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!

Alien Aqua Chic by Thierry Mugler

by

Beyond getting a sample of Pure Malt to review, I also picked up a fragrance for the ladies by Thierry Mugler, Alien Aqua Chic. Now, this is a flanker fragrance to the ever popular, Alien, and while they do share some similarities, Aqua Chic is quite a different perfume. In this post, I want to give my full impressions of this scent, on how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a purchase.

Alien Aqua Chic Overview

alien aqua chic

Notes include: freesia, wood, ginger, amber, lemon verbena

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Alien Aqua Chic Light Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 2 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Alien Aqua Chic is somewhat reminiscent of the original Alien perfume but this one is decidedly more floral/aquatic with a slight spiciness provided by that ginger note.

I actually like the way the freesia and lemon verbena blend together to create a fairly unique floral fragrance and a welcome departure from the usual rose or violet that many perfumes have.

I would say that the aqua name fits as the floral notes do seem ‘juicy’ in that watery sort of way. I like this perfume but am not overwhelmed or really wowed by it.

The ginger note does feel like the highlight of this fragrance. It is a very fresh and crisp aroma, that comes across as being confident without being gaudy.

There isn’t too much development with this one. More freesia, less spice, some amber, and light woods in the base. As it moves along, it also loses some of that initial freshness. Basically a floral/aquatic/spicy/citrus blend to one that is more floral/amber.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on this one is pretty good. Aqua Chic is a moderate fragrance in my opinion and I don’t think there will be a problem with choking people out while wearing it, unless you really go overboard with the sprays.

It has a lighter and fresh tone, rather than being heavy. But, that projection does hold up, without overwhelming. I think the initial strength is above average and then gradually decays into something more middle of the road.

The longevity is very good and lasted on my skin for 6-7 hours before I washed it off…it was still going strong, so my guess is this one will hit 8+ hours pretty easily. It wouldn’t shock me if some can get to 10 hours with Aqua Chic.

Alien Aqua Chic isn’t really a nighttime or sexy kind of scent. I would say, that it is best for casual wear during the spring or summer months of the year. I think that it is an interesting contrast versus most of the summery type of perfumes out there.

Overall Impressions of Aqua Chic

Overall, I think that this Thierry Mugler perfume is pretty good. The performance is exactly what you would want from a perfume. The smell is pleasant, but it isn’t really mind blowing to me.

It’s quite similar to Alien, but with a fresh ginger note, and and aquatic aroma. Less woody, smooth, and vanilla overall. Pretty simple and linear without too much development. Basically, you like Alien but want something more wearable in the heat.

That’s not a bad thing for a spring and summer wear, because you do at least get solid performance from this one. Which, is pretty much the case with every Mugler perfume, and this doesn’t mess up the Alien namesake with poor performance.

If you need a solid casual scent, like slightly spicy florals, and can get a good price on a bottle, I’d say go for it.

Update: It’s not as available as it once was, but I’ve seen bottles of Aqua Chic still floating around, just much more sparingly. I don’t think you’ll be able to get it at a cheap price any longer.

Astor Place by Bond No. 9

by

In this incarnation of the ongoing fragrance reviews on this site, I want to turn my attention to another ladies’ perfume from Bond No. 9 entitled, Astor Place. This one came out back in 2009, so it’s an older option from this brand. I will cover what’s in it, how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Astor Place Smell Like?

Notes include: violet leaf, freesia, red poppy buds, mandarin zest, teakwood, amber, musk, orris

Click here to try: Bondno.9 New York Astor Place Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Astor Place gives off a blend of violet leaf, red poppy, and freesia with a slight mandarin zest. This isn’t a citrus takeover, as in Bond’s Little Italy. Rather, it does feel as if it’s just a bit of zest on top of the floral arrangement.

The floral notes have some sweetness to them, as well as a fine powdery feel supplied by the orris. Mainly, it feels a bit wet/dewy and greenish with the violet leaf, and layer of citrus on top.

That’s what it’s going to be for most of the wear. The light citrus will be the first to fall off and the other notes will jockey for position. Mostly, the violet leaf and freesia with red poppy being the weakest of the bunch.

As it dries down, Astor Place has its musk note emerge along with the unique teakwood note. There is usually an hour or two before the initial floral aromas give way to the clean and simple scent that follows.

The freesia becomes more dominate over the other floral notes and at this point, the perfume become much more interesting and pretty, in my mind.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on this isn’t huge, it’s kind of a scent that sneaks up on you. Like, it’ll go unnoticed and then you’ll suddenly catch a whiff of it and be drawn in.

