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!

10 Best Smelling Bvlgari Colognes

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This is a list of the top ten fragrances for men by the design house, Bvlgari. Each of these perfumes is unique and smells great in their own right.

The key, is to find the one that pairs well with your own personal tastes, and sense of style. All types are represented here, from aquatic to the more spicy or woodsy scents.

They are mostly all among Bvlgari’s most popular, with some other, underrated gems. Some will be more versatile than a few of the niche entries on the list and I try to describe where each one falls on the spectrum.

Favorite Best Bvlgari Colognes for Men

Top Winter/Nightlife Bvlgari Fragrance

Bvlgari Man in Black Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce
Man in Black by Bvlgari is my favorite cologne from this brand. I love its dark, spicy, and boozy aroma. Its one that I’ve gotten plenty of complements on wearing, over the past two years, including one girl telling me repeatedly how, ‘incredibly sexy’ I smelled.

It wasn’t something that I was all that crazy about at first, but this cologne really grew on me in a big way. Wearing this on a cold evening, really let’s the fragrance shine.

This one gets plenty dark and has a smoky undertone, that is simply great. Boozy and spicy, then, smooth and warm.

Man in Black is spice soaked in rum, with a smooth leather and creamy tonka bean to calm it down. Add to that, tobacco plus oud, and you have yourself a highly masculine scent that gets noticed. Man in Black Full Review

Update: The Parfum version of this has been released. It’s a spicier blend, without the rum, and an iris note which gives it some distinction. I still prefer the EDP.

bvlgari man in black cologne

Top Spring/Summer Fragrance Overall

Bvlgari Man Extreme by Bvlgari 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray– Man Extreme has much better staying power, than the original Bvlgari Man (listed lower on the page). However, the two really aren’t similar in how they smell.

Man Extreme is led by citrus, with vetiver undertones. The woodiness and vetiver, is the major overlap between these colognes. Ultimately, the arrive at different places.

Most importantly, is the inclusion of a great and quite unique, cactus note. It is a freshly spiced citrus scent, for the warmer months, with a note which really helps to set it apart. Very nice, with good performance, and the sillage isn’t too loud.

The citrus and cactus blend, up top is really awesome. It’s a rather dry scent, much like the original, and you get the fresh and smoothness of vetiver in the latter stages. Along with, some light cardamom spice.

Tygar Summer

Tygar by Bvlgari– Tygar is one of the brand’s more exclusive and expensive scents. It’s not too complicated, but is a great citrus wear for the warmer months of the year.

To me, it splits the difference between Afternoon Swim and L’Immensite by LV. This one goes with a heavy use of grapefruit (feels like some orange is there too), as the citrus. With amber and wood to round things out.

It’s also got a fresh kick with the lovely ginger note and a musky finish that pairs with the amber note in the back half.

Not exactly the same as either of those Louis Vuitton fragrances, but gives you the same well put together feeling, in a cologne that’s pretty chill and casual for the summertime.

Best Oceanic Aqva

BVLGARI Aqva Atlantiqve Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce– The Aqva line inhabits its own space in the male fragrance world. You have to be a fan of the marine/oceanic fragrances to truly appreciate them.

Atlantiqve is probably the top pick, in my mind. This is a very nice fragrance that comes across sort of like an oceanic version of Versace’s Dylan Blue.

The two are most alike at the start, when the citrus is strongest. The sea notes are there, but it isn’t overly salty, and there is of course the ambergris.

Atlantiqve does a great job at evoking the depths of the ocean, while still bringing the pleasant citrus notes. The latter stages really start to bring in the amber and drier notes. Salty with that amberwood note, that’s found in Light Blue Eau Intense.

Best Fresh Daily Wear

Bvlgari Blv By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Oz.
Bvlgari Blv is a scent that sort of stands alone, in terms of its unique style. It has that familiar and subtle spice of ginger and cardamom.

It has a super fresh quality and woody/outdoorsy notes, holding up its base.

Blv also brings in its greenish tobacco note, mainly the flower, which plays quite well off of that ginger top. I really dig this one, as ginger, never seems to get much play as a strong note. It’s usually just a role player, but here, it gets the chance to shine.

Blv is an every day wear for casual situations or an office environment. That low key spice is wrapped up in a powdered finish, which is quite nice.  My Blv Review

bvlgari blv

Top Woodsy/Unique

Bvlgari Man Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 5 Ounce– Bvlgari Man is a woody fragrance that is soft, smooth, and sweet with that bit of honey at its heart. Man is not at all an overpowering fragrance, it is more of one that demands others get closer for a better aroma.

