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 test out and 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!

Coco Mademoiselle L’eau Privée by Chanel

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Coco Mademoiselle L’eau Privée was brought out by the design house in 2020, as a night scent interpretation of the original Coco Mademoiselle. I grabbed a sample of this a while back and wanted to give it a try to see what it’s all about. How does it smell? Is it worth a buy?

What does Coco Mademoiselle L’eau Privée Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, jasmine, mandarin orange, musk

Click here to try: CHANEL COCO MADEMOISELLE L’EAU PRIVÉE Eau Pour la Nuit Spray 1,70z

My Full Review

Here’s how Chanel describes this scent: A delicate, sensual interpretation of COCO MADEMOISELLE designed to be worn at night.

L’eau Privée opens up with the bright and juicy orange note that is found in the original Coco Mademoiselle. The neroli note is noticeably absent, but it does seem like there is still a bit of the patchouli note lingering around.

Obviously, this one isn’t anywhere close to being as bold or intense as the others in this line of fragrance. However, I really like the way that it smells. I’ve always been a fan of Mademoiselle and this gives you a lighter interpretation, where the orange really gets to shine.

It’s fresh and not as sharp, which is great, since it’s made to be sprayed before bed. The rose and jasmine are there, more of the jasmine to my nose, but neither ever really comes to dominate. For me, the mandarin orange and the musk notes are the stars of the show.

Not too much development, the orange fades, and it becomes more of a musky floral blend.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

At it’s peak, the sillage is pretty moderate. Weaker than the others in the series, so, don’t expect a huge projection. The thing is, that peak is short-lived. After that, L’eau Privée is a light fragrance that’s going to stick close to the body.

The longevity, is about 4 hours on me. Those last two hours, it’s basically a complete skin scent. Again, that’s what this one is designed to do. The performance isn’t going to be the selling point for anyone looking to purchase this fragrance.

The versatility is basically limited to a few hours before bed or anytime, you want a quick spray to freshen up for a short period of time. If you buy this, you’re not going to be wearing it out to the club or the office or wherever.

I mean, you can wear it to these places and you’ll smell great. But, a few hours later…it’ll be all but gone.

My Overall Impressions

Do I like this perfume? Yes, I love the formulation of this Coco Mademoiselle. L’eau Privée smells really great, upon the first spray. The mandarin orange really gets time to shine and you get plenty of that original DNA here.

If this were a longer lasting flanker, it’d be pretty damn amazing. As it is, only a limited number of people are going to want a bottle.

Something to wear to bed? Okay, fine. You’re still paying Chanel prices for the opportunity to do so. If that sounds like what you’re in the market for, it does smell wonderful. If you’re not, then, really go with one of the other Coco Mademoiselle options.

Sauvage EDT vs Acqua di Gio Profumo Comparison

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In today’s cologne comparison, we have a match up between two popular colognes: Dior Sauvage vs. Acqua di Gio Profumo. Which of these fragrances smells the best? Which performs well? Between the two which is the better buy? Dior or Armani?

Tale of the Tape

Sauvage

Notes include: Bergamot, Ambroxan, Sichuan Pepper, lavender, pink pepper, and more

Click here to try: Sauvage by Chrisitan Dior Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Ready my original review here: Dior Sauvage EDT Review

Acqua di Gio Profumo

Notes include: bergamot, sage, patchouli, incense, and marine notes

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo 75ml (2.5oz) Parfum Vapo., 2.5 Fluid Ounce

Read my original review: Acqua di Gio Profumo Review

Opening

Sauvage starts off with a sharp bergamot note, calming lavender, and a peppery kick. The first 20 minutes feel a bit too sharp for my nose, but when the ambroxan fully kicks in, it becomes much smoother.

I do enjoy the bergamot citrus note, which I think is the strength of the entire fragrance. But, the Sichuan pepper does hit pretty strongly at first.

AdG Profumo, also has that bergamot start, but is paired with a dark oceanic aroma and incense smokiness. It’s deep and has a mysterious quality to it.

The Acqua di Gio sage note is pretty prevalent at the top of the wear, along with the rosemary. It is fresh and aromatic with a distinct connection to the DNA of the original AdG.

Which do I prefer? I honestly like Profumo more, in this regard. The opening is a great blend of citrus, aquatic, and incense which is pretty unique for a marine sort of cologne. Sauvage is somewhat harsh at the jump, but is nice overall.

