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!

Oajan by Parfums De Marly

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Still working my way through the long list of fragrances by Parfums de Marly. Today, I have another very popular fragrance from the lineup, Oajan. How does this one stack up? What does it smell like? How does Oajan perform? Please continue below for my full review of this Parfums de Marly cologne.

Reviewing Oajan: What does it Smell Like?

Notes include: tonka bean, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, benzoin, musk, labdanum, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Oajan EDP Spray, 4.2 oz.

My Full Wear Review

Wow. The opening whiff of Oajan gives me a tri-blend of tonka bean, cinnamon, and benzoin. The benzoin note brings to mind, Kouros Body by YSL, and the cinnamon is an enhancement of the incense spice found in that cologne.

The aroma given off is one that is both very rich and fresh, with a dark sweetness. It really comes across as a unique scent in the opening. Spicy, fairly clean, with a balsamic aroma.

The real standout is the osmanthus note which gives this one its sweetness. Fruity sweet, but still with that darker masculine edge. It’s the same note that gives Flowerbomb its opening burst.

After 5 minutes or so, is when I really start to notice the honey note and its accompaniment by the vanilla. It is a smooth and somewhat thick creaminess, that pairs so damn well with the cinnamon.

The spice is there, but it takes a backseat to the sweeter notes. Honestly, the entire profile of the scent reminds me a lot of 1 Million Prive. The cinnamon fades as you get deeper into the wear, but it does hang around throughout.

Oajan has this sort of apple cinnamon aroma to it just like the Paco Rabanne scent. It’s quite straightforward but very intriguing. The sweetness just comes from the honey, osmanthus, tonka, and vanilla rather than any apple.

Nonetheless, it is different from Prive, with less sweetness and more of a warmer impression with benzoin tones. It also gets quite dark with a deeper richness, than the Paco Rabanne fragrance. Great resinous finish.

The amber and labdanum are in control towards the end. The fuzziness of benzoin has calmed, the osmanthus is gone, and you get a mix of vanilla and tonka bean in support.

Sillage, How Long it Lasts, and Versatility

Projection wise, Oajan is pretty heavy stuff. You’ll only need a few sprays to do a proper job, but it does calm down a bit roughly 30 mins in. You get your money’s worth with the sillage.

Update: I bought a full bottle of this at the end of 2022. The next few hours are pretty moderate and don’t have nearly the same reach as that bold start. It doesn’t seem to pack exactly the same punch over the duration, so I’ve adjust my ratings below to reflect this.

It also has the type of all day longevity that you want from a cologne. It never quits on my skin. You’re looking at a solid 10+ hour wear, in most circumstances, and Oajan can hit that 12+ hour mark too.

Update:  I no longer get 12 hours with Oajan on skin. Clothes, sure. Now on skin, it is in the 9-ish hour range. Still good performance, just doesn’t have that same elite level, sadly.

Seasonally, this would be best in the winter or fall months. I’ve worn it on cooler nights, here in the summer, but it’d be a mess in the heat. Coming back to this in the winter, and I can say, it is amazing in the cold. Oajan just works perfectly when contrasting with the crisp evening air.

I really like the versatility of Oajan. You can wear it casually, dressed up, or to a night at the bar. It is very attractive and sexy. Women seem to enjoy it. Sure, it is limited to certain climates and temperatures, but it can be worn in a wide variety of situations.

Overall Impressions of Oajan

Overall, would I recommend Oajan? Yes, I think that it is a fantastic scent. It seems the at 1 Million Prive took a page out Oajan’s book and blended it with the original 1 Million.

This scent by Parfums de Marly, is one that I could see myself wearing in the future, and I think it’d be fantastic on a colder evening.

The dark benzoin aroma the permeates this scent, is a great play against, the thick sweetness of honey, and the nice refreshing kick of cinnamon. The performance is outstanding and the fragrance is unique enough to be worthwhile as a signature cologne.

Update: I do love wearing this even more. Now, I’ve downgraded the sillage and longevity ratings to reflect the differences between my full batch and that sample batch from years back. However, I increased the scoring of the aroma category, as my esteem for the scent itself has only gotten stronger.

This is one of my favrorite PdM fragrances and one of the cinnamon based colognes that I love to wear in the cold weather.

Aura EDP by Mugler

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Aura was released by Thierry Mugler in 2017. Mugler is a fragrance house that I really enjoy, as they usually come out with something that is a bit different and also bold. Aura is definitely a prime example. In this post, I want to relay my experience with Aura, how it smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a buy.

Aura eau de parfum by Mugler Overview

Notes include: fresh leaves, rhubarb, bourbon vanilla, orange blossom, wood

Click here to try: Aura MUGLER 90 ml refillable Spray EDP

My Full Wear Review 

How Mugler describes it: Aura exudes a wild blend of botanical freshness and feline sensuality.

Wow, what an odd duck this is. The opening of aura brings me a dewy aroma of forest, a big dose of rhubarb, sort of sour, and orange blossom.  Sounds weird? It is, but I kind of like it.

Another note that Mugler lists on its website for Aura is almond, specifically a vanilla-covered almond. Personally, I don’t pick up much nuttiness, as it is subdued by that initial botanical (fresh leaves) aroma. However, it is there just a touch.

That opening act can seem somewhat medicinal (think mint), but once that initial phase passes, the vanilla and orange blossom really make this one pleasant. The phase is much more along the lines of other traditional perfumes, while still retaining a unique style.

The final stage for me, is a greenish blend of orange blossom and vanilla with a slightly woody base. I don’t get much more development beyond that. It has its sweetness, but it comes across as a denser and darker kind of perfume.

Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

Projection wise, Aura doesn’t require too many sprays to be effective. It’ll give you a nice radius of aroma around you. Not the strongest scent out there, but this one is plenty powerful.

For that first hour or two, I would call it strong. Aura has a great ability to project and leave a scent trail. After that, it remains above average, declining until it disappears entirely. 

Another plus for Aura is the longevity. It fell somewhere in the 9-10 hour range on my skin. This is what I’ve come to expect from most Mugler fragrances, they usually all bring great performance.

Aura EDP hits that rather high level, but doesn’t venture very far into the double digit hour territory like some of the other Mugler fragrances, though.

 

Seasonally, I could see this being worn anytime, except maybe the hottest days. However, a moderate spring day, maybe a little rainy out would be perfect. In the extreme heat, I think this one would be tested to still continue to hold up. Not ideal.

Casual or romantic wear. Doesn’t strike me as anything formal. It is sexy, in its own unique way. Aura is one that is going to depend greatly on your body chemistry, as to how it presents itself. On the right person, this could be captivating.

Overall Impressions of Aura

Do I like this perfume? I do enjoy it a lot. Obviously, as a man, this isn’t going to be one I’m going to wearing around. But, there is plenty here to enjoy.

I’m a big fan or orange blossom and vanilla. Here, they are wrapped up in that green botanical aroma, and it is very interesting.

Aura isn’t a fragrance for everyone. This is one you’ll want to test out beforehand and give it multiple tries. That initial ‘weirdness’ may throw you off, but you could end up really liking it with another chance.

The performance is great, it gives you something unique, and is attractive. If you can vibe with it, Aura is well worth a shot.

Personally, this is one of my favorite women’s Mugler releases over the past handful of years.

Yes, it might not get the same level of attention in the sea of Alien and Angel flankers, but this one is across the board wonderful.

Update: It looks like this one has been discontinued by Mugler. The page on their website is still up as of now, but I couldn’t add it to the cart. So, if you’re interested, try to find it from a discounter for purchase.

Halloween Man by Jesus del Pozo

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Halloween Man by Jesus del Pozo is often the answer for those who are looking for a fragrance that smells like 1 Million. There are tons of smell alikes and knock-offs floating around, of varying degrees of competence. Does Halloween Man stand on its own? How does it perform? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Halloween Man Smell Like?

Notes include: cinnamon, cumin, ginger, lavender, mandarin, apple martini, vanilla, leather, violet leaf and more

Click here to try: J. Del Pozo Halloween Man Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

As soon as I smell Halloween, I immediately get the reminder of 1 Million. There is a reason, that this one is considered a close enough and cheaper dupe of the Paco Rabanne fragrance. They aren’t exactly the same, just a familiar rendition.

Halloween Man starts off with its citrus, violet leaf, and array of spices. Also, the apple martini note which adds a very slight boozy factor here. Actually, the opening is where some people are put off by this cologne.

The violet leaf and spices can come across as somewhat dirty and odorous. Mainly, its the cumin and violet leaf giving off this impression. It does settle down, but I can see why folks may not like it.

It can be bothersome to me, also. Cumin isn’t my favorite spice and violet leaf gets on my nerves too.

Personally, I prefer 1 Million’s start to this. There’s more citrus in that one, at the beginning. Luckily, Halloween Man gets better than a fairly tepid start.

So, initially the cumin and basil are more prevalent. Then, cinnamon becomes more of a factor. As it moves along, Halloween man shifts to a softer and smoother aroma. It has leather, but not to the same extent as 1 Million.