It’s not going to leave a huge scent trail, even during that opening hour. However, I will say that this is a bit above average with its ability to project and Astor Place does float around for a good amount of time before going into skin scent mode.

While it isn’t super strong, it is one that lasts a long time like 8+ hours, which is well above average. Depending on the climate and your skin, you might be able to get over the double digit hour mark with Astor Place.

This is a spring/early summertime fragrance for casual or other daytime wear. It fits right in at an office, as well, since it won’t be choking anybody out while one is wearing it. This is less along the lines of being a ‘sexy’ fragrance and one that is just bright and beautiful.

So, it’s a pretty versatile fragrance. Probably won’t be a go to scent for the colder months or for a night out. Though, for just about anything else, it can work. Astor Place has easy daily wear perfume, written all over it.

Overall Impressions of Astor Place

Overall, would I recommend Astor Place? I like it. Actually, the further it gets into the wear, the more I like it. The initial opening is easy to dismiss as just another floral but this one has some depth and it’s quite pleasant.

I usually like freesia, but I’m not a big fan of violet leaf. I wasn’t expecting much coming into testing this Bond No. 9 out. Though, the violet leaf really didn’t bother me and I thought that this had a good balance and charm in its simplicity.

Is it amazing? Not really. But as a casual floral, it’s good, and has great performance. Astor Place is not for everybody but there will be those who adore it.

The price point could be a deciding factor for many people. Is it worth paying Bond No. 9 prices for something that isn’t all around outstanding?

I’d say no, but it has good enough performance that if you actually enjoy this sort of scent more than I do, it could be well worth grabbing a bottle. There’s nothing that it does poorly and is a solid scent all around. The question is, is that enough to warrant a purchase?

Akaster by Parfums de Marly

by

Still moving my way through this box full of sample fragrances and also have a handful of Parfums de Marly scents to do write-ups on. Today’s entry is a review of Akaster, another cologne from the horse named French line, this one released in 2015. What does Akaster smell like? What are the notes? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase? Continue below for my full take on this Parfums de Marly fragrance.

What does Akaster Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, Bulgarian Rose, agarwood, sandalwood, cypress, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Akaster, 4.2 Fl Oz 

My Full Review

While there is a lemon top note to Akaster, it is very subtle and just a hint of citrus to what is otherwise a very woody and rose-laden fragrance. There is a crisp forest element and a bit of spice, just to change things up somewhat.

However, the two main attractions here are the rose and the oud notes.

I’m usually pretty hesitant with rose colognes, because it’s not my favorite note, and it can be absolutely too much. However, I think that Parfums de Marly really did a great job of blending this cologne.

The oud isn’t too powerful and the rose isn’t too overbearing, there is a firm balance between the two, and it makes this fragrance better than it otherwise would’ve been.

Akaster is a very straightforward, linear, cologne. You are going to get a oud base that is flanked by a fresh and crisp array of other tree notes. Other than the oud, I get a good deal of the cypress. Very green.

This is all surrounded by an air of roses growing in a garden and a squeeze of lemon. Simple, but actually quite effective.

Sillage, Longevity, When to Wear

Projection wise, Akaster is pretty strong. One spray was plenty detectable and any more than 2-3 would be overdoing it. Spraying this on clothes, it leaped across the room, with its projection and the trail on skin was also awesome. Great sillage. Well, at least for a time.

Akaster is one of the fragrances that I’ve come across, that has a massive projection, but the sustained performance just isn’t there. Burns twice as bright, but quiets down rather quickly.

The longevity is ok/good but not great, it seemed to not want to last more than six hours, both times I wore it around. Actually, it’s kind of disappointing, at this price point.

Seriously, after that massive start, I was thinking it’d be around for double digit hours like other PdM fragrances. Akaster just dies out, on my skin. Maybe other people get this one for a long time, but it’s pretty mid on me.

Seasonally, Akaster is one for the colder months. Think a crisp fall day and into the winter time. It has an airy freshness to it, but isn’t really all that ‘warm’ and enveloping. It is somewhat versatile, but not an every occasion sort of scent.

I like it in a dressy casual to dressed up scenario. Not a night club fragrance, but could probably be worn at the office. Pleasant, but not particularly sexy. More one to enjoy as a niche perfume, than a mass crowd pleaser.

Overall Impressions of Akaster

Overall, do I like Akaster? Yes, much more than I though that I would when reading the notes. It’s a simple fragrance from Parfums de Marly, but so well put together that it just works.

