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!

Dark Rebel by John Varvatos

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Another sample that I’ve had lying around the house, is a 2015 release from John Varvatos: Dark Rebel. Both the name and the description of the fragrance interested me, which made me think that is one I’d definitely want to try out.

After wearing it for a while, does Dark Rebel actually meet expectations? What does this cologne smell like? How does it perform? is it worth a buy?

What does Dark Rebel Smell Like?

Notes include: tobacco, rum, fir, leather, vanilla, black pepper, cardamom, sugar cane, sage, nutmeg

Click here to try: John Varvatos Dark Rebel Eau de Toilette Spray, 4.2 fl. Oz. mens cologne

My Full Wear Review

Before we get started into my review, let’s see how John Varvatos describes Dark Rebel: is a blend of sweet tobacco leaves, intoxicating spirits, and warm sensual woods.

The opening of Dark Rebel is a harsh blast of pepper, rum, and tobacco. Immediately, this cologne brings to mind, Man in Black by Bvlgari; in terms of how it smells. These two colognes have extremely similar ingredients, however, the arrangement and intensity of their commonalities are different. You get a similar smell, just with a different blend.

Dark Rebel has that intense black pepper smell for about ten minutes at the start versus Man in Black having a boozier and less intense cinnamon from the jump. Both have rum and leather, but Dark Rebel has a greater use of tobacco throughout.

Anyway, after about ten minutes, you begin to get deeper into the composition of this John Varvatos scent. I start to get way more sweet tobacco and a slight sugary vanilla, after the pepper has been pushed out. It smells much better to me, at this point versus the hyper-peppery opening.

Even further along, the fragrance is mostly composed of the leather and tobacco and the slight spiced rum. But, there is also an added woody and herbal element.

Fir, sage, and cardamom are playing in the background and giving Dark Rebel a smooth outdoorsy appeal.

I really enjoy the way that this smells. Obviously, it overlaps so much with another fragrance that I own, but it’s unique spots are still enjoyable.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage on this is moderate. The first ten minutes are strong, then a few hours at moderate, and finally it is light for the remainder of the wear. It really tapers off rather quickly.

In total, I get about four hours from it, before it is too faint for me to notice. The performance is pretty disappointing, as I have even sprayed this on a shirt, that is a few feet away from me and hours after…I don’t even catch whiffs.

Seasonally, strictly cold weather, just like Man in Black. It can be worn casually or on a night out. Obviously, the style is that leather jacket clad man, who is stylish without giving it much effort.

It’s a sexy fragrance and one that women will probably enjoy, as they have done so while I’ve worn the Bvlgari out for the past year plus.

It’s light enough to wear on other occasions, so, I wouldn’t expect it to offend anyone. It really depends if you can personally get any performance out of Dark Rebel

Overall Impressions of Dark Rebel

Overall, do I like Dark Rebel by John Varvatos? I mean, I do like it. However, I don’t like it as much as I like Man in Black.

That one just has a better overall composition, in my mind, and also has better performance (though, it isn’t great either).

So, ultimately, I have no need for Dark Rebel because it fits the same mold as another scent I already use. If you want more tobacco, leather, and wood rather than the heavier rum, leather, and spices found in Man in Black; then, this might be the better option.

There’s still tons of overlap, so, the cheaper option might decide between them.

I think that this may have been discontinued, as such it probably won’t be cheap for very long, in the online stores.

Dior Poison Girl vs Unexpected Perfume Comparison

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Back here with another perfume comparison, this time between two Dior offerings from the Poison Girl line: the original Poison Girl EDP vs. Poison Girl Unexpected. Which of these two great fragrances smells better, the flanker or the first of the line? As usual, I will compare each scent based on different metrics and then ultimately declare a winner. I have also linked to my original review of each below.

Tale of the Tape: Poison Girl vs. Unexpected

Poison Girl

Notes include: Damascus rose, tonka bean, bitter orange, vanilla, almond, sandalwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Poison Girl Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my original review: Poison Girl

Poison Girl Unexpected

Notes include: ginger, salt, tonka bean, Damascus rose, lemon, blood orange, hazelnut, almond, vanilla, and cashmeran

Click here to try: Christian Dior POISON GIRL UNEXPECTED EDT Spray Sample Vial .03 oz / 1 ml Womens NEW

Read my original review: Poison Girl Unexpected

Opening

Poison Girl Unexpected opens up with a creamy candied aroma, which was the intention of the perfumer who developed this fragrance. Lemon and blood orange are two of the top notes which give Unexpected that bright citrus aroma.

