sun-drenched quality of the fragrance. Some smoky incense, but it’s not overwhelming the composition.

It’s a unique sort of smell for sure, though, there’s something in here that reminds me of one of the Serge Lutens fragrances that I’ve reviewed…not sure which. It might be the orange flower note.

Brulant isn’t a very sweet fragrance, especially early on.. It feels dry with an amber/honey resin, on top of that familiar Tom Ford leather note. 

After that initial wave of peppercorn, the orange flower comes more into play. That’s when I start to take to Soleil Brulant. I like the burnt honey quality mixing with the floral accord and the woody/leathery base. 

The final dry down actually sweetens up, in comparison to the opening act. The amber and honey, have a smooth and actually somewhat creamy quality. Still white orange flower, but overall less of the burnt or spicy qualities that I encountered early on. 

It’s calmer and just more enjoyable without the stronger spiced kicks. The amber gets to come through, without having to fight for attention.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

In terms of the sillage, it really isn’t a loud projecting kind of fragrance. Actually, pretty moderate for most of the wear. I’d say that it’s above average overall and you will notice it. But, I didn’t get the feeling I was going to blow out the room while wearing Brulant.

The longevity is actually good. I usually got around 8 hours during testing. Sometimes, it’d creep up to 9 full hours on my skin. The good news is, that it stayed solid during that time frame, and wasn’t just another skin scent.

Performance is very good, on the whole.

Seasonally, it works pretty much whenever. I wouldn’t wear it during the hottest days, but again, it’s not a super thick or heavy fragrance. It can absolutely go beyond the winter time and venture into the summer, without much issue.

Though, I would prefer to wear Brulant when it is cooler even versus just more moderate days. That’s when these notes would really get to shine. That might be my own personal preference, though.

It’s almost perfectly unisex, maybe leaning slightly feminine. I don’t think anyone would have much of an issue wearing Soleil Brulant. Casual to semi formal wear. Could be a low key nightlife scent and one that has an attractive, if not sexy, aroma to it.

Overall Impressions of Soleil Brulant

Overall, do I like this perfume? I like Soleil Brulant. I don’t love it and I don’t really see myself wearing it that often, but it’s not something that offends me. Plus, it has some enjoyable moments. It’s just not a great one from Tom Ford.

The opening act is fine. Not my favorite, the spiciness of the peppercorn doesn’t really do it for me. Though, I like it more once we’ve really gotten more orange flower and leather in the mix. I really dig the solar and burnt quality to this, as the sort of inverse to Soleil Neige (which I like better).

Burnt or crispy honey actually is very pleasant and nice change of pace from the overly sweet versions, I keep encountering.

Is it worth a buy? This is one of the super expensive releases from Tom Ford. For most people, it’s not going to be a must have. Soleil Brulant is a perfume that I’d try to test out before committing to a full bottle. 

For a percentage of people, this will be right up their alley. For the masses? Not really. Before dropping $300-400, find a way to give it a try over the span of a few days, to see if you take to it. An interesting scent for sure, just not one that’s going to be the favorite of many.

I don’t think it’s better than any of the other Soleil perfumes. It’s not much worse, but those others will probably appeal to more folks. 

9 Best Smelling Jo Malone Perfumes

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The Jo Malone line of fragrances have been popular now for a few decades. What’s really cool about them, is how they can be combined with one another to create one’s own signature scent and enhance each separate cologne, which can be worn by itself. There are a ton of these fragrances in this line.

So, I thought that I’d narrow the field down to nine which could be considered the ‘best’ of the bunch. Some will be known best-sellers and others lesser known gems. As always, I have linked each out to its page on Amazon for more information and ease of purchase.

What are Best Jo Malone Scents?

Great Springtime Casual Fragrance

1. English Pear & Freesia Jo Malone 3.4 Oz Unisex Cologne Unbox– Juicy and crisp pear meets with freesia and rose notes to create a wonderful blend of floral and fruit. It’s sweet, light, and good for casual wear.

It has that crisp juiciness that is found in pear, but this scent is also blended with a melon note, which gives it a slightly chilled aroma.

