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!

Best Smelling Christian Lacroix Perfumes

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Christian Lacroix is a design house that has been around for decades, at this point. The fragrance side of things, seems to be no longer active and producing scents. However, they are still churning out scarfs and leather goods.

While you currently aren’t going to get any new perfume releases from this brand, there are still older ones available for purchase, that smell really great. In this post, I want to present 5 of the best perfume options from Christian Lacroix, if you’re in the market. 

What are the Best Christian Lacroix Fragrances?

Best Lacroix for Summer

C’est La Fete– A fruity and popular fragrance for the summer months. Pear and passion fruit, are the main drivers of this fragrance, but you also get some other fruity notes like apricot.

It isn’t a super sugary sweet scent, rather, it is a light and upbeat scent with a touch of juiciness and underlying floral notes.

Clean, crisp, with some tartness thrown in; this gives C’est La Fete a familiar yet unique profile versus other perfumes. It can be difficult to find a bottle, but they still do exist online. 

Spicy Unique Floral

Bazar– Bazar has an even more unique set of ingredients, than does, the previous entry. This one goes more of the floral route, but still has a fruity start, and a greenish spiciness throughout.

Bazar is a perfume that will take you on an aromatic journey, with its different iterations and styles. As it dries down, the aroma shifts more towards the floral end of things, with ingredients such as orange blossom, while still retaining its peppery spice. 

Most Popular

Christian Lacroix– The original namesake fragrance of the Christian Lacroix brand. It is more of a traditional sort of perfume, that still has some tricks up its sleeve.

Christian Lacroix is a floral, with a slightly smoky and amber-laden finish. Heliotrope and ylang ylang gives this fragrance its floral bonafides, with the former providing a somewhat powdery cleanliness. 

Floral notes, amber, with some light hints of fruity sweetness early on. This is truly a beautiful fragrance, that could absolutely serve as a daily wear. 

Best White Floral Scent

Eau Florale- Just reading the name, you already know what this one is all about. If you’re a floral lover, this is probably going to be your best bet from Christian Lacroix.

Eau Florale is a white floral fragrance, with plenty of tuberose and gardenia. Along with, lily of the valley, and subtle hints of iris. However, it doesn’t just give you a typical bouquet effect, with a heavy ‘greenish’ aroma. 

Instead, you also get some early citrus notes which provides Eau Florale with a clean and somewhat watery finish. A very nice blend of notes, that won’t be boring, but can be worn in a variety of situations. 

 

 

Classic Aldehydes

C’est La Vie– This one was released decades ago, and definitely has that old school, or classic perfume vibe.

C’est La Vie is pretty prominent with the aldehydes and floral notes. Though, it doesn’t skew completely towards flowers, but shares the duty with some fruity ingredients such as raspberry and some pineapple. 

Yes, it is an older scent, but it still has a certain style that makes it pretty timeless. Not an ‘old lady’ fragrance, but one with plenty of depth and a tradition behind it. 

Coco Mademoiselle vs Miss Dior Perfume Comparison

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Two of the big names in French design, Dior and Chanel, have very popular fragrances for ladies that are somewhat similar: Coco Mademoiselle vs. Miss Dior EDP. Which one of these perfumes smells the best? Which gives a greater performance? Which is the better buy? In this post, I will compare them head to head, to help make a decision. 

Miss Dior EDP vs. Coco Mademoiselle: Tale of the Tape

Coco Mademoiselle

Notes include: jasmine, rose, orange, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle

Miss Dior EDP

Notes include: jasmine, blood orange, patchouli, mandarin orange, rose, rosewood, pink pepper

Click here to try: Christian Dior Miss Dior, 50ml/1.7 oz.

My Review: Miss Dior

Opening

Coco Mademoiselle starts closer to a fruity floral perfume, than anything else. . In fact, it is a blend of citrus, neroli, jasmine, rose and ylang ylang peaking through. The musk is not all that heavy, but it does have a solid level of patchouli coming through.

Miss Dior starts off with citrus fruits, patchouli, and rose. It’s essentially a blend of orange and lemon, with patchouli, and a hint of rose. The rose note isn’t too strong in either of these perfumes, at this stage.

After about 15 minutes, the rose really begins to take over, and the patchouli flanks it. The citrus notes begin to fade into the background.

Which do I enjoy more? They are actually very similar in the early stages, so it can be a tough call. Between the two, I think that I prefer Coco Mademoiselle versus the Dior fragrance. I think the citrus/floral blend is more balanced and just a tad better overall.

