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!

L’Homme Absolu by Prada

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The Prada L’Homme line has a host of varieties available, working around the same basic theme. Each cologne has its own slightly different take to capture another side, of the iris based aroma. L’Homme Absolu, was released as a limited edition perfume for him, back in 2018. How does this one stack up? What does it smell like? How long does Absolu last? Is it worth a try? The following is my review after testing this Prada cologne out.

What does L’Homme Absolu Smell Like?

Notes include: iris, black pepper, cedar, bergamot, cardamom, mandarin orange, neroli, amber, labdanum, geranium

Click here to try: Prada L’Homme Absolu

My Full Review

The opening act of Absolu is a warmer and spicier affair, than the other editions in this series. I do get the ever-present iris note, but initially it gets overshadowed by black pepper and cardamom.

Those two ingredients are sitting in a coating of citrus. Mandarin and bergamot. The composition doesn’t feel juicy to my nose, but just a lighter zest, baked into a slightly burnt aroma.

What’s interesting, is that, after that initial wave of spice you do get a more citrus feeling thereafter. The floral notes emerge more, particularly neroli, and amp up the fruity quality. Add to that, an amber and resinous quality coming up from the base, and L’Homme Absolu becomes very enjoyable.

The further it moves along, the closer it starts to get to the other L’Homme colognes. In fact, the last bit is definitely a lot more of the iris note, than anything else.

Before that, I mostly get the iris, cardamom, neroli, bergamot, labdanum, amber, and some hint of cedar. That will all thin out until it is mostly just iris, along with some lingering neroli and amber.

Sillage, How Long Absolu Lasts, and Versatility

The sillage of Absolu is good, but it isn’t an absolute monster, in terms of its strength or ability to project. I’d say for the first hour or two, it is fairly strong, and moderate thereafter. I had no issues with the performance, it’s just not the strongest scent around.

The longevity seems to gravitate around 7 hours of wear. Sometimes, however, it will be closer to 5 hours. Though, the former is usually the standard.

Seasonally, this is actually great in the springtime. I sprayed some on before going on a long walk, in fairly temperate weather, and the scent really came alive. I kept catching lovely whiffs of the floral notes, amber, and cardamom.

Outside of that, I think that it would work well pretty much whenever outside of the hottest days of the year. Very good in colder to moderate climates.

L’Homme Absolu is also a very versatile fragrance. You can wear it pretty much anytime, in the right climate, without issue. It can be worn by younger or older men. Fits in at the office, casually, or during a night out. Has a formal appeal, without ever being uptight.

Overall Impressions of L’Homme Absolu

Do I like L’Homme Absolu? Yes, I do. I think that it’s a very attractive perfume and a great addition to the Prada line. Is it my favorite of the bunch? It’s one of the top picks, but I think that I still prefer L’Homme Intense.

The opening pepper and cardamom aroma, isn’t my favorite, but I do enjoy the floral and citrus notes more so. When they come in, along with the resinous amber, that’s when this stuff is really great.

The performance is solid, but not amazing. If you already have a bottle from the L’Homme line, you won’t really need this at all. It is somewhere between the other colognes, in terms of its smell, but still has a unique enough flair.

Update: Looks like this one got discontinued from the lineup.

Love is On by Revlon

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n today’s review, I have another ladies’ perfume from my batch of sample fragrances. This time, it is a fragrance from Revlon called: Love is On EDT. This scent was released back in 2015 and generally didn’t get much notice.

In fact, I’m pretty certain it has been discontinued. However, it is still available out there on the secondary market. Is it actually any good though? How does it smell? How does it perform?

What does Love is On Smell Like?

Notes include: Italian lemon, passionflower, red berries, orange, cocoa bean, vetiver, sugarcane

Click here to try: Revlon Love is On Eau De Toilette

My Full Review

The opening of Love is On is led by the citrus ingredients (lemon and orange) and a tart note, which is cranberry. The cranberry note reminds me a lot of Polo Red for Men, but it is nicely paired with the lemon note here.

It is light and sweet, with that added sugarcane note, adding a candy-like sweetness.

Then, the fragrance moves into a smoother and drier phase. The cocoa bean note is somewhat creamy and furthers the sweetness. There is a bit of vetiver that lurks in the background also. It’s such a pleasant mix of sweet, citrus, and tart cranberry.

Very attractive and delicious smelling. The sugarcane and cocoa bean almost present themselves as vanilla in this mix, that’s just the way it smells.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Now, here’s the issue with Revlon’s Love is On, it doesn’t last. It’s a light fragrance from the start. It was even light when I liberally applied the sample to both my skin and on an old t-shirt.

So, even though the sillage is very light, it could’ve still lasted a long time at least? It doesn’t. A couple of hours at the most, even when pouring it on the skin. Shame.

Seasonally, this could’ve worked in a lot of situations if it had better performance. It has the citrus notes which work in warm weather and the more creamy/sugary notes that can be nice in winter.

