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!

Diamonds for Him by Emporio Armani

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Diamonds for Him was released back in 2008 under the Emporio Armani label of Giorgio Armani. Even after all of these years, it still sticks around and has at least some limited availability for purchase. But, is it actually worth a try? Does it still hold up versus all of today’s options on the market?

What does Emporio Armani Diamonds Smell Like?

Notes include: Citrus, Bergamot, Cedar, Szechwan Pepper, Guaiac Wood, Ambroxan, Vetiver, Cocoa Bean

Click here to try: Armani Diamonds for Him

emporio diamonds

My Full Review

Coming back to Diamonds after all these years was a great nostalgic experience. The bergamot note leads things early on, with a blend of cacao and woodsy spices underneath. It’s bright, sweet, and fresh in this opening act.

The cacao note is going to be a highlight and grow in strength, as we move along. But, I really like the way that it sits underneath the citrus, guaiac wood, and hint of pepper. It all comes across a nuanced and balanced. Each sniff, gives me a slightly different aroma.

What’s interesting is that Diamonds has periods of a powdery or a bit of a dusty sort of smell. Not overwhelming to me, but it’s there.

One note that surprised me with its strength during this return to Emporio Diamonds, is the amber. Smooth and warm, almost combining with that rich cacao. The cacao is kind of wrapped up throughout the wear, despite being the dominant ingredient. It’s not a pure chocolate smell, actually has similarities to Valentino Uomo.

The bergamot will start to lose some of its potency. This one becomes drier and woodier. Guaiac, vetiver, and some cedar really provide a fresh boost as you transition into the middle of the wear.

The dry down is a woody fresh mix and the amber and cacao together. Much less of the spice and almost none of the bergamot. Any of the powdery quality has also evaporated away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Diamonds isn’t a complete beast with how it projects. I’d say that it’s slightly above average, on the whole. The first hour or two will be pretty strong, maybe 5-7 feet from the skin, with normal sprays.

Thereafter, it is going to sit much softer in the air, probably 2-3 foot radius. Not bad, just not going to dominate a room in most cases.

The longevity on skin is about 6.5-7 hours for me. That’s good enough for most purposes, but I’ve never found this cologne to be a round the clock wear that won’t quit. If you need it for longer, bring a sprayer to reapply.

Seasonally, this one works great anytime but the height of summer. If it’s a little warm outside, Diamonds is still capable of being pleasant. In my experience, humidity will kind of make it smell a tad off. So, just avoid daytime in summer.

It does have the ability to go day or night. I wouldn’t mind it as a nightlife fragrance, it’s just not going to scream for attention, in that environment. Ideally, this is a fragrance that I’d wear during the day in autumn. That’s really when it is firing on all cylinders.

Overall Impressions of Diamonds

Overall, do I like Diamonds for Men? I do. I had a higher opinion of it when I was younger, but coming back to it, this Armani scent was really enjoyable.

The opening act is fresh and has a nice balance between all of the notes. I love the use of bergamot here, with its similarities in style to Valentino (which I have a full bottle of). Multi-faceted for a good while, before settling down into a woody cacao blend. It’s nice at that point, but I like the first half more.

The performance isn’t anything to brag about, but Diamonds is certainly a serviceable cologne in that department.

I’m not sure if this has been reformulated over the years or not. Going off of my memory, it smells like how I remember it. Then again, it’s not an exact measure.

I do recommend trying this one out, especially if you like a chocolatey aroma in your colognes. $40-75 dollar range would be okay. Beyond that, it might not be worthwhile. If bottles get scarce, the price can jump to insane levels. Personally, I wouldn’t bite if they do.

Hero EDT by Burberry

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Hero is the latest Burberry line of fragrances, following the long-running Mr. Burberry series. Hero EDT was the first release, brought out back in 2021, and has enjoyed plenty of success ever since. I’ve wanted to give this one a deeper review for a while now and finally bought myself a travel size decant of it. How does Hero EDT smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Burberry Hero EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, bergamot, juniper, black pepper

Click here to try: Hero EDT

My Full Review

Hero EDT kicks off with its citrusy and lightly spiced aroma taking hold. The bergamot here isn’t actually massive in the composition, to where it crowds out everything else, but it does have a large role here.

