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!

Light Blue Pour Homme Italian Zest by D&G

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Italian Zest is the Light Blue flanker release from 2018. It really wasn’t one that I was too interested in trying out, but since I’m working my way through the entire Light Blue Pour Homme line, I grabbed a small decant to put through its paces. How does Italian Zest smell? Does it last long? Is it worth getting a bottle?

What does Light Blue Italian Zest Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin orange, Sichuan pepper, rosemary, rosewood, musk, hedione, moss, incense, amberwood

My Full Review

The opening of Italian Zest is a mix of sour, bitter, and tart citrus aromas. The lemon has the upper hand early on, with strong contributions from the usual Light Blue grapefruit, and the lighter bergamot.

That will settle into something more tolerable rather quickly. But, that first minute or two is pretty tough.

Underneath all this is a dry, spicy, and musky aroma which will grow in prominence as we move forward. The rosemary, Sichuan pepper, and even a very light smokiness from incense are all here.

The lemon note will fall back and the grapefruit will come back into play. Italian Zest starts to resemble more of the original Light Blue, but a muskier and woodier version, in the latter stages.

So, once that lemon has taken a backseat, you will get a bit of an orange peel aroma that is surrounded by light floral touches. Really, the floral notes here aren’t major players.

The progression of this scent is: citrus, citrus/spice, citrus/musk/spice, citrus/musk/woods.

That’s pretty much the extent of it. Not super complicated, but one that does evolve throughout the wear. The ending is the remaining citrus blend, rosewood, musk, and a general dryness underneath it all.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Italian Zest Pour Homme starts out with a bang, but that will very quickly dissipate into something that is a lighter moderate. The citrus opening can punch you in the face from across the room, but the fragrance for most of the duration will be in 2-3 foot range, from where you sprayed.

Fine. It’s a lighter summer cologne.

The longevity is also pretty basic. I get just about 6 hours of wear, maybe 5.5, as I wasn’t keeping exact time. Just don’t expect some all day monster fragrance.

Seasonally, summer. Wear Italian Zest on the hottest days of the year. It holds up as well as it can and actually smells it’s best in that sort of weather. I wore it on an 80+ degree Fahrenheit day and it was more enjoyable than inside with the AC running.

Like the other flankers in the series, Italian Zest is casual and mostly suited for daytime wear. Even during the summer, I’d go with a different evening cologne. It’s appealing enough, not sexy, but a laid back scent to freshen up when it’s hot.

Overall Impressions of Italian Zest

Overall, do I like Italian Zest? It’s not something that I dislike, but it’s pretty average in terms of smell and the performance is below average for this line. It’s like a worse version of the original Light Blue and on the bottom half of the list for all of these flankers.

That opening is a sharp citrus mess. I’m glad that it doesn’t last long. The next phase is lighter and easier to wear. Surprisingly, after that bold start, Italian Zest is actually one of the worst projecting (if not the lightest) from the Light Blue Pour Homme line.

Musky, woods, the usual take on this line. I do like the additional spice from the pepper which comes across for a while.

The performance isn’t really good enough for me to want to pick up a full bottle. Sure, this is a basic summer scent, but the other D&G options smell better and give me a little bit more power and longevity.

Since this was a limited edition, bottles of this stuff are getting scarce. It’s not really worth ponying up very much money to acquire Italian Zest. I’d say skip it and you can pretty much grab any other summery citrus cologne to get the same effect.

Light Blue Love is Love Pour Homme by D&G

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Light Blue flankers are like clockwork, with a new one coming each year. In 2020, Dolce & Gabbana released, Love is Love editions for both the men’s and women’s line. Today, I’m going to review the men’s version of this scent. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth buying?

What does Light Blue Love is Love Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: Granny Smith apple, ice cream, grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin orange, rosemary, pink pepper, amberwood, musk, vanilla

Click here to try: Light Blue Love is Love

My Full Review

Right off the bat, Love is Love isn’t going to be a flanker to fit every man’s tastes. It tries to be sort of a bridge between Light Blue Pour Homme and Light Blue Pour Femme. In particular, it takes lots of elements from Light Blue Pour Femme Intense and blends it with the original Pour Homme.

Oh, and add a dollop of vanilla ice cream to the mix.

The opening  features a variety of citrus notes, but this isn’t overwhelmingly citrus. It’s basically the same accord as in Light Blue Italian Zest, just stifled by the other notes.

The apple note from the women’s version is pretty prominent early on and easier to distinguish for me versus the individual citrus ingredients. There’s something floral here too, it might be a touch of jasmine, which is in the women’s version. If so, it’s not listed.

