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!

Bronze by Ellen Tracy

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I recently got a hold of a lot of women’s perfume samples. A few dozen, actually. One of them, is the subject of today’s review, Bronze EDP by Ellen Tracy. This fragrance was released back in 2011. It’s enjoyed a pretty popular existence thus far, so, I wanted to see what it was all about. How does it smell? Does it last a long time? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a try?

What does Bronze by Ellen Tracy Smell Like?

Notes include: lemonade, mandarin, apple, musk, moss, heliotrope, violet leaf, honeysuckle, cedar, and more

Click here to try: Ellen Tracy Eau de Parfum Spray, Bronze, 3.3 Fluid Ounce 

My Full Wear Review

Before we jump into my review, let’s see how the brand describes this perfume: A rich, lustrous and intoxicating oriental perfume. Pure beauty transformed, refined and captured in a moment. 

Reading the notes, seeing citrus and lemonade as a part of the main opening act, I was expecting a sharper opening. Sure, there are elements of that here, but it comes across as more powdered and sugary.

I can definitely pick up on the lemonade, which is great. Also, orange and a crisp apple note. Heliotrope, violet, and other notes sit underneath and give it that powdered scent.

It’s actually a very nice mix, not too baby powder-like, as you get a chilled citrus sensation pulsing through the composition.

After that initial wave of citrus has passed, I still catch the lemonade. However, it is becoming a warmer and sweeter floral fragrance. Honeysuckle, violet, and especially heliotrope. It sort of smells like a make up bag, but also a warm baked good. Very pleasant.

Finally, for the rest of the wear, the amber begins to strengthen and encapsulate the floral notes. It’s amber and a touch of vanilla, with the aforementioned flowers (along with orchid), and the remnants of the lemonade. Not super complicated.

The latter half has a velvety feel. Not as much powder, it’s still there, but definitely some of that creaminess or thickness coming in with the amber and vanilla.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Bronze isn’t all that strong. It’s an EDP, but even at the start, it is fairly middle of the road. Then, it turns into a softer perfume shortly thereafter.

Within that framework, the scent is pretty stable for the time that it lasts. Probably up until that last hour, you get a softer scent, but one which is still totally noticeable to yourself and others in your close proximity.

Still, this isn’t a fragrance that is going to take over a room, unless you go extreme with the spraying.

On my skin, I was getting around 4-5 hours of wear out of Bronze. Not really all that great, but this is a cheapie, so I wasn’t expecting incredible performance. It’s okay and cheap enough to be able to re-apply without thinking twice.

Bronze is a warm weather fragrance. Great for spring or summertime. Think casual situations or a light daily wear. Not really a romantic or evening wear type of scent. It’s more pretty, than sexy.

I don’t think you’d have too much of an issue wearing it year round, though. Once the citrus fades, it’s a fairly warm scent, that could work in the cold.

Overall Impression of Bronze

Do I like this Ellen Tracy perfume? I really do. The arrangement is pretty unique and it smells wonderful. I love the contrast between lemonade/citrus and the sweet powdery elements, of the fragrance.

Bronze is pleasant to wear, not super heavy, just more of a slight embrace. The powdery quality isn’t a problem for me, as I enjoy it. But, for those who don’t, this might be a scent that you want to skip.

It’s not complex, but there are different facets which emerge and give this perfume a stand alone feeling that I cannot directly compare with any other fragrances, really. Like, there are elements of other scents, but Bronze does its own thing.

Now, the performance could absolutely be much better. It’s not horrible, but not really up to par either. I wish I could’ve gotten at least another 2 or 3 hours out of Bronze, with a bit more intensity.

The good news, is that this is an inexpensive purchase, and you can spray to your heart’s content.

It’s a deal and a beautiful scent to boot. I recommend giving Bronze EDP a try sometime.