It opens up with violet leaf, pear, lotus, and a bit of citrus. It is sweet, while being floral/woody, and especially dry.

The floral notes will lighten, as it moves on, and you will be left with more vetiver and woods. Bvlgari man is clean, with a dry sweetness, and crisp aroma in the beginning.

That is not to say that Bvlgari Man is completely weak, it isn’t, it is more subtle, refined, and masculine but use more sprays. I do wish that it was bolder and had top notch sillage, because it is a pretty unique and fine smelling scent.  Full Bvlgari Man Review

Update: It’s discontinued. But, Dua has their inspired version of it: Dua’s Charming Man

bvlgari man

Neroli Clean

Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli– A very nice spring/summertime wear that is indeed in the same vein as Neroli Portofino  by Tom Ford, but not at all an exact match. Wood Neroli, is much woodier (as the name suggest), particularly in the dry down.

It opens with a fresh squeeze of bergamot and the signature neroli note. It’s got a nice balance of the citrus juice and neroli for the first bit of the wear. Then, the neroli will get the upper hand between them.

The dry down is where this one really takes on its own unique qualities. Cypriol, cedar, and other woody notes combine with musk and amber in the base.

The earlier stages feel more like a clean soap. Then, it shift to a fresher woodsier clean.

Classiest Bvlgari Cologne

Bvlgari Pour Homme Soir By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz
Homme Soir is such a simplistic and straightforward kind of cologne, but I don’t think that I’ve encountered anything else like it.

It is a classy and refine fragrance that is brilliant in its use of a limited amount of notes.

There’s the citrus top of bergamot and a green herbal aroma of tea. This is all surrounded by the warm understated amber note and the crisp dryness of papyrus.

Update: This one has been discontinued for a while now. Though, the brand did release a new EDP version of Pour Homme. So, maybe this one will also get a refresher at some point.

bvlgari pour soir

Original Casual Aquatic

Bvlgari Aqua By Bvlgari For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces– Aqva is obviously an aquatic scent. From the start we get a strong blend of two types of orange, salty seaweed, and cedar driftwood.

It has that really oceanic and water laden citrus fruit vibe, that strikes hard at first.

However, it doesn’t stay citrus laden throughout like most aquatics and ends up with quite a moderate sillage. The orange note, actually fades pretty fast, and you get that seaweed coming in to its full effect.

That is joined by lavender and the remaining cedar wood. Really good casual scent for the summer months and feels like being at the shore. Full Bvlgari Aqva Review

bvlgari aqua

Essence Line

Bvlgari Man Wood Essence– For me, the Essence line was mostly a disappointment from Bvlgari. But, there are those who like it, and Wood Essence is the best of them.

It surprised me that this and Terrae, were the colognes that I enjoyed the most from the series. I would’ve though it’d be the others.

It kicks off with a mix of sweetness and citrus zest. It’s not heavy or too overdone with the citrus notes, but feels quite refreshing.

Coriander shines for about 15 minutes, but this one is going to be led by the cypress and cedar notes.

Not too amazing with the performance. Though, it’s good for most purposes.

Would be my last pick on this list, but I think Wood Essence delivers a nice enough wear to be included in the current crop of fragrances from the brand. Wood Essence review

wood essence review

11 Best Smelling Gucci Perfumes for Women

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Gucci has a long history as a top notch fashion design house. The Italian firm is well known for its clothing and accessories. Their fragrance line for women is also fantastic, but we want to know, which Gucci perfume smells best?

For this list, I have selected 11 fragrances, which I consider to be the top smelling from the women’s line as of this latest update.

Favorite Ladies Gucci Fragrances

Most Popular Perfume

Guilty by Gucci for Women, Eau de Toilette Spray, 2.5 Ounce
This scent from the Italian design house is sexy yet not overpowering and it’s use of pink pepper notes gives it a seductive spice.

Also, has notes of peach and lilac which softens the scent and gives off a terrifically feminine vibe.

At times, it makes me think that this is a cousin of sorts, of Gucci Rush (listed below). As, they both have floral notes, peach, and patchouli. However, Guilty has its own distinct vibe, which has made it so popular over the years.