Further along in the wear, the floral notes get more of an upper hand, and the freesia/rose duo bring a somewhat soapy smell to the whole thing.

It is interesting, because you don’t get the powdery rose. Instead, it is an super clean pear/melon with soft freesia. This Jo Malone is simple, but always one of the best sellers. English Pear & Freesia Review

english pear review

Top Perfume for Summer

2. Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne for Women 1 oz Cologne Spray– A soft citrus based scent with floral notes that is upbeat and sure to induce a smile. A very clean scent that shines in the summer.

The clementine and citron opening at the top, is sweet and much more of a fruity affair than what will follow. The dry down, is when you really get the floral notes, mostly the namesake orange blossom.

Add in some lilac and you get a definite springtime in bloom effect. Citrus fruit top with a naturalistic floral blossom base. I love orange blossom, as a note, and it is utterly fantastic here. Those petals paired with a citron aroma, makes this a personal favorite of mine from Jo Malone London.

Best Winter Scent

3. Jo Malone Blue Agave & Cacao Cologne for Women 1 oz Cologne Spray– This combination is very interesting to me. It’s spicy cinnamon melds with vanilla and chocolate sweetness. Plus, add an underlying citrus air, and you’ve got something quite delicious.

The opening gives you a blend of the chocolate-y note with warm cardamom spice and the cinnamon. The spice isn’t too intense, but does add to the gourmand flavoring of this perfume, it’s a sweet spicy mix.

Under that there is a bit of vetiver, with orchid, lily, and the blue agave. Awesome and unique. Blue Agave & Cacao hits so many different styles, in one fragrance. You’ve got: sweet gourmand, citrus, floral, fresh woodsy. This is one to get, if you want a layered experience, for the cooler months of the year.

Top Sweet Perfume

4. Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Cologne 100ml/3.4 Fl oz.– A potent experience of being surrounded by nectarines and peaches.  Very simple and linear but has a definite sweetness to it. The plum note is light, but does add a bit of tartness to the overall sweet profile of this fragrance.

This is one, where you will have to really enjoy the scent of peaches and nectarines, but those who do well probably love the stuff. Expect a more naturalistic sweetness, rather than, a hyper sugary affair. It’s still light, has some tartness, and a somewhat syrup-like thickness at times.

Best Selling Fragrance and Aquatic

5. Jo Malone ‘Wood Sage & Sea Salt Colonge 30ml/1fl oz’– A coastal aroma that will transport the wearer to the shore. Sea salt is infused with wood sage and a bit of citrus to create a unique fragrance, that you can’t quite put your finger on, at times.

The opening is quite oceanic with the sea salt, but is given a typical aquatic partner, with the grapefruit. It is so fresh and aquatic, but dries down with a bit of sweetness, and light woody undertones. Let’s not forget the sage, which is a part of the opening, but comes into its own later.

Wood Sage & Sea Salt has been the most popular option for people, coming to the Jo Malone lineup. It’s so simple, but surprisingly good, and one that can be layered with other scents for a greater effect. Though, even on its own, this is a great aquatic experience.

Best Floral Pick

6. Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede Cologne Spray Perfume– There is a great opening with the apple note which then takes the back seat for the flowery aroma to take center stage. Very soft and feminine with a nice touch of suede.

The dry down becomes quite a powdery floral affair, especially once the apple fades. The peony and rose team up to create that powdered effect, which is smoothed out by an enhanced suede note. It is a rather powerful peony note, so, if that’s not a flower you enjoy go with another option.

Awesome Jasmine Perfume

7. JO MALONE LONDON Jasmine Sambac & Marigold Cologne Intense 100 ml.– This is a warm blend of the two obvious notes, jasmine and marigold, along with an additional ylang-ylang to complete the bouquet. Although, that note isn’t nearly as strong as the other two.

The marigold is strongest in the beginning of the wear and the jasmine will emerge to take over the composition. It is a very powerful use of that note, with a deep and rich aroma. Beyond that, the ylang-ylang and honey note gives Jasmine Sambac & Marigold, a creaminess while not being too heavy.

