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!

4 Perfumes Similar to Mod Vanilla

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Mod Vanilla was one that I bought a travel sprayer of (along with Mod Blush) back when it was first release. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised at just how popular of a perfume it has since become, but I kind of am.

With that popularity, has also come people searching for potential alternatives to this Ariana Grande scent. Whether it’s something that similar but a bit different, a cheaper substitute, or one that aims to try and match the same Mod vibe; here is my ongoing list keeping track of perfumes which fit the bill.

Fragrances that Smell Like Mod Vanilla by Ariana Grande

mod vanilla review

An Inspiration

Dark Plum Vanille by Dua Brand– So, the rest of the list after this will be perfumes that are similar without trying to be a near match to our target. However, the Dua Brand does have their inspired version of Mod, Dark Plum Vanille.

If you want a cheaper alternative that aims to be close to the original, this is currently your best bet.

Now, I have yet to try this one from Dua. They usually do a great job and I’ve owned over a dozen of their other ‘inspired’ fragrances, so I trust that they can make the most of this formula (and the reviews seem to think they did).

40 Sweets

Cheirosa 40 by Sol de Janeiro– This one from Sol de Janeiro often gets compared to Mod Vanilla and it is indeed similar. Not the same, mind you, but pretty close for a body mist.

Plum and cassis are notes up top which give this one a sweetness, while being a bit tart. To me, the fruitiness is the main distinction, 40 has a much greater influence with those notes than the plum that’s in the Ariana perfume.

It’s a light and sweet fragrance with some floral influence (jasmine mainly), musk, amber, and of course the vanilla. Actually, fairly creamy at times, and also a good stretch where it leans more powdery and musky.

Pretty nice as a potential substitute for Mod Vanilla, since it’s not too expensive. Again, don’t expect an exact match, just something quite familiar.

Cloud

Cloud by Ariana Grande– Yes, another release from Ariana Grande. There are lots of them with a ton of overlap, Mod Vanilla and Cloud are such a case.

To me, it’s mainly in the sweetness (praline) and the musk notes, with the vanilla that makes it a fairly close comparison between them. Now, they’re not the same, just similar. It’s difficult to not smell comparable, with so many common notes.

Outside of that, Cloud has a lavender and musky finish. While with Mod Vanilla, I got more of a powdery back half with a sugary/musky/warm aroma.

Either way, if you haven’t tried Cloud and like Mod Vanilla, this might be for you. Cloud review

Viva Delicious

Viva Vanilla by Bath & Body Works– This one comes in variants of body spray, perfume, and lotion. So, there’s going to be slight differences in how it comes across from each type.

This is a very much simplified fragrance compared to Mod Vanilla, but also quite similar in what it does.

Here, you have: vanilla, plum, and amber. Warm and somewhat smoky with how it comes across and the sweetness is toned down. To me, the plum note in the Ariana Grande perfume is already very light, so it not being too big of a factor here isn’t much different.

But, the sweetness of the floral notes, cocoa butter, and praline are absent. As is the musk. Not an exact match here, but what you get for this price point is quite beautiful and has enough similarities to be worthwhile to check out.

5 Fragrances Similar to Uomo Born in Roma

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Born in Roma has developed into a best seller for Valentino over the years. Now, it has a bunch of different flankers to its name and plenty of fans.

On this page, I want to keep track of fragrances that either smell alike, are similar to, or are cheaper alternatives to Uomo Born in Roma. I will try to update and include options beyond just the EDT version, such as Yellow Dream, Green Stravaganza, and Coral Fantasy.

Colognes that Smell Like Born in Roma

Inspired by Rome

Aromatic Sage by Dossier– For those who want an inspired take on the Born in Roma formula, this one from Dossier aims to get as close as possible to our target scent.

I haven’t yet tried this Dossier out, but they usually do a pretty good job a getting near what fragrance they’re aiming to replicate. But, they are using pineapple and ‘water fruits’ up top in effort to match the opening sweetness and sort of aquatic element that you get with the Valentino.

Added pink pepper to the spice profile as well. I would be interested in seeing if they pulled off the mineral accord well in this version. But, it should be fine.

Green Inspiration

Rome in Green by Dua– The Born in Roma flankers keep getting released, including Green Stravaganza. Long enough name, but Rome in Green is Dua’s take on that design, if you’re in the market for a cheaper alternative.

