Fragrances

6 Best Smelling Nautica Colognes

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Nautica has created plenty of men’s fragrances which are quite good and also fit into the theme of the oceanic/aquatic lifestyle. What is great about the company is that it offers men some great colognes at a very inexpensive price point.

Now, the quality in terms of uniqueness or ingredients isn’t as high as some of the higher level designers but if you find one of these options that you like, they can have plenty of use as an everyday wear. Also see: Nautica Voyage vs Nautica Blue Cologne Comparison

What are the Best Nautica Fragrances for Men?

Best Overall Nautica Cologne

Nautica Voyage By Nautica For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 oz
It made the list of best value colognes for under $30 because of it’s fantastic scent and performance. It’s an green fragrance with aquatic elements, as goes with the whole Nautica theme, and is probably best served for use in the spring or summertime as a casual everyday scent.

Voyage features notes of mimosa, apple, oak moss, musk, lotus, amber, and cedar. This cologne is less oceanic than the other scents that come out from Nautica and Voyage starts out with that crisp apple note, a floral mimosa, and the ubiquitous musk.

It’s a rather cold or chilled start, with an aroma that reminds one of dew or cucumber. Then, as it settles down dry oak moss and cedar start to come through with the apple top note, and add a masculine outdoorsy aspect to the composition.

You get a scent that is quite green, fresh, woodsy, with a pinch of salt underneath. Voyage is the best selling and most popular scent from Nautica. I still don’t think that they’ve managed to top this one, in all the years after its initial release.  My Full Review

Best New Release

Nautica Midnight Voyage– Ever since the original Voyage came out, the brand has put out a ton of flanker fragrances which share the name. However, most of them have either been mediocre in terms of smell or performance.

Enter Midnight Voyage. Right off the bat, I can tell you that it’s another one, that presents itself sort of like Dior Sauvage. Almost every brand has their own version of a cologne laden with amber or ambroxan, to capitalize off its success.

Midnight Voyage doesn’t smell all that much like Sauvage, but it is in the same neighborhood. It definitely has elements of the original Voyage’s DNA, but also the mint note of Voyage Heritage (which wasn’t a great scent, it could’ve been).

Midnight uses mint, amber, and pink peppercorn to give it a fresh and somewhat spicy profile. However, you do get that summertime and nautical vibe, from other notes that are unlisted. Maybe some light citrus? Smooth and it actually has decent performance.

Top Woodsy/Floral

Nautica White Sail for Men by Nautica 3.4oz 100ml EDT Spray
White Sail takes a turn away from the aquatic fragrances and towards a more earthy/woodsy scent. It is light an smooth with notes such as amber, teak wood, lavender, vetiver, and pink pepper.

The lavender and pink pepper seem to be the most prominent notes that stand out, with some additional floral notes, to round things out. It can actually be kind of tough to distinguish between these ingredients, but overall it does have a refreshing and somewhat spicy scent.

Longevity could definitely use some work, but the aroma itself is nice. White Sail has been discontinued for a while, but you can still come across bottles online, even if it is getting tougher. This does have a different vibe, from the rest of the Nautica offerings, though, still deserves a spot on the list.

white sail

Sporty Aquatic Soapy

Nautica Blue Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 fluid ounce
Smooth and light with fruity notes such as pineapple and peach which highlight this fragrance but it is held together by its woody heart. Sandalwood is pretty prominent and smooth here, as are a few different floral notes, plus musk.

The pineapple and peach can be sharp at the start, but with the dry down it is more of a sporty aquatic and the fruit notes are much more tempered than they had been previously. The musk here is light and the whole composition is sunny and relaxed.

It isn’t a jump out at you type of cologne where you will be amazed by its unique scent. However, it is very solid, smells good, and can be had at a great price.

I personally feel, that the quality has taken a big hit since the 1990s, but it can be a worthwhile cheapie to pick up for some. It’s gotten more detergent-like and less pleasing. Though, I’d definitely go with one of the others before this. Read my review here

nblue

Top Classic Clean and Oceanic Fragrance

Nautica Classic for Men by Nautica 3.4 oz 100ml EDT Spray
A blend of spice, woods, and citrus notes which gives off a summery feel. It has a body wash/soap kind of vibe to it. It’s clean and masculine, though it can have performance issues.

Nautica is a soft men’s cologne with oceanic elements but the sandalwood and cedar give it an outdoorsy base to start from. The citrus notes are bright and clean, but understated, which makes this a nice freshening spray on those days when the temperature starts to rise.

There used to be more of a spice to Nautica cologne, in the older bottles of this scent, but doesn’t seem to have that same little kick it once did. Nautica classic does however, deliver the type of aroma you would expect from the themes of this brand.

nautica

Most Underrated Scent and Top Summer Pick

Nautica Island Voyage By Nautica For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz.
A great and inexpensive summer cologne option, if you can find a bottle. Gives the same kind of Carribean feel as something from the Tommy Bahama line of scents.

Island Voyage is fresh and pleasant all around with melon and citrus top notes. This might be the most underrated or unknown of the Nautica colognes, but it should’ve been more popular.

It’s got a chilled juiciness at the start and later a pepper note emerges to give the scent a somewhat spicier disposition.

Island Voyage is more aquatic than the original Voyage and the lemon and melon combo give it a better opening, in my mind. There is also the usual lavender and a nice touch of iris during the dry down. This is another summertime wear for the daytime and really does a nice job of separating itself from the ever popular Voyage.

island voyage

Polo Blue Gold Blend by Ralph Lauren

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Polo Blue Gold Blend isn’t one that’s really been on my radar, since I’ve never been a massive fan of Ralph Lauren’s Blue line. I like all the fragrances, but nothing that has totally ever drawn me in. But, since Macy’s had full bottles of this on sale for $50, I decided to grab one and give it a review for the site. How does it smell? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Polo Blue Gold Blend Smell Like?

Notes include: melon, ginger, vetiver, sage, incense, citrus, apple, amber, and more

Click here to try: Polo Blue Gold Blend EDP

My Full Review

Polo Blue Gold Blend opens up with a mix that leans fruitier than towards its herbal spiciness. Early on, it’s melon, apple, and what seems like a lime within the citrus mix. Very fresh and has a nice crisp bite.

The main spice in the starting stage, is from the ginger. There’s briefly a pepper note, with sage playing the backup role, until when it will take over both of these notes later on. 

You can tell that this is very much a Polo Blue flanker, closer to the EDP version, but sort of a midway point between that and EDT.

After that initial phase, the melon and apple notes move the citrus out of the way. The spices begin their shift, incense emerges, along with the ambroxan starting to really waft up from the base. 

The impression that it gives off, as it dries down is being much less fruity and more of a fresh cologne. The melon and apple are solid, but don’t have that same punch as the opening citrus.

Sage and incense with lavender and ambroxan is essentially what I get for most of the dry down period. Clean with that warm amber smell and bits of spice and dry woodsy notes peaking through.

gold blend review

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s pretty good. Not overly loud but not a skin scent either. On the longevity end, it might be a little bit better than the original but really, not by much. It’s definitely in the realm of average, in that regard.

Gold Blend also falls into the same longevity range as the other Polo Blue’s. I get in the 5-7 hour range, with it seemingly falling closer to the five or six area, thus far.

Seasonally, I’d wear this in the spring and summer months. It’s actually got the ability to venture into the nightlife during those months, so that’s a nice advantage to have.

It’s fine for daily wear, casual, sporty, etc. Not really anything formal, but could fit in, for most occasions. It’s also versatile enough to be worn by men of all ages. Really a jack of all trades, when it gets warm outside.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Polo Blue Gold Blend

Overall, do I like Gold Blend? I do. However, it’s about to the same extent as others in this series. Actually, I’d rank the EDP and Deep Blue above this version. Not way ahead, but I think they’re both somewhat better.

I like the opening act with the lime, melon, and apple notes. It’s nice and juicy with a spicy kick to it, while being similar to the other Polo Blue colognes.

At that point, it’s got itself some nice power and a clean and fresh aroma that is quite attractive. 

Once it dries down, it’s a pretty boring scent. I mean, still enjoyable, just a standard blue ambroxan based cologne. At times, if feels like a not as good, AdG Profumo that’s mixed with Polo Blue and added the amber in the base (perhaps, some Bleu de Chanel?).

Not bad company to be in, but just not anything better than either, particularly the Armani scent. The incense is a great touch, in Gold Blend, one of the highlights for me.

Update: I really started to dislike this one the more that I wore it. It’s pretty mediocre beyond some interesting points. So, I’ve downgraded it somewhat in the score. Not that it matters too much, as it’s not around anymore.

The performance is pretty standard. Not great, but won’t completely crap out on you, in a few hours. For the spring and summer months, it’s a perfectly fine wear, that isn’t going to offend and can be an easy one to spray on.

Is it worth it? For the fifty bucks that I paid, sure. If it’s going closer to that hundred mark, I wouldn’t be so thrilled about it. I should probably get some use out of this bottle, personally. Polo Blue Gold Blend is a nice and adequate fragrance, just nothing amazing.

Eternity Aqua for Men by Calvin Klein

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For our next entry in our series of review of Calvin Klein colognes for men, we are going to be taking a closer look at Eternity Aqua which was introduced by the designer in 2010. Yes, it’s a much more recent and up to date version of the highly popular Eternity, though, the two are quite different fragrances even if they share the same name.

How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it even worth a try? Continue below for my full review.

What does Eternity Aqua for Men Smell Like?

eternity aqua

Notes include: green leaves, white cedar, citrus, guaiac wood, water lotus, patchouli, Szechuan pepper, mirabelle, lavender, sandalwood, musk, chilled cucumber

On Amazon: Calvin Klein ETERNITY for Men AQUA Eau de Toilette, 3.4 fl. oz.

My Full Wear Review

For many of the aquatic fragrances, I am of the thought that I will only wear them in certain circumstances, and that none of them have ever become an everyday wear for me. That isn’t to say that I don’t like aquatics, I do, I just find these scents are more of a specialty item for my own personal style than anything else.

That being said, I think Eternity Aqua is a really good, but not great option in this category of scent.

(Update: Here in 2022, I am higher on this cologne than before, as the price has come way down, and it’s entered bargain territory. Now, it’s well worth a shot for the price).

The construction of its notes aren’t really aquatic at all, in the sense of having sea note (like Bvlgari Aqva). It’s almost something else posing as an aquatic fragrance.

Eternity Aqua is really crisp in clean in its presentation and when the cucumber note emerges, I find it to be rather soothing as well. While it does mimic aquatic colognes in some respects, I feel that it is more of a sporty scent full of fresh green aromas than anything marine based.

Coming back to this fragrance, years after this original review, it now smells a whole lot like Polo Blue EDT to my nose. I didn’t make the connection before, but the opening 15-20 minutes, are really close.

The cucumber and marine aspects are what give it that similarity to the Polo cologne, but it is separated by a plum note and citrus ingredients. The plum comes in more later on, but it is there at the top.

After about 30 minutes or so, I get less of the cucumber, and more citrus/plum with a Sichuan pepper kick. At this point, it is much like a lot of other marine based fragrances, with a citrus spiciness leading the way.

Then, it kind moves towards being like the original Eternity. They don’t completely overlap but with the lavender, sandalwood, and soapy quality during the dry down, you can tell that Aqua shares that DNA with a CK classic.

It’s got more citrus than the original and has more of that cool watery vibe. But with musky, sandalwood, and lavender giving it some familiarity.

Sillage, Longevity, and When to Wear

This fragrance is a light option, so unless you drown yourself in it, it shouldn’t offend and have people running away from you. Eternity Aqua isn’t a weak fragrance, just one that is fresh and not overly heavy.

I haven’t found it to be particularly long-lasting, but it isn’t a complete let down either, it’s somewhat moderate in that regard around 5-7 hours. I wish it were more of a beast, but for what I paid, it’s good enough.

Aqua is best left to the summer months, when the warm temperatures, can cause many other scents to wilt in the exposure. It does blend some citrus and floral notes which gives it an interesting opening before it settles down into a light, clean, and almost powdery like aroma.

I wouldn’t mind wearing this at all during the daytime in the summer months, as it presents itself perfectly well, and the scent while it is nothing too unique is attractive and pleasant.

People seem to like the way this smells and it is one that will gather complements. It’s not really sexy but has such a great freshness, that it becomes attractive. It is a casual scent and one that is safe for office or school wear.

Overall Impressions of Eternity Aqua

All in all, if you need an affordable option for the warmer months, Eternity Aqua by Calvin Klein is a solid performer that will get the job done. It smells really good, isn’t overpowering, has decent longevity, and can be had at a good price.

It isn’t unique, but not everything needs to be. This one is a cheaper alternative to Polo Blue and in many ways, is actually a better fragrance. Is it groundbreaking? Nope, but now that you can grab it at $30 or less, it’s a steal.

I like the mix of crisp cucumber, spice, and the plum note in the early stages of the wear. To me, that’s the best part of the wear. After that it’s pretty basic and there isn’t too much development.

The performance is just okay, not going to blow the doors off or anything. I was tending to over-spray Eternity Aqua on me, when I was using it over the summer. That’s the way I could get some level of longevity with it.

I don’t  think that this Calvin Klein cologne will be anybody’s signature. Just something to add to the lineup that won’t break the bank, but has a nice scent.

Dior Sauvage vs Invictus Cologne Comparison

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In today’s cologne comparison, I’m going to do a head to head matchup between two more extremely popular fragrances for men, Dior Sauvage and Invictus. Which of these scents smells better? Which has better performance? Which one is the more versatile cologne? Please continue below for my full take on these two fragrances.

Which is Better? Sauvage EDT vs. Invictus

Tale of the Tape

Sauvage

Notes of Sauvage: bergamot, ambroxan, lavender, pepper, wood notes

Click here to try: Christian Dior Sauvage for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

My Original Sauvage Review

Invictus

Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine

Read my review

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Opening

The opening of Sauvage gives off an aroma of amber, pepper, and the sharp bergamot note. There is a bit of spice to it but I do get a lot of the ambroxan. It’s nice and dries down to a clean/soapy scent with some slightly spice wood notes and the ever present bergamot.

Invictus has a candy-like opening of grapefruit/orange while retaining an aquatic appeal. It’s youthful and summery. Invictus also ramps it up with a bay leaf spice and amber.

It’s like the candy sweetness of one of the 1 Million fragrances with its oceanic element giving it a different direction. It does change somewhat, as it moves along, but you get most of what the fragrance is up front.

In this case, I enjoy the bergamot/amber combo than the artificial candy scent that Invictus puts out. I’ve actually grown to enjoy Invictus more than I used to, but I still think that the opening of Sauvage is better…and I’m not even a huge Sauvage EDT fan.

It was almost enough to tip the scales in favor of Invictus, but not quite.

Edge: Sauvage

Projection

Both Sauvage and Invictus are strong from the start. Invictus dips somewhat after a few hours of wear, while Sauvage mostly keeps chugging along.

These scents lean towards the stronger side of things, but I think Sauvage is slightly ahead. That being said, I think that the sweetness of Invictus can be much more noticeable/annoying, when over-sprayed.

I think Sauvage will leave a greater scent trail behind you, as well. It’s a more consistent sillage.

Edge: Sauvage

Longevity

Sauvage gives me 6-8 hours of wear, usually towards the higher end of that range. Meanwhile, Invictus gives 6-7 hours most of the time, and can occasionally surprise with an extra hour. Sauvage is more consistent in this regard.

Both are pretty good, but not elite with the longevity. Most of the time, they will be about even, but Sauvage has an extra gear that Invictus lacks.

For some people, Sauvage can go even longer than what it seems to do for me.

Edge: Sauvage

Versatility

I think both of these colognes has good versatility in terms of when you can wear it. They can both be casual scents and then also be worn for a night out or for romantic wear.

Both are mostly spring/summer scents and while you could technically wear both in the colder months of the year, they aren’t really in their element.

I might give the edge to Sauvage, as it can have a more mature vibe, but it really isn’t enough to separate them. As I don’t feel, that either is a formal type of scent.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I like both of these scent, but I’m not personally crazy about either one. Other folks, seem to have a much higher opinion of both, than I do. However, if I had to choose one to wear, I’d pick Sauvage. It’s just better, in my opinion.

If you really like the way Invictus smells, that’s cool. However, I can’t place it all that highly even in the Paco Rabanne family of scents anymore. I’d rather wear, Invictus Intense over the original and either 1 Million cologne over both of them.

To me, Sauvage smells better than either Invictus option. tThough, I’d wear 1 Million Prive ahead of any of them.

Sauvage is a bright and upbeat cologne that has amber-y citrus freshness, that dries down into a clean and soapy blend with woody undertones. It’s nice and works well.

As of right now, if you enjoy both of these colognes, you might select Invictus, since you can usually find bottles for much cheaper than you can for Sauvage. If it’s just based of smell and performance, go with Sauvage. There are plenty of other cologne alternatives to Dior Sauvage too.

Both have become insanely popular over the years, so, you won’t really stand out with either choice.

Winner: Sauvage

Nautica Voyage vs Cool Water by Davidoff

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For this edition of the cologne match ups, we have two sent that dominate sales, in the inexpensive part of the market: Nautica Voyage vs. Cool Water by Davidoff. Which of these popular men’s fragrances smells the best? Has better longevity? Sillage? Versatility?

Tale of the Tape: Voyage vs. Cool Water

Nautica Voyage

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, lotus, amber, mimosa, and oak moss

Click here to try: Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 oz

Read my original review: Nautica Voyage Review

Cool Water

Notes include: lavender, mint, tobacco, amber, musk, jasmine, sandalwood, neroli, coriander, rosemary, and more

Click here to try: Davidoff Cool Water Edt Spray for Men, 6.7 oz

Read my Review: Cool Water

Opening

Nautica Voyage has a watery opening that is crisp and has a chilled feeling. It starts out with apple, mimosa, and musk. It is green, a bit musky, with a floral kick. It’s not my favorite part of the wear, but does a decent job at introducing this cologne.

I enjoy the juicy fruit and the colder aspects of it, much more than the mimosa floral. It’s not my favorite flora, but it works fairly well in Voyage.

Cool Water is an aquatic scented fragrance from the start and these marine notes are initially joined by mint and tobacco. It is sharp and has a green quality as well, from the uncured tobacco, before white floral notes join those at the top. It then becomes somewhat soapy.

By the name, you would expect much more of an aquatic sort of cologne, but it really only sways that way in the beginning. And even the, it is tempered.

Which is better? I prefer Cool Water, even though, I’m not crazy about it. I like the mint, tobacco, and aquatic notes…not so much the soapy scent. However, Voyage doesn’t start out great, in my opinion. It’s the mimosa and musk combo is a bit much.

The opening act really isn’t the strong suit of either fragrance.

Edge: Cool Water

Projection

Nowadays, I think that these two colognes are pretty similar in terms of sillage. They both hit that moderate chord, pretty well. If we’re talking vintage Cool Water, it’d have the advantage. None exists now.

Either way, neither of these are going to be complete bombs. However, you will notice that you have them on throughout the day, as they aren’t completely weak.

They aren’t going to leave huge scent trails behind you or just leap up off of the skin either. But, they’re nice for what they are.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Again, reformulation hinders the newer bottles of Cool Water somewhat. It used to be good for over 8 hours, but now seems to go 6-7, on my skin. Voyage will do 5-7. No real advantage in terms of how long it can go, but maybe Cool Water has better consistency.

Voyage is very consistent in that 5-7 hour range. I’ve never gotten any more from it. Really depends on the day, but it is good for at least those 5.

The performance is at least good enough from both, to keep them in the value play category of scents. I’ll give this category to the Davidoff.

Edge: Cool Water (slightly)

Versatility

Voyage has solid versatility. It can go casual and even some work environments. Mostly a spring/summer wear, but you could technically wear it year round.

The same is true for Cool Water, its probably a more mature fragrance, and better for the office or daily wear. Neither is particularly a ‘sexy’ scent, nor a club wear. Cool Water has more of a sense of refinement, versus the more casual Nautica.

Edge: Cool Water (slightly)

Overall Scent

I’m not a huge fan of either or these colognes, I like both, but they’re not something that I wear all of the time. I like the dry down period of Voyage a lot, that’s much better than how it opens. Much smoother, with some oak moss and lotus added.

Cool Water has a nice opening with the mint. I’m not all that into the soapy smell, but when its woody notes hit, I get back into the fragrance.

Which of these two is better? I’d lean Cool Water, I think it has more depth, and has a better smell throughout the wear. Neither is perfect, but both are really good cheapies.

For younger guys, I’d probably go with Voyage. If you’re older, Cool Water would probably fit better. It’s not that much better, but the Davidoff wins here. Vintage bottles, would have more of an edge, but you have to go out of your way to find those around.

Winner: Cool Water