Love is Love feels aromatic, crisp, but with an underlying creamy sweetness. The rosemary of the original is there, but not too heavy. This is a softer take, quite unisex, and even leaning to the feminine side of the spectrum. Which is strange, since D&G did also put out a women’s version of Love is Love.

As we move further along, the apple and more feminine aspects of the scent will back off a bit. Pink pepper and the rosemary have a nice influence in this second act. With that, amberwood and vanilla.

Love is Love actually strikes me as being somewhat similar to The One Gentleman, also by Dolce & Gabbana, at this stage. The peppery vanilla, just with a Light Blue style.

In the end, it’s got the same amberwood that’s in both versions of Light Blue Intense. That, the vanilla, a mix of the fruit, and musk is what’ll be there in the final stages. Much of the apple and ice cream has basically vanished.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a massive fragrance that’s going to leave a long scent trail in your wake. The projection isn’t amazing and is lighter than most of the Light Blue colognes. It’s not terrible, just don’t expect too much past that first hour.

On my skin, Love is Love will stick around for about six hours on the nose. Pretty middle of the road, but again, below average for this line from D&G.

Seasonally, spring and summer. Yes, the ice cream and vanilla notes do sound as if they’d be thicker and create a cloud around you. But, Love is Love really manages to retain a lightness that is pretty delightful in the warmer temperatures.

As a casual or nighttime  wear during the summer, this is pretty versatile. I wouldn’t use this one dressed up or with any real formality, but it works fine elsewhere. Very unisex, leans feminine, then back to masculine. But, one for the younger crowd to enjoy.

Overall Impressions of Love is Love

Overall, do I like Light Blue Love is Love? I like aspects of it. I see what they’re trying to do and it does work to some extent. It’s pretty good. Honestly, it’s not going to appeal to a wide swath of guys.

For sure, some will really enjoy this and it might even be one of their favorite Light Blue flankers. For me? It’s got some positives, but ultimately falls towards the bottom of that Light Blue Homme list.

I like the ice cream aspect, not a heavy creaminess, kind of a gelato sort of scent. The apple does add some freshness and a different vibe to the men’s line which usually only has the citrus. Eventually, that signature grapefruit presents itself more in the mix.

The rest of it? Ehh, pretty mid. I don’t dislike it, but it doesn’t cover much new ground, and isn’t as likeable as the basic Light Blue Homme formula. I like the original and Light Blue Intense for Women, but this doesn’t really capture either. Once the ice cream has faded, it’s forgettable.

If you can get it for cheap, it might be worthwhile to have, if it sounds interesting to you. For most, it won’t be something that you’ve just got to try. I thought that I’d like it more than I did, based on the notes. Ultimately, it doesn’t do much for me.

Light Blue Swimming in Lipari by D&G

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Light Blue Pour Homme has spawned a ton of flankers over the years and it still keeps right on going. I’m currently working my way through reviewing the rest of them that I have missed, including today’s entry, 2015’s Swimming in Lipari. How does this smell? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Light Blue Swimming in Lipari Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, musk, sea salt, orange, rosemary, ambergris, wood

My Full Review

Swimming in Lipari opens up very much like the rest of these earlier Light Blue Pour Homme flankers, in that you can easily tell which cologne it is based on. It’s just got that same early vibe of something like the original or Light Blue Sun, which I have a bottle of.

But, this is obviously going to have its own personality versus the others. While Sun, bring a somewhat tropical coconut accord, Lipari goes salty and marine. The grapefruit is also joined by a mandarin orange early on, which also distinguishes things.

Take the grapefruit and rosemary of the original, add the amberwood base of Eau Intense, and amp up the saltiness of a marine/sea breeze accord…that’s basically Swimming in Lipari.

Very fresh, not as citrus dominant throughout. We’re going woody, salty, and amber. More along the lines of something from the Bvlgari Aqva series (without their seaweed accords).

Note that the grapefruit here, isn’t the hyper-realistic grapefruit rind of Forever or Italian Love. It’s the more synthetic type of the earlier Light Blue’s. Towards the bitter side of things, slightly sweetened up by the mandarin orange.

The next phase of this is noticeably less citrusy. Musk and the ambergris really come up from the base to join that sea salt accord. The orange is basically gone, at this point. It’s a salty and refreshing swim in the Mediterranean with grapefruit highlights.

Essentially, that’s the dry down also. However, the weighting shifts and things become woodier, also. The ambergris becomes more noticeable, this feels closer to Eau Intense, at this point. Not the same, but the vibe is there.

