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!

Egoiste EDT by Chanel

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Egoiste is a 1990 release from Chanel, that’s still going strong today. It followed and is basically a rebrand of 1987’s Bois Noir. I recently grabbed a new bottle, in order to review the modern formulation. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Egoiste Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, coriander, cinnamon, Damask rose, sandalwood, vanilla, ambrette seed

Click here to try: Chanel Egoiste

My Full Review

Egoiste is a fragrance that I’m revisiting and finally posting a full review of. I saw it online when I was making some other new purchases to test out and put a bottle of this in the bag, also.

It kicks off with a dry, bright, and spicy blast. That mandarin note is light and doesn’t grab the headlines, but it is a nice lighter element to the mix. Coriander and cinnamon are pretty massive here, making the opening act a very warm and spicy affair.

The mandarin fruitiness is bolstered by the presence of the Damask rose. Pinkish, sweet, and a touch fruity with how it comes across earlier. Balances out the weaker carnation, which really serves to add to the spice.

Now, the main star here for the entire duration of the wear, is the sandalwood note. The dry down is going to be very much about this ingredient, when the initial punch has faded. Very dry, very woody fragrance.

The coriander is the first to burn off for me, that little carnation too. This is more rosy during the second phase. A sweeter fragrance, with bits of vanilla and tobacco coming through. A warmer, honeyed sort of sweetness thanks to ambrette seed.

The woody accord is still about the sandalwood, but there is some mahogany and rosewood there in support. Sweetish rosy wood, dotted with cinnamon. Yet, it’s darker with the woody influence and that initial citrus brightness leaves entirely.

Finally, we get to the sandalwood dry down.  This is a very dry scent, especially at this point. Less sweet, a dense woodiness, some remaining: floral impressions, cinnamon, and tobacco. A slightly smoky and creamy ending.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one offers up a strong start, but it lighter to moderate the rest of the way. I find it to be about equal to the modern Platinum Egoiste.

The first hour and a half or so is strong, then, it will become more intimate. Even when I cannot totally pick up the scent with my own nose, other people have made comments about it (positive ones). So, this one can make you a bit nose blind when it shifts more to the sandalwood part.

Egoiste still does last. Again, you can become desensitized to it and not really notice. However, I can still pick this up 7.5 hours later. Is it a monster at this point? No, it sits very close to the skin. It is there, however.

Seasonally, I’d skip this anytime that it is too warm. It’s mostly an autumn and winter wear. If it’s temperate out, Egoiste works well too. During the summer, I wouldn’t be too enthusiastic to have it on.

This one is refined and masculine. Can work as an office fragrance, but I also love wearing it out at night. It’s got a sexiness to it and receives complements from people. While Egoiste is ‘old school’, the formula still feels very modern and not completely anachronistic.

Yes, this does skew older in its demographic. Though, I personally wore this back in my early 20s at times, and it worked fine for me. Just know if you’re younger, pretty much no one your age, is going to be wearing something like Egoiste.

Overall Impressions of Egoiste

Overall, do I like Egoiste? I love it. I’m so glad that I randomly bought a new bottle for myself, to rediscover everything wonderful about this scent. It’s just so good in the winter air and has a different feel from most everything mainstream out today.

The first time that I wore it, this time around, I thought that I had stopped liking it completely. But, that went away pretty quickly and I wanted to wear this everyday for the next week straight.

Coriander and cinnamon are great. Very bold within this very dry mix. I love the way that the spices hit, while you still get some sweetness from the rose, mandarin, and vanilla notes. Really great, balanced, and signature sort of fragrance that you can wear for decades.

Egoiste is very approachable for guys who want to try an older styled fragrance, but don’t want to start with something like, Kouros. I think Egoiste, is a better smelling scent anyway, but it’s also easier to wear for most people.

It’s a pretty safe blind buy, unless you just absolutely don’t like this style of fragrance. It’s a nice change of pace in the sea of ‘blue’ scents and still very worthwhile, all these years later.

Mercedes-Benz Intense for Men

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Mercedes-Benz Intense is a release under the car-manufacturer’s label from 2013. So, it’s one of the early ones in the series. I’ve been testing it out for review to see how it smells and performs. Is Intense worth a try?

What does Mercedes-Benz Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, violet leaf, lemon, mandarin, amber, pepper, nutmeg, patchouli, vetiver, cedar

Click here to try: Benz Intense

My Full Review

Here’s how Mercedes describes it: More powerful than the original fragrance, this Woody Ambery Fresh fragrance evokes the sensuality of a seductive urban male, a charmer, sure of his strength, sure of himself, sure of his power to go further.

Benz Intense opens up with its citrus accord out in full swing. The mandarin orange, is the strongest to my nose, with bergamot and lemon splitting the rest of the space.