It’s spicy floral combination, gives way to a lilac and musk dry down, with a bit of sweet vanilla warmth. I still think that the original, is the best Gucci Guilty for women.

gucci

The Better Gucci Guilty

Guilty Absolute Pour Femme– While the original is a top seller, Guilty Absolute is the best smelling of the Guilty Pour Femme line. Eau de Parfum Intense, is second, in my opinion.

Absolute gives you a fantastic blackberry note that is joined by woody notes, a light pink rose, and patchouli in the base. The opening gives you some additional bergamot citrus and pink pepper for a bit of spicy sweetness.

Blackberry having the leading role, doesn’t make this one a super sweet or too youthful of a perfume. No, the cypress and golden wood notes give this a darker feeling than something like that.

Not too much rose, not overly spicy or smoky. Though, it has all of that too. Really great stuff.

absolute femme review

Floral Springtime Fragrance

Gucci Bloom for Women Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Gucci Bloom is a very popular and rather simple release from the brand.

However, it has already gained plenty of popularity, and spun of flankers of its own. It is a tuberose led fragrance, that maintains a balance, and becomes a gorgeous floral perfume.

It’s a clean floral with a solid dose of jasmine, with a hint of honeysuckle. Fresh, green, with some spice at the top. Bloom gives a good performance, with a not too powerful sillage, and a creamy sandalwood ending.

best gucci perfume for women

Exudes Confidence/Elegance

Gucci Women’s Gucci Premiere Eau de Parfum Natural Spray, 2.5 fl. oz. A gorgeous and sensual experience, Gucci Premiere will make a lady feel both strong and elegant. It also comes in that great looking gold bottle.

It is a bit citrusy and fresh, with an underlying note of orange blossom, giving it a floral appeal. As Premiere moves on, it becomes a more of a floral scent with a light musk appeal.

The fruit notes stick around, in a less prominent capacity. Finally, orange blossom and sandalwood, seem to be the remaining ingredients that shine with a lovely appeal.

Notes include: leather, bergamot, orange blossom, wood, and white flowers. Premiere opens with a juicy blend of bergamot and blackberry.

gucci premiere

Elixir

Guilty Elixir Pour Femme– The Guilty series on the women’s side of things has a ton of different flanker releases. The problem is, only some of them are any good.

Guilty Elixir was released with both a men and women’s version. To me, the men’s was overrated, but the women’s is one of the best Guilty Pour Femme they’ve come out with.

I still like Guilty Absolute and the original, more than this, but I think this might edge out Intense.

Elixir starts out with a light blend of citrus and osmanthus, which gives it a jammy sort of aroma. The violet gives it a bit of a powdery scent, as it transitions into being much more about the floral notes.

Wisteria and violet provide the clean and somewhat soapy smell, with tonka bean and vanilla solidifying things in the base.

The Alchemist’s Garden

Tears of Iris– This is my first pick from the higher end Alchemist’s Garden line by Gucci. Tears of Iris features the title signature note, sandalwood, musks, and angelica.

It does indeed have a powdery scent to it, but it to my nose it is pretty earthy/musky, and has a colder subtlety. When the sandalwood really comes in, after the initial burst, that’s when it becomes a much creamier and powdery perfume.

The Alchemist’s Garden line scents aren’t too complicated in their development. Tears of Iris is particularly linear. However, the quality of the ingredients is superb, and this is for sure one to check out if you love iris.

A Classic Gucci Scent

Gucci Rush By Gucci For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.5 Ounces– This is a very bold and energetic fragrance that won’t be everyone’s favorite.

However, this blend of jasmine, gardenia, vanilla, peach, and patchouli is highly unique and can be a signature scent for the right woman.

It was released back in 1999, but still has plenty of fans, to this day.

It opens up with the rose note and gardenia, along with the peach aroma, and patchouli. It’s smooth yet has an energetic disposition and an attention grabbing opening act.

It’s a strong sillaged perfume, built for the nightlife, where you don’t get as many floral scents. Rush is sexy, provocative, and a classic. My full Gucci Rush Review

rush

Another Bloom for Summer

GUCCI BLOOM PROFUMO DI FIORI by GUCCI– Profumo di Fiori was released by the brand in 2020 and it’s one of the top Bloom flankers, in my opinion.

The floral notes of jasmine, ylang-ylang, and tuberose do compete for the lead throughout. I get mostly jasmine for much of the wear. However, tuberose does have its moments.

