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!

Paco Rabanne Lady Million vs Prive Perfume Comparison

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Alright, so, I’ve already reviewed these two Paco Rabanne perfumes and now it is time to do a full head to head comparison between: Lady Million vs. Lady Million Prive. Which of these eau de parfums, is the better buy? What are the differences? Which performs the best? Please continue below for my full breakdown.

Tale of the Tape

Lady Million EDP

Notes include: jasmine, gardenia, patchouli, orange blossom, neroli, bitter orange, raspberry, honey, and amber

Click here to try: Lady Million by Paco Rabanne Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.70 Ounce

Read my original review: Lady Million EDP Review

Lady Million Prive EDP

Notes included: raspberry, vanilla, patchouli, cocoa bean, honey, orange blossom, heliotrope, wood

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Lady Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray, 2.7 Ounce

Read my original review: Lady Million Prive EDP

Opening

The original Lady Million opens up with white floral notes like jasmine, gardenia, and orange blossom. These are paired with a juicy raspberry note. The raspberry isn’t super powerful and is tempered by the floral notes.

The honey and patchouli are hanging out in the background, but those really emerge 30 minutes in, and take over the composition.

Prive, on the other hand, has the same raspberry note except that it is really juicy and fully developed. Prive is darker than the original Lady Million and has much more of a fruity vibe.

The raspberry is paired with a creamy vanilla note and the same orange blossom. It is sweeter and has more warmth than does Lady Million.

Which is better? I actually prefer the opening of Prive more so than the original. I enjoy the raspberry top and the sweet darkness more than the floral opening of Lady Million.

Edge: Prive

Projection

These are both moderate fragrances overall. However, Prive does start off stronger, even if they are eventually both on the same level of intensity.

Prive feels heavier from the jump and then becomes a moderate, while Lady Million is pretty consistent.

Lady Million just doesn’t have that same initial pop that Prive can give you in the early stages.

Edge: Prive

Longevity

These two perfumes seem to be equal in terms of how long they last on the skin. In my testing, they both could hit 8 hours without issue.

Each of them are pretty good and will stick around for a standard workday. However, they don’t go beyond that. No clear cut winner, here.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these perfumes can be worn on many occasions from casual to office to a night out on the town. However, Prive is much more limited to colder weather.

Lady Million is a cold weather scent, but it can venture into the springtime or early summer. In that regard, it takes this category.

It’s not much of a difference, but it could be useful those who live in a climate that takes a while to build up to summer temperatures.

Edge: Lady Million

Overall Scent

Ultimately, both of these fragrances are led by a honey note. In Lady Million, the honey note is paired with the white flowers, raspberry, and some patchouli. It is sweet but more of a floral/honey sweetness.

Prive, has that same honey, but adds more patchouli. The dry down is full of cocoa bean and a warm gourmand quality. It is rich and dry and there s even an emergent woodiness to the fragrance as it moves further along.

Which Paco Rabanne do I prefer? Ehhh, neither of these perfumes is amazing. Both are solid and have plenty of similarities.

However, I would lean more towards Prive than the original. I like the dark sweetness, the cocoa bean, and how it develops from juicy raspberry to dry woods.

If you prefer floral fragrances, then, Lady Million will probably be the better bet. It’s not a huge distance between the two, as they have solid performance, but I give the slight edge to Prive.

Winner: Lady Million Prive

Royal Rose by Juicy Couture

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Taking a break from the Tom Ford reviews for a minute, I wanted to do a write up on another Juicy Couture perfume sample that I received a while back, this one titled: Royal Rose. It was released in 2017 and with a name like that is obviously going to be centered around that famous flower. How does it perform? How do the other notes interact with the rose? Is it any good?

What does Juicy Couture Royal Rose Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, incense, suede, musk, heliotrope

My Full Review

Before we get into the review itself, let’s see what Juicy Couture has to say about this fragrance: Royal Rose evokes a mystical world of romance and enchantment. Sumptuous rose and heliotrope stir the spirit while suede and incense shroud the scent in luxury.

