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!

L’Homme Le Parfum by YSL

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L’Homme has become a long running and popular series of men’s fragrances for Yves Saint Laurent. In 2020, they released a Le Parfum version of this scent, and I’ve been recently testing it out to give it a full review on here. What does it smell like? Does it have good performance? Is L’Homme Le Parfum worth a buy?

What does L’Homme Le Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, cardamom, cedar, vetiver, amberwood, basil, violet leaf

Click here to try: L’homme Le Parfum by Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Parfum Spray 2 oz Men

My Full Review

The opening of L’Homme Le Parfum really matches the color of the juice. This is a very modern blue-ish fragrance. You can tell the original L’Homme’s DNA is here. But, it is infused with elements of other YSL colognes.

L’Homme Ultime and Libre, come to mind. Those aren’t made anymore, but when it is all blended together, the opening gives off strong Y EDP vibes also. So, it becomes the original L’Homme blended with Y EDP.

The opening act features a strong blend of citrus and the basil. That basil note is what L’Homme Libre was built around and along with the violet leaf brings me flashes of that scent, within Le Parfum.

The basil, lemony spicy cardamom, and actual lemon are all sitting on top of the fresh and dry cedar wood and that synthetic amberwood aroma. The amberwood really steers the blue-ish feeling of this fragrance, like other modern colognes which pair that with citrus.

Unlike Libre, Le Parfum’s basil freshness is tampered down by the sweet spiciness of the cardamom note. Which gives it those L’Homme Ultime vibes, with the geranium. Strip out the sage and apple of Y EDP and Le Parfum is a good approximation, in its early stages.

This fragrance starts out leaning more towards the fresh end of the spectrum, with a solid amount of sweetness. However, in the dry down that flips and Le Parfum becomes sweeter than the other releases that I’ve mentioned.

It’s a woody sweetness with that fresh and hefty dose of geranium in the middle. It ends up being smoother and sweeter in the end, versus the somewhat sharp and synthetic opening act.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I really appreciate the performance of Le Parfum. I have a recent bottle of L’homme and the sillage and longevity are terrible. With Le Parfum, YSL changes course and delivers something much more substantial.

Early on the sillage is strong. Not a bomb, but one that could easily be over-sprayed. That phase will last 30 minutes or so. After that, Le Parfum fall much more in the moderate camp with its projection. It’s a good deal.

The performance here is also solid. It isn’t elite in regards to how long it lasts, either. But, I’ve been getting around 8 hours of wear on my skin.

So, it will deliver what you will need for most purposes and circumstances. Better than almost any other release in this series (it might actually be, but I can’t think of any which exceed it, off of the top of my head).

Seasonally, I’d wear this in the moderate to warmer temperatures of early autumn, the whole of spring, and much of the summer months. It’s a bit too sharp for the cold and probably wouldn’t hold up all that well in the extreme heat and humidity.

Plenty of use, though.

I don’t consider this to be a formal wear. It’s office safe, if you don’t overdo it. However, I’d prefer to wear this out on the town or casually day to day. Think more of evenings in the spring and summer months.

Can easily be worn be any age group. It might be too sweet for some guys, however. That blue-ish ambroxan mix can be a turn off for some and you get plenty of it with Le Parfum.

Overall Impressions of L’Homme Le Parfum

I like it. It has enough of the DNA of the original and blends it with other releases. Not my favorite by any means, but it can do a nice job of replacing L’Homme, which now has atrocious performance.

I like the basil touches, cardamom, and the cedar freshness. Very easy to wear and versatile. A true ‘blue’ cologne with plenty of ambroxan in the base. It is very much an amalgam of other fragrances from this brand, so if you’ve tried any of the one’s that I’ve mentioned, you basically know what this one is like.

I enjoyed wearing it during testing, but it still wasn’t something that I’d personally want a full bottle of. L’Homme Le Parfum does everything well enough and be a solid addition to someone’s rotation.

