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!

Spicebomb EDT by Viktor & Rolf

by

Spicebomb from Viktor & Rolf, is a fragrance that I was sure that I reviewed on the site many years ago. While recently posting reviews on the Night Vision flankers to this cologne, I realized that I never actually did.

So, it’s time to rectify that mistake, and I’ll be doing so based on the current formulation from a sample that I bought. How does it smell? Is it still worth a buy?

What does Spicebomb EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: cinnamon, saffron, bergamot, pink pepper, pimento berries, white leather, tobacco, grapefruit, vetiver

Click here to try: Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 1.7 Ounce 

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Viktor & Rolf describes it: Spicebomb is an instant olfactory detonation. An overturning convention which reveals a fragrance that makes no concessions. An explosive concentrate of masculine sensuality.

Spicebomb opens up with that ‘detonation’ of spices and a quite noticeable mix of the grapefruit and bergamot. It’s for sure not a tropical or citrus-laden fragrance, but those notes are present for much of the wear, especially in the initial stages.

Beyond that, the pink pepper note comes through with the cinnamon blend in a pretty even split early on. It’s like a 60/40 deal, to my nose, but the cinnamon will increasingly become dominant.

As it moves along, the sharp blast of spice will settle and be smoothed out by the notes emerging from the heart. I get a lot of saffron and vetiver, which gives Spicebomb a bit more maturity from that youthfully energetic opening act.

Leather comes in, very lightly in the middle, adding to the smoothness and character of this cologne.

At this point, you pretty much get everything you’re going to with this one. It’s cinnamon, saffron, vetiver, leather, and the remaining grapefruit. Finally, it’s the cinnamon, saffron, and vetiver to finish things off until it disappears completely.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, the EDT version still has some punch, but it’s more of a moderate fragrance nowadays. Older bottles projected better for longer, but this latest batch wasn’t bad in terms of its overall power. Just not the same level.

On my skin, I get 6-7 hours of wear from Spicebomb. Yeah, that’s also taken a hit. It went from very good longevity, to solid. If you want a monster performer from this series, Spicebomb Extreme delivers that. Though, it’s a different sort of scent.

Seasonally, this is a autumn and winter wear. The citrus and spice can not only melt in the heat, but can also give off a body odor sort of smell. So, if you live in a more tropical area, you may only get some use from this at night.

Also, it’s more of a casual or nightlife scent. Yes, it has a sexiness to it and is attractive. However, Spicebomb isn’t a formal fragrance and might not be someone’s daily wear cologne. You can get plenty of use from it, it’s just not a jack of all trades.

Overall Impressions of Spicebomb

Overall, do I like Spicebomb? I do. I really enjoyed coming back to this fragrance, after years of not using it. That aroma is still there and still great. I did use Man in Black by Bvlgari during this interlude, which has a very similar albeit boozier profile to Spicebomb EDT.

Spicebomb is still fresh with that great spicy kick, especially up top. As it dries down, you do get a smoother experience with the additional saffron, tobacco, and white leather. The saffron is pretty noticeable during the middle act, which is a good thing, as it is a highly underrated note.

The performance is decent, in its latest incarnation. Is it as good as it used to be? No, but not terrible either. I wish it had its older performance levels, though, it wouldn’t deter me from getting a bottle of the newer batches.

Spicebomb EDT is a classic and one that is well worth getting if you want a dynamic and spicy fresh cologne. The good news, is that, you can usually find really affordable bottles of this stuff online and any change in performance becomes much less of an issue.

I still love how this one smells and will recommend trying it out, if you have yet to ever smell this Viktor & Rolf creation.

Mont Blanc Legend Spirit EDT

by

In this post, I am going to take a look at yet another Mont Blanc fragrance for men. This one, is from the Legend series: Legend Spirit eau de toilette. It was launched in 2016 and has enjoyed a bit of popularity on its own since.

However, is it actually any good? Or is it just a failed version of the original? What does it smell like? Does it last for a long time? Please continue below for my full thoughts and experiences with Legend Spirit.

What does Mont Blanc Legend Spirit Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, pink pepper, bergamot, musk, aquatic accord, lavender, cardamom, oak moss, wood

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Legend Spirit Eau de Toilette, 3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

So, Legend Spirit, is obviously a flanker fragrance to the original and popular Legend from Mont Blanc. Does this new one smell like the original? Not really, other than sharing some citrus and lavender. Legend Spirit opens up with mainly grapefruit (with some bergamot) for the top citrus note, cardamom, and an aquatic accord.

