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!

Beyond Romance by Ralph Lauren

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Beyond Romance is a follow up scent in the Romance line from Ralph Lauren. I got a hold of a sample of this release as a part of a larger lot of perfume samples. I didn’t really know anything about it coming in and wasn’t sure of what to expect. Is it a good perfume? How does it smell? Is it even worth a try?

What does Beyond Romance Smell Like?

Notes include: raspberry, mandarin, bergamot, rose centifolia, jasmine, lily of the valley, black vanilla, ambroxan, cashmeran

Click here to try: Beyond Romance from Ralph Lauren

My Full Review

Tried Beyond Romance? Leave your own review and rating in the comments!

Let’s see how Ralph Lauren describes it: A new adventure in Romance. Discover the mysterious, daring, and wild fragrance that goes beyond with a seductive blend of fresh rose centifolia and luscious black vanilla.

Beyond Romance starts off with its fruit trio of raspberry, mandarin, and bergamot. The raspberry is going the be the strongest of the three for the duration of the wear, but early on there is a bit more of an even split with the citrus notes.

It’s a sweet start with the sugary aspects of this fragrance becoming apparent from the start. The black vanilla note will be noticeable and it kind of smells like there is a marshmallow note in the mix as well.

Probably the vanilla mixing with the cashmeran, giving it a light powdery aroma for some of the wear. Well, along with the floral notes. Really, only the rose truly sticks out for any length of time, the rest of the way it seems like a generic floral aroma sitting underneath.

At some point, the citrus notes burn off and it becomes the raspberry and vanilla show. The floral notes under that with an air of musk and the cashmere.

That’s essentially it. For stretches, it will smell more sugary. That brief powdery stint. Then, more of a musky cashmere finish down the home stretch.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is actually quite good during the first couple of hours. Yes, after that it is a lighter moderate perfume, but Beyond Romance does have some power. Spraying it on some clothes, I can pick it up in the 6-8 feet range.

The longevity is decent, not great. I’d say about 6-7 hours, is what to expect. The last 1-2 hours being pretty close to the skin.

Seasonally, I’d really just avoid the high heat with this. Outside of the sweltering days of summer, this Ralph Lauren should be fine.

It’s sugary sweetness does make it seem like it’d be mostly a teenager’s scent, but really it’s not. It’s well blended and not screeching with sharp top notes. The cashmeran really helps to temper things and this could appeal to a wider age range than you’d think.

It’s a pretty and deliciously attractive perfume. Not formal, but okay for daily wear and even romantic wear into the evening…as the name implies.

Overall Impressions of Beyond Romance

Overall, do I like Beyond Romance? I really do. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, right after the first spray. I generally like the fruity and sugary perfumes, but sometimes they go overboard. This one, has a nice balance.

Raspberry and vanilla are going to be the main attractions here. So, if you’re not a fan, forget it. But, if it sounds up your alley, the citrus notes with the florals and musk create a wonderful dynamic.

The performance is decent, just not a complete marathon runner with how long it goes. Though, I can’t say that I was particularly disappointed with Beyond either.

While it’s not a complete match for scents on the Ariana Grande line or Burberry Her, it is definitely in that same category. If you’re familiar with any of those, it’s around what you should expect with Beyond Romance.

I recommend giving it a try, if you’re in the market for a sugary sweet perfume that isn’t completely immature. Solid value at Ralph Lauren prices too.

Good Girl Gone Bad by Kilian

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Good Girl Gone Bad is a Kilian fragrance which I was already familiar with. But, I got sent a sample of it with another purchase a while back, and realized that I should finally put a full review on the site. Voila! How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a buy?

What does Good Girl Gone Bad Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, osmanthus, orange blossom, apricot, narcissus, tuberose, jasmine, cedar, amber

kilian good girl review

My Full Review

Tried this one? Leave your own rating and review in the comments!

How Kilian describes it: The uninhibited Good girl gone Bad finds herself in a luscious floral whirlwind in the garden of good and evil.

The opening of Good Girl Gone Bad is a mix of sweetish fruit, green notes, and some rose. The osmanthus and a bit of tuberose seems to give this one a greenish quality early on. However, much of the composition is dominated by the apricot aroma.