The opening of Royal Rose is a rather sharp blend of rose and heliotrope. The rose note comes off as sort of a bomb, in terms of how intense it is and the aroma has an oriental sort of flavor to it.

Meanwhile, there is the smoky incense, which serves to warm up the composition and clouds the floral notes, in its mist.

About 15 minutes in, I start to detect suede and more musk. This is where to rose tones down a bit and Royal Rose becomes smoother.

The strange thing about this Juicy Couture fragrance is that the rose which is in the name, gets weaker as the scent moves along, until its almost non-existent. You’ll eventually get lots on incense, musk, some heliotrope, and suede. Warm, smoky, earthy.

There really isn’t much development at all beyond that. The rose just really falls off of a cliff.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Royal Rose is actually quite strong. This one will only require a few sprays to be effective and can definitely take over a room. The performance is probably the best attribute of this perfume and better than many other Juicy scents.

The longevity is also really great, with at least 8-9 hours of solid wear, and some extra hours sitting closer to the skin.

Seasonally, this one should stick to the colder months of the year. It’s not going to be great to have on during the summertime or anything like that. It can be worn casually or dressed up.

If you go light, it might be office safe, but one must be easy with the sprayer. It’s not really a sexy or a scent that draws people in, so I wouldn’t call it all that versatile or crowd pleasing.

Overall Impressions of Royal Rose

Overall, do I like Royal Rose? Not really. The Juicy Couture scent just isn’t that good. It starts off powerfully and has good performance, which are its strengths.

However, it doesn’t have a really attractive scent, the rose kind of just goes away, and there’s way too much of a musky smokiness.

The thing is, that aspect isn’t even a great example of this sort of scent. It’s all kind of bland, while being in your face about it. A strange release from this brand which usually tries to go super ‘crowd pleasing’ with its perfumes.

I’m not sure where this fits in or who to recommend it to. It’s pretty niche, in its appeal. I’d say pass on it.

Update: This one has been discontinued, anyway. Unless you can find a bottle for dirt cheap, don’t bother getting a hold of Royal Rose.

Mont Blanc Legend vs. Legend Night

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In this head to head cologne comparison, I want to take a closer look at the always popular Mont Blanc Legend versus its flanker fragrance, Legend Night. Which smells better? The original or the nighttime edition? Which lasts longer? Has better sillage? I am going to break down each by category, before declaring an ultimate winner between them.

Tale of the Tape

Mont Blanc Legend

Notes include: Bergamot, Pineapple Leaf, Sandalwood, Apple, rose, oak moss, lemon verbena, geranium, lavender,  And Tonka Bean

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Legend Eau de Toilette 3.3 fl.oz.

Read my review: Mont Blanc Legend

Legend Night

Notes include: candied apple, cedar, vanilla, cardamom, vetiver, sage, mint, bergamot, fir, lavender, violet, patchouli, and musk

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Legend Night Eau De Parfum, 1 fl. oz.

Read my review: Legend Night

Opening

Legend opens up with crisp and clean fruit notes including pineapple, bergamot, and apple. These are joined at first by a prominent tonka bean note, before lavender comes in, in a big way. So, you get mainly the pineapple and bergamot, with tonka, and then a surge of lavender.

Legend Night, opens with bergamot and candied apple. It isn’t as fruit dominant, as Legend, but these notes blend in more so with the composition. It is a vanilla and apple based mix, but the sage, cardamom, and mint really bring in some nice energy. There’s a brief time in the beginning, where it has an Eros-like vibe.

Which is better? For me, Legend Night is the better smelling cologne at the start, and the more interesting one. Legend is nice and clean, but has an aroma like a more upscale version of Playboy New York, at the start.

Edge: Legend Night

Projection

Legend is pretty moderate throughout the wear. It isn’t a heavy fragrance, but the sillage is good, and it isn’t weak.