Nirvana Bourbon by Elizabeth and James

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Nirvana Bourbon is a fragrance release from the Olsen twins, Elizabeth and James line. I remember that I tried this once before some years back and liked it. Though, I didn’t spend enough time with it to do a full review. Now that I bought four samples of E&J fragrances, I can properly share my thoughts on this one. How does it smell? How long does it last? When to wear?

What does Nirvana Bourbon Smell Like?

Notes includes: bourbon vanilla, oak wood, and tuberose

Click here to try: Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon Edp Spray Womens Perfume Nib, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Nirvana Bourbon, of course goes heavy on that bourbon vanilla note, but there’s also a good deal of tuberose. It feels smooth and slightly smoky, with the woodiness of the oak coming through.

I will say, that the oak in this one does have a very fresh spice to it, much like oak that has already been carved out. I have to say, that I really like it. It all comes together as a warm (fiery) smoky fragrance with an underlying sweet character.

While this Elizabeth and James is marketed as being more about the bourbon vanilla, the star of the show is actually the oak. This becomes increasingly dry, as things move forward. A unisex fragrance, but leaning more masculine, in my mind.

The vanilla that hangs around isn’t a creamy frosting variety, rather, it takes on a powdered like aroma. It weirdly reminds me of a whey protein powder that I used to have. 

There isn’t too much development with Nirvana Bourbon. That initial tuberose and vanilla mix, oak and more oak, and then a powdery oak dry down. On skin, the vanilla is more present. On a shirt, it was super woody.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s not an overpowering fragrance. It’s actually a lighter to moderate kind of perfume. It wasn’t projecting itself across the room, but I knew that I was wearing it the whole time. It stays close, but isn’t a weakling.

Longevity clocked in at 6-7 hours during this round of testing. Not bad and about what I remember it doing when I tried this one out years ago.

Seasonally, this one is a cold weather scent. Stick to fall and winter. It’s got a dry and cozy kind of aroma and will melt in the heat. It can probably venture into springtime, for some places, also.

Again, this one is totally unisex, and doesn’t feel ‘girly’ like some of the other offerings from this line. Casual to even more formal wear. Not necessarily a sexy scent or one that is going to be great as a nightlife wear. But, attractive and one you may get personal enjoyment from.

Overall Impressions of Nirvana Bourbon

Do I like this fragrance? Yes, it’s a simple scent, but it’s borderline great. Not one that I want to wear all of the time, but I can definitely enjoy spraying this on during a cold winter’s day.

I like the oak and how the bourbon vanilla reasserts itself more towards the tail of the wear, after a long smoky/woody phase. I also like that the tuberose, isn’t too heavy in this one and the other notes really get a chance to shine.

You can usually find bottles of this for a good price. It’s well worth a shot, if it sounds at all appealing to you. Not much to explain, wood and vanilla, but within that is a lot to appreciate.

Update: All of these have been discontinued for a while now. Not sure if the entire brand is defunct or not, either. Seems like that’s the case. 

The prices of bottles are no longer all that inexpensive, so it may not be worthwhile to pay up to acquire it. This is a very nice fragrance, though, as was the rest of the Elizabeth & James line. 

La Panthere EDP by Cartier

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For this entry into the ladies perfume reviews, we have another scent from Cartier: La Panthere EDP. I had a sample vial that I’ve gone through, that came to me as a part of some other purchase. This was released in 2014, as sort of a descendant of the original Panthere from the 80s. What does it smell like? How does it perform? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Cartier La Panthere Smell Like?

Notes include: musk, gardenia, strawberry, rhubarb, apple, dried fruit, apricot, oak moss, patchouli

Click here to try: Cartier EDP Spray for Women, La Panthere, 2.5 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Before we begin with the review, let’s see what Cartier has to say about La Panthere: A feline floral fragrance in the trail of a captivating woman…a radiant gardenia enhanced by mellow and musky notes.

Wow. So, La Panthere EDP, can be somewhat difficult to explain, but I’ll try to present what it’s like. The perfume opens with a dry blend of fruit, rhubarb, and oak moss.

