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!

Black Xs L’Exces by Paco Rabanne

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I recently received a sample vial of Black XS L’Exces by Paco Rabanne for purposes of finally getting around to reviewing it for this website. I wore it around and have gathered my thoughts in this post. How does it smell? What’s inside? Does it perform well? When can it be worn? Please continue below for my full take on L’Exces.

What does Black Xs L’exces Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, patchouli, lavender, amber, cypriol oil

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Black Xs L’exces Eau de Toilette Intense Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

I own a full bottle of the original Black Xs and hardly ever wear it. I think it’s been on my shelf for the past two years, with nary a wear on my part. It was a blind buy and while I do kind of enjoy how it smells, there are issues which always bugged me, however.

Update: Got rid of it, never having used it again.

Namely, the heavier patchouli note, and how it blends with the praline. So, when getting a hold of a sample vial of L’Exces, I was worried that it would be more of the same…just intense.

The opening of Black Xs L’Exces is actually quite similar to the original. It has the familiar lemon note, but in the original it smells like strawberry candy, and L’Exces smells more like pineapple. Yes, the ingredient is lemon, but how it blends with the other notes produces a different aroma.

What I noticed most, is that it doesn’t have the same sharpness or overwhelming patchouli note that original has. This is great! The note is still present, it is just that it has been subdued and doesn’t have a praline sweetness to blend with anymore.

So, in a real sense, L’Exces isn’t intense or excessive. It is a cleaner version of the original. What you get is the citrus/pineapple aroma, sitting on top of a woody/lavender base that is soaked in amber.

It is bright, fruity sweet, and with an outdoorsy heart lurking in the background. It’s pretty linear, but as it dries down, it gets less citric and the other notes take a bigger stage. Mainly, the more outdoorsy or woody notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it does start out strong. Again, not as sharp as the original Black XS that Paco Rabanne released, but it can be loud from the jump. However, it calms down significantly, and I feel that it is ultimately a moderate.

The longevity is also good, I get right around 8 hours of wear from this juice. Testing it out a few times, it doesn’t seem to go beyond that on my skin. Not that it really needs to, but it isn’t an insane performer.

The original felt like a strictly winter scent to me. This cologne, however, could fit in year round and not be a mess. It’s got a good profile for the summer months. I would say it is more of a casual or club kind of fragrance rather than something to wear to work or other formal settings.

At a daytime part in the summer, it actually would work pretty well. I’d lean towards spring and summer nights, either case would be fine.

Leans more for someone in their twenties to early 30s. Not super serious nor is it a teenager’s cologne. The original was definitely more youthful. Just as one to wear around, this can venture into a variety of scenarios and can be used pretty much as a daily wear.

Overall Impressions of L’Exces

Overall, do I like Black XS L’Exces? It’s nice. Even though, I’m digging this more than the original, it’s not something I’d want to wear all the time or even often. I do really like how the patchouli was toned down and the praline seems to be gone, that’s a huge plus.

The tropical aspect is quite appealing, better than that strawberry lemon candy of the original. The lavender and woodiness is something that’s been done a million times before. It’s all fine, just nothing that blows me away.

There’s nothing here that’s offensive. The smell itself is attractive and there’s no real weaknesses with L’Exces.

It also gives a great performance in terms of sillage and longevity. A very solid wear. I think it has been discontinued, so if you want a bottle you’ll have to get it on the secondary market.

Update: Yeah, this one is no longer produced.

The prices that I’ve seen for this are pretty high, so, it might just be one to forget about now. If you stumble across an affordable bottle, it’s worth a shot.

Brit Rhythm for Her by Burberry

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One of the remaining samples that I got in my last batch was a ladies’ perfume from Burberry, Brit Rhythm for Her. As such, I decided to give it a try and report back my testing results in the form of a product review. This one was released in 2014.

I recently review Burberry Body also and have done a list of the top Burberry fragrances for women.  Does Brit Rhythm deserve a spot on the list? In this post, I want to explore what this perfume smells like, how it performs, and if I think it is worth a purchase.