However, it’s got so much overlap with other fragrances like Luna Rossa Carbon, that I appreciate the unique aspect of Profumo. Plus, I think it just smells better.

You get much of the original Acqua di Gio, but more mature and with enough difference to make it stand on its own.

Edge: AdG Profumo 

Projection

I’d call Dior Sauvage a moderate to strong fragrance, that has a potential to be heavy. Acqua di Gio Profumo is also a moderate and sometimes strong fragrance, but I don’ think it ever hits the same level as Sauvage in terms of its sillage.

Sauvage can be fairly powerful up front and maintains much of its strength. AdG Profumo, is by no means a weak scent, just a notch below the Dior.

I always expect Profumo to be a bomb, it just never was a total powerhouse.

Edge: Sauvage

Longevity

In warmer weather, I get about 6-7 hours worth of wear from Sauvage. During winter, you can add a couple more hours out of it. The Armani fragrance, gives me around 8 hours during the warmest months of the year and will squeeze out another little bit in the cold.

Profumo has better longevity on my skin and is more consistent. This was kind of a surprise initially, given that Sauvage has the bigger sillage.

Nonetheless, wearing these two again and again, I get the same results. Profumo lasts longer than its competitor.

Update: Even with my latest bottle of Profumo here in 2021, I still get the same performance. So, to my nose it hasn’t been weakened just yet.

Edge: Profumo

Versatility

Both of these colognes have great versatility. That’s apart of their strength and appeal. Neither is too strong that it can’t be worn at an office or school. They can both be great casual scents. Also, they are both winners in the nightlife and have really attractive qualities.

To me, there’s no clear winner, in this category. Both are Swiss Army knife fragrances, that can seemingly do almost anything, and wears well on many different occasions.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Dior Sauvage has always been a nice cologne in my opinion, but never really wowed me. It is a fragrance that I can enjoy wearing, though, isn’t something that I really love.

The bergamot, ambroxan, and lavender combination is quite great at times, but not something that I desire to wear on the regular. It is a solid performer and highly popular, so, a guy can’t really ‘go wrong’ wearing this fragrance.

I still prefer the EDP version or Luna Rossa Carbon, more so than the original EDT. There are now a ton of Sauvage alternatives to choose from, as well.

I feel similarly about Acqua di Gio Profumo. The difference is, I find it slightly more appealing, and interesting. I love the dark marine aspect, smokiness, bergamot. Plus, the underlying herbal notes, just add to the essence while not over-complicating things.

Is it way better than Sauvage? I don’t think so. They are pretty much neck and neck, in my mind, just like Profumo a bit more.

Update: Here in 2021, I have an even greater preference for AdG versus the Sauvage EDT. It is a deeper and more interesting fragrance. Plus, it isn’t worn by absolutely everyone.

It might come down to which you can personally get a better deal on or if you’d prefer more of an aquatic/oceanic scent.

Winner: Acqua di Gio Profumo (Slightly)

Azzaro Pour Homme by Azzaro

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In my continuing series of men’s fragrance reviews, I am going to take a closer look today at Azzaro Pour Homme. I have already reviewed Chrome by Azzaro , which is quite a different fragrance then this one.

This cologne is a long-time seller, and some would say, classic scent. Does is live up to that status? What notes make up Azzaro? What does it smell like? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full write up.

What does Azzaro Pour Homme Smell Like?

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Notes include: oakmoss, amber, musk, cedar, juniper berries, lavender, lemon, anise, and more

Click here to try Azzaro Pour Homme: Azzaro By Azzaro For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 6.8 oz

My Full Review

Azzaro Pour Homme has been around for a long time, and has basically achieved classic status, in the fragrance world. That being said, it definitely is not a scent for everybody, and won’t vibe well with some people’s style. Especially, if you’re into more ‘modern’ releases.

The opening of Azzaro is a fresh and woodsy blast. The oakmoss, cedar, and anise really stand out to me. Lemon is there, but it is a light touch, to my nose. There seems to be a refreshing spice that lingers quite well, but it’s a cool spice (sort of the same way mint projects itself), and it is all tied together by the smoothness of lavender.

Cold, spicy, and woodsy. Still, Pour Homme is clean at the top, with a very smooth leather and slight herbal quality to its aroma.

