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!

Versace Man Eau Fraiche vs Bvlgari Aqva

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In today’s cologne comparison, I am going to take a closer look at two summertime wears, Bvlgari Aqva and Versace Man Eau Fraiche. Which of these popular fragrances smells better? Which performs for a longer amount of time? What is the better buy between the two?

Tale of the Tape: Eau Fraiche vs. Aqva

Bvlgari Aqva

Notes include: mandarin, seaweed, cedar, orange, lavender, petitgrain

Click here to try Aqva: Aqua By Bvlgari Eau De Toilette Spray For Men 3.4 oz

Read my Full Review: Bvlgari Aqva

Versace Man Eau Fraiche

Notes include: Lemon, Rosewood, Carambola, Cedar leaves, Tarragon, Sage, Musk, Amber, Sycamore

Click here to try: Versace Man Eau Fraiche By Gianni Versace For Men Edt Spray 3.4 Oz

Read my Full Review: Man Eau Fraiche

Opening

The opening of Bvlgari Aqva consists of seaweed, cedar, and orange citrus notes. This is where the citrus is most prominent in this cologne and it is quite an interesting blend with the sea weed.

It’s unique while also still being wearable for the average person. It’s not too challenging or niche to put off most who will try this fragrance.

Eau Fraiche on the other hand is a cold blast of lemon citrus, that hits immediately with an absolutely fresh and bright aroma. Along with that is the carambola (star fruit), that blends well with that typical Versace lemon note.

Underneath all of that, are the herbal notes and the super freshness of the woods, which will grow in strength later on.

Which is better? I think the Versace is more appealing. Aqva is interesting but that cold lemon of Versace is really crisp and just smells better to me. Plus, I really love star fruit.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Projection

Aqva starts off pretty strong for about 10-15 minutes and then turns into more of a skin scent. However, it does linger around and has moments of intensity through the wear, it’s sort of unique in that way.

Still, it’s not a powerful scent for an overwhelming majority of the wear.

Eau Fraiche is a moderate but is consistently stronger than Aqva. Aqva is stronger at first but Eau Fraiche maintains its course.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Longevity

Neither one of these is a beast in terms of how long that it lasts. Aqva gives me about 5 hours of wear.

Eau Fraiche is a 6-7 hour wear. The Bvlgari has never been a good performer for me, whenever I’ve worn it in the past.

Eau Fraiche has the better performance between the two, longer lasting and stronger for the duration. It’s still not amazing, but serviceable for a summertime wear.

Edge: Eau Fraiche

Versatility

Both of theses scents are warmer weather colognes and to me, should be worn during this time, and not stray to far from that. Both are clean and casual scents. Eau Fraiche is probably a bit better for dates, but I wouldn’t say that it is explicitly used for those purposes.

There doesn’t seem to be a real leader in this category.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Honestly, neither of these fragrances are among my favorites to wear. I like both of them but don’t really love either. If I have to choose between the two, I’m reaching for Versace Man Eau Fraiche a lot more often than Aqva.

Aqva is a cool enough scent. It’s got such an oceanic vibe with the sea weed and sea water saltiness, which depending on who you are, might just be right up your alley. I like it’s fresh summery feel and how smooth it is.

There were a few others in the series that were better than the original version. It’s worth trying out, if it sounds interesting to you.

Eau Fraiche has that initial blast of lemon but then shifts to something a bit spicier and woodier as it dries down. The cedar and the herbal spices give it a more defined and enjoyable character.

The longevity is better and I think it is just a more pleasant cologne to wear, in my opinion.

Winner: Versace Man Eau Fraiche

Wanted Tonic by Azzaro

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Wanted Tonic is a release from the very popular Wanted series of men’s fragrances by Azzaro. This one kind of flew under the radar and hasn’t gotten as much attention as the others in the line up after its 2020 release. The question is, does it deserve to be more well known?

I bought a sample of this cologne to test it out and see how it performs. What does it smell like? Does it last long? Is Tonic actually worth a buy?

Wanted Tonic Overview

Notes include: lime, ginger, cardamom, patchouli, benzoin, aquatic accord

My Full Review

Wanted Tonic opens up with a generic blue-ish aroma that is blended with a fairly prominent lime note.

