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!

4 Perfumes that Smell Similar to Prada Paradoxe

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Prada Paradoxe has enjoyed a good deal of success since its release. The formula is very familiar to other popular releases, but doesn’t exactly overlap any one in particular. Are there fragrances that smell like Paradoxe? This is my ongoing list of perfumes that are similar, cheaper, or just have a close style to the Prada scent.

What Perfumes are Similar to Paradoxe by Prada?

Inspired Alternative

Enigmoxe by The Dua Brand- Enigmoxe is The Dua Brand’s take on the Paradoxe formula. So, if you want a cheaper alternative that tries to mimic the Prada, this is your best bet at the moment.

With this, you’ll get the same note structure, while trying to nail the exact weighting. I haven’t tried this Dua fragrance, in particular. But, I have purchased over 10 of their other scents which were inspired by other designer perfumes, and they’ve all been extremely close.

I don’t see why this one would be an exception to that record. I’ll come back and update, if I end up giving this perfume a try.

Intensa Paradox

Voce Viva Intensa– As far as designer perfumes go, Voce Viva Intensa is the one that has the most striking similarities between it and Paradoxe.

However, they are not exactly the same, as Intensa is a thicker and heavier scent better for autumn and winter wear. Intensa sticks close to the original, Voce Viva, while doing some different things.

Mainly, that opening citrus accord is without the ginger spice and is an area where Intensa has a lot in common with Paradoxe. No pear note, but you get bergamot, orange, orange blossom, and jasmine.

I’ve described a lot of the wear of Voce Viva Intensa as a vanilla-soaked orange blossom, with some jasmine added. The dry down is much more vanilla based and has a slightly mossy finish.

The Prada perfume is fresher, lighter, and sweeter than this Valentino. But, Voce Viva Intensa could be a good alternative for those who want a more floral and vanilla heavy perfume. Voce Viva Intensa Review

voce viva intense review

Shocking Similarities

Black Opium Floral Shock– This is another designer scent that has a good deal of overlap with our Prada target, while having enough distinction to be wholly separate.

The main differences will be with the coffee note in this YSL, the gardenia in lieu of the jasmine of Paradoxe, lack of vanilla,  and less of the citrus influence. But, you do get the pear and bergamot up top (teamed up with lemon).

This one is a creamier white floral, with fresh influence, both from the fruit notes and the light freesia. The base features amberwood and musk. The white floral ingredients, ‘solar’ notes, and the rest do give this a creaminess that sort of simulates a vanilla influence…just not the same.

Paradoxe is a tad lighter and fresher. More of that citrus sweetness. Though, both have a close structure and the great white floral heart.

One Intense Paradoxe

The Only One Intense by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 3.4 Ounce– This D&G scent is somewhere in the realm of Paradoxe Intense and the original. Like, Intense if you stripped out the moss note and added coconut in its place.

A substantial difference, I know. But, this one is more about having a similar style than trying to be an exact copy of Prada.

It’s also like its predecessor, The One Desire. But again, distinct enough to be noticeable.

Sweet, creamy, white floral notes, with a light citrus/apple start. It’s got plenty of jasmine in there as the main flower. Vanilla, cashmere wood, and coconut give it that milky warm embrace.

Not too heavy and can actually venture into warmer weather. Maybe not the height of summer, but it’s not a bad reach in the spring. Fantastic performer.

London by Playboy

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In this review, I am going to dive into the ‘cheapy’ end of the fragrance market, with London by Playboy. Yes, the long-running men’s magazine, has had a line of colognes and perfumes for both men and women, for 10+ years or so now.

This line is currently being produced by Coty and most of the scents can be had for $10 or less. How does Playboy London rate? Please continue reading below for my full take.

Update: The ownership of Playboy has changed, since this was first published, and London is discontinued.

What does Playboy London Smell Like?

Notes include: brandy, cinnamon, tonka bean, galbanum, cedar, and mandarin

Click here to try: Playboy London Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The bottle of London features the Playboy Bunny logo colored by the British flag, which looks really cool to me as an image. The contents of the bottle start out with a blast of brandy and a somewhat muted cinnamon.

The cinnamon note isn’t all that spicy and feels more powdery due to its interaction with the tonka bean.

