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!

Madison Avenue by Bond No. 9

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This is the final review from the last batch of sample fragrances that I received a few months ago. It is also the last of a line of Bond No. 9 scents that were included in that batch. Today’s entry is Madison Avenue, a ladies’ perfume, that blends fruit, sweet, and floral notes.

In this review, I will cover my full experience while wearing it and give my thoughts as to whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Madison Avenue by Bond No. 9 Smell Like?

Notes include: blackberry, praline, apple, patchouli, jasmine, rose, magnolia, bergamot, ambroxan

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Madison Avenue Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

 

My Full Review

The opening of Madison Avenue reminds me of two separate fragrances. First, the men’s cologne, Black XS. This men’s fragrance shares the patchouli, fruit, and praline combination that Madison Avenue also has.

Though, I will say that Madison Avenue is done much better and doesn’t share the same strawberry/lemon candy aroma that kind of makes Black XS a mess.

The second fragrance, is La Petite Robe Noire Couture by Guerlain. This seems to represent more of the feminine aspect of Madison Avenue, with its shared notes of patchouli, rose, and bergamot. Though, the two berry notes are different, these two scents are closely related.

Madison Avenue immediately hits with its fruity mix of blackberry, apple, and citrus. I think that it smells quite amazing from the jump. It is crisp, juicy, and fresh with a very vibrant and upbeat tone. This is a very sweet perfume but I don’t think that it is overdone.

There is enough punch from the patchouli and amber undertones to give it a more refined profile.

As it moves along, more of the floral notes emerge in Madison Avenue. For me, the floral notes never breakthrough completely and I think that this one retains much more of its fruity sweetness, which is aided by the praline.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Madison Avenue is strong. That’s great news, at this price point, as you will get a performer. However, it also means that it can be over-sprayed, if not careful. One really wouldn’t need more than a couple spritzes.

I also got really good longevity out of this fragrance, easily 7+hours of wear. Not elite, mind you, but still very usable for almost any purposes.

Madison Avenue feels to me like a very versatile scent. It can of course be worn casually but I also find it quite appealing and would love smelling this on a woman that I was dating.

It has its own level of flirty sexiness. Madison Avenue would be most at home in the warmer months of the year but honestly could be worn year round without much issue. Ideally, late spring and into the summertime.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Madison Avenue

Overall, would I recommend this perfume? Yes! This is a great entry from the Bond No. 9 line. There have been many others from this brand, that I haven’t been too keen on.

Madison Avenue, checks all of the boxes for a really good to great scent. This is especially true if you’re a fan of fruity perfumes.

Angel Men (A*Men) Pure Tonka by Mugler

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This will be the second of my one time wear, cologne reviews, of scents I’ve tried out while traveling. Today, is a Thierry Mugler cologne, that I sampled while walking around the airport in Ibiza…Angel Men Pure Tonka. Now, I’ve smelled this before and love tonka, so I was excited to give it a full wear and my impressions on this scent. As usual, I’m going to cover what’s in it, how it smells, performs, and whether or not I think that it is worth a buy.

What does Pure Tonka by Thierry Mugler Smell Like?

Notes include: tonka bean, lavender, coffee, rosemary, patchouli, vanilla

Click here to try: AMen Pure Tonka Eau De Toilette 100ml

My Full Review

Admittedly, this may not have been the best time to test out, Pure Tonka. This is a fall/winter cologne and I was testing it in late spring, in Ibiza, so it was pretty warm. Not too awful but around 75 degrees F, which is probably the max I would wear this one around in.

Tonka bean is probably one of my favorite ingredients in men’s fragrances, as it is really smooth and creamy, when done right.

The opening of Pure Tonka doesn’t disappoint, there is a noticeable burnt roast aroma provided by the coffee note that pairs quite beautifully with the tonka bean.

There seems to be at least some resemblance, in my mind, to Pure Havane. The latter is much heavier with tobacco and honey, but I do get a bit of the same sweetness for some period of time.

During the initial stages, there is a minty coolness which peaks through, as well.

Upon my second testing of this, a few years after the initial review, I get way more coffee than I remember. It’s dark, roasted, with that cocoa finish.

Very well done and I really adore its pairing with tonka bean. I think that the sweet notes, don’t smell refined like in a sugary sense, closer to the raw and unrefined ingredients.

Pure Tonka is of course very sweet but not in a girlish way. It retains it sense of masculinity, with a darker, warm, and almost brooding appeal.

