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!

I Love NY for Holidays by Bond No. 9

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The march of rating I Love NY fragrances from Bond No. 9 moves on. Today, we have a supposed unisex scent from the brand called, Holidays. This is an interesting gourmand scent suitable for the cooler months of the year. In this post, I am going to go over how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does I Love NY for Holidays Smell Like?

Notes include: apricot, pomegranate, mandarin, praline, leather, musk, patchouli, freesia

Click here to try: Bond No 9 I Love NY Cologne, Holidays, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of I Love NY for Holidays hits immediately with a fruity blend of the apricot and mandarin orange notes. This is flanked by a noticeable combo of praline and patchouli. The instantly reminded me of Black XS, except that the fruit notes are much better than the Paco Rabanne lemon that ends up smelling like a candied strawberry.

It is interesting that Holidays also takes on a different kind of fruity aroma, almost a blueberry feel to it. The freesia gives it a nice little floral scent, as well.

Holidays further takes on the appearance of another popular fragrance, Angel by Thierry Mugler. It seems that Holidays is sort of skirting between Black XS and Angel, which isn’t terrible company to be in, but it will have a rather set appeal with people.

This fragrance is very sweet and gourmand with a distinctive impression of patchouli. Holidays was actually marketed as a unisex fragrance but this leans much more to the female side of things. I could wear it, but it honestly doesn’t seem to fit with me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Holidays is pretty powerful stuff not super intense but you’ll know that it is there throughout the day, and so will others. I would put it on the upper end of the moderate range, in terms of sillage.

It also does have really good longevity, I’m getting 9+ hours. After testing it out multiple times, it can hit over 10 hours on the right day. But, it seems to fall in that 9-10 time frame. On the performance side of things, Holidays actually does deliver.

Again, I’d treat this more as a ladies’ scent than something that is unisex. It would work well in cold weather but would probably turn into an abomination in the heat. Casual and perhaps romantic wear would work but go lightly with it, if wearing at the office.

Overall Impressions of Holidays

Overall, is I Love NY for Holidays worth a buy? It might be the best smelling of the I Love NY line, in my opinion. It actually performs well and smells good. I’m not too thrilled with the patchouli and praline combo, Black XS is okay, but I never wear any from my bottle.

If you’re a fan of Angel and want something similar but slightly different than this one might be up your alley. This is a very solid offering from Bond No. 9

Loverdose Red Kiss by Diesel

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One of the samples that I’ve gotten a hold of in the women’s fragrance category, is one from Diesel: Loverdose Red Kiss. This is one of the flanker perfumes from the Loverdose series. The question is, is this scent any good? Well, after trying it out for a few days, I have compiled my thoughts below, on a full spectrum of details about this perfume and whether it is worth a shot or not.

What does Loverdose Red Kiss Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, hazelnut, amber, patchouli, cacao, black currant

Click here to try: Diesel Loverdose Red Kiss Eau de Parfum, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Loverdose Red Kiss is a blend of orange blossom, hazelnut, and black currant notes. It’s a sweet and citrus based fruity smell with the underlying smooth nuttiness of the hazlenut note.

I get a feeling of similarity between this perfume and some others on the market, but it does strike me as different enough to stand as a unique fragrance on its own.

It does become a sweeter fragrance as it dries down, but at the beginning of its lifespan, that sweetness is joined by a sharp tart/sour aroma from the fruits. The emergence of the cacao settles Loverdose Red Kiss down into a sweeter blend with less of that sharpness.

The drydown is inhabited mostly by the cacao, hazelnut, amber, and patchouli notes. The patchouli in this Diesel perfume isn’t terribly strong but it is a noticeable component throughout the wear.

It becomes a warmer sweetness and less of the tart citrus, with a comforting blend of nuts and cacao, plus the amber note which ties the whole thing together.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Red Kiss starts of pretty darn strong but its sillage is ultimately pretty moderate. You get about an hour or so as a powerhouse, which then is an upper moderate, and quite noticeable fragrance. Don’t go overboard with the sprays, but you don’t need to be stingy either.

The longevity of this one is also pretty great. It generally lasts 8+ hours, so a full day for most people’s purposes.

Loverdose Red Kiss by the name alone should be useful as a romantic wear perfume, is this actually the case? Yes. It is inviting and sexy and smells quite delicious. Its creamy sweetness and overall blend of notes is very appealing to my male brain.

I would definitely enjoy smelling this on a woman that I was dating and liked the scent a lot as I was wearing it. That being said, it will probably best serve a younger lady. Think college age through mid-20s. Nonetheless, it isn’t too juvenile.