Legend Night is also a moderate, but has a thicker, more enveloping quality. If I do two sprays, on each side of my neck, the sillage is quite strong. That’s not the case with Legend, so, I give Night the advantage.

Edge: Night

Longevity

The original Legend, lasts about 5-6 hours on my skin, with normal spraying. Legend Night goes for about 7, with normal sprays. I can up that to around 9, with double spraying.

Edge: Night

Versatility

Legend is a very versatile fragrance. It can be worn in all seasons and climates, without issue. It feels more like a daytime wear, that can go into the evening, as well. Legend Night is more autumn/winter, but can go safely into spring, just not the heat.

It is more geared toward the nightlife and has a sexier vibe. However, the original is the more all around wear, and is safe to wear whenever.

Edge: Legend

 

 

Overall Scent

The original Mont Blanc Legend has a lot of fans. I get why, as it does smell nice, and it is so versatile. The longevity is just okay, but as a fragrance, you really don’t have to think when reaching for it. The smell is nice, but fairly simple, and commonplace. I like it, but not amazed by it.

Legend Night is still flying under the radar. I love this cologne when I’m in the mood to wear it on certain nights. It smells great, has better performance, and has gotten me way more complements than when I ever had on Legend.

To me, it’s the better option, and it has quickly become one of my favorite colognes to throw on. Is it for everyone? No, but I think it is superior to the original.

Winner: Legend Night

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford

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Today, we have another entry from the Tom Ford Private Blend collection, Vert Boheme. This one was released back in 2016 and is probably one of the brand’s lesser known fragrances. The question is, is Very Boheme an unknown gem or a perfume that is actually quite forgettable? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Vert Boheme Smell Like?

Notes include: Sicilian mandarin, violet leaf, magnolia, honeysuckle, galbanum, wood

Click here to try: Tom Ford Private Blend Vert Boheme Eau de Parfum Spray, 50 Ml, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Vert Boheme is very green with a floral disposition and just a hint of mandarin to give it a citrus undertone. Galbanum is heavily present with violet leaf being its less intense pairing.

This pairing could easily go overboard, but stays relatively tame due to the introduction of honeysuckle and the aforementioned Sicilian mandarin.

It’s quite interesting, how Vert Boheme, walks the line between floral perfume and that outdoorsy green smell. The latter, is what it leans toward, but there are defined elements of both in here. It never strikes me as being too much of a bouquet, rather, it is cool and has a sort of mossy feel to it.

Vert Boheme is a very clean and fresh outdoorsy scent with a watery scent lurking in the background. The whole thing is pretty linear and what you smell 20 minutes in, is pretty much what I get for the rest of the wear.

However, it does have a woodier aroma as it dries down, and you get deep into its life cycle.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of this Tom Ford fragrance is quite moderate. It isn’t super powerful at the start and then fade away. No, it is just consistently in this moderate range during the wear.

With the longevity, I get about 6-7 hours out of this one. Not great, but a solid performer. Still, once I get into this sort of price range, I do start to expect more than this.

Seasonally, I’d call it spring to early summer. It feels as if it’d be fine in a range of temperatures, except maybe toward the higher end of the spectrum.

The green and floral aspects bring to mind a spring garden or walking along the edge of the woods, and Vert Boheme really fits that mood.

It is a feminine perfume and I don’t think that I could wear this as a unisex fragrance. It’s not super girly or anything, but is reminiscent of ladies’ scents, and there’s nothing notably masculine about Vert Boheme.

It’s a casual to office wear scent, not anything sexy or that cries out to be worn at night, more of a simple and clean everyday fragrance. I wouldn’t expect much beyond that.

Overall Impressions of Vert Boheme

Overall do I like Vert Boheme? It’s okay. Nothing about it strikes me as particularly amazing. If you are in the market for a very green, slightly aquatic, and floral perfume; then, I guess this would be a good option to consider.