The lavender note is there and seems to give Pure Tonka some grounding and prevents it from becoming an overly sweet mess.

This is a very gourmand fragrance, the trio of tonka, coffee, and vanilla create a chocolate-like aroma that is very rich and as if you were walking into a bakery.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The projection on Pure Tonka, like the other A*Men flankers, is fantastic. You really only need a few sprays and the job will be done. No weakness here.

Longevity wise, it is also a beast, I’ve gotten over 8 hours on a warm day, so I figure it should be 10+ during winter wear.

Update: Coming back to this one, in cooler temperatures, and it did go above 9 hours.

Pure Tonka has the appeal of being able to be worn casually, while pulling double duty for romantic wear. Again, you don’t need to spray very much, but this is a great winter scent to get closer to someone.

It’s fairly unisex in its presentation, more masculine, but it could be worn by anyone without much trouble. It’s wearable in most any situation, just avoid the high heat, and stick to the autumn and winter months.

Overall Impression of Pure Tonka

Overall, is Pure Tonka worth a buy? Yes, provided you know what you’re getting. To me, it almost seemed like too much of a good thing, at times. I really do enjoy it but it began to drag on my nerves a bit.

Maybe that was only due to me traveling and not being in a great mood, but I thought that I would point that out. I actually think, that I might like it better than Pure Havane, but I don’t know if I like it more than Pure Malt…but I’d have to do more testing.

The A*Men series of scents are pretty much great across the board and Pure Tonka is no exception.

Update: Coming back to Pure Tonka for another time, it is about on par with my enjoyment of Pure Havane and not as good as Pure Malt. It has a lot of elements that I really enjoy, but I have to be in the mood for a gourmand scent.

This will have some mass appeal, but it is going to one for either tonka bean fans or those who like sweeter scents. It’s really good overall.

Update Again: This has been discontinued, as far as I can tell. That’s unfortunate, as this was a fun one.

Boss Bottled EDT (No. 6) by Hugo Boss

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In this latest installment of this site’s series of ratings and reviews of men’s fragrances, I want to take a closer look at Boss Bottled EDT (aka No. 6) by Hugo Boss. It was released in 1998. I have already created a list of the top Hugo Boss colognes but I wanted to zoom in a bit and focus on this one individual fragrance from the line.

So, continue below to get my full take on this scent and whether or not it is worth a buy. Note: I have updated this review, 4 years after the original, to expand further on No. 6.

What does Boss Bottled EDT (No. 6) Smell Like?

Notes include: apple, cinnamon, vanilla, woods, plum, sandalwood

Click here to try: Boss No. 6 by Hugo Boss for Men – 3.3 Ounce EDT Spray

Full Review

My first impression of Number 6 is that it is a really clean fragrance. Note: It just gets called Boss Bottled EDT, nowadays. I could right away see how this could work as an everyday wear and something that people around you would respond positively towards.

The apple note is most noticeable to me, and the way it blends with the cinnamon, sort of reminds me of the flavoring in Apple Cinnamon Toaster Strudels. Not like the apple note in something such as Tommy Hilfiger.

Up top, the apple gets paired with a somewhat tart plum. Though, I’d still lean toward calling the entire composition sweet, at this point.

The first part of the wear, is more of a fruity cologne, with underlying spices. It will then shift, towards being less dominated by these notes.

As we move further along, the vanilla and wood notes, really start to come through. Sandalwood, cedar, and other woods begin to rise of from the base. The vanilla, which was always present, takes over for much of the plum and apple.

The vanilla note does give it that smooth sweetness, which I tend to like, but I don’t feel as if Boss Bottled goes too far into the ‘sweet’ category (during the dry down).

This is because the sandalwood and cedar notes especially, give it a woodsy base, that seems to keep it masculine and intriguing.

Finally, what I’m left with is a woody vanilla fragrance with strong whiffs of apple and cinnamon. It is creamy, fresh, and still sweet.

While this has been replicated by others recently, Boss Bottled, for sure had plenty of uniqueness when released in the 90s.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one isn’t a projection beast but it isn’t totally subdued either. There are many other options for guys who want a loud fragrance, Number 6 however, is soft to moderate in its scent but still quite sensual.

For the first hour, it will create a nice radius of scent around my skin, and then draws closer.

Longevity wise, I’d say it’s on the lower end of moderate…4-6 hours of decent projection, which was quite disappointing. That’s not absolutely terrible, but if you’re paying full price per bottle, it can be.

