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!

Gucci Bloom Gocce di Fiori by Gucci

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Gocce di Fiori is one of the flanker scents, that have been spun off from the Gucci Bloom name. This one was released in 2019 and didn’t seem to get very much attention. However, I think it is one of the better Bloom scents, and so I wanted to do a full review here on the site. How does it smell? When should it be worn?

What does Gocce di Fiori Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, honeysuckle, Rangoon creeper, and tuberose

Click here to try: Gucci Bloom Gocce di Fiori for Women 3.3 oz Eau de Toilette Spray

My Full Review

Gocce di Fiori isn’t too complicated of a fragrance. Actually, it’s pretty darn similar to the original Gucci Bloom, while being a fresh and sheer version of the formulation.

The main difference in terms of the composition, is that the jasmine feels more prevalent here, and there is a honeysuckle note lightly floating around in the mix.

It’s like a stripped down version of Bloom, but one that will serve its purposes as a lighter wear for the spring and summer months.

Upon the first spray of Gocce di Fiori, I pick up a good deal of the jasmine, but blended with the honeysuckle and Rangoon creeper. 

However, as it dries down this one becomes more of a jasmine and tuberose fragrance. I still pick up the other two notes, but they are just slight impressions of how they were during the opening act. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Don’t expect a projection bomb, it’s a sheer fragrance, but it isn’t weak. You’re going to get a breezy and light perfume, though, one that you will easily notice throughout the wear. I really like when Gocce would randomly rise off of my skin

The longevity is actually good, just not amazing. It will hang around for 7 hours on me, but doesn’t seem to go beyond 8. Very range bound. Though, it gives you a nice performance for what it is.

Seasonally, this one is great for the spring and summer months. Gocce is fresh and light, easily holding up to the humidity and doesn’t have the same creaminess that other white florals of this type can have. 

Mostly, it’s a pretty daytime wear. Not really sexy or a nightlife beast. Very safe to wear on a daily basis to work or school or whatever else. Pretty ubiquitous in the spring or summer.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Gocce di Fiori

Overall, do I like this perfume? I do. It’s a very nice take on the white floral style of perfume. Yes, if you’ve had Gucci Bloom, you already know basically what this smells like.

I like the jasmine note being amped up, the honeysuckle inclusion, and the tuberose that comes through well in the dry down. It’s fresh and easy to wear when it gets warmer outside.

Do you need it, if you’ve got the original Bloom? Probably not. If that’s the case, you might consider one of the other flankers, that have more differences. Just standing on its own, Gocce di Fiori is a solid perfume, and quite likeable.

Voce Viva EDP by Valentino

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I got a hold of a sample of Voce Viva a while ago, as a part of a major acquisition of samples and new scents to try out. I’d never heard of this perfume before and really didn’t have any excitement to try it out, until I saw it sitting in a box a few days back.

Voce Viva was a 2020 release from Valentino, which seemed to pass without much fanfare. What’s it like? How does it smell? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Voce Viva Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, mandarin, vanilla, gardenia, orange blossom, and moss

Click here to try: Valentino Voce Viva 3.4 oz / 100 ml EDP Women Spray

My Full Review

A couture and feminine bouquet of white flowers that gives Italian tradition a contemporary edge.

Voce Viva opens up with its bright citrus notes coming through, sitting on top of plenty of orange blossom, and the vanilla which is already peaking up from the base. Right away, I get the sense that this is going to be a warm and sweet floral experience…which I like.

There is a light and fresh spiciness that you can detect underneath the citrus and floral notes. The consensus seems to be an unlisted ginger note, which makes sense to me.

After a little bit, the initial somewhat juicy vibe from the citrus notes goes by the wayside and the gardenia comes up into that position. For me, the orange blossom is the strongest floral note initially, and then the gardenia plays a more prominent role.

The later stages, gives me more of a vanilla aroma with a dry freshness and underlying spiciness. The musky/mossy/woodsy smell does come through, but remains underneath the gardenia, vanilla, and maybe a bit of tonka bean?