The black pepper gives you that spice, but the freshness really comes from the cedar accord that is going to be the mainstay of the tail end of this cologne.

But, early, the cedar and juniper will pretty much split duties. Aromatic, but a touch sweet and quite fresh. Black pepper isn’t too highly concentrated in the blend. However, I do think that it is a great addition to the citrus and woods.

As we move along, the citrus will start to drop off, as with the pepper note. So, you get that juniper and cedar blend really working the aromatic freshness angle.

This isn’t a super complicated scent. It’s has its moments of sweetness that come through, but the deeper that you get into the wear, the drier and more of a pure woods cologne it becomes.

The very end stages is all about the cedar blend. It almost smells like there is a vetiver here, but it’s probably just how everything blends in the mix. Woody and still quite appealing, albeit much lighter.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like the EDP, this version of Hero starts off at the higher end of moderate, in terms of how it projects off of the skin and the scent trail that it leaves behind.

It also, rather quickly becomes a lighter fragrance. Still very detectable, but it is going to be sticking closer to your person versus hitting people across the room. An hour or so of that stronger projection. It’s actually about the same as EDP in this regard. At least, I don’t notice a difference.

While EDT has about the same ability to project as does the EDP version, the longevity is a slight step back. With this Hero, I get 7-8 hours of wear, depending on the conditions of the environment that I’m in.

Honestly, it’s got pretty good staying power for a mainstream designer EDT concentration. Amazing? No, but as a daily wear, I really wouldn’t complain too much about it.

Seasonally, Hero can work in almost any climate. I would tend to keep away from the extremes (particularly heat). Though, it does have the ability to go further into deep spring and early summer than does Hero EDP.

It’s probably at its best as an autumn and early spring sort of cologne.

It’s very versatile, in terms of its use case. Probably not the most formal cologne in the world, but it can absolutely fit in as a daily wear. Younger or older guys could wear this. Plus, Hero EDT is one that has a ton of mass appeal, and probably isn’t going to offend anyone.

Overall Impressions of Hero EDT

Overall, do I like Hero? I do. I think it’s one of the better entry level designer fragrances to come out in the past few years. It’s not completely amazing, but it’s extremely wearable and versatile, for those who want something simple and/or keep only a few fragrance options in their collection.

The EDT is better than the EDP. It does have some similarities in terms of style to the newer version of Dior Homme, that was released in 2020. The Dior is slightly better, but really not by much. Burberry did well with this one.

The opening act has become very appealing to me. I wore this one out, the other night, and really loved that first 60-90 minutes of intensity. Good balance, different from the army of ‘blue’ colognes out there, and a woody scent that doesn’t smell like a pine air freshener.

Hero EDT is for sure worth checking out. Some people will love this juice, but I can’t imagine too many people hating it. It does everything well enough, without hitting an elite level

Ranking D&G Light Blue Pour Homme Fragrances

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Light Blue Pour Homme is a series that is still going on, over a decade after the release of the original. The list is now up to a dozen scents, but which one is actually the best smelling? How do these Dolce & Gabbana colognes rank versus one another? This is my list after extensively testing them.

D&G Light Blue Colognes Ranked Worst to First

Note: The list doesn’t include, an older release, Beauty of Capri. I haven’t tried it to this point, didn’t want to spend money on a full bottle, in order to do so. By most accounts, it was middle of the pack, at best. It’s been discontinued for a long time and is getting difficult to find, anyway. 

This list starts at my least favorite and concludes in order with what I consider to be the top Light Blue.

A Volcanic Island

Discover Vulcano– At the bottom of the list, is the unique, but ultimately not very good Light Blue Discover Vulcano.