Brit Rhythm for Her Overview

Notes include: lavender, pink pepper, musk, vetiver, orris, blackberry leaf, woods, neroli

Click here to try: BURBERRY Brit Rhythm for Her Eau de Toilette, 1.0 fl.oz

Full Review

My opening impression of Brit Rhythm is how much it strikes me as soapy or like a detergent type of smell. It is fresh and clean with some woods and spice thrown in. There is a bit of sharpness to it, which I guess is coming from the neroli and black berry.

The lavender note seems to be the dominating force behind this fragrance, which gives it the usual smoothness and it is joined by musk for that warm spiciness. I also detect the pink pepper note and some type of wood lurking in the background.

This is kind of an odd scent to me, it is very linear in its scent but the aroma is kind of tough to explain. In the end, though, I just keep getting more and more lavender and I don’t particularly like it. The orris isn’t super noticeable to me, but I think it is boosting the lavender, a lot.

It’s sort of spicy at first from pink pepper and neroli. The soapiness is the lavender and neroli and musk. But, other than that, there isn’t too much going on with Brit Rhythm. Most of the notes just blend into one another, without much distinction or development.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Brit Rhythm for her is pretty moderate. I’d say it’s safe to wear to work or school without any problems. Anywhere from a 3 to 6 foot radius of fragrance, around the wearer. Not huge, but it hits the mark for what type of perfume this is.

It also does have really good longevity, like, all day in fact. It’ll last somewhere in the 8-10 hour range, not as a powerhouse, but it’ll be noticeable. At the right price, this Burberry does provide some value.

It is a very casual to semi-formal fragrance. I wouldn’t call it sexy by any means, so you might want to consider something else for romantic wear.

It’d work best during the cooler months of the year. It can venture into springtime, but I’d avoid when it starts to get hot outside. Basically, autumn through mid to late spring.

The versatility and longevity are there. If you enjoy the scent itself, you can at least get good value out of Brit Rhythm.

Overall Impressions of Brit Rhythm for Her

Overall, is Brit Rhythm worth a buy? To me, not unless you have a thing for lavender and musk. Otherwise, it’s pretty uneventful, and not that great of a scent. It performs well but I am almost completely indifferent towards the fragrance itself.

If you need a basic daily wear, like lavender, and can get it for cheap…it’s not terrible. Paying full price? Nope. At $30-40? Sure, it might be worth a shot.

From the women’s line of Burberry, I like these a lot more: London, Brit, or one of the Burberry Her scents. Those all have a more interesting wear and similar performance for the most part.

Rhythm doesn’t fail miserably at anything, it just isn’t a perfume that is very memorable. Nothing about it sticks out as a highlight.

Original Santal by Creed

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Creed is a world renown luxury fragrance brand which has served the royalty and other assorted elites of the world for hundreds of years now. It is a design house known for it use of quality ingredients and rich and fragrant scents for both men and women which have stood the test of time.

While we have already taken a look at the top Creed fragrances and reviewed such popular scents as Aventus and Millesime Imperial, we are going to take a look at a lesser known commodity in this post, Original Santal. Santal is one that flies under the radar, but is it because it hasn’t been hyped up, or is it simply not that good?

Original Santal Overview

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Notes include: sandalwood, juniper berry, cinnamon, vanilla, coriander, rosemary, lavender, tonka bean 

Click here to try: Original Santal by Creed

My Review of Original Santal

Here’s how Creed describes it: Looking to Asia for inspiration, Olivier and Erwin combine Mysore sandalwood, fiery cinnamon, warm vanilla and tonka bean. A robust scent fit for both formal and casual occasions, Original Santal is destined to captivate a room. Prepare for compliments

Santal seems to be formulated as sort of a unisex perfume (I’m not sure if this is actually the case or not but I have seen it for sale as unisex). That being said, don’t expect something that is overly masculine, because that’s not what you’ll get.