Ariana Grande Cloud vs. Ari Comparison

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Ariana Grande has a whole line of fragrances now, but the first of the series was Ari. While it isn’t the absolute best of them, in my opinion, it still ranks pretty highly. Meanwhile, Cloud has become one of the uber-popular perfumes from the pop star, and now exceeds the original release in terms of sales. But, which one is actually better? In this post, I break it down.

Tale of the Tape: Cloud vs. Ari by Ariana Grande

Cloud

Notes include: pear, lavender, bergamot, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, musk, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray, clear, 3.4 oz

Read my review: Cloud

Ari

Notes include: marshmallow, pear, orchid, grapefruit, raspberry, musk, rose, lily of the valley

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Ari Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)

Read my review: Ari by Ariana Grande

Opening

Cloud opens up with a blend of notes lead by pear, that is both sweet and bright. The lavender note makes itself known early on, but has sort of a rough finish to it. Cloud itself has a light, fluffy, and sort of airy style to it.

Later on, more of the praline, musk, and whipped cream will emerge in support of the main stars of this perfume.

The opening act of Ari is mostly about the fruit notes, which are sweet, and compelling. The marshmallow note at the base, is always present, but becomes much more noticeable later on. For now, it is playing a support role for the raspberry and grapefruit.

Raspberry is the strongest aroma to my nose at first, then, grapefruit. To me, the pear will get a little bit stronger and have its moments in the light. Though, it’s not all that powerful on my skin.

Then, after 15 minutes the vanilla orchid and marshmallow play a greater role. The fruits will move into supporting those two.

Between the two, it’s actually pretty close. Personally, I prefer the opening of Ari to that of Cloud. The raspberry and grapefruit are a nice mix of fruity and sweet, without the lavender of Cloud. Though, it’s not a huge win.

Edge: Ari

Projection

Neither sillage is too heavy and they aren’t projection monsters. Interestingly, they both have that airy or fluffy marshmallow-like softness in terms of sillage. It’s a very close comparison.

Though, I think Cloud has an ever so slight edge over Ari. Cloud Intense is stronger than Ari and that’s somewhat more powerful than the original.

Is it a huge distinction? No. It might not even be completely noticeable, but Cloud takes it.

Edge: Cloud

Longevity

So, neither of this fragrances are super long lasting, nor are they complete disappointments. Just don’t expect all day wear without reapplying.

With Ari, I consistently got around 5 hours during testing. Pretty middle of the road, but useful.

Cloud, on the other hand, goes for about six. It isn’t above and beyond better than Ari, but it does have a distinct edge.

Edge: Cloud

Versatility

Seasonally, Ari probably has a better use case. Outside of the hottest days of the year, it’s fine. With Cloud, it’s best served to be worn autumn through the spring.

Neither of these is a formal fragrance, but can be used in a wide variety of circumstances.

I think that the distinction for Cloud is that it is a bit more mature. Ari is closer to a teenager or early 20s type of perfume. Cloud isn’t super mature, but the age range extends further. That gives it the edge here for me.

Edge: Cloud

Overall Scent

Cloud is a nice perfume that has gotten a lot of attention. Most of that seems to be less because of its own unique aroma and more of its association as a Baccarat Rouge like fragrance.

The early stages of this fragrance are my least favorite. The lavender needs time to settle. Though, once it has the airy sweetness of coconut, praline, and whipped cream is great. I like the fluffiness and how it gives you whiffs of it throughout the day.

It’s also a bit better than Ari with its intangibles. You get more power, longevity, and maturity. It’s got a wider use case than its competitor.

However, I think Ari smells better. Yes, you do have to probably be in the younger demographic to wear it, but that’s most of Ariana’s fragrance audience anyway.

The marshmallow and orchid in the dry down is great. I like the fruitier opening better and the overlap between these scents, doesn’t give cloud much room to take this win.

It’s super close, but just going off of smell, I’d go with Ari.

Winner: Ari

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

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Baccarat Rouge is the most popular perfume in the world right now (or it at least seems that way). So naturally, the more concentrated Extrait version has also garnered a lot of attention.

