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!

The One EDT for Women by Dolce & Gabbana

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For today’s review, we have the eau de toilette version of The One for Women by Dolce & Gabbana. This obviously is a newer take on the EDP release, that has been a popular ladies scent for years now. As usual, I’m going to cover: how it smells, what’s inside, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is even worth a purchase.

What does The One EDT for Women Smell Like?

Notes include: lily, vanilla, bergamot, mandarin orange, lychee, peach, ylang ylang, orange blossom, vetiver, and musk

Click here to try: The One EDT for Women

My Full Review

Before we get started into my thoughts on this perfume, let’s see what D&G has to say about it in their description:

The One eau de toilette is an enchanting, sensual, and feminine scent, with a new twist of freshness that magnifies the key note of Madonna lily. Oriental Floral. 

The opening of the EDT version of The One is very sweet with the vanilla note leading the way and smooth floral notes such as the orange blossom and lily. While there are multiple citrus ingredients listed, what I mostly get is peach coming through, and the bergamot/orange is a much weaker aroma.

Though, with orange blossom as well, you do get some bursts of citrus during the wear. To me, that is a good thing, as I really do enjoy the smell of orange blossom.

You do get a lovely top from this fragrance, with some juicy fruit and sweetness, beyond just being another floral scent. Yes, floral notes do take over more as it wears on, but I like the peach and the light citrus touch from the start. Still, all of this is experienced within the embrace of the floral and woodsy notes.

The One EDT is quite a rich and warm perfume. Lily, vanilla, amber, and musk create an enveloping cloud of sweet white florals. Moving forward, I also detect a very lovely ylang-ylang note which adds another dimension to the floral composition.

It becomes quite creamy and a sweet floral during the latter stages. The lily does indeed begin to fully dominate the fragrance, but I still get enough vanilla and amber, for this scent to keep its appeal.

Ultimately, it is a lily, vanilla, and amber scent with a bouquet of floral notes surrounding that trio. Also, a peach note, which still has a good deal of strength during the later periods of its cycle.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this can start out with some pretty heavy sillage, but later on it becomes much more moderate. Now, it can be overdone with too many sprays, but a normal application should have no problems.

That opening strength might last from 30-60 minutes, depending on the day. But, even after that the strength is fine and The One is quite usable.

The longevity is fairly good as well, The One EDT lasted around 7 hours on my skin. Not the best of the best, but good enough for most purposes. It’s actually much better than the men’s EDT version, so, I won’t complain too much.

Seasonally, this Dolce scent feels like it’d be best in cold weather, but fine in anything but the hottest days of the year. Even though this is a fruitier scent, the other notes have enough body and thickness to make it less than ideal for the summer.

It is a versatile fragrance that can be worn everyday at the office, class, but is attractive enough to pull double duty on a date or a night out.

I certainly found it quite pretty and appealing, with a certain amount of sexiness to it. But, it doesn’t stray too far into the seductive nightlife wear. Mostly, just an attractive and versatile scent.

Honestly, it kind of fits for any age range. The sweetness that it does have doesn’t put it into ‘teenager only’ perfume category. Though, they could certainly wear The One as well.

Overall Impressions of The One EDT

Overall, is The One eau de toilette worth a try? I’d say, yes. It is a very attractive scent but it is also a very sweet scent. You’re going to have to enjoy lily, peach, and an enveloping warm sweetness.

Honestly, the perfume can be a bit much at times, but as a white floral fragrance it works well in totality. Still, I think that it is an improvement upon the EDP version, in a lot of ways. I got a good performance from it and it does have quite a lot of beauty within that sweetness.

It’s not an amazing fragrance. The peach and the citrus up top are a highlight for me, even if things can feel crowded at times, with all of the notes jockeying for position.

Again, if peach gets on your nerves, this is probably one to avoid. Otherwise, it is a very nice D&G release, which does almost everything well. It’s been around forever, at this point, and so no new ground is being broken with this one.

Vert des Bois by Tom Ford

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Getting back into the Tom Ford fragrance reviews, today, we have another one from the Private Blend collection: Vert des Bois. This is one of the offerings from the ‘Vert’ series, on fragrances which really focus on the green notes. How does this one stack up? What does Vert des Bois smell like? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Vert des Bois Smell Like?

Notes include: plum, olive leaf, poplar, anise, jasmine, mastic, and patchouli

Click here to try: TOM FORD VERT DES BOIS EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 1.7 oz / 50 ML

My Full Review

The opening of Vert des Bois is very green, as you’d expect from the name. Poplar buds and olive leaf are joined by a distinct anise note and a healthy dose of patchouli. At the heart is a solid wood structure, but at the start, there is a sweet plum note, and a bit of the oily olive smell.

I know, it sounds weird and shouldn’t work, but it actually does. It’s listed as a part of an ouzo accord, which while I am familiar with the name, I’ve never actually had. So, I can’t really speak to its aroma.

The plum note isn’t around for too long and isn’t all that strong while it is. I thought it might play a stronger role, when I saw the ingredients list, but nope.

Vert des Bois is quite a natural smelling fragrance, and about 20 minutes into the wear, I get the emergence of a jasmine note, which takes away some of the initial spiciness of the anise. At this point, it is a smooth wood and floral combination, with that olive leaf and the patchouli.

There’s also a really great smoky note that is sitting gently in the background of this perfume, which adds another level to the rich Greek nature theme.

From there on, this Private Blend scent, stays roughly on the same path. The jasmine weakens and it becomes more wood dominant, with the poplar really taking hold. It is flanked by olive and patchouli, among some other woodsy aromas.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on Vert des Bois, isn’t terribly strong. It strikes me as more of a moderate, but it is noticeable, and consistent throughout the wear.

That initial 30-45 minutes does create a nice enough scent trail. It’ll probably reach in the 5-8 foot range, at its peak, before retreating closer.

The longevity is really good. I got somewhere in the 8-10 hour range of wear, I kind of lost track, but it was going strong well into the evening. I wouldn’t doubt the ability to routinely get double digit hours. You do get your money’s worth in terms of the performance.

So, Vert des Bois, is very green but it doesn’t seem like it falls strictly into the spring or winter months for wear. I had it on during a warm spring day and it worked fine, without issue.

It is also definitely a unisex fragrance for most of the time, pretty much square in the middle of the spectrum, not overly manly or feminine. Then, it does dry down quite woody, and masculine. Another well blended Tom Ford scent.

Overall Impressions of Vert des Bois

Overall, do I like Vert des Bois? I do. Though, it is much more of a niche scent, than many others that I review here. It is a really unique fragrance, that captures a natural Mediterranean woods concept very well, but I’m not sure who it is for specifically.

Someone will have to be in the market specifically for what this offers, because while it does what its designed to very well, it’s not a mass appeal sort of scent. If you like green, woody, with notes you’d associate with Greece, Vert des Bois is a great choice.

The performance is great. I enjoy the mix of unique notes, which often don’t get used or at least not paired together. It’s for sure one of the more unique mainstream designer offerings.

The olive tree wood, the great anise, mastic, and even a little plum. It does become more of a traditional jasmine and woods aroma, as it dries down. But, it’s still uniquely attractive, fresh, and with a smoky background.

Not one for the masses, but a cool option to wear from Tom Ford.

Open Road EDT by Coach

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Open Road was a release from Coach in 2022. I wasn’t aware of this fragrance until I had the opportunity to buy a sample and just added it to my cart. It hasn’t seemed to get very much attention thus far, but is that a mistake? How does Open Road Smell? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Open Road by Coach Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, red apple, lavender, Sichuan pepper, sage, vetiver, cedar, patchouli

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Coach describes it: inspired by a road trip along the American coastline and the thrill of living for adventure. Woody and aromatic, it combines energizing Sichuan pepper with notes of lavender and vetiver.

Open Road does indeed open up with an aromatic freshness to it, but paired with the early Sichuan pepper spice. It’s got a crisp feeling from the light apple note that is present, even though, the lemon is the leader between those two.

The fruit notes are present, but this one doesn’t have too much juiciness and isn’t very sweet. More of a sharp lemon with that softer crisp apple. It is balanced with the pepper, calming lavender, and an earthiness from patchouli and emerging vetiver early on.