I do give credit to D&G for trying something a bit different, but its appeal is pretty limited for most people.

Vulcano came out in 2014 and is led by a massive use of cypress and an initial burst of lemon. It can be somewhat sour, dry, and it doesn’t really develop all that much.

Lavender, cedar, vetiver round things out with some ginger spice thrown in for good measure. It’s not completely terrible to me, but the combination of notes and trying to capture the spirit of this island, just never worked to my nose. Vulcano Full Review

Citrus Explosion

Italian Zest– Italian Zest could be ranked a place or two higher on the list. For me though, this is the spot to put it. I did easily like it more than Vulcano, but slightly below the next entry on the list.

Zest opens up with a mass of citrus. It’s tart, sour, and even bitter. Lemon is the lead early, with further contributions from the grapefruit and bergamot notes.

There are the drier and spicier elements. Some incense smokiness, Sichuan pepper, and a musky finish. It’s got plenty of overlap with the original Light Blue Pour Homme, just in a much less likeable form.

As I wrote in my review, “The progression of this scent is: citrus, citrus/spice, citrus/musk/spice, citrus/musk/woods.” It’s all okay, the opening is kind of annoying, but Zest is just a forgettable cologne. Italian Zest review

Ice Cream Blend

Light Blue Love is Love– Love is Love is another Light Blue flanker that went for something a bit different, yet familiar, and ultimately kind of misses out on being a great scent.

This fragrance seems to try to bridge between the Pour Femme and Pour Homme lines of Light Blue. It’s like a mix of the original Pour Homme and Femme Intense. Taking elements of each and adding a vanilla ice cream note in the mix.

It’s sweeter and creamier, with the same apple note that the women’s fragrance uses. It does remain fresh and aromatic without becoming too much of a one-sided scent.

It all sounded better on paper than when I’m actually wearing Love is Love. The smell is pretty good, performance is okay, and it never truly delivers anything all that memorable. Love is Love Full Review

Taking a Dip

Swimming in Lipari– So, this one and the next are essentially tied. I don’t have a particular preference for one versus the other, but I did have to buy a full bottle of the next entry.

Swimming in Lipari is a saltier and marine version of the Light Blue DNA. It shares a lot of similarities with something like Light Blue Sun, in the initial stages.

Grapefruit, rosemary is basically the same as the original. Then, you add a lot of amber and a salty marine accord. Now, you’re swimming. It’s all pretty nice, nothing great, but I did like the oceanic vibe that this one puts off. Swimming in Lipari Review

Living

Light Blue Living Stromboli– I had slightly higher hopes for this one. I got my full bottle and wanted to try it out, as it had an aquatic calone accord. Not a salty oceanic note, but more of a synthetic fresh aquatic aroma.

Well, the pink pepper note really dominates things early. Not bad, but pink pepper isn’t my favorite note. Living Stromboli is a refreshing spice, with an underlying dryness to the entire fragrance.

Patchouli, vetiver, and some very light citrus round things out. The citrus here might be the lightest in the entire series. The watery accord is good, it comes out strong in the back half of the wear along with amber.  Living Stromboli Review

New Vibes

Light Blue Summer Vibes– Summer Vibes is the new Light Blue flanker release for 2023. To me, it’s somewhere in the middle of the pack from this line, just doesn’t quite ever reach the top.

It starts off with a lemon note, perhaps with the usual grapefruit, as well. With that, you get the return of the cypress note that is found in Vulcano. This is much better than Vulcano, but it is interesting that these are the only two Light Blue colognes that feature it.

Less of a juicy citrus, more of a light aquatic feeling. Amberwood is also prominent here and Summer Vibes has a nice sweetness throughout. Mostly, you’re going to get cypress and amberwood, with some other potential unlisted woody notes. Fresh woods for the summer months. Summer Vibes Review

Heading to Capri

Light Blue Capri in Love Homme– This is the release for 2025. My first impression is to place it in this spot, but it might actually be better than Sun, and is quite a different cologne.