It feels bright and has a creamy warmth to it, with enough woodiness to make things interesting. Ylang-ylang mixed with the base notes, give it that summery feeling.

Gucci calls one of the base notes, sun-drenched wood. A very solar sort of aroma does indeed permeate through this perfume during the wear.

Tiger Eyes

The Eyes of the Tiger– This is an entry of the Alchemist’s Garden haute perfume line by Gucci. This one is rather simple, but provides you with a great resinous amber and a dark, slightly smoky vanilla note.

But, it definitely doesn’t go full medicinal with its presentation. The Eyes of the Tiger retains a sweetness, and most noticeably, a powdery aroma that makes this a delightful perfume to smell. There is a slight floral scent also lurking underneath.

I like that this one isn’t just another luxury oud fragrance. Plus, the sweet/powdery aroma with amber is pretty great. Somewhat similar to Le Lion de Chanel, but I think that’s spicier and more complex than this Gucci.

Bamboo

Gucci Bamboo Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.5 Ounce– Bamboo opens up with the citrus freshness of bergamot, before the floral notes come in, and blend with light woods.

It’s a lovely option for daily wear, as the lily and orange blossom notes, don’t get overbearing.

Gucci Bamboo surrounds the wearer with a delicate and clean aura, with a somewhat sweet undertow. Has a subtle dewiness at times.

This is a floral for those who don’t want a huge sillage bomb, but want to smell plenty attractive, when others get close by.

Citrus, Peony, and Rose

Flora by Gucci by Gucci for Women – 2.5 Ounce EDT Spray
Softer than some other Gucci scents. Feminine, sweet, floral, with citrus notes. Flora has since its release, spawned a number of other fragrances, under this banner.

Nonetheless, we will list the popular EDT here, as a starting point.

Flora is bright, playful, and elegant. It has a citrus top, that is paired by peony, and the two mix amazingly well during the entirety of the wear.

It has a freshness to it, with a bit of rose peaking through, and a lightly spiced base of patchouli and pink pepper. Sweet, citrusy, and peony.

flora

guilty femme review

9 Best Smelling Carolina Herrera Perfumes

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Carolina Herrera is known in the luxury fashion world for designing elegant clothing for women, including First Ladies of the United States. The fragrance line is no different in terms of its scope and accomplishments.

Herrera provides scents for all personality types, fashion tastes, and occasions. For this list, I have selected nine perfumes which I feel are the best of the bunch.

Favorite Carolina Herrera Perfumes for Her

Most Popular CH Perfume

Good Girl– Good Girl has been out for a few years now and has become a best seller for Carolina Herrera. Also, one of the bigger sellers in popular women’s fragrances.

Obviously, the high heel bottle grabs attention from the start, but its powdery aroma is also quite captivating. Is it wholly unique? Probably not, but it is distinct enough to carve out a niche for itself.

Good Girl is sexy and versatile, with a balance between a spicy opening and a sweeter later act. Floral notes of jasmine and tuberose, sits underneath sweeter notes of cacao, coffee, and tonka bean. This is a safe wear and one that will definitely spur further flanker releases. My Good Girl Review

Blushing Beauty

Good Girl Blush– This Good Girl flanker came out in 2023 and has already become a fan favorite and best-seller. 

Blush is more floral and doesn’t have the same cacao influence as the original. Though, there is a vanilla and tonka bean combination in the mix.

Yet, this one is clean and fresh rather than just being heavy and sweet. Although, it does have a sweetness to it. Early on, the peony and ylang-ylang are balanced, but the peony seems to get the upper hand later in the wear.

Bergamot, vanilla, and almond are the main support for the flowers. Each has its time to shine in the mix.

There is also an Elixir version of this scent. I haven’t tried it out, but it’s supposedly heavier on patchouli and vanilla. Possibly, even more ylang-ylang.

Top High End Perfume

Saffron Lazuli– This one can be tough to find in a retail environment it seems. But, I linked to the Herrera website, as they still carry it right now.

Saffron Lazuli is a part of the expensive Herrera Confidential Collection of unisex fragrances. A lot of them skew more masculine, but this one is the most interesting to me, that I’ve come across.

Saffron is obviously the main note. But, you get a fruity top, with smooth warmth and woody spicy touches (cardamom). Notes like iris, vanilla, tonka, and the namesake saffron are excellent. The black currant up top gives it a nice sweetness with some tart. Not too heavy, though.