As a man, neither is something that I particularly want to wear for myself, but I do enjoy them. I grabbed new decants of each recently to finally post my reviews. How does BR 540 Extrait smell? Does it last long? Is it worth the high price?

What does Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait Smell Like?

Notes include: almond, saffron, ambergris, jasmine, cedar, musk

Click here to try: Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait at Saks

My Full Review

The opening of Extrait is sweet and powerful with the almond note and saffron. Well, call it bittersweet. It actually reminds me a bit of a more well put together (and unisex) version of 1 Million Lucky.

That cologne has a hazelnut in lieu of the almond. However, they have shared notes of  jasmine, cedar, musk, and amber. Here is is ambergris versus a much more synthetic smelling amberwood. Definitely not as sharp or harsh as the Paco Rabanne, but they do have a similar profile early on.

As Maison Kurkdjian describes the saffron note: “Its very powerful perfume is bitter and slightly metallic, blowing hot and cold on the rest of the composition with also a leathery, tarred facet.” 

Saffron gives it a bit of spiciness yet it’s all very smooth. I smell a pinch of salt in this mix. The impression of faded cotton candy, like walking along a boardwalk where they’re selling that fluffy pink stuff.  Like it was made earlier in the day, just remnants hanging in the air. 

The next phase comes across as more watery and sweet. Very clean with jasmine taking the reigns and feeling closer to the original Baccarat Rouge. The opening almond fades mostly away on my skin.

The musk, woods, and ambergris play the supporting role to the jasmine note for the rest of the way. It’s mostly about the floral with a very fresh and musky cedar coming in second. This is more of a unisex fragrance than what I get from the original.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is pretty powerful at first, but it really settles closer to the skin. It will project itself pretty darn far off of the skin or a piece of clothing. Though, once it has calmed down a bit, I don’t find it to be too strong.

I mean, I definitely notice it throughout the day and it’s less airy than the EDP, but I never feel completely overwhelmed by Extrait. Yet, you don’t need to apply very much to make it work. Nice balance. 

Longevity wise, Extrait is an absolute workhorse. This perfume just keeps going well past 10 hours. I’m not sure exactly when it ends but I’ve worn it for 13 hours and it wasn’t quitting. So, you could probably tack a few more hours to that total. 

Seasonally, I like this mostly in the colder weather of autumn and winter. Not a super heavy scent, just not one that I’d reach for in late spring or the summer. Depending on where you live, you might get use out of Extrait for 2/3 of the year.

It does have great versatility. It can be worn by all ages, is unisex, and can be worn on a variety of occasions. I don’t really think of it as a nightlife perfume or one that is all that ‘sexy’. Outside of that, it can generally fit in and does have an attractive quality.

 

 

Overall Impressions of BR 540 Extrait

Overall, do I like Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait? Yes, while it is very expensive, this one is a great perfume and I do like it a bit better than the original. 

I enjoy the opening act with the almond and saffron. Particularly, the saffron since it is one of my personal favorites. You get plenty of the DNA of BR 540, but with its own uniqueness and personality. It’s a bit more refined and smooth.

Performance wise, you’ll get your money’s worth. It goes on and on and doesn’t seem to want to quit. It is one of the longest lasting perfumes on the market. Which is cool, because it also smells great, and doesn’t need to use any odd notes to achieve that longevity.

Is it worth the price? If you like the smell, absolutely. If you’ve never smelled it before, you should probably grab a sample before committing to a full bottle. For most people, I don’t think it would be too much of a mistake. But on the off chance that you don’t enjoy the sort of perfume, it could get pretty costly. 

Coach Platinum EDP by Coach

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For this entry into my ever running series of men’s fragrance reviews, with have a newer release from Coach New York called, Coach Platinum for Men. This comes on the heels, of the pretty popular fragrance, Coach for Men. How does this one stand up? What’s it smell like? How long does it last? Is it worth a buy?

