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!

Park Avenue South by Bond No. 9

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Today, we have another Bond No. 9 fragrance sample to review. This one is another for the ladies and is entitled, Park Avenue South. In this post, I am going to cover how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if I think it’s worth a buy.

What does Park Avenue South Smell Like?

Notes include: apple, peach, musk, amber, jasmine

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Park Avenue South Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Park Avenue South is that of crisp apples. I had eaten a Golden Delicious apple earlier in the day, so the sensation was rather instantaneous. That initial apple dominant aroma seems to only last for a minute, however, since it is then quickly joined by the peach note.

Again, I want to state that this fragrance is crisp and not really ‘juicy’ as many other fruity perfumes tend to be. Actually, Park Avenue South is quite dry, warm, and with a slight spice to it.

The musky amber keeps the fruits tempered somewhat and allows the scent to have that dry quality.

That’s kind of it because this perfume is almost ridiculously simple. It’s so linear, by five minutes in, you kind of know what you’ve got.

While I do think that it smells pretty good, it also reminds me of an air freshener spray. Park Avenue South just has that same aroma to it, just with less of a chemical/synthetic undercurrent to it. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s okay. It does it’s job without overwhelming but it is more towards the softer side of things. I always knew that it was there, but Park Ave. South never felt overwhelming, in the slightest.

 

I will say, that the longevity seems to hit the 7-9 hour range, which is a plus. It doesn’t develop much at all, but the perfume also won’t just quit in the middle of the day. So, if you like that initial scent, you might very well enjoy that you get to spend a long time with it. 

I’d call this casual. You could wear it to work or school, but it never struck me as romantic or sexy. Just a decent spray for the warmer days of the year. 

But yeah, stick to the daytime in spring and summer with Park Avenue South.

Overall Impressions of Park Avenue South

Overall, would I recommend Park Avenue South? Not really. It’s decent. I’m not particularly enthralled by it and I feel like you could probably replicate a similar scent for a much cheaper price. It is a fresh and pleasant smell but nothing to write home about.

This is one of the least interesting fragrances that Bond has come out with. To me, at least. I think they have perfumes that smell worse, but they tried to do something novel with them. Park Avenue South is kind of meh, at a high price level. 

Ultra Male vs Le Male Terrible Cologne Comparison

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or this entry of my head to head cologne comparisons, I’m going to take a closer look at two Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male flankers: Ultra Male vs. Le Male Terrible. Which one of these colognes smells the best? These are two different takes on the highly popular original Le Male cologne, but is there a clear cut winner between them? Please continue below for my full take after wearing both of these scents.

Tale of the Tape: Le Male Terrible vs Ultra Male

Ultra Male

Notes include: vanilla, pear, amber, woods, cinnamon, cumin, sage, lavender, mint

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male for Men Intense Spray, Eau de Toilette, 4.2 Ounce

Read my original Review: Ultra Male

Le Male Terrible

Notes include: vanilla, grapefruit, amber, lavender, pink pepper, vetiver

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Terrible Eau De Toilette Extreme Spray, 2.5 Ounce

Read my original Review: Le Male Terrible

Opening

Ultra Male opens up with a candy-like sweetness led by the pear, cinnamon, vanilla, and mint notes. It’s sweet with a spicy profile and a noticeable intensity. It is warm and smooth and doesn’t have the same sort of powdered scent that the original Le Male does.

Meanwhile, Le Male Terrible opens up with a similar vibe to the original with vanilla and lavender notes. It doesn’t have that same minty scent and instead opts for using pink pepper and grapefruit. This makes Terrible brighter, warmer, and smoother than the original.

Between the two? While I do like the smooth warmth of Terrible and think that it is definitely a nice start, I prefer Ultra Male’s brash sweetness and intensity. It stands apart from the other colognes in this series and is just much more interesting.

Edge: Ultra Male

Projection

This isn’t even a contest. The sillage of Ultra Male is loud and bold, while Terrible is a more moderate type of fragrance. Terrible isn’t a weak scent, it just doesn’t come close to projecting as well as Ultra Male does.

Edge: Ultra

Longevity

With Ultra Male I routinely get 8+ hours of wear. It usually is around 8-9, but longer in some situations. Le Male Terrible gets me about 6-7 hours, with its moderate intensity, and I’ll catch whiffs of it during that time frame, but not after.

Edge: Ultra

Versatility

This is the category in which Terrible has an advantage. While both are more suited for colder weather, Terrible can venture into the warmer months of the year also. It’s still not great for the height of summer but it works every other time.

Next, Ultra Male is a late night, party, romantic wear scent. It doesn’t always fit in during low key casual or office type scenarios. Terrible fits in much better, since has a subtle scent.

Edge: Terrible

Overall Scent

I’ve tried out so many of the Le Male variations and I do think that Le Male Terrible is one of the better ones. It’s neck and neck really, with the original, in my mind. Perhaps not better, but it is a serious debate. However, when posted up versus Ultra Male, it doesn’t compete very well.

