By Designer

7 Best David Beckham Colognes for Men

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David Beckham was one of the most popular athletes on the planet for many years. One of his side ventures is creating fragrances along with his wife Victoria, for both men and women. The men’s line offers some very inexpensive choice for guys on a budget and it contains some quite attractive colognes for often under $20. For this list, I have selected seven of what I feel to be the best scents of the lineup.

What are the Best Smelling David Beckham Colognes?

Most Popular Beckham Fragrance

David Beckham Instinct Cologne Spray for Men, 2.5 Fluid Ounce
A light and great blend of citrus and spice notes. Develops into a warm fragrance that is quite appealing for the price. Notes include bergamot, orange, amber, patchouli, pimento.

The opening is definitely a celebration of the citrus notes (bergamot and orange) which are accompanied by some great and somewhat spicy ‘earthy’ aromas. Instinct is a shower fresh sort of fragrance from the start and a while into the wear, amber and vetiver, which gives it a dry feeling.

This is warm woods, citrus, with spicy elements. Very nice and actually fairly unique versus so many other colognes in this price range. Full Review of Instinct

instinct

Smooth Option for Winter

Intimately Beckham By Beckham For Men, Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5-Ounce Bottle
A bit sweet, smooth, with a hint of spice and a woodsy heart. It’s almost unisex in its presentation and its longevity can be an issue, though, its still a very nice scent.

Intimately Beckham features notes of sandalwood, amber, star anise, and bergamot among others. To me, feels best to be worn in the autumn or winter months.

It has a soft, somewhat powdery warmth, and fresh spice from the star anise and nutmeg notes. While a ‘cheapie’, this Beckham cologne can work well in a variety of situations, including dressed up for an evening. The sandalwood adds a layer of clean smoothness. Review

intimately-beckham-men-edt-50ml-30003492-0-1321522359000

Best Summer Scent by Beckham

The Essence– The Essence is a very clean and great use of grapefruit and pineapple notes, up top. Also, for the price, this is one of the Beckham fragrances which give me very solid performance while I was testing it out.

Essence is best worn in the spring/summer months, and features: lavender, tonka bean, and some greenish violet leaf. Not too complex of a fragrance, but one that smells good, and is easy to wear. The dry down is less of the citrus and starts to stray more towards an earthy woods scent.

I could get about six hour of wear from The Essence on my skin. I found this one to be quite enjoyable, and one that, you could thrown on any day. The Essence Review

Best Aquatic/Sport Fragrance

Beckham Signature By Beckham For Men Edt Spray 2.5 Oz
Another citrus blend, this one doesn’t have the same spiciness as instinct and has more of a casual/playful vibe to it. Signature is the Beckham line’s, sporty aquatic fragrance. Notes include: watermelon, amber, juniper berry, moss, and cypress.

It starts off with a light and juicy watermelon note that is paired with the familiar oceanic saltiness found in fragrances within the genre. It’s smooth and soapy fresh with some underlying woody notes.

A very light scent overall, sort of reminds me of one of the Ferrari colognes, with the watermelon note. Not going to be a powerhouse, but one you can spray on to freshen up and hang out with in casual situations.

signature

Top Spicy Cologne for Him

David Beckham Homme Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 2.5 Ounce
A fresh scent that has a spicy and woody profile with notes like ginger and sichuan pepper leading the way. Underlying that are citrus notes, like grapefruit, which brightens up the composition and is joined by a clean musk and patchouli accord.

David Beckham Homme is a wonderful smelling fragrance with the highlight in my mind being the wood notes and the whiffs of leather that come about during the wear. This one is more on the masculine end and is refreshing while having a moderate sillage. A very nice scent for the price point.

dbhomme

Under the Radar Fresh

David Beckham Inspired By Respect By David Beckham for Men – 3 Oz Edt Spray, 3 Oz– It seems like the newer releases are becoming pretty sparse and they can be difficult to find. Inspired by Respect flew under the radar for me, since its release a few years back.

The price for bottles seems a little high, but I wanted to put it on the list, because it is one of Beckham’s nicer colognes.

Inspired opens up with a clean citrus blend that has a nice dose of lavender. Pretty familiar, but the pineapple note helps to set it apart. The juiciness gives it a water/semi-aquatic profile.

