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!

Eternity for Men Flame by Calvin Klein

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With my latest batch of sample fragrances, I received a couple of Calvin Klein colognes, from their ever-expanding Eternity lineup. This entry will be about, Eternity for Men Flame. I think that this is a limited release, as I haven’t seen it very many places, and is also somewhat overlapping with the release of Eternity EDP. Anyway, what does Flame smell like? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What Does Eternity Flame for Men Smell Like?

eternity

Notes include: mandarin, amber, resin, pineapple, leather, and rosemary

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Eternity Flame Eau De Toilette for Men, 1 Fl Oz

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review of Eternity for Men Flame, let’s see what Calvin Klein says about it: Ignited. Intense. Masculine. The scent of smoldering resins enhanced by a surge of mandarin and fresh aromatic notes. 

So, the official sample card that came with my Eternity Flame vial, says that this fragrance contains mandarin orange. All of the websites that I checked, say that it contains pineapple, with no mention of the mandarin.

Which is it? I actually do think that it’s both. This fragrance gets compared to L’Homme Intense by YSL, due to the amber and orange blossom, in that mix. To my nose, they don’t smell exactly alike, and the difference does seem to be a pineapple-like smell.

As such, I’m going to assume that this contains both fruits. Flame starts off with that fruit blend, it’s warm and sweet, flanked by amber and a resinous quality.

After the first few minutes, I really start to pick up on the herbal spice of rosemary. With the resin and rosemary, I think it creates an aroma that is distinct from L’Homme Parfum Intense, but somewhat similar.

Once the initial phase passes, the rosemary becomes less of a factor, and is replaced by both leather and a strengthening amber note. The Calvin Klein cologne, still has that fruity sweetness on the top, but it’s not as sharp as it had been in the first 20 minutes or so.

What I’m ultimately left with for the rest of the wear, is a amber-laden leather fragrance, with more of a pineapple finish than mandarin orange. Which is good, since I like pineapple’s scent more so than mandarin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Eternity Flame is really good for the first hour or so, and then, weakening thereafter.

It will project around 5-6 feet from the skin, at its height. Not super powerful, but a solid fragrance. It’s also not too heavy feeling.

For me, I could only get this to last 4-5 hours on my skin. I sprayed three times in the same place and got that result. Then, I did multiple sprays around the body, on another wear. It was still producing 4-5 hours.

The performance wasn’t great, but once these bottles get cheap, it might be a worthwhile one to have around.

Seasonally, not necessarily just a wintertime fragrance. It could easily venture into spring, as it isn’t too heavy. I wouldn’t venture into the heat, with Flame. Autumn through early spring, depending on where you life.

I could see this being used more as a casual, date night, or something to wear in the nightlife. It’s not a beast, but it will give you enough projection to be useful in those scenarios. Not really a formal cologne, but Flame is good for wearing around elsewhere.

Overall Impression of Eternity for Men Flame

Do I like this cologne? It’s nice enough, but not amazing. If I’m doing a comparison, I’d still wear L’homme Parfum Intense, over this. However, this is already starting to be available for around $30 a bottle. With that kind of price point, it’s definitely a pretty good value.

I like the opening fruitiness, pineapple and mandarin, but I’m not too enthralled by the rosemary note. I love amber and leather, so, this is going to be at the very least decent to me. Here, it’s more somewhat enjoyable versus being a love for me. I don’t know why exactly.

The performance is pretty subpar with Flame. It’s not going to be an all day wear. You’ll probably have to reapply sometime during the day.

If all this sounds appealing to you, I would say that it’s a buy, at that super discounted price. Not one I’d pay full admission for, however.

Gucci Guilty EDT Pour Homme

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Today, we have an entry from Gucci, the original of the Guilty line up: Guilty Pour Homme EDT. This has been a very popular men’s fragrance, over this past decade, but how does it actually stack up? In this post, I’m going to break down my experience with it, let you know how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and if it is worth a try or not.

What does Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, orange blossom, lavender, patchouli, cedar, pink pepper, neroli

Click here to try: Guilty By Gucci EDT spray for Men, 3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Gucci Guilty eau de toilette hits with a nice clean citrus note of lemon, warm slightly spicy pink pepper, and a calming lavender. Actually, the lemon/pink pepper combo, remind me a bit of Guess Seductive Homme which has the pink pepper paired with orange.

Different colognes for sure, but it’s just what comes to mind.

Nonetheless, that cologne has a bit more spice, than does Guilty Pour Homme. What’s interesting, is that this opening, is a high percentage of what you’re going to get from this cologne. Just one of the scent, that you’ll know fairly quickly, whether or not you enjoy it.

The fragrance is light and warm with a smooth cedar base note and patchouli giving the composition more substantial aroma, than it otherwise would have. Still, Guilty is a pretty minimalist fragrance, in a lot of ways.

The orange blossom/neroli pairing of course bring a floral touch, but their citrus fragrances, tend to blend in with the lemon note. Plus, the lavender is the dominant floral, and it doesn’t give up much room to the others.

I remember I used to wear Gucci Guilty Black, years ago, and that is a close approximation of what I smell here; just without the lemon/pink pepper. So, it’s a less spicy version of Black, with those two notes added to the top. Also, the notes in this one are more distinct, as they could be difficult to distinguish between in Black.

There is a sweetness within Guilty, that may be vanilla, or just the floral notes interacting with the pink pepper and lemon. Either way, there is an undercurrent of that kind of vibe, that becomes more noticeable after an hour or so of wear.

Gucci Guilty Pour Homme is actually a pretty linear fragrance, there isn’t a lot of depth here, and what you get from the start is very close to how it dries down. Yet, it does have some substance at times, which I appreciate.

Finally, we get to the last bit of this cologne, where you do get a cedar aroma underneath the lavender and citrus combination. Ultimately, it is a lavender and citrus combination, with some light spice, floral notes, and a cedar base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s moderate for a couple of hours, and then it is quite light and airy. The sillage isn’t much beyond the immediate area around you, so, don’t expect some beast that will hit someone’s nose from across the room.

Longevity, is about 5-6 hours, on my skin. That’s not too great, but passable in a lot of situations. I do wish that it could go longer, especially at this price point. To me, that’s the biggest weakness of this fragrance.

Over the years, I’ve tested Guilty Pour Homme out again and again, with the same results.

Guilty Black and Intense, both stepped it up from here, giving you more time to spend with those colognes. Giving the two a further edge over the original.

Seasonally, it can go year round, but it mostly strikes me as a wear for spring or early summer. It’s not the usual aquatic colognes of that time frame, but it has an upbeat energy, and is light enough not to be cloying.

Guilty Pour Homme is kind of an all-purpose fragrance, as it can be worn casually, is safe enough for work, and attractive enough for a date.

Honestly, if a guy just wants something simple and one that can pull complements, Gucci Guilty can do the job. Performance is ehhh, but the versatility is darn good.

For a younger guy, this can be an easy starter cologne. It can cover most of your bases, as far as use goes, and is already wildly popular.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Pour Homme

Overall, do I like Gucci Guilty EDT? It’s nice, but nothing all that spectacular, to me. It has a very pleasant and clean smell, it has good potential for those who just want something easy to wear and low key.

This version doesn’t have the greatest performance, but it isn’t completely useless.

This has been a best seller for Gucci and has spawned so many flankers, many of which, have nothing in common with the original. I’m not sure why this one gets as much love as it does, but I like it fairly well.

Lemon, lavender, and pink pepper are the main stars here…so, that’s what you should expect from most of the wear. It’s cool, just not outstanding. I personally prefer the Intense version or Black, but the former is discontinued, so you will have to find bottles online.

Creed Viking vs Aventus Cologne Comparison

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So, here I am, back with another head to head cologne comparison. Today, I am following up my review of Creed Viking by comparing it with the most popular Creed fragrance, Aventus. How does the newest addition to the family stack up against, its highly rated counterpart? Continue below for my full take on Viking versus Aventus.

Tale of the Tape: Aventus vs. Viking

Creed Aventus

Notes of Creed Aventus: 

Top: Blackcurrant,Italian bergamot, French apples and pineapple

Middle: Rose, dry birch, Moroccan jasmine, and patchouli

Base Notes: musk, oak moss, ambergris, and vanilla.

Click here to try Aventus: Aventus For Men 4.0 oz EDP Spray By Creed

Click here to read my original Aventus Review

Creed Viking

Notes include: rose, pink pepper, bergamot, peppermint, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli

Click here to try: Viking Eau de Parfum Spray for Men by Creed

Read my original Viking Review

Opening

Off the bat, as I’ve written many times on this site, I’m not a fan of the opening of Aventus. To me, it’s really too sharp, but it does get better.

Aventus kicks off with pineapple and black currant out in full force. That black currant is the main culprit for sharpness, especially when paired with pineapple.

Underneath that, is an apple note adding an additional watery fruitiness up top. Birch and oak moss come through also, early on. These two notes add a very dry freshness to the mix.

Viking on the other hand, is extremely fresh and crisp. The peppermint note really grabbed my attention and I like how it plays off of the sandalwood and pink pepper notes.

I don’t think Viking is the most amazing opening ever, but I did enjoy it a good deal, and I think that it takes this category.

It’s pretty simple, but it has an appealing coldness with it’s fresher warmer pink pepper. I like it.

Edge: Viking

Projection

Viking is solid but not super strong or bold. Aventus is strong but not insanely so. However, Aventus does have the more intense and noticeable scent of these two fragrances.

I always feel aware that I have Aventus on, while it wasn’t the same experience with Viking. Viking is just a softer fragrance overall.

Edge: Aventus

Longevity

With Aventus I’ve generally gotten 7-8 hours, maybe 9. During my wear with Viking, I got about the same. I’d probably have to wear Viking around more to see if any differences emerged, but for now, I’m rating them the same.

Viking just doesn’t have the same sillage. Since it is a lighter scent, it doesn’t seem like it hangs around as long, but it actually does.

Update: It might be a slight edge to Aventus. I do occasionally get that extra hour out of it, which doesn’t happen when I’ve tried Viking.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these scents work casually and as an office worker kind of cologne. I do think what separates them, is that, Aventus has more sex appeal than Viking. Viking is really fresh and clean and kind of an old school sort of fragrance.

Meanwhile, Aventus, is a proven winner that can work very well in a number of situations. That’s not to say that you couldn’t wear Viking on a date, it’s just not something that strikes you as ‘sexy’, to the same extent.

Other than that, both really cover a lot of bases as to when they can be worn.

Edge: Aventus

Overall Scent

Viking is a nice scent in my opinion. I enjoy the contrast of cold peppermint and the warmth that begins to emerge as the fragrance wears on. It’s a green fragrance with notes that provide a crisp and invigorating spice.

That being said, I wasn’t blown away by it. If it was cheaper, I might consider purchasing a full bottle, but for the price…it’s not all that impressive.

Update: The more that I’ve tried it, the past few years, the more I liked it. Still, never was crazy about wearing it. Nice, but not a must have for me.

Aventus is still better. It has pretty much become classic in under a decade, which is remarkable. I think that it’s overall the better fragrance. I’ve always hated the opening few minutes, but it develops a great profile as the scent dries down.

While Aventus gets the nod as the better cologne, if I had to choose wearing between wearing these two right now, I’d pick Viking.

I’m actually completely sick of smelling Aventus and no longer keep any around. Basically because everything tries to be a Creed Aventus ‘clone’.

Just the ‘new’ factor of Viking and the fact that it is somewhat enjoyable in the same way Creed’s Original Santal is, would get me to favor it.

Maybe I’ll come back to Aventus at some point, but not for a long while. Between these two, most people will absolutely favor Aventus, and it takes the win here.

Winner: Aventus

Insolence Eau Glacee by Guerlain

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Winding down on my current crop of scent to test out, I have today’s entry from Guerlain’s women’s collection, Insolence Eau Glacee. Now, I’m pretty sure that this one has been discontinued by this point in time, but you can still find bottles available online. I will of course cover how it smells, performs, what notes are included, and if it is worth a purchase.

What does Insolence Eau Glacee?

Notes include: red berries, apple, iris, violet, and citrus

Click here to try: Guerlain Insolence Eau Glacee Eau De Toilette Spray for Women, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Insolence Eau Glacee was marketed as an ‘icy’ aroma and while I have come across multiple men’s colognes which also go this route, this one doesn’t seem to strike the same ‘cold’ tone. I mean, it’s there but not nearly to the same degree.

Initially, I get a lot of violet and apple in particular which is supported by the iris note. This gives the fragrance a crisp yet powdery sensation, that is quite pleasant.

Apple is the main fruit note, but the berries and a very light citrus blend is there as well. The citrus isn’t a major factor in this Guerlain. All together, the fruity notes are more tart at the beginning, then it’s a tad sweeter during the dry down.

This is a pretty linear scent and after a few minutes, what you smell is what you get. More of the iris note development and some juiciness supplied by the red berries. Violet, apple, and iris, with the additional highlights of the berries.

It’s a watery sweetness, as if the fruit notes have been soaked in a vase of the floral notes that are present here. The iciness is a nice touch, that gives it the feeling of more depth versus what it actually has.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Eau Glacee is soft and understated. This isn’t a bold or in your face sort of fragrance, it is quiet but you’ll know that it is there. It’ll project maybe 3-5 feet from the skin and that’s about it.

While it isn’t a strong perfume, it is one that lasts a work day. During testing, I managed about 8 hours with a few sprays. The performance is good, as a low key scent, that isn’t going to take over a room.

It is interesting when you get a softer fragrance that actually sticks around despite not being a complete bomb.

Eau Glacee strikes me as a casual scent or one for a business type environment. It elegant and has a seriousness to it, that doesn’t come across to me as a ‘sexy’ perfume. Nonetheless, it is pleasant and has its own charm.

I’d also say, it’s probably best in the springtime or other days in which the climate is mild. Maybe venturing into the early days of summer.

Overall Impressions of Insolence Eau Glacee

Overall, do I think Insolence Eau Glacee, is worth a purchase? If you’re a fan of violet and iris and you happen to need something low key. I think it smells fine, it’s not harsh or ugly in anyway, but I don’t think it’s incredible.

It is a solid performer that is well blended and takes you on an easy and steady ride. I like the iris, berries, and that chilly quality that comes through. Nice, clean, tart/sweet, and plenty of powder.

Eau Glacee has some very familiar aspects found in many other perfumes. It’s not super unique, though, it’s nice enough for what it is.

Update: This one seems to be long gone and got discontinued at some point after this review.

Gentlemen Only by Givenchy

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I’ve been trying out more and more colognes over the past few weeks and I recently got a hold of a couple scent by Givenchy. Gentlemen Only and Gentlemen Only Intense. In this post, I want to take a closer look at the former, and give my opinion and rate how this fragrance measures up.

What is it composed of? What is the opening like? How does it smell? How long does it last? Please continue reading below for my full review of Gentlemen Only.

What Does Gentlemen Only Smell Like?

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Notes include: Birch wood, patchouli, vetiver, cedar, pink pepper, mandarin

Click here to try: Givenchy Gentlemen Only Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 100ml, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

My first impressions of Gentlemen Only is that it is a dry and slightly sweet woodsy scented fragrance. It is simple and refined. I was really digging this scent when I first applied it, and enjoyed the interplay between the vetiver and birch/cedar notes, that I could pick out.

This Givenchy fragrance is one in which I could completely imagine myself applying while wearing a suit and even though I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, I definitely felt quite fresh with it on.

Also, the opening has a citrus aroma provided by the mandarin note, that fades away during the dry down period. This mandarin and pink pepper give it the sweet/spicy undertones which helped to make Gentlemen Only quite appealing to my tastes.

As the citrus fades, it takes on more of a smoky type of aroma (think less of tobacco or a whiskey cask and more towards incense). Birch really becomes prominent on my skin, at this point.

The top is a citrus mix of that mandarin and bergamot, the latter being quite light. Pink pepper joins in to add some warm spice, to the very dry composition. It’s nice to have that juiciness on top of what is ultimately going to be a fresh woody fragrance.

As it moves further along, the smoky wood aromas, really start pouring out of this. Vetiver starts to take over the composition, with the lingering mandarin still hanging around. Under that, is the birch wood and some cedar.

Ultimately, Gentlemen Only is a somewhat spicy and smoky woods-based fragrance, with enough sweetness to change things up. Very nice and refined.

Sillage and Longevity

Projection wise, Gentlemen Only starts out pretty good in that regard. For the first few hours, I could notice it on myself and liked it a whole lot. In many regards, I though that I had found a new potential casual fragrance for me to wear.

It’s not going to leave a huge scent trail. It will be noticed for a little while, but isn’t going to take over a room. Then, it’s not going to even do that.

However, the longevity on this one is really disappointing.  After three hours or so I could no longer even detect it on my skin, I had sprayed some on my forearms, and got absolutely nothing from it. It’s so hard to find a good long lasting cologne sometimes.

This Givenchy isn’t one of them.

When Should it Be Worn?

Surprisingly, this isn’t too heavy of  a scent. Smoky and dry woods, sounds more like a winter thing, but here it isn’t really. I would say that Gentlemen Only works best in moderate temperatures. It’s not terrible in winter, but I wouldn’t wear it in the summertime.

It can be a daily wear at the office, or something you put on for semi-formal to formal occasions. It is attractive enough for the nightlife, but again, the performance isn’t great. It’s actually got a pretty wide use case.

Overall Impressions

Overall, is this Givenchy product worth a try? I definitely like the scent, although, I seem to enjoy the Intense version more… BUT Gentlemen Only just does not last. Plus, the Intense version isn’t really ‘intense’ and is quite a different fragrance all together.

If you want a woodsy/smoky/spicy cologne in this price range, consider: Burberry London or perhaps, YSL L’Homme Libre, both of which have much better longevity.

Gentlemen Only might not be a bad buy, if you can get it at a discount on the secondary market. Perhaps, it will last longer on your skin, versus my own. The scent itself, is worth it. The question is, how much performance can you wring out of this cologne?

It is interesting and has its moments, but ultimately probably not worthwhile for many guys.