On my skin, I pick up a lot of spicy warm cardamom, sitting in a watery base. Legend Spirit also gets compared to Invictus Aqua, but to me, it doesn’t really favor that fragrance either. Yes, they are in the same sort of category, but not clones. Invictus Aqua has a salt water aroma, that this lacks, and none of the cardamom. Pink pepper and citrus? Yes, but that’s about all.

Even though this Mont Blanc has an aquatic accord, it does have underlying dryness, from wood, musk, and oak moss. This gets more pronounced as the wear moves on.

At the start, however, it is a nice citrus with water notes and pink pepper/cardamom giving it a depth and warmth. It really seems to hit its stride, at about 10 minutes in, and everything starts to settle down.

During the dry down, much of the citrus notes burn away. There is residual grapefruit throughout. As I said, it gets drier, the further along you get into the wear. The pink pepper and cardamom, really seem to begin to carry this fragrance forward.

The pink pepper is a dead ringer for that found in Guess Seductive. What I get is an aquatic cologne with cardamom leading the way, lavender in second, pink pepper and grapefruit sitting beyond that. At it’s base: oak moss and slight musk.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this EDT, doesn’t have a huge sillage. At first, it can be pretty good, with a few solid sprays before it sits much closer to the skin. I really don’t pick it up as much as I do with Legend Night, which has better sillage with an equal number of sprays.

The longevity is okay, but really not that great. It will go for 4-6 hours on my skin, before disappearing. It’s actually pretty disappointing for this price point. 2-3 more hours and this would be pretty great.

The Legend series as a whole, doesn’t have amazing performance. To me, there mostly mediocre to decent, in that regard.

Seasonally, I like it as a spring/summer wear, but it is good to go in any season. It won’t ever feel out of place. Legend Spirit is a very fresh scent, that can work well casually, at work, or even on a date.

Nice blend that is semi-aquatic, with a dry woodiness. Appealing aroma for what it is.

People seem to really dig this scent and it will be enjoyable for the ladies. Has enough maturity for an older man to wear it, but doesn’t have some overbearing profile, that would prevent a teen from wearing it either. Very versatile cologne.

Overall Impressions of Legend Spirit

Overall, do I like Legend Spirit? I do. I enjoy it much more than the original Legend, but I still prefer Legend Night, overall. This is a nice twist on the citrus aquatic fragrance. Yes, it is familiar, and shares aspects with many other scents.

However, the cardamom and pink pepper, help to separate it from the pack and produce something that is very nice and quite useful. This would serve well as a daily wear fragrance, or a sort of, do-everything scent.

Is it the best ever? No, but it does everything well, except for the longevity. Even that’s not completely terrible. It’s a good wear for the summer.

I wouldn’t be mad paying retail price for a bottle of Spirit. At a discount, this Montblanc is a worthwhile pickup, that can cover plenty of bases for you.

4 Best Smelling Tiffany & Co Perfumes

by

Tiffany & Co. has a long and storied history. It’s even put out plenty of perfumes over the years but completely revamped its lineup in the past five. Not only that, the company was bought out by LVMH in a long-drawn out deal. Still, with all of the new things going on, the brand doesn’t have super deep lineup of fragrances for ladies. In this post, I want to break down the best options they have available and what distinguishes them from one another.

What are the Best Tiffany & Co. Fragrances for Her?

Classy Iris & Pink Pepper

Tiffany & Co. Intense Eau de Parfum .13 fl. oz.– Tiffany Intense does have the powdery iris quality found in the original, actually it comes across to me as more powdery. But, at the same time, you get an interesting blend of fresh notes, spice, and sweetness to keep it from baby powder territory.

The musk and iris blend is the same, with the citrus notes removed, but a great addition of jasmine that helps to take Intense in a newer direction. Up top, that pink pepper does have a tendency to pop and be powerful at first. Though, it does subside a lot.

As it moves forward, this entry becomes sweeter with vanilla and the floral notes really coming together. It starts to move out of the powdery aroma that I get in the initial stages. Even with all of that, Intense doesn’t become too heavy or too much of a cold weather scent. Still versatile and enjoyable.

Best Pure Floral

Tiffany & Co Sheer Eau de Toilette Perfume Gift Box Set– Sheer is the muskier option of the Tiffany EDP flankers. It keeps much of the same formulation, but adds black currant and ylang-ylang while amping up the musk note (while lowering the mandarin).

So, the iris is still in charge, but shares with the ylang-ylang and a touch of rose oil. It’s a light soapy floral with early touches of fruit, that doesn’t particularly hang around for a long time.

As it dries down, Tiffany Sheer takes on a greener and more naturalistic floral aroma. The soapiness calms down and you get an iris-led bouquet. Reminder that this is a sheer perfume, so expect it to be light, and the performance not to be amazing.