It starts off bold, but it will settle into something more moderate. The performance is excellent, as it should be with this type of scent, at this price point (around $260).

best herrera perfume

Best Classic Floral Perfume

Carolina Herrera– A smart and versatile fragrance that can be worn on almost any occasion. This perfume is fresh, light, and clean. Plus, it tends to get a lady noticed.

The Carolina Herrera namesake scent kicks off with the light freshness of citrus and orange blossom. The other floral notes, quickly follow, and are led by: jasmine, ylang-ylang, and tuberose.

Later on, it really becomes about the tuberose, but I also have detected hyacinth in this. It’s got enough of that fruitiness, to keep it from becoming overly ‘green’ and plant like. Nonetheless, this is a great little pickup for those who want a throwback floral perfume.

carolina

Chic in the Warmth

Chic– Chic is a sophisticated and feminine fragrance that is probably best served in the warmer months of the year. However, this blend of floral and woodsy notes is a long-lasting and fashionable perfume to be worn with confidence.

Update: Unfortunately, it looks like Chic was changed from its original formula. It was a really nice clean floral. More of a pure rose and freesia scent, versus the option above. I think you can still find older bottles, so, I’ll leave it up here.

chic

Top Nightlife Pick

212 VIP– This one beckons the exclusivity of the NYC nightlife along with all of its excitement and energy. Rum, vanilla, passion fruit, and others combine to give the notes a unique spirit and beautifully youthful vibe. Great stuff.

The men’s version of this namesake is a vodka and gin mixed drink. It’s also bold and unique. 212 VIP for Her, is a great rum mixed drink with fruity undertones up top. Then, as it dries down, the perfume gets smoothed out by a mix of vanilla and tonka bean.

This is a nice boozy scent, with fantastic longevity, but not as much of a powerhouse as the men’s version. Still pretty strong sillage, just not a monster.

vip

Best Sexy Fragrance

212 Sexy– A sweet blend of seductive fruit notes and cotton candy, 212 Sexy is a playful and passionate formula bound to put one in the mood. An excellent choice for romantic evenings out.

Beyond the sweetness of this scent, 212 Sexy also features a warm and slightly spicy pepper note. Vanilla and musk act as supports and help to give this its attractive aroma.

As it dries down, it falls more into that warm pink pepper aroma, with light floral notes and the remaining sweetness. Good performance overall and can be worn in plenty of situations outside the nightlife, too.

212

Smooth Fatale 

Very light fruit and spices from cinnamon and patchouli, dot the perimeter of this fragrance. Good Girl Velvet Fatale might still be a bit difficult to find, but it is a really pleasant example of a warm and gourmand blend of notes, done right.

For me, it is among the top of the Good Girl line. Better than the original and at least the Very Good Girl variants of this perfume. 

As of this update, it’s probably only available online, since I believe that it was a limited edition run a few years back.

 

Very Good Girl

I’m adding this to the list, as it is one of the better newer options. But, I will say it’s not my favorite of the Good Girl perfumes. Actually, a similar one to this that I prefer is from Mugler.

That being said, Very Good Girl has enough to recommend about it. The litchi note is powerful up front, when combined with the red currant, the fragrance is sweet and tart. Then, it will shift to a more powdery scent with the rose note.

It is a fresher fragrance, when it dries down. Not as tart, with a nice rose, and the vanilla note. The performance is solid, this lasted 7-8 hours on my skin with a quite noticeable sillage. Very Good Girl Review

9 Best Smelling Byredo Perfumes

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Byredo has become a fairly popular niche fragrance line over the past decade or so. It is on the higher end in terms of price, but has a whole line of perfumes that can suit both men and women.

In this post, I wanted to take a closer look at their top selling offerings, and select a group of what could be considered the best smelling.

In the end, I chose nine fragrances to review for both sexes, that can fit that bill and have enough differences between them to be distinct.

Favorite Byredo Perfumes

Byredo has so many releases, that it can be difficult to know where to start exactly. Not only that, they keep right on getting released.

So, I’ve tried to break down the perfumes here, and sort them by different styles or popularity. This should help to give you a place to start, before diving into the rest of the brand’s collection.

Top Overall Byredo Scent

Byredo Gypsy Water Eau De Parfum Spray 50ml/1.6oz– A woody blend of notes which includes vanilla and juniper at the top. Gypsy Water has plenty of sandalwood which is pretty strong within the unisex composition.

