Mont Blanc Legend vs. Emblem

For this head to head match up, I want to take a look at two different offerings from the Mont Blanc lineup. First, is the ever popular Legend versus it challenger, Emblem. Which of these colognes smells the best? Which has better performance? Which is the better buy overall for most men? I will break down each in a variety of categories before declaring an ultimate winner.

Tale of the Tape

Mont Blanc Legend

Notes include: Bergamot, Pineapple Leaf, Sandalwood, Apple, rose, oak moss, lemon verbena, geranium, lavender,  And Tonka Bean

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Legend Eau de Toilette 3.3 fl.oz.

Read my review: Mont Blanc Legend

Emblem

Notes include: cinnamon, violet, tonka bean, sage, cardamom, grapefruit, wood, pepper, ambroxan

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Emblem Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 fl. oz.

Read my review: Mont Blanc Emblem

Opening

Emblem opens up with a grapefruit note that is joined by spicier notes of pepper and cardamom. There is also a violet lead note, and it is interesting, how Emblem has a cool spice considering these notes.

A few minutes in, the cinnamon brings some warmth to it, and it eventually moves away from the citrus top and into something that is more herbal.

Legend has a fruity opening of apple, bergamot, and pineapple. It has a very citrus beginning, but it features a dry scent, with creamy tonka bean and lavender coming through. Along with, the underlying woodsy notes.

The pineapple and apple notes are a nice contrast versus the inherent woodsy style of the fragrance, sitting underneath.

Which is better? I don’t love either of these, but I think that I prefer how Legend opens up. It’s fresh and clean. Emblem is nice, has an interesting composition, but the cardamom and cinnamon just isn’t as good.

Edge: Legend

Projection

Legend is a fairly moderate sillage, but never ventures into beast territory. Emblem is light to moderate. It starts out about the same level as Legend, but moves much more into a lighter and airy cologne.

I would’ve thought something with cinnamon and cardamom, would’ve brought the power…but apparently not.

Legend isn’t even a heavy fragrance, but it pretty much blows Emblem right off the map, in comparison.

Edge: Legend

Longevity

I have gotten about 5-6 hours of wear, out of both of these scent. Neither one, really has an amazing staying power, and are fairly average.

That seems to be an issue with a lot of the Mont Blanc lineup. Some like Legend Night, can go longer. Between these two, no discernable difference.

Maybe older formulations of Legend had better longevity, but this is what I have consistently gotten with the latest batches over the past few years.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Legend is the type of scent that you can wear year round and for seemingly any occasion. It is a simple and no-brainer kind of cologne. Emblem is more suited for the colder weather and is a business casual to formal sort of smell. Legend is the more versatile.

Legend has served as a single go to cologne for many guys, over the years. It’s versatility is among its absolutely greatest strengths.

Edge: Legend

Overall Scent

Mont Blanc Emblem actually has a pretty interesting wear. It starts off spicy, then moves into something that is creamier, and sweeter than it had started. It’s a low key scent that smells quite pleasant, but doesn’t have much power or longevity.

Between the two, I think that the original Legend is better than Emblem. It is a blend of citrus, lavender, and sandalwood for the most part. However, it is a very nice smelling fragrance, that is a solid starter cologne for guys.

Emblem is a decent wear, but feels like it could’ve been much better than it ended up being. It might not be a bad buy, if you can get a big discount.

It’s one that you can just spray on, anytime, without having to think about it. It’s also got more versatility, sillage, and about equal performance to Emblem.

I’m not a that enthralled with either of these scents, but this is a fairly easy win for the popular Mont Blanc scent. If you want other options that smell like Legend, I wrote a post on that.

Winner: Legend

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.