But within that time frame, it’s a nice option for floral lovers.

Citrus Woods Fresh

Tiffany & Co. Love Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, Floral Woody, 3 Oz– Love EDP gives you something different from the Tiffany EDP flankers on this list. It’s got a sharper citrus, none of the iris, and a wonderful dose of basil up top.

Blackcurrant, grapefruit, and basil open up the composition with a great intensity and fresh spiciness. This is aided by the clean wood notes in the base, such as cedar and blue sequoia.

The basil doesn’t completely slap you across the face, it is moderated by the neroli note, which serves as the floral heart. The opening citrus does add a watery semi-aquatic aroma to the start, but has a bit more strength to my nose.

Later, the citrus is very light and it is a woody floral. Not a complete bomb but has a dynamic and youthful energy about it.

Popular Original Eau de Parfum

TIFFANY & CO. 2.5 OZ EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY WOMEN– This newer Tiffany EDP came out some years back and sort of goes underappreciated. I understand why in some ways, but as a soft daily wear perfume it’s actually quite nice.

Iris is the star of the show, surrounded by fruity notes, and musk. Not too complicated. It opens up more like a fruity floral and dries down as a floral musk. The vert de mandarine is the citrus highlight of this formulation.

This has a brighter, less musky, and less overtly powdery aroma when compared to Intense. Tiffany & Co. EDP has a fresher and cleaner presentation. Super easy to wear, when you prefer to be low key.

Liaisons Dangereuses (typical me) by Kilian

by

Liaisons Dangereuses, typical me is one of the earlier releases from Kilian and still among the most popular from the brand. They still produce it, over a decade later, so it can’t be too shabby.

Actually, this has always been among my favorites from the fruity/floral offerings. Since I’m making my way through reviewing the By Kilian perfumes, I also grabbed a sample of this to give my updated take of Liaisons Dangereuses.

What does Liaisons Dangereuses Smell Like?

Notes include: plum, rose, sandalwood, blackcurrant, ambrette, vanilla, moss, peach

Click here to try: Kilian Liaisons Dangereuses 1.7 Oz. Edp Spray Refill

My Full Review

Let’s see how By Kilian describes this scent: A secret love affair begins innocently enough with jammy rose essence and juicy plum accord in Liaisons dangereuses, typical me.

I know that the plum note is what is featured by the brand as the main note up top. However, it has always been about the peach for me and many others. Really, coming back to Liaisons Dangereuses the peach and blackcurrant notes are the most prominent in the opening act.

It is a sweet and juicy accord, sitting on top of a fresh rose note, and perhaps a touch of moss coming from the base. Kilian calls it a jammy rose and I totally get that. There is plum floating around in here, but on me, I really don’t get all that much. Again, it’s peachy.

What I like about this perfume is how it isn’t a heavy and thick sweetness. There is a fresh, clean, and crisp vibe throughout the wear. The moss and perhaps some geranium, really do a nice job preventing it from becoming an overwhelming cloying mess.

As we transition forward, the blackcurrant fades away and it becomes a peach and rose blend. This is joined by some creaminess of vanilla and sandalwood. At this stage, the tart plum note is somewhat more noticeable, but still not dominant in the composition.

The final dry down, has the rose lose some of its steam. It feels like a fruity, fresh woodsy, and slightly creamy blend. No one note stands out that much, aside from that peachy fruit aroma. It doesn’t throw any curveballs and isn’t a very complex wear…just very enjoyable to me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s pretty middle of the road. Not weak, but don’t expect Liaisons to project like a monster. I do notice it’s presence throughout the entirety of the wear, but it isn’t ‘in your face’ about it.

The longevity is pretty good, just not outstanding. Right around 8 hours, give or take. I don’t notice it sticking around for double digit hours, but it can usually do about a standard workday without much issue. Nice performance, just not top tier by any stretch.

Seasonally, Liaisons Dangereuses can actually work quite well in any season or climate. Weakest in the winter, but it wouldn’t feel wholly out of place there either. It is unisex to an extent, by definitely leans feminine. I doubt most guys would want to wear this one.

One of the strengths of this scent is its versatility. It can be worn in a wide variety of situations. It’s not really a formal scent or club beast. However, it can be worn on a night out, as well as to the office.

The name makes it sound more like a seductive or sexy perfume. On some level, it is. I mean, I find it attractive, but I wouldn’t call it a ‘bombshell’.