Early on, I get the comparisons to a few of the Fahrenheit by Dior Flankers. Citrus, with the violet leaf and violet notes. It’s pretty easy to pick up that same vibe.

The violet leaf adds a greenish and watery aspect to the juiciness of the citrus. Yet, it’s got a spicy presence from the pepper note and maybe a very slight nutmeg. Though, that’s not playing a decisive role in this one.

Intense comes across as being bright and fresh at this stage. The mandarin sticks around, the rest of the citrus will weaken more so. This opens the door for a drier aroma, with a further freshness brought in by vetiver and some cedar.

So, less citrus more woods. More of a violet flower, less greenish watery/ozonic leaf. The spiciness also recedes into the background.

That’s pretty much the state of things, the rest of the way. Vetiver, violet flower/leaf, just a general fresh feeling.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does have some good projection and scent trail abilities, that are well above average, but not a complete bomb. It’s very noticeable for a majority of the wear and has about two hours, in which it is pretty fantastic off of the skin.

As far as how long Intense lasts, I get around 7.5, maybe 8 hours max. It’s solid, not a total marathon performer, just one that works for most purposes. Nothing about this scent seems average.

Seasonally, I’d could probably wear this anytime. Maybe skip the dead of winter (or daytime outdoors in the summer), as it might feel too sharp in the cold air. Spring is when this one would be at its best. One would get plenty of opportunity to wear this during the year, though.

Benz Intense isn’t super formal or super sexy, pretty wearable, in many different scenarios. It has some mass appeal and enough style to go day or night for most occasions. Again, I don’t really want to wear it completely dressed up, but semi-formal would be fine.

Overall Impressions of Mercedes Intense

Overall, do I like Mercedes-Benz Intense? I like it. Since it pretty closely resembles the Fahrenheit line, I’m not too into it. That’s not a favorite of mine from Dior. But, I like what they did here on the whole.

The citrus opening is enjoyable. Plus, I like the woodier dry down. Violet leaf is one of my least favorite notes, personally. That being said, I don’t completely mind it here, but it does cap my total enjoyment of this one.

The performance is good and Mercedes Intense doesn’t have any particular weak spots. If you like this style of fragrance, it is one to check out, and probably a pretty safe blind buy for most people.

It’s not amazing to me, it is quite good across the board, and one of the better releases from Mercedes-Benz.

8 Best Smelling Davidoff Colognes for Men

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Zino Davidoff’s line of fragrances made a huge impact in the late 80s with the releases of the designer’s namesake fragrance and Cool Water which has been constantly flying off of the shelves ever since.

While there isn’t a huge line of variety in this brand, mainly Cool Water flanker scents, I wanted to select eight of what could be considered the best smelling colognes that have been released thus far.

What are the Best Davidoff Fragrances?

Most Popular Scent

Cool Water By Davidoff For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Ounces– The absolute classic men’s cologne that has been a best seller for about 30 years at this point. It’s simple, refreshing, and quite versatile.

Cool Water kicks off at its most aquatic and cool, while being held together by the early dose of tobacco and mint. It’s got a green sort of aroma, that will shift into something more floral with neroli and plenty of lavender. This is the soapy stage, which sits on top of a nice woody base.

The performance is still pretty good here, I got 6-7 hours of wear from the latest batch that I tried out. Clean and can be had at an inexpensive price point. Cool Water Full Review

Best Newer Davidoff Fragrance

Cool Water Intense by Davidoff for Men 4.2 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Other flankers from this series, actually have some things in common with the famous original. Cool Water Intense doesn’t really, but it’s actually an awesome scent at a nice price point.

Intense kicks off with a greenish kick and citrus profile  that  is  flanked by a coconut water note. Green mandarin is the top note along with the coconut. It is bright and has a sweetness, though, it’s not a fully tropical experience.

The mandarin will tone down, the coconut and amber will take the lead, giving you a smooth and clean aroma. It’s a nice balance of fruity and warm, while being great for the summertime.

Not too complex. This stuff projects extremely well. and goes for a long time. Still a casual sort of fragrance, but the best Davidoff release in a long while.

Woody Masterpiece

Zino Davidoff by Zino Davidoff for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 4.2 Ounce– Another long-time classic from Davidoff, not as big of a seller as Cool Water, but does it’s own thing with notes of sandalwood and patchouli as the main attractions.

Masculine with enough sweetness in vanilla and floral notes. Yet, it is mainly a deep woody/patchouli fragrance that sits beautifully in the colder air of late autumn and winter. Very well done. Smooth and not too heavy, but with enough performance to get through a standard work day.

Earthy with a dry woods, it comes together as clean, but definitely has an underlying dirtiness. 80s fragrance, that gives you something different from most modern colognes.