What Does Coach Platinum for Men Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, sage, sandalwood, pineapple, leather, patchouli, black pepper, geranium, juniper berries

Click here to try: Coach New York Platinum Cologne for Men 3.3 fl.Oz Eau De Parfum Spray

My Full Wear Review

Coach Platinum opens up with pineapple, juniper berries, black pepper, and sage. Also, there is the ever present vanilla. It sort of smells like a spicier Dylan Blue mixed with Sauvage EDP, with an extra heaping of vanilla. Don’t worry, smelling like other fragrances, will be a common theme with this scent.

I actually like the pineapple and juniper mix up top, its fun and delightful. However, the pineapple craps out pretty quick, and the juniper is left on its own. At this stage, it is a battle to smell like a mix between Sauvage EDP and Luna Rossa Carbon.

It’s weird to have the Sauvage comparison, as there isn’t an ambroxan note listed. However, Coach Platinum does give off that effect.

It goes back and forth between smelling like those two fragrances, for a while. Finally, it decides that it wants to smell like a version of Carbon, with vanilla, leather, and sage. The vanilla becomes the strongest note, with a smooth leather in there.

The sage, along with other notes, substitute for the lavender found in Carbon. Gives Platinum a more aromatic spice, which I do enjoy.

The vanilla and leather, sit on top of sandalwood, at the end. I have to say, this part is quite enjoyable to smell on my skin. I dig it.

So, that’s it. Take Luna Rossa Carbon, add lots of vanilla, throw in some leather, and you have Coach Platinum for Men (for the most part).

I don’t want to make it sound bad, as I like all of these scents, as well as Coach Platinum for Men. It is just that, I’m sick of this formula, that every designer feels the need to replicate.

How Long Does it Last? What’s the Sillage Like?

The sillage of Coach Platinum, is not all that powerful. It’s not weak, but, pretty middle of the road. It’s not going to be a powerhouse scent, though, it is noticeable. At its absolute peak, it probably radiates maybe 7 feet from the skin, before it falls back inwards shortly thereafter.

It lasts on my skin in the 6-7 hour range, with normal sprays. The last few hours, sit really close to the skin, however. The opening act hangs around for 45 minutes or so, which is when this fragrance is at its most unique.

Even though it reminds me of other scents, it melded them into something very nice, and I wish that had continued.

When Should You Wear it?

Seasonally, I think that this would work in anything but the hottest climates. It’s not a heavy aroma, but it does have some warmth that wouldn’t fare too well in the heat. Coach Platinum is very versatile, in that respect.

It can serve as a daily wear, for a nighttime scent, and fits with any age group. However, it does skew towards the youthful end of the spectrum.

This is an attractive scent, it will get complemented by people, and seems to get positive responses fairly widespread. So, if you’re a younger guy and want something that can get some attention, Platinum works for that.

I would say that it leans more as a casual fragrance than anything formal. For those sorts of events, I would probably go with another option.

Overall

Overall, do I think Coach Platinum is a buy? In general, yes. For me personally, no. That’s not to say, I’m not going to use my mini spray of this one, I will.

However, It doesn’t offer me enough differences between, Luna Rossa Carbon and Sauvage EDP. The sage and vanilla are nice.

The very last bit of the wear, when the vanilla is out in full force is great, and so is the opening pineapple.

Actually, the more that I have worn this, the more I enjoy the opening and get bothered by the rest. I want the pineapple to stick around, as I think that part of the fragrance is excellent.

I wish that they had taken that aspect of the cologne and just ran with it to create something truly new and unique. The opening act with something other than that vanilla and leathery finish would have been awesome.

Platinum for Men is a good scent. The performance is decent, but it gets lost in the shuffle, for me. I’d rather wear the other mentioned fragrances, than this one, and there’s just no room for it in my rotation.

I will say, if you want a more low key scent in this style, Coach Platinum would be a nice pick up. The retail price is a bit high for the performance that you get out of it, but if you shop discounters, this can be a very wearable cologne.

Bleu de Chanel Parfum by Chanel

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I’ve been on a bit of a testing kick, over the past few months, and I have plenty of new reviews coming down the pike. As such, let’s get things started with a somewhat new offering from Chanel released in 2018, Bleu de Chanel Parfum. Now, this is of course, a flanker fragrance on the BdC line. How does it stack up? What does it smell like? How’s the longevity? Is it even different enough, to warrant a try?