Ultra Male is the best JPG fragrance, to me. That’s why I have a giant bottle of it. I don’t wear Ultra Male everyday, but it is one of my winter go to scents for evening wear. Terrible is quite fresh and a nice take off of the original, with pink pepper and grapefruit, giving it an alternative dimension.

Terrible is decent as an everyday wear and would be a better choice for someone who doesn’t want a bold sweet/spicy cologne like Ultra Male. For everyone else, Ultra Male is the way to go. It’s just better all around and is distinct from the rest of the Le Male line.

Winner: Ultra Male

Nautica Voyage vs Versace Eros Comparison

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Alright, in this cologne comparison post, it’s going to be a bit of an odd one between Eros versus Nautica Voyage. This seems odd to me because the Versace and the Nautica colognes are almost completely different, occupy different price ranges, and seem to serve different purposes. Whatever. There are those of you out there wanting to know the differences between these two scents, which one smells better, performs better, and is the better buy between them.

Tale of the Tape: Eros vs. Voyage

Versace Eros

Notes of Eros: mint, green apple, tonka bean, madagascar vanilla, vetiver, Italian lemon

Click here to try: Versace Eros Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 6.7 Fluid Ounce

My original Versace Eros Review

Nautica Voyage

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, green leaf, amber, mimosa

Read my original review here

Try Nautica Voyage: Nautica Voyage By Nautica For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz

Opening

Versace Eros comes right out of the gate as a powerhouse gourmand fragrance. It creates a sweet, warm, and smooth cloud of cologne around the wearer. There is a crisp apple note but it really comes across as sort of a chocolate-like scent at times.

Update: With newer bottles, I get a lot more of the lemon note up front. It was always there, but it seems stronger now.

Nautica Voyage is a really bright and summery cologne. It’s apple note, never really struck me as being apple. I guess it gets overwhelmed by mimosa and musk, as it truly smells more like orange to my nose.

Just on sheer pleasantry and as a more interesting opening, I’m going to have to give the nod to Eros.

Edge: Eros

Projection

Haha, this category isn’t even close. Nautica Voyage has light to moderate sillage and Eros is an absolute monster. Eros is quite heavy and as I mentioned, envelops you when you wear it.

Edge: Eros

Longevity

As an inexpensive fragrance, Voyage has always exceeded its price tag for me, in terms of performance. I can usually get 7 good hours of wear from it.

Again, though, Eros is just better in this regard. With this Versace scent, I can get double digit hours.

Update: With newer Eros bottles, I get like 8 or 9 hours. Still better than Voyage.

Edge: Eros

Versatility

Ok, while Voyage is much more of a summery scent, it can be worn year round. It may not have a winter ‘feel’ to it, but it will hold up in the climate. Eros is pretty much a cold weather warrior. It’s too much for the high heat and humidity.

So, is Voyage a winner in terms of versatility? Not quite.

Voyage is a casual scent. It’s not sexy and not a club beast and not really a work cologne (but wouldn’t be entirely out of place).

Eros can work casually, romantically, or in the club/bar scene. It’s probably too powerful for office wear.

Both also strike me as more youthful fragrances.

Ultimately, I think Eros has more uses, and I would definitely reach for it on more occasions than Voyage.

Edge: Eros

Overall Scent

So, this is a clean sweep for Versace Eros. I think it has the upper hand in every category versus Voyage. I like the smell better and even though it can be loud at times, Eros is more interesting.

That’s not to say that I dislike Voyage. It does smell nice. It is a very good choice for guys who need something for under $20. I mean, go check out all the reviews on Amazon, it’s a constant best seller.

It’s just that this is a weird comparison to do between two dissimilar fragrances. If I had to choose, I’d pick Eros to buy before Voyage, but I wouldn’t ever think to need to pick one versus the other.

Winner: Eros

Mon Paris EDP by YSL

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Mon Paris was released by Saint Laurent back in 2016. It has become the flagship of a pretty successful line of fragrances, though, not insanely so. I grabbed a few samples of these perfumes, to finally give them a proper review for the site, and will kick things off with the original Mon Paris EDP. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Mon Paris EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: peony, white musk, patchouli, and datura accord

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Mon Paris Eau de Parfum Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

Before we get into my personal review, let’s see how YSL describes this fragrance: An intoxicating white chypre to make you lose your senses. The sensuality of white petaled musk, enlightened by a vertiginous datura accord and balanced by the intensity of an exceptional patchouli. The trail of intense love.

YSL doesn’t mention it, but there are fruity notes in Mon Paris and actually are more prominent than the floral notes for much of the wear.

I mostly get berries, some pear, and a hint of citrus. Though, the latter two aren’t that powerful within the overall composition.

With the floral notes, I mostly get the datura and peony, and a very light jasmine some of the time. It’s fruity/floral and somewhat musky, with a patchouli notes creeping up from the base.

For the rest of the wear, what it develops into is a sweet floral with musky and patchouli highlights. The fruit notes become less distinguishable and it just feels like a generic smell of ‘sweet’. It’s not bad or unpleasant to me, however.