The lime is decent and juicy within the mix and probably a highlight for me. The ginger here is fine, adding a nice spice, and you get that usual warm/lemony/spicy cardamom note that is a staple in the Wanted series.

That being said, this is closest to Coach Man Blue versus any other fragrance out there. It’s not the same, though. That one is woodier, heavier and has a more prominent absinthe note. Neither of these two are great fragrances, though.

The citrus is going to lead the way throughout most of the wear. The aquatic accord will fade off and the cardamom will take over as the main source of spiciness from the earlier ginger dominance.

Then, you get some woodiness and greenish notes coming through. Patchouli and there might be another wood note in here, that’s note listed. The dry down has a fuzziness to it from the benzoin, but is mostly about a blue citrus aroma with hints of spice and light woody highlights.

Wanted Tonic isn’t a very complicated sort of cologne.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Obviously, Tonic is going to be a fresher and not a super heavy fragrance that’ll bog you down. It does indeed take a lighter tact, but it isn’t completely weak.

The projection at least, in that lighter state is pretty moderate for a good deal of the wear. It wasn’t a skin scent and I could smell the cologne on me until the tail end. Actually not too bad for what this Azzaro fragrance is.

The longevity? Not great. I wasn’t expecting much, but it might be better than those expectations. Somewhere in the 5.5 hour range is what I get from this one. The ‘Tonic’ moniker is a good bet that you’re not going to get marathon performance, but this is decent.

Seasonally, this is totally a candidate for spring and summer wear. This aquatic lime with spice isn’t going to be something too appealing in the colder months and will feel out of place there.

But, in the warmer weather, it works. I wore it outside on a warm day, now that we’ve entered spring and I actually liked it more out there than I didn’t when I had sprayed this one on inside the house.

Within that spring and summer time frame, it’s mostly going to be a casual refreshing fragrance, limited to the daytime.

Not too versatile of a fragrance, but I suppose you could wear this around anywhere during the day, as long as you don’t need something too formal. It’s one that’ll not get blown apart on the hottest days of the year, so if you don’t have a cologne which fits that profile, Wanted Tonic can handle that job.

Overall Impressions of Wanted Tonic

Overall, do I like Wanted Tonic? Not really. It’s not completely terrible, but it just doesn’t have much appeal.

I like lime, ginger, the Wanted series, and freshie colognes. As such, I thought that this Azzaro release might have some appeal to me. It turned out to be an okay fragrance, but not one that I would feel compelled to own.

The performance is right in the realm of average. It’s got that clean and refreshing sort of aroma, but nothing too unique or out of the ordinary. I’m not sure when I would grab this one versus any other warm weather cologne out there.

That’s the issue for me. There are simply much better options in this sort of style that does things better from smell to performance.

It doesn’t smell exactly like any fragrance, but there’s enough of an amalgamation of ideas, that this seems somewhat familiar.

I will say, as of this initial posting of this review, I’m seeing bottles online at the re-seller stores for around $30. So, if you’re a Wanted fan or if this sounds appealing to you, you’re not paying a huge price for something that could potentially disappoint you.

For me, there’s nothing that I’m intrigued by here. So, I’ll pass, even at that low price point.

It seems to be discontinued by the brand itself. If you want a bottle, go ahead and get one before the stock sells out.

Le Male Elixir Absolu by JPG

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Elixir Absolu is the latest release in 2025 of the long-running Le Male series by Gaultier. It is also a flanker to the massively successful flanker, Le Male Elixir.

I bought a bottle of Le Male Elixir Absolu to test it out and do a full review of the results. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it even worth a try?

Elixir Absolu Overview

Notes include: lavender, tonka bean, plum

Click here to try: Le Male Elixir Absolu

My Full Review

Here’s how Gaultier describes this fragrance: Radiating a golden aura, everything in his wake is turned into gold. This new Male — and the most precious of all — keeps the signature fragrance notes of the iconic Le Male Elixir but is intensely richer. Fruity notes of spicy, sensual plum develop into lavender and tonka bean, taking sensuality to the extreme. But be warned! This Le Male will soon become an obsession.