Lavender, amber, vanilla, and some leather. That’s what Halloween Man moves toward when it dries down. Still warm and spicy, but with a greater smoothness and sweetness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it starts off as a stronger moderate scent, but ends rather moderate. For the price range, it performs quite well on my skin. Not extreme, but still respectable. The projection will range within 6 feet or so.

That first hour is great at this price point. Of course, that’s when I like it the least. However, if you dig the smell, you get a pretty bold experience.

Longevity seems to hit the 6.5-8 hours for me. Old bottles of 1 Million were super strong and would go double digit hours. Newer bottles are much more in line with Halloween, which can make this a better value than it had been before.

This one had the tendency to hit that 8 hour mark most of the time, during testing. There were a couple of times when it simply quit after that 6.5 hour range.

Seasonally, stick to the autumn and winter months. I wouldn’t want this on in the heat, it’d be oppressive. Cold to moderate temperatures without a lot of humidity. That opening spice, even with the lighter fresh notes aren’t great when warm. Cumin, mainly.

Halloween Man skews toward younger men. It’s more of a casual or nightlife fragrance. Probably not one you’d want to wear to work or in a formal situation.

Overall Impressions of Halloween Man

Do I like this fragrance? Yes, to some extent. I was always a fan of 1 Million, so, it makes sense that this has some appeal.

I would still rather wear 1 Million, everything else being equal. Even with the downgrades to the performance of 1 Million, it still smells better than this. However, if price is a huge factor, this one could do a nice job as a replacement.

The cumin and violet leaf with apple martini is interesting. Ultimately, I don’t think the combination up top works all that well.

The opening isn’t all that appealing, but the dry down can come together well. The performance is solid, in my testing of this cologne, and it’s an affordable wear. Overall, it’s not a must have scent, but it can definitely play a role for someone who wants a cheaper alternative to 1 Million.

Modern Muse EDP by Estee Lauder

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Alright, getting back into fragrance reviews, after a couple weeks off. Today, I want to give my take on one of the women’s perfume samples that I picked up with my last round of purchases: Modern Muse EDP by Estee Lauder. This is a very popular scent from this brand and has spawned a ton of flanker perfumes, from its original success.

Does Modern Muse, live up to the hype? As usual, I am going to tell you what’s in it, what it smells like, how it performs, and if it is even worth giving a shot. Please continue below for my full take.

What does Modern Muse EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin orange, honeysuckle, jasmine, lily, musk, patchouli, tuberose, amber, wood

Click here to try: ESTEE LAUDER Modern Muse Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Modern Muse presents my nose with a fairly light mandarin orange note and the distinct smell of jasmine. This is a very floral perfume, so, the jasmine is going to be flanked by other flowers such as tuberose throughout the wear.

Estee Lauder has created a very nice and quite a crowd pleasing perfume with this one. It is actually pretty simple, beautiful, and none too overpowering.

I like the opening and the addition of the citrus note, to sort of draw you into the main floral arrangement. Going in, one needs to know that the jasmine note is going to be the dominant attraction, pretty much from start to finish.

Yes, other notes come in and have their moments, but jasmine is the true alpha dog here.

Mainly, what I get is a slight musk lurking underneath the floral notes. Of which, the flower aroma that accompanies the standout jasmine, changes throughout. At times, it is honeysuckle. Then, lily. Finally, there are very nice moments with tuberose.

The musk is there and wrapped in a warm amber, but it isn’t very heavy, just blended to the right amount with a bouquet of flowers. I think that I enjoy the jasmine paired with the honeysuckle the most, out of all of them.

As it dries down more, I get hints of vanilla, and a solid spice provided by patchouli. Again, neither of these notes take over the composition completely. However, they are noticeable and give the fragrance a depth of character.

Modern Muse is light, clean, and has a rather sunny disposition. I will say, that the patchouli and musk spice is much stronger to my nose, than is the vanilla. It’s more floral/earthy than anything like yet another vanilla heavy perfume.

It ends as a jasmine/lily blend with plenty of musky undertones, but less patchouli than had been in the middle rounds. Very nice white floral with a balance between light sweetness and earthy spice. A really nicely blended perfume, not too complex, but does everything well.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage here is completely moderate. This is a good choice for everyday wear, such as the office or casual occasions, because you’re not going to choke people out with it.

Also, the longevity isn’t a total beast, but a solid 6-7 hours is definitely attainable with only a few sprays. That’s kind of a downside to this perfume. Not that it’s a terrible performance, but definitely not where I’d want it to be. Perhaps others have better luck with Muse, than I do.