What you will find is warmth, smoothness, with a spicy kick. The most noticeable notes for me are the sandalwood and the cinnamon, though, I also get a vanilla note that seems to balance out the composition.

Immediately, I was struck by how much this reminded me of Joop!, though, perhaps it is much more ‘natural’ and less synthetic than Joop in it’s smell. Also, Joop! is much heavier, less clean, and geared toward men and wouldn’t be presented as a unisex scent.

Since I am sort a fan of Joop!, as an inexpensive option for guys, I liked Santal right off the bat. The dry down doesn’t give off the same powdery feel that Joop! does but I feel that Santal is a  smoother fragrance as well.

It opens up with the cinnamon spice and the creamy smooth sandalwood note. It is fresh, while being warm, and there is a slight fruit aroma provided by the juniper berry.

Original Santal also has a resemblance to Mont Blanc Individuel, but this one is much better, and feels more substantial. Santal has a spicier profile at the opening with the cinnamon, but also the coriander note, which gives it a more dynamic warmth.

Santal starts off projecting rather well off of my skin and after 20-30 minutes the vanilla note seems to start kicking in more. There then comes a third wave of notes which I can distinctly detect the tonka bean and lavender, which presents a warmer and woodsy sensation to this cologne.

I have to say, Santal is very pleasant to wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

However, for me, Santal’s projection is bordering on average. The sillage falls in the lighter moderate part of the spectrum. It’s not going to really ever overwhelm, which I wouldn’t want it to, but some kind of power would be nice.

I don’t seem to get much longevity from it…maybe 4-5 hours. Perhaps, it will have better longevity on other guys’ skin but it really doesn’t last that long on mine. That is a disappointment because this is a nice scent.

It is a safe and versatile fragrance. It is more limited in terms of climate, as it’s at its best in the cooler weather. However, as far as on what occasion it can be worn, it is the type of cologne that can fit in almost anywhere.

Again, it’s not a sillage beast, so Santal isn’t going to go hard in a night club environment. Original Santal is an attractive scent and I have gotten complements from women, while wearing it. Is it super sexy? Not really, but it is one that draws people closer.

Also, on the negative side, it’s not a particularly unique or special fragrance either. Is a cleaner and probably better option than Joop? I’d say so but would I pay for a full bottle of Santal, at Creed prices versus Joop? I wouldn’t.

Not that I really want either, all that bad. Mont Blanc Individuel can also be had for a lot cheaper, if you want something quite similar.

I’d personally take the Joop! and buy another bottle of Guerlain and probably something else as well. I do like Santal a lot, just not at that pricing point and versus my many other options.

Overall Impressions of Original Santal

Is Santal worth a buy? On smell alone? I’d say, yes. At this price? Probably not, unless you don’t particularly mind the cost. It is a very nice fragrance, that really grew on me, the more I wore it.

I love a good cinnamon note and the early stages of Original Santal has it in spades. Obviously, the main attraction is the sandalwood note, which is lovely. But, I especially love the notes that are used in support of it.

Update: Coming back to this one, a few years later, I totally dig the way this one smells on me. It’s got such a smooth vibe. Still no luck, in the performance department. That 4-5 hour limit is really holding Santal back from being an absolute must from the Creed collection.

I really wish that it had better performance, because that would push into the definitely buy category. The sandalwood, cinnamon, vanilla, and tonka bean together are great.

L’Homme L’Eau by Prada

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In today’s fragrance review, we have a flanker fragrance from Prada’s L’Homme line of scents: 2017’s, L’Homme L’eau. The question begs, how does this one stack up? What are the notes? What does it smell like? Does L’eau perform well? Pease continue below, for my full take, after wearing this one around.

What does Prada L’homme L’eau Smell Like?

Notes include: iris, amber, cedar, sandalwood, neroli, ginger

Click here to try: Prada L’homme Prada L’eau for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

prada l'eau review

My Full Review of L’Homme L’eau

The opening of L’Homme L’eau is really quite fresh and features iris, neroli, and the wood notes also peak through at the start. To my nose, it doesn’t have as much iris as the original L’Homme, but it is fairly strong towards the beginning of the wear and is present throughout.