This is paired with tonka bean, vanilla, and ginger which creates a delicious quality to opening of this perfume. A dash of salt is added to the ginger to further solidify the edible-like properties of this scent.

Meanwhile, the original Poison Girl, opens with Damascus Rose, tonka bean, and bitter orange. You can see that the two scents definitely share a similar DNA, however, the original Poison Girl is less citrus while being more floral. It shares that creamy quality with Unexpected but with almond instead of ginger.

Between the two? I actually really enjoy how both of these perfumes open up. They are both pleasant and gourmand. Though, I think that I have a slight preference for Poison Girl Unexpected, in this regard.

Edge: Unexpected

Projection

Poison Girl starts off strong and then becomes much more of a moderate sillaged perfume, as it dries down. Nevertheless, it is still a stronger fragrance than is Unexpected.

Unexpected isn’t weak, it’s just a lighter type of scent, and never reaches the same power as its predecessor. I’d call it a lighter moderate, while Poison Girl is at the upper range of what could be considered moderate.

Edge: Poison Girl

Longevity

While Poison Girl has better projection, than does Unexpected. They are about equal in terms of how long they last on my skin. I get 9-10 hours out of both of them, sometimes more. What’s more, they both perform well during the extent of the wear, and aren’t just some weak smell after a few hours. There’s no clear winner here.

Edge: Push

Versatility

The original Poison Girl, is much more restricted in when it can be worn, in terms of the climate. It’s, to me, a cold weather wear that might be able to make it into spring.

Unexpected, is much more of a year round fragrance, thanks to the ginger and citrus notes. These ingredients give Unexpected a different dynamic and one more conducive to warmer weather.

Both are however, very versatile as to where they can be worn. Each of these is safe enough to wear at work, casually, but are also quite sexy and great for a night out.

Edge: Unexpected

Overall Scent

I find it hard to believe that one would go wrong by choosing either of these Dior fragrances, they’re both very good perfumes, all around. That being said, I think I prefer the smell of Unexpected over the original Poison Girl.

Unexpected has elements of the original, but also added layers, which I find both more interesting and attractive. The opening candied citrus, smells wonderful, and adds a different element to the gourmand profile.

Then, as it dries down, Unexpected gets that familiar Damascus Rose note, but paired with ginger. Finally, there’s a nutty final chapter with hazelnut and almond, being introduced fully.

Poison Girl is great with citrus elements, rose, a smooth and creamy profile, with more woodiness than Unexpected. Rose, vanilla, tonka bean, almond, and bitter orange are the biggest stars in this fragrance.

Both are sweet and super attractive scents, but Unexpected is more versatile, has a better aroma, and at least equals the original in performance.

Winner: Poison Girl Unexpected

Curve by Liz Claiborne

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One of the most popular fragrances for men on the market, always seems to be Curve by Liz Claiborne. Yes, this cologne always sits among the list of best sellers and has developed quite a following for itself since its 1996 release.

Why? Is it because it is the most complex scent out there? No, it’s a rather simple fragrance that blends its notes nicely. Is it the most masculine? Again, no.

Quite simply, Curve is just a great smelling cologne which is available at a very affordable price. In this post, I want to take a bit of a closer look at Curve and examine what makes it so good.

What does Curve by Liz Claiborne Smell Like?

Notes include: fresh greens, pepper, lemon, pineapple, neroli, lavender, sage, cactus, sandalwood, juniper, ginger, cedar, amber, mahogany and water

Click here to try: Curve By Liz Claiborne For Men. Cologne Spray 6.8 oz

My Full Wear Review

Curve became absolute legend when it was released back in the 90s. I remember that my dad used to wear this for a while and I thought it smelled fantastic.

It opens up with a blend of lemon, pineapple, and some neroli. It’s got a nice citrus zest, is a bit sharp, but flanked by spicy notes like ginger, pepper, and sage.

The opening is quite lemony and the pineapple is very noticeable as well, the spice notes are none too heavy, but are prominent during the early stages.

After that initial bit, Curve really gets going with the lavender note. That is probably the most important aspect of this fragrance and gives the composition its fresh and clean disposition. Curve smells sweet and warm, with bits of light coolness, breathing through the middle of the cologne.

