The One Gold for Men by D&G

The One series from D&G continues on and on into the future. Not that it’s a bad thing, since I actually enjoy these colognes. In 2021, the brand came out with The One Gold for Men, whose bottle looks a lot like the women’s version…which can lead to confusion. Anyway, how does this one smell? Does it perform well? Is it even worth a try?

What does The One Gold for Men Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, blood orange, red ginger, geranium, clary sage, cardamom, patchouli, vetiver, amberwood

Click here to try: The One Gold for Men

My Full Review

Here’s how Dolce & Gabbana describes it: The One For Men Gold celebrates a man who has a natural but unmistakable magnetism. A true gentleman, he exudes confidence with his innate elegance and unique style. The One For Men Gold is the olfactory embodiment of this masculine charisma – a sophisticated Eau de Parfum Intense that is as powerfully alluring as the man who wears it.

The One Gold opens up with it citrus and aromatic spiciness coming in strong. Blood orange and a bright bergamot really makes this one pop. But, the red ginger and cardamom are full present at the start as well.

A couple things to note here. First, this is different scent than the other The One fragrances. Yes, some overlap with notes. However, here we’re going very much in a citrus direction.

Secondly, there is plenty of overlap with Legend Red by Montblanc. Blood orange, clary sage, and cardamom are shared notes. That one utilizes grapefruit instead of bergamot and is also smoother/woodier versus the spiciness here.

Nonetheless, I have samples of both, so I’ve experienced the connection over the past few days.

Once that ginger note fades, the clary sage will overtake that and the cardamom note. The juicy citrus takes a step back and this one becomes more fresh aromatic.

At this stage, the sort of minty aroma of the geranium will also peak up and The One Gold will have a woodsy earthiness about it. Like the patchouli and vetiver are there, but they never really make much of an impression.

The final dry down is a sweet and slightly citrus amberwood. Yes, that synthetic smelling amber aroma, with the sage, cardamom, and geranium. It’s not too exciting. Smells fine, mix of sweet wood and fresh notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is actually really good for the first hour. It will absolutely tail you around and has the ability to project in the 6-8 foot range. Perhaps, a bit more.

For instance I sprayed it on my wrist and went for a walk outside. The fragrance was extremely noticeable and the most enjoyable that I’ve experienced while testing it out.

The longevity seems to be in the 6-7 hour range, on my skin. Not amazing, but it certainly equal to or better than many of the colognes in this line.

Seasonally, best in the spring and summertime. I really liked wearing this outside on a warm summer day. It wasn’t too hot outside and The One Gold was great in that environment. I’d say outside of winter, this would be fine.

It’s not much of a formal cologne. Daytime into nighttime casual. Certainly has an attractiveness, but not sexy like other The One fragrances. Easy to wear, but certainly not something I’d necessarily want to spray on to go to an office environment.

Overall Impressions of The One Gold

Overall, do I like The One Gold? I like the opening citrus and red ginger. Plus, the next phase. So, call it the first 45 minutes or thereabouts. After that, I don’t hate it, but it’s certainly nothing that I must own.

On the whole, it’s fine. Certainly doesn’t smell even as good as The One EDP Intense or the original EDT. Gold is really just an across the board ‘fine’ fragrance. It doesn’t do anything extremely well or really terribly either.

It is at least different from the other offerings in this line. It’s the least like the other The One colognes in the series. That may or may not be a good thing for you. Personally, I just enjoy the way the others smell more.

The performance is actually pretty good and this can actually project well with a good amount of sprays. So, if you like it, I’d expect you’ll be able to find some cheaper bottles soon and get a great deal out of The One Gold.

I’m not buying a full bottle. It’s good enough to try out, but it’s not really even a cologne that you need to seek and give it a go.

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.