By Designer

11 Best Tom Ford Colognes for Men

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With over a decade as a solo brand in the fragrance business, Tom Ford has really established a reputation of quality and refined scents for the stylish gentleman. The brand can go from releasing scents with mass appeal, to the very niche, and plenty of unisex options. The Private Blend line is also another aspect here.

Sure, they’re not all hits, but the brand really helped to bring about some different styles from the norm in the men’s and unisex fragrance game. Other brands have followed suit and we now have more niche lines than ever to choose from.

For this list, I have selected what I consider to be the 11 best smelling colognes for men by Tom Ford, after extensively testing over the years. I have included many unisex scents, but here is the women’s list if you’d like to see some other options.

 

Favorite Tom Ford Fragrances for Men

Amazing Vetiver

Tom Ford Grey Vetiver Eau De Parfume Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce– Grey Vetiver is of course one for those who love the main note, but also, it can be a stylish addition to any man’s fragrance collection.

It is of course a woodsy sort of scent, with greenish and fresh highlights, with underlying citrus ingredients and a smoky quality to boot.

The grapefruit note adds a bright cleanliness to the already awesome vetiver note and creates a modern twist on this popular men’s ingredient. It opens up with that citrus note, along with orange blossom, and a touch of herbal spice.

The dry down really does, dry the scent of Grey Vetiver, with notes such as oak moss and fresh cedar. It all comes together as super clean and refined.

Grey Vetiver is most of all a mature woodsy scent, with that clean professional aroma. This is much more suited for the older gentleman.

grey

Another Highly Popular Fragrance

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Eau De Parfume Spray for Men, 1.7 Ounce–Tuscan Leather is one of the most popular scents that features a leather note, it is also a best seller in the Tom Ford lineup.

You not only get the main note, but also, a nice juicy raspberry, and an amazing saffron. Tuscan Leather has got a very similar smell to, Godolphin by Parfums de Marly, which is another awesome cologne.

The focus is on the leather, which is rich and smooth, and a near perfect use of the note. Tuscan moves into a warmer feeling scent with a depth and darkness. Amber gives the leather a nice partner later on, there’s a dash of smokiness, and the sweetness of raspberry.

The sillage starts off, quite powerfully, but ends up a moderate overall. The longevity on the newer bottles, seems to hit the 8 hour mark of longevity, for me. It used to be a few hours better, but still very good. Tuscan Leather Review

Classic Fresh Tom Ford Cologne

Tom Ford for Men by Tom Ford 100ml 3.4oz EDT Spray– The original Tom Ford for Men is really a great smelling and fresh fragrance. If features ginger, tobacco, amber, patchouli, and a citrus opening.

The lemon and ginger are the strongest up top, but you do get a blend of citrus, and some extra herbal spice from basil. Base notes are dry and woody, some sweet tobacco, and a moderate amber note.

Really quite refreshing and a well-blended daily wear for men. One of the best aspects of Tom Ford for Men, is that it can be worn when it is warmer outside. It doesn’t have the same level of performance, as others here.

Nonetheless, its smell alone even with moderate performance, is enough to propel it onto the list.

tomford

My Favorite TF Leather Fragrance

Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.— Ombre Leather was released in 2018, quickly gets compared to Tuscan Leather. Honestly, I like this one even better. They are a bit different. This is drier and warmer, with additional moss and amber.

The description by the marketing department at Tom Ford, describe this one, as taking a lot of cues from the arid landscape of the western United States.

The leather is rich and very smooth, it really reminds me of a supple leather jacket. Smooth, sweet, lightly floral, and with that subtle amber note hovering in the background. A good deal of jasmine here, also.

A moderate wear, with an overall clean aroma, but with an earthy dirtiness underneath. Patchouli and dry moss, only add to the rugged outdoorsy smell of the dry down.

Not a monster in terms of sillage, but I get 6-8 hours of wear from it. After that, Ombre is a skin scent.  Ombre Leather Review

Top Performer

Tom Ford Noir for Men Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 Ounce– The start of Noir by Tom Ford, isn’t my favorite. I really don’t much care for a huge dose of patchouli and pepper. But, sticking with this cologne, has its rewards.

