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!

Mon Guerlain EDP by Guerlain

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I bought a bottle of Ultra Male from Macy’s last week, as that cologne is about to be discontinued, and Macy’s sent along a bunch of sample fragrances in the box. Naturally, they were all perfumes for women…luckily, I own this website and do reviews, so it worked out.

Anyways, one such sample was the 2017 release from Guerlain, Mon Guerlain, in an EDP spray. In this post, I am going to share my thoughts on how this perfume smells, performs, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Mon Guerlain EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, vanilla, lavender, sandalwood, tonka bean

Click here to try: Guerlain Mon Guerlain Eau De Parfum Spray 100ml/3.3oz

My Full Review

The opening 15-20 minutes of Mon Guerlain reminds me of two other perfumes on the market, BonBon and Black Opium, both of which I enjoyed. Not to say that these three scents are the same, just seem to be in the same family of sweet, candy-like perfumes (at least at the start).

Mon Guerlain has an aroma that is sort of similar to the caramel note in BonBon and it of course shares the vanilla note that is featured so prominently in Black Opium.

It’s probably a mix of the tonka, vanilla, licorice, and that light bergamot citrus note up top. A nice blend of sweet, creamy, powdery (iris), and bright. It’s not super heavy, but it does have a substantial body to it. Very wearable.

However, as this perfume progresses it loses some of its similarity with those two fragrances and becomes more of a vanilla/lavender combo. It is a fresh blend of floral notes with a smooth and inviting sweetness.

As a man, I find this perfume to be really attractive, and kept wanting to smell it on my arm throughout the wear. Mon Guerlain is very feminine without being overpowering or bothersome and I enjoy the mix of jasmine and lavender.

There is some lingering fuzziness/resin from a touch of benzoin, sweetness with that little licorice note, and the woods in the base.

The floral is still that jasmine and lavender in the end, but a can pick up some iris and perhaps rose in there as well.

Mon Guerlain has gourmand qualities, but isn’t completely a ‘baked goods’ smelling perfume. The lavender’s heavy influence helps to make sure of that.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it isn’t a heavy perfume at all. Mon Guerlain is very well blended and even tempered. This isn’t a bad thing, as it still lasts for a long time, pretty much past a full work day.

It’s by no means a weak performer, so one will get their money’s worth when using this scent. This is a designer perfume that will leave behind a nice scent trail for a good period of time. Jumps off the skin with a wide projection radius for a long while.

After that, it’ll settle closer to the skin, but much of the wear it’ll be noticeable to you and those in close proximity to you.

It seems to hit anywhere from 8-11 hours, depending on the circumstances. Expect somewhere around the midpoint of that.

Update: After testing it out multiple times over the years, that’s about  what I get each time. It seems to be able to cross that 10 hour mark without too much issue.

Honestly, since it doesn’t stay that same warm gourmand fragrance throughout, as it is in the start, Mon Guerlain could be worn about any time except the high heat of summer. It might turn into a mess with that much heat bearing down on it, but it’s good to go any other time.

Ideally, this will be worn in autumn and winter. The cooler temperatures help this one to develop and not become cloying and unbearable.

I’ve tested this one outdoors in October or November and Mon Guerlain was fantastic when it’s chilly out.

Another plus, it just how versatile of a scent this is. It is soft enough and attractive enough to be worn in an office or school type of environment. So long as you don’t go crazy with the sprays.

You might also want to give it some time to settle before going into a close quarters environment with other people. That opening can be bold, but it’s tolerable thereafter.

Meanwhile, that attractiveness is also quite sexy, and could be worn on a date. Now, is it a loud club type of scent? No, but I have to say, I would love smelling this on a woman.

Overall Impressions of Mon Guerlain

Overall, would I recommend Mon Guerlain? Yes. I think it is a very well done fragrance from Guerlain. It smells great and performs quite well. If you’re not into vanilla or lavender, you’d do well to look elsewhere.

Now, you do get more than just that, but those are the dominant notes here. I like that bold and sweeter opening act, however, as you get so many different facets from this perfume.

This has grown a lot in popularity since I first wrote this review. It has also spawned a few flanker fragrances under this same Mon Guerlain banner. It’s not a super unique fragrance, but you get a great smell and performance out of it.

This perfume can usually be found at a fair price point and can serve as a daily wear go to scent. There’s not much to complain about here.

This is a safe fragrance, in the sense that, it isn’t going to draw a lot of negative attention and enjoys a rather universal appeal. Mon Guerlain is a winner in my book.

L’Interdit EDP Intense by Givenchy

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L’interdit has become a really popular series for Givenchy. I have worked my way through testing and reviewing each of these perfumes for the site during the past few months. Today, is the last one (as of now), L’Interdit EDP Intense. How does this fragrance smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Interdit EDP Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, tuberose, orange blossom, sesame, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: L’Interdit EDP Intense by Givenchy

l'interdit intense review

My Full Wear Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A suave flower infused with black leathered vanilla.
Givenchy takes you deeper into the forbidden with L’Interdit Eau de Parfum Intense for women. A surrender to cravings obscured. Channel your inner thrill and fuel your deepest desires.

Upon smelling the opening, I will say, that if you didn’t like the sweeter aspects of EDP or the spicy sweetness of Rouge, Intense might just be the entry for you.

This one is definitely different. It is indeed strong. The orange blossom note is pretty potent up top, matched with a spiciness, vanilla, and the tuberose. Eventually, that signature tuberose will take over, but early on it’s orange blossom.

I personally enjoy orange blossom so that’s a strong like for me. One major difference here is the inclusion of sesame. The note is rather nutty and fulfills an interesting role in the composition, as there isn’t a fruity note here and the patchouli is toned down.

This never gets too complicated for me. Like the others in the series, we end with tuberose. In the original it is tuberose, vanilla, and vetiver. In Rouge, it is tuberose and sandalwood.

Here, it is vanilla, tuberose, and the remaining orange blossom. For some, this will be the best combination in the series. Personally, I like Rouge and EDP a bit more.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a strong fragrance. It’s got a powerful start and is consistently above average with the scent trail that it leaves, for most of its wear. Not the strongest on the market, but extremely good for a mainstream designer scent.

The longevity is also fantastic. 9 hours on a bad day. 10+ hours almost every other times. The performance with EDP Intense doesn’t disappoint in the slightest and is one of the strengths of this perfume.

Seasonally, this is a denser sort of scent, that is built for autumn and winter. I’d keep away from the warmer temperatures, as this one shines when it is crisp outside.

While this can be worn during the day, it does have more of a nightlife attractiveness or sexiness to it (more along the lines of Rouge vs. EDP). It’s got a sultry and even dark quality to it at times, so, it might not be your daily wear…but it could be.

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit EDP Intense

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, I like it quite a bit. Again, it is my third favorite of the series so far. But, the other two aren’t far and away better than Intense, just more of a personal preference for men.

I do like the amped up orange blossom and nice unique sesame note that comes into play during the middle act. This one gives you a smoother option that isn’t a spicy as Rouge, nor as sweet as the EDP or EDT.

So, for people who didn’t like those aspects of the rest of the series, Intense presents an crowd pleasing tuberose-based perfume that’s easy to wear and has superb performance versus others in the market.

The vanilla and tuberose is kind of boring to me. I still dig it, but it just doesn’t grab my attention to the same extent.

Nevertheless, I recommend trying this one out. L’Interdit EDP Intense is a great entry from Givenchy, which has knocked it out of the park with this series.

J’adore L’absolu EDP by Christian Dior

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So, I have yet another ladies fragrance review from Christian Dior today. This is one that I forgot that I had a sample of and never got around to doing a write up about it, it’s name: J’adore L’absolu.

Yes, the folks over at Dior really like to use the same names for their scents over and over again…gotta confuse the customers, right babe? Anyway, as usual, I have worn and gone over different aspects of this fragrance below so please continue on for my full take.

What does J’adore L’Absolu Smell Like?

Notes include: Damascus rose, rose de Mai, jasmine, tuberose

Click here to try: Christian Dior J’adore L’absolu By Christian Dior – Edp Spray 2.5 OZ

j'adore l'absolu review

My Full Wear Review

Dior fragrances can be a pain to keep track of, as the brand always seems to come out with different flankers, and variations of fragrances either under the same or very similar names.

J’adore L’absolu is one such perfume and there appears to be at least 2 variations of this scent, I believe I have the latest one and this will be the subject of this review. Here’s how the sample insert describes it:

An intense Eau de Parfum which blends absolutes of Damascus rose, rose de Mai, Jasmine Sambac, and Indian Tuberose to reveal the heart of each flower.

From that alone, you should be able to tell that J’adore L’absolu is a floral lovers dream. Now, I’ve already reviewed the original J’adore EDP, and when compared to this one they are quite different. The original is more complex and has the additional fruit notes, which set it apart.

L’absolu doesn’t have that aspect to it. It instead opens up with a beautiful and rich jasmine note with an undercurrent of the rose notes which will fully emerge later in the wear.