Bergamot, coffee, and Hatian vetiver combine for this interesting mix of bright citrus, a cafe aroma, and a smooth dry down period.

They don’t seem to have yet created their version of the original Uomo Born in Roma or any of the others, but this is a unique enough scent that some might be looking for.

Similar Start

Invictus by Paco Rabanne– This is one of the mainstream designer colognes that Born in Roma gets compared to most often. To me, it’s mostly confined to the opening hour or so, and it’s more of a mix between Invictus and Invictus Aqua.

Invictus EDT is definitely sweeter and has a heavier use of citrus early on. Salty with a bay leaf note adding some fresh spice to the mix. 

Yet, early it does have a very noticeable overlap with the Valentino. Again, if I could take elements from both EDT and Aqua, it would be even closer to Roma.

After that, the dry down on this one is different. Marine notes, that citrus, and its woody base are still going strong. Invictus doesn’t shift as much as Born in Roma does, as the Valentino gets woodier and soapier to some extent. Invictus review

Join the Club

Ralph’s Club Parfum– Here’s the first of the designer options that have similarities to Roma, but without being entirely the same. Giving you a different take, while hitting some of the same beats.

Apple and grapefruit are the opening fruity notes up top, with sage, lavender, and that general blue vibe throughout. This one also has a lot in common with the YSL Y fragrances (listed below).

That opening will calm down and you move into the floral heart with lavender and orange blossom, before it dries down to an earthier and somewhat smoky finish. 

Less of the freshness found with the violet leaf in Roma, but it has the same kind of clean aroma and that vetiver note. More floral and woody. A good alternative, if you’d like to branch out a bit. Ralph’s Club Parfum review

Y so Intense?

Y EDP Intense by YSL– The sage and blue-ish aspects of this version of the YSL Y line, do lend it to how our target fragrance smells. Not the same, but have enough similarities that a fan of one would probably enjoy the other.

For me, this definitely isn’t my favorite of the Y line (I’d go EDP or Elixir), and I actually might favor Born in Roma slightly more than this. But, it’s the closest in smell to what we’re looking for. 

This one starts off with a good amount of sage, it doesn’t have the mineral notes, and instead you’ll get ginger and geranium. This is paired with a light bergamot citrus and the usual Y blend of notes.

A woody and earthy back half with calming lavender. Performance is middling. Y Intense would be my last pick out of this list, but some might really enjoy this if bought for a decent price.

y edp intense review

Le Beau EDT vs. Paradise Garden

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Le Beau is an increasingly popular series, which is continually spawning new flanker colognes to add to the lineup. Le Beau EDT is the original release, which has been somewhat recently overshadowed by scents like, Le Beau Paradise Garden.

But, which of these fragrances is actually better?

In this post, I want to do a comparison between each of these JPG perfumes, after I’ve worn and tested each out many times. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better Gaultier fragrance to buy?

Tale of the Tape: Le Beau vs Paradise Garden by JPG

Le Beau EDT

Notes include: bergamot, coconut wood, tonka bean

Click here to try: Le Beau by JPG

Le Beau Paradise Garden

Notes include: mint, ginger, fig, coconut water, salt, tonka bean, sandalwood

Click here to try: Paradise Garden

Read my full review: Le Beau Paradise Garden

Opening

Le Beau EDT starts off with its citrus and coconut wood blended together. It’s got a fresh and blue sort of tone to it, in the opening. Pretty simple up top.

To me, this one really gets going once the tonka bean note has ramped up and the bergamot has settled. That’s when the creaminess of the fragrance unfolds.

Paradise Garden opens with a mix sweetness, freshness, minty spice, and an aquatic undertone to it all.

It’s a greener aroma from the fig note asserting itself, that pairs well with that coconut, and I get a good deal of the ginger note coming through early on. The fig is sweet and green

Paradise has a coconut water note. Though, there is still some creaminess in the blend. All supported by sandalwood, fig, and tonka bean, which adds that creamy touch further. I get more of the sandalwood in the dry down.

The start of Le Beau EDT is my least favorite part of that cologne. It gets better, but I’m not too sold on the blue citrus aroma that I get with it. Paradise Garden has more depth and smells better.

Edge: Paradise 

Projection

Paradise isn’t a super heavy fragrance, it’s not a completely light scent, and has some body to it.

Though, it does have really good projection for what kind of cologne this is. It’s a lighter moderate sillage for spring and summertime. 

It hangs around in that lightness quite well. I never don’t notice this one, when I have it on, at least until it finally fades.

Edge: Paradise

Longevity

Paradise Garden will go for 8 or so hours. For me, while I’ve worn this Gaultier cologne, I haven’t yet had it reach the 9 hour mark. It’s quite good, but not a spectacular performer.

Le Beau EDT is more middle of the road with its performance, at least for me. I can get up to 6.5 hours of wear from this Gaultier cologne. Doesn’t seem to go beyond that.

It’s a pretty distinct advantage for Garden, here.

Edge: Paradise

Versatility

Each of these works best in the spring and summertime. I wouldn’t be wearing them in the winter. But, if the temperatures are moderate to hot, they can be used without issue.

Both of these are more casual daytime wears. Not formal or something that you’d wear to the office. They do tend to skew younger, as well. Though, for when you’d wear each of these, they fit fine for all ages.

I do think the smoother dry down of Le Beau fits in better as a daily wear. The coconut and minty tropical intensity that Paradise Garden gives off, might not be the best in every situation. 

As such, I’ll give the slight edge to Le Beau EDT.

Edge: Le Beau

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I enjoy more?

With, Le Beau EDT, I find it to be a likeable cologne. As a daily wear for younger guys, it works well. The opening act isn’t great, but that dry down is pretty nice with the tonka bean and wood coming through more.

As a daily wear option, it might be a better bet for some guys.

However, if I have to answer which one smells better overall? It’s Le Beau Paradise Garden, for me. Sure, it’s tropical vibe might make it somewhat more limited or not something some percentage of guys will want to wear, but it is a unique and attractive cologne.

Note: You might also consider picking up the Dua Brand’s cheaper ‘inspired by’ take on Paradise called: Garden Tales. Just grab a bottle of Le Beau to go with it too.

The performance is without a doubt better and almost everything about the blend is preferable when compared to Le Beau EDT.

A pretty easy win for the green juice.

Winner: Paradise Garden

4 Perfumes Similar to Vanilla Sex

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Vanilla Sex is a release which has really caught on for the brand since its release. Not too complicated of a perfume, but one that has a rather unique feel within a space of vanilla scents, that is extremely well covered.

On this page, I want to keep track of other fragrances that I find which either smell similar to or have a close style to or are cheaper alternatives to this popular Tom Ford fragrance.

Fragrances that Smell Like Vanilla Sex by Tom Ford

Vanilla Closeness

Intimate with Vanilla by Dua Brand– Very clever with the wordplay on the Vanilla Sex moniker, but Intimate is the ‘inspired by’ take on this Tom Ford perfume from The Dua Brand.

If you want an option that tries to match what you get with our target fragrance, this release from Dua should be as good as any. I’ve bought over a dozen scents from them and they really do come close to the mark each time.

Vanilla, tonka bean, bitter almond, sandalwood, and the rest are here. I haven’t tried this one out personally, as of now, but the reviews are overwhelmingly positive.  So, it makes the cut.

Another Inspirational Vanilla

Gourmand Vanilla by Dossier– For those who want something that is trying to be as close to smelling like the Tom Ford as it can, Gourmand Vanilla is another option.

I’ve also had good experience with Dossier’s perfumes, the pricing is good and they seem to come close to the designer fragrances, most of the time.

You might want to just see which one is cheaper on any given day. But, here’s a backup choice instead of the Dua.

Tahitian Vanilla

Vanille de Tahiti- This one from Perris isn’t the same as Vanilla Sex, but it is another vanilla perfume with a somewhat similar style and some overlaps.

Vanille de Tahiti has a fairly short-lived stage, in which it has a dirtier and earthy kind of aroma on top of the main vanilla note. Champaca and ylang-ylang. That will clear out and the champaca smells a lot like orange flower.

A floral and tropical kind of fragrance, that becomes dry and more powdery instead of creamy with its vanilla finish. Sandalwood and amber round things out.

I quite enjoyed wearing my sample vial of Vanille de Tahiti. The opening few minutes almost put me off of it, but it gets way better thereafter. This is one that if you like the Tom Ford perfume, you’ll probably like this one too, even if it’s not an exact match.

Deeper Hypnosis

Hypnotic Poison– Another one that’s not the same and probably the most distinct from Vanilla Sex on the list, but has plenty of overlap. Mainly, the vanilla and almond notes being prominent in the mix.