Edge: Coco

Projection

For me, Miss Dior EDP is pretty moderate throughout its entirety. It isn’t weak, but it never strikes as a powerhouse. Solid, but not something that overwhelms.

Coco Mademoiselle starts off stronger, stays that way for a great period of time, before becoming a moderate. The Chanel perfume, wins this round.

Edge: Coco

Longevity

With Miss Dior, I’ve gotten it to last around 8 hours, on the skin. It’s a very good performer and not disappointing.

However, Coco Mademoiselle, does go much longer. With that, I can get 10+ hours of solid use, before it fades away. Neither of them, gives you a bad deal, but Mademoiselle is better. 

Edge: Coco

Versatility

This Miss Dior fragrance is best served in the colder temperatures, all the way up to moderate, but not the high heat. Coco Mademoiselle can go year round. It isn’t a summertime scent, but holds up better than the Dior.

Outside of that, they are both all around great wears for daily life, more formal occasions, etc. The Chanel gets the nod, slightly, as it does have a bit more use with varying climates.

Edge: Coco

 

Overall Scent

So, it’s pretty much a clean sweet for Coco Mademoiselle, right? Basically, but it isn’t a blow out. I don’t want to discount Miss Dior EDP, which is a very good perfume. It just doesn’t quite hit the same level.

Actually, I have other Miss Dior favorites, which you might want to check out. They can probably give Mademoiselle a run for its money, for many women. 

For this contest, I’d go with Coco Mademoiselle. They are similar, but it does everything that the Dior does, and more. It’s just a better all around scent. Usually more expensive, but it’s worth it.

Winner: Mademoiselle

Creed Aventus vs Imperial Millesime Comparison

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Deciding which fragrance to buy can be tricky sometimes, as there are a multitude of factors from which to consider. This can become especially true when the colognes that you are considering cost in the triple digits to buy.

It is one thing to purchase a crummy scent that was $20 for the bottle versus one which was $175+. Creed is a luxury boutique brand known for its high quality ingredients and beautifully crafted scents.

In this post, I want to do a bit of a comparison between two options from Creed, Aventus vs Imperial Millesime and break down which will be the better option for most people and highlight the pros and cons of each.

Tale of the Tape: Aventus vs. Imperial Millesime

 

Creed Aventus 

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 read my original Aventus Review

Click here to get Aventus: Aventus by Creed

Creed Imperial Millesime

Notes include: Lemon, Iris, Green Bergamot, Mandarin

My original review of Imperial

Click here to try Imperial Millesime: Creed Imperial

Opening 

The opening of Aventus can be a pretty harsh citrus to deal with. I don’t really like the opening of Aventus and if all I’d have to go by was the first 15 minutes or so, I’d think that this fragrance wasn’t worth wearing. The pineapple, blackcurrant, and the dryness of birch can be a bit much at first.

However, the fragrance settles down into something much more enjoyable and fresh. The next wave has less of the pineapple, more birch/oak moss, and some sweetness provided by a light vanilla and French apple. 

Meanwhile, the opening of Imperial is much smoother, with a wonderful melon type of scent that blends with sea salt to create something quite pleasant.

The melon-like smell is like a blend of a standard melon and a bit of watermelon. This is paired with a salty aquatic note, which is why I suppose it comes across smelling that way. It’s actually lemon and mandarin orange, as the notes, and not any watermelon. 

Anyway, Imperial Millesime is juicy, musky, and very bright in the opening stages. Which scent is better? To me, I greatly prefer the start to Imperial, more than I ever have Aventus. 

Edge: Imperial Millesime

Projection

Neither one of these fragrances is slipping in quality when it comes to projection. Aventus never really requires more than two sprays while Imperial is no slouch either. Aventus is the stronger of the two and I’d say it projects more than Imperial does.

So, both start strong, but Aventus reaches the higher heights of sillage and keeps at it for longer. 

Edge: Aventus

Longevity

Wearing both of these colognes, I haven’t noticed a difference in terms of how long they last. I usually get 7-10 hours of solid performance out of each. Mostly, Aventus will go 8 or 9 hours on my skin, a bit less when it’s hot out.

Imperial is usually around 7 or 8 hours, but can last better in the heat than can Aventus. It can also reach that 10 hour mark, on occasion, like Aventus. No clear winner, in my experience. 

Edge: Push

Versatility

Creed Aventus is best worn in the spring and autumn, in my opinion. I don’t think that it holds up well in the heat, but early summer isn’t bad. On the other hand, Imperial Millesime is great for summertime wear as well as the warmer months of spring.