It smells elegant and classy, like a bright spring day at some French chateau. The jasmine lends a creaminess to the perfume and while clean, it doesn’t smell like soap to my nose.

I do like that it’s not just a complete shampoo or body wash smell, but it’s hard not to think of that comparison sometimes with these types of perfumes. Since the notes are so often used in those sorts of products.

As it dries down, the tuberose note and the rose begin to become more prominent. The rose notes never get too strong or feel as if they are going to overpower the composition.

Each note has its turn in the spotlight, before they all sort of meld together to create a bouquet effect.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say that the sillage of L’absolu is pretty average. It’s not a bomb but not weak either.

I’d say you get about an hour or two of a robust scent trail. Then, it’s going to stick within a few feet of the wearer. Not a super projector, while being solidly above average.

It’s got decent longevity but not amazing, somewhere in the 6-8 range is what it lasted on my skin. Very usable, close to a full workday. After a few tests, that’s what it seems capable of.

The performance on the whole, is better than the median average of perfumes. Just towards the upper end of the middle of the pack.

This is another spring/summer scent. It doesn’t strike me as sexy, but more refined and beautiful to be around. It can be worn casually or dressed up, as it has an air of sophistication about it.

With a scent like this, it’s going to be a versatile wear. Not one that is going to annoy or be an intimidating type of fragrance.

So, work or just as a daily wear. A nice springtime aroma, that can fit a lot of different moods or scenarios.

Overall Impressions of L’absolu

Overall, do I like J’adore l’absolu. Yes, at least somewhat. I don’t really enjoy smelling pure floral perfumes, which is what I liked about Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, and it’s additional citrus notes.

However, the floral notes in here are extremely good, and don’t have any sense of being synthetic. It is a pretty straightforward scent, look at the notes, and if you like the way those flowers smell…then you’ll like this perfume.

This does bare some resemblance to Gabrielle Essence by Chanel, but the blend is for sure different. The notes don’t have the same weighting.

If you’re not someone who likes to wear flowery perfumes, then stay away from this one. The jasmine is probably the highlight for me.

Pasha de Cartier Edition Noire by Cartier

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In my latest batch of samples that I received, I got a hold of two more Cartier fragrances to do a full test and review of. One of them, is a flanker scent to the original Pasha de Cartier, entitled: Edition Noire. How does this cologne smell? What are the notes? How does it perform? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Pasha de Cartier Edition Noire Smell Like?

Notes include: amber, cedar, green citrus, mint, violet, and more

Click here to try: Cartier Pasha de Cartier Edition Noire Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

I find the opening of Pasha de Cartier Edition Noire to be quite interesting. On the one hand I get some citrus aroma with light aquatic sensibilities, then, a warm woody amber/cedar combination to balance it. It is very fresh and clean, seemingly generic, but very attractive all the while.

The citrus opening is attractive, but those notes don’t stick around for too long in that heightened state.

After a few minutes, the crisp and chilly spiciness of the mint note arrives and gives Edition Noire a more masculine edge. It is a sweet fragrance but don’t think candy-like, it is more of a citrus sweetness mix with floral notes like violet and iris.

The mint pairs initially with the cedar and the remaining watery notes. Iris, heliotrope, and violet sit within the heart of this fragrance.

A spring/summertime sweetness that hangs in the air when you walk outside and of course a powdery hint with the iris note.

I did think that this one might have more of the heliotrope and iris notes than it actually did. They are there, but I almost expected them to dominate, and that’s not really the case.

The close out is plenty of wood, amber, and the iris. There is a slight spice and earthiness to the aroma, at this point. I mean, it’s at least more noticeable to me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this Cartier scent is light to moderate. It’s not a weak fragrance, just one that is airy. 3 sprays seemed to do the trick quite nicely, for me.

It doesn’t have the heaviness or the thickness that some other scents can have. However, the projection off of the skin is pretty decent for a few hours at least. It’ll be much closer and intimate thereafter.

While it isn’t super powerful, it does give good longevity, clocking in around 7 hours give or take. Edition Noire isn’t going to blow the doors off, but it will stick around for a nice amount of time. Not elite performance, just useful.

Seasonally, I think the mint note in particular allows it to work pretty much year round. It is crisp and warm enough for the winter, while having that clean aquatic feeling for the summer months. Well done.

It’s probably at its best in rather moderate temperatures and climates. So, early autumn and springtime would be ideal for this Cartier.

Though, wearing this in the heat wasn’t a bad experience. Maybe avoid some of those insanely hot and humid days…outside of that, you’re good to go.