The patchouli is very light in the mix and only seems to be around for the first 20 minutes or so on my skin.

The next phase the lavender and Sichuan take over the main focus of the cologne. It’ll move more into its woody phase, but the top notes will have to burn off some more before the vetiver really comes into its own.

I’m surprised that the lavender doesn’t just dominate on my skin, but it is more of a shared power with the spiciness for this phase. Sage seems to peak through for a little while, just not an insane burst of the stuff or anything.

After maybe an hour, you’ve pretty much entered the dry down where vetiver reigns supreme. This gets very woody and clean, less spicy, and pretty straightforward and pleasant. Vetiver, lavender, and cedar are most of what I’m getting.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a lighter moderate fragrance. Not going to completely envelope you and leave a long trail, but its detectable and has a decent reach off of the skin. Open Road is one that you’ll sort of forget that you’re wear and then randomly catch a whiff of, hours into the wear.

I get about 7-7.5 hours of wear with this one from Coach. If you’ve ever tried any other fragrances from this brand, it’s about what they all seem to provide. Not terrible performance, just a tad above average, but never elite.

Seasonally, this is almost a year round wear. It’s very nice in the moderate temperatures that we’ve been having this week in spring. It could probably do quite well in warmer weather too. The extremes either way, might not be ideal, however.

It’s super versatile. Mostly for daytime use. But, within that it can go from casual situations to work. Not very luxurious or super formal. However, as something for when you just want to smell fresh and not have to overthink it, Open Road does the job.

Overall Impressions of Open Road

Overall, do I like Open Road? The opening act is pretty mid, but I do like that dry down. Even if it is super simple and not too original. This gets compared to K EDT by D&G, which I also have a sample of right now. They are fairly close, but K is a tad better to me.

This one is super basic, but I definitely don’t hate it at all. Sure, the lemon and Sichuan are kind of annoying up top, that’s the worst of it though.

The rest of the wear is pleasant and just a clean woody aromatic fragrance. It did have me sniffing my arm, every so often, because of how nice it was the other day.

The performance is nothing to brag about, though, it’s pretty good. I don’t think that this one is particularly a gem, but it might be worth checking out for some guys. The price has already dropped at some of the discount sites, so, you’ll probably be snagging a decent deal if you do want to check Open Road out.

Select Night by Mercedes-Benz

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Select Night is one of the fragrance releases from Mercedes-Benz which has enjoyed some popularity since its release in 2019. It was one of the colognes from the brand that I bought a decant of months back, so that I could test out and see if it actually deserves the attention. How does Select Night actually smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Mercedes-Benz Select Night Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, lavender, bergamot,  vanilla, orange blossom, guaiac wood, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli

Click here to try: Select Night

My Full Review

Select Night starts off with a pretty hefty dose of cardamom in the opening act. The spice hits hard, but still feels somewhat tempered by notes like lavender and vanilla. Early on the lavender has the upper hand, but towards the end, the vanilla will take over the top spot.

Still, the cardamom reigns supreme in the opening act. It actually has a fizziness to it which reminds me of Armani Code Profumo. Mainly, I think its the way the orange blossom and vanilla are interacting in the mix.

Beyond the spice, Select Night has that same sort of sweetness in the mix, as the other colognes that it gets compared to. To me, that’s its least appealing aspect, as the sweetness smells kind cheap in this blend for some reason.

This gets compared often to Noir Extreme by Tom Ford. Sure, it has some similarities, but it is not at all the same. Noir Extreme is much better than Select Night.

At some point the cardamom will start to lose it hold on the composition. That’s when this really becomes lavender and vanilla dominant. I also get a period with a stronger orange blossom and some emergent sandalwood.

The dry down is more of a woody fresh blend with plenty of lavender and vanilla. The cardamom and orange blossom fades. There is a bit of a powdery finish to this and the sweetness has toned down from earlier in the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Select Night starts off with plenty of power. I can spray it on a piece of clothing I have laying around and pick up the cologne from 8+ feet away easily. It doesn’t stay at that super high level, but it is above average when compared with most basic colognes out there.