Seasonally, the floral nature of this fragrance obviously fits well in the springtime. Though, it really could work year round. That is one of the strengths of Modern Muse, is that it is versatile, and not relegated to one season or occasion.

I would call it more of a casual, office, and other event type of scent but not a ‘night club beast’. It’s attractive but not really seductive or sexy, in my mind. It is the kind of perfume that you can call upon pretty much whenever, and not have it feel out of place, or overtly offensive to those around you. A real trooper.

Overall Impressions of Modern Muse

Overall, is Estee Lauder’s Modern Muse worth a buy? I’d say, yes. Presuming that you enjoy white floral notes and musk, in your fragrances. Those looking for something with fruity or sugary sweetness or really woodsy, should go with something else.

However, if you need a day to day floral, that is highly versatile and pretty; then, Modern Muse will do a great job at fitting the bill. I enjoy the rotation of notes which surrounds the sun that is the jasmine note, particularly the opening with the orange, and later with honeysuckle.

The performance is a bit above average, but nothing crazy. It’s a safe blind buy and one that has shown to be extremely popular over the years since its release. Modern Muse is still one of the better releases from Estee Lauder in the past decade and worth at least trying.

A*Men Les Parfums de Cuir (Pure Leather) by Mugler

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I’ve had a small sample of A*Men Les Parfums de Cuir since the end of last year. I’ve worn it a few times, but never got around to doing a full review. Apparently, this was a limited edition release from Mugler, back in 2012.

It’s also known as, Pure Leather, which is what you’ll find it for sale under much of the time. Anyway, in this post I’m going to break down my experiences with it. How it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a try.

What does Mugler Pure Leather Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, patchouli, peppermint, bergamot, coriander, lavender, coffee, musk, tonka bean, and cedar

Click here to try: A*Men Les Parfums de Cuir

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Pure Leather does indeed have a bold leathery aroma. However, the top is much more a blend of other notes, with a somewhat sweet warmth coming off of it. When I really pay attention to the opening act, I distinctly pick up: peppermint, bergamot, and lavender.

The bergamot is very very light, but you can pick it up during the opening 15 minutes or so. I’d say the peppermint is the strongest of the three and creates a surprisingly refreshing blend with that leather note. Along with that, there is patchouli and coffee, which grow stronger as it dries down.

Those two notes are present during the opening, but are more bit players, adding to that rough masculine warmth. The further along you get into the wear, the warmer and sweeter it becomes.

It never achieves a super sugary sweetness, but the coffee and tonka bean, do produce a sort of chocolate-like scent with the patchouli note.

Most of what I get is the leather. It’s a nice leather note, but not amazing. Though, I think most of its weakness, is covered up by the other notes which flank it. Ultimately, you are left with: leather, mint, patchouli, lavender, tonka bean, and some of the coffee. It’s a minty leather/tonka bean scent with patchouli.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this stuff hits really hard. The sillage on this fragrance is completely beast mode. You really won’t need very much of it. Mugler scents are usually pretty strong, but this one is massive.

This one creates a massive scent trail and had a nuclear projection off of my skin. Spraying it on a shirt, I can smell it in the next room easily. Pure Leather doesn’t skimp on the sillage.

The longevity is also top notch. I’m not really sure how long it kept on my skin, but I could still smell it 12 hours in. This Mugler cologne, is definitely a performer. If you like the scent, you get a ton of value with this cologne.

Seasonally, this is an autumn and winter scent. Don’t even bother in the warmer months, as this will turn pretty nasty. However, in the cold it’s great.

For me, this would be more of a nightlife fragrance. Casual, yes. It might be too strong to wear in the office. It’s more of a sexy masculine type of cologne.

Overall Impressions of Parfums de Cuir

Overall, do I like A*Men Les Parfums de Cuir (Pure Leather)? Yes, I think that it is quite good. I’m not totally in love with this fragrance, but I liked wearing it. This one is not going to be for everybody, however.

Coffee and tonka bean are aspects that I enjoy here. The peppermint is a solid addition. For some reason, I’m not too crazy about the leather note, which is the crux of the fragrance.

You will definitely need to be a fan of leather and be able to handle bold scents. I could see how this could end up, being bothersome for certain guys. Other folks, will absolutely go crazy for this. It does have a sexy smell and can be very attractive on a colder night.

The performance is among the best that I’ve ever encountered. This was so strong and long-lasting. Is that a good thing all of the time? No, but when you want a powerhouse this Mugler delivered.

I’m sure it’s not even available anymore, since they’ve completely redone their line of fragrances and this had a limited run. So, you’d probably have to pick it up at an inflated price. To me, it wouldn’t be worth it.