It does have some limitations in terms of its longevity and versatility, but it also smells quite nice. Almost a reverse of what I expected with it. I thought that the performance would be amazing and that I wouldn’t really like the smell.

Rose and oud have a great balance in this blend and I like the additional woody notes, like cypress. Not very complex, but still fairly enjoyable.

Is that good enough for the associated price tag? I guess that depends on your budget. I wouldn’t personally drop hundreds of dollars for it, but I enjoy wearing it well enough. It’s an well above average scent, but I wouldn’t put it among the best from this design house.

The One Luminous Night by D&G

by

The One is a series of fragrances that has spun of a bunch of flankers, including the ‘Night’ special editions. Luminous Night released in 2021, is one that has gotten a lot of attention out of those three, to the point where finding a bottle is an expensive proposition. Is it actually worth it? How does it smell? Does it last long?

What does The One Luminous Night Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, basil, black pepper, dates, amber, incense, sage, geranium, sandalwood

luminous night review

My Full Review

Here’s how D&G describes it: Inspired by the captivating contrast between the deep blue night sky and the blazing gold stars set within it, The One Luminous Night conjures the magic and splendour of a star-studded Arabian night.

When I first saw the notes, bottle, and concept of The One Luminous Night I was excited to try it. The blue bottle looks great.

However, since it was a limited edition and not sold in the US, I kind of forgot about it for a while.

Forgot to the point that bottles became scarce, and I had to secure a decant of it for testing. Knowing that, I would probably plop down the near $200 for a bottle off of eBay if I loved the fragrance.

Upon spraying, I do get the contrast between cool and the warm notes. The early part of this scent is fresh with the sweetness of the dates lurking underneath.

Sage and basil are the stronger of the spicy notes to be. I don’t get all that much black pepper and only a faint peak of the geranium note. The pepper is mostly around for the first 15 minutes, then is pretty much gone.

It is interesting, the style here reminds me of one of the L’Homme Ideal flankers, even while they don’t smell the same. Smokiness, warmth, spice, with a nice fruit providing a sweet heart.

The initial freshness will subside. Sage sticks around, but it will fall down the chain of importance.

Dates, amber, incense, and wood. Expect that to be the main event for basically the rest of the wear. The dates are nice, more of a dried fruit aroma, than anything hyper-sweet or juicy.

Slightly smoky dates sitting in a pool of amber is how I would describe this one. In the middle act, the geranium while still not heavy, does pick up somewhat. Once that pepper is out of the way, I can get more of it.

Update: Now that I have a full sized bottle of Luminous Night, I’ve noticed that it does present somewhat differently, on any given wear. Sometimes, the sage is massive. Other times, this is much more of the warm and sweet aroma led by the date note. When the sage is super heavy, I enjoy this less.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a powerhouse. Actually pretty moderate, at its height and then more intimate, without being a complete skin scent. The opening can indeed pack a punch, however. For me, that is a pretty short-lived experience.

The projection runs about 2-4 feet off of the skin for much of the wear. I do notice it on me throughout, just not a complete monster.

It lasts somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. Again, it’s not a strong fragrance, but it does stick around. It’s one of the better The One fragrances, in terms of performance. Which, isn’t one of the series’ strong suits.

Seasonally, this is best in autumn and winter. But, as a nighttime fragrance, if it isn’t too hot and sticky out…you can wear it whenever. Definitely avoid wearing Luminous Night, during the day in spring and summer, especially. Can be a pretty cloying cologne, in that situation.

It’s very attractive and well put together. Semi formal or even formal social situations would be fine. It can absolutely be worn dressed up, while still having its sexy side as a date night go to.

But, that being said, I do prefer this as more of a casual or ‘going out’ nighttime fragrance. The sweetness and warmth feels more in line with that versus being a pure formal play.

Overall Impressions of Luminous Night

Overall, do I like Luminous Night? I do enjoy it. I think that is smells very good, but it isn’t a total love for me. I don’t know if I’m going to get a full bottle for myself (I might still), since that would run me $200 or so.

Update: I did get a bottle, once I found one for around $100. Still sort of feel like I overpaid, but wasn’t too terrible of a deal.

That being the case, it is one of the best The One releases. Better performing than the EDT, even if I enjoy the smell of that a bit more. Plus, I do have a full EDP bottle too.

I actually really like that opening act, with its burst of freshness to contrast against the warmth of the rest of the wear. Basil, pepper, sage, and geranium with a bright bergamot is great. The date note is also very attractive.

