There are a lot of popular men’s colognes, which get mentioned, again and again. The same usual suspects, which is nice to know, but sometimes you want something different. You want to find an underrated scent that gets overlooked, that hidden gem, or something you’ve possibly never heard of. That’s where this page will come in. In this post, I will post some of my favorite and best smelling underrated perfumes for guys. I am going to be updating this list, as I think of more options, because I do have to scour through 1000+ colognes to jog my memory. 

What are the Best Underrated Hidden Gem Fragrances for Men?

Valentino Uomo Acqua By Valentino for Men – 4.2 Oz Edt Spray, 4.2 Oz– This has been one of my favorite fragrances, that I’ve come across in the past year. Now, the Uomo line by Valentino is fairly well known, but this one still seems to be flying under the radar. 

To me, it distinguishes itself from the rest of the Uomo scents, while delivering a pretty unique experience on its own. The citrus opening act is amazing, and when paired with the tomato leaf, this cologne brings things to another level of enjoyment for me. 

I know some people like Noir Absolu, as the best flanker by Valentino, but I think that this one just smells better. It’s a delightful wear in the spring/summer months. Uomo Acqua Review

FENDI Fan Di Fendi Acqua Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce– The whole Fan di Fendi lineup seems to have gone relatively unnoticed and I would say underrated. Fan di Fendi Acqua isn’t the best scent on the market, by any means, but it is a really nice aquatic scent. I used this quite a bit over the summer, as a casual wear.

What sets it apart from most other aquatic colognes, is its use of leather and pink pepper. It does have bergamot and citrus notes, as you’d expect, but it is paired with cedar and leather up top. The citrus is tempered and sits within the oceanic notes, along side of the peppers. This has been marked down, so much in price, that it’s practically a steal (either this or the other Fan di Fendi cologne). Fan di Fendi Acqua Review

BAD by Diesel | Eau de Toilette Spray 125 mL / 4.2 fl oz– Bad by Diesel has seemed to get a lot of hate online, I’m not really sure why, because it’s actually a nice fragrance. I will say that, it is a cologne for younger guys, think of it as something like Invictus. 

Nonetheless, this scent grew on me, the more that I tested it out. When smelling up close, it doesn’t smell distinct, but as it projects itself out…it became captivating. The performance is also really good. Now, I wouldn’t pay a lot to have this, but as it hits the discount retailers it should be a nice buy for guys in their early 20s. Bad by Diesel Review

Yves Saint Laurent L’homme Intense for Men Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce– People will have at least heard of the original YSL L’Homme, but I haven’t really come across anyone wearing this version, out there. Maybe it’s more popular than I realize, but I don’t think that L’Homme Intense, gets its due.

This is a floral based men’s fragrance, which right away, is going to scare some guys off. Plus, the performance is just okay, which is disappointing. However, the smell is great. It’s a beautiful spring and summer scent, full of orange blossom and amber. 

It’s sort of a dark floral. You get a citrus opening, with a spicy pepper note, fresh cedar, in an absolute sea of amber. I guess that’s why I dig wearing this, as I love amber and orange blossom. I’d say, due to the longevity issue, don’t pay full price. If you can get a discounted bottle, it’s a definite yes, in my mind. L’Homme Intense Review

MONTBLANC Legend Night Eau De Parfum, 3.3 Fl Oz– Legend Night from Mont Blanc, has become one of my personal favorites, over the past couple of years. I don’t wear it all of the time, but I did grab a full bottle for around $40 so it should have a place for years to come.

It is a sweet fragrance, with lots of freshness. In fact, it has some overlap with Versace Eros. Some folks, don’t like the sweetness, or have longevity issues. For me, I completely dig the vanilla, cardamom, mint, apple, and the other ingredients that make this one such a fun wear. Plus, it lasts a long time on my skin.

It is smooth, fresh, calming, and delicious. It’s a great modern take on a nightlife scent. I’m not even much of a fan of the original Legend, but this one is completely different, and a scent I love. Legend Night Review

PARFUMS DE MARLY Oajan, 4.2 Fl Oz– There are a lot of great Parfums de Marly scents for men. It is an expensive niche designer line of fragrances and has plenty of fairly hidden gems. I’m going to select Oajan, as one that doesn’t get its proper respect, but is a really damn good wear. 

It opens up with cinnamon, benzoin, and tonka bean. It’s like a blend of Kouros Body (another underrated scent) and 1 Million Prive. It is sweet, warm, and slightly spicy and then, the honey note kicks in.  It is creamy and sweet with apple cinnamon vibes. 

The longevity here is amazing and it has the power to back it up. This is an expensive option, but a great wear in the colder climates. Oajan Full Review

Opium By Yves Saint Laurent For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounces– Opium is a fragrance which dates back to the 1990s. As such, it gets lost in the shuffle. Add to the fact, it has an exotic and ethereal quality to its aroma, and you’re not going to get a huge mass market audience for it.

Opium was one of the first colognes, that I ever purchased, and really helped to spur my interest in this topic. It opens with a blast of black currant, spice, and a balsamic aroma. It is warm, thick, and smoky. Star anise and pepper, provide its spice, which is later sweetened up by a nice vanilla note. 

I’m not sure what the latest formulations are like, but you can grab a bottle for cheap, relative to other YSL fragrances. But my bottles, of this stuff, projected very well and would go for over 10 hours. This isn’t for everyone, it’s best in colder weather, but it is a unique and great cologne. Opium Pour Homme Review

Straight To Heaven Extreme by Kilian/1.6 oz.– Yes, the original is one of the most popular Kilian scents. However, let’s kick things up, with Straight to Heaven Extreme which is even better than its predecessor. Like, a few other By Kilian fragrances, Straight to Heaven Extreme utilizes rum.

However, this one doesn’t go into full sweetness mode, and is much boozier overall. There is still some sweetness, with dried fruits and some vanilla, but it has a much earthier base with a nice patchouli note. It lives up to the extreme title, as the projection and longevity, are awesome.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.