To me, this is a floral-fruity fragrance, that starts off leaning more towards the latter. Along with the apricot and osmanthus, is a slight May Rose which never fully takes over. The scent is fresh that will have a light creaminess that will come on more so after the opening act.

It shifts to being tuberose and orange blossom rather than the rose and osmanthus. Going from green-ish to more of a standard white floral fragrance. Very clean and not an overpowering mess.

For much of the middle, tuberose will be in the drivers seat, before this shifts once again.

Finally, the rest of the way will be jasmine led. That, apricot, general white floral notes, and some amber slipped in. Good Girl Gone Bad isn’t a super complicated perfume. It has a soapier quality in the dry down, leaning a lot more towards the floral end of the spectrum.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one is a lighter moderate. The opening does have a bit of power, it’s noticeable for much of the wear, but it’s going to be more of a scent bubble than an overwhelming powerhouse.

The longevity seems to go for about 7-ish hours on me. You might be able to squeeze a few more hours than that out of it, but it doesn’t have that elite gear. Pretty good.

Seasonally, this one is fine from spring through the early autumn. Much prefer it in the warmer weather than even just a mild day.

This is a nice candidate for a daily wear fragrance, if you happen to like the blend. Produces a non-offensive and fresh out of the bath effect. Unlike what the name might suggest, this is much more of the daytime good girl, than getting up to trouble in the evening hours.

To me, this is one that can be used by younger women, as well as older ones. Not too complicated, easy to wear, and won’t feel out of place in a classroom or an office.

Overall Impressions of Good Girl Gone Bad

Overall, do I like Good Girl Gone Bad? I do. Personally, it’s one of their better ladies’ fragrances. Some of which are a lot more mediocre than Good Girl Gone Bad. This is not amazing to me, but an attractive floral fragrance nonetheless.

Tuberose isn’t one of my favorite notes, at all. But, within this perfume, I really don’t mind it. Plus, it will get subdued into a more generic white floral aroma.

The apricot sweetness for the duration of this scent is really what sells it to me. I like how it pairs with the jasmine note in the dry down. Yes, it gives off a soap-like smell, but sometimes that’s what you want to go with.

This is a safe fragrance, that will skew towards regular use versus special occasion. The performance isn’t top notch, but  it is pretty solid. Is that enough for the price tag? I guess that depends on you.

I think that the name is pretty misleading. The good girl part fits, I suppose. But, this never gets ‘bad’ or super interesting. Likeable, sure. But there’s no real seductive or bold charm to this scent.

Just understand that despite its popularity, it might not be what you’re looking for.

Dark Lord by Kilian

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Dark Lord is a part of ‘The Smokes’ collection by Kilian. I’ve had a sample of this for probably over a year, at this point, just sitting in a box waiting to be tested. Well, I finally got around to putting this fragrance through its paces, in order to do my full review. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Dark Lord Smell Like?

Notes include: pepper, jasmine, vetiver, leather, bergamot, rum, and more

Click here to try: Dark Lord

My Full Review

Tried Dark Lord? Leave your own rating and review in the comments!

Let’s see how Kilian describes this: DARK LORD ‘EX TENEBRIS LUX’ is a gentleman of the night. Meet him in the most surprising of circumstances and his mystery slowly unfolds: A head-twisting mix of shadows and light…

Dark Lord opens up with a fairly dense and intense aroma. Bergamot gives it a bit of bright citrus up top, but this is offset by peppery and smoky rum, and a rather dirty-ish leather that permeates through the entire wear.

The booziness of the rum is there, but it isn’t a completely soaked feeling during the wear.

Jasmine, however, may be the strongest player in the opening stage of Dark Lord. It sits right in the middle flanked by the other notes, giving Dark Lord an early floral scent.

For me, the spiciness, is really only in the opening act. From there, it takes on an earthier and woodier quality for the rest of the wear. Kilian says that the pepper is one of the key notes, but on my skin at least, that’s not the case.

In fact, I get a lot more vetiver, cedar, and other general woods than I ever do the pepper.

As we move forward, the jasmine will start to lose its position within the composition. The leather and vetiver become pretty strong here and I’m still getting the smokiness sans the spice.

Dark, earthy, and has an herbal or medicinal sort of finish to it.