Playboy London is a very fresh and sweet scent punctuated by a boozy aroma that is surprisingly well done for such an inexpensive scent.

Don’t think of this as a super sugary kind of sweetness, more of a gourmand blend that is pleasant, warm, and just sort of hangs around the wearer gently.

Most of what you’re going to detect is the cognac warmth and the cinnamon with a supporting role provided by the tonka bean.

This isn’t a super complex fragrance by any means, but it does have some cedar and floral notes that are noticeable, and a bit of citrus to keep it balanced.

I will say that London is a well put together fragrance for something so low on the price spectrum.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s moderate and fades within a few hours to more of a skin scent. Longevity, again, 2-3 hours of decent wear and then fades for the next 2-3 into a skin scent. In total, London lasts 4-6 hours.

It’s not disappointing for the price. I’ve encountered plenty of designer fragrances with performances at this level or worse.

Luckily, it cheap enough to spray extra with no problems. I feel like they could have made this a stronger fragrance, as it seems watered down at least somewhat. Had they done that, Playboy London, might have been a sneaky little beast.

I like this as a casual fragrance during the fall and winter months. It’s got some level of sophistication and sexiness to it, as much as can be expected, but it is legitimately a nice aroma for something so cheap.

However, I will say that this is primarily going to be a fragrance for teens or guys in their early 20s. It’s not something that most older guys are going to want to wear around. Not good enough for a formal environment or anything like that.

Overall Impressions of London

Overall, would I recommend, Playboy London? If you’re in the market for a very very inexpensive scent, it’s worth a look. I bought my bottle for $5 and will probably use it for the gym or just randomly as a change of pace.

Update: I used it on occasion for a while, before giving it away to someone else. I had too many other better fragrances than this ultra cheapie. It’s a cheap but good cologne, not great.

Don’t expect some amazing high end designer cologne, rather, a fragrance that punches above its weight class and provides a good amount of value. I like the opening act, the booziness, and cinnamon/tonka bean.

Is it a great fragrance? No. Would this be my first option ever? Probably not. Only if I absolutely can’t afford anything else.

7 Best Smelling Hugo Boss Perfumes for Her

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Hugo Boss is a design house that has been around for ages and is still going strong. One of the highlights of this brand is their fragrance line for both men and women.

From this line, one can find very nice scent choices that are in the more moderate price range than something like Bond No. 9 for instance.

In this post, I want to put forth 7 Hugo Boss perfumes which could be considered the best smelling of the bunch. 

What are the Best Hugo Boss Perfumes for Ladies?

Note: It seems like there has been a lot of purging of product from the Hugo Boss women’s fragrance line.  Nonetheless, I’ll put forward my picks from the past, and link to them since they can be found elsewhere. I’ve added to this list, however, and retained some of the older scents.

Fresh Floral/Fruity Perfume

Femme 2.5 Oz Eau De Parfum Spray Women– Boss Femme is highlighted by floral notes such as freesia, rose, jasmine, and fleur de lys along with fruity notes such as tangerine and apricot.

It has a fresh floral scent that is good for everyday wear without being overbearing and the tangerine provides a subtle citrus undertone.

It opens with the mix of the fruit and floral notes before, the freesia and rose become the main attraction.

It’s a citrusy sort of smell with a bit of sharp black currant added, as well. Boss Femme is a fairly light fragrance, that fits in well during the day time, and can be safely worn every day.

A-lively Perfume

Boss Alive– Boss Alive EDP is the initial release from their newest line, which isn’t so new anymore. This one isn’t as sweet, but has more of a crisp juiciness and tartness, thanks to apple and plum.

Actually, I’m a bit reminded of their Boss Bottled No.6 for Men, due to that apple and cinnamon. Obviously, not the same, but I can certainly detect the similarities. This is indeed still feminine.

Jasmine and thyme are the heart of this scent. It’s initially fruity and spicy, then, it becomes a cleaner jasmine and woods in the dry down. While, still maintaining some level of sweetness throughout.

 

Sweet Orange and Chocolate

Boss The Scent Private Accord– Cacao and coffee team up here in a big way, along with a nice mandarin orange note. The coffee plays less of a factor, later in the wear.

This was probably the best offering from the ‘The Scent’ line of perfumes for her (Intense was also decent).

