Best Vanilla Scented Colognes for Men

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Vanilla is a popular note used in fragrances for both men and women. Frankly, I love the way it can add a sweet smoothness when used correctly in scents. Vanilla can be a very seasonal type of note when it is predominately featured in a fragrance and I think you’ll find most of the colognes on this list would probably best serve you during the cooler months of the year.  I have included 8 selections on this list and of course there are more out there but I feel that these are the best of the bunch.

Vanilla Colognes: What are the Best Perfumes for Men?

Top Luxury Vanilla Fragrance

Creed Sublime Vanille Cologne for Men 8.4 oz Eau De Parfum– So, let’s start out with this hyper-expensive entry from Creed. Sublime Vanille has one of, if not, the best vanilla notes that I have ever smelled in a fragrance. It’s fantastic.

It’s sweet and creamy, mixed with tonka bean during the dry down period. Sublime Vanille opens with citrus notes, which gives it a nice orange creamsicle vibe.

The citrus note fades a bit as it moves on and there is an emergence of a soft musk note which adds depth to the composition. Sublime Vanille is more of a unisex scent and once it gets going, it’s pretty linear in its aroma throughout the rest of the wear.

This Creed is soft and airy, good for casual or dressed up styles. Again, this one is a high end scent, but the vanilla doesn’t get much better (if at all) than what’s in here. Here is my full wear review.

Best Overall Cologne with a Vanilla Led Blend

Giorgio Armani Code Absolu EDP Eau de Parfum For Men 3.7oz– Code Absolu has become my favorite issuance from this Armani line. The vanilla, comes along heavier later in the wear, and is joined by a host of smooth and spicy ingredