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!

Wild Rose by Coach

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Wild Rose is a newer release from Coach for 2022. I was able to get a hold of a sample of this perfume and give it a try recently. I really didn’t know anything about it going in, just got it along with some other fragrances I ordered. How does this smell? How long does it last? Is it even worth a try?

What does Coach Wild Rose Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, red currant, rose, jasmine, ambroxan, moss, tonka bean

Click here to try: Wild Rose from Coach

My Full Review

Here’s how Coach describes it: Feel the possibility. Wild Rose is our new scent inspired by the free-spirited beauty of a lush wildflower meadow.

Wild Rose opens up sparkling and fruity, with a nice bergamot top that is paired with a red currant note. The tart sweetness of the red currant is a good pairing with the more dominant citrus ingredient early on.

I was expecting this one to have a lot more rose than it does, based on the name. However, while it is there the rose isn’t a powerhouse in this one. It’s not really a deep red rose, either.

Actually early on, it smells like a mix of Delina and Burberry Her. Like if you sprayed Delina once to take some of the tartness away from a double spray of Her.

The same sort of soft rose and fruity blend you get with Delina, just with a creamy tonka bean instead of the light powder of the Parfums de Marly scent. Different note weightings, but a similar experience.

The dry down is where it really shifts from a Delina type of smell and more towards the Her and Baccarat Rouge 540 kind of finish.

The jasmine note becomes more prominent. Plus, ambroxan and a dry mossy note really gives you aspects of both of those perfumes. Jasmine, amber, and woods is found in BR 540.

But, with Wild Rose you still have a fruity top and more of a floral presence than that Kurkdjian perfume.

That’s about what you get with Coach Wild Rose: amber, fruits, light floral, and a bit of moss thrown in.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one opens up with an above average ability to project itself and leave a trail. The bergamot and citrus sitting on top of an ambroxan base, gives Wild Rose an initial boost.

Thereafter, it is more of a moderate scent. It will project off of the skin well and people close by will notice it. This Coach just isn’t a total powerhouse.

Seasonally, it is pretty much a year round wear. Though, I’d avoid the extremes of cold and heat. The ambroxan can get kind of weird when it’s hot outside and I imagine it can be too sharp in the freezing temperatures.

Other than that, you’d be fine.

This does have good versatility. It’s attractive enough to be worn out at night or on a date. But, low key enough that it can be worn casually or as a daily fragrance. Not necessarily the most formal scent, but one should get plenty of use out of it.

Also, age range seems to be wide open. Not too girlish or too mature for younger ladies.

Overall Impressions of Wild Rose

Overall, do I like Wild Rose? Yes, while it isn’t wholly original it is quite an attractive fragrance. It reminds me of a lot of different popular scents, but doesn’t blindly copy any one of them and actually smells good.

I like the opening with the citrus and red currant. It favors Delina in some ways and is a better smelling perfume than Burberry Her. Very good energy and just a pleasant aroma to smell.

The performance is solid. It isn’t an amazing marathon run or a complete sillage beast, but I think that you get your money’s worth out of Wild Rose.

The dry down is very reminiscent of Burberry Her and BR 540, just with better fruity notes than the former, and without the saffron and cedar of the latter. Sure, every company seems to be creating this style of perfume nowadays, but Coach did well with this.

This is a perfume to check out. It doesn’t have any real weaknesses and seems to do everything you’d want to a reasonable degree.

Dylan Blue Pour Femme by Versace

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Dylan Blue Pour Femme is one that I’m just getting around to reviewing. I did the review of the men’s version from Versace when it came out, but pretty much ignored doing a full page on the ladies’ options. Since I’ve already done Turquoise, I figured I should also get Blue done. How does this one smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Dylan Blue Pour Femme Smell Like?

Notes include: blackcurrant, apple sorbet, styrax, wild blooms, musk, white woods, patchouli

Click here to try: Dylan Blue Pour Femme

My Full Review

Here’s how Versace, describes the scent: A strong and sensual fragrance, Dylan Blue represents an alchemy of alluring notes including the fresh blackcurrant and apple sorbet, fused with a bouquet of wild blooms. The perfume boasts woody base notes featuring patchouli coeur, styrax and white woods that add vibrance to this feminine scent. 

Dylan Blue Pour Femme starts out with a sharp and fruity blend, consisting mainly of black currant and apple. There may also be a touch of peach in there, but the others are the main focus.

Between them it’s blackcurrant, which has the upper hand. It is tart, crisp, and a bit sweet when paired with the apple note. The other notes coming up from the base, really give Blue a shampoo or body wash sort of vibe.

The next real phase of the fragrance, is where you’ll get to experience the ‘wild blooms’. The floral notes here are forget me not, jasmine, clover, and rose.

At this point, it’s not as sharp to me, and actually has more of a sweeter scent. But, it’s also greened up by the presence of styrax. Now, the perfume is still very much a fruity scent versus being a floral, but there is some more balance there.

Forget me not and jasmine seem to be the stand out notes among that set.

Dylan Blue has a musky presence throughout and along with the white woods, adds to that shampoo-like cleanliness that you experience. Freshness of apple and wood. Plus, the soapy sort of aroma of musk and floral notes like jasmine.

That’s mostly what the dry down is. Lingering fruits, lighter floral notes, all sitting on top of musky woods. Pretty simple and not super deep, but effective for what it is.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Dylan Blue does have a pretty nice start. It’s not overpowering or going to leave a huge scent trial. Though, it can really project for that first 30 minutes to an hour if you spray to much.

But, it’s ultimately a lighter moderate perfume that isn’t going to jump off of the skin for much of the wear. It has a decently high peak, but settles rather quickly.

The longevity with this one is okay. It’s not by any means the worst that I’ve come across, but it could be better. On skin, this will last about 5-6 hours before it fades completely.

Pretty darn average across the board with how it performs and probably the weakest aspect of Dylan Blue.

Seasonally, spring and summer mostly. Really, wouldn’t be too bad in parts of autumn. However, with its freshness and energy, it probably doesn’t fit too well in the wintertime.

It is pretty versatile as a daily wear. It’s clean and has a prettiness to it. Safe for most work environments, school, or just other casual activities.

It’s not a formal fragrance, nightlife, or romantic wear. It’s easy to wear and probably not going to be offensive, but doesn’t necessarily cover all of one’s bases in terms of use.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Blue Femme

Overall, do I like Dylan Blue Pour Femme? I like it well enough. It’s not a love for me, but I also get its appeal.

The opening is a weaker spot to me. The blackcurrant and apple come across too strong, in my opinion. However, I like Dylan Blue more so as it dries down, and you get some more of the floral influence.

The dry down is bright and does indeed have a vibrant energy to it. The musk and the woods aren’t domineering, but you definitely get their presence in the mix throughout. I personally like them in this composition.

The performance is passable, just not great. Some might be able to squeeze a full work day out of it, but most probably won’t. Again, it’s decent.

I think that it’s one to check out, if this sounds like your style of perfume. It isn’t going to blow most people away with the way it smells, but this Versace is pretty good for what it is, and that can have its place in a fragrance collection.

Dylan Turquoise vs Blue by Versace

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Versace released its Dylan Blue series for men and women more than a handful of years ago now. On the women’s side, they followed it up with Dylan Turquoise, which share similarities with the initial release. The question is, which perfume is better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy, between them?

Tale of the Tape: Dylan Blue Femme vs. Turquoise

Dylan Blue

Notes include: blackcurrant, apple sorbet, styrax, wild blooms, musk, white woods, patchouli

Click here to try: Dylan Blue Pour Femme

Dylan Turquoise

Notes include: mandarin essence, lemon, pink pepper, blackcurrant, jasmine, freesia, guava, cedar, vibrant woods, and musk

Click here to try: Dylan Turquoise by Versace

My Full Review: Dylan Turquoise Review

Opening

Dylan Blue begins with its black currant and apple notes in full swing. It’s sharp, fruity, and already fresh from the accompanying notes. Very much a body wash or shampoo-like aroma.

Blue is joined by floral notes including forget me not, jasmine, and a mix of others. It becomes a slightly sweeter perfume after the initial spray.

Turquoise starts off with it’s own sharp blend, that also includes that black currant note. But, it also comes across as more aquatic and a bit tropical versus Dylan Blue.

Orange, lemon, and guava accompany the black currant. The apple note isn’t here and the black currant is reduced.

Which is better? I like the start of Turquoise a little more than Blue. The guava is short-lived but that and the watery aroma with the citrus gives this one a nice beginning.

Blue isn’t bad, but I don’t enjoy the opening to the same extent.

Edge: Turquoise

Projection

Turquoise starts off leaving a moderate scent trail with a decent projection off of the skin. After that first hour or so, it’s much lighter and will only project a few feet from where you sprayed it.

Dylan Blue follows a pretty similar path to Turquoise, except that it has a bit higher peak in its strength early on. So, with Blue you’ll have a higher level of projection for slightly longer.

It takes this category.

Edge: Blue

Longevity

The longevity of Turquoise only hits about 5-6 hours, on my skin. It’s not great in this department, but also not absolutely terrible. Performance on the whole, is just okay.

With Dylan Blue Femme, it is about the same. It will hit the same 6 hour mark, but doesn’t seem to go beyond that at all for me.

This category is a draw.

Edge: Push

Versatility

These two basically exist in the same space. Both are best served as spring and summer wears.

Neither is very formal or built for nightlife. More clean and fresh daily wears. Think casual or just an easy grab that you don’t need to put much thought into.

I don’t really see a clear winner here.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

So, this is a very close matchup between these two Versace perfumes. I have to say that, I’m not entirely in love with either, but they’re both pretty good fragrances.

With Turquoise, I like it’s opening act. It’s more tolerable to me and the guava and aquatic touches is something that I gravitate towards.

After that, there is some muskiness and spice. But, overall its a fresh citrus, floral, and woody combination. Freesia and just a general sharp/sweet fruitiness with a cedar base.

The dry down doesn’t particularly excite me and the performance is basic.

With Dylan Blue Pour Femme, I don’t like the opening as much, but I think that the latter stages are better than that of Turquoise.

Yes, it is sharper at first, but it will settle down into a more sweet floral freshness. The cleanliness is much more approachable after the opening act, with a good mix of the floral notes and a musky quality.

Sure, soapy clean, but it is an attractive fragrance. During the entire wear, it is better than Turquoise, even if that has a better opening.

All things considered, I’d give a very slight win to Dylan Blue.

Winner: Blue

7 Best Smelling Hollister Perfumes for Her

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Hollister has been a staple brand for the younger set for quite a while now. I’ve already covered the best men’s fragrances by this brand, but wanted to create a short list for the women’s side as well. So, I’ve narrowed it down to seven scents that could be considered the best smelling Hollister perfumes, but also still have availability on the market as of now.

What are the Top Smelling Hollister Perfumes for Ladies?

Best Overall Perfume

Hollister MALAIA For Women 2.0 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Another summery fragrance but this one has cool breezy sort of vibe to it. Malaia is probably the best smelling and also a very popular scent from Hollister.

It’s calming influence must be the work of the lavender and vanilla combo that sit on top a bed of florals.

Basil, however, is the main attraction and is what gives Malaia its unique aroma. It’s not what one would usually associate, with a beach lifestyle brand, but this one continues to be a best seller for Hollister.

Best New Hollister Perfume

Canyon Escape– This is a perfume that Hollister released last year and is already one of the best that they’ve ever done. However, it’s also already seemed to disappear from their website. Though, can be found at discounters.

Canyon Escape for Her opens with a citrus mix of lemon and bergamot, blended with the added warmth of a pink pepper note. Very bright for the summertime, with a light floral blend of magnolia and water lily, all held together by some bamboo wood in the base.

Clean, fresh, citrus/floral blend that presents a nice value opportunity, as is very well put together for the price.

Tropical Summer Scent

Pure Cali FOR WOMEN by Hollister – 1.7 oz EDP Spray– Pure Cali isn’t as well known as some of the other scents on this list. However, that doesn’t mean that this perfume is lacking in charm.

The main note here is pineapple and Pure Cali delivers its own sweet and juicy take on the tropical fruit. Youthful and good for casual wear. Pure Cali is simple, but for sure puts out that summertime vibe, and is very enjoyable.

Other than the pineapple, there is some cedar freshness, and a touch of a floral accord. This is a sweet, flirty, fun daytime wear for the warmer months of the year.

Best Sweet Smelling Fragrance

Hollister Wave 2, Eau de Parfum Spray, WoMen, 3.4 Ounce– The sequel, so to speak, of the original Wave (which is also found on this list). Wave 2 is a lovely little summer fragrance, with that familiar coconut note, making up its heart. It has a sandy warmth with white tropical flowers. Wave 2 is balanced is performs well.

Wave 2 can be pretty darn sweet, especially at first, so it might not be the best option for everybody. However, it does calm down into a delightful island-like fragrance.

Creamy Sweet Nights

Festival Nite for Her– This is another sweet perfume that gives you a bit of a different aroma from Wave 2.

Festival Nite has notes of apple blossom, vanilla, coconut, marshmallow, black currant, and orange. So, yes, plenty of fruitiness and sweetness is present in this one.

It starts off with a juicy orange and plenty of the black currant note. Light floral notes including freesia, dot the composition, but aren’t too heavily involved. It’s instead got a light summer creaminess with the coconut, vanilla, and fluffy marshmallow.

Fairly sharp and sweet up top. Then, sweet and creamy.  Finally, a mix of creamy and almost a syrupy quality to Nite. but, strangely it doesn’t feel too heavy and can work in the summer (nights, at least).

Most Popular Hollister Scent

Hollister Wave Women Eau De Parfum, 3.3 Ounce– A really bright and hot sort of scent. It’s quite neat how they captured that sunny day beach essence and bottled it.

It’s an airy shoreline breeze with fruit notes like a watery start fruit and floral notes like orchid and hibiscus. A very good everyday wear choice for younger ladies.

Wave is super fresh, has more floral notes than the others, while still staying true with what you would associate with the brand. It’s right up there with Malaia, in terms of Hollister’s best women’s scents.

Most Underrated Perfume

CALI VIBES * Hollister 1.7 oz / 50 ml Eau de Parfum Women Perfume Spray– This one is more of a change of pace from the usual beach vibe of Hollister’s brand. It’s a floral with green elements.

It is mainly headed by lilac, which is fresh and performs well, with the rose/musk notes flanking it.

Cali Vibes is more of a traditional floral fragrance. Nonetheless, that’s sometimes exactly what you want to go for. It’s still a nice inexpensive option for those days, you don’t want to go the beachy route.

6 Best Smelling Hollister Colognes

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I’ve never owned any clothing from Hollister. Even when it was extremely popular, I just never saw the appeal of their apparel. However, the line of fragrances, do actually smell very nice for the most part and are probably the best products in the store. In this post, I want to go over what I feel are the best options from the clothing brand, in terms of its colognes and provide some info as to what separates each of them.

What are the Top Hollister Colognes for Men?

Most Popular Hollister Scent

Hollister Socal Cologne Spray for Men, 2.5 Fluid Ounce– If you’ve ever walked into or even by a Hollister store, you’ve almost undoubtedly smelled Socal wafting through the air.

The stores themselves, tend to overspray the stuff, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that it actually does smell good when applied in normal amounts.

It is clean, sweet, with a beachy wood vibe. It is warm and vibrant with a slight air of coconut for good measure. Plus, those hints of herbal/earthy ingredients. Very youthful, not super complex, but has a depth and versatility that is actually impressive for what it is.

Best Overall Cologne

Hollister Wave Men Eau De Toilette, 3.4 Ounce– A very upbeat aquatic type of cologne and one of the more recent additions to the lineup for Hollister.

Wave features a citrus accord led by yuzu then it is ‘greened’ up by bamboo leaf and some driftwood. The familiar aroma of lavender also lends a smoothness to Wave. Clean and has a nice sweetness to it.

The citrus and bamboo mix is fantastic and really separates Wave, as a unique, and very enjoyable cologne to wear. I think that this is the most interesting and has the aroma that I like the most from their fragrances.

Wave is fresh with some woody and aquatic notes to give it a familiar summertime feeling.

Another Top Bet

JAKE (BLUE EDITION) * Hollister 1.7 oz / 50 ml EDC Men Cologne Spray– Jake is the other best seller from Hollister besides Socal. This one is much more straightforward in my opinion, but it has a really great aroma within its simplicity.

It has a citrus top that features a slight floral kind of sweetness over top of a wood/sea water base. Fresh summer shore vibe, that is pleasant all around.

As it dries down, it gets woodier in its smell, but never fully loses that citrus zest. The performance on this one is actually pretty good for one of these types of scents, also.

A Similar Profile to a Popular Cologne

Coastline by Hollister–  I’m putting Coastline on the list, because it does smell really good. However, it’s pretty much a similar aroma of the original Fierce from Abercrombie. Though, slightly different, and without as much power as that popular fragrance once had.

Coastline is lighter with its sillage and has much more of a citrus feeling up top versus Fierce. I also don’t think that it has the same spicy qualities as that one, at least to the same degree.

Nevertheless, I’ve seen this one on sale for pretty cheap, and it could be a good pickup for those who want a Fierce-like scent.

 

 

Sunset Fruits

SoCal Sunset by Hollister–  This is a flanker fragrance of SoCal, so, it’s going to have plenty of similarities with the original. Yet, this one does kind of stand out on its own in many ways.

It’s got a smoother and creamier aroma to it, with more fruits. It’s led by its citrus notes, probably a blend of lemon and bergamot. But, there also seems to be a tropical influence in there as well.

I think this one is more pineapple versus the coconut of the original SoCal.

It’s not heavy but has a lighter sillage and stays fresh for the summer months. Woods and a hint of vanilla. Nice and enjoyable wear.

Summer Nighttime Wear

Festival Nite for Him– Okay, so you can also wear this during the daytime, but this is a nice change of pace fragrance from the others.

You get plenty of citrus here, that is paired with a nice sweet apple. It’s more candy-like than naturalistic. Yet, this all swims in a sea of ambroxan with a few lightly spiced notes arising throughout.

Not too heavy, but as a clean and smooth base that really comes through, after an hour or so. Longevity is pretty good for this sort of scent and the aroma is attractive.