However, Aventus can be pulled off rather well in the winter months, to whereas Imperial would seem out of place in the cold weather.

As far as, on what occasion each of these scents could be worn, I’d say that they could arguably be worn anywhere for any event. I wouldn’t really call Imperial a date night type of cologne though and even if I’d wear other scents besides Aventus on a night out, it could be done well. 

I much prefer Imperial, as a daytime wear, in more casual situations. Overall, I’d say Aventus has the greater versatility. 

Edge: Aventus

 

 

Overall Scent

Aventus develops into something that is woodsy/masculine/leathery and the citrus notes become undertones as the fragrances wears on. Meanwhile, Imperial has that unique fruity quality blended with salt notes that just reminds me of the summer and the ocean.

I actually like Imperial better in terms of its smell, BUT I think that most men would be better served by Aventus out of the two.

I say this simply because of its greater versatility of being worn. Imperial Millesime is a great signature type of scent, but I feel that it does have its limitations.

Aventus fits in better, during more situations and climates. Imperial is rather straightforward, but has a really delightful salty melon aroma. Aventus is deeper with greater nuance.

These two are pretty neck and neck, in my book, but most would go with Aventus.  I have grown sort of tired of the formula, as there have been endless Creed Aventus ‘dupes’ coming to market over the years.

Winner: Aventus (for most guys)

Best Smelling Honeysuckle Scented Perfumes

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Honeysuckle is a pretty commonly used note in many female fragrances. It’s not the most popular flower in perfumes, but it is consistently added in scents, as an additional white flower when needed. However, it doesn’t always get the shine that it deserves, nor does it too often get featured as a main attraction in the world of fragrance.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at seven perfumes for her, which utilize honeysuckle as a main ingredient. Some will be more pure honeysuckle scents, while others will just have a prominent honeysuckle in its composition.

What are the Best Smelling Honeysuckle Perfumes?

Top Inexpensive Pure Honeysuckle Perfume

Demeter Cologne Spray, Honeysuckle, 3.4 oz.– Demeter’s take on a pure honeysuckle fragrance and it does it quite well. It has a very natural smelling version of the flower and does so for not much money. This isn’t a complex or layered scent, just a straight honeysuckle extravaganza.

The longevity on Demeter scents could be better, but at this price point, it isn’t much trouble to re-apply at all. In either case, this one is a perfect option for those who want the honeysuckle aroma without additional notes competing for attention.

Best Overall Honeysuckle Fragrance

AERIN Beauty Mediterranean Honeysuckle Eau de Parfum 50 ml by AERIN – A beautiful blend of citrus notes to go along with our floral star. Bergramot, orange, and grapefruit open up the fragrance with a bright and zesty scent.

The honeysuckle sits underneath at first, before emerging later on, and fully presenting itself.  A clean and juicy summertime perfume, with an upbeat personality, and a fantastic smell.

The opening citrus can be sharp for a little while, but I think that Mediterranean Honeysuckle, has a really great finish that is airy and clean.

Most Unique Perfume

Jo Malone Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne Spray Perfume – (1.0 oz / 30ml)– A bolder honeysuckle based fragrance, but one that has a unique aroma, with a dry mossy base note.

It isn’t as sweet as some of the others on the list, but has a greenish feeling, and the honeysuckle is paired with rose to create a beautiful floral mix.

Again, this one is a floral with green outdoorsy elements, but is still quite a great honeysuckle scent. Just a different type. I like this Jo Malone entry, as it does bring such a nice change of pace, with a fantastic woodsy type of base.

Other Great Options with this Note

Marc Jacobs Dot Eau de Parfum Spray, 1 Ounce– Dot by Marc Jacobs is more weighted toward the tropical fruit top notes, than the floral ones. Though, as it dries down the floral notes start to shine, and you get honeysuckle with orange blossom within the composition.

Also within there, you get a hint of creamy vanilla and coconut, with a musky wood base. It is a clean, juicy, and fairly light fragrance which smells quite delicious. Dot EDP Review

BURBERRY London Eau De Parfum for Women, 1 Fl. oz.– Burberry London opens up with a blend of rose and honeysuckle, along with a nice tangerine note. A bit later, jasmine comes in and takes over, much of the initial role that the rose played and pairs with our honeysuckle.

This isn’t a pure honeysuckle, but one which features plenty of it, among other well blended notes. London is a great floral perfume with a slight powdery aroma and underlying fresh green notes. It is still very popular and will last 8 hours or more on the skin. London for Women Review

ESTEE LAUDER Modern Muse Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce– Modern Muse EDP is another bouquet sort of fragrance, and not distinctly a honeysuckle one. However, honeysuckle is prevalent throughout, and at times is the most powerful floral note.