I get more wood in this one than its predecessor, with less amber, and some added ginger. I will say, on clothing, the ginger really pops and L’eau has a spicier kick than on my skin.

The is a cleaner and more refreshing take on the original cologne, the powdery accord is heightened, and it’s not as light of a fragrance as one might expect.

L’eau is an airy sort of scent but isn’t insubstantial and actually hangs around with its other L’Homme mates, quite well for the first 3-4 hours of wear. The amber in this flanker is light and doesn’t create a warm cloud of scent, like in others.

As it dries down, more I can pick up some of that light ginger spice, but I still get that baby powder/make up powder smell, that it has a few minutes in. L’eau is definitely a floral led scent, with the neroli and iris, becoming more balanced within the composition as it moves forward.

It’s a very straightforward cologne and you know what you’re going to get from this one in short order.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, as I said, the sillage isn’t bad but its not particularly strong. L’eau is a fragrance that you can spray plenty of and not really worry about choking out a room. It does eventually work its way into a skin scent.

It floats around with a refreshing quality that is better than its predecessors in warmer weather.

The longevity for me was somewhere around six hours. Again, not great, but serviceable. Although, I expect a bit more a Prada prices. That’s probably my main gripe with this cologne. I wish it lasted longer. I understand that it’s not a heavier fragrance, but six hours isn’t great.

L’Homme L’eau is sort of a year round scent for me. It doesn’t feel out of place nor does it get ugly in any particular season. Again, I do like it when it’s warm out, and I’ve been wearing this in the early days or summer to great effect.

It’s a very pleasant fragrance, that is great for office wear or more formal occasions, and could easily become a simple go to on the daily. If you want a light and fresh fragrance to wear to work, Prada L’eau really fits the bill.

Is it sexy? Eh, it’s clean, and inoffensive but not really ‘sexy’. This isn’t one to really reach for when heading to the club. But, it is attractive enough that one will receive complements and inquiries as to what it is you’re wearing. 

 

 

Overall Impressions of L’Homme L’Eau

Overall, do I like Prada L’Homme L’eau? I do. It actually smells very nice, if you’re into powdery scents. It’s yet another Prada, with iris and amber, so you might already know what to expect from it.

The performance is okay, but not anything amazing, and it is pretty linear also. It would be a really good office scent. As a daily wear, I’d also be into wearing it for much of the year.

Is it worth the price? Probably not for me, but if you really want a slightly different take on the Prada L’Homme line, it might be for you. For the price and performance, I like it, but probably not going to be worth it.

Update: I’ve come back to this one in 2023. I had a store credit at Macy’s, so I bought a full bottle with that. I like it a bit more now. Still, not my favorite, but I did want another clean and simple wear for the warm weather. This fits a similar role as YSL L’Homme does in my collection, but more refined and with better performance.

The performance hasn’t changed and everything is as I remember it during the first incarnation of this review, from years back. 

I don’t think this is one I’ll wear everyday. Though, I have really enjoyed it in the past week or so. Great versatility and stays low key.

Xeryus Rouge by Givenchy

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Xeryus Rouge is a fragrance that I’ve encountered, owned, and enjoyed over the decades. My experience this one definitely precedes this website or even my real interest in perfume. Givenchy released this back in 1995 and it’s one that is still being sold, despite completely flying under the radar of most people.

I bought a bottle of this within the last year to try Xeryus Rouge out again and see if I still liked it. How does it smell? Does the performance still hold up? Is this 1990s classic, still a worthwhile scent today?

What does Xeryus Rouge Smell Like?

Notes include: red pepper, cactus, kumquat, cedar, geranium, musk, tarragon, sandalwood

Click here to try: Xeryus Rouge by Givenchy

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: Warm and intense, Xeryus Rouge is a classic, Woody-Oriental designed for a man who embraces his freedom and is a risk-taker at heart. His fiery, intuitive sensuality is irresistibly captivating with an underlying mystery that cannot be resisted. Succulent kumquat and green cactus are dusted with red pepper and crushed cedar wood for a seductive scent that lingers.