This is also a more complex scent, so, there are more facets to it than in Vanilla.

I get a more noticeable almond here with the Dior than in the Tom Ford, which is much more vanilla centered. The fruity notes also separate it with both apricot and plum making an appearance. The floral heart is also more of a factor, thanks to jasmine, and a sweetish tuberose.

Again, not going to be a near duplicate of the same aroma, but one that should have plenty of fans that are into wearing the Tom Ford scent too. Nice performance and one that’s been popular for a long time.

Uomo Born in Roma vs Coral Fantasy

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Born in Roma is a series from Valentino which has enjoy pretty massive success for the brand, in both the men’s and women’s side of things.

Uomo Born in Roma has now spawned a bunch of flanker colognes and the number seems to be growing each year. One of the more popular options, is Coral Fantasy.

In this post, I want to compare these two scents. Which one smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better fragrance to buy?

Tale of the Tape: Uomo Born in Roma vs Coral Fantasy

Born in Roma

Notes include: ginger, salt, mineral notes, sage, vetiver, violet leaf 

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo Born In Roma EDT 3.4 oz / 100 ml Men’s Spray 

My review: Born in Roma

Born in Roma Coral Fantasy

Notes include: red apple, tobacco, patchouli, sage, geranium

Click here to try: Uomo Coral Fantasy

Read my review: Coral

roma coral fantasy review

Opening

The opening of Born in Roma is sweet with a strong mineral note, and an aquatic sort of feel thanks to a salt and violet leaf combination. It really does remind me of a blend of Invictus and Invictus Aqua, at this point.

The ginger is light, but it adds a nice freshness to the mix and as this one dry down it will become cleaner and soapier, with less resemblance to those Paco Rabanne fragrances.

Coral Fantasy opens up with a crisp and juicy red apple note, which is mainly paired with cardamom and some other spices playing a lesser supporting role.

Sage and some citrus bergamot round things out at the top. Later, we get a freshness with geranium, lavender clean, and tobacco.

Which is better?

I like Coral Fantasy more at the opening. The apple is nice and it has a more unique aroma than what I get from the original which apes the Invictus line a bit too much.

Edge: Coral Fantasy

Projection

Born in Roma EDT actually starts things off pretty strong. I can detect it from up to 8 feet away, when I spray it on a t-shirt and walk away. That’s with a few sprays.

After that, it settles into something that is more moderate, but it’s not a weak scent at all.

Coral Fantasy is a much more moderate scent, on the whole. It doesn’t reach the same heights as EDT, but has a solid enough start.

Much of the wear for me, was as a skin scent.

Edge: Born in Roma 

Longevity

With Born in Roma, I’ve gotten between 7-8.5 hours on skin, during my testing of this colognes. It’s pretty solid with what it delivers, but nothing that elite and it never came close to double digit hours in my experience.

Coral Fantasy seems to fall in that 6-7 hour range. Maybe a little longer, but I still think it’s a step down from Roma EDT.

They’re not too far off from one another, but EDT takes this category.

Edge: Born in Roma

Versatility

Roma EDT feels more like a spring and summertime fragrance to me. But, really anytime it’s moderate to warmer outside, it should be good.

Coral Fantasy is better in autumn and winter, but still quite nice in the more temperate days. I wouldn’t venture into the summer with this one.

Each of these skews younger with it’s target demographic. Especially the early stages, I do think that Coral Fantasy is the more versatile scent with its age range in the back half of the wear. Feels well put together.

Also, I think it fits in slightly better in a wider range of scenarios.

Edge: Coral Fantasy

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two Born in Roma colognes do I actually enjoy more?

With Born in Roma EDT, I think that the dry down is better than how it opens, but I still not completely sold on what I get with this fragrance. It’s fine.

Though, I have to say that violet leaf and mineral notes are not my personal favorite ingredients to smell. So, others may enjoy this one a lot more than me. The performance is better and this a pretty good cologne all around.

With Born in Roma Coral Fantasy, I was excited to try it, back when it came out. The apple opening is good and I thought that the overall experience would be great.

Turned out to be pretty good with good enough performance. I do slightly prefer how it smells versus the original Born in Roma EDT, but it’s not by much.

I’d personally go with Coral Fantasy because I actually get something at least somewhat different with its entire presentation, even if I don’t think that this Valentino is ultimately an amazing fragrance.

Winner: Coral Fantasy