Opposite of Cool Water

Zino Davidoff Hot Water By Zino Davidoff For Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.7-Ounce / 110 Ml– Spicy as the name would indicate but Hot Water has a sweetness that prevents it from becoming too ‘hot’. It’s actually not a heavy scent at all and has a nice fresh aroma to it.

The opening act is where it really brings that spicy punch. Paprika and basil, which can sometimes come across as harsh, but just give it time to settle down and present itself fully. Personally, I don’t think the duo overpower or diminish the enjoyment.

As it moves along, it starts to have less of the pepper quality and becomes more herbal, to my nose. Basil and patchouli, with some light sweetness to round things out.

Rebirth of Cool

Cool Water Reborn– Yes, another one from the Cool Water line. Though, it is pretty different from the original despite the ‘Reborn’ moniker.

There is also a Parfum version of this, that I haven’t tried yet. However, I think that this one is good to go, and the newer edition doesn’t appear to be very different.

Rosemary freshness with greenish highlights throughout. Doesn’t have the tobacco of the original or the soapy cleanness. The ‘water’ aspect here is actually a blue-ish sort of cologne.

Think along the lines of the Y series by YSL or maybe a bit of Sauvage. Sharp and citrusy up top, with a cleaner vetiver led aroma in the latter stages.

It’s good for the warmer months of the year. Not too heavy and not a beast. A nice and easy to wear fragrance.

Energetic and Fresh

Echo By Davidoff For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces– A different direction for Davidoff but one that presents itself quite well with notes including pepper, cedar, sandalwood, musk, and suede. Fresh, light, and clean.

This one has a sharper aroma, than it is spicy, even though there is a nice dash of pepper in there. It’s like a energetic and ‘blue’ kind of fragrance, without the aquatic notes, a bit sporty.

Not my favorite that I’ve tried, but it does everything well, and actually performs for a low price. It has been discontinued, so the bottles might get more expensive.

Wild Time

Run Wild by Davidoff– I wanted to add this to the list as a newer, non-Cool Water flanker from the brand, that’s actually quite nice.

Run Wild brings ginger and cinnamon up top with a healthy dose of fir to create something that is enjoyable to wear. The opening feels sweet and fresh with a resinous undercurrent thanks to that fir note. It is much more resinous versus a woody tree scent.

The dry down comes with a cleaner, creamier sort of aroma. Lavender and tonka bean really come into their own. The lavender helps with the somewhat soapy back half of the wear.

Solid projection and longevity with it too. Not amazing, but a none too expensive option that does smell good.

The Summertime Dive

Zino Davidoff Cool Water Night Dive EDT Spray for Men, 2.5 Ounce– A very nice take off of the original with mint, berries, aquatic elements, pepper, and tobacco. It’s sweet and interesting yet still maintains an oceanic vibe but built for the nighttime as the name suggests.

It has some resemblance to the original Cool Water, but Night Dive ultimately does its own thing. It opens with noticeably less tobacco, but the mint is still there, and flanked by a fruitier aroma.

This pairing is joined by its aquatic notes, which don’t feel to powerful and not really a salt water smell, at least for me.

Much sweeter than Cool Water, more ‘blue’, less herbal/floral ‘greenish’ qualities. Performance isn’t bad, can be a nice wear for the summertime.

Eau Sauvage Parfum (2017) by Dior

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Eau Sauvage is a fragrance that I’m familiar with, but I have to say, I never really got into the flankers. I acquired three of them recently to test out and review for the site. One of which, is today’s entry from 2017, Eau Sauvage Parfum. How does this one smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Eau Sauvage Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, lavender, hedione, wild flowers, bergamot, elemi, vetiver, anise, cinnamon, labdanum

My Full Review

Wow, I really like the start to Parfum. The bergamot is the most prevalent, at this stage, but it is already being buoyed by the base notes. I get a good amount of elemi, already at this stage. Sort of reminds me of Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport Cologne, with the citrus and resinous aspects.

Also, the newer Dior Homme Sport (which I dislike) shares a lot of elements with this, except this is actually good.

The citron and bergamot really help to make this one bright and juicy, but the profile feels cold, and you do get a woodsy dryness wafting from the base.

At the start, this leans more floral with lavender, jasmine, etc. It’s somewhat earthy lavender, but greatly leans towards a cleaner lighter aroma. But, I do get a very outdoorsy lightly dirty undertone.

There’s some spiciness here, mostly vetiver providing that, but apparently there is a touch of anise or cinnamon. Not really distinct to my nose, but maybe?

As we move further along, Eau Sauvage Parfum this transitions to a vetiver floral fragrance, with citrus highlights. The earthiness pulls back somewhat, but still feels like being outdoors near a grove.

