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!

7 Best Smelling Kayali Fragrances

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Kayali is a very popular line of perfumes from Huda Beauty. It is known for having a variety of scents, that are easily paired and layered with other fragrances, both from the line and other designers.

But, what are the top scents from this brand? Which ones are actually worth getting a hold of? This page serves as my updated list for keeping track of the perfumes to check out.

Favorite Smelling Kayali Perfumes

The White Floral

Deja Vu White Flower | 57– Before testing all of these scents out, I wouldn’t have thought that Deja vu would be one of my favorites, but it absolutely is.

Up top you get a very nice tuberose and the sweetness of vanilla wafting up. The floral mix doesn’t just get dominated by the tuberose note, you also get some fruity facets, and periods of jasmine and gardenia.

Deja Vu is a good option for those who want a floral perfume, that doesn’t have a straight garden smell throughout. The fruity and vanilla aromas really help to make this one a joy to wear.

Not super heavy, but has a pretty solid longevity versus others in the series. Deja Vu Review

Cherry Love

Lovefest Burning Cherry– One of the more popular fragrances from the Kayali lineup and also one of the best. Lovefest Burning Cherry brings you a lot of similarities with Lost Cherry by Tom Ford, while still drying down differently.

The opening is a syrupy cherry with some incense like smoke (the burning cherry note) with a touch of raspberry and praline sweetness. Somewhat powdery, but dries down into a smokier amber and woods.

Yes, it’s still sweet, but the cherry isn’t nearly as overwhelming in the latter stages, versus what you get early on. Lovefest Review

Brown Sugar Vanilla

Vanilla | 28– Vanilla 28 is another sweet perfume from Kayali, but easily ranks among there best, in my opinon.

It opens up with tonka bean and brown sugar, actually being heavier than the vanilla orchid, at this stage. It’s actually not too cloying or nauseatingly sweet, the musk and amberwood help to keep it that way.

The tonka bean lessens and you get more of the vanilla, while the brown sugar sticks around. This one is none too complicated, while being delicious and easy to wear. Vanilla 28 Review

 

 

Soft Super Clean

Musk | 12– Musk 12 is one that is softer and a simple sort of perfume. It kicks off fresh and floral, with its opening lotus note. There’s some vanilla sweetness and the musk notes which gives this a powdery finish.

It does become more generally floral, with the lotus settling in to blend with other floral notes, like jasmine. The vanilla and musk notes, will take over and be the main focus. Still providing that clean and powdery aroma.

Musk is a Kayali scent that’s going to be pretty low key on its own, but still enjoyable for some people. It is also a prime candidate for layering and adding a bit more to other fragrances. Musk 12 Review

The Other Vanilla

Utopia Vanilla Coco– Utopia is another Kayali that utilizes plenty of vanilla. However, that’s not all that it is.

It opens up with a pear blossom note and some light citrus. The coconut will also be out already in the opening stages, flanked by a bit of jasmine. As we move further, the coconut and vanilla will play a larger role.

To me it is a fresh perfume, but one with a distinct dryness from the sandalwood base. The floral notes are strong enough here to prevent this from being a tropical sort of scent. It’s sweet and would actually work best in moderate temperatures. Utopia Review

Nice New Release

Yum Pistachio Gelato– This is a new release for 2023 and I think it deserves a spot on the list, especially if you’re partial to nutty gourmand perfumes.

Opening up, I actually get a pretty hefty dose of cardamom spice, to go along with the fluffy sweetness of marshmallow and whipped cream. It’s easy to draw Ariana Grande fragrance comparisons, since those two notes are involved in a whole host of her releases.

But, this one does stand out more thereafter. The nuttiness of the pistachio (supported by hazelnut), will have an increasing role to play here. The initial spice fades away and this one goes full on sweetness and nutty, with a hint of rum for at least a period of time.

Milky, creamy, a hint of powder. Feels colder and fresh versus being a completely overwhelming warm/cozy gourmand. Can work well in warmer weather and has some more depth than many other Kayali releases.

Silky

The Wedding Silk Santal 36– This is a lighter and fairly airy fragrance at times. But, it’s a really beautiful smell.

The opening has a champagne note (or at least the fizzy effect) which is paired with nectarine, freesia and the ever-present vanilla note.

In the dry down, it’s got a mix between powdery and creamy depending on which part of the wear you’re going through. Though, the whole mix is sweet with praline and sugary touches.

So, the name is somewhat misleading. The sandalwood and other woody notes are present and substantial at times. Wedding Silk Santal is mostly going to be a light and sweeet vanilla blend with other facets of the blend popping in and out. 

 

Dreams EDP by Coach

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Dreams eau de parfum was released by Coach in 2020. I received a sample vial of the fragrance, as a part of a batch from Macy’s. I hadn’t heard of this scent beforehand and had no expectations of what it was going in. So, of course I started testing it out for a review for the site. How does it smell? Does it last a long time? Is it worth a buy?

What does Dreams by Coach Smell Like?

Notes include: gardenia, cactus flower, bitter orange, Joshua tree, pear, woods

Click here to try: Coach Dreams 1.3oz Eau de Parfum Spray

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Coach describes Dreams: Coach Dreams is inspired by the freedom and adventure of a road trip across America. The scent combines radiant bitter orange with the sensual warmth of gardenia, cactus flower, and Joshua Tree.