It starts off with a sweet mix of vanilla, lemon, and the juniper before getting quite dry with that woodsy profile. Simple, very nice to wear, and light. Though, unisex, it definitely leans feminine.

There is also an interesting pine note and smokiness from the incense. It sits wonderfully, underneath the vanilla, citrus, and sandalwood. The citrus and woody notes, really come through pretty powerfully, for much of the wear.

Notes include: pepper, bergamot, lemon, vanilla, orris root, sandalwood

Best Summer Perfume

Byredo Mojave Ghost Eau De Parfum Spray 50ml/1.6oz– A sweet floral fragrance that dries down into something that is more powdery and woody underneath, its magnolia-laden heart. It can seem lighter, than it actually is, on the skin.

Not a sillage powerhouse, but does have that ‘ghost’-like quality, to remind you that it’s definitely still around.

The opening has sapodilla as a note, which gives it a familiar yet unique fruity aroma for a bit of time, sort of smells like pear. This is another one that is light and fresh, and again, one more for the ladies. A good amount of sweetness, but not overly sugary, or anything like that.

As it moves along, Mojave Ghost feels like an airy floral, with the aforementioned magnolia and a nice violet touch. The sapodilla hangs around, though, it smells a bit watery. This all sits on top of a nice sandalwood base.

Notes include: sandalwood, sapodilla, magnolia, violet, cedar, ambergris

Most Popular Byredo Scent

Byredo Bal d’Afrique 1.6 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Probably the most popular of the bunch, still. Bal d’Afrique starts off with some fantastic citrus notes, before turning more floral and vetiver-laced.

Much more of a citrus fruit fragrance, than the other more strictly floral scents on the list. It’s bright and clean with that great vetiver note, sitting right in the background. It has a lemon and berry-like aroma, with a decided tartness, up top.

The opening with the fruit can be somewhat intense, but it dries down with a softer sillage. In fact, it has a creamy fruit smell, for a good portion of its lifespan. Floral, vetiver, and woodsy ingredients which lay the base for the fruity notes above them.

Notes include: vetiver, lemon, neroli, marigold, jasmine, cedar, cyclamen 

Rouge Monster

Rouge Chaotique– The first thing I noticed about Rouge Chaotique was just how powerful of a fragrances it is. This Byredo projects like nobody’s business.

Beyond that, it is also an attractive and interesting perfume to wear around. Cassis, plum, and citrus give this one a pretty tart opening act, but there’s enough sweetness here to make it more balanced.

Praline and oak, which feature heavily in the Kilian scent, Angels’ Share, are in the heart. While these two scents aren’t the same, I get that familiar combination at times.

The dry down is where this gets really interesting. Earthy, spicy, dry woods, some smokiness, and that plum still hanging around.

Rouge Chaotique is dense, heavy, and projects like a beast. Not for everyone and probably not going to be a daily wear, but this deserves a spot on the list.

La Tulipe

Byredo La Tulipe Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.6 Ounce– From the name alone, you should get the idea that, this is going to be a tulip based fragrance. So, right away, if you don’t like that note you probably won’t like La Tulipe.

However, for women who dig floral perfumes, this is a very good one with pink tulip as the main attraction. It has a scent at the opening, that is quite dewy, green, and full bodied flowers.

That watery green smell, later turns into a soapy fresh sort of perfume. Just an easy fragrance to reach for, when you don’t need to stand out, but want to smell good.

Notes include: tulip, freesia, vetiver, woods

Great Clean and Warm Weather Fragrance

Byredo Byredo Blanche by byredo for women – 3.3 Ounce edp spray– Blanche is a perfume that is both super clean and super upbeat. Fresh with a lighter detergent soapy sort of aroma, that fits in well during the spring and summer months.

Overall it’s a simple scent, that is easy to wear for any occasion. Blanche takes a number of floral notes (rose, violet, peony), and blends them with a light musk and aldehydes.

It also features a bit of light woods and hint of spice, but Blanche is mostly, an utterly fresh floral perfume.

Notes include: musk, aldehydes, rose, peony, and violet

A Wintertime Pick

Byredo 1996 Inez And Vinoodh Eau de Parfum Spray, 50 Ml, 1.6 Ounce– This one is a true unisex with amber, vanilla, and patchouli leading the way in terms of strength. It opens with the juniper and leather notes, creating something that is rich, yet juicy.