It has such a nice smell that could have of course been used for romantic wear, as the name suggests, but also casually or just to freshen up.

Overall Impressions of Love is On

Overall, though, this one just never realizes its potential. I like the notes and how they’re arranged within the composition a lot. The play between the lemon and cranberry at the top, is quite good, and then the cocoa bean in the dry down, makes for a sweet scent.

It just doesn’t perform well at all. On my skin, it’s weak and reading reviews of this scent, I’m not the only one who experienced this.

I mean, as of writing it is only $12.50 on Amazon, so if you want to try it out…it won’t break the bank. However, I can’t really recommend this Revlon perfume.

1 Million Prive vs Armani Code Profumo Cologne Comparison

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For this cologne comparison, I am going to take a closer look at two of the more recent popular releases: 1 Million Prive by Paco Rabanne vs. Armani Code Profumo. Both of these fragrances, are flanker scents to other extremely popular releases, and built upon what was great about their predecessors. Which one is better, though? Which gives the best performance? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Code Profumo vs. 1 Million Prive

1 Million Prive

Notes include: tonka bean, apple, cinnamon, myrrh, mandarin orange, tobacco

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Read my full review: 1 Million Prive

Armani Code Profumo

Notes include: leather, amber, tonka bean, cardamom, lavender, and nutmeg

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Code Profumo EDP Spray for Men, 3.7 Ounce

Read my full review: Code Profumo Review

Opening

Armani Code Profumo opens up with a mix of warm amber and tonka bean. There is also a slight citrus aroma added by an orange note. However, it does take on more of a sweet cream soda type of aroma, when the cardamom and nutmeg emerge.

1 Million Prive actually shares elements with Code Profumo, as well as, the original 1 Million. The Paco Rabanne does add apple, cinnamon, and myrrh; which seems to give Prive a slightly more interesting dynamic than its competition.

Honestly, it’s tough to pick between them, since I love both of these fragrances. But for the start? I think that I’ll lean towards Prive.

Edge: Prive

Projection

Neither one of these fragrances is an absolute beast, in my opinion. This sillage on both is strong, but moderately so, not overboard. I do think that Code Profumo has slightly better projection than does Prive. It’s not a lot more, but it does have a little something extra.

Edge: Profumo

Longevity

With 1 Million Prive, I get about 9-10 hours of wear on my skin. Meanwhile, the Armani, will hit double digit hours on a regular basis with me. Both are great performers, but Code Profumo is again better.

Edge: Profumo

Versatility

Both of these scents are built for the cold weather. Also, both are nightlife colognes, that can pull double duty and still work in the daytime. Both are sexy and can be worn dressed up or casually. There is really no clear distinction in this regard.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Once again, this is a very tough match up to choose a winner from, as I really enjoy wearing both of these fragrances and the fill a similar niche.

Armani Code Profumo, is super warm and smooth with great leather, tonka bean, and amber notes leading the way. It’s got outstanding longevity and sillage, plus, it will draw complements.

The only real downside, is that, sometimes the sweet creaminess of the fragrance can be too much, and I won’t want to wear it for a little while.

Meanwhile, 1 Million Prive, has taken the crown as the best 1 Million flanker scent and probably the best Paco Rabanne to date. It’s sweet, it’s warm, and has more interesting notes than does Profumo.

I feel like it has greater depth and the tobacco, cinnamon, and apple exemplify this. Code Profumo can seem like a one tone fragrance, at times, while Prive has more phases.

Also, I think that Prive is going to be more enjoyable for the most people out there, more universal appeal so to speak. Overall, I really don’t think one could go wrong with either, but I will lean towards 1 Million Prive being better.

Winner: 1 Million Prive

La Nuit de L’Homme vs La Nuit L’Intense Cologne Comparison

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This post has been sitting in the queue for a few years now, so, I guess it is time to finally write up this comparison. Today, we have to entries from YSL men’s fragrance collection: La Nuit de L”Homme vs. La Nuit de L’Home L’Intense. Which of these smells the best? The best-selling original or its offspring? Which has better performance? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: La Nuit vs L’Intense

La Nuit

Notes include: cardamom, bergamot, vetiver, lavender, cedar

Try it out: Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’homme Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3-Ounce

Read my review: La Nuit de l’Homme

La Nuit L’Intense

Notes include: violet, sage, iris, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’homme L’intense Eau De Parfum Spray, 2.0 Ounce

Read my review: La Nuit L’Intense

Opening

La Nuit opens up with lots of cardamom and a citrus bergamot note, at the start. It is fresh, warm, and has that light addition of bergamot. Then, the lavender really begins to come into its own, sometime thereafter. It is a really captivating start, that gives you a nice bit of spice before settling down.

L’Intense opens up with violet and iris. It is a very floral fragrance, pretty powdery, and pretty darn feminine to my nose. Later in the wear, sage and patchouli, will help to give it a better profile but the start is really sweet and floral.

Which is better? For me, the original La Nuit has the better opening, without question. L’Intense doesn’t smell bad, but it can be too sweet and powdery, without anything anchoring it.

