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!

Chloe Eau de Parfum Naturelle

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Naturelle is a somewhat newer Chloe flanker that was released in 2021. I got a sample of this as a part of the larger lot of Chloe perfumes that I picked up a while back. I didn’t know anything about this one coming into testing, so, I got to experience it with a blank slate impression. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Chloe Naturelle Smell Like?

Notes include: blackcurrant, citron, rose, mimosa, neroli, cedar

Click here to try: Chloe EDP Naturelle

chloe naturelle review

My Full Review

Naturelle opens up with a very strong citron and neroli mix, on my skin. Along with that blackcurrant note, and the underlying cedar freshness, it can pack a rather large punch. Sour and sharp. Plus, it has an greenish smell at the beginning.

It all feels sort of strange. The Chloe rose note is present of course, but it also introduces a mimosa that brings a bit of powder at times, but really enhances the ‘greenish yellow’ aroma that this perfume has early on.

Once some of the neroli and the fruit notes burn off, Chloe Naturelle is much more wearable for me. I have to say the opening, is pretty tough for me to get through, and I really don’t care for it.

However, things do get somewhat better. It’s clean, outdoorsy fresh, and does have a naturalistic kind of aroma. It reminds me of the Hermes Jardin fragrances. A rose, mimosa, and cedar led perfume. Still some citron and neroli coming through, but thankfully, toned way down.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Chloe Naturelle starts off with a sharper aroma, but still moderate sillage. It’s not going to leave a massive trail, nor create a giant cloud around the wearer. The second half of the wear, is quite intimate.

Which is a shame, since that’s when it smells best.

This one actually does stick around for a decent amount of time. Now, it’s not strong for much of the wear, but I can still detect it on skin. I think that it finally fades for good, at around 7 hours.

Great? No, but passable.

Seasonally, this screams springtime with the imagery it evokes. Which, means it’s also good for the summer months, also. The citron, greenish notes, makes Naturelle a nice choice for warmer weather.

This one is very versatile. It can be worn casually, is well put together enough to be a daily wear. Outside, in the warmer temperatures, is a great use of Naturelle. Not going to be a nightlife or romantic wear perfume, though.

Overall Impressions of Naturelle

Overall, do I like Chloe Naturelle? Not particularly. As I wrote, the back half is better and not so bad, but I really don’t like the front end.

It’s not like any of these notes are ones that I don’t enjoy. Citron, blackcurrant, etc. are all fine to me. Just something about this mix that is just off.

The naturalistic garden or floral sort of scents can be good and there’s better examples out there. Namely, Hermes’ Le Jardin fragrances, as mentioned. This one isn’t on that level and the regular Chloe perfumes are all (if not, most all) better than what you get here.

Naturelle is ok. But, like across the board just pretty middle of the road and forgettable. If you’re into this kind of scent and you can get a substantial discount, it might be worth a try. At full price, pass.

Invite Only Amber | 23 by Kayali

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Invite Only Amber 23 is one of the fragrances that is featured in the Kayali sample set that I bought some time back. Based on the name alone, this was one that I thought would be my favorite of the bunch. Is that the case? How does Invite Only smell? Is it really worth a try?

What does Invite Only Amber Smell Like?

Notes include: black cherry, honey de Provence, tobacco leaf, amber resin, vanilla Madagascar

Click here to try: Invite Only Amber

My Full Review

Invite Only opens up with a mix of the black cherry note and a greenish sort of tobacco note. It doesn’t smell like other fragrances which tend to go with a cured tobacco aroma.

The cherry note has an initial run at the top, but quickly gets overtaken by other ingredients in the mix. The Honey de Provence and the amber resin here get stronger. Invite Only Amber stays sweet, but has a warm resinous aroma throughout.

The honey, amber, and vanilla create a thicker scent. There seems to be some spice here at least, almost creating a boozy effect. But really, I still get the honey, amber, and that tobacco note. 

This gets compared to Angels’ Share. Eh, not really. Sure, a similar style, but they are not the same scent by any stretch. The Kilian is much better. Actually, this reminds me a female version of Pure Havane, done in the style of Angels’ Share.

The final dry down is a sweetish amber with the remaining tobacco and vanilla. Some of that initial spice, but very faint. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The opening act of Invite Only does have a pop to it. A fairly strong sillage with a radius of maybe 5-6 feet from where you spray. That comes in closer and closer, probably 2-3 feet, for much of the wear.

The longevity here is in the 5.5-6 hour range on my skin. Those last few hours are pretty light, but it does hang around, mostly as a skin scent. Not great. Then again, none of this line’s perfumes seem to be beast mode. 

Seasonally, Invite Only Amber is an autumn and winter scent. It’s really sweet, has sort of a heaviness, and would be a bit much as the temperatures rise.

This is a cozy scent that could pull double duty day or night during the colder weather. I don’t find it particularly sexy, but some might. Not really a formal scent, though, it can be light enough to wear on a daily basis for a select number of people.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Invite Only Amber

Overall, do I like it? Somewhat. I actually thought that I’d love this one going in and how it gets compared to Angels’ Share and Oajan, two of my favorites. Ultimately, it really falls short for me.

Maybe it’s better as a layering perfume option. Less so on its own.

It’s not a bad perfume, but there’s something about it that I find somewhat off-putting while wearing it for long stretches. It has depth, warmth, and the notes are better than some of the others from this brand. But, the mix itself…isn’t completely working for me.  

The tobacco note might be the one that’s doing it. That with a strong amber, gets a bit too thick and somewhat annoying over time. I probably would’ve like a bigger cherry note and some booziness instead.

Apparently some people get a lot longer lasting cherry than I did. On the whole, this scent just doesn’t have the right balance to my nose. It’s fine, just not great like I thought it could be. 

I’d say give it a try first, to see where you fall on this, as it can bit somewhat pricey for a blind buy.

Lady Million Fabulous by Paco Rabanne

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Fabulous is the 2021 Lady Million release from Paco Rabanne. This one was thrown in along with another order that I had placed, which is fine since I’ve been reviewing the Lady Million lineup pretty much completely thus far. How does Fabulous smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Lady Million Fabulous Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, solar notes, pink pepper, ylang-ylang, tuberose, vanilla, jasmine, tonka bean, moss

My Full Review

The solar notes here, are the star early on, much like in 1 Million Parfum. These two are quite similar, but this is much more feminine, and I actually think I prefer it overall versus the men’s version.

It’s a bright, sweet, aldehyde blend that is met with a light mandarin and very scant pink pepper note. It does have a slight resemblance to Guess Seductive Homme, but again, this is distinctly feminine.

Aside from that, you immediately get a sweet tuberose and that familiar yellow floral aroma of ylang-ylang. This sort of has a beachy vibe, not really tropical , but the creaminess and citrus lend it that feeling.

The mandarin and pink pepper are pretty much gone, by a certain point. The solar note comes more into balance with the rest of the wear and vanilla and jasmine come into play more.

Tuberose, rich vanilla, with a mix a ylang-ylang and jasmine. It’s very pretty with a really attractive sweetness. None of it feels heavy, though. The vanilla is nice, doesn’t overwhelm or drown out the other notes.

Really, the final dry down will be less of the solar aldehydes, and a slight emergence of moss. Less bright and creamy. Still sweet, but with a bit of a powdery finish.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage has a fairly strong start, it projects in the 7 foot or so range, when I spray it and that lasts for maybe an hour before receding. Yet, it doesn’t go full skin scent until like hour six, on me.

It’s sort of a slow burn towards its faintness.

This one has pretty good staying power on skin. It goes for over 7 hours and can hit 8 hours, every third wear it seems. I wouldn’t expect much beyond that, but Fabulous is at least above average with how long it lasts.

Seasonally, keep this mostly to autumn and winter. It’s best as a colder weather fragrance, that can work in more temperate climates.

Don’t expect formality here, but Fabulous also isn’t completely immature. It’s attractive and has a sensual aroma. Good for parties, nightlife, and just general casual wear. It could be a daily wear for some, depending on where you work or go to school.

Overall Impressions of Lady Million Fabulous

Overall, do I like this perfume? I really do. It’s sweet, fairly gourmand, but doesn’t seem to ever overdo anything. I think it’s really attractive. Not super complicated, but gives you something different from the other perfumes in the Lady Million series. It’s also one of the best of them.

Vanilla, the solar notes, and that tuberose all work well enough here. The moss in the base, helps with the balancing act and keeping this from completely turning into a sweet mess.

Performance is solid, no complaints there. It’s very enjoyable and has that bolder and almost gaudy style that the Million series from Paco Rabanne is known for.

This is worth a try. It probably won’t top everyone’s list, but for the right price, this could find its way into your rotation. It’s fun and smells nice. Not blown away, but I really like it.

It does seem like this one has already pretty much left the market from most retailers. You’ll probably have to find it at the discounters nowadays.

Fleur de Parfum by Chloe

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Chloe Fleur de Parfum is one of the various fragrances from the brand that I ordered samples of a few months ago. I’ve been working my way through the list, in order to have full reviews of each on the site. This one was released in 2016 as a flanker to the main Chloe perfume. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Chloe Fleur de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, grapefruit, lemon verbena, cherry blossom, musk, rice, cedar, blackcurrant

Click here to try: Chloe Fleur de Parfum

My Full Review

Fleur kicks things off with a very citrus heavy aroma. Both lemon and lemon verbena come through, with the latter bring a bit of a greenish spicy scent to the mix, which also includes grapefruit.

So, obviously this one comes across as super bright and upbeat. But, it doesn’t just stop there. After some of the citrus calms down, post-initial spray, you will get be able to distinguish some of the sharpness to a quickly fading blackcurrant note and a touch of peach.

Actually, 20 minutes in the is light a citrus peach floral blend, that will gradually morph into a citrus and rose perfume. The remaining citrus is mostly the verbena, which allows this one to have more of a distinct smell versus some others, and the other fruits are essentially just a mass impression of fruit.

The transition will come towards being more floral, about and hour or two into the wear. Cherry blossom is present, but the rose is what is the real focus, like the vast majority of Chloe fragrances. It still holds on to a feeling of coldness that’s present in that bright beginning.

Final dry down very rosy and the background verbena and citrus keeps that brightness going. All of this is surrounded by a light mist of musk and maybe some cedar freshness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This sillage here is pretty light to moderate. The first hour or so is a bit above average with how it projects and any scent trail it leaves behind. That citrus does a good job at helping this one pop off of the skin.

After that, it’s going to be a lighter and more intimate kind of perfume.

On my skin, Fleur seems to stay in the 5-6 hour range, with that last hour being particularly light and pretty faint. However, it still is there.

Seasonally, this one pretty obviously fits in to the warm sunny days of spring and summer. The citrus, the florals, it all works for that climate.

It’s also got plenty of versatility within that timeframe. It’s super safe, works for all age groups, and has a nice mass appeal. I’d probably want to go with something else for dating and nightlife during spring and summer. Outside of that, this should pretty much be fine.

Overall Impressions of Chloe Fleur

Overall, do I like Chloe Fleur de Parfum? I do. While the performance is mid-range, the smell itself is actually quite good.

Very close to the original Chloe, but softer and with a twist. I like the peach, citrus, and cherry blossom aspects of this perfume. The verbena is a nice use of that note and I like that the blackcurrant takes a step back rather quickly.

The back half with the rose, musk, and cedar is much of what you get with the rest of this series. Though, the citrus helps this one maintain a distinct aroma, that’s very pleasant.

Fleur de Parfum is worth a try. It’s pretty simple, has a delightful aroma, and a softness that may be appealing to some. Probably not a must have for most people, but I think most would enjoy this one.

Euphoria by Calvin Klein

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Euphoria is a fragrance that was released by Calvin Klein back in 2005. It’s a series that produced a ton of flankers and also had a men’s line as well. It’s a scent that I’ve enjoyed coming in contact with over the years, so, I got a sample of it to finally do a full review for the site. Is it still worth a try?

What does Euphoria by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: mahogany, black orchid, lotus blossom, black violet, persimmon, and pomegranate

My Full Review

Euphoria is a perfume which while being a mainstream designer fragrance, does have a fairly unique aroma versus many others on the market.

It starts from the opening, where you get a mix of pomegranate and persimmon as the fruity top notes, which are two underutilized ingredients. Very juicy, tart, sweet, and delicious overall.

Underneath that you’re going to already get a good deal of what this perfume is all about. The mahogany note, which really helps to set this one apart is already apparent. But, the floral accord is what’s going to develop in full once some of the fruitiness has burned off.

Here, the main attraction is orchid. Violet in the second spot, with lotus for a short amount of time. The fruity opening subsides and Euphoria becomes floral/fruity with rich wood, instead of a tart juicy explosion.

When the floral notes get going, the patchouli will also start to come out more. It’s not too heavy on my skin, but I like the earthy depth it brings to the floral heart. A bit of spice here.

This one dries down into a darkly rich perfume. That pomegranate and persimmon continue their decline. Orchid, mahogany and amber all take on a larger share of the pie. Violet sticks around to still play a supporting role.

It gets woodier with the mahogany becoming dominant in the final dry down. Amber, musk, and floral notes. Still some spice, less of that sweet tart beginning.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Euphoria opens up with a bang. The sillage definitely is strong in the opening hour or so. Not massive, but very easily over-sprayed and will leave a trail behind you. But, that will come in closer to the skin, and be more of a moderate the rest of the way.

On my skin, it goes for 7-7.5 hours before calling it quits. Not amazing, but Euphoria does its job fairly well and I wasn’t disappointed.

Seasonally, I’d stick to autumn through early springtime with Euphoria. It doesn’t come across as a summer scent and it will probably be a complete mess in the heat.

This has a darker feeling, while still having a youthful dynamic. Not to say that Euphoria is just for teenagers, it actually casts a fairly wide net. It can be worn to school or even some offices, while also has a nightlife style, or even date nights.

Still, it may be based on my memories of smelling this stuff out in the wild, but I associate it with women in their early 20s.

Overall Impressions of Euphoria for Women

Overall, do I like Euphoria? Yes, it’s one of my favorites from the Calvin Klein women’s collection. Some of the flankers were really good as well. Though, I’m pretty sure a lot of them are difficult to find nowadays.

I’m probably a little more of a fan of this scent than many people, but I think it is great for something that is mass appealing. The men’s version is also great, but just has terrible performance. This, is much better in that regard.

Pomegranate, mahogany, and the amber. It’s different from most of the designer fare, especially here in the 2020s. This was early 2000s vibe, though, it even stands out from that era of perfumes.

It’s still super popular and probably the most famous CK fragrance from the women’s line, for younger people (Obsession? Maybe). This is worth trying out to this day, it smells great, it’s different, and the performance holds up.