As it dries down, the floral notes of iris and violet, make this one have a powdery quality. There is also a very nice sweetness from vanilla and bergamot citrus. Noir is of course a darker fragrance, but it’s more of a thick resinous quality.

It’s all about the iris and violet pairing, the underlying earthy notes, with just a bit of vanilla holding on until the end.

This one is a sillage and longevity beast. Seriously, limit the sprays or put it on an hour or so before you head out, it is quite monstrous at first.

Then, it settles into much more of a moderate. Over 12 hours of wear, is not unheard of with Noir, as it has a top notch performance. Noir Full Review

noir

Most Popular Tom Ford Scent

TOM FORD Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum 50 ML(1.7 OZ)– Tobacco Vanille opens up as a very sweet fragrance, but sitting on top of a somewhat spicy layer, headed up by what I think is cinnamon.

Tobacco Vanille’s aroma is a warm envelopment of the tobacco and the gourmand fruits and cacao. The cacao, reminds me of chocolate drink powder, and it pairs nicely with the sweet creaminess of the vanilla.

As it dries down, this one lightens up a bit on the sweetness, but has an overall darker and heavier scent. There is a resinous sap note here, which thickens up the whole experience. Which is why, this cologne is best worn when it’s cold out.

Tobacco Vanille is another beast performer by Tom Ford. It will last all day and doesn’t take much to have it be noticed. It can be too sweet for some folks, but that’s mostly at the beginning of the wear, before the greenish tobacco note really comes into its own.  Tobacco Vanille Review

Great Sophisticated Daily Wear

Tom Ford Extreme By Tom Ford For Men Edt Spray 1.7 Oz– A uniquely powerful fragrance for guys with an air of sophistication. This one definitely has the potential to become a signature scent for the right guy with notes of cedar wood, black truffles, lemon, and Italian fig.

Tom Ford Extreme very attractive and long lasting scent. It is at times smooth and other times spicy, but always a unique fragrance, while being utterly simple in its ingredients. Lots of patchouli before getting down to the cedar base, later in the wear.

tomfordex

Most Unique Tom Ford Scent

Tom Ford Private Blend Noir De Noir Eau De Parfum Spray Edp 3.4 Fl / 100 Ml– Noir de Noir opens up with a sweet rose note, that is paired with some earthier notes such as patchouli, with oud and dry moss sitting at the base.

With those notes, I shouldn’t like this. However, I really enjoy Noir de Noir, as it just has a uniquely awesome aroma.

This is a fragrance that can hit you in many different ways and completely be a joy to wear. The truffle note, is great, and holds the entire thing together during the dry down along with vanilla.

The oud sits at the heart, but doesn’t overwhelm the composition, and is so balanced it heightens the whole experience of wear.

It has a moderate sillage but can last for 9 hours or so, something to wear when dressed up. Quite unisex, maybe a slight lean feminine. By all expectations that I had, Noir de Noir shouldn’t be good, but it most certainly is and one of the best Tom Ford scents bar none. Noir de Noir Review

Summer Citrus Floral

Tom Ford Sole di Positano Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 oz– There are a lot of these sorts of scents from Tom Ford. Mandarino, the Acqua version of this, the Acqua version of Mandarino, etc.

Out of the bunch, this is my favorite and will be the better bet for most men versus Positano Acqua.

Sole di Positano opens up with a zesty citrus blend of lemon, mandarin orange, and bergamot. Underneath that, are shiso and neroli which give this an herbal spiciness.

The citrus stays dominant in the blend, but the floral notes of orange flower, jasmine, and neroli do give this a different aroma later on.

Very clean and fresh. Less soapy than some of the other perfumes of this type, but still has a nice greenish floral finish and a nice jasmine note.

6 or 7 hours of wear. A nice addition during the warmer days of the year. Sole di Positano Review

My Personal Go To

Noir Extreme by Tom Ford– I came back to Noir Extreme after not using it for years. My word, I fell in love with this fragrance once again. It is utterly great.

Sweet, warm, and spicy. Built around the aroma of kulfi dessert. This one features saffron, vanilla, amber, nutmeg, and much more. It’s deep and perfect for the colder months of the year. 

Very sexy and has a mass appealing scent. One that can easily fit in for the nightlife and is stylish enough to go other places. I do prefer the original in the black bottle.

But, the new Parfum version is also nice, and I bought a bottle of it to supplement my Noir Extreme stash. Really, I’ve been using both at the same time, giving each a few sprays and it works rather well. I still slightly prefer the original, but Parfum is also amazing. Noir Extreme review

Cypress Freshness

Costa Azzurra EDP by Tom Ford– The performance is moderate and this isn’t going to fit everyone’s style, but Costa Azzurra Eau de Parfum, is actually a great smelling fragrance.

That cypress note is going to be the lead throughout, including a bold start to the wear. It is joined by a smoky incense note and a fizzy effervescent citrus accord. 

The aroma is basically a coastal woods. There is a marine seaweed note here, but it doesn’t strike me as being a photorealistic version of the ingredient. More of a blue-ish impression of the sea itself.

Costa Azzurra becomes woodier in the dry down. Very dry with added oak, driftwood, and vetiver making their presence felt. A cologne like this isn’t usually my style, but this is a Tom Ford offering that I did enjoy. Costa Azzurra EDP Review

Guilty Eau Pour Homme by Gucci

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Guilty Eau is one of the older scents from the Guilty line, being released in 2015. Since then, the fragrances under this banner, have taken things in a different direction from the original. Guilty Eau Pour Homme, is one that definitely takes its cues from the older compositions.

I picked up a travel sprayer full of this cologne, since I’d never actually tested it for the site. How does it smell? Is it long lasting? Is Eau worth a try?

What does Guilty Eau Pour Homme Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, lemon, orris, snowberry, musk, orange blossom, patchouli

Click here to try: Gucci Guilty Eau Pour Homme 1.6 oz Eau de Toilette Spray

My Full Review

Guilty Eau opens up like a less spicy mix of Intense and the original Guilty EDT. Early on in the wear, I get a greater impression of Intense, which then moves more towards the original.

It the top two citrus notes, toned down with a blend of the signature orange blossom note and the slight powdery quality of orris root. It’s fresh, bright, and cold.

The interesting note here is snowberry, which is apparently in the honeysuckle family. The aroma is somewhat of a cool and minty variety. It and the orris root are what really separate it from its predecessors.

It’s bright and cold early on, but it will settle into a more powdery version of the original. A sweet white floral with touches of musk and patchouli. The lemon note will still be there with the orange blossom, orris, and the base notes.

One noticeable difference that I should mention, is the lack of lavender here. Usually, I would welcome that, all things considered. But, I enjoy the lavender in the EDT version. Here is wasn’t replaced well enough, even if I like the snowberry.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

In terms of how it projects, I get 3-5 feet from skin, at its peak. It’s a fairly moderate sillage, right in line with Guilty EDT. So, a few hours of moderate wear, before it is an airy and pretty much skin scent type of cologne.

On my skin, Guilty Eau will hang around for 5-6 hours before disappearing entirely. That might not be too bad, if you can get it at a discount. At full price, I would want a bit more from a Gucci scent than what this gives.

Seasonally, it can go year round like EDT, but the greatest use will be a wear for spring or early summer. The colder quality of the fragrance, really sits well in the warmer air and adds a crisp freshness that is distinct from the other Guilty’s.

Guilty Pour Homme is kind of an all-purpose fragrance, as it can be worn casually, is safe enough for work, and attractive enough for a date.

Honestly, if a guy just wants something simple and one that can pull complements, Gucci Guilty can do the job. Performance is ehhh, but the versatility is darn good.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Eau

Do I like this fragrance? I like it, but it isn’t something that I really want to wear. While it has elements of the Guilty EDT and Intense, I prefer both of those to this one. The distinctions in the scent, don’t really give me anything that I find all that intriguing.

Plus, you get about the same level of performance as the EDT. I don’t personally want a bottle of that one, nor this one. I like Black, Intense, Love 2020, Absolute, and even EDP more so from this Gucci line.

The snowberry is an interesting note, I would like it to be featured in some other colognes. I would’ve utilized that and the orris more, to really give this a distinct cold and powdery aroma to separate it from the others.

As it stands, it’s too similar to the EDT and not any better. It is one that if you happen to really enjoy the smell of, that you can pretty much wear it anytime. The versatility is great. If you’re a big fan of Guilty Pour Homme, give this a shot.

If not, I’d go with one of the others in the Guilty series.

Update: Coming back to this post in 2024, it seems the Guilty Eau has been discontinued. I’m not currently seeing too many bottles left for sale online. So, if you want it you should probably grab a bottle now. Again, I don’t think it’s probably worth paying up for, but if it’s pretty cheap, go for it.

YSL Comparison: Myslf vs L’Homme EDT

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Myslf and L’Homme EDT from YSL occupy a similar use case, as an easy to appreciate daily wear fragrance. L’Homme came outa few decades ago and so has established itself as a mainstay in the Saint Laurent universe. Myslf, is a more recent option, which has quickly become popular.

But, how do you decide between these colognes? Which of them is better? Lasts longer? Well, this is my page comparing and contrasting these fragrances, and break it down until we reach a decision.

Tale of the Tape: Myslf vs L’Homme by YSL

Myslf

Notes include: bergamot, orange blossom, woods, patchouli, ambrofix

Click here to try: Myslf by YSL

My Full Review: Myslf 


L’Homme

Notes include: Virginia Cedar, Ginger, Violet, Citron, White Pepper, Basil Flower, Ozone, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Click here to try: YSL L’Homme

My Full Review: L’Homme

Opening

L’Homme EDT opens up with a nice mix of citrus and spice. The bergamot and citron aren’t too sharp, as they’re really held in check by the other notes. I like the ginger and basil, here.

Again, the balance of the composition comes through, since the spice doesn’t overpower. The emergent tonka bean adds a creaminess and the violet brings a floral touch. There’s an herbal or greenish quality to the scent, but still enough of a kick to keep things interesting.

Meanwhile, Myslf opens with bergamot and orange blossom. It’s fresher than is L’Homme and it also has a slight creaminess to the aroma, thanks to the orange blossom note.

But, the very opening stage is definitely about the bergamot. That will flip a bit later, but for the start it’s a fresh citrusy cologne.

Which is better? I like each of them. Though, I would probably give an edge to L’Homme. There’s more complexity and thus more to appreciate versus the rather simple Myslf.

Edge: L’Homme

Projection

Both of these fragrances are fairly light. L’Homme is the more airy of the two. Not really going to have a monstrous projection and it will mostly sit quite close to the skin.

With Myslf, I think the first hour is actually pretty strong. Not heavy, but will create a scent trail in your wake. After that, it’s more of an intimate scent bubble. I’d say it sticks in that 1-3 foot range off of the skin, but it’s still noticeable.

L’Homme, by that point? Skin scent with very little substance.

Edge: Myslf

Longevity

YSL L’Homme has never been a performance beast. In fact, it’s gotten worse over the years, in my experience.

My latest bottle is from 2021 and now the fragrance only lasts for 2-3 hours. Whereas it used to be, 4-5, and sometimes longer. Really disappointing.

Myslf is much better than L’Homme EDT, but still nothing amazing. I got 6-7 hours of wear out of it during my testing. Still, even with that decent level of performance, it’s an easy win for the newer entry.

Edge: Myslf

Versatility

I don’t see really any difference here. They’re both best in moderate to warmer temperatures. Both of them can be worn in just about any environment or situation, without issue. These are fragrance that are designed to be extremely versatile and both do a great job at occupying that space.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two colognes do I prefer?

While L’Homme EDT, has long been one of my favorites from the YSL lineup, it’s quality has for sure degraded over the years. The bottle that I purchased in 2021, will be my last. I’ve basically relegated to a gym fragrance or just something to spray on occasionally.

Mostly, it sits on my shelf.

Myslf, isn’t an amazing fragrance. I really like the opening act from it, though. It was close to edging out L’Homme, in that respect.

The citrus and orange blossom duo is great. There is a light spice, woodiness, and earthiness in the dry down. I do think the first half of the wear is better than its second half, however.

But, if I’m comparing these two scents, I’d pick Myslf as the one that I’d buy. The newer L’Homme EDP had promise, but ultimately fell flat with its performance too. ‘d pick Myslf over that one, as well.

If we were talking the original batches of L’Homme, it’d probably get the edge. However, nowadays, I’d definitely pick up a bottle of Myslf, before the older fragrance release.

Winner: Myslf

6 Best Smelling Diesel Colognes

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Diesel is a youthful and striking brand known around the globe for its line of denim. In the world of fragrance, it has also carved out a niche for itself and in the men’s cologne category it carries a lot of weight in terms of popularity and the quality of its scents.

For this list, I have selected six colognes from Diesel’s lineup, which I feel are the best of the bunch. Note: I have updated the page with some newer entries. Others on the list, may be less available than they used to.

Favorite Diesel Colognes

The 90s Classic

DIESEL PLUS PLUS by Diesel EDT SPRAY 2.5 OZ Masculine– While it comes in a box shaped like a milk carton, Plus Plus by Diesel, won’t leave a man smelling like sour dairy. Its notes include sandalwood, bergamot, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, and tonka bean among others.

It is a fresh and spicy fragrance that gives off an air of creaminess that stimulates the senses. This is an older part of the Diesel lineup, but this does have a rather unique vibe to go along with that kind of bizarre milk carton box.

The fresh spiciness of cinnamon and nutmeg, is always a good pairing together. Not too intense, but tempered but a sweet orange and a great tonka bean note.  Maybe not for everyone, but this does take me back to the 1990s, which had its own style of fragrances.

A Spirited Wear

Spirit of the Brave– This one is interesting versus the rest of the newer releases from the brand. Even though, this one came out in 2020, they’ve slowed the pace of their new fragrances.

Anyway, it’s an interesting mix of citrus and apple sweetness, woods, and tonka bean creaminess, and more.

The fragrance starts out with a great mix of aromatic freshness and fruitiness. The bergamot and apple aren’t naturalistic, so, Spirit does have more of a candy-like sweetness to it early on.

But, we also get sage, cypress, amber. The dry down is woodier, with more of a vanilla sort of aroma and that amber note. It’s not overly heavy or cloying, just something that’s quite enjoyable, and even somewhat green at times thanks to that cypress note.

Best Nightlife Diesel

Bad EDT by Diesel– This one has some similarities to my nose, with Invictus Legend and 212 VIP. Bergamot and lavender give you a citrus and soft opening, but then you get some spices and woody notes.

Bad EDT is a youthful and bold fragrance, best suited for nightlife. I’m not too big of a fan of the opening act, but it gets better and transforms as it goes on. Tobacco, woods, amber, and some bergamot are the stars as this scent moves along.

What you really do get with Bad, is great performance. It gives you a 8-9 hour wear, which is perfect for the casual or nighttime situations, you’d be wearing it in. Bad EDT Review

diesel bad edt review

Best Overall Diesel Scent

Diesel Only The Brave By Diesel For Men Edt Spray 4.2 Oz– Only the Brave is one of the most popular scents from Diesel.

It is a great citrus/woodsy scent best served for younger guys and for wear during the fall and winter months. When used correctly it is a real crowd pleaser, especially with the ladies.

This has low key been a terrific option for guys, for a long time now. Not only do you get an attractive and versatile cologne, it is also usually available at a low price point.

This one give you a richness that can really draw your attention to the aroma, with a balanced sweetness provided by citrus and some light floral touches. Later in the wear, I pick up more of the amber and leather notes, which ends things very well.

Most Popular Diesel Cologne

Diesel Fuel for Life Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce– Smooth, rich, and energetic. Fuel for Life is a blend of fruit notes like raspberry and grapefruit along with lavender and woodsy notes.

A great scent choice as it is versatile enough to be worn whenever and is also just a great smelling cologne. The appeal with this one, I think, comes from the anise note.

I love that ingredient to give a cologne some spiciness. It pairs surprisingly well with the raspberry and citrus.

Fuel for Life has some close imitators, of its simple formula. Notably, Playboy London is a close imitator.

However, that one doesn’t have the performance, great anise or raspberry, and feels more alcohol based. Fuel for Life delivers an attractive, simple, and well rounded performance.

Under the Radar Scent

Diesel Only The Brave Tattoo Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 4.2 Ounce – A sensual and perhaps a bit darker take on the Only the Brave line of colognes.

Tattoo features Bourbon pepper, sage, apple, and tobacco notes to create a sexy and masculine scent that is sure to draw attention.

This was a flanker fragrance, spawned from the success of Only the Brave. I don’t think they make it any longer, but you can track down bottles online. It’s a darkly sweet scent, that has similarities to Black XS.

However, Only the Brave Tattoo doesn’t have the overwhelming lemon and patchouli mix, that the Paco Rabanne scent does.

3 Great Scents Like Prada L’Homme

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L’Homme is a very popular fragrance for Prada. It is a line of colognes, that I have had plenty of experience with and have enjoyed testing out over the years. Though, sometimes you may want something a bit different. A fragrance that smells like it for cheaper or another one with a closely related style.

On this page, I keep track of such options that I’ve come across. Whether it’s the original L’Homme, L’eau, Intense, or other flankers.

Colognes that smell alike or have a similar style to Prada L’Homme

His Royalty L’eau– This is an ‘inspired by’ option from Dua. But, the inspiration is based on L’Homme L’Eau and not the original L’Homme. I actually have a bottle of L’eau, as it and the Intense version were my favorites.

The difference is that L’eau is a lighter scent. It starts off with a bright neroli note standing in contrast to the iris powder and the light spice of the ginger. It’s fresh and feels more like a pure powder when compared with the original, as it does have additional powdery notes in the base.

Pretty simple stuff, some light woods with the iris and powder, and an amber finish. His Royalty is the alternative version of that. So, if you want a version of the designer style without the price, check this one out.

Dior Homme Eau– I’m going to include this one, even if it’s been discontinued for a while. Just on the off chance you come across a bottle.

Eau is very much like the old Dior Homme formula. But, without the cacao and leather notes. Which gives this its lighter presentation of the iris and woody notes, that lends it to favoring Prada L’Homme.

Now, it’s not going to be exactly the same as our target. However, as an alternative this can be a great one to get a hold of. The iris is magnificent, the grapefruit helps to keep it lighter and brighter, and the cedar holds down the base. Not to mention the use of coriander to give Eau an extra kick.

This may be preferable to a lot of people when compared to our Prada target. Again, you’ll just have to track down a bottle. Dior Homme Eau review

Bleu Noir Parfum–  Here’s another one that’s not the same as the Prada release, but does have a very closely related style to our target and to other scents in this space.

For me, Parfum was the better of the Bleu Noir fragrances. As far as its similarities go, I would say that is has more directly in common with Dior Homme Intense with some additional overlap with Profondo Lights.

Iris, muskiness, and the citrus note up top bring in the relevant notes to what we’re looking for. But, we get a darker and woodier aroma than with L’Homme. Cardamom and cypress are powerful here early.

Then, I really got a smoother dry down with this Narciso Rodriguez cologne during testing. Iris with suede and tonka bean, sitting on some light musky woods. That’s when it has the most in common with Prada L’Homme.

This is a good one to try out, when you are wanting something a bit different, but well within the same ballpark.