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 test out and 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!

Poison Girl EDP by Christian Dior

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Moving right along with my review of the recent sample fragrances that I’ve received, I wanted to do another women’s perfume that was included in the lot, Poison Girl by Christian Dior. This scent was released in 2016.

Now, I received about 4-5 Dior samples for women, so there will be more of them upcoming. However, today I am going to focus solely on this Poison flanker fragrance. How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Is it worth a buy?

What does Poison Girl by Dior Smell Like?

Notes include: Damascus rose, tonka bean, bitter orange, vanilla, almond, sandalwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Poison Girl Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Full Wear Review

The opening bit of time after spraying on Poison Girl feels quite familiar. To me, it is reminiscent of La Petite Robe Noire Couture, and even Black Opium to an extent. Now, this Christian Dior perfume is not a clone of either one of those scents, but there is a similar feeling and some overlap in the notes.

From the start, I get a rush of the Damascus rose, a blend of tonka bean/vanilla, and the citrus of the bitter orange hanging around.  It is a sweet gourmand aroma that has a definite creaminess to it (particularly in the latter stages).

It is a citrusy vanilla, rose, and tonka bean perfume; with some other floral undertones, but is quite sweet and creamy at the beginning. With that sweetness, you do get a slight powdery aroma from the rose, but it is nothing too intense. Poison Girl doesn’t go full-on baby powder mode.

After a few minutes, I begin to really notice the distinctive almond note, which I feel gives the perfume an enveloping nutty warmth. This is the note, which begins to set it apart from the aforementioned fragrances, and one which I always seem to be drawn to.

As it moves along, Poison Girl retains its sweet vibe with a much softer touch. It is a very smooth and enjoyable fragrance during the dry down period. There is also just a hint of floral notes within the composition of this Dior, which adds a nice layer of depth.

There is much less of the zesty citrus fruit scent and things feel much drier, with some sandalwood, and overall warmth to the composition.

The whole thing feels enveloping, but not heavy, just a smooth and comforting aroma. I ultimately get creamy vanilla/tonka bean combo and almond, with what’s left of the bitter orange, and a fairly light rose hanging around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection is good. Poison Girl starts out with some strength but morphs into something softer, yet still quite noticeable while wearing. Fairly strong sillage at the front end, light to moderate, back end.

In terms of its longevity, this perfume really shines. It’s an all day wear, so you won’t have to worry about it quitting on you. It will go for 8-11 hours, depending on the day and climate. For the designer price, it actually does deliver a quality wear.

Poison Girl is also versatile. It is suitable for office or casual wear but does have a very pleasant and indeed sexy kind of scent to it. I continually found myself wanting another sniff and would love smelling this on a woman, that I was dating.

It has that appeal, but is also light enough to be used as a daily wear, during the autumn and winter months. This is a cold weather scent all the way to me, but it wouldn’t be bad in moderate temperatures.

In the heat? Poison Girl EDP is a pass. It will melt and start to take on a less than appealing aroma. So, if you live in a warmer climate, you won’t want to wear this…at least outside.

Overall Impressions of Poison Girl

Overall, do I think Poison Girl is worth a try? Yes. If you like sweet gourmand fragrances, this is another excellent choice. While there is a lot of similarities with the scent and some others out on the market, it does have just enough of its own style to set it apart.

If you’re not that into sweeter fragrances, this is one that could potentially get annoying. I never found it to be irritating, but it has that potential for some.

The highlights for me are the tonka bean and almond notes. I like the citrus and how that blends with those two, sort of a creamsicle-like experience. This is a very lovely fragrance, that is easy to wear and attractive, without being overwhelming.

Furthermore, it smells great and performs really well. Plenty of power and staying time on skin. Really no weaknesses with this Dior perfume. Mainstream and not completely unique? Sure. Poison Girl just works, however.

This is one that could be a signature scent for the right woman. Since writing this, I have also tried Poison Girl Unexpected, and like that one a bit more. Nonetheless, this is still a great option.

Oud Minerale by Tom Ford

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I have finally reached my last Tom Ford fragrance review, from the huge batch of samples, I acquired some time back. Now, it’s not all of the brand’s perfumes, but I’ve gotten through a lot of them.

In this post, I am going to be sharing my experiences with, Oud Minerale. This is an aquatic fragrance that was released by Tom Ford in 2017. How does it smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a buy?

What does Oud Minerale Smell Like?

Notes include: sea weed, oud, salt, pink pepper, marine notes, fir, and more

Click here to try: Oud Minerale Eau De Parfum

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Oud Minerale, immediately brings to mind two other fragrances, Light Blue Eau Intense and Blvgari Aqva. It’s as if you stripped out the citrus notes from those scents, combined them, and added oud.