The datura pretty much takes over the entirety of the composition. Datura, sweetness, and musk. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Mon Paris isn’t a complete beast, but it isn’t exactly weak, either. The sillage is above average and I can pick it up 4-7 feet away, when spraying on a t-shirt. Very respectable and one that will work well in most situations.

The longevity is also quite good, just not elite. On my skin, Mon Paris EDP will go 7-8 hours before it completely fades. Right around a full work day. If you need a longer wear, you’re probably going to have to reapply. 

 

Seasonally, this is a very versatile release from YSL. I’d say, outside of the absolutely hottest days of summer, you should be good to go. It’s fine when it’s warm out, but just that high heat and humidity could kill it.

It’s sweet and attractive. Not necessarily a sexy fragrance, but I enjoy the delicious smelling aspects of this perfume. Good for casual wear, daily wear, and can venture into the nightlife. Though, that’s not its main use. 

I wouldn’t really use Mon Paris for a more formal engagement. Also, probably best worn by those in their 20s.

My Overall Impressions of Mon Paris

Overall, do I like Mon Paris by YSL? I like it, but this perfume isn’t a love for me. It’s a very nice fruity floral, that does most everything well enough, but it isn’t an outstanding scent by any means.

I like Intensement better from this series. Lumiere is pretty decent too.

It’s more of a sweet fruity/floral fragrance, than what it seems to be marketed as. Mon Paris is not super sugary or candy-like sweet, but it might be one to avoid if sweetness is not your thing with perfumes.

I enjoy the berries, datura, and peony blend. It’s pretty and one that would be easy to grab for most any occasion. The later patchouli phase is also fairly enjoyable.

Mon Paris EDP is nice. That’s about what I can say about it. Nothing super special, but pretty basic, familiar, and nice. It skews toward the younger crowd, but isn’t a complete ‘teenager fragrance’. 

Lacoste Essential for Men

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When I think of Lacoste, I think of crisp and clean both in terms of the scents that they produce, as well as the clothing the make. The company with the famous little gator logo, is towards the higher end of things but not towards the more extreme price points of Creed and other design houses. Lacoste is sort of a high end moderate in that regard.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at Lacoste Essential and help determine whether or not it is a fragrance which should be considered for purchase. Also, check out my Best Lacoste Colognes post for further options.

What does Lacoste Essential Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, citrus, black currant, black pepper, cassia, rose, tomato leaf

Click here to try: Lacosté Essential for Men 4.2 oz EDT Spray

lacoste essential

My Full Review

Lacoste Essential opens with a sweet, green, and slightly synthetic scent that is quite pleasant. It’s kind of hard to detect exactly which note is the most prominent, as they all sort of melt together into a fresh but indistinguishable scent.

The citrus notes, bergamot, and tangerine, do leave an impression on me but nothing is all that dominate in this mix.

What I think makes Essential unique from other mass marketed colognes is the inclusion of cassia and tomato leaf that gives it a sweetly green mix. I really like it when tomato leaf is included in scents, as I feel it doesn’t get used often enough, and presents something different and pleasant.

Also, since the citrus isn’t overwhelming it gives these other notes (along with peppery spice) a bit of a chance to present themselves once it dries down.

This fragrance isn’t rich, heavy, or all that complex. It is fresh, clean, and has a soapy quality found in other scents such as Eternity. This is a good thing in many respects, as the simplicity seems to make it hold up well during these warmer months of the year.

It is light and perfect as a daily cologne during the spring/summer. It does have a freshness and herbal spice quality to it, that gives it, that masculine edge. Still, it all comes together as being clean, and not ‘in your face’ with the power.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Now, projection wise it isn’t a beast, but it isn’t totally weak either. It’s pretty much, right dab in the middle of the strength spectrum. The first few hours are going to be decently powered, before it settles into being a lighter type of fragrance.

Lacoste Essential, also, isn’t an amazing long-lasting performer. I get 6 hours on average of solid wear and maybe more, depending on the circumstances.

The most is usually around 7.5-8 hours, in some lower humidity circumstances. I find that if the humidity is running high, I’m going to get about 6 hours of wear from this one.

Seasonally, as I’ve already said, spring and summer. If you live in a warmer or tropical climate, it will have a year round availability. Again, I like to wear it as a casual scent or something for semi-formal or office situations.

Is it a date night fragrance? Not really. I wouldn’t call it a ‘sexy’ cologne, but it will draw some complements, so it wouldn’t be out of place really. Essential is not a club beast or something for when you really want to stand out in the crowd.

Overall Impressions of Lacoste Essential for Men

Is Essential worth a buy? That depends. It is an above average scent and if you need a casual, daily wear fragrance during the warmer months, this might be your go to.

However, if you’ve got that covered, you could definitely skip it since you aren’t missing out on anything amazing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very nice scent, but it won’t blow anyone away.

I like the tomato leaf and citrus. It does have a rather unique profile, but still isn’t crazy good. I do enjoy wearing Essential and for the right price, wouldn’t be opposed to having a bottle.

Essential is very fresh with a blend of woods and herbal notes, in the dry down. Nice spice and it is very versatile. Better than many scents, but not elite.