The opening of Coach Dreams is led by the fruity notes. However, it really is more of a blend of those with the prominent gardenia and green-ish impressions coming from the base. A bit of dew.

Initially, I pick up some citrus from the bitter orange note, but later it will be more of a fresh pear smell with some sweeter mix of other fruits. Dreams strikes me as being very upbeat and having a bright clean feeling to it.

As it moves along, Dreams becomes a traditional white floral fragrance, with the gardenia doing its thing. Though, I think what separates this perfume somewhat is the desert inspired notes, that give it an airy green/woody aroma.

I suppose it’s the cactus flower that’s giving the gardenia support during the floral middle act. That greenish dew/juicy aroma. Not a note that I’ve come across a lot, but it fits well enough.

Really, Dreams doesn’t develop all that much. It shifts from being slightly fruity/floral to being much more of a white floral with hints of fruit. Gardenia, other flowers, wood, and some ambroxan thrown in for good measure.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Dreams isn’t a sillage bomb. It’ll project itself decently, but really isn’t ever going to overwhelm. Very middle of the road, but definitely not a weak scent by any measure. It doesn’t feel heavy. Dreams is softer with a naturalistic feeling.

The longevity is above average but not elite. 7-8.5 hours is what is seems to hang around for on my skin. A full workday for most folks and I didn’t find any aspect of its performance to be disappointing.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summer wear. Within that frame, it has a nice amount of versatility. It is pretty and unobtrusive. Can work casually, at the office, or a daily wear for those who are still in school.

I wouldn’t rule out some days in autumn or winter too. I’d say that Dreams is at its best in the warmer part of the year, however.

It does have a somewhat youthful vibe, but isn’t completely a perfume for teenagers. It is well put together and can be appreciated by older women, as well. Easy to wear and not really going to offend.

Overall Impression of Dreams

Do I like this perfume? I do. It’s a nice fragrance, with a good blend of gardenia and other notes. Dreams has a sunny disposition, some light fruity touches, and green-ish desert scents which distinguish it somewhat.

The pear and the bitter orange in the opening act is a highlight for me. I think that it pairs well with the slight dewy aroma coming up from the base.

The second half is fine too. Basically a standard gardenia-led floral fragrance with bits of that pear note still coming through. Performance is above average, so that gives Dreams a boost as far as its usefulness.

It’s not an amazing fragrance, just one that’s quite pleasant and gives a good performance. So, I wouldn’t say that it’s a must have. But, this Coach perfume is one that could readily find a spot in your rotation because it is easy to wear and versatile.

More of a like, not a love. Though, it is a perfume that I have no real complaints about either. Nice release from this designer.

Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper | 25 by Kayali

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Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper 25 is the last of the perfumes from the Kayali sample set, that I had to review. Totally forgot about this one over the past few months and so have revisited the scent for that purpose. Wasn’t one of the options that I was particularly excited to try out, but does it actually exceed expectations?

What does Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper 25 Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, pink pepper, saffron, Bulgarian rose, vanilla orchid, sandalwood

Click here to try: Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper 25

My Full Review

The opening of this one really goes heavy on the spice and bergamot note. Pink pepper and saffron come in and make a bold, warm, and peppery statement up top. With that strong citrus brightness from the bergamot.

It’s a bit too much for me. This does improve as it settles. The Bulgarian rose will start to take over and this one loses a lot of the shock of the top notes. At this point, it’s the rose and saffron and patchouli heading things.

That pink pepper sticks around, but it is at a greatly diminished level.

For basically the rest of the way, this is a dry rose and saffron fragrance. Sure, there is some woodiness and musk floating around, but the two main attractions dominate.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does start out with some nice power and can leave a scent trail in ones wake. That spicy impact early on will carry well in the air and leap off of the skin.

Even beyond that, I still get to spend plenty of time with Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper, as a moderate fragrance that doesn’t hit skin level status until the latter back half of the wear.

While it isn’t too complicated of a perfume, Sweet Diamond actually sticks around fairly well for a Kayali scent. 7-7.5 hours, on my skin. Obviously, the vast majority is when it is in its saffron and rose phase, but I still pick it up.

Seasonally, this would work better in the colder to milder temperatures of autumn and winter. It’s fine in spring, also. I would probably skip wearing Sweet Diamond in the summer, outside of some evenings perhaps.

Within that time frame, it’s pretty versatile. I don’t find it to be sexy or formal, but it could work for most other occasions or a daily wear. Also, since Kayali perfumes are so layer-able, you can get some addition use out of Sweet Diamond by going that route.

Overall Impressions of Sweet Diamond

Overall, do I like this fragrance? It’s okay. I don’t think that it’s terrible on its own, but it also isn’t a perfume that wows me at any time. It is about what I expected from Sweet Diamond. It might be a better bet for layering than for solo use.

I usually enjoy saffron and pink pepper separately. However, together in this scent, it’s too overwhelming early on. Sweet Diamond does improve some, as it dries down, but it’s not that complicated of a fragrance to truly make a difference.

The performance is good for this brand, however. So, if this ends up being one of the scents that you like, you at least get some value out of it. I don’t hate Sweet Diamond Pink Pepper, but Huda Beauty has released better.

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