Right away, I get a big dose of that calone aroma, which is so prevalent in Eau Intense. This is joined by a salt water/sea weed combination, that is found in the Bvlgari cologne.

This is going to be one, for those who are really into marine or oceanic smelling fragrances, as it is fully entrenched within that category.

Up top there is a slight pink pepper spice, for a time, it is seemingly blended with the light ambergris. The pink pepper later dies down, to my nose, but the ambergris remains for the duration as a light addition to the composition.

Anyway, getting to the oud. Oud Minerale, really isn’t all that packed with this note. The oud is there, but its usual intensity is tempered. In fact, much of the time, I actually smell more fir than oud. All of the woody notes, feel like water-logged driftwood, and secondary to the marine aromas.

The final dry down is sea weed, with some light saltiness and ambergris, sitting on top of water and with oud. The oud, at the end, becomes the dominant wood note over the fir.

Up close to your nose, the ambergris is more noticeable throughout. But when I catch whiffs of Oud Minerale, it is more of a refreshing and oceanic aquatic fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Oud Minerale is deceptively strong. If I spray it on clothes, I can pick it up from across the room, but on my skin it doesn’t seem all that strong. So, yes, this does have the capability to overwhelm a room. Don’t get carried away in application.

The longevity with this stuff is fantastic. Easily hits the double digit hours on my skin. I’m not sure the exact number, as I washed it off eventually, but no problem hitting 10+ hours. You will at least get your money’s worth, from a performance standpoint. Strong sillage and it doesn’t quit.

Seasonally, I guess I’d put it in the spring and summer months. It does well in warmer weather and would feel somewhat awkward to have on in the winter. It’s not something that fits, with that climate’s vibe.

This is more of a casual niche wear. You can wear it professionally, too. However, this isn’t a sex date night option or any sort of nightlife wear. Mostly, I’d stick to wearing it around on warm days, particularly spent outdoors.

Is it unisex? I’d say that it is. As a whole, it’s a fairly neutral scent.

Overall Impression of Oud Minerale

Do I like this scent? Personally, not really. It’s not my style and I don’t find this to be enjoyable. That being said, it will be a winner for the right person. You just have to completely love that marine environment smell.

I pretty much knew this wasn’t going be my thing, as seaweed is pretty much a non-starter for me in most every fragrance. Add, oud to the mix and I wasn’t too excited to test Oud Minerale.

It really does capture the smell of sea water and sea weed, though. The oud is there, but light, and won’t be too big of a distraction. The performance is top notch, so if you do like this Tom Ford, you will get your money’s worth.

The fir, ozonic, and aquatic aspects of this scent do draw me in at times. Just not enough, that I want to wear this perfume beyond this testing.

Oud Minerale is a niche scent, with limited appeal. It’s not a ‘bad’ fragrance, by any means, just one that isn’t going to have too many subscribers to its style.

This is also a really expensive fragrance, so, you’re most likely going to have to be in love with it for Oud Minerale to be worthwhile.

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

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Checking through a newly re-found box of fragrance samples, I saw a sample vial and card for Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. I have zero recollection of where this came from and was almost certain, that I had already done a review on this best-selling perfume.

Nope, but I plan on remedying that oversight, in this post by breaking down Lovely. What does it smell like? How does it perform? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a purchase?

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker Overview

Notes include: bergamot, lavender, apple martini, patchouli, paperwhites, creamy orchid, cedar, amber, woods, and musk

Click here to try: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker for Women, Eau de Parfum, 3.4-Ounce Spray Bottle

lovely perfume parker

My Full Review

Before I get into my own review of this scent, let’s see how it’s described by the brand, “Loveliness is everywhere…a touch, a face, a memory, pink pearls, a song, a sexy shoe, a kiss, candlelight, a white orchid, a girl, a woman, a dream, a scent…you only have to look.”

Upon the first sniff of Lovely, I immediately get a strong musk note, that is paired with lavender. Along side of this, I get some mandarin orange, a bit of apple, and orchid. The orchid is very distinct out of those last three notes.

The mandarin and apple notes, aren’t all that strong, within this composition. In fact, they fade off into the ether fairly quickly. In their place, comes an ever-increasing patchouli, which dirties the perfume somewhat.

While this is an extremely popular fragrance for women, I will say that, not everyone will enjoy this scent. You’re going to have to like plenty of musk and patchouli, in your perfumes. Yes, lavender and orchid are strong too, but musk and patchouli are notes which can turn some folks off from a fragrance. 

The patchouli does give it that earthiness/dirtiness, but overall, the perfume is very clean and subtle. As it dries down further, the scent really settles down, on my skin. I start to get smoother woods, more lavender, less intensity in the musk, and the orchid still sitting pretty within it all. 