It feels very outdoorsy and green. The fruit is a mix with some strawberry and various others coming through during the start. It has elements of sweetness, of course, but isn’t a juicy sweet perfume overall.

The mix of rhubarb, strawberry, and the others here in the blend can come off as being a bit sour, rather than just a pure sweet candy aroma.

A few minutes in, that’s when the gardenia becomes more prominent, and is joined by the musk note. The musk really isn’t all that heavy, rather, it is blended within the composition quite well. It all feels very soapy and has a clean confidence about it.

There is some orange blossom here and maybe a bit of ylang-ylang (doesn’t really show up much on me). Though, the gardenia is going to be the main attraction as far as floral notes go. 

During the dry down, the fruit notes are solely in the background, and don’t play too much of a part. Gardenia flanked by oak moss and musk with just a bit of patchouli peaking in there.

The musk and floral bouquet is stronger than the woodiness. Though, at this point the perfume is quite dry and has its greenish qualities. 

That’s what I get for the rest of the wear. It’s elegant and fresh with an interesting chypre character.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of La Panthere is isn’t super heavy, but I’d say it’s strong. A few sprays isn’t going to overpower the room, but it’ll be noticeable to those in the room. Really, I have no complaints about how this one performs.

Longevity is fantastic, this one hit double digit hours on my skin, and a standard workday won’t be a hurdle for this Cartier. It’s probably not the best or most elite in terms of longevity, but it is definitely up there. You get your money’s worth with La Panthere EDP.

 

Seasonally, pretty much whenever except for the height of summer. The oak moss and musk makes me think fall/winter. Meanwhile, the gardenia and fruits make me think spring. It seems more like a business or dressed up perfume rather than anything casual.

La Panthere has a certain refinement, though I wouldn’t really say that it is all that ‘sexy’. This fragrance fits in enough occasions to call it versatile, at least. Less of a nightclub perfume and more of a powerful/confident sort of vibe. 

This Cartier is certainly an adult perfume. It’s not ‘old lady-ish’, but also doesn’t have any of the immaturity of a lot of other popular scents on the market today. 

Overall Impressions of La Panthere EDP

Overall, do I like La Panthere EDP by Cartier? Yes, I think that it is a very interesting and well put together ladies perfume. It doesn’t just hit you with the standard floral notes or fruits, it goes with something more earthy and animalistic, to go along with gardenia and fruity ingredients.

I like the opening with the rhubarb and strawberry. That has seemed to be the highlight for me. The rest of the wear is still solid, just didn’t capture my attention in the same way.

It’s a solid everyday choice for women who are into this sort of perfume. If you don’t like oak moss, gardenia, and musk…it won’t be for you, in all likelihood.

The aroma itself is above average to me. The performance is really great, so, if you like the smell this can be a great pickup. It flies under the radar, but hits so many familiar beats.

Even if I’m not thoroughly amazed by the aroma itself, the Cartier quality is absolutely there in La Panthere EDP. 

12 Best Smelling Avon Perfumes for Her

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Avon has released a seemingly untold number of fragrances for both men and women over the years. Today, we are going to focus on those for the ladies, and try to narrow the list down. One of the big problems is that, many scents get discontinued, and some get changed from how they originally were. It happens.

Nonetheless, I have still gone through and selected, twelve of what could be considered the best of the bunch. Obviously, I can’t hit them all (there are hundreds in the back catalog), but this definitely provides a great starting point.

Note: the numbers aren’t an indication of ranking, more just to keep track of these perfumes.

What are the Top Avon Fragrances?

Best Seller

1. Avon Far Away Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 1.7 Fluid Ounce– Far Away has been popular for decades now and as such has probably undergone at least some reformulations.

Nevertheless, it is a floral perfume with sweet peach and vanilla, plus some underlying warm amber and sandalwood.

It settles into something that is quite warm, with plenty of jasmine and freesia, doing their thing in the heart of the fragrance.

Up top, you get a creamy vanilla and coconut blend, which really comes into its own later on. With the array of floral notes, taking on a supporting role.