The dry down is woody and a bit of light spice, with the fruit notes still lingering. Not super complex, but worth a shot, if you can get an inexpensive bottle.

Top Newer Release

Refined Woods by David Beckham– After a while of not putting out much, Beckham fragrances have introduced a line of four eau de parfums to the mix. So, while Refined Woods is the one that I’ve experienced, I haven’t gotten to the others…nonetheless, Refined Woods is a very nice cologne.

Basically, these are available in the UK and most of Europe. I want to try Amber Breeze, as that one sounds like it might be a good pick up, also.

The copy describes this colognes like this: “This warm and sensual scent is a celebration of travel and discovery, where the journey is the reward.”

Anyway, refined woods gives you a clean and fresh blend of powdery/creamy notes (tonka bean and orris root) with the usual lavender and a woody base. Up top the fresh spice will be a sage and light cardamom, so things have some energy early on.

The dry down will be woodier, slightly sweeter, a nice use of the vetiver and cedar.

Not a powerful fragrance, nothing super ‘unique’, but honestly…it smells very good for the price which is still quite affordable.

Le Male Terrible by Jean Paul Gaultier

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Today, we have review of another Jean Paul Gautier flanker fragrance: Le Male Terrible. This take on the 1990s classic cologne, Le Male, was released in 2010. I have tested it out and will present, how it smells, what are the notes, how it performs, when it can be worn, and if it is actually worth a buy.

What does Le Male Terrible Smell Like?

Notes include: vanilla, grapefruit, amber, lavender, pink pepper, vetiver

Click here to try: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Terrible Eau De Toilette Extreme Spray, 2.5 Ounce

My Full Review

So, the opening of Le Male Terrible is very similar to the original Le Male. Immediately, you get the vanilla and lavender notes, and it conjures up thoughts of the first release in this series. However, the mint note is noticeably missing and instead you get a mix of grapefruit and pink pepper, in Terrible.

The pink pepper and grapefruit provide a warm and bright aroma in contrast to the cold/fresh/spicy element that the mint note would provide (I actually think that there is an unlisted bit of mint in here, just not as much).

It seems more subdued and smoother than the original. It also lacks cardamom and cinnamon, which makes it even less spicy. It does have a bit of a fresh kick from the pink pepper and later vetiver, but it’s not a particularly spicy scent.

As it dries down, the vetiver comes out some more and adds a certain dry freshness to the composition of this Gaultier (best colognes). Mostly, though, I get amber, lavender, pink pepper, and the vanilla note for the rest of the way.

The amber is the base and the rest of the notes play within its confines. The strongest notes for the dry down are going to be the lavender and vanilla.

This one leans much more toward vanilla than lavender, which is a reversal of the original Le Male.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Le Male Terrible, isn’t too heavy. The sillage is more moderate, probably not as strong as the original, and definitely not as intense as Ultra Male. Overall, it will be noticed, but won’t overpower.

It can seem much lighter than it actually is, as I will catch whiffs of it randomly throughout the day, which I cannot say the same for with a lot of actually ‘weak’ colognes.

 

I’d put the longevity to about 6-7 hours, on my skin. It’s pretty much in line with the current bottles of the original. Not bad, but not elite in the slightest.

Seasonally, yes, it fits in with the cold weather predecessor of the Le Male lineup. However, it also has an ability to fit in during most of the rest of the year. Perhaps, Terrible wouldn’t be the best choice for the hottest and most humid days of summer, but it’s fine any other time.

It’s a versatile fragrance, that can be worn casually, at school/work, or for a night out. It’s not overwhelming, so it’s a safe bet pretty much anywhere you’d like to wear Le Male Terrible to.

Overall Impressions of Le Male Terrible

Overall, do I like Le Male Terrible? Yes, it’s a nice fragrance, that I’d put on par or close to it with the original Le Male. It’s not as good as Ultra Male, but it’s a really solid choice.

I do believe it has been discontinued, but you can still pick up bottles online. It is a fresh and straightforward take on the familiar original cologne, it performs well enough, and has good versatility.

The best scent on the market? No, but a nice option for everyday wear. It doesn’t do anything spectacularly well, but it is an enjoyable cologne to wear.