The final dry down is a floral/musky scent with a base of cedar and other non-distinct woody notes. It’s not too complicated of a perfume, fairly linear, but develops enough to keep things interesting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Lovely isn’t too powerful of a scent. It is light and subtle, but not weak by any means. I imagine that you could over spray this, but the sillage isn’t going to take over a room, with normal application. I’d call it a light moderate perfume.

Longevity is pretty good, but not great. It seems to hit the 6-7 range for me, on a consistent basis, during testing. My skin doesn’t tend to ‘eat’ up fragrances, so, that should be a decent baseline for the performance. Your results may vary, of course.

Seasonally, Lovely would work in any climate. It’s not really a winter sort of scent, but it wouldn’t be bad, in that weather. I’d still probably go with any fragrance, that would be more suitable, however.

 

One of the main strengths of this Sarah Jessica Parker scent, is just how versatile it is. It is subtle enough for the office, can go casual, and generally serve as a no-brainer for daily wear. It’s at it’s best in warmer weather, not really going to be offensive, or ever in your face about its presence.

Is it a sexy scent? Not particularly. This isn’t a romantic wear or even a nightlife fragrance. It’s attractive, somewhat pretty, but not something that is going to draw a boatload of attention your way. Think of it as a generalist rather than a specialist perfume.

Overall Impressions of Lovely

Do I like Lovely by SJP? I do. For a celebrity fragrance, this one is of good quality, and at a cheap price. You’re going to have to enjoy musky floral perfumes, otherwise, you may not like this at all.

The performance is solid and it can be an easy daily wear for many women (and already is). The inexpensive price, is one of the main strengths of this scent, along with its aroma, and versatility.

I kind of wish that it had more of the apple and mandarin notes. That felt like a missed opportunity. But, the patchouli works well here, adding depth to an otherwise fairly thin profile.

This is the original and best seller from the Sarah Jessica Parker line and it does a good job at representing the brand. People also like to use this as a cheaper alternative to fragrances like Narciso Rodriguez, so, while it lacks originality and can be a great substitute for more expensive designer scents.

I don’t think that this one is completely amazing or anything, but it provides plenty of value for what it is. 

La Nuit De L’Homme L’Intense by Yves Saint Laurent

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I had never smelled this particular Yves Saint Laurent fragrance going into this review and I had high hopes since it shares the name of La Nuit De L’Homme. How does L’Intense stack up against some of the other offerings by YSL? In this post, I want to explore how it smells, what’s in it, how it performs, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy?

What does La Nuit de L’Homme L’Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: violet, sage, iris, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’homme L’intense Eau De Parfum Spray, 2.0 Ounce

My Full Review

I’m not always a huge fan of floral notes in my fragrances, in most cases and as the main attraction, anyways. I like iris a lot, but am not a fan of violet.

So, I was suspicious off the bat as to whether or not this cologne would be any good, but I usually really like Yves Saint Laurent fragrances.

The opening is a sweet and powdery floral experience, highlighted by the violet and iris notes. Actually, it wasn’t that bad and seemed pretty appealing to me, though,

I don’t really understand the connection with the original La Nuit De L’Homme. I guess it has a similar vibe, just not the actual smell.

I wish it were a more intense version of the original. Most of the same notes, just beefed up, because that is a pretty light sort of fragrance…especially the newer formulations.

L’Intense does smell quite feminine to me though, it’s sweet and soft, and while it does have some masculine elements…it reminds me of a ladies’ scent.

It really does just have this persistent powder-laden candy aroma for much of the first few hours of wear, that is at time appealing but also can feel like it’s too much at times.

Not too much because it’s an ‘intense’ fragrance, but because the sweetness and floral notes just get headache inducing, much like my experience with Lolita Lempicka. I think it’s pretty much due to violet, as I actually like the way iris smells.

So, at this point, it doesn’t smell like La Nuit De L’Homme in the slightest and it’s not really intense…I begin to wonder what the purpose of this EDP was. It does settle down into more of a patchouli and sage mixture after a while but the aroma is mostly the same throughout.

The early stages do give me plenty of the violet note, which isn’t great. Then, the iris will gain more control. Sage is the spice in Intense, in lieu of the cardamom of the original. But, it’s not too detectable past the opening 20 minutes or so.

After that, most of the wear is going to be heavier iris with a vanilla and tonka bean sweetness and the remaining violet swirling around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty moderate, not intense but I didn’t find it overly weak either. Probably on par with the original La Nuit, maybe a bit stronger than the newer bottles of that.

It’s longevity on the other hand, isn’t even moderate. I get about 3-4 hours out of this. Seriously, the performance is lousy. Since this one has many similarities with Dior Homme or Prada L’Homme, you’d think the performance could equal those. But, no.

It’d probably be best worn as a fall/winter cologne on casual occasions. The powdery feeling and underlying tonka bean are going to hold up best in the cold. This could be worn to work or casual to semi-formal occasions.

Overall Impressions

Overall, is L’Intense a buy? I don’t really see why. It’s not a terrible smell, but it’s also not as good as any of the other L’Homme fragrances that I’ve reviewed here.

I thought that I would like this one a lot more than I did. I’ve used full bottles of the original La Nuit off and on for years. This, was just disappointing. Even with the use of iris, vanilla, and tonka bean…all notes I enjoy.

Plus, it’s not really unique. Powdery floral fragrance led by iris? Go with Dior or Prada. Any of their releases along this line, are way better.

The original is better. Eau Electrique is better. L’Homme Parfum Intense, which I reviewed the other day, is much better than this one. The original Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme, is another option, but the longevity on that has gotten worse.

I don’t see where L’Intense even fits in or why anyone would choose it over anything else from YSL’s line, that has some amazing scents.

Update: I think this one has been discontinued, so, I guess a purchase won’t be a consideration for most out there.

L’Homme Ultime by YSL

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It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a Yves Saint Laurent cologne on this site. So, when I grabbed a sample vial of another L’Homme flanker fragrance, I was excited to see what it was all about. This is the subject of today’s review, L’Homme Ultime by YSL, which was released in 2016.

After wearing it around, I want to share: how it smells, what’s inside, when it should be worn, if it performs well, and if it’s worth a try. Note: I’m updating this page, years after the initial review.

What does L’Homme Ultime Smell Like?

Notes include: Damask rose, sage, vetiver, ginger, grapefruit, cardamom, cedar, geranium

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent L’homme Ultime Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Before we start into the review, let’s see how YSL describes Ultime: A woody aromatic with powerful elegance. The astonishing encounter of fresh Damask Rose with the raw sensuality of sage.

Upon opening, L’homme Ultime is very fresh, with a very nice clean spiciness to it. The main attractions at this point are grapefruit, ginger, and a rose which isn’t overbearing at all.

It strikes me as such a cold smelling fragrance, really cool crisp air, in my nostrils whenever I take a whiff of it. It’s bright and the citrus top is fairly sharp.

I feel that there’s a lot of similarities between this one and L’Homme Libre, which is another flanker fragrance from this line. Now, Libre is much spicier and has a different feel with the anise note, but these two struck me as being very close to one another. However, I like Ultime better between them.

As it dries down, the grapefruit fades, and the drier notes come out. Sage and cardamom gives it a spicier profile but not overboard. Meanwhile, cedar acts as a base and the vetiver is really noticeable to me at this stage.

When the vetiver is dominant, it reminds me of Creed Original Vetiver. The rose note also seems to fall off of a cliff after the opening act, which is a shame, because it was perfect in the top.

Ultime dries down further, into what it is for the rest of the way: ginger, cedar, vetiver, and grapefruit. It’s woody and outdoorsy fresh with a cold spice. It’s simple but very nice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of L’homme Ultime, is fairly moderate. The first 2-3 hours are solid, but it weakens quite a bit after that. I wish it could have stayed around that same level, but in its entirety, not bad strength.

Though, the overall longevity is somewhere in the 6-7 hours, the second half is just not as strong. It will stick around as more than a skin scent, before it is just a skin scent completely.

I did wish that this one had more of a punch to it and could stick around for a few hours longer. But, like other scents in this series, the performance is not a highlight. Although, Ultime is actually one of the better performers of the lot.

Seasonally, I could see myself wearing this year round. It’s cool, yet spicy and I like the way it hangs in the winter air. Then again, it would be great in the warmer months also. Ultime has a great ability to fit into a wide variety of climates and situations.

It can be worn casually, dressed up, at work, or for romantic wear. It’s got a certain sexiness to it and is a very versatile cologne, which is one of its main selling points.

Overall Impressions of L’Homme Ultime

Overall, do I like L’Homme Ultime? Yes, I think it’s a great addition to the Yves Saint Laurent lineup. It smells great, is versatile, and has an elegant charm through its simplicity. I’m not even a big fan of rose, but it works well here in its more limited role.

The performance is decent but not amazing, though, this fragrance makes up for it through the rest of its presentation.

For a fresh woodsy scent, this is an example of how it’s done right. This is a unique take on the L’Homme name and gives you something different from any of the more popular colognes out on the market today.

This and Libre were great flanker scents, that had a style of their own while staying somewhat true to the spirit of the L’Homme DNA (YSL l’homme review)

This is a very likeable fragrance, that’s sadly not around much anymore.

Update: This one has been discontinued for a long while now. If you want a bottle, you pretty much have to get it off of eBay nowadays. You could also try, The Dua Brand’s Ultimate Renezvous, which is inspired by this YSL. I haven’t tested, but they’re pretty good at coming close to matching smells.