The saltiness will dissipate, it’s still fresh and a little spicy, with the grapefruit hanging around on the skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here isn’t too heavy or far reaching. It’s a clear notch or two below the original or even Light Blue Sun, in my experience. It starts off roughly as the same, above average moderate. It’ll be noticeable and project itself well.

Then, it will mostly be sticking closer to the skin. Maybe a 1-3 foot radius, depending on where you’re at in the wear. Not great, but I wasn’t expecting all that much here.

The longevity is actually better than you’d expect from the sillage. It stays for 6-6.5 hours, before finally fading completely. Again, not going to blow the doors off with how it lasts, but very serviceable.

Seasonally, we’re obviously going summertime. Warm or hot weather. It provides that coastal oceanic vibe very well.

This isn’t going to be a formal wear or even something you’d might want to reach for on a daily basis. This is summer casual. You’re hanging out, by the pool being active, or actually on the coast. Pleasant, but not a romantic wear or club beast.

Overall Impressions of Swimming in Lipari

Overall, do I like Swimming in Lipari? Sure, it’s somewhere in the middle of the pack, in terms of Light Blue Pour Homme scents. It’s a clear variant of the original, with more appeal for those that want a greater marine experience. Let’s just say the name fits what you get here.

I like the saltiness and Bvgari Aqva-like aroma, without straying too far into a realistic oceanic smell. Swimming is salty and has that decent ambergris note,

The performance is slightly better than the average cologne, but not as good as others in the Light Blue Pour Homme series.

Who is this cologne for? You like the original Light Blue and want a salty sea note version for the summer months. Or you’re just a fan of salty aquatics.

It did come out in 2015. As such, bottles are becoming fairly scarce. I wouldn’t overpay too much to add this to my collection. But, if it sounds like you’re cup of tea, you could do well to snag yourself a full bottle before Swimming in Lipari disappears forever.

Light Blue Pour Homme Italian Love by D&G

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Since it was a new year, D&G released a new Light Blue flanker for 2022. Following up on 2021’s Light Blue Forever, they are now coming out with Pour Homme Italian Love. It appears to be a similar scent to Forever, but is that the case? I forgot to update this page last year, so, I grabbed a sample finally to test Italian Love out. How does it smell? Is it worth a buy?

What does Light Blue Italian Love Smell Like?

Notes include: Italian bergamot, grapefruit, green notes, violet leaf, ozonic notes, guaiac wood, vetiver, musk, patchouli

Click here to try: Light Blue Italian Love

My Full Review

Let’s see how D&G describes it:  It opens with Italian bergamot and juicy frozen grapefruit, revealing a fresh cocktail. It then evolves to an intensely masculine heart, with invigorating green notes combining with violet leaf and the fresh aquatic wave of the ozonic marine accord. Earthy vetiver combines with musks and the heady, mysterious note of patchouli, while the full-bodied note of guaiac wood brings new depth and an intriguing sensuality.

Tried it yourself? Leave your own review and score in the comments section below.

Italian Love starts out very close to what you get with Forever.  If you already have Light Blue Forever, you can probably skip this.

Yet, the differences that are between them, make Italian Love a better buy in my mind, for those who don’t have a bottle of either. Or, if the blend of Forever, just put you off.

Italian Love brings back the grapefruit note, but this time it is paired with a juicy and slightly sour bergamot note. Tart and sour, nothing sweet. I like it a lot. The balance is probably around 70/30 in favor of the grapefruit, but the bergamot gives it a better balance.

The second difference that I notice, is the toned down violet leaf in this Light Blue versus Forever. The violet leaf and green notes aren’t as prominent, but the ozonic gives it more of that airy sea breeze impression. Not salty, but leans very blueish and fresh.

As we move into the next phase, the grapefruit takes a more solid leading role in the citrus top. This is also when the light musk note and woods begin to emerge. Musk and vetiver are carryovers from Forever, maybe the musk is weakened in Italian Love, but it is essentially the same with how it comes across.

It’s interesting that Italian Love has a bit of fizziness to it. Can come across as a fresh cocktail of some sort. The bergamot really helps with that, along with the strengthened ozonic accord, and the guaiac wood which makes an appearance in the middle act.

The dry down is a blend of the citrus, musk, and mostly vetiver-dominant woody notes. A little patchouli and guaiac wood thrown in for good measure, but not extremely noticeable. That’s basically the ending of Italian Love.

One more thing to note, is that there is what feels like a light smokiness. Probably the guaiac wood mixing with vetiver, but the undercurrent of this cologne is quite a dry freshness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty moderate, just like Forever. The early stages come with the same blast of citrusy strength that you get with its predecessor, but it settles thereafter. It projects in that 4-6 foot range, initially, with a normal amount of application. Maybe 2-3 feet, past the first hour.