Update: Coming back to this one, Terrible really was one of the better releases from the Le Male series thus far. That’s not too surprising since it took so many cues from the original, but changed enough to give it a personality of its own. 

It’s possibly top 5 in the series. I’d include Airlines in that mix, Le Parfum, and I have yet to get a hold of Elixir (but it’s getting great reviews thus far. If not fifth, then, at worst a few places back. 

As of this update, it’s still around. But, it is getting scarce more than a decade after its release. Still don’t consider it a must have, so, I wouldn’t reach too high on the price.

Le Male Le Parfum by JPG

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Le Male Le Parfum is an entry from the long-running Jean Paul Gaultier series, that was released back in 2020. It’s already one that I’ve tried a few times before, enjoyed, but didn’t write a full review for. I recently saw a mini bottle available for purchase and made it apart of my order, so I could further test it. How does Le Parfum smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a purchase?

What does Le Male Le Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, iris, vanilla, lavender, woods, spices

Click here to try: Le Male Le Parfum

My Full Review

Here’s how Gaultier describes it: Dressed in a black and gold officer’s jacket, this intense eau de parfum is taking leadership of the Le Male range with great style and strength. An elegant woody amber trail capturing the charisma and power of a leader. Attention sailors! The captain has arrived and we’re about to set sail.

Le Parfum opens up with a warm blend of its spicy notes and floral ingredients. The cardamom is the strongest up top. The same note found in Le Male Airlines, but Le Parfum isn’t as intense with it, nor is the overall scent as sweet.

That cardamom spice is joined by some vague spiced accord. I’m not sure what this actually consists of, but I’m pretty sure there is cinnamon in the mix.

The Le Male lavender, is of course in play here. That and the vanilla are two holdovers from the original Le Male formula. But, lavender gets a bit overshadowed early by the iris.

Iris with the emergent vanilla, gives this a powdery undertone that is most present on my skin through about the middle act.

The main difference between this and Le Male is the original had a fresher/crisper profile. This one actually is warmer (not heavy or enveloping) and the amber wood note really helps to smooth things out.

As we shift into the middle, the other spices aside from cardamom fade, and the iris will be less prominent.

What you get more of is the vanilla, lavender, and amber notes? Cardamom and lavender of course will hang around until close to the end. However, the dry down becomes more and more about vanilla and amber and a light generic woody aroma.

It’s kind of sweet, sort of spicy, with a good amount of vanilla.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Le Parfum definitely doesn’t have the same power as Ultra Male and is somewhere close to the original Le Male, in terms of its reach. It’s a bit above the average cologne with its sillage.

This isn’t a heavy cologne or one that’s going to project across the room and leave a scent trail. That opening 30 minutes can come close to that, with enough sprays, but this is straight moderate the rest of the way.

The longevity is better. 8 hours for sure, with the potential to hit 9. That’s seems to be its maximum during all the times that I’ve worn the scent. Better than most from the Le Male series, just not elite.

Seasonally, I’d mostly go autumn and winter with Le Parfum. It doesn’t have to stay there entirely and can indeed venture into the spring.

It’s not so heavy that’ll be melted in mild to moderately warm temperatures. Le Parfum just isn’t built for those hot and high humidity days.

This does have a refinement and simplicity about it, which sort of extends the age range versus many others in this series. It can been worn by teenagers or much older guys. No real problem there, as Gaultier’s copy says about it, Le Parfum is the ‘captain’ of this line.

I don’t think this one is restricted at all to the nightlife. Ultra Male pretty much is. But, Le Parfum is low key enough to be worn to work or casually during the day. While also, having the appeal for date nights or just hanging out around town.

Overall Impressions of Le Male Le Parfum

Overall, do I like Le Parfum? Yes. Personally, I still like Ultra Male more. That one is more difficult to wear often and can be too much, at times. So, Le Parfum is probably going to be a better fit for most guys.

gaultier le male

You definitely still get plenty of the Le Male DNA, but this is more refined. It doesn’t have the same level of fresh spiciness (no mint, less cinnamon) which makes it a smoother experience.

I do like that opening act a lot. The cardamom, other spices, and iris give this fragrance plenty of dynamism and Le Parfum has a great balance. The dry down goes more in the vanilla direction and is still plenty attractive.

I’ve seen this also compared to Armani Code EDP. I can sort of get the relation. However, this one is better. The vanilla and tonka in that one, aren’t super enjoyable.

The performance is good. Not a massive beast mode cologne, but it is one that’ll stick around for a good while.

Le Male Le Parfum is well worth trying out and might even become a signature or simply a favorite of many guys out there. I’m not totally in love with it, though, it is a very good fragrance.

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

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There are so many options when it comes to buying men’s colognes that there are some fragrances which get overlooked. Others, such as, Acqua Di Gio are perennial best-sellers and it seems worn almost universally.

Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier is in the latter category, it is a consistent best-selling cologne since 1995, and widely recognized as one which smells fantastic.

In this post, I want to share my thoughts and experiences with this Jean Paul Gaultier scent and find out if it is really worth all the hype? Note: I have updated this review, some 7+ years after the original post, to expand upon and revisit this cologne.

What does Le Male by JPG Smell Like?

Notes include:  orange blossom, mint, lavender, woods, vanilla, tonka bean, cinnamon, and more

Click here to try: Le Male EDT by JPG

My Full Review

The opening of Le Male is noticeably geared towards the vanilla note. I for one, really enjoy vanilla based fragrances, such as this and Opium by YSL because it adds a certain smoothness to the presentation.

While Opium goes for a smoky and exotic kind of spice, Le Male is more of a fresh and woodsy type of scent.

Beyond the vanilla note, the spiced mint and cinnamon kick in pretty strong from the beginning, along with the lavender. It can be an intense sort of opening, but it settles down fairly quickly to get to the best parts of the fragrance.

What’s interesting is the slight bergamot note in the top, which adds a citrus touch to a freshly spiced start.

As it dries down, the cinnamon starts to drop off for me, and I get more warmth and woods in the undertones. Amber and tonka bean with woods sitting at the base. On top, is still the vanilla, mint, and lavender combination with a toned down spice.

It is creamier with a bit of a powdered element. It all comes together as very sweet with a green minty spice, sort of synthetic smelling, but that is mostly at the opening stages.

What I’m ultimately left with, is a vanilla and lavender fragrance, with the remnants of a powerful mint.

le male jpg review

This is then wrapped in a warm amber/tonka mix on top of wood. Revisiting Le Male, nowadays, I really do get a  lot of similarities between it and Luna Rossa Sport. At least, in the main notes.

I think that this is such a popular cologne because of the fresh and clean aroma that it gives off. It is a fairly safe scent, which can be worn just about anywhere and it isn’t overpowering either.

Le Male is good at what it does, which is provide a nice scent, versatility, good projection and longevity, and still manages to be quite sexy and alluring to the opposite sex.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

While we’re on the subject of projection and longevity, this is a pretty good fragrance in terms of both. Longevity wise, I usually get 6+ hours of use out of it, which while not spectacular, is usually enough for most daily purposes.

The projection of would rate as moderate, but it is certainly not weak in my opinion either. It is definitely noticeable during the wear to both you and those around you. Also, Le Male does strike me as a bit synthetic smelling overall, but again, I do enjoy this fragrance.

This stuff used to have better performance beyond the 6 hours, but like all older scents, reformulations can happen and alter what we get out of our fragrances. It’s still very good, but doesn’t have that same power that it initially did.

Update: I have a new bottle here in 2023 and it’s still right in that 6 hour range. It hasn’t suffered any further performance declines.

I would say Le Male is a great choice for a wintertime fragrance or even during the cooler days of Fall. That’s when this cologne performs at its best. It is a basic and fairly inexpensive scent for guys to try out and maybe develop into a daily wear.

It’s also something that will mainly be for teens and men in their early 20s. It can be pretty synthetic and simple, not something that’s going to appeal to someone older with an office job.

It’s not something that will make you stand out as unique, and maybe that’s a good thing for some guys. However, it won’t have most people around you hating you for wearing it either, and a ton of people will simply find it appealing…and that’s sometimes all we need from a scent.

It’s been such a popular fragrance for so long, that it doesn’t have the same unique vibe, it may have once had. But, you’re still going to get something that is nice and attractive to wear.

Overall Impressions of Le Male

Overall, do I still like Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier? Yes, I do. I no longer think that it’s the best JPG fragrance, as that title now belongs to Ultra Male. It’s still high ranking on the JPG cologne list.

Bottles of Ultra Male have been discontinued (update: they continued production), but you can buy them online, and the sillage and longevity are fantastic.

gaultier le male

The original Le Male is still an awesome fragrance to wear and always super popular. For me, it is a nice scent to revisit from time to time, because it does bring back plenty of positive memories.

I really enjoy the vanilla/tonka/amber blend that comes through towards the middle of the wear.

For younger guys, this is an easy one to use as an all-around fragrance. For older guys, I’d go with something else. It’s not the best option for someone looking for a more serious kind of cologne. Closer to a playful or casual wear.

The only real downside, is the performance is just decent, but not amazing. However, this JPG scent is usually pretty affordable, which make the performance less of an issue.

A*Men Ultra Zest by Thierry Mugler

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In this review, I am going to take a closer look at another Thierry Mugler men’s fragrance, this one from the Angel Men lineup: A*Men Ultra Zest. How does this cologne smell? What are its notes? WHen should it be worn? Is it even worth giving a try?

What does A* Men Ultra Zest Smell Like?

Notes include: tangerine, red orange, cinnamon, tonka bean, patchouli, vanilla, coffee, ginger, mint, black pepper

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler A Men Ultra Zest Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Ultra Zest Review

Ultra Zest opens up with a great juicy citrus blend of the orange and tangerine notes. I can also detect a very light patchouli note and coffee in the background.

When I first read the notes and saw that it contained both citrus and coffee, I figured that it might be close to Polo Red Extreme, but that’s not the case as the coffee isn’t heavy enough and the citrus is much more intense here.

After a few minutes, the orange is still very strong but I start to detect the emergence of vanilla, mint, and tonka bean. It is a cool and creamy sensation, which I think works very well with the orange and tangerine.

Honestly, if you can’t stand those two notes, you’re more than likely not going to enjoy Ultra Zest but I am totally digging a pure men’s scent with those two juicy notes.

Further along in the wear, Ultra Zest becomes a warmer fragrance. It does still have a bit of a minty cool air about it, but the patchouli, cinnamon, and coffee really start to properly surround the orange and tangerine. It’s a smooth and light spice, not overbearing at all.

What it dries down to is citrus, patchouli, coffee, and the tonka bean/vanilla combination. There is still a very light spice, but again, it’s nothing too powerful. It all blends together extremely well and is definitely a balanced fragrance.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say that Zest has moderate sillage. It will be noticeable throughout the wear and can project itself well for the first few hours, before pulling back closer to the skin. I wish it stayed powerful throughout, because I really enjoy this scent.

The longevity is pretty good though, I can get 7 hours out of the wear. Not the best of the best, but it’s decent enough for most purposes.

Seasonally, it’s another one that is good for year round. Unlike many of the other Mugler colognes, this one can venture into summertime and thrive there.

Meanwhile, it is also good in the cold. The citrus, mint, and ginger let it go into summer while the rest of the notes beef it up a bit for winter wear.

It is a versatile fragrance, not too powerful to not be able to wear it at work or school, but also attractive enough to wear it during the nightlife. It’s sweet and creamy disposition seems enjoyable for women, and it is for sure something that I loved to smell on me during the day.

Overall Impressions of Ultra Zest

Overall, do I like A*Men Ultra Zest? Yes, I like this a lot. I know that it has been discontinued, but that’s a shame, because it is a very good cologne. Yes, I wish it had slightly better performance, because that would take it into greatness territory.

You can of course, still find bottles online, and if you love orange but want to take them into another direction from most men’s fragrances, Ultra Zest is what you should be looking for.

Update: You can get a fragrance from the Dua Brand, that is inspired by this, called simply, Zest. I had a hybrid version of this blended with their version of Pure Havane.

The tangerine and orange notes here are awesome. They have the right juiciness and refreshing quality that the name calls for. Beyond that the supporting notes like: vanilla, tonka bean, coffee, and patchouli help to give this one even more substance and depth that is really pleasant.

Ultra Zest flew a little too under the radar the be continued beyond its limited run. It really is a nice cologne and checks all of the marks of an fantastic citrus-based scent.