This one is mainly about the fig note. Pretty simple scent all around, that starts with a black pepper note up top (a I detect a light citrus too). 

It’s fresh, greenish, and has that fig sort of fruitiness about it. After the pepper burns off, this one becomes quite enjoyable. The patchouli adds some depth, but never comes close to dominating, and there a woody note in the blend too.

I think that Capri in Love is a good option from this line. You might want to wait for a discount, though. Capri in Love Homme review

Shine On

Light Blue Sun Pour Homme– Grapefruit, bergamot, and coconut give this one its fruity essence. It’s a lighter and ozonic cologne when compared to the original Light Blue Pour Homme.

Ginger is the main spice here, giving it a much less intense kick than the rosemary of the original. Though, that is also still somewhat present.

I like the breeziness here. It doesn’t have the aquatic focus of the previous two entries, but is kind of like standing on the shore, with a nice amount of coconut sweetness blowing around. The grapefruit and the woods, in the base, really finish things off here. Light Blue Sun Review

 

Hyper Grapefruit

Light Blue Forever– Forever takes the grapefruit note of the series and makes it photorealistic. Not the same synthetic smelling grapefruit of other releases, this one goes for smelling like the fruit itself, and it for sure accomplishes that.

That grapefruit is joined early on, by another breezy/watery blend, and a dose of violet leaf. That last note, is the reason that Forever occupies this spot on the list and not a place higher up like its successor. 

To me, this comes across as being too green and a touch bitter. I still like it, but it the one that they put out the next year, is a better version of Forever. Cool bottle, though. Light Blue Forever Review

The Original

Light Blue Pour Homme– Light Blue edges Forever on the list, basically because Italian Love exists. I feel that Forever is pretty much superfluous, so it gets knocked down a spot in favor of the first release.

The citrus, pepper, and rosemary. It’s so familiar now and you can detect the presence of this formula in most of the flankers that were released pre-2020. Crisp, citrusy, herbal, spicy, with a nice rosewood in the base.

Is it still good? Yes, I think Light Blue still holds up. It’d be one of the first ones that I’d try in the series, before moving onto the flankers. If you’re not feeling this, you probably won’t like most of them. Light Blue Review

Forever Love

Light Blue Italian Love– Italian Love is basically a remixed Light Blue Forever. But, the violet leaf in this one is much more tolerable to me. You also get a bergamot note up top with the grapefruit. It’s a tart and sour mix.

The ozonic breeziness is stronger with this one, less green, and it does indeed give you more of a blue-ish impression, like the bottle shows. 

Italian Love is everything that was great about Forever, just enhanced. For that reason, it grabs the number two spot on the list. Italian Love Review

Intense

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce– While the flanker releases of the past 3 or 4 years, have improved a lot versus what was previously offered, Eau Intense still grabs the top spot.

The grapefruit has now gotten a ‘frozen’ element added to it, making this cologne feel colder and sharper than the others. I also like that it’s very aquatic, but not too salty marine. To me, it was always like being by the pool on a hot summer’s day.

Juniper, amberwood, musk keep this one fresh and interesting. Not as spicy as the original, but Eau Intense does indeed still have some of that peppery influence. 

D&G has still yet to top this one and it is still selling strong, all of these years later. Eau Intense Review

Imagination by Louis Vuitton

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Imagination by Louis Vuitton is the last of the LV samples I bought a while back, which needs a full review posted for the site. It wasn’t the one that I was most looking forward to trying out, but it definitely became a favorite of mine to wear. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Imagination Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, orange, bergamot, cinnamon, black tea, guaiac wood, ambroxan, neroli, ginger

lv imagination review

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: Imagination. The key to the audacity, success and drive of the creatives who make the wildest dreams a reality. An immaterial energy that is nurtured by travel and experiences that forge a new state of mind.

Citron, bergamot, and orange. The citron will come to be the strongest of the citrus notes, but early it is rather evenly split. Orange is at its peaks upon first spraying, but will take a back seat to the other two.