Azzaro is quite an interesting scent. It gives off a refined and masculine vibe that is wholly unique, especially compared to more modern fragrances for men.

It is so layered at times that is can be difficult to pick out some of the notes but the lavender and oakmoss are the most prominent, which gives it this crisp and soapy/cream sort of aroma.

The cycle of Azzaro starts off with the fresh spicy aroma, which then moves into the sort of classic barbershop soapiness. The oak moss and lavender, are particularly noticeable in the latter stages of the wear.

Sillage, Versatility, and How Long does it Last?

Projection wise, Azzaro does it’s job. It isn’t a heavy cologne but you really don’t have to use much of it either. I find that 2-3 sprays, is about the max, that I’ll put on.

Even with that, I still don’t think it’s an absolute beast with its sillage either. It will reach rather far away from the skin, for 30-45 minutes or so, and then become moderate to semi-powerful for the remainder of the wear.

It is also one, that doesn’t quit on you after a few hours, and will keep going along for the remainder of the day. Testing it a few more times recently, it was clocking 7-9 hours, on my skin. That’s not an insanely long time, but a full work day is plenty, for most guys.

This would honestly be worn best in the months of autumn, as its woodsy aroma would fit in quite well during that time of year. However, it’ll work well in anything besides extreme heat and humidity.

If you live in a tropical climate, I’d probably avoid Azzaro Pour Homme for anything besides wear in an air conditioned building.

Also, it does seem to be a versatile scent that can be worn everyday, but it isn’t too casual of a scent. Azzaro Pour Homme is an anytime wear really, within the confines of its climate boundaries.

For older guys, it could be a daily wear or something for the evenings. Most younger guys, probably won’t be that enthralled with Azzaro, but it could find a place within a rotation.

Overall Impressions of Azzaro Pour Homme

Overall, is Azzaro a buy? It is an (usually) inexpensive performer. If you enjoy dry, fresh, woodsy, classic types of scents, Azzaro would be right up your alley. However, if you like really sweet or aquatic type of colognes, you may want to look elsewhere.

Azzaro can be a good change up to wear, every once in a while, just to add some variety to your style. I like it to some extent, but it really doesn’t fit with my personal taste. The classic woodsy/barbershop cologne isn’t one that I gravitate towards.

That being said, Azzaro Pour Homme is an example of this style, done right. Amazing? No, but one that does everything well enough.

High Line by Bond No.9 New York

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So, I have a ton of fragrance reviews that are coming out over the next month or so, and I figured that I’d kick things off with another entry from Bond No.9. I’ve completed a good chunk of the entire line of scents from them at this point, which is cool, but there’s so many more fragrances to explore.

High Line has been around as a scent for about 10 years now and has developed into a well known Bond scent. Is it worth it? I have tried it, tested, and am reporting back. So, please continue below form my complete review of High Line.

High Line by Bond No. 9 Overview

Notes include: bergamot, grass, rhubarb, rose, hyacinth, tulip, and oak 

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 High Line Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Right from the jump, while this is classified as a unisex fragrance, High Line lean much more toward the feminine end of things. It’s a green floral/outdoorsy scent, so if that’s not your type of fragrance, this will probably be a complete miss for you.  That being said, High Line is a light, bright, and upbeat perfume.

I do get a mix of bergamot, grass, and tulip at the opening. Now, the grass note isn’t like a freshly mown lawn or anything like that. It’s fresh, green, and feels like a well-manicured garden.

To me the bergamot and oak notes serve as bookends, to keep the fragrance from going completely into the floral space. I like that aspect, because there are other Bond No.9 scents that take things to a full bouquet of flowers, and it kind of gives me a headache.

The floral notes really take over at about 10 minutes in and it takes on a floral/citrus tone, that has a soapy quality. High Line’s notes don’t have that overwhelming or cloying personality to them.

The hyacinth and tulip are very noticeable, I get some rhubarb, but it gets blended away on my skin. It is a pretty dang strong aroma but it’s crisp and not a heavy cloud of perfume.

In the end, it is a grassy floral with citrus hints. Powerful, with a clean, and soapy-like aroma. Hyacinth, grass, citrus, with some remaining tulip.

Sillage, How Long does High Line Last, Versatility

Projection wise, this is as I wrote above, a strong scent. A few sprays is all you will need and anything beyond that is simply too much, in my opinion. At least you can say, that you get your money’s worth, with this loud of a sillage.

The projection power can indeed fill up a room. During testing, I could spray a shirt and pick up the scent easily, from 12-15 feet away.

However, with that sort of projection power, High Line is absolutely an all day wear, just off of those two sprays. It really hung around me for a long time during my testing. You’ll get to the double digit hours in wear, without any real problem.

Seasonally, this has spring/summer written all over it. It would seem out of place during the colder months of the year. It has the vibe of a bright sunny day, not a gloomy, overcast, and frigid one.

I’d call this casual, not really a business scent or a sexy one either. This is the type of perfume you’d wear outdoors, where it really has a chance to blend with the environment. Probably too heavy for the office, not appealing enough for nightlife. A perfume for a spring day, walking about the city.

Overall Impression of High Line

Overall, would I recommend High Line? For some, yes. I’m not a huge floral fan and for guys, this is distinctively feminine. BUT for the floral lovers of either gender, this is a very nice example of a fragrance that is well-blended and gives good performance.

High Line isn’t a scent that I could wear, as it is too powerful, floral, and feminine for my tastes. Nonetheless, it is a good entry from Bond No. 9. Maybe more niche, than some of their more popular offerings, but one that has an audience of fans.

Hypnotic Poison vs Poison Girl Perfume Comparison

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Dior’s Poison line of fragrances, has gained quite a large following over the years. They have produced many best sellers and bottles, that always get scooped up. Two of their more popular releases are Poison Girl and Hypnotic Poison. The question often gets raised, which is better? In this post, I want to break it down, and compare these perfumes before declaring a winner.

Tale of the Tape: Hypnotic Poison vs. Poison Girl

Poison Girl

Notes include: Damascus rose, tonka bean, bitter orange, vanilla, almond, sandalwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Poison Girl Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my original review: Poison Girl

Hypnotic Poison

Notes include: coconut, vanilla, almond, plum, rose, lily-of-the-valley, apricot, rose, rosewood, musk

Click here to try: Hypnotic Poison on Amazon

Opening

Poison Girl, opens with Damascus Rose, tonka bean, and bitter orange. Poison Girl is less citrus, even with that bitter orange not, while being more floral than Hypnotic. It shares that creamy quality with a nice bit of almond and tonka bean.

Hypnotic Poison kicks off with wonderful coconut, vanilla, and almond. This is the main trio, that is flanked by some light fruitiness of apricot and plum. The smell is very unique and quite attractive, right off the bat.

Which is better? I like Poison Girl, and it shares plenty of overlap with Hypnotic, but Hypnotic Poison is better. It is warm, sweet, creamy, and a has a nice bitter touch.

Edge: Hypnotic Poison

Projection

Poison Girl starts off strong and then becomes much more of a moderate sillaged perfume, as it dries down. To me, Hypnotic Poison has the much larger range of projection. It can certainly fill a room, if over-sprayed, and hits a stronger point than does Poison Girl.

Edge: Hypnotic Poison

Longevity

Both of these scents seem to go for around 9-10 hours, each, on skin. Which is great, however, I don’t notice any clear difference with how long they last.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Poison Girl, is fairly restricted in when it can be worn, in terms of the climate. It’s, to me, a cold weather wear that might be able to make it into spring.

Hypnotic Poison, follows along those same lines. I wouldn’t want to encounter either during a summer’s day, as they wouldn’t hold up very well.

Both are however, very versatile as to where they can be worn. Each of these is safe enough to wear at work, casually, but are also quite sexy and great for a night out. No real difference in this category, either.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I do like Poison Girl. It is a very attractive scent. The citrus notes, it features a stronger rose, more woodiness, with a creaminess that matches Hypnotic Poison. Really, I don’t have many complaints about this Dior.

However, I don’t think that it is as good as Hypnotic Poison. Heck, I like Poison Girl Unexpected, more than the original.

Hypnotic Poison is classic, in my mind. It’s opening act, with coconut and almond. The sweet vanilla finish. The light nutty touches throughout. It’s overall sexiness and thick aroma. It’s a fantastic wintertime perfume. Full of confidence and appeal.

To me, Hypnotic Poison is the clear winner. It outperforms its competitor on every metric, just about.

Winner: Hypnotic Poison