The longevity for Select Night is somewhere in the 8-9 hour range for me, on skin. Good projection and it’ll stick around for a long time without issue.

Performance with the Benz cologne is well above average, across the board. Great value.

Seasonally, this is built for autumn and winter, while not being overly heavy. So, in some regions of the world, you’d probably be able to get away with wearing Select Night in spring as well.

It does live up to its name, as being more for the night. It’s stylish and attractive enough to receive complements, but probably not going to fit in at the office during the daytime. But, as a fragrance to wear out, one should get plenty of use. Any age can roll with Select Night, also.

Overall Impressions of Select Night

Overall, do I like Select Night? It’s pretty good, one of the better Mercedes-Benz releases, but isn’t amazing. If its closest comparison is Noir Extreme, it falls well short of what I get out of the Tom Ford cologne.

It does have some elements of its own and similarities to that Code flanker, so it’s not trying to be exact anyway.

The opening cardamom is nice, especially with that fizziness, giving this a warm dynamism. The dry down is more of a straightforward woods, lavender and vanilla, but it’s solid.

The performance is for sure one of its strengths. So, if you can get a good deal on a bottle, there isn’t too much downside to owning this cologne. Nothing about Select Night is a glaring weakness, does everything well enough, and is worth trying out.

Defy EDT by Calvin Klein

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Defy is a cologne release from Calvin Klein that the brand put out back in 2021. It was good to see them taking a bit of a break from just putting out Eternity flankers all of the time and starting a new line. I got a sample of this recently to finally do a proper review and see if it’s worthwhile to actually purchase.

What does Defy by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, amber, vetiver, lavender

Click here to try: Defy EDT by Calvin Klein

My Full Review

Upon first spraying Defy, I’m immediately reminded of Y EDT from YSL. Very similar style with the blue-ish aroma, bergamot, and heavy use of ambroxan. Not one to one exactly the same, but the style is very much related.

The initial citrus here is juicy and has a nice freshness. It kind of fades quickly from prominence in favor of the lavender note.

For a while, there is more of a balance between the bergamot, ambroxan, and lavender. But, the lavender will consolidate more control, as we progress. Funny enough, the ambroxan does back off and there is another round in which the bergamot comes through more on my skin.

Defy doesn’t really develop all that much though. It’s like a generic ‘blue-ish’ cologne smell mixed with that lavender. There is some vetiver in the dry down, but even that isn’t too heavy or involved.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is light to moderate. Defy isn’t a fragrance that is going to leave a massive cloud in one’s wake or dare to take over a room. It’s just kind of middle of the road, extending out maybe to 5 feet, at its peak.

The longevity is also meh. I get about 5, maybe 5.5 hours on skin. So, if you do end up going for this one, you’ll probably have to bring the bottle with you for re-application later in the day.

Seasonally, it is good for the spring and summer. I don’t know that I’d wear it on the hottest days, though. It’s seems like a better play on moderate to warm days. I wore it out on a day where it was 65 degrees Fahrenheit and that seemed like a good spot for Defy to work in.

This cologne does lean more towards younger guys. It’s not a formal or refined kind of fragrance. Casual or a daily wear for something like school. It has enough mass appeal to grab some complements, but it’s a very basic and entry level cologne.

Not particularly going to stand out as unique, but younger guys could do a lot worse than this, as far as scent goes.

Overall Impressions of Defy EDT

Overall, do I like Defy? It’s okay. I think that it can be pleasant at times, but isn’t ever something that’s remarkable. Sure, it’s close to the original Y EDT in terms of smell and style, but that’s till better than this CK release. And, I’m not even a big fan of that one.

I don’t hate this either. If you can get it for cheap and are in your teens or twenties, this could be a very serviceable cologne for you. It smells nice enough and doesn’t have any repulsive qualities about it.

The opening is probably the highlight for me. I do like that bergamot note, when it is at its strongest. The dry down is fine, just not dynamic.

The performance isn’t great, which makes it even less appealing, even if you enjoy the smell. Five-ish or so hours, isn’t going to cut it for most guys. Especially, if this is selling a retail. I would only shop at discounters and see if they ever have this one sale. Outside of that, I probably wouldn’t even bother.