Spicy Warm Floral Scent

2. Avon Rare Pearls Eau De Parfum Spray 1.7 Fl. Oz.– Rare Pearls is a spicy and honeyed floral fragrance with a great plum opening, a lot of magnolia, and that thick sweet honey note. The top of the perfume has a pretty intense pepper note, but that calms down a lot, as it wears on.

This one is more of a mature perfume, with a classic composition, and musky undertones during the dry down.

It smooth and woody, at the base, with that familiar plum aroma floating around during the wear. Very warm and interesting floral.

The magnolia and honey notes, end up, sitting on top of a base of sandalwood and rosewood. The musk, in the end, is rather soft and supports the sweetened magnolia top.

Top Overall Pick

3. Today for Her Eau De Parfum Spray– A very floral fragrance that is dominated by freesia and tuberose, with flanker notes of cactus (yep) and orange blossom.

Quite a fresh and feminine wear with a hint of musk to bring it all together. A white floral bouquet with solid sillage and overall performance.

A nice little daytime wear, for the price, that has a lot of energy and a very attractive smell. Today for Her is definitely a great value buy, particularly for those who enjoy the scent of freesia or tuberose.

The opening act with the orange blossom, is the most interesting part of the wear, but the entire floral arrangement in here is a joyous experience. This is a very good daily wear, for those who want a floral perfume, that’s not overly ‘green’ or garden-like.

Top Winter Fragrance

4. Avon Imari Seduction Eau De Toilette Spray 1.7 Fl. Oz.– Imari Seduction features an opening with juicy berries and tart plum. It’s a nice mix of sweet fruit notes, that are joined by rose and orchid.

As it dries down, the floral notes do come out more, but the plum remains a highlight.

Vanilla, amber, and musk sit at the base to provide a light sweetness and more of a solid profile. It does everything well and is a very pretty fragrance from Avon.

Imari Seduction is a nice change of pace from the bright and happy floral perfumes, with something that is dark and still sweet enough to be very pleasant. The plum and amber together, is a winning combination, giving a sweet smokiness, along with the vanilla.

Classic Avon Fragrance

5. Avon Little Black Dress Eau de Parfum Spray 1.7 oz.- This one still deserves a mention, even if it has gone away from its original reformulation with a stronger plum and gardenia note. Nowadays, it opens with a citrus blast to go along with, the plum.

It still features white floral notes with sandalwood and musk underneath. The jasmine really stands out now, as the dominant floral.

So, a citrus/plum mix with jasmine (hints of other florals) and that warm base.

Floral Fruity Perfume

6.Avon Rare Gold Eau De Parfum Spray 1.7 oz FOR WOMEN– Rare Gold is another floral scent, but with peach and ylang ylang, to separate it from the others on the list. Yes, jasmine and lily of the valley, round out the bouquet but tuberose and that ylang ylang really lead the way.

Rare Gold is more of a fruit/floral mix, with an amber dry down, punctuated with vanilla sweetness. The peach note is really the key to this fragrance, which livens up the whole composition, to make it go beyond just being another white floral fragrance.

Very nice performance and pretty strong sillage, when compared with others from Avon.

Rare Gold has a bright and sunny feel, a great way to get a floral burst, without having to go fully into a full floral perfume. With a light woodiness, to provide some more substance.

Best Springtime Scent

7. Avon Haiku Eau de Parfum Spray– Kumquat and yuzu are some of the fruit notes that help to set Haiku apart, along with a fantastic and clean, lily-of-the-valley note.

Refreshingly cool, crisp, and clean Haiku is a lighter perfume with dewy and outdoorsy undertones. An understated wear, which is safe to wear to work or casually.

The Japanese inspired notes, help to take the usual floral fragrance, and create one that is distinct while being familiar. The latter stages, move away from the more citrus/green start, and more towards the floral end of things. Plus, a woody base, headed up by sandalwood.

In the end, you get a light musky jasmine, peony, and lily with the subtle remnants of fruits still making their way around. Also, a bit of a powdery finish.

Great Floral Musk

8. Avon Pur Blanca Eau De Toilette En Vaporisateur 50ml – 1.7oz– A super simple and clean wear with freesia, musk, and some peony thrown in. Pur Blanca is purely light and one that is easy to grab and wear on a warmer day. This is a fragrance that you can definitely double up the sprays on.

Each of the floral notes seems to have its own time period to shine and it kind of rotates between them. There is also some musk, in the mix, but it is very light a doesn’t distract from the flowers. Pur Blanca is a very casual type of ladies perfume.

Great Far Away Flanker

9. Avon Far Away Infinity Eau de Parfum Spray 1.7 Fl Oz– Far Away Infinity utilizes the Far Away name to great effect. You get the same jasmine note with some sweetness and creaminess.

The bergamot citrus at the top, when blended with the floral notes and sandalwood feels somewhat tropical. However, you also get that creaminess provided by vanilla, sandalwood, and the white florals.

It’s not too thick or heavy of a creaminess/sweetness. In fact, it actually does have a fairly fresh aroma and powder in the dry down. Fine to wear anytime outside of the heart of summer.

Light and Simple

10. Free O2 for Her– Free O2 is another very nice Avon fragrance, that I’ve come across recently. It is a clean, fresh, and airy fragrance led by peach tea and honeysuckle.

As the name suggests, it is like a breath of fresh air. Though, it dose have a cool and semi-aquatic sort of aroma for much of the wear. The peach tea feels iced and watery, with a wonderful musk note coming from the base. The airiness seems to be supplied by the honeysuckle itself. That note isn’t too prevalent to my nose.

Subtle and sweet. Free O2 is an outstanding option for when you want to be more low key.

A New Haiku

Haiku Reflection by Avon– The original Haiku has more of a dewy feeling, while this is closer to a pure aquatic. A touch of saltiness, but never fully oceanic. But, the opening with the light pear and the radiant water accord really set the tone here.

Light and a very fresh start. The middle is an acacia, freesia, and some other floral notes in the water and a somewhat greenish aroma. Again, the original is about that more so. This is like a blue-green blend.

The dry down has a woodier essence than the opening aquatic vibe. Reflection is a ‘clean’ or step out of the shower sort of perfume. Not going to be for everyone, but a great value play for under $20.

Eclipse

Imari Eclipse by Avon– A second entry from the Imari line. The opening goes strong with the pear and bergamot notes. Bergamot seems to have the upper hand for a time, before it flips.

But, it’s not just a sweet and fruity perfume, in its totality. You’re also greeted by a pink pepper spice, tuberose, orange blossom, and the ever-present patchouli note. It’s a nice mix of different styles, just blended well.

The fruitiness, floral notes, woods, and spice. The latter stages will be about sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, and the floral accord (mainly that tuberose, hanging around). The performance is good and I like the way that Imari Eclipse presents something a little different, but nothing too far ‘out there’.

Ombre Leather by Tom Ford

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I received in the mail a sample card from Tom Ford with a pull down tab of the new unisex scent, Ombre Leather, inside. I sniffed the card and really enjoyed the fragrance that I was smelling.

So, I headed to the mall to get me some actual sprays onto my skin for a review. Then, tried it once more a few days later. (note: I’ve updated this page since the initial post)

With that in mind, I have gathered my thoughts on this 2018 release, and type them up in this post. As usual, I will cover: what’s inside, what it smells like, when it should be worn, and whether or not I think it is worth a purchase.

What does Ombre Leather Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, moss, jasmine, amber, patchouli and cardamom

Click here to try: Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.

Okay, so, before I dive into my own review of Ombre Leather let’s see how Tom Ford describes it:

Vast. Untethered. Driven. Freedom comes from within, the desert heart of the west wrapped in leather. It moves forward, Untethered, through the still air of wide-open space. Dust on wind, skin on skin, Ombre Leathers reveals itself like a landscape in layers, where stretches of rock transform into sunrise blonde low on the horizon. 