Boss Bottled is a rather versatile scent. Climate wise, it can fit in most situations, except for extreme heat and humidity.

Honestly, it’s not the worst at that, just not great in the summer months either. The rest of the year, and especially temperate climates, it works very well.

Outside of the seasonal aspect, this Hugo Boss scent is very versatile. It can work for younger men, but isn’t limited to that set. Not that this is the most mature perfume, but, older guys could certainly wear this.

I’ve worn this casually, semi-formally, and to an office setting. No issues with any of that. Is it attractive? Yes, the masculine sweetness will garner complements, and can be used for dates.

Bottled No. 6 isn’t really a club scent, in the sense that, you want a projection beast. If you want subtlety, sure.

Overall Impression of Boss Bottled No. 6

Overall, I think that Boss Bottled is a very good cologne. It is pleasant, versatile, sexy, and seems to work well in temperatures outside of the brutal summer.

Is it a buy? I’d lean towards yes. While it smells great, it doesn’t necessarily perform as well as other potential colognes.

However, it isn’t terribly expensive either, and I could definitely see a guy getting use out of it.

Though, nowadays, I might just pick up a bottle of Ferrari Black which is a cheaper version of this scent pretty much. Since this isn’t an amazing performer, you should consider getting something close to this smell, for a whole lot less money.

I still like this one and it hasn’t completely lost a step. But, it did come out 25 years ago, and a lot has been done that is better than Bottled EDT. At a discount, I might still pick this up versus all of the imitators that have tried to mimic this Hugo Boss.

Intimately Beckham by David Beckham

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I have already reviewed a few fragrances from the David Beckham line of men’s colognes (The Essence and Instinct) and thought that I’d tackle another one of the popular scents, Intimately Beckham. I want to take a closer look to answer some questions as to its particular scent and performance during wear. This is another really affordable everyday cologne but is it worth a purchase?

What does Intimately Beckham Smell Like?

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Notes include: Amber, sandalwood, cardamom, grapefruit, star anise, nutmeg, violet

My Full Review

Intimately Beckham is a bit of a change up from the two scents that I previously reviewed. It is a play between sweet and spicy but not in a heavy way, it is more of a refreshing spice and not overwhelming.

The opening is fairly woodsy/earthy from the violet, sandalwood, cardamom, and of course the nutmeg note which highlights this cologne’s start. I’m honestly not too big of a fan of the opening 10-15 minutes of this fragrance, it’s kind of weird and synthetic to me but I think that it develops pretty well from there.

There are some light citrus notes in the opening, but they don’t particularly stand out, to my nose. It’s a bit sweet, but I mostly pick up on cardamom and nutmeg, paired with those notes such as grapefruit.

When it finally does develop, I get a total late autumn to winter wear vibe from this scent. It would probably be awful to wear outside on a hot day, as it’d just become an overheated mess.

On the other hand, when used in its element, Intimately Beckham provides a warm amber and slightly powdery aroma that vaguely reminds me of a lower grade version of The One by D&G.

The sandalwood base, really begins to take hold for me, about 20 minutes in. At that point, any citrus is pretty much gone. Violet and amber emerge, the spice of anise/nutmeg/cardamom, pretty much surround these notes.

Finally, we get to what we’re left with for the remainder of the wear. Sandalwood is a major player in the latter stages. Frankly, the major player. It is soaked in a nice amber note, with a nutmeg spice.

It’s warm, fresh, with enough underlying sweetness to prevent it from going too heavy into the spiced category. It’s actually very smooth and refined, at this stage. Intimately smells much more expensive than its low price tag would otherwise indicate.

Sillage, Versatility, and How Long Does it Last?

Intimately Beckham actually projects itself better than Instinct, in my opinion. It does seem to have more strength although like Instinct, doesn’t shave the type of longevity I want out of a cologne.

I’d call the sillage moderate, for the first hour or so. Then, fairly light thereafter. On skin, it seems to go 4-5 hours. Sometimes, a little less, but usually it will hit those metrics just fine.

It’s safe and non offensive and does smell very pleasant for casual wear on the cooler days of the year. Again, avoid the heat with this one. It’s a warmer, fresh, and cozy sort of cologne. Not going to hold up well in the summer.

It is, however, quite an attractive fragrance. For younger guys, this can be an all around wear for autumn and winter. It is mature enough, to be used for dates or evenings out, as well.