Elixir Absolu opens up different yet familiar to the original JPG Le Male Elixir. It doesn’t have the cooling the mint note. Instead you get a good deal of that lavender, with some warmer spice, and a new addition of a sweet plum.

To me, the plum actually isn’t too heavy in the start. It’s much less of a tart note and sweeter than I thought it would be.

I’m not sure what the spice here is. It kind of smells like cumin mixed up with a bit of cinnamon. The plum can have a bit of a spicy sort of aroma too, but I personally get cumin.

Lavender is the focus with Le Male Elixir Absolu. It’s interesting that I get the sensation of iris lurking around in this mix. I haven’t seen anything from Gaultier about this.

So, it could just be an effect of the lavender, tonka bean, and the velvety touches of the plum note blending together to cause that.

Anyway, the opening still feels messy to me, even after about 2 weeks of wearing this one around. It doesn’t have that honeyed heaviness, while you can still pick up the scent of the first Elixir underneath our main attractions.

Still, it’s an okay start, just not really something that I’ve liked.

Once that warmer and slight spiciness moves away, Le Male Elixir Absolu really comes into its own. The plum becomes more apparent on my skin. It sits gently on top of the lavender note, never being too heavy, while still being captivating.

This doesn’t feel too complicated. It’s middle act is the lavender and plum with that iris sort of smell coming through.

Then, the dry down will have more tonka bean and the background of the original still coming through. Mostly, the vanilla seems to be here. So, it’s a fruity sweet lavender floral fragrance with a mix of powdery and creamy highlights.

Still similar to the original, but I think the differences are very noticeable and are placed front and center here.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one isn’t as heavy feeling or cloying as the first Elixir can be. However, its ability to project is unchanged. Still a beast that doesn’t require a massive amount of spraying in order to be potent.

I always catch whiffs of its scent throughout the day until it has finally faded or I’ve washed it all off.

The longevity here is also still the same as with the first Elixir. I still get 9-10.5 hours of wear with this version of the juice.

The performance doesn’t have any issues, as with the rest of the Le Male lineup. Powerful and long-lasting for a designer cologne.

Seasonally, this is still mostly an autumn and wintertime wear. However, I think it’s still nice in the milder temperatures. So, it can venture into springtime more so than its predecessor.

Still, this isn’t one that you’re going to be reaching for during the summer months, unless it’s a cooler evening.

Elixir Abolu is a fragrance that is still going to skew younger. It’s more of a casual or nightlife sort of cologne versus something that you’d wear to the office.

Not completely juvenile, especially once it gets past the opening, but is still going to worn mostly by men in their 20s and younger.

Overall Impressions of Le Male Elixir Absolu

Overall, do I like Elixir Absolu? Yes, I think it is a better fragrance than the original Elixir and one that I have been enjoying wearing thus far.

The opening is my least favorite part of the whole thing. However, once it settles down and I get this sweet mix of light plum, lavender, and the tonka bean I really do like wearing this fragrance.

I wasn’t expecting that dry down, after a slow start, but this JPG fragrance surprised me. The performance is still the same as the first Elixir release. As such, choosing between the two really just comes down to which smell you prefer.

I think this is a better fragrance. The original has a heavy use of honey which feels much more cloying than anything that is presented here. The plum also isn’t insanely strong or even tart, it parks itself nicely in the mix and gives it a real boost.

If you already have the first Le Male Elixir, you probably don’t need both. I would still test this one out, to see if you like the changes. That being said, you shouldn’t rush out and buy this.

It’s distinct enough, but obviously still covers a lot of the same bases.

If you don’t have either and want a Le Male Elixir scent, I would pick up Elixir Absolu. I might end up finishing this bottle before my bottle of Elixir that I purchased back when it came out.

Le Beau Le Parfum vs Paradise Garden

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Le Beau is a series that has really been gaining popularity and sales numbers for Gaultier over the past few years. Le Beau Le Parfum is a flanker that is well liked and has more to do with the original Le Beau EDT.

Meanwhile, Paradise Garden changes up a lot of the formula, while retaining that coconut note from EDT and Le Parfum.