The final three notes in terms of strength, seem to be: vanilla, gardenia, and moss. I like it. The aroma coming off of my skin is enjoyable and doesn’t stray into sickly sweet or irritating territory ever.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here isn’t super powerful and actually leans towards the lighter end of things, without ever being weak. It’s got an airy sort of demeanor, but actually projects itself quite well from the skin. Don’t expect a beast, but I was pretty happy with what I got out of this Valentino.

The longevity is also good, just not amazing. You might be able to squeeze a full workday from Voce Viva. For me, it did hit that 7.5-8 hour range, on my skin. For most purposes, that will be more than enough.

Seasonally, it’s actually very versatile, if you just stay out of the extreme heat and humidity. It does have that sweetness, that you’d associate with more of a autumn/winter scent (think: Black Opium), though not the same thickness or heavy sillage.

Late spring and for some parts of the world, early summer would be fine. Possibly, you could roll it out for a summer evening.

This would be great for a daytime wear, that could also venture into the nightlife without being a complete bomb. It’s sweet, but has a level of maturity to fit in with a wide swath of the female population.

Personally, I don’t find it sexy, but it is an appealing and very pleasant fragrance to wear and be around in general.

Overall Impressions of Voce Viva

Do I like this perfume from Valentino? I really do. To me, Voce Viva isn’t completely amazing nor super original. However, it is an easy to wear and attractive example of a white floral paired with sweeter notes.

The opening is bright and a very nice blend of spice, sweet, and floral notes. Then, the heart of gardenia and orange blossom is always a pairing, that I seem to like experiencing. Finally, the vanilla and woodsy smell during the latter stages is an interesting take on a familiar composition.

The performance is above average, as is the smell. If you want a versatile, clean, and well put together daily wear…Voce Viva could be a nice option to look into. It doesn’t seem to have any major weaknesses, other than having overlap with a lot of other perfumes. But, so do most scents.

The Dreamer by Versace

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I can’t believe that I haven’t done a review of The Dreamer by Versace, up to this point in time. It has long been a go to fragrance on occasions, when I want to wear something different from the usual fair.

I found a mini bottle mixed in with a box of sample fragrances recently and I had to check the site, to see if I actually had written about this Versace cologne before. Nope.

So, in this post, I want to take a closer look at the 1996 release from this designer and give my thoughts on how it smells and performs.

What does Versace The Dreamer Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, tonka bean, lavender, sage, rose, cedar, geranium, and more

Click here to try: Dreamer By Gianni Versace For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces

My Full Review

The opening of Dreamer can be somewhat intense, compared to the rest of the wear. From the start, the tobacco note is present, it is more of an uncured tobacco than one which has been toasted.

I think that the intensity of the start stems from the sage, fir, and rose notes interacting with the tobacco. It is quite green with a sharp herbal spice and lavender poking through at times. That rose note with the tobacco, certainly lends a green-ish sensibility.

Now, Dreamer does settle down pretty quickly into something that is much better, than you initially get. As it dries, down Dreamer becomes sweeter and more floral. Yes, tobacco still is the top dog here, and will be throughout the entirety.

However, rose, carnation, and geranium show up to flank the tobacco for a really fresh heart. At times, this one reminds me of Burberry Brit. They don’t smell the same, but they share plenty of common notes, and can have a similar vibe. Just Brit, is more of a powdery cologne.

The rose really settles from a greener sort of smell, to the floral note, that we’re all pretty much familiar with. Nice mix of herbal, woody, and floral. Dreamer is such a unique fragrance, especially for a mainstream designer.

The base of this Versace fragrance, is a drier, woody one. There is a solid cedar note, fir, and vetiver. Ultimately, Dreamer is tobacco with a big does of lavender (and tonka bean) with floral/herbal notes supporting those two and a green woody base.

It’s really gets smooth and has a slightly spicy freshness during the dry down. Really great deep tobacco aroma.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this one starts out moderate, but turns lighter in short order. It’s never been weak for me, but this isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It doesn’t hang close to the skin but rather floats around in the immediate air around your body.

The longevity on this one usually runs 6+ hours, depending on the climate. It can go 8 hours for me, on colder days. Yet, here in this warmer southern climate, I usually will get that 6-ish hours from Dreamer.

Seasonally, this is an autumn through early spring wear. Dreamer isn’t very good at all, in hotter weather, so try to avoid that. It can be worn casually, at work, or even out for an evening.

It is a really versatile and attractive cologne, that women usually enjoy. Not necessarily ‘sexy’, but a complement getter. I’ve worn this as a teenager and as an adult, it does have a more mature air, but is fine for a younger guy.

Now, from what I understand, Dreamer may have been reformulated and perhaps the ingredients were changed up in new bottles. I can’t confirm that, but this mini bottle that I have from a couple of years ago, is the same smell that I remember from vintage bottles.

Overall Impressions of Dreamer

Overall, is the Dreamer worth a buy? Yes, it is. Again, not sure if the newer bottles have been screwed with or not, but the price for a full bottle has been really inexpensive for a long while now.

Update: Also, the newer bottles I think have changed at least some of the notes too. At least from what I’ve read, I haven’t checked out a new bottle as of yet. So, this is a review of the original formulation.

Lots of great fragrances from the 1990s are really affordable, at the moment, and are an awesome way to get both quality and value. This isn’t for everyone, but Dreamer gives you a great green tobacco with floral sweetness and a bit of fresh spice. It’s always worked for me.

It’s not my favorite fragrance ever, but there aren’t too many cologne options like this. As such, when the mood strikes, Dreamer is a great daytime wear for me to have around.

Coach for Men by Coach

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In today’s fragrance review, we have Coach for Men, which was released in the past few years (2017) and has enjoyed some popularity. Note: I’ve updated this page since the initial write up. I have tried it out and will report on all aspects of my experience with this cologne. How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Does it have good performance? Is it even worth a buy?

What does Coach for Men EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, kumquat, ambergris, pear, vetiver, suede, coriander, cardamom, geranium

Click here to try: Coach New York Eau de Toilette Spray For Men, 3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review

The opening of Coach for Men is a blast of the fruit notes consisting of pear, citrus, and kumquat. This is all surrounded by warm amber and some light spices thrown in.

It’s clean and pleasant, but smells totally familiar and like a bunch of other scents that I’ve come across before. It’s very fruity and sort of makes me think of Dylan Blue, with the amber note, but I think I like that one more.

The pear note is the strongest to my nose, in this one, but the citrus and kumquat are quite juicy and so it does have that bright citrus aroma sitting just underneath.

Ambergris is soaking the entire composition and I detect that smooth smell of suede. It’s enjoyably simple and smells quite nice.

As it dries down, it doesn’t change all that much for me. I do get hints of cardamom and coriander, after about an hour, but they aren’t too powerful and get outshined by everything else in here. Coach for Men is fairly linear, but the citrus aspect, does weaken as it moves along.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is pretty moderate for the first few hours, it’s probably noticeable from 3-5 foot range. After that, it is really light and damn near a skin scent.

The longevity is much to write home about, I get about 5 hours on my skin, and that’s it. Meh. Again, only the first two hours have any projection that is noticeable. Really disappointed by the performance.

Coach strikes me as more of a spring/summer scent, but honestly, it can be worn year round without issue. It isn’t heavy and doesn’t seem to turn sour at any time.

It has great versatility and can be worn in seemingly any situation. Aroma wise, it is very safe to wear at work, and is great casually. It smells nice, but isn’t really sexy, and it’s not a club beast with it’s performance.

With better performance, this could absolutely be a daily wear and all-around fragrance, for a guy to own. That’s what they were going for, it just didn’t workout completely.

Overall Impression of Coach for Men

Overall, is Coach for Men good? It smells good. The performance is pretty weak. It smells like a lot of other scents out there. I do enjoy the fruity top notes, the pear and citrus mix is great, and the additional kumquat is a good change up.

It’s pretty much every other mass appeal fragrance of the last decade, with a slightly different blend of notes, to give it some sort of uniqueness.

I find it to be a good wear. However, at its price I don’t think I’d buy a full bottle. It’s performance is concerning and it doesn’t have any uniqueness to really capture my attention.

But, it does have a good level of likeability. If it actually lasted, I’d be higher on this scent.

Maybe, if you can get it on sale, it might be worthy of a pickup. If it were stronger, it’d be a definite yes. As it is, I pass, without a huge discount.

Bad Boy Le Parfum by Carolina Herrera

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Bad Boy was a great success for Carolina Herrera. Thus, they were sure to follow it up with a flanker, which they did with 2021’s Bad Boy Le Parfum. I got a hold of a decanted sample of this fragrance, in order to give it a try, and report back with a review on the site. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a try?

What does Bad Boy Le Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, hemp, black pepper, geranium, leather, and vetiver

My Full Review

First, if you’ve experienced the original Bad Boy by Carolina Herrera, Le Parfum is almost nothing like it. They share the black pepper note and both have citrus up top (grapefruit here versus bergamot).

The opening act of Bad Boy Le Parfum is the grapefruit and pepper note sitting underneath, a somewhat smoky cannabis. To me, it doesn’t smell exactly like a blunt or anything, but very reminiscent of the plant itself, maybe slightly cured.

On my skin, that note isn’t overwhelming, and it smells more like what you’d associate with weed when you apply it to clothing. Le Parfum is fresh, green, with an aromatic spiciness coming through.

The second phase, is where I start to pick up a lot of geranium and the leather (which grows in strength). It goes from being about the hemp note, to a split between those three. The pepper is still there and grapefruit begins to fade.

This is where it stands for much of the wear. Then, the final stage is vetiver and leather. Vetiver at the base is the strongest on me, in the final few hours. That, leather, and geranium. The cannabis is around somewhat, but has pretty much evaporated.

It’s actually a pretty standard fragrance, during this phase, and very familiar. I do like the vetiver and geranium combination, cold and fresh. Fairly intriguing scent, but doesn’t blow me away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Bad Boy Le Parfum is at the upper end of the moderate range, in terms of its sillage. It has the ability to project itself pretty far with normal application. However, it does settle itself down into something much more manageable.

It’s not an absolute beast, but it does indeed have very nice performance.

On my skin, this Carolina Herrera fragrance hits the 8-9 hour mark, without too much issue. At the end, it isn’t super powerful but it’s there. It does die out before it hits that double digit hour frame. Very good, just short of great.

Seasonally, this one is pretty darn versatile. Le Parfum sits in that sweet spot, where it can smell great in the cold weather, but also hold up well enough in the warmer climates. I’d avoid spraying this in the dead of summer, outside of nighttime, that is.

Bad Boy Le Parfum is a nightlife and casual sort of fragrance. It’ll be a fit for most men up to their mid-30s and for those who just like something outside the norm. Not a scent for the office or for school, the hemp/cannabis note is much too potent, to really venture there.

Le Parfum actually is an attractive, and dare I say, sexy fragrance. Not the most seductive scent ever, but it comes across as masculine and playful enough. For at least part of the wear, it’s going to stand out as a unique cologne, so that can be a big plus.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Bad Boy Le Parfum

Overall, do I like Bad Boy Le Parfum? I enjoy it, but I’m not totally in love with this fragrance. I do like that Carolina Herrera took things into a completely different and unique direction.

It does end up being more of a vetiver and leather fragrance, than it would initially seem, but you do get a bit of a journey.

The performance here is great, even if the use case for many guys will be fairly limited. Again, sometimes you can’t afford to be smelling even remotely like cannabis, if you’ve got a job or are in school.

That being said, I can’t pick out one part of the wear that I didn’t like. The geranium is great, as is that hemp note, and the dry down. You might want to try it out before committing or have plenty of casual occasions to spray it on for.