Still not incredible projection, but nothing to be disappointed by.

As a weaker skin scent, it’ll hang around for just over 7 hours, on my skin. That being said, most of what you’re going to pick up will be in the first couple of hours. It is still there, I just don’t notice it all that often.

Seasonally, late spring and summertime. The Light Blue flankers really lean into the summer appeal of the original, as seen with 2023’s Light Blue Summer Vibes (which I’ll review very soon).

It might be a little more versatile, with its appeal versus Forever, which smells like pure grapefruit at times. This one is great to wear out on summer days or nights, and one that can get complements since it performs in the heat. Casual, daily wear, and nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Italian Love

Overall, do I like Light Blue Italian Love? Yes, it is better than Forever. The blend just has a more delightful aroma and some better depth versus the 2021 release. I’m still not a massive fan of this much grapefruit, but this is one of the better releases from the Light Blue line.

The bergamot is the hero for me, in the early stages. It helps to pull back some of that overwhelming grapefruit of Forever, without destroying the appeal of that fragrance. Secondly, the heavier weighting of the ozonic notes, is just a better way to go for me.

Performance wise, it’s basically the same as what I got with Forever. So, it will all come down to which smell you prefer Forever (greenish grapefruit) or Italian Love (ozonic grapefruit blend). For me, it’s the latter.

On the whole, Italian Love is a very good summer fragrance. I’m not completely blown away by it, but I like it for what this scent is going to be used for.

12 Amazing Orange Blossom Perfumes

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Orange blossom is generally one of my favorite floral notes in fragrances. Sometimes, it does get overwhelming and on my nerves, but when done right…it can really enhance the experience of a scent.

For this page, I want to present a list of the top smelling perfumes which utilize and focus in on the orange blossom note. I will continue to update, as I come across newer options.

Favorite Orange Blossom Fragrances for Her (or Unisex)

Citrusy Orange Blossom

Fleur d’Oranger 27 Le Labo– Our target note here is really great. The orange blossom gets paired with its usual petitgrain partner, but D’oranger 27 does have substantial doses of lemon and bergamot.

So, this will probably be a best bet for those who want a more juicy citrus finish to their orange blossom perfume.

Though, on the whole this smells much more like orange than it does being covered in lemon. Like walking around in a citrus grove. Sort of a greenish juicy citrus that morphs more into a musky white floral during the mid and latter stages.

Clean and a Bit Powdery

Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger by Prada– This Prada option is a very beautiful use of orange flower, with a light sillage, and bright overall personality. It is joined by neroli, tuberose, and jasmine.

Up top you do get a nice juicy mandarin orange citrus fruit, but that’s not going to be a dominate feature. The juiciness does hang around, but I’d say it is more of a zest or watery smell than full on prominent orange.

But, as it dries down this one has the usual soapy element, but with some added light touches of powder that many Prada perfumes are known for.

Infusion is light on the sillage, but clean and has its opening sparkling quality, and a dry down that really highlights the phenomenal orange blossom.

Warm and Spicy Blossom

Serge Lutens Fleurs D’oranger Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.7 Ounce– Fleurs d’Oranger opens up with the orange blossom being joined by jasmine, spice, and musk.

The fragrance does seem to have a citrus fruit note here as well, but this perfume is quite dry and not juicy with how it comes across.

That spice note is cumin and it’s at its peak during the opening act. Though, it does stick around for the duration, while mainly being dominated by musk.

As Fleurs d’Oranger dries down, the floral composition will shift to include more of the tuberose and less of that jasmine. But, neither of those two floral ingredients takes over the orange blossom.

This one has good performance on my skin, 8-9 hours of wear. It has a great orange blossom note, within a bouquet-like composition. Dry, floral, warm, and spicy. Listed as unisex, but always leaned way more feminine in my mind. Fleurs d’Oranger Review

orange blossom perfume

Blossom Sweetness

Sintra by Memo Paris– The petitgrain note especially, along with neroli really start Sintra off with a bold and greenish sort of an aroma. The citrus here is light, but there is also a resinous warmth which adds body to Sintra.

This Memo Paris fragrance will quickly turn sweet and creamy (milk is a note), thanks to the very present marshmallow note.

Beyond that creaminess you’re also treated to caramel, vanilla, and our orange blossom note as the main floral during the mid and dry down. That’s when this one really becomes about the floral ingredient, but this still remains a sweet perfume.