But, which of these fragrances has the best smell? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Le Beau Le Parfum vs. Le Beau Paradise Garden

Le Beau Le Parfum

Notes include: ginger, pineapple, sandalwood, ambergris, iris, cypress, coconut, tonka bean, woods

Click here to try: Le Beau Parfum

Read my full review: Le Parfum

Le Beau Paradise Garden

Notes include: mint, ginger, fig, coconut water, salt, tonka bean, sandalwood

Click here to try: Paradise Garden

Read my full review: Le Beau Paradise Garden

Opening

Le Beau Le Parfum, starts with a really tropical aroma with the pineapple coming out of the gate strong and the coconut sitting just underneath.

It’s a sweet juice, creamy and with an touch of spiciness from the ginger note. The ginger is a great note which adds some depth in the early stage, to prevent it from becoming an overly sweet mess.

The ginger will fall away and the pineapple will lose its prominence at the top. Coconut, tonka bean, amber, and a general set of woods will dry this one up and take away the juiciness of that tropical vibe, at least.

Paradise Garden opens with a mix sweetness, freshness, minty spice, and an aquatic undertone to it all.

It’s a greener aroma from the fig note asserting itself, that pairs well with that coconut, and I get a good deal of the ginger note coming through early on. The fig is sweet and green

Paradise has a coconut water note. Though, there is still some creaminess in the blend. All supported by sandalwood, fig, and tonka bean, which adds that creamy touch further. I get more of the sandalwood in the dry down.

Which do I like more?

It’s close. Though, I have been really gravitating toward Paradise Garden and what I get from it at the start. That fig and coconut water really set the tone and I’ll roll with it in this category.

Edge: Paradise Garden

Projection

Le Beau Le Parfum does start off with a good deal of power. It can project itself well and has a heavier wear than does its competitor.

Even after that first hour or so it’s still well above average with its reach.

Paradise isn’t a heavy fragrance, it’s not a completely light scent, and has some body to it.

Though, it does have good projection for what kind of cologne this is. It’s a lighter moderate for spring and summertime.

Between them, Le Parfum takes this category as the stronger cologne.

Edge: Le Parfum

Longevity

Le Beau Le Parfum will hang around for 9-10 hours consistently. Not an elite performer, but it’s among the better of the mainstream designer fragrances.

With Paradise Garden, I get about 8 hours of wear. It lasts surprisingly long on my skin for the type of cologne that this is. Really, quite pleased with the performance of this one.

Le Parfum takes this, it’s as of now the best performing release in the JPG Le Beau series.

Edge: Le Parfum

Versatility

Both of these colognes are spring and summer wears, mostly. Le Parfum has a better ability to venture into the autumn months, while Paradise Garden is mostly in that laid back summer cologne category.

Neither of these is a formal kind of cologne. Casual and will appeal more to younger guys, as you’re probably not sporting either of them at the office.

I’d give edge to Le Parfum, as it’ll work better as a daily wear for younger guys, a nighttime wear and that extra time in the autumn helps to separate it.

Edge: Le Parfum

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these Jean Paul Gaultier colognes do I prefer?

I like how Le Beau Le Parfum starts off, the performance is great, and I think that it’s a fine scent all around.

The dry down is woodier and has some extra amber influence. I’m not really thrilled with the latter stages of the wear. It’s a good fragrance, but never reaches that higher level for me.

I prefer Le Beau Paradise Garden and I think that it is the better JPG scent in comparison.

It has a good balance, solid performance, a lovely tropical aroma, and is just a very pleasant scent to wear around. I have been really enjoying wearing my full bottle thus far.

With Le Parfum, I like it, but I don’t want a bottle of it. Though, it might work better for some guys versus Paradise Garden, it’s not a better smelling cologne.

The performance isn’t too much of an advantage between them, so, it doesn’t really offer me anything beyond what I get with Paradise Garden.

Winner: Le Beau Paradise Garden

Divine EDP vs Le Parfum by Gaultier

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Gaultier’s Divine has already become a wildly popular perfume release. As such, they followed up the original eau de parfum version with a newer Le Parfum in 2024.

I recently received samples of both of these scents with my latest Gaultier order. How do each of these smell? How long do they last? Which of them is the better fragrance?