Probably not quite a summer scent, but it could get use through at least late springtime.

Balsamic Tonka

Myrrh & Tonka by Jo Malone– A spicy and balsamic myrrh starts things off with a lovely fresh lavender note. Obviously, the tonka bean will come into play as well, but that myrrh has the upper hand early on.

Next, this one will get creamier, somewhat sweet but not overly so, as that tonka gets paired with vanilla. It does have an herbal quality, at times which gives it a cooler feeling to keep this from becoming overly heavy and too warm. Sort of powdery too.

This has become a very popular entry in the Jo Malone catalog. Slightly masculine with how the perfume comes across, yet still very much in the unisex camp.

Red Queen

Scarlet Poppy by Jo Malone– Fig, poppy, heliotrope, barley, and musk mallow together create a familiar smelling yet unique combination.

Creamy, musky clean, with a nice sweetness almost almond like aroma. Fig and tonka bean together, seem to be the main culprits for that aspect. Scarlet Poppy is a newer entry on this list compared to others, but has quickly become a favorite.

This one really gets creamy and luxurious feeling in the back half of the wear. The heliotrope isn’t massive, but that note really stuck out to my nose in the dry down. Simple, a bit of powder with the buttery orris root.

Sweet and warm while not being overwhelming. Light and venturing into the gourmand category. I like this one a lot.

Mirto di Panarea by Acqua di Parma

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I’m still working my way through the 100+ new post extravaganza that is being released over the next month(s) and getting back into the habit today, with a new review. This is another unisex scent offering from Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo line, entitled, Mirto di Panarea. It was released in 2008. What does it smell like? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase?

What does Mirto di Panarea Smell Like?

Notes include: myrtle, basil, lemon, sea breeze, juniper, cedar

Click here to try: Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Mirto Di Panarea Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Mirto di Panarea is a citrus affair. However, it isn’t the juicy citrus of the other entries in the Blue Maditerraneo line, but more of a peel type aroma. This is of course joined by the headliner note, myrtle, and some other florals.

Again, it doesn’t have a straight floral aroma either, it is more herbal and later on, woody. The basil creates an interesting dynamic of an herbal-floral fragrance.

As Mirto dries down, the perfume takes on more of an aquatic sensibility. It sort of straddles the line between aquatic and the herbal-floral kind of scent that it had been to that point. In fact, it becomes more of a citrus peel/aquatic fragrance, the deeper into the wear that you get.

This is a pretty unique dynamic, as from my experience, most of the citrus/aquatic notes in colognes usually fade into the background.

Mirto di Panarea is fresh and has an effervescent sort of energy to it. The aroma is clean and has that spring/summer warm day imagery associated with wearing the fragrance. You can definitely imagine yourself on the Italian coast and surrounded by the natural scents of the landscape.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Mirto di Panarea is on the softer end of the spectrum. For me, it is mostly a skin scent, and I really didn’t notice that I was wearing it most of the day.

Maybe an opening 30 minutes or so, when it has a good pop. After that, this perfume is soft and doesn’t have very much projection at all.

That could also because, it wasn’t a long lasting scent for me, either. I got about 2-3 hours out of it, reapplied, and got another 2-3 hours out of that round. Not great. It is the same problem that I had with Bergamotto from this brand, just will not stick around.

This would be classified as a casual unisex fragrance. It really isn’t sexy, more soft, airy, and pleasant. Once again, this is a spring/summer wear. It has good versatility, within that context. I guess it could be worn to the office, but it’s more suitable as something to wear outdoors or around during the day, during the warmer months.

Overall Impressions of Mirto di Panarea

Overall would I recommend Mirto di Panarea? Meh, I’m not particularly impressed with it. I think it smells good enough, but the performance wasn’t up to par. Even if it had been, I’d still be indifferent towards it because while unique, the scent doesn’t really grab my attention.

The opening with the lemon, myrtle, and herbal quality to it, is fairly nice and enjoyable. This seems to be a common style with a lot of the Italian summer fragrances. But, at least Mirto isn’t another Neroli Portofino copycat. It does have originality within the warm weather framework.