The opening is sweeter, then it becomes warmer, with both a powdery smell and some refreshing spices peaking through. With the iris and leather, yes, it brings to mind Dior Homme but this one is somewhat different and more unisex.

The juniper is fresh from the jump, and can bring the power early on, the iris and violet are light but you do get a nice floral touch which hangs around.

The real fun kicks in, with the amber note, and the others which surround it. It’s a journey through differing types of aromas, but very interesting, and unique.

Notes include: violet, iris, juniper berries, vanilla, leather, and patchouli

Niche Tobacco

Tobacco Mandarin– This is a relatively newer release from Byredo and is a part of their Night Veils collection, with an extract level of fragrance concentration.

Right off the bat, this won’t be one for most people. It’s very expensive and definitely has more of a niche profile. The tobacco here is very nice and has an interesting paring with mandarin orange.

While the opening act with the cumin note, can be a bit intense, Tobacco Mandarin does settle down into a very rich blend of leather, tobacco, and woods. Not as spicy, sitting in a sea of warm amber, with that sweet mandarin note still hanging around.

Nice performance, not overpowering, but Tobacco Mandarin will stick around. If you’re sensitive to coriander or cumin, this probably won’t be for you.

Summer Cotton Candy

Byredo Sundazed by Byredo Eau De Parfum Spray (Unisex) 1.7 oz / 50ml– The citrus notes here open up with the usual combination of neroli. The opening is bright and has a definite sharpness to it.

The neroli is joined by jasmine and the citrus sharpness tones down some. But, what makes Sundazed an interesting fragrance is its used of cotton candy. The fluffy pink candy has a great contrast against the lemon and orange note.

Sweet with more jasmine coming in during the dry down. An orange and lemony fragrance, with our sugary note,  adding a wonderful scent to this familiar structure. Smells like summer, very clean perfume, less of a warm gourmand than others here.

8 Best Smelling Lacoste Colognes for Men

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Lacoste is a sporty brand which has its roots in the tennis world from its very foundation. It is famous for its alligator logo which is often emblazoned onto polo shirts.

Today, I’d like to take a closer look at their men’s fragrance line and present the best cologne options for guys by Lacoste. Also see: Best Lacoste Perfumes for Women

What are the Best Perfumes for Men by Lacoste?

Top Lacoste for Summer

Lacoste Essential Eau de Toilette for Men, 4.2 fl. oz.
A fresh and fun scent that is a great casual wear during the warmer months of the year. Essential blends citrus and more woodsy/earthy notes to create a real memorable fragrance for men.

The citrus notes are most noticeable at the top, but the notes are none too sharp. Bergamot and tangerine give it that sparkling personality.

As it moves forward, Lacoste Essential takes on its super fresh and sort of soapy aroma. It features green leafy notes with a hint of peppery spice and patchouli. This is a lighter wear with a zesty citrus and an interesting tomato leaf.

The whole thing is pretty blended, so it can be difficult to distinguish notes at times. The projection is just okay, but the smell is great. Spring and summertime wear for casual or work days.  Lacoste Essential Review

lacoste essential

Great New Lacoste Cologne

L.12.12 Blanc Eau Fraiche– While this does have the Blanc name, Eau Fraiche is pretty different from the original. They share the grapefruit note, but this one also has lemon, ginger, apple, and lavender rounding things out.

It’s a very fresh citrus scent with some additional spice and dry woods in the base. Much less floral than Blanc. This is a great under the radar fragrance for the spring and summer months..

The dry down is mostly made up of the remaining citrus, cedar, vetiver, and the juniper note that still hangs around. Oh and the ambroxan, that isn’t too massive in this composition. Pretty good performance for this sort of grapefruit/lemon based cologne.

Fresh Citrus and Woods

Lacoste L’homme Intense Eau De Toilette, 3.3 oz– Citrus and rhubarb open up L’Homme Intense by Lacoste, which sort of reminds me of Hugo Red, but this one is much sweeter than that Boss cologne.

I liked this one upon first trying, but it eventually grew into a fragrance that I enjoyed quite a lot. Lacoste calls it a woody spicy fragrance, but to me, it’s sweet/fresh spice/woods. Ginger and black pepper come through early on, but the spice isn’t overly loud.

As it dries down, it does become woodier, but the orange and rhubarb add a unique vibe to this one. Performance is better than L’Homme Lacoste, but still not amazing, and it’s sillage isn’t super ‘intense’. But for an all around wear for spring and summer Intense does a lot very well.