Update: They’re no longer on Boss’ website, so, it may have been discontinued. The newer ‘The Scent’ offerings, don’t strike me as being quite as good.

It is sweet and light, with a bit of a floral heart and some added spice. Not a super complicated fragrance, but a nice gourmand for those who love that orangey chocolate aroma.

I like that it never gets too heavy or overwhelming, even if that mean sacrificing a bit on the performance end of things. 

Sweet, Dry, Woody

Boss Ma Vie Pour Femme– Boss Ma Vie brings together the unique (cactus) with well worn ingredients like rose and freesia. It opens up with a fresh, green, and distinctive smell. You definitely get the full cactus experience, that is flanked by mainly the freesia. 

Ma Vie Pour Femme is a fairly light fragrance, that gives you sweet elements, with dry/fresh woodsy base notes. Up top, it does have a little bit of a sour tinge, but overall comes across as clean and very enjoyable.

The performance is good enough to last all day and one that can be worn in almost any situation. 

Best Winter Boss Perfume

Deep Red 3.0 Fl. Oz. Eau De Toilette Spray Women– Sexy and energetic with citrus notes provided by blood orange, mandarin, and clementine. Plus, black currant. Very sweet fragrance and the floral notes including vanilla become more apparent as it wears on.

As the dry down develops, the vanilla is joined by ginger, sandalwood, and white floral notes lead by tuberose. It becomes drier and warmer the deeper that you get into it. Yet, it is upbeat and rather sporty.

Deep Red is fresh and has a nice cold weather vibe, with good versatility, so that it can also be used as a nighttime scent. Sillage isn’t too heavy and has a solid wear time.

 

 

Unique Fruity Scent

Xx 3.4 Fl. Oz. Eau De Toilette Spray Women.– Blueberry, mandarin, rose, jasmine, musk, and amber. Semi-sweet fragrance but not overly so and also it’s quite feminine and fresh.

Plenty of jasmine and rose up front, but the mandarin, litchi, and blueberry are also sitting up top, giving XX a fruitier aroma from the start. What’s unique about this one, is that it also features basmati rice.

I’ve literally never seen that listed on any other fragrance (the basmati variety, at least), but it adds a bit of uniqueness to things. XX isn’t a very complex fragrance, but it is definitely one that can catch attention.

Fruity Aquatic Fragrance

Hugo By Hugo Boss For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.3 Ounces– A juicy/aquatic type of perfume that is dominated by fruit notes like apple, berries, and peach. Hugo Woman is clean, soft, fresh, and has some light floral notes to complement the fruits.

The fruit notes start out the top of the perfume, with a crisp and juicy aroma of mainly, the apple and melon notes. It smells fairly aquatic at this stage, quite light, and hangs gently in the air.

As it dries down, Hugo Woman reveals more flowers: jasmine, hyacinth, and lily and very light woods. It’s a great everyday wear option for the warmer months, as it is office safe, pleasant, and versatile.

Private Show by Britney Spears

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In today’s review, I have another entry from the Britney Spears line of fragrances, that are produced by Elizabeth Arden. This one is the popular, Private Show, which was released in 2016. As usual, I am going to cover how it smells, performs, what’s inside, and if this scent is even worth giving a shot to.

What does Private Show Smell Like?

Notes include: coffee, nectarine, clementine, musk, orange blossom, jasmine, whipped cream, dulce de leche, and amber

Click here to try: Britney Spears PRIVATE SHOW,EDP 3.3 OZ/100ML L

My Full Review

Wow, so, upon opening Private Show strikes me a totally sweet and delicious. You can tell from the listed ingredients that this one is going to have a lot of gourmand qualities, with plenty of floral aspects.

In a lot of ways, I am reminded of the more expensive, Black Opium by YSL when I get a whiff of Private Show. Not exactly the same, but quite a similar effect.

I get a lot of coffee, whipped cream, clementine, and orange blossom from the start. It’s sweet, creamy, warm, with citrus/floral undertones. The citrus notes are there and have an impact, but they really aren’t too heavy in the mix. Nice touch of fruit.

Add to that the dulce de leche (basically a caramel scent), is quite prominent and is the main sweet note, along with the coffee as this Britney Spears fragrance moves forward.