That orange and citron mix is really great.  A nice juiciness that will evolve as the cologne dries down. The citron will become more prominent, also.

Update: coming back to Imagination, I’ve been getting a heavier sense of the citron with some sprays earlier on, along with a sort of light smokiness (guaiac wood?). It’s interesting, sometimes it feels way more of a pure citrus and other times, more mixed.

Ambroxan is present at the beginning of this one, taking time to outlast other notes, but sort of lurking underneath it all.

Black tea with neroli. The neroli does give it some further spice and orange influence, but that will fade along with the main orange fruit note. It’s got a fresh spiciness from ginger and just a touch of cinnamon. I don’t pick up all that much.

The opening citrus blast will be more of a citrus floral. Fresh with a watery aroma, not a pure aquatic but gives you a light blue impression, after that greenish smell early.

A juiciness that will turn more into a light citrus tea. It’s a warm ambroxan, black tea with citron squeezed into the cup. The opening has a chilled scent, but it warms up without ever becoming too heavy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is pretty strong for about an hour or so. After that, it’s more in the moderate range. Though, I have to say, the projection is solid throughout and never disappoints me, with its strength.

The longevity is actually quite good. I can get as much as 9.5 hours on my skin. Though, it tends to hit the 8-9 hour mark more often. For a citrus based scent, that’s pretty darn good, especially since it’s not all that heavy.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summertime fragrance. One that will capture attention with how pleasant it is, while not being something that’s super sexy.

Update: Yes, people seem to really enjoy this one, when I wear it. Now that it’s spring and heading into the summer, it really stands out and hits its stride in this weather. It really hangs around your person well and is extremely pleasant to have on.

It is very versatile in that, it can be worn to work or casually or even up to the right formal even during the day. It does have much more of a daytime vibe, than a nightclub beast or something that is reserved for evening.

But, I do wear it out at night still. Not screaming for attention, while it still receives plenty of it.

Imagination is a Louis Vuitton scent that could become a signature daily wear for a slice of the year for some men.

Overall Impressions of Imagination

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Absolutely. It actually might be the best men’s cologne released by Louis Vuitton thus far (update: it is). It’s certainly among the best of the more unisex offerings, as well.

That’s with the tea and ambroxan notes, which have a tendency to get on my nerves. That’s probably my only real personal complaint here, is that those notes just get somewhat bothersome to me after a while.

It’s way less the case here and probably only something that applies to me individually.

Update: Honestly, it isn’t bothering me at all, the more that I wear Imagination. I don’t wear the same thing everyday anyway, so, I doubt that I really get irritated by any aspect of this fragrance.

Also, I have since this initial review purchased a fragrance ‘inspired by’ Imagination from the Dua Brand, called, #Imagine. Which, if you’re looking for a much cheaper alternative, is fantastic and really hits the mark.

imagination dupe

Outside of that, this scent is phenomenal. The opening is so great. Juicy, fresh, a bit spicy, and the black tea giving you a glimpse while not being fully ramped up yet.

The dry down is still great, but I truly love that first hour to hour and a half. It’s awesome.

The performance with Imagination is also great and isn’t a problem, at this price point. There’s no real weakness with this cologne. It’s safe to blind buy and almost anyone would appreciate it.

Imagination isn’t too complicated, but it is extremely well done.

Acqua di Gio Profondo by Giorgio Armani

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Acqua di Gio has been a best seller for about 25 years or so. It has made Armani a ton of money, so, they’re going to keep reusing the name and tweaking the formula with new flankers for as long as they can. In 2020, they introduced Profondo to the lineup. Is this entry in the dark blue bottle worth it? How does it smell? Does it last a long time? Is it better than the other AdG fragrances?