For a more mass appeal? Not really. It’s pretty niche, in terms of who it would appeal to. It smells just fine and has a refreshing character, but it’s nothing that’s crazy good.

Man in Black by Bvlgari

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I’ve recently received 20+ fragrance samples for the new year, so expect a ton of reviews coming your way over the next few weeks or so. One such scent is a cologne from Bvlgari, Man in Black. I take it that this is a flanker scent to Bvlgari Man, which I enjoyed, but was far too weak in terms of longevity.

I got a hold of Man in Black hoping that it would be better than Man in that aspect but also actually live up to its name and be a darker kind of fragrance. So many colognes take on the ‘Black’ moniker and don’t really match up to the imagery…cough cough Black XS.

In this post, I want to give my full impressions of this Bvlgari offering and determine whether or not it is worth a buy.

What Does Man in Black Smell Like?

bvlgari man in black cologne

Notes include: rum, spices, leather, iris, tuberose, guaiac wood, tonka bean, tobacco

Click here to try: Bvlgari Man in Black Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Man in Black is a blend of spice and rum that carries a certain masculine intensity to it. I am also reminded a bit of Halston’s Man Amber cologne and Spicebomb, as both have a very similar profile of ingredients.

I’m not a big fan of either of those scents, but Man in Black has both of them beat, in my opinion. The spiciness doesn’t go too overboard and seems to be tempered by the leather and tobacco notes which is a smooth complement to the main notes.

During the opening, I can also detect the guaiac wood, which gives it that relation to Man Amber, and even though it is one of my least favorite notes, I actually think it works in this Bvlgari offering. It’s just enough and not totally in your face.

Mostly, Man in Black opens with a heavy hit of spices and rum, smoothed out by a sweet pipe tobacco. The sweetness that comes through, is one of my favorite aspects of this cologne, as it gives you just a little hint of something different.

Later on during the dry down, the spices subside somewhat and you get more of the leather and rum. Beyond that, tonka bean comes in, to give it an underlying creaminess and sweet addition to the light tobacco. Rum, leather, and the oud note are quite an amazing trio.

I like that Man in Black is actually a darker type of fragrance, it doesn’t cop out and add fruity notes to the profile. It’s boozy, spicy, and slightly smoky with a nice degree of warmth for the cooler weather.

The floral notes are present (iris, pretty much) but it isn’t dominant, just a slight reminder of a scent like, Dior Homme.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, Man in Black, isn’t all that powerful. It’s a decently heavy cologne but it doesn’t project like a beast. That’s kind of disappointing, but it does a good job at staying close to the skin.

It has good longevity, much better than Bvlgari Man, but again it hangs around as a skin kind of scent, so don’t expect to blow off the doors with this one. I tend to get in the six hour range, during the winter months.

When to wear it? Fall and winter is perfect for Man in Black. It would be completely out of place in the warmer parts of the year. It is also a more mature kind of scent, so, I’d recommend it for guys in their mid-twenties and up. It is masculine and sexy, but it could work more as a casual type of cologne.

I personally, have been wearing it as a nightlife fragrance with good results. I’ve gotten lots of positive comments from women, over the few years that I have been putting this on during the colder nights.

Man in Black works insanely well with my skin chemistry and just is perfect when it’s crisp outside.

Overall Impressions of Man in Black

Overall, is Man in Black worth it? Yes, this is a really well put together fragrance for guys who like darker/spicier kinds of scents. I really enjoy how it smells and it does have good longevity. I do wish that it was a bit bolder.

However, if you need something that is understated, Man in Black will do the job. I think Bvlgari did a great job on this one, when compared to some of their other offerings. Plus, it definitely lands in the range of affordable colognes for guys.

The more that I have worn this fragrance, the more I have come to love it. It can be limited to the times of the year, that I can actually throw it on.

However, those times are great, and I’m convinced this is one of the sexiest fragrances for men. Not every woman loves it, but the one’s who do, seem to go nuts for it. That’s always a plus, in addition to me, really liking to wear it.