This perfume starts out with a heavier sweetness, but really mellows out, as it spends time on my skin. As the sweetness calms down a bit, the jasmine and musk, come out more and add depth to Private Show.

Not that this is a particularly complex fragrance, but it does have more character than a lot of the perfumes at this price point.

Finally, what I mostly get is a warm blend of coffee and the dulce le leche. Those are the two strongest aspects. Then, comes the layer of amber and orange blossom.

Then, is the musk, citrus, and jasmine as the main undercurrents. So, this one is more gourmand/floral, than is something like Sunset Fantasy and its load of fruity notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this is a moderate scent. Not overpowering or too strong to wear in close spaces, but noticeable. Private Show isn’t a sillage bomb, but you won’t forget that you’re wearing it either.

Also, the longevity is pretty good. I got about 6-7 solid hours of wear, when spraying it on my skin. Not incredible but very useful. It doesn’t seem to go beyond that. Though, at least it gets to that point, when many inexpensive scents do not

Seasonally, this is cold weather. Very enveloping and has a great warmth to its aroma. It wouldn’t be awful in mild temperatures, but it just really shines in the cold.

Just stay away from the summertime use, as this one will melt in that climate…or if you’re in a tropical region.

While some of the Britney Spears lineup caters almost exclusively to teenagers, this one has more maturity and can be worn by older women as well. It’s got a versatile ability to be worn on almost any occasion.

It’s safe for work, casual wear, school, and even nights out on the town. It does have a certain sexiness to it, I would personally find this extremely attractive on a lady.

Overall Impressions of Private Show

Overall, is Private Show by Britney Spears worth a look? Yes. If you’re looking for a sweet fragrance, that has more maturity than the average Britney perfume, and like the coffee/caramel-like aromas.

This has such a great sweetness. The vanilla and coffee notes here, really catch a lead at times in this perfume, and make this one a beautiful one to wear. Though, if that style isn’t your thing, you’d probably want to look elsewhere.

The performance is pretty good when compared to most perfumes. However, at this price point, it’s actually more than respectable. Outside of some reformulations that have taken place, over the years, the Britney lineup has good value with the performances.

I really enjoy the coffee, amber, and orange blossom notes. No, it’s not super unique, but if that doesn’t matter to you…go for it. The creaminess from the dulce de leche adds another layer that makes Private Show wonderfully delicious.

Update: This one has been discontinued for a while and it seems that most of the inexpensive bottles have been bought up. So, you probably won’t get a chance to come across Private Show, at a reasonable price.

Then, this one might be a good choice for you. It has enough similarities, that it could also serve as a way cheaper alternative to Black Opium. Again, it’s not exact, but produces a very approximate vibe.

9 Best Escada Perfumes for Her

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Escada is a fashion house that is absolutely prolific in the women’s fragrance sector. They have released dozens of perfumes over the past 3-4 decades and as such it can be hard to narrow down the best of the bunch.

In this post, I am going to present nine of what I consider to be the top smelling fragrances from the brand. I’ll try to keep it updated over time, in order to bring in newer scents, and move off of the ones that are discontinued.

What are the Best Pefumes by Escada?

Sweet and Attractive

Escada Magnetism By Escada For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5 Ounces– Sweetness of fruits such as berries, other fruits, and some rich gourmand undertones blend with some light spices and green notes to create a sexy and intoxicating fragrance.

Sensual, strong, long lasting. Magnetism is a sweet perfume with vanilla and caramel notes, but also is lined with basil and other green outdoorsy notes, to create a unique balance.

The dry down gives off the aroma of berries, light vanilla/caramel, and a powdered smell. Magnetism has really good performance, without being too overpowering.

Candy without the Tropics

Candy Love– A lot of the Escada fragrances, really go heavy on the tropical fruity notes and/or flowers. Candy Love does have fruits, but it is much more of a gourmand candy perfume than others on the list.

It has an apple note up top (and also berries it smells like), with a base of vanilla and whipped cream. A bit crisp and fresh, with a light rose note included. But, this one is about the fruity sweetness with a creamy finish.

Very cute and has more of an innocent vibe than something like Rockin’ Rio. Pretty simple and more along the lines of a teen perfume, but still quite nice. The vanilla and whipped cream dry down, especially.