The performance is just bad, especially at the price point. For retail, you could potentially have two bottles of other scents for the same price, both of which have better performance. Is this Acqua di Parma that special, on those terms? Not for me.

I’ll pass on this fragrance. I do like the aquatic-like aroma, the floral notes aren’t bad, and I’m a fan of citrus scents. However, overall this Acqua di Parma perfume, doesn’t do much for me, beyond being somewhat pleasant. It’s decent smelling, with subpar performance.

Greatness by The Dua Brand

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Versace Eros has been a top seller in the fragrance space, since its release back in 2012. Being that it is such a popular scent, it is only natural that The Dua Brand came out with their own ‘inspired creation’ of the 2012 original Eros EDT formula. I purchased a bottle, a few months ago to test out. Does it actually perform?

What does Greatness by Dua Smell Like?

Notes include: mint, vanilla, tonka bean, green apple, lemon, ambroxan, geranium, cedar, vetiver, oakmoss

Click here to try: Greatness

My Full Review

Well, one of the things about Dua’s fragrances is that they can take time to macerate. Basically, the aroma will change over a period of time. As such, what you get initially, isn’t going to be the same after a few months as it improves into the aroma that you’re looking for.

Now, most of the time this is minimal, in my experience with other fragrances from this brand. Sure, there’s some change, just nothing too major.

With my bottle of Greatness, it was a pretty pronounced change over the two months since I’ve purchased it. Which, makes my glad that I held off my review to this point.

The initial trial run, had way too much off the ambroxan coming out for this to be enjoyable. Now, it has settled.

Anyway, this Dua fragrance is inspired by the 2012 formulation of Eros EDT, a cologne that I am quite familiar with, as I had bottles of it during this era. My main complaint with the modern Eros, is how much the lemon overwhelms and throws off its former balance.

Greatness does correct this. In fact, the lemon is pretty subdued in the mix.

Early on this one is fresh and cold. Mint dominates the composition (with a touch of geranium), which is closer to how the 2012 era was like. Underneath that, is the crispness of the green apple note, the citrus, and a vanilla.

Is it the same as I remember? No, but it’s close. Maybe it’s a function of me misremembering the scent, but I did have a ton of time wearing the original Eros.

What’s different? The apple and lemon are too quiet. The lemon, I’m fine with, but the green apple doesn’t have the same sweetness. Secondly, the vanilla and mint felt richer and creamier as a pairing in the original.

Don’t get me wrong, much better than what I’ve gotten from the modern Versace release, just a bit off.

After that, the mint will still be heavy in the blend, but the vanilla and tonka bean really ramp up.

That’s another aspect of Greatness, it doesn’t have all that much development. More vanilla, tonka bean, ambroxan. Less mint and the fruits.  It’s more of a minty tonka bean and ambroxan for a lot of the wear. Then, some light woods.

So, a fairly close rendition of 2012 Eros, just without the same depth. I like it, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does match that initial intensity and projection of Eros. However, I think that it shifts into more of a moderate scent quicker than does the Versace. On my skin, anyway. The performance is good though.

The longevity is somewhere in the 8-8.5 hour territory. Again, didn’t hit the same level as old Eros, which basically hit 10+ hours every time. It does match the modern batches, which are still quite good.

No change when to wear. Skews younger, colder weather is better, more in the nightlife mold…but can be worn daytime.

Overall Impressions of Greatness

Overall, do I like Greatness? Yes, it’s a very good rendition of older bottles of Eros, just not exact. Once it had time to sit on my shelf for a while, the experience was much better. Still a notch below the old Versace batches, but a better scent than the newer one’s.

Plus, it’s a better price. Everything else about it, is basically in line with the Eros that is available nowadays. The sillage initially, is about the same, but slightly less staying power with the projection.

I do like the minty freshness of this blend. Wish it were a tad creamier with the vanilla and a stronger apple note, but it’s still nice. I don’t mind the lack of development, as I loved the opening act of the old Eros the most anyway.

This is worth trying, if you’re interested in Eros EDT or just want to replace your bottle at a lower price. I’ll wear this more, as it gets colder in the autumn.