Match Point

Match Point EDT– This one has the same rhubarb as Intense (above), but the note is much more toned down in this mix, in favor of orange.

Though, it’s not a complete citrus bomb either. It’s somewhat sweet at times, floral at others, balanced, and fresh.

Good for the warmer months of the year, Match Point EDT will become woodier as you mover further along into the wear. Just some ambroxan, but again nothing dominates. It’s not as punchy as Intense and leans sweeter.

The sage and vetiver really keep this one feeling clean when paired with the floral notes in the heart.

Best Pick for Winter

Lacoste Pour Homme Eau de Toilette for Men, 3.3 fl. oz.
A wonderful masculine blend of fruity and woodsy notes by Lacoste. It’s a light scent that will work great for guys in the springtime. Notes include: cinnamom, apple, juniper, rum, vanilla and plum. 

Lacoste Pour Homme kicks off with an awesome plum note, which is paired with citrus and crisp apple. The latter notes, aren’t particularly strong, but do complement the tartness of the plum very nicely.

It becomes warmer and sweeter, with rum and vanilla, peaking through a few minutes in. No worries about the rum note, it’s not powerful enough to turn this one into a boozy cologne.

The sillage is a lighter moderate, which makes it safe for office wear, and does have a fresher profile. Plum and vanilla, with some light spices, and a nice woody base.

lacoste

Most Unique Fragrance

Lacoste Style in Play Eau de Toilette for Men, 2.5 fl. oz.
A light, long-lasting, and refreshing smell that is a real crowd pleaser. It is inviting and and can strike a chord in a variety of situations. Notes include: patchouli, jasmine, green apple, cedar leaves, white musk, vetiver, and woods. 

Style in Play changes things up, from the rest of the pack, with its woodsy aroma blended with a similar apple note to Lacoste Pour Homme. However, that apple is amped up to give Style in Play a fruity balance to the greenish and fresh woods found in its heart.

The dry down, becomes muskier, but the pine and cedar notes remain to keep this one clean and attractive. This is actually a pretty unique cologne, for a mainstream brand, but doesn’t ever become unlikable.

in play red

Most Popular Lacoste

Lacoste Eau De Lacoste Blanc for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce
Blanc is not an overpowering scent by any means but one with a great deal of mystery and seductive allure to it. Blanc is a fantastic mixture of citrus and woodsy notes, that is wholly masculine.

The grapefruit note leads the opening and does so with a lot of energy. I love how positive and upbeat, wearing this one, makes me feel. It is joined by a cedar/suede combination and some light floral aroma, provided by tuberose and ylang-ylang.

Those florals aren’t too heavy, but it is nice to see them being used in a men’s fragrance.

I think that this is my favorite cologne from the L.12.12. line of scents. It has a bright grapefruit note, enough sweetness, and some earthy qualities to give it more substance.

It really utilizes ylang-ylang and tuberose well, but keeps its smooth masculine bonafides, with leather and suede.  Lacoste Blanc Review

eau blanc

Best Spicy/Herbal Fragrance

Lacoste Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge Eau de Toilette for Men, 3.3 fl. oz.
Rouge is a really great cologne for men that has a spicier profile than the other Lacoste fragrances on this list. It has notes from across the spectrum from citrus to woodsy to that spice. Not overpowering.

Update: This has been discontinued it seems. There are still bottles as of now, but Dua has their release, called: Rouge Croc. If you need an alternative.

L.12.12. Rouge, opens up with a very unique use of fruity notes, that is paired with tea. Mango is a delicious note, it is joined by a syrupy orange liqueur, and an herbal tea note. This one feels quite clean and warm, cardamom is very present at times, with a spiciness from pepper and a bit of ginger.

My favorite part of this fragrance is the dry down. It becomes woodsy, earthy, and spicy. Still, the fruit notes hang around, but it all just works much better.

I wish this one had a bit more power, because it would be an excellent wear for the summertime. Though, if you can get it cheap, Rouge is worth a try.

It is interesting in that is uses mango along with orange liqueur and tea. This creates a unique vibe and summery opening, before being joined by spicy pepper and cardamom.  Notes include: Rooibos Tea, Mandarin Orange, Mango, Pepper, Cardamom, And Woodsy Notes. Lacoste Rouge Full Review

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