What does Bleu de Chanel Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, cedar, lemon, lavender, mint, bergamot, tonka bean, amber, geranium

Click here to try: BLEU DE C H A N E L PARFUM, 3.4 oz./ 100 mL

bleu parfum review

My Full BdC Parfum Review

Bleu de Chanel Parfum opens up with the usual citrus infusion from this line, lemon and bergamot. However, it is joined by mint, and the ever present wood notes. It’s a very smooth freshness, right from the start, and starts out pretty similar to the other Bleu de Chanel scents.

However, I think the differences really begin to show, later on in the wear. Though, in the opening act, I’d say it more resembles EDP versus the EDT.

After a few minutes, I start to get more lavender, and the mint fades away some. The citrus here isn’t as sharp, as in the EDT version, and its really tempered by the wood notes. There is a slight herbal quality to this fragrance, but it’s mostly about the clean cut cedar and sandalwood.

Once past the opening stages, this has a pretty noticeable shift into a warmer sort of scent. The sandalwood takes full control of the scent, but the lemon note sticks around for the whole wear, just not to the same degree. The citrus accord, becomes much more of a zest.

During the dry down, I get a good amount of amber wood, lurking around. I think that it added some depth to the composition and pairs well with the tonka bean. Mostly at this stage, you get sandalwood, lemon zest, cedar, lavender.

I really enjoy the dryness and freshness of the wood, it feels like those notes have been ‘soaked’ by the more familiar ingredients of the Bleu line of fragrances from Chanel.

Sillage, Longevity and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage here isn’t crazy. It starts off pretty strong, but then, will stick closer to the skin for the rest of the time. It does create a nice little scent bubble around you, it’s not a complete skin scent, or anything. At least for over half the wear.

I honestly expected a bit more from the sillage and that is the weakest point, in terms of BdC Parfum’s performance.

The longevity, was actually fantastic on my skin. It lasted for over 10 hours, which is better than what I’ve experienced, from the other Bleu colognes. I will get a 3 or so hours with really good sillage, before it becomes a lighter scent.

Some reviews I’ve seen report it not having that level of performance, but it hasn’t disappointed any time that I’ve used Parfum.

Seasonally, it can work year round, except the absolute hottest of days. I wore it out in the desert heat, once,  and it got absolutely blasted.

However, this is a great option for colder days, through a more temperate climate. The woodiness works amazingly well, when the temperatures, are in a moderate range.

That is a bit of a change of pace from the EDT version, which holds up better in the heat, and the EDP to some extent. This is the most cold weather appropriate of the lot. The woods and the general warmth of the base notes, lends itself well to that time of the year.

Bleu de Chanel Parfum, smells like a classier fragrance. It can be worn casually, but I think that it is great for formal events, or the office. It is quite versatile, because it has a certain appeal into the nightlife, also. It’s going to get complements and is a really attractive aroma.

Overall Scent

Overall, do I like Bleu de Chanel? Yes, I think that it is a wonderful scent. It has enough of that original EDT or EDP formulas, running through it, but takes it in a more refined and woody direction. The Parfum formulation is very well done.

The sandalwood note in here, is spectacular, and really sells this one for me. The performance is great, in terms of time it lasts, while the sillage is solid enough to enjoy.

It’s been awhile since I’ve worn the other BdC fragrances, however, I’m pretty sure this is my new favorite. I will go back and forth between this and EDP, as to which one is tops…both great, though.

Update: After coming back to both for another round, I’ve squarely settled on the EDP version of Bleu de Chanel as my favorite. This takes the second spot. It never does a full imitation of Bleu de Chanel EDT, but I definitely like the changes its made to that formula.

If you’ve enjoyed any of the fragrances in the series, you will have a good idea of what to expect with Parfum. If you have a bottle of one, you probably won’t need a bottle of another.

Yes, there are plenty of differences, but not so great that they demand having the entire collection. Unless, you really just want to have the complete set.