Edge: La Nuit

Projection

Both of these scents are moderate for me, for a few hours, and then become light. No, L’Intense wasn’t intense at any time, I wore it. Not sure why it has that name.

Edge: Push

Longevity

La Nuit has consistently gotten me 6-8 hours of wear, on my skin. I hear talk about reformulations, taking a toll on its performance, but I haven’t come across that (though, it could be certain batches under performing).

Meanwhile, L’Intense would only last for 3-4 hours. I’ve tried it several times, in different climates, same result.

Edge: La Nuit

Versatility

Both are best worn in fall/winter, but can venture into more mild temperatures, just fine. I’d say the original is more versatile, as it is a nightlife scent, that can go casual/work/date.

While, L’Intense just doesn’t strike me as something to wear in the evenings. Plus, who wants to re-apply constantly?

Edge: La Nuit

Overall Scent

This head to head, really isn’t even close. I never understood the purpose of the L’Intense version of La Nuit. It doesn’t smell like the original, it isn’t intense, and is just a decent overall fragrance in terms of scent.

If it were an actual intense version of the original, that would be awesome, but it isn’t. As far as flankers go, La Nuit Eau Electrique is really good, and underrated. So, you might give that a try.

La Nuit de L’Homme is smooth, fresh, with enough spicy kick to make things interesting. I really enjoy the cardamom and lavender combo, especially once the cedar and vetiver get going in the base. It outperforms its flanker and just smells better.

Winner: La Nuit

Acqua di Gio Absolu vs Dylan Blue Comparison

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In today’s comparison, we have a head to head match up between a Versace fragrance and one by Giorgio Armani: Dylan Blue vs. Acqua di Gio Absolu. Now, both of these men’s colognes have become fairly popular over the past few years, but which stands out the most? Which has the better performance? Versatility? Which one simply smells the best?

Tale of the Tape: AdG Absolu vs. Dylan Blue

Dylan Blue

Notes include: black pepper, violet leaf, grapefruit, bergamot, tonka bean, ambrox, fig leaf

Click here to try: VERSACE Pour Homme Sealed Dylan Blue Eau de Toilette, 3.4 Ounce

Read my full review: Dylan Blue

Acqua di Gio Absolu

Notes include: patchouli, marine notes, labdanum, tonka bean, wood, bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, rosemary, apple, pear

Click here to try: Acqua di Giò Absolu Eau de Parfum Spray 4.2 fl oz Men

Read my full review here: Acqua di Gio Absolu

Opening

AdG Absolu opens with the citrus notes of bergamot and grapefruit, apple, wood, sea water, and tonka bean. It’s very fresh and aquatic with the woody notes providing a solid base for the other notes to play off of. It then, develops a warm and resinous smell due to the labadanum.

Meanwhile, Dylan Blue also starts off with the bergamot and grapefruit citrus combination. It’s also aquatic but opts for a black pepper note to spice the composition up some. More citrus than aquatic and with a does of ambroxan.

Which is better? I like complexity of AdG Absolu and how it develops, hitting many different notes, and doing it all very well. Dylan Blue isn’t bad, but kind of simple and very similar to so many other colognes.

Edge: Absolu

Projection

The sillage of both of these scents starts out pretty strong for the first hour. Then, both of them settle down into something that is much more moderate. After wearing both multiple times, I really don’t notice a distinct difference between how powerful and how much each projects.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Dylan Blue has consistently gotten me 5-6 hours of wear on my skin. No matter how many times I’ve worn it, it’s the same results. Meanwhile, AdG Absolu will go for about 8 hours. Neither is an insane length of time, but the Armani takes this category.

Edge: Absolu

Versatility

One thing that both of these fragrances excel at is in how versatile they are. Yes, they are both best in spring and summertime, but can easily make the transition to the rest of the year without issue.

They can be worn casually or for evenings out or at work. There isn’t an advantage in this for either one.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I do like Dylan Blue, I even have a little mini bottle that I use from time to time, and it has grown on me more with passing time. The citrus and ambroxan notes are enjoyable, the fig leaf is a nice added touch, and overall its quite fresh and pleasant to wear.

However, it can also be kind of boring and a bit linear. There is some overlap with AdG Absolu, but Dylan Blue is ultimately simpler, and doesn’t have quite as good as smell.

Absolu, not only has similarities between itself and Dylan Blue, but also with Invictus Aqua. The thing is, it is superior in both aroma and performance to both. It takes a citrus and aquatic base and adds resinous and earth qualities to it.

The patchouli lends itself perfectly, not being too heavy, while there is a delightful amber permeating the whole things. It’s not my favorite fragrance by any stretch, but it does what it does, at a high level. It’s a solid choice for guys in their 20s.

I will say, that Absolu has more of a marine aroma than does Dylan Blue, and usually costs more. So, if those factor in, you might consider going with the Versace.

Winner: Acqua di Gio Absolu