Still, the citrus top notes are the main attractions, and when paired with that lavender note, it is great. This Liz Claiborne fragrance also features a cactus note, much like Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger, does.

It must have been a thing in the late 90s to add cactus to popular scents, perhaps, that is the secret to their success.

During the dry down, the woody base emerges, led by the mahogany note. There is also some non-distinct sandalwood and cedar lurking in the back, but mahogany is the strongest. So, you have a super fresh ctirus/green scent with light spices/musk and a woody base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Curve never really had a huge sillage to me, it could start off fairly strong but would sink into a lighter moderate area. That’s about what one should expect. Not a powerhouse, but a very nice value play.

The longevity is around 5-7 hours on my skin, not much more than that. However, with a scent like this, it’s really all you need much of the time. If you want something longer lasting, you will most likely move to something more upscale.

Seasonally, it reminds me of spring, but really it’s a year round cologne. It can be worn casually, at work, school, or out on a date. This stuff will always get complements, I’m convinced of that fact.

It’s probably best for younger men, but all ages could wear it. If you need something fancier or more formal, Curve isn’t going to be the one. As a fresh aromatic cheapie? It’s great.

You can get it for cheap, but it will still get more positive reactions than many of the higher end fragrances for men. I don’t know what it is, but I cannot honestly disagree, as I love the way this smells.

That’s not to say that it will outshine all designer colognes, but it for sure punches above its weight class.

Overall Impressions of Curve

Curve is a great starter cologne for guys in high school up through college. Heck, I’d still wear it, if I had a bottle right now. It’s not my favorite fragrance of all time or anything, but you cannot really deny the power that this stuff has had for over 20 years.

Women love it. Like, it is unreasonable the attention that a simple cheapie like this brings, but it’s worth every penny. If you want something fresh, clean, and attractive for cheap…it’s not something you can go wrong with.

Less of a sexy smell and more of just something that is very attractive and pleasant to people. The performance is solid enough and the price is great. Curve is classic.

212 VIP vs VIP Black Comparison

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For this head to head cologne comparison, I am going to take a closer look at two Carolina Herrera fragrances from the 212 lineup: 212 VIP vs. 212 VIP Black. Which of these nightlife scents, smells the best? VIP Black was released in 2017, as a follow up flanker to the original, but does it surpass VIP? Which has better performance? Which should you buy?

Tale of the Tape: 212 Black vs. VIP

212 VIP

Notes include: caviar lime, frozen mint, black pepper, vodka, ginger, amber, apple, King wood, tonka bean

Click here to try: 212 Vip by Carolina Herrera Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Read my review: 212 VIP

212 VIP Black

Notes include: absinthe, leather, lavender, musk, vanilla, amber, anise

Click here to try: Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Black Men Eau de Parfum 3.4oz / 100ml – Launched in 2017

Read my review: 212 VIP Black

Opening

The opening of 212 VIP is a smooth boozy aroma with a spicy blast. You get the alcoholic note of vodka, creamy tonka bean, amber, and the pepper to give it a kick. It’s sweet and warm with mixed drink undertones of lime and mint.

VIP Black, on the other hand, also has a boozy start but this time it is absinthe. Like it’s predecessor, Black has a warm amber note and spice, but it’s a weaker anise in lieu of pepper. Add to this, lavender and a quite faint leather note.

Which is better? The original 212 VIP has a much more interesting and better smelling opening, especially after a few minutes, when the vodka note settles. VIP Black is nice and I like the absinthe, but it just isn’t as attractive.

Edge: 212 VIP

Projection

212 VIP has been known as a strong scent, with beast sillage. It is the type you can spray and people will definitely notice it. VIP is absolutely a nightlife fragrance, as such, it is going to be loud and boisterous.

Does VIP Black have a similar profile? Unfortunately, no. It is a light to moderate scent and doesn’t seem to be able to project itself very well at all.

Edge: 212 VIP

Longevity

Again, I get 10+ hours of wear from my bottle of the original. It’s performance is really top notch. With Black, I could only muster 5-6 hours of wear, and most of that it had fairly weak sillage.

Edge: 212 VIP

Versatility

All right, so, both of these are pretty limited colognes and are designed specifically for nightlife wear. They both are good in cold weather, but not when it gets warm. Neither is very casual or an office safe type of scent. They pretty much fit the same bill, as to be expected with flanker fragrances.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I was really excited to try 212 VIP Black because I enjoy the original, as a bold go to scent on some evenings. If it could have been another monster performer, with a different take on the booze soaked cologne genre, I would have been quite happy.