Overall Impression of Intimately Beckham

Overall, this fragrance does smell good, but it isn’t a standout must have, for me anyway. For the price, it isn’t a terrible buy but it won’t set you apart much from the crowd.

It is attractive and the people around you will probably like it, while it lasts. If it were more expensive, I’d say no but at this price point, I don’t think it’s a bad buy at all.

Intimately Beckham is a good pick up for the younger set. It’s dirt cheap, but you get a very nice aroma from it. Performance isn’t great, but you can certainly re-apply or over spray, without breaking the bank. If this lasted a 6-8 hours on skin, it’d be an absolute steal. As is, it’s not a bad bargain.

Korrigan EDP by Lubin

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Months ago, I received a bunch of niche fragrance samples from some higher end and/or more obscure designers. I hadn’t tested any of them out, but looked through the lot of them the other day, to see what I had exactly. Many of the options, seem to harp on the same notes of rose, oud, and saffron…in almost the same exact compositions.

Then, I saw Korrigan by Lubin Paris, and reading the notes made me absolutely want to try this one out. I came in with no expectations, but how does this one smell? How does it perform? Is it worth a high price tag?

What does Korrigan EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: juniper berry, saffron, cognac, lavender, ambrette, whisky distillate, cedar, oud, leather, vetiver, musks

Click here to try: Lubin Paris Korrigan Eau De Parfum 100ml

My Full Review

So, I was really excited to try Korrigan out, once I saw the boozy notes that were included within the composition. Even with the rather weird description on the back of the sample card,

“In the Armorican countryside frolic the Korrigans at night. They come to harvest juniper berries and wild beechnuts. Then, in dark caves, the distill barley into spellbinding spirits, spicing them with saffron, musking them with ambrette, scenting them with lavender. During the solstice festivals, they all drink their elixirs out of leather pouches, causing bodies and souls to capsize.” The hell?

The opening of Korrigan features plenty of cognac and whisky. It is interesting that the boozy notes came through much more, when sprayed on a shirt, versus my skin. It was still apparent on my skin, but not to the same extent.

I also pick up on juniper berry and a metallic sort of saffron note. This fragrance has that warm alcoholic aroma but is super smooth and sweet.

While this fragrance doesn’t smell like anything else that I’ve come across, the juniper and lavender, do bring about thoughts of Luna Rossa Sport. It’s a familiar scent that is tucked away, in the heart of Korrigan, but all of the booze, leather, and sweet ambrette conceal it.

After the initial wave of the alcoholic notes pass, the lavender and leather really start to come through.

It’s calming and smooth. The leather is nice and rich, but there is a vanilla/nut quality that is in this fragrance. The strange description says beechnuts, but that’s not listed in the notes. I’m guessing there is some of that in their and it is mixing with the scent of the ambrette.

At this point, mostly what I get from Korrigan is leather, lavender, nuttiness, and saffron. The juniper/booze still hangs around, but the fragrance definitely shifts.

Finally, Korrigan dries down with a salty caramel note. Again, it must be the way the notes are playing off of one another, because it’s not listed. The leather and saffron surround the caramel-like smell, with a faded whiskey note gently hanging in the air.

The Lubin scent now feels much drier and woodier than it had previously, but those notes still aren’t too heavy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of this one is never all that powerful. Upon spraying, it can be loud and project itself, with its boozy warmth. However, it settles quickly, and is pretty moderate for the rest of the wear.

While it isn’t super powerful, the longevity is actually quite good, on my skin. It sticks around somewhere in the 7-9 hour range, depending on the day. Not insane, but very useful.

Seasonally, colder weather. Autumn and winter wear, all the way. Korrigan is listed as a unisex, while the start is pretty masculine, it does soften up into a true unisex fragrance. It can be worn casually, formally, or even out on a date.

Probably best for mid-20s and up. It’s a warm and cozy scent, but totally has a sexiness to it. It can be quite enthralling to experience. Not that everyone is going to love it, but it does have a unique vibe, and an intriguing one.

Overall Impressions of Korrigan EDP

Overall do I like this perfume? I really do. This one really caught my attention and had me wanting to wear it more often. Now, it wouldn’t be an everyday wear or something, that I’d always be in the mood for.

However, Korrigan is one that I would love to spray on during the winter months, and have it envelop me in a warm cloud. For a niche scent, this fragrance will enjoy a fairly wide appeal, but not a best-seller status.

I would recommend giving this a go, if the ingredients sound interesting to you. It’s really great, in my opinion.