One thing that I should mention, is that this isn’t a warm weather scent. So, during summer days or other high humidity situations, it’s not going to be great. It’d be best in the cold weather but it performs nicely on a mild night.

Overall Impressions of Red Kiss

Overall, do I recommend Diesel Loverdose Red Kiss? Yes, I do. I think it is an attractive perfume that is well put together and also gives a great performance. It is sexy, sweet, and has an interesting opening of tart citrus but also develops a full personality.

If the notes included in here, seem like something that you’d enjoy, I’d definitely give this a try. It has a lot of the same sort of style as something like Black Opium and Prada Candy. Yet, it sticks out as being somewhat distinct from them.

Update: I think that this one has now been discontinued. So grab a bottle now, if you can still find it for cheap, and wanted to try.

Guess Suede by Guess

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Today’s review is of 2007’s release Guess Suede by as luck would have it, Guess. I wanted to see how the suede note worked in this fragrance, as I think it is a nice change of pace from the usual leather note that is so prevalent in men’s colognes.

As usual, I’m going to cover what’s in this cologne, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if it’s even worth considering a purchase of a full bottle.

What does Guess Suede Smell Like?

Notes include: suede, bergamot, pineapple, vetiver, mahogany, sandalwood, nutmeg, lavender 

Click here to try: Guess Suede By Guess For Men Edt Spray 2.5 Oz

My Full Review

My initial impression of Guess Suede was a positive one. The opening of course, gives you that smooth and familiar suede note that is paired with a slightly spicy nutmeg and a sweet citrus which plays the background quite well.

After a few minutes, the wood notes really begin to take form, and the aroma becomes much fuller in my nose.

The thing of it is, Guess Suede strikes me mostly as a one note fragrance. Obviously, with a name like Suede, that note is going to dominate the composition but the supporting cast of wood and citrus stays pretty much the same after the initial few minutes.

I wish that I could write more about how it develops, but it doesn’t seem to do so at all. Suede stays warm and smooth with a slightly sweet spice to it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Guess Suede starts out with a pretty solid kick before it starts to tone down, into something that is essentially moderate but closer to the weak end of the spectrum. Longevity, is not very good at all.

Within 2-3 hours, it’s completely gone from my skin. This was my problem with Guess Seductive Homme Blue, it also smells good but doesn’t last. This brand seems to come out with some pretty good smelling fragrance but the longevity on most of them stinks.

I suppose I’d classify this as a casual cologne that could be worn mostly during the Fall to Spring months…however, since it doesn’t last very long, it’s hard to say exactly.

You could wear it around town, maybe out for an evening, if it happens to last more than a couple of hours on your skin.

Overall Impressions of Guess Suede

Overall, is Guess Suede a buy? Nope. I actually really liked how it smelled, though, less so the second time I wore it. The problem of course is, what’s really the point of getting a full bottle, if it doesn’t last?

Guess Seductive Homme is a legit option from this house, that actually has passable longevity, and is at a good price point. Unless you really love suede and can reapply every few hours, I’d turn this one down.

It was a cheap fragrance, but even that fact couldn’t save this cologne for me.

Update: I’m updating this review from 4-5 years ago, here in 2023. Suede is no longer produced and pretty much came and went without much fanfare.

Lippizan by Parfums De Marly

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Here is another entry from my review of fragrances by Parfums de Marly. This one, is entitled Lippizan, and says it is inspired by the ‘daring horse race that charmed France during King Louis XV’s era’. It was released back in 2009.

What a horse race smells like? We shall see. So, please continue below for my full take on Lippizan.

What does Lippizan Smell Like?

Notes include: cedar, leather, rose, patchouli, bergamot, cardamom, sage, thyme, oak moss, vetiver

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Lippizan EDT Spray for Men, 4.2 oz.

lippizan review

My Full Review

The opening of Lippizan is a blend of oak moss, bergamot, and cardamom. It’s a very warm and earthy fragrance with some herbal spice thrown in. I have to say that Lippizan is a strong and classic sort of masculine cologne and it feels transported from the late 1970s.

The start of Lippizan is a real powerhouse when taken all in. It packs a punch with those herbal notes and actually feels kind of dirty. It is blended well but I can still detect the individual notes well enough, at least.

I can distinctly pick out the oak moss, vetiver, cardamom, sage, rose, and bergamot about 20 minutes into the wear. Quite sharp and loud.

When I get a bit deeper into the wear with the Parfums de Marly creation, it cleans up so to speak.