My Full Review

Upon first smell, Ombre Leather naturally brought to mind Tom Ford’s, Tuscan Leather (without raspberry, but there does seem to be a bit of sweetness there). However, I actually feel like this 2018 Ombre Leather, smells more like Godolphin by Parfums de Marly at the start.

It took me a while to remember which Parfums de Marly, was reminding me of the Tom Ford, and had to look up the notes when I got home. Yep, they share the amber, leather, moss, and jasmine notes.

While I like Godolphin, I think that the leather note in this one is utterly fantastic.

It is a very dark sort of fragrance but not some overwhelming monstrosity with heavy spices. Ombre Leather is definitely unisex, dry, and warm; like how they describe the desert in the paragraph above.

The leather aroma smells like a high end jacket fresh off the rack, intense, and you can almost feel its presence in the room. It’s all super supple and smooth.

It does have spice early on. Cardamom and saffron really come through. The cardamom is there after that initial spray, but is the quickest of the notes to begin to fade.

The amber here is honestly not that intense, it kind of lurks in the background, but never really jumped out at me during the wear. Not that it isn’t totally present throughout. It does provide nice support, however.

What I do get during the dry down, is that familiar jasmine aroma, which lightens and adds a floral sweetness to the composition and allows Ombre Leather to become more unisex.

Geeeeezz, the leather and jasmine combo is really great. It’s pretty much what makes this scent for me.

This one is very well blended and can be somewhat difficult to distinguish the notes beyond just the leather at some points. There is a very nice dried outdoorsy spice in this one. Quite earthy moss, vetiver, and patchouli, which isn’t very heavy but does add some depth of character to Ombre Leather.

It does seem to be more vetiver at times, but I’ve seen both it and moss listed as notes…so who knows, how much is there of each. It’s difficult to discern.

Overall, it’s a clean and warm sort of scent, but it does have that rough/dirty side to it. The Western theme of the marketing campaign, actually does seem to fit, unlike so many other ridiculous fragrance adverts over the years.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this one starts out strong. You won’t need more than a few sprays, because it veers into beast mode, at the beginning. It does dry down into something that is much more moderate, but by no means light. Just know, that it can be intense.

The longevity is actually very good, but there are two stages to it. The first is when it is noticeable, which is 6-8 hours of wear.

The second, as a skin scent, which will go on for about 3 more hours. Honestly, in most situations the longevity will be a-ok, for most anybody. It’s just not a 12+ hour ride of crazy loudness.

On clothes, Ombre Leather will go for days on end. Not massive projection that far into it, but you can pick up on it when you’re wearing the item of clothing.

Seasonally, autumn and winter. I don’t think it’d be truly awful in warmer weather, but it is simply great in the cold.

Does it have sex appeal? I think it does, but not everyone likes the smell of rich leather, so it’s not going to be universally beloved like a lot of the most popular fragrances.

Ombre Leather seems to perfectly straddle the line with the elements of masculinity but can still be oh so good on a woman. Wear this one with a leather jacket, or semi-formally, or with formal wear at night.

Overall Impressions of Ombre Leather

Overall, do I like Ombre Leather? Yep. Tom Ford did good with this one. I wasn’t too enthused with Noir Anthracite last year, but man, am I starting to love Ombre.

The leather is some of the best I have ever smelled in a fragrance and I enjoy the overlap it has with a scent like Goldolphin.

If you don’t like leather, then this is obviously not for you. Though, I think that this fragrance should be give a try, if you dig the leather note at all…because the one here, rocks. It takes a different tact than many other leather scents, but still remains familiar and has a nice amount of depth.

Update: Coming back to this in 2022, this might be my favorite leather scent. It’s really great and long lasting. I’ve also compared it to Ombre Leather Parfum, but I still prefer this.

The initial warmth and spice, the jasmine note, that earthy rugged desert vibe lurking underneath. The amber note…Ombre Leather is great. One of Tom Ford’s best.