What does Acqua di Gio Profondo Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, bergamot, lavender, marine notes, rosemary, cypress, lentisk, patchouli, musk

Click here to try: GIORGIO ARMANI Acqua Di Gio Profondo for Men Eau De Parfum Spray 4.2 Ounces, blue

My Full Wear Review

Before getting into my personal review, let’s see how Armani describes it: Like taking a plunge into the deep blue sea, senses are awakened by green mandarin and bergamot while an ultramarine, nearly icy hue is conveyed by Acqua di Giò’s iconic marine notes. As the bubbles of oxygen rise to the top, the rosemary, lavender, cypress and lentisk absolute blend at its heart. Exuding a masculine character of depth and intensity, notes of woody patchouli and enveloping musk finally fuse with the saline accent of a mineral ambery accord at the base.

Upon initially spraying Profondo on my skin, I got a blue-green impression. Aquatic, but not as dark as AdG Profumo. With more woodiness and depth than the original Acqua di Gio. 

It kicks things off with the usual citrus notes being present, more of the bergamot versus the mandarin orange. Very marine without the incense of Profumo and less of the rosemary of the original. 

What is here, underneath the similar DNA is a sweetness and woody resin. This must be the lentisk note, as described on Wikipedia: “The plant is evergreen, from 1 to 5 m high, with a strong smell of resin, growing in dry and rocky areas in Mediterranean Europe.”

I will say, that as it dries down it becomes more of a true blue sort of aroma. I get that mineral note that is so prevalent in Profumo and also a smooth, almost creamy smell coming through. Less salty and more of a Light Blue aquatic type of marine accord. I guess, the impression of water, rather than a full on oceanic note.

Armani wanted this to have a deeper sea vibe and they accomplished it. The latter stages of the fragrance are extremely well blended. Woody with nuanced notes peaking in at different times during the wear.

There isn’t a tonka bean note listed, but there kind of seems like there is one lurking in here. I think that it’s just the way that the remaining lavender is interacting with the other ingredients, though.

I like this. Fresh and a deep blue finish, that does feel different enough from the other Acqua di Gio scents.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a heavy sort of fragrance. It’s light, but not weak. Meaning, it hangs around but doesn’t have an enveloping thickness about it. I keep catching whiffs of it throughout the day, it’s just not a beast.

Longevity is good, but not insane for an EDP fragrance. 7-8 hours on my skin, is what I seem to get here. Nothing more, but also nothing less either. For a summertime wear, I’ll take it. 

Update: Every time that I’ve tried Profondo, it sticks to this 7-8 hour timeframe. No more, no less. At least it is consistent.

Seasonally, as I said, summer. More specifically, spring or summer, but this is really made for the warm to hot days. I think this might be the AdG cologne to go with, if you live in a super hot or humid climate and Profumo becomes too overbearing. 

Very attractive, sexy, and pleasant. Not a nightclub beast, but great for daytime and casual to semi-formal situations. You could wear this on a date and it would fit right in. It can be worn by guys of all ages, without issue. More refined and mature than Acqua di Gio, but retains enough of the original vibe. 

 

 

Overall Impressions of Acqua di Gio Profondo

Do I like this fragrance? Yes, a whole lot. I still put it behind Profumo as my favorite from this line, but this definitely has its place. Update: I still rate this one second, as of now. It’s pretty close to Profumo in terms of enjoyment.

It serves as a midway point between the original and Profumo, similar to each, while doing its own thing. The original seems pointless to me now, with its performance having taken such a hit.

Update: They followed this up with Profondo Lights and Acqua di Gio EDP. Profondo is better than either. Lights isn’t a very good flanker to this, in my opinion. I never wanted to wear it. EDP is nice enough, but I won’t be buying a new bottle, when I finish the rest of my current one.

If you have Profumo though, you don’t need this one. I just bought a bottle of Profumo, but would also consider getting some Profondo as well. Update: I never did grab a full bottle. But for folks without a fragrance website, it’s fairly redundant. I’d test both and just pick the one you prefer.

I do like the dry down period with Profondo. That’s where it’s at its most different from the others. Really smooth, with depth, a blue-ish aroma, and a woody sweetness coming in. The opening is also good, just doesn’t capture my attention in the same way.