The word is that this one has been reformulated. Personally, I can’t really tell since I’m going off of memories from a bottle that I owned long ago. Memories I don’t entirely trust, so, I can’t really compared an older version versus what is offered today.

Still, my new bottle smells pretty much as I recall the old one.

I did notice that kumquat has been added to where it used to be mandarin orange. The kumquat reminds me of that one found in Gucci Guilty Love, just way tempered by the other notes in the mix.

The opening is bright, juicy, greenish, and herbal. Cactus is definitely in play, not letting the kumquat get too sharp or dominant in the blend.

While you do have this juicy/watery quality from the fruits up top, Rouge will always have this warm spiciness and freshness to it, even at these early stages. Red pepper and geranium start to show up big on my skin, 10-15 minutes after application.

Those notes are there from the initial spray, but some of the kumquat and cactus needs to back off before each really comes into their own.

The red pepper has the edge early, but that shifts quite a bit, and geranium starts to pop. It’s an interesting effect with the cactus note still hanging around. Much greener, fresher, and has more of a herbal undertone.

Rouge becomes drier, more of a classic aromatic and woody fragrance. The citrus really falls off, as does the red pepper. You will still have a slight spice, but this leans towards the fresh woods end of the spectrum.

Cedar, geranium, musk, cactus, and some light sandalwood. That’s basically the order of the notes by strength in the dry down. A sweet woodsy aroma, masculine, almost barbershop (minus the usual lavender).

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Rouge is pretty moderate with how it hangs in the air and the scent trail that’ll leave behind. This isn’t a heavy sort of fragrance. Lighter and fresher. Projects from the skin 5-7 feet at its max. Then, will slowly reel itself in, until it’s in skin scent territory.

I will say, it can be deceptive. You might not smell it on yourself and then someone will complement you.

On my skin, this one lasts in the 6.5-7.5 hour range. Those last few hours definitely aren’t powerful, but the fragrance is still there. I think I used to get a couple of hours more with my older bottle, so it wasn’t completely gutted. Just a step back.

Seasonally, I really like this one anytime other than the height of summer. That warmer opening, lends itself to the autumn and winter months. However, it becomes greener and fresher, which works in the springtime too.

I’ve worn it outside on warm days in the spring and Xeryus Rouge held up well.

xeryus rouge review

Rouge has a classic masculine style while still having its modern edge. This one can be a daily wear and venture out into the evening if necessary. It’s not a nightlife cologne per se, but it wouldn’t be totally out of place either.

It’s a likeable scent that I do get complements with. Not completely ‘sexy’, but it has its charm and appeal. The fresh aromatic smell that comes through past the opening act, is one that people do enjoy. It didn’t last for nearly 30 years, without reason.

Overall Impressions of Xeryus Rouge

Overall, do I like this one? Yes, it’s no one that I wear all of the time, but it has been a fragrance that I’ve come back to multiple times over many years. Though, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.

That being said, it has been around since 1995, so it has plenty of fans. There’s nothing that smells exactly like Xeryus Rouge. That red pepper, light kumquat, aromatic freshness, the cedar, and the unique cactus note…what else has that?

Sure, Hot Water by Davidoff has overlap with its style, but even that just strikes me as being quite distinct from Rouge.

The dry down is more typical of other colognes out there. Though, this Givenchy just always seems to have its own unique aspects which come through.

The performance is pretty good. It was never a monster in terms of power or a crazy long-lasting scent either. It’s fine, I didn’t have to pay a lot, and the performance is good enough.

Xeryus Rouge is one that is worth checking out. I did notice that it is now no longer for sale on Givenchy’s website (maybe it’ll return). I pulled that description of it from the site many months ago before publishing, but there are plenty of bottles available online for a good price.

Try it out and experience this mid-1990s gem.