Ambery Smooth Orange Blossom

Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum Spray 2.5 oz New Spray– Roberto Cavalli EDP is a super popular choice from the designer’s lineup. It is led by orange flower and vanilla. It is a sweeter perfume, but has an underlying smoothness and freshness.

Pink pepper sits underneath and gives it that warm sweet spice and there is an amber enveloping it all. It gives you a versatile blend, that is still punctuated with our target ingredietn.

The amber and pink pepper really do give this an undeniable warmth and cozy feeling. The orange blossom note within that is utterly awesome. The dry down does take on a somewhat lotion-like vibe.

The notes would suggest that this would be another winter scent, but it comes across as a solid choice for the warmer months of the year.

Simple Citrus and Floral

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

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

Add in some lilac and you get a definite springtime in bloom effect. Citrus fruit top with a naturalistic floral blossom base. I love orange blossom, as a note, and it is utterly fantastic here.

Those petals paired with a citron aroma, makes this a personal favorite of mine from Jo Malone London.

Popular Designer Option

Classique JPG– Now, there have been many versions of Classique to follow this one. I believe most, if not all, also contain orange blossom. However, they can also lean more towards the sweet or fruity side of things. This, is the most white floral focused of the bunch.

Classique is creamy, sweet, amber-laden, and has its fruitier moments also. More of a mix than an orange blossom solo project. Ylang-ylang is probably the second strongest floral, with some bits of iris thrown in too.

The latter dry down is more soapy and floral. Though, it is going to retain much of that vanilla creaminess, and even some spice that is found throughout. Classique is a loud and bold perfume, so tread carefully with it.

jean paul women

Light Fresh and Orange Blossom

O de L’Orangerie by Lancome– Refreshing citrus up top and super clean cedarwood in the base. The formula is simple, but throw in jasmine and orange blossom, and you have a very enjoyable perfume from Lancome.

The citrus here isn’t overwhelming to my nose. It’s there, but you will get more of a focus on the floral notes for most of the wear. I really like the jasmine note and how it plays off of our sought after ingredient.

So, light with a watery citrus zest up top and then a clean and fresh soapy finish between our floral notes and cedar.

This is a fragrance that demands to be worn out in the spring and summertime weather, humidity and all. Not a marathon performer, but not completely awful either.

The Orange Blend

Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Bianca– From the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria collection. The orange blossom note here actually shares the stage with neroli and bitter orange. Sort of a shared perfume, where each aspect gets its time to shine.

Petitgrain joins the fray, but the overall scent is fairly linear with how it presents. Bitter orange early, orange blossom middle, and neroli is probably the most prominent during the latter part of Nerolia Bianca.

This has a great freshness of orange and has a definite greenish aroma in the beginning. The soapiness isn’t to the same degree as some of the others on the list.

Citrus and Honeyed

Orange Flowers by Montale– Orange Flowers by Montale has some similarities to the Serge Lutens fragrance from earlier. However, this one has more citrus, less spice, and a honeyed aroma to it as well.

The orange blossom is the dominant note, but the later dry down does give off some added patchouli, honey, and musks. Early on, there is a nice use of juicy citrus fruits and the spice is more noticeable then.

But, as we mover forward it will shift to a drier, sweeter, and more orange blossom centered scent. Nice hints of vanilla and oakmoss, also.

I don’t know if this would be my first choice from the list, but it is nice for the right person, and has a high level of performance.

Classy Floral Bouquet

24 Faubourg By Hermes For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3 Ounces– A still popular classically constructed scent consisting of orange blossom, amber, hiacynth, gardenia, and others. Mature, refined, and with plenty of staying power.

24 Faubourg is for those who want to go with something refined and led by floral notes. This does get blended more than some of the others on the list. Though, the orange blossom is still the leader.

The opening does have some additional fruitiness, mainly orange, and a sweetness that seems to surround the composition itself.

Nevertheless, that is all a sideshow to the full bouquet of flowers, which await your nose. This is a brilliant performer, well put together, and quite naturalistic.

Either/Or

Parfums de Marly Safanad for women Eau de Parfum 2.5 Oz./75 ml – Safanad is a fragrance from Parfums de Marly that utilizes orange blossom. You could also go with Oriana from this brand, which has more similarities with Sintra, from earlier in the list.

Orange blossom, and vanilla are the some highlighted notes. You do get a light orange citrus and pear to add some sweetness.

This one opens up with our main target and vanilla. There is an amber note throughout and a nice iris contributing also.

The dry down is amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and orange blossom. This is a perfume with some nice balance, can be an option for those who don’t want quite as much sweetness as Oriana tends to project. Safanad Full Review