Overall Impressions of Liaisons Dangereuses

Do I like this perfume? Absolutely. It is one of my favorites for women from the line of Kilian scents. Maybe not the most complex, but as a peach based perfume it is awesome. Smells attractive, plenty versatile, and performs well enough.

The opening is a blend of fruity notes and is probably the aspect that I enjoy the most. The rose is just present enough, but doesn’t steal the show from the peach, blackcurrant, and plum trio.

The latter stages are a blend of peach and rose with fresh and creamy notes duking it out in the base. Also, a very slight spice at times.

Is this one worth a buy? I think so. Provided that you want a peachy/plum rose fragrance or a nice fruity/floral. It isn’t completely unique, there are other perfumes that go this route, but I think Dangereuses distinguishes itself enough.

There’s nothing bad about this perfume. It’s safe and versatile. If it sounds like something right up your alley, give this Kilian scent a try.

Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi by Kilian

by

I’ve been working my way through posting up reviews of as many of the by Kilian fragrances that I can. Still in the early stages, but I’ve really wanted to spend some time with each and get a good sense of how each develops.

Today’s entry is the exhaustingly titled Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi released in 2015. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is this Kilian perfume worth a buy?

What does Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Smell Like?

Notes include: ylang-ylang, gardenia, sandalwood, mandarin essence, neroli, tuberose, orange blossom

Click here to try: By Kilian Voulez vous coucher avec Moi Eau de Parfum 50 ml 

My Full Review

Let’s see how Kilian describes this perfume: Elusive, elegant, a scent that lasts well into the evening, with its radiant gardenia headspace and ylang-ylang, blooming with tantalizing tuberose…

The opening of Voulez feels fairly rosy to me, with a nice bit of powder also coming through. Not overly so, but it is there and is noticeable. I’m not always the best at picking up individual floral notes, but the ylang-ylang seems pretty distinct to my nose within these first few minutes.

Then, it becomes much more geared toward the orange blossom, gardenia, and neroli. At that point, it is slightly sweet with less of that initial powdery aroma. The orange flower is noticeable at the very beginning, but it becomes more prominent to me a few minutes in.

On my skin, this By Kilian fragrance takes a while to truly reveal the direction it wants to go in. It’s a few initial waves of varying floral blends, before it really settles on ylang-ylang, gardenia, and tuberose.

Those three are going to be the main attractions here. Sitting on a base of musk, sandalwood, and some vanilla (even if it’s not listed). So, opening the ylang-ylang stars. Later, I get more of the tuberose (but ylang-ylang is persistent). Finally, it ends with the gardenia, giving it a creamy sweetness with the woods, musk, and vanilla.

Once I get past the first few waves, it’s pretty much set in stone how it’s going to smell, just with some maneuverings between the main three floral notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s above average. It certainly doesn’t come across as a bomb on my skin. It sticks pretty close by and has a nice scent bubble of 3-5 feet for me. Solid, not crazy or anything.

Voulez-vous Coucher does perform well, however. I get 8-9 hours of wear from it during the day. That’s about what I should expect for the price and Kilian usually doesn’t disappoint with the performance on a majority of these scents.

Seasonally, this would work anytime outside of the high heat of summer. Summer nights, probably, just avoid the day. Ideally, I’d like this as an autumn perfume, that leans toward use in the nightlife.

While many Kilian fragrances are unisex, this is one of them that goes much more in the feminine direction. As a man, I wouldn’t wear this (outside of having to test it for the site), but it’d work well for a woman that I’m dating.

That being said, this is an attractive perfume, but I don’t really find it to be ‘sexy’. It’s a sweet floral that has more of a nighttime vibe, while being versatile enough to wear during the day. I don’t know, maybe other folks find this to be seductive, but to me it’s another pleasant floral blend.

Overall Impressions of Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi

Overall, do I like this perfume? I like it, but don’t love it. I especially hate having to type out that long title. Smell wise? It’s a very nice scent, it feels familiar and quite a bit like many other white floral perfumes, while still retaining its own identity.

The powdery aspect and the sweetness that comes off of this fragrance, does kind of get on my nerves. It’s not something that I need to scrub or anything, but it’s not my favorite.

Based on the name, I was expecting something sexier. Instead, it seems more like an update to an older style of perfume.

It doesn’t have a massive projection off of my skin, which is weird, because I read a few reviews and folks said this was really strong. Maybe, it’s just me? Though, it did stick around for a good while.

I can’t say that Voulez-vous Coucher Avec Moi is a bad perfume. It’s actually pretty good across the board, which to me, is a problem for the price point.

It doesn’t make my top ten from Kilian, so, unless you’re a really big floral fan or of these particular notes…I’m not sure it makes sense to blind buy.