It’s less of that ‘dirty’ earthy quality and has more green floral elements, introduced by the iris and rose notes. If it doesn’t accomplish anything else, Lippizan, certainly does achieve a pretty interesting life cycle.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it is loud at the start. I mean, a few sprays will really hit you hard. However, it does settle down into something more moderate, but still toward the heavier end.

I think you get plenty of bang for your buck, in terms of how it hangs around in the air, but it’s not overwhelming in comparison to some insane performers.

Longevity wise, I get about 7 hours of solid wear from it. It’s sort of a disappointment, after that big opening act. Especially at this price point, I figured I would get 2-3 more hours than I did, but nope.

It’s certainly not terrible. Though, it could be better with its staying power.

It is also a complete cold weather scent. I tried wearing this outside during the hot summer day and really didn’t enjoy the results. Update: I still had a few sprays left in the sample, when it was colder. Yep, works much better in a cooler environment.

Lippizan strikes me as an everyday wear, as long as its applied lightly, it should be pretty versatile in terms of what situations it could be worn in.

That being said, understand that with its old school style, it might not vibe well with younger men who are used to modern takes on perfumery. You can of course still try Lippizan out, but just know what you’re getting into before doing so.

Overall Impressions of Lippizan

Overall, do I recommend Lippizan? I’m not going to wear it, but there are going to be guys who love it. This is an old school masculine scent.

You’ll need to love sharp, earthy, and spicy scents. If that’s not your type, you’ll probably hate this cologne.

It’s not my style and I’m not in love with the aroma at all. But, I get that there’s a niche market for this one. It’s a pretty nice example of this sort of scent, just nothing amazing going on here.

Add to that, the price tag, and this Parfums de Marly becomes way less appealing to me. It’s pretty solid across the board, just not something that I really need.

Shagya by Parfums De Marly

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Sill working my way through all of my Parfums de Marly samples and today’s review entry is: Shagya. It is described by the brand as, “the oud lime scent, named after the majestic Arabian horse breed…its fragrance starts with a delicate lime note and develops into woody tones of vetiver and guiac wood.”

Shagya was released in 2009. Is this scent worth it? Does it actually perform? Continue below for my full take on Shagya.

What does Shagya Smell Like?

Notes include: agarwood, cedar, vetiver, guiac wood, lime, pink pepper, and musk

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Shagya Men’s Edp Spray, 4.2 Ounce

My Full Review

For starters, Shagya is an absolute sillage bomb. Before I even tried it on my skin, I sprayed some on an old t-shirt, and could catch whiffs of this cologne from the next room.

The opening notes is the pink pepper and citrus combo but it is heavily flanked by the wood notes which are enormous.

This is a oud fragrance, but I honestly get a lot of cedar and vetiver, more so than many other traditional ‘oud’ colognes out there. When the scent dries down more, the lime essence subsides, and the wood becomes even more prominent.

It does have a slight spice to it with the pepper note but Shagya strikes me as surprisingly crisp and cool, as if there’s a cold metallic note lurking in the mix.

From there this Parfums de Marly scent is pretty linear. It also lightens up as the wear goes along and doesn’t have that same overwhelming aroma cloud that I experienced.

I will also add that there is a bit of sourness to this fragrance, much akin to a sour mix used for cocktails.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, as I wrote above, it’s a monster at first and then is simply strong. I can’t imagine doing more than two sprays with this one.

Again, past that opening act it is more tolerable, but still a loud and somewhat heavy perfume to wear around. Nice, if you dig the scent.

I also got good longevity, of around 8 hours on my skin. I was honestly expecting more after how loud it started, but 8 hours is long enough for most purposes.

Though, somewhat of a disappointment for the price point.

Seasonally, I think this is a year round kind of scent. I think that it’d perform best in cooler to moderate weather, but I wore it here in the heat of August, and it held up nicely.

I wouldn’t call this one for romantic wear. It’s a niche sort of fragrance, so, one you would wear casually or at work. It’s not really ‘sexy’ at all, just a well-blended, and masculine cologne.

Overall Impressions of Shagya

Overall, do I recommend Shagya? For a very specific set of guys, yes. I appreciate the composition of the fragrance, but wouldn’t want to wear it personally.

I’m not a huge fan of oud scents as it is and this one can be particularly in your face. It’s a pretty decent rendition, but there are better fragrances out there highlighted by that note.

This isn’t one that would enjoy a mass popularity but for guys who like heavily woody fragrances, Shagya, is a very interesting option within that space.

The performance is fine, but it’s not an amazing fragrance, especially compared to the rest of the Parfums de Marly lineup. If it sounds interesting, try to get a sample if you can, rather than blind buy.