I really like everything about this release. I’m just not floored by it. When I compare it to another expensive release I purchased a full bottle of, Noir Extreme, it just doesn’t hit me on the same level.

Update: That sage note, can be somewhat annoying depending on how it shows up on any given day. Sometimes, it just smells overwhelming versus the date and even other spicier ingredients.

I recommend it. If this were a more available scent, I’d probably tell everyone that it’s one to pick up. At $200? Maybe not for everyone. But, it also is a safe blind buy based on the smell and performance alone.

Scarcity made this one go from a sure thing, to something you may want to track down decants of before committing to the entire thing.

Mandorlo Di Sicilia by Acqua Di Parma

by

I’m still working my way through writing a ton of reviews and other posts. I think that I have about 100+ more in the queue, so stayed tuned on that front. Today’s entry is another one from Acqua di Parma, Mandorlo di Sicilia, and perfume for both men and women which came out in 1999. What does this fragrance smell like? How does it perform? Continue reading below for my full review.

What does Mandorlo di Sicilia Smell Like?

Notes include: almond, white musk, vanilla, orange, bergamot, anise

Click here to try: Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Mandorlo Di Sicilia Eau de Toilette Spray, 2.5 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Mandorlo di Sicilia reminds me a lot of root beer. Not the drink really, but the little candies that they make of that flavor, in the shape of glass bottles. It’s sweet, smooth, and has the sensation of fizziness. Is it kind of odd for a fragrance? I guess, but the smell is actually really good.

It’s really a mixture of almond, vanilla, and orange. That’s the main trinity that I pick up from the opening few minutes of the scent. It is later joined by the star anise note. Mandorlo di Sicilia is very well blended and each note is super fresh.

Peach is there too. However, the note doesn’t stand out too often on my skin. Most of the time, it’ll just be a part of the overall feeling of sweetness with the fragrance.

The fragrance takes on a powdery quality but I don’t think that it goes as far as some others. I guess, as a unisex scent, Acqua di Parma wanted to not let it go too far into the feminine category. I definitely feel that they accomplished that task, as this perfume does have a universal appeal to it.

As it dries down, I get mostly the vanilla note with a powdered sugary sweetness, enveloping the points which I sprayed. The almond note is still present and pleasant.

This is quite a light and airy fragrance, that I just catch whiffs of throughout the wear. At times, I forget that I even have it on, and then I notice the wonderful scent of Mandorlo di Sicilia.

It’s a nice and refreshing wear to have on during the day. Yes, sometimes the sweetness can be annoying, but overall I think it’s a fantastic wear. It goes through periods of being fizzy, creamy, and powdery which is an interesting bit of development.

Sillage, How Long does it Last, Versatility

Projection wise, again, it’s a light fragrance. Though, it isn’t weak in my mind. It starts off moderate, but hangs around during the day. Again, it’s a perfume that will hit you, even after you thought it had disappeared or weakened.

The actual reach of Mandorlo is pretty good, it’s just not going to weigh down on the wearer with a thick cloud.

Longevity is better than some of the other Acqua di Parma fragrances I’ve worn. It’s not a beast by any means, however, I get 6-7 hours out of this one. Not a monster, but for what this scent is, it feels like plenty long for almost any scenario.

This is a truly unisex type of fragrance and feels more casual. That being said, it would have no problem being worn at the office or even for romantic wear. It’s not a sexy scent but it is kind of beautiful.

It can fit in pretty much anywhere during the daytime. You might want another option for evenings, but this could probably work decently in the nightlife.

Seasonally, it has enough of the citrus aroma and is light enough for summer. However, it can definitely fit in year round, and not be out of place. To me, it is best in moderate temperatures, but it isn’t severely limited outside of that.

This is one of the Acqua di Parma fragrances that can cover a lot of ground and be a signature scent outside of just winter or summer, like many of the other offerings.

Overall Impressions of Mandorlo di Sicilia

Overall, would I recommend Mandorlo di Sicilia? Yes, I enjoy it quite a bit. I think that it is one of the best fragrances from Acqua di Parma. BUT, it is not for everyone.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like that root beer kind of smell or vanilla or powdery scents, you aren’t likely to appreciate this. If that description fits you, then, definitely check it out.

This one is a bit different from the usual use of citrus. I really like its unique smell and versatility. That opening fizziness and the later powdery sweetness, is a great little combination.

The performance is fairly middle of the road, but kind of sneaky with the way it hangs around. You’ll think that it’s gone, and then, catch the aroma just off of the skin. Mandorla di Sicilia does capture that near perfect unisex balance, so that anyone can truly enjoy the perfume.