The problem is, it just doesn’t perform up to par, and what smell there is isn’t as good as the original. VIP Black has that nice boozy opening and then settles into something that is sweet with a bit of musk.

Vanilla, amber, and musk are pretty much the dry down and the absinthe and spice is hardly noticeable.

212 VIP, isn’t a fragrance for everyone, many people won’t enjoy a bomb of a fragrance with a vodka note at the center of it. Understandable, but I still like throwing it on, because of it’s sweet boozy demeanor and very nice dry down. It’s a club banger, at an affordable price. It wins this head to head rather easily.

Winner: 212 VIP

Green Irish Tweed by Creed

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In this post, I am going to continue my cologne reviews for men by taking a closer look at yet another Creed fragrance, Green Irish Tweed. I have already done 5 or so reviews of Creed scents and have created a list of the Best of Creed but have as of yet had a chance to tackle the popular, Green Irish Tweed.

How does this cologne measure up? Is it worth a purchase? What are the ingredients? How does it smell? I’ve been wearing it around and am ready to share my full thoughts on this fragrance.  Also Check Out: Green Irish Tweed Vs Aventus Creed Cologne Comparison

What does Green Irish Tweed Smell Like?

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Notes include: violet leaf, sandalwood, iris, ambergris, lemon verbena 

Click here to try: Green Irish Tweed By Creed For Men. Millesime Spray 4.0 Oz

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Green Irish Tweed is very earthy and has a sort of mossy/pine type of scent to it. To be honest, I’m not that big of a fan of the opening of this Creed fragrance, it doesn’t repulse me but it doesn’t draw me in really either.

It’s that first 15-20 minutes, where I am sort of at a loss, on how to feel about this cologne. I know some people really like it but it’s not quite my style.

I think that the violet leaf hasn’t yet settled at that point and I don’t like it with the lemon verbena. I don’t know, that greenish aroma isn’t all that pleasing.

However, once Green Irish Tweed starts to transition and the more citrus based notes begin to emerge, this stuff becomes quite nice and smooth. It has a refined and elegant aroma which is masculine without being overbearing or obnoxious.

To me, the whole fragrance is green, fresh, with a citrus kick provided by the lemon verbena.

When you get further in, the soapy/powdery quality begins to truly emerge. I know that this gets compared to Cool Water, quite a lot, and you can definitely smell a similarity between the composition.

Green Irish Tweed, does have that iris note and the ambergris, which aren’t in Cool Water. Also, it GIT has a green ‘grassy’ aroma, rather than the herbal spices of the Davidoff cologne. Plus, this isn’t an aquatic.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Longevity and projection wise, I would give Green Irish Tweed, high marks. It lasts 7-10 hours on my skin in mid-50 degree weather here in early winter.

Coming back to this again and again, it usually hits around 8.5 hours on my skin. Sometimes more, but this is the norm.

Also the sillage, was strong, but not monstrous. After the first few hours, it is much more of a moderate scent, but still great performance for me. I would just advise, not to go overboard with it, as it could become too much.

Although, I think this is more of a spring cologne with its clean, woodsy, soapy element. It could very well be worn nearly year round, though, I’d probably avoid the high heat of the summer months.

It is a versatile fragrance that can be worn formally or casually. It’s less of a sexy fragrance and more of a clean and pleasant one. People seem to be around this fragrance, as I have gotten some complements with it on, and nothing negative.

Overall Impressions of GIT

Is Creed’s Green Irish Tweed worth a purchase? Well, it is expensive but if you’re in the market for a Creed fragrance, then money isn’t much of an issue.

If you are the type of guy that likes citrus/woodsy/earthy type of smells and wants something that is fresh and distinct, then I’d say yes.

For me, I can wear it and enjoy it, but it isn’t my favorite by any stretch. In the Creed line, I generally prefer Imperial, Silver Mountain Water, Aventus, and maybe even Original Santal (despite the longevity issues). But, that preference fluctuates, as GIT belongs in that group too.

I recognize Green Irish Tweed as among the best of the Creed family, it will just appeal to some guys more than others. Some folks swear by it, but it is a nice fragrance with good performance, in my book.