Jasmine is the lead flower, along with tuberose, and the latter and honeysuckle will share the stage with the jasmine.

Modern Muse opens with a light mandarin orange note, has moderate sillage, and lasts in the 6-7 hour range. It is a very nice daily wear candidate and enjoyable overall. Modern Muse EDP Review

Mary Kay Eau de Toilette – Sparkling Honeysuckle– Honeysuckle with a pear opening and a dry down which brings on freesia, as another floral aroma. Sparkling Honeysuckle is a pretty simple fragrance, with a sweeter scent than others featured here.

However, bringing together the pear and honeysuckle was a great idea. The dry down has a light woody base, which adds more depth. Good for spring/summer. This is usually available at a really inexpensive price point, also. Sparkling is a nice, pleasant, and very wearable use of this note.

5 Best Jessica Simpson Perfumes

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Jessica Simpson is not only a famous pop and reality show star, she has also become a branded best seller in the world of fashion. One component of this line is fragrances. The line of Jessica Simpson perfumes are very feminine and also very affordable. For this post, I have selected five of what I consider to be the best smelling scents in this collection.

What are the Best Perfumes by Jessica Simpson?

Most Popular Scent

Fancy by Jessica Simpson 100ml 3.4oz EDP Spray– Fancy was one of the first celebrity fragrances to have a similar smell to Viva La Juicy, but others quickly followed suit. Nonetheless, this is a fantastic option for those who want a sweet scent along those lines for cheap.

However, Fancy isn’t a fruity bomb, it features a delicious almond note, and can have a dry powdery aroma during the wear.  It’s sweet and the berry/almond notes in the beginning, create a distinction between it, and Viva La Juicy. This is when it’s at its fruitiest, apricot and pear, are also present.

Fancy dries down with some light floral touches from gardenia, but mainly, takes on a warm vanilla/caramel mix. Very warm, pleasant, and fun to wear. This is absolutely among her best scents.

Best New Release

Jessica Simpson Fancy Forever Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 oz– There haven’t been too many new releases from this line over the past 5 years or so. However, Fancy Forever is definitely worth a try and a better scent than Fiend, which is also another newer perfume.

Sweet and full of tonka bean, Forever blends that note with vanilla and some light fruity touches up top. It is powdery and musky, in the latter stages of the wear. For the fruity notes, I mostly pick up apricot but there is some litchi in there, as well.

Solid performance and easy to wear. Good inexpensive option for those who love a vanilla and tonka bean combination.

Underrated Jessica Simpson Fragrance

Jessica Simpson Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson for Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4-Ounce– A romantic perfume from Jessica Simpson full of unique and exotic notes including blush champagne, lotus blossom, goji leaf, and amber.

This one is still surprisingly underrated, especially considering the value you get for the price. It doesn’t seem to get the same level of attention, as others from this line.

Nonetheless, Fancy Love is a great and attractive wear, with very good versatility. Champagne, citrus, and peach blossom open things up for an exciting and fruity start. Then, the creaminess comes in fully with the floral notes, and a warm/salty amber. Really pretty stuff.

Top Springtime Wear

Jessica Simpson Vintage Bloom Women Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– A fresh and clean floral scent with notes of lime zest, peony, raspberry blossom, sandalwood, and musk. A soft perfume that is bright and vibrant like a spring day.

Vintage Bloom really kicks off with the citrus notes up top, paired with a light raspberry blossom. Peony, will come to be the stronger aroma, during the dry down. However, for much of the wear, it will be flanked by plenty of citrus.

Vintage Bloom is probably ideal for those who want something to wear in the warm weather, that is upbeat, and has a unique vibe. It is very pretty, with more of a floral/musk feel in the latter stage. It is that great blend of fruit notes, which truly set it apart. Wonderful.

Crisp Pear and Apple

Jessica Simpson I Fancy You Women Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Fruity, smooth, soft, and floral. Notes include fuji apple, pear, sandalwood, musk, lily of the valley, and tuberose. This is a lighter perfume but still beautiful.

I Fancy You is a crisp fruity/floral fragrance. Pear and apple together, do create that watery sort of aroma. Those together with musk, bring on a sensation of freshness and lightness.

The floral notes here, are lily of the valley and hyacinth, with the latter being the more noticeable. Clean and simple, with a very subtle woody touch, sitting at the base.