Flor del Tequila

Flor del Sol by Escada– Up top, you get tequila. A strong shot mixed with orange and grenadine notes, which give it a fruity aroma, that will also be plenty powerful. It’s crisp and boozy, almost a melon-like aroma, but just not quite.

The middle features a dahlia floral note, which doesn’t strike me as being all that dominant, ever in the mix. It’s there adding a different sort of sweetness versus the fruitiness, but didn’t seem massive.

It’s a sweet, energetic, somewhat bitter, and fun perfume to wear. Flor del Sol is mostly straightforward and linear in its development, but as another summer wear option, I like it.

Flirty Party Scent

Escada 100 Ml EDT Spray, Rockin Rio, 3.3 Fl Oz– Citrus and floral notes that give Rockin’ Rio a very tropical feel as the name would indicate. Pineapple, pina coloda, sugar cane, tangerine, and papaya are the highlights.

Rockin’ Rio is a fantastically delicious summertime scent, with an upbeat and sunny aroma.

This is the kind of perfume that you would wear casually to a party or outdoor event, not an office or close quartered environment.

Rockin’ Rio has a very large sillage with plenty of pineapple, papaya, and a sugar note running throughout. Probably best for younger ladies, who want a fun and flirty scent.

Tropical Fruits and Florals 

Miami Blossom– This one opens up with a juicy mix of watermelon and pineapple. It’s more sweet than it is sharp or tart. Very fresh fruitiness with berry undertones.

The beginning is super tropical with those fruits, along with jasmine and tiare flower. The fruits will lose some of their steam and the floral notes will take over to finish, with a bit of woodiness/musk in the base of the fragrance.

But, the floral notes won’t be the main attraction here. The pineapple seems to fade away more so than the watermelon, which is interesting.

Really bubbly and fruity, great for summer, not overpowering or too sugary. Casual wear that has a great energy to it for the hotter days.

Mango Based Goodness

Escada Taj Sunset by Escada for Women 3.3 oz Eau De Toilette Spray Another sweet tropical fruit based perfume but this one is softer and more mellow than Rockin’rio with a anchor of mango.

The mango is buoyed by citrus and a base note of sandalwood. It is a very fruity fragrance, but a more discrete, and mature one when compared to the one above.

This one has some good sillage and the longevity is also better than average. The orange note is pretty noticeable at first, before it becomes more of a mango show.

Fruit Blend with Jasmine/Freesia

ESCADA MOON SPARKLE by Escada EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ– Has a youthful and sort of girly air to it. Moon Sparkle is a moderate and sweet scent that isn’t a tropical fruit fragrance. You get apple and strawberry with floral notes of freesia and jasmine.

Strawberry is paired with a bit of a sharp black currant note at the top and the fruit notes later drop off some. There also is a peach note or just the aroma, which comes in more during the dry down.

Overall, Moon Sparkle is sweet, with very good performance. This is somewhat like Miami Blossom, so that could be an alternative, if this is no longer available.

Tropical Drink with Hibiscus 

Sunset Heat-Another moderate and sweet scent for the summertime. Similar makeup to Taj Sunset, but this one dries down with a hibiscus note, that takes over the composition to an extent.

At the top, you get the mango and pineapple, as the strongest fruit notes. It’s rather like a drink, with a juicy/nectar quality to how Sunset Heat smells. This is definitely one of their better tropical sort of perfumes. There is a nice coconut, that furthers that beach drink kind of aroma.

Pineapple seems to be the note that wins out, in terms of strength, by the end. Earlier, it is much more of a mix.

Update: This is one that seems to be difficult to find around nowadays. I wouldn’t overpay, if you happen upon a bottle of Sunset Heat.

A Balanced Berry Blend

Escada Sexy Graffiti (Limited Edition) Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounce– A lighter to moderate and sweet affair that is highlighted by strawberry, raspberry, violet, vanilla, and grapefruit. Yes, Sexy Graffiti is alluring, while the others on the list are more of an edible fruity mix.

The raspberry and strawberry have a similar quality to the other perfumes on the list, but when it dries down the violet, vanilla, and cashmere notes really come into their own.

It can be harder to come by a bottle of this nowadays, but it is still available.