Tale of the Tape: Divine EDP vs Le Parfum

Divine EDP

Notes include: calypsone, lily, ylang-ylang, salty note, meringue, musk, patchouli

Click here to try: Gaultier Divine EDP

Le Parfum

Notes include: lily, frangipani, salt, solar notes, amber, benzoin

Click here to try: Divine Le Parfum

Opening

Divine EDP opens up with a salty aquatic accord, sitting on top of white floral notes. The calypsone gives it a watermelon sort of aroma that is paired with some other light fruit notes including bergamot.

It’s bright, cold, and has a sweetness to it that is an interesting play off of that saltiness. The meringue note is already adding a touch of powder to this blend, which I’ve really enjoyed catching whiffs of.

Personally, I don’t get the ‘egg’ sort of aroma that the meringue can put off. If it’s there, it’s sitting underneath enough of everything else for me to not pick up on. Though, just be aware that other people have talked about this being a factor.

Pressing my nose up close, there’s a lot going on here, a bit messy at times. However, in the air Divine EDP absolutely works well in this opening stage.

Le Parfum does away with much the aquatic accord and zeros in on that saltiness and lily note that is found in the original. At least early, the saltiness fades here much quicker on me than the EDP.

The melon like freshness is there to some extent, but the solar notes, and amber are already taking a large share of the attention early on.

After 10 minutes or so, it becomes sweeter and the frangipani becomes more apparent. Though, this isn’t a great frangipani note to me, nor one that truly stands out on its own.

It’s creamier and warmer than what you get with the eau de parfum version. But, it is still very much a tight blend of notes.

Which is better?

The similarities are there for sure and I actually like both of these perfumes quite a lot after testing them. Though, I think that I’ll give the opening act to Le Parfum.

Edge: Le Parfum

Projection

The eau de parfum will leave a nice scent trail in your wake. It’s not a super heavy feeling fragrance, it’s fresh and aquatic with how it presents, but the projection is good. I’d say it’s above average but not massive.

Le Parfum has a ‘thicker’ feeling to wear, but it still retains some of that fresher aspect of Divine EDP. It’s the sweeter of the two fragrances and also has a larger reach than the original.

It’s strong, and at times, very strong if you give it a few too many sprays. Le Parfum will moderate, but it easily takes this category.

Edge: Le Parfum

Longevity

Again, this is another category that I don’t think will really disappoint anyone purchasing either of these perfumes.

The EDP will last somewhere in the 8 hour range, on my skin. Maybe it can go an extra hour or so, but that seems to be about it.

Le Parfum will last for over 10 hours. I’m not sure exactly when it quits, I’d guess in the 12 hour timeframe on skin.

So, both of these are performers, but Le Parfum takes it to a higher level than does the original.

Edge: Le Parfum

Versatility

With the EDP, it is more of use in the spring and summer months. Or, when it is moderate to warmer out.

Le Parfum has it edged, however. It can pretty much go year round. I don’t think it’ll hold up quite as well in the higher heat versus Divine EDP, but it should do well in the warmer weather, and can

Neither of these is a formal sort of scent. The EDP can feel pretty casual and has that beachy sort of vibe to it. That’s more of a daytime wear, while Divine Le Parfum can fit in day or night, a bit better.

Edge: Le Parfum

Overall Scent

Overall, which Gaultier Divine perfume do I enjoy more?

This is a tough call for me, since I really do like each of these scents. As far as mass appealing perfumes go, these are both unique enough from the field and have great performance.

It’s actually closer than it looks based on how the categories each played out.

With Divine EDP, I like the kind of salty watermelon aroma that I get in the beginning and that meringue actually works well on my skin. The florals and musk are nice enough when they begin to come out more in the mid of this perfume.

I lean more towards Le Parfum with how it smells. I like the amber and benzoin combination in the dry down. Furthermore, the extra performance that I can get from this perfume and the versatility, really solidifies my pick between them.

That being said, it might be a good idea to try either of these before you buy, if you’re someone unfamiliar. I think they’re pretty safe blind buys, but there does seem to be somewhat sizeable contingent of people who don’t like these formulations.

Winner: Le Parfum