The elemi and labdanum come through for an even more resinous feel. I know the older versions of this had a stronger myrrh aroma, but I didn’t ever get around to trying it, and so can’t compare. This, resinous base is somewhat sweet, with a vanilla-like aroma.

The final dry down really goes towards the elemi’s vanilla like aroma. The vetiver is still kicking around and some of that lavender.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one doesn’t project super strong, but you get an hour or so, where it does have a nice bubble and scent trail going. After that, it’ll stick to a 3-5 foot radius for much of the wear.

It’s slightly above average, but not weak by any means.

On my skin, the longevity is better than I’d expect based on the sillage alone. It will hit the 8-8.5 hour territory for me, with regularity. For the price point, that’s about what I’d want at minimum, but it clears the hurdle.

Seasonally, I’ve worn this on a warm winter’s day (more like late spring temperature wise) and Parfum smelled great. I think a little hotter and it might start to falter. However, autumn through spring should be fine.

This version of Eau Sauvage is more approachable than the original 1966 release. It’s modern, well put together, but still has a casual vibe. It can be worn in a wide variety of situations, by any age group, and has a mass appealing style.

It’s not specifically a nightlife beast or anything, though it absolutely works in that situation.

Overall Impressions of Eau Sauvage Parfum

Overall, do I like Eau Sauvage Parfum? Absolutely. This is my favorite from the Eau Sauvage line, more so than the original, and the other two testers that I received.

It’s so well-balanced, but has a great richness, and I love the citrus aromatic blend with the elemi. It has subtle depth to it, without feeling heavy. Classy, yet relaxed, and very approachable for men of any age.

The sillage isn’t going to blow the doors off, but it’s a bit above average, with good longevity.

The bottles aren’t being produced anymore, so what’s out there now is all you’re going to have to choose from. Prices for some discontinued scents can get crazy, so, if you want to try you might have to move rather quickly.

Mod Blush EDP by Ariana Grande

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Mod Blush is one of the two new releases from Ariana Grande, under the Mod banner. I bought travel size sprayers of both this and Mod Vanilla to test out for review. What’s this one like? Does it last long? Is this perfume worth trying?

What does Mod Blush Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, passionfruit, raspberry, pink pepper, dewy magnolia, rose, juicy pear, ambrox, dreamwood, musk

Click here to try: Mod Blush

My Full Review

Mod Blush opens up sharp, with a tropical fruit skew. But, there’s also a powdery aroma sitting underneath. It sort of reminds me of a cheaper, less milky, Cruz del Sur II. Not the same, but similar style at the start.

Passionfruit, bergamot, and raspberry are all big up top. The passionfruit is the leader, but the blend feels too sharp and tart with a further spice provided by pink pepper.

You can already tell that this one is going to have a rosy scent to it. A bit greenish with an additional light magnolia note.

Eventually, the tropical influence of the passionfruit will wane, and the bergamot will fade as well. Pear, rose, musk, and the woody base all start to play more of a role in the composition.

However, the transition to the end still isn’t all that great to me. The raspberry and passionfruit are slowly changing places in strength and that pink pepper and rose come off a bit strange in that environment.

It gets sweeter, the sparkling pear becomes more apparent sort of sitting under the raspberry. Rose, musk, ambroxan, and wood round things out. It has more balance and smells like a standard issue Ariana Grande perfume.

The ambroxan is very noticeable in the final few hours of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a perfume which projects itself too far. That opening half hour, does do a pretty good job of grabbing attention with it’s fruity note. But, it settles into a lighter to moderate fragrance.

On my skin, this ends up lasting maybe 5.5-6 hours in total. Those last few are pretty much skin scent level, so you’re not getting great performance out of Blush.

Seasonally, this is best in the spring and summer months. The fruitiness and ultimate sweetness do well when it’s a bit warmer out, especially since it’s not a heavy or baked goods kind of sweet sugary aroma.

Mod Blush does have more of a youthful or girlish vibe. Sort of playful, more casual, and less serious or dressed up. A pretty daytime wear, rather than business or something sexy for the night.

Overall Impressions of Mod Blush

Overall, do I like Mod Blush? It’s not great. I don’t hate it, but it’s really nothing special, and kind of covers ground that other of her releases have already…it just doesn’t do as good of a job.

I don’t think this is going to be Ariana Grande’s most popular perfume, she’s come out with.

Mainly, the opening hour is the worst part of this one. It’s not awful, just kind of mediocre. The dry down is a nice, fun, and sweet aroma. Still, nothing special, but I don’t mind it.

The performance is also pretty light and it’s not super long-lasting. I’m not a massive fan of Mod Vanilla either, just that one is better than this, I think. Though, neither of these perfumes are a great release.

It’s worth trying to see if you like it, I suppose. I might consider waiting for discounts, before committing to a full bottle.