You could wear this casually, at work, or even on a date. It is attractive but never in your face about it. The strength of Edition Noire really comes with just how versatile of a cologne it is.

This is dignified enough to wear in more formal scenarios, while not being too uptight for when you want to just chill.

Overall Impressions of Edition Noire

Overall, would I recommend Pasha de Cartier Edition Noire? Yes. I really dig this stuff. Just as an everyday wear, it would be a welcome addition to the lineup.

It smells really nice, is refreshing, and totally inoffensive. Cartier usually doesn’t disappoint and it definitely did not with this cologne.

I enjoy the freshness of the mint and citrus combination, along with that aquatic undertone that comes through. Also, the powdery iris, woods, and amber is a great little turning point for this one.

The powdery aspect wasn’t as strong as I might have thought coming in. But, I like the balance that Cartier has struck with this fragrance.

Edition Noire is a scent that has flown under the radar since its release. Though, I do think that it represents a good value, at this price range. I don’t think that it is a must have, but I wouldn’t ever be opposed to wearing it.

Jasmin Rouge by Tom Ford

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Jumping back into some fragrance reviews here, I still have some Tom Ford perfumes that I need to do write ups on. I’ve fallen behind somewhat, so, let’s begin to remedy that with a closer look at Jasmin Rouge.

Obviously, this is going to be a jasmine dominant perfume, and geared much more towards women. I want to share my experience with this one and how it smells, how long it lasts, and whether or not I ultimately think it is worth a buy.

What does Jasmin Rouge Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, ginger, sage, cinnamon, bergamot, neroli, ylang-ylang, amber, pepper, cedar, vanilla, and more

Click here to try: Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge eau de parfum for women 1.7 oz

My Full Review

Jasmin Rouge opens up with a bright citrus and spice blend. The jasmine and ylang-ylang are noticeable at the top, along with the bergamot, and a ginger/pepper/cinnamon spice blend.

The spices here aren’t too heavy, just playing a supporting role, to the citrus juiciness and floral highlights.

After about 30-60 minutes, the citrus notes have subsided mostly, and the jasmine really steps up into its own. The ylang-ylang is still present, but is no longer an equal partner, and neroli feels more present than either the bergamot or mandarin orange.

From the spices found in the opening, cinnamon is the strongest to my nose. However, it is still quite light within the composition, and subservient to the main jasmine note. At this point, the perfume is a jasmine dominant scent flanked by, neroli and ylang-ylang, with a bit of spice.

A few hours into the wear, Jasmin Rouge fully develops into what it’ll be for the rest of its life cycle.

The main difference here, is that the perfume sweetens up. In place of much of the spice, you get vanilla, amber, and a bit of cedar. The floral notes, maintain their strength, but the spice is mostly overtaken by these new arrivals.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage here isn’t too powerful, but it isn’t weak either. I’d say for much of its time on the skin, it is on the higher end of moderate with its sillage. Then, it calms down quite a bit.

The opening act will give you a nice scent trail. For a few hours, it is plenty noticeable and has a nice lift off of skin. After those first two hours, it becomes more intimate.

The longevity is really good, but not great, as it goes for about 8 hours. It doesn’t want to hang around beyond that amount of time, during the times that I’ve tested it.

For an expensive fragrance? That’s just okay. I do wish it hit double digit hours like many other Tom Ford’s. Though, it certainly isn’t terrible.

Seasonally, it’s sort of a year round perfume. I don’t particularly like it in the high heat of summer, as it kind of  ‘melts’, but otherwise you’re good to go. Honestly, autumn or spring would work best with the more moderate temperatures.

Cold, too. But, a middle of the road temperature seems to be when Jasmin Rouge shines.

This can go casual, but feels more like a formal or at least semi-formal kind of scent. It’s attractive, but not particularly sexy. Just a really good floral.

Overall Impressions of Jasmin Rouge

Overall, do I think Jasmin Rouge, is worth a buy? Yes, provided you’re a jasmine fan. This Tom Ford is really well put together, has solid performance, and a really pleasant aroma. I like it, but I don’t think that it’s all that amazing, but I’m also not totally in love with jasmine.

I like the initial citrus and ginger note, especially. The cinnamon does give this perfume a liveliness and the opening is the highlight of the experience for me. The jasmine is also quite good, for what it is.

It’s a pretty scent that becomes pretty typical with how it smells. The quality is there and you get some decent performance also.

At the price point which Tom Ford’s sell at, this is actually one of the perfumes that is worth a purchase, if you’re into this sort of scent. To me, it’s well above average with how it smells, just not an elite level ‘must have’.