The latter stage is leather, cypress, vetiver and the faded remnants of cedar and jasmine. Cypress really climbs the ladder and contributes towards the tail end. It really doesn’t do all that much for me early in the wear, then, it’s basically the same weighting as the leather.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Whoa, this fragrance really packs a punch. It’s a room filler, but not the most insane levels that I’ve come across, though it gets up there.

Dark Lord is an example of a little going a long way. Scent trails will be left for sure and the projection from the skin  while you’re just standing there can be picked up from far away.

Not ever going to be mistaken for a weak scent.

The longevity is also top notch. On my skin, it has gone for at least 11 hours, each time that I have sampled it. Other times, a few hours further than that. The real strength of Dark Lord seems to be its performance.

Seasonally, I’d save this one for autumn and wintertime. I couldn’t imaging breaking this Kilian cologne out in the summer heat.

It’s also one that’ll be best served for the nighttime. Lounges, bars, maybe dates…for the right type of guy.

Office wear? No. Younger guys wearing to school? No. This is a masculine beast. Confident and bold, not a daily wear for confined spaces.

Is it sexy? There will be those who find it sexy. This kind of  fragrance can really go either way with the reactions. Some will detest it, while others swoon for it.

Overall Impressions of Dark Lord

Overall, do I like Dark Lord? Somewhat. This isn’t the type of fragrance that I particularly enjoy wearing, on a personal level. That being said, this is a pretty good example, and wasn’t something that I hated wearing.

The opening is pretty intense and is probably my least favorite aspect. I like Dark Lord more so, when it settles, and the leather takes more control. That with the woods and vetiver is nice and smooth.

It reminds me in some aspects of Ombre Leather (the jasmine and earthiness), though I enjoy that one way more. Also, Gucci Guilty Absolute is a pretty close comparison.

This isn’t a mass appeal sort of fragrance, though. Those who dig this sort of scent are going to love it, but a good percentage of people aren’t going to feel the same way. But, if you like Dark Lord, it will reward you with performance.

To me, it’s not a must buy at Kilian prices. More one that you should sample first to see if it appeals to you. Then, commit to making a full purchase. Otherwise, you might get stuck with a sparsely used paper weight on your table.

Forbidden Games by Kilian

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Forbidden Games is a sample that I received from Kilian, when I purchased Angels’ Share a long while back. It is a part of their Narcotics collection and is a perfume that I wasn’t too familiar with going in. I recently broke this perfume out of the box to test it out and give my full review of it. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Forbidden Games by Kilian Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, osmanthus, orange blossom, tuberose, cinnamon, honey, apple, plum, vanilla, and jasmine

Click here to try: Forbidden Games

forbidden games review

My Full Review

Tried Forbidden Games? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Forbidden Games kicks things off with its peach note taking center stage. This is flanked by a rather light plum note, apple, spicy cinnamon, and a bit of honey coming through. It’s actually light and pretty fresh with how it comes across.

The apple kind of gives it a body wash or shampoo type of vibe, when I catch whiffs of it.

The cinnamon will roll off and the floral notes will come in. To my nose, I get periods where the orange blossom is particularly strong, and others where it is the tuberose note. Early on, it seems to be the rose that sticks out more.

So, it’s basically a sweet syrupy peach, rose, and the remaining plum note. 

As it moves forward, the peach note will remain distinct. But the other fruity notes, just kind of become a mass of sweetness. The honey recedes, vanilla is introduced, and they combine with the peach to give off a fruity dessert aroma.

The floral notes also feel like they kind of combine into a single entity instead of distinct notes. That’s like what I get for the rest of it. A sweet peachy aroma with a soapy floral backbone. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts out as a fairly strong moderate, that will taper into something lighter. It’s not a thick or heavy sort of perfume. Nor is Forbidden Games going to leave a long trail in its wake.

For much of the wear, it will stick closer to the skin, while still being noticeable.

The longevity is around 8-9 hours, on my skin. Not absolutely top of the line, but it wasn’t a disappointment either. 

Seasonally, this one is fine for spring and summer. You can go into autumn with it to, at least the early part.

The name is misleading, as this one isn’t a sexy or really a nightlife type of scent at all. It’s more upbeat and pretty. Can easily become a daily wear, that is suitable for the younger crowd, but isn’t so girlish that it can’t be used by older women.

It’s fresh and clean with how it presents itself. Not seductive, not formal, but can be an easy go to otherwise.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Forbidden Games

Do I like Forbidden Games? It’s a nice and pretty perfume. Is it amazing or must have? No, not really.

The peach and fruity opening with touches of cinnamon is great. I enjoy that aroma, but it is rather short-lived. After that, it becomes more of a generic floral clean with the peach and some honey.

Is that terrible? Nope, and for some, it could be just what you’re looking for. But, at this price point, Forbidden Games probably isn’t worth it for most people. Plus, Kilian has better fragrances than this one. 

However, if you do happen to like the scent, the performance is solid. Not the loudest perfume out there, but it gives a long enough wear. Everything about Forbidden Games is fine.

With the name, I expected something sexier. It’s in the Narcotics collection, but isn’t all that seductive nor addictive. More like a sweet and clean body wash or shampoo. 

10 Best Smelling Creed Perfumes for Women

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Creed is a boutique fragrance designer which dates back centuries and has designed fragrances for for royalty and celebrities around the world (at least according to their stories). Creed is known for using the finest ingredients and creating complex natural scents that stand out among a crowd of imitators.

Their line of women’s perfumes seem to be mostly floral based and while many share similar floral notes, each one has a unique twist on them to add fruity, spicy, or other undertones. As always, I have linked out to a page where is of these scents can be purchased at a great price.

You may also find great Creed fragrances that can be worn by women in my Best Creed Colognes for Men post!

What are the Best Creed Fragrances for Ladies?

Most Popular Creed Perfume 

Creed Spring Flower by Creed for Women Millesime Spray, 2.5 Ounce– Notes include jasmine, peach, apple, musk, melon, rose, ambergris.  Spring Flower is an uplifting fruity scent with bright, floral undertones.

Melon, peach and apple are paired for a crisp and juicy sweet start to the wear.  Then, the rose and jasmine note usher in its flowery namesake, which is quite pretty.

Along with the typical Creed ambergris note, Spring Flower has a musky dry down that is fairly potent. The flower aspect is more prominent further along in the life cycle, with jasmine and musk being the highlights at that point. Meanwhile, the fruit notes have become more subdued.

Spring Flower isn’t really a heavy fragrance, more light to moderate. However, it provides good longevity, and versatility. It can definitely become a signature every day wear.

spring-flower-75ml-creed

Elegant Creed Fragrance

CREED FLEURISSIMO by Creed for WOMEN: EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 2.5 OZ– A more mature floral than Spring Flower and not as bright as that fragrance. Classy and elegant. This actually lacks the fruits found in the first entry.

Instead one is left with a bouquet of florals with iris, violet, and tuberose. Fleurissimo has a vintage style and a garden rich profile.

As it dries down, this Creed scent has more warmth and a soapy/powdery clean quality. This is an all day wear, with excellent longevity. A springtime fragrance. Notes include: Bulgarian rose, violet, tuberose, Florentine iris.

creed fleurissimo

Classic Rose, Citrus, and Musk

Creed Fleurs De Bulgarie By Creed Millesime Spray For Women 2.5 oz– A very old perfume, supposedly dating back to 1845. Fleurs De Bulgarie is another floral perfume but one with more of a kick of citrus and spice to it.

This floral, however, is straight rose. It’s sweet and clean with a musky profile.

Fleurs de Bulgarie is pretty linear, but the dry down elevates the ambergris to go along with that great rose essence.

Obviously, it has been updated along the way, by Fleurs is still a wonderful addition to one’s collection.  Notes include: Bulgarian Rose Essences, Musks, Ambergris, bergamot. 

Fleurs De Bulgarie

Amazing Vanilla

Sublime Vanille– Creed’s Sublime Vanilla, might have the best smelling vanilla note that I’ve ever come across, it’s absolutely delightful. That creamy goodness is joined up top by orange and lemon, that creates a dessert-like quality to this scent.

It’s warm, with some additional touches of musk and tonka bean. A softer fragrance, that isn’t too complicated, but shows the absolute quality of the Royal Exclusives line of perfumes by Creed.

The issue that can come up with this one, is the heavy price tag. It is even higher priced than the others on this list. The sillage and performance are pretty good, just not outstanding. What you do get is a nice creamy vanilla, with bright citrus, and a bit of musk. Sublime Vanille Review

Sweet Violet

Love in Black– I’m personally not a huge fan of wearing violet fragrances, but I have to say I do enjoy the way that Love in Black by Creed smells.

First, it opens up with a sweet and tart black currant note that can come across like a jam. This is joined by a fresh cedar, giving it an interesting, though not always immediately enjoyable smell.

The iris and violet notes come through, giving this one a powdery aroma, fairly similar to Broadway Nite (that’s probably more powdery, but smells a lot like Love in Black).

It will become an intense violet aroma, with a sweetness, mixed floral notes, and some slight woodiness. Love in Black isn’t for everyone, so, it’d probably be best to test before committing to a full bottle.

Yet, for those who enjoy violet, this is a great example and wonderful performer.

Princess Creed

Royal Princess Oud– Royal Princess Oud is an interesting one. Like, Love in Black it features violet and iris, but early on this is paired with citrus and is way less dense.

In fact, it’s kind of bright and a bit green/floral at the early stages. The title-sake agarwood will come on, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

The fragrance certainly has its stronger ingredients, but also feels very balanced for much of the wear.

Yet, this stuff is intricate. The powdery qualities of the florals have their time. Bright citrus. Woodiness. Spice. Then, a resin/creaminess of vanilla, sandalwood, and some benzoin. The opening can be rough, but the development is really great.

Tuberose-led White Floral

Tubereuse Indiana By Creed For Women. Millesime Spray 2.5 Oz– Tuberose Indiana brings on a nice smelling bouquet of white floral notes highlighted by the tuberose, but not really dominated. In addition, one gets a hint of bergamot, and a creamy vanilla at the top.

Then, there is the ambergris and fairly heavy musk. With that, a slight earthiness in the middle act, and a spiced kick too. The mix is attractive for those who like an old school sort of floral perfume, but not completely stuck in the past.

Notes include vanilla, ambergris, tuberose, white flowers, and bergamot. Captivating smell.

Tubereuse Indiana

Best Woody Fragrance

Vanisia By Creed For Women. Millesime Spray 2.5 Oz– A nice, feminine scent that screams sophistication. Vanisia is a move away from the strictly floral scents featured before. This is a very well performing blend of mostly sandalwood and vanilla.

Naturally, the Creed ambergris is another heavy hitter within the composition but there is also a straight amber note, which makes for an interesting pairing.

Vanisia is like vintage confidence in a bottle, with jasmine playing a supporting role to the main ingredients. Notes include: Jasmine, vanilla, rose, sandalwood

vanisia

Best Summertime Pick

Acqua Fiorentina Perfume by Creed for women Millesime Spray 2.5 oz
A complex fragrance that is a light aromatic with layered notes of (some) floral and (mostly) citrus.

This is the go to, if you like fruitier compositions. Bergamot, lemon, and plum start off Acqua Fiorentina with a very bright and quite sharp citrus sensation.

However, there is also a crisp apple note in the mix, which adds to the overall juiciness.

As it dries down, there is a hint of rose and carnation, which balances out some of the fruit overload. Plus, the cedar/sandalwood which sits at the base, and holds this whole thing together.

Very much like, The Scent of Peace for Her by Bond No. 9.  Notes include: rose, Virginian cedar, lemon, sandalwood, carnation, bergamot. 

Acqua Fiorentina

Top Winter Creed Scent

Creed Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie Millesime Spray for Women, 2.5 Ounce– The supposed story behind this one, is that Jasmin Imperatrice was personally designed for Empress Eugenie of France, wife of Napoleon III. Ok, then.

If you enjoy jasmine and sandalwood, this might be your Holy Grail fragrance. It is an elegant woody fragrance with smooth vanilla undertones and that utterly delightful jasmine throughout.

Jasmin Imperatrice is luxurious and royal, whether or not it was actually made for an empress. This perfume has huge sillage and keeps going and going for hours.

Super strong but the sandalwood and jasmine combo might just be worth it to you. Notes include: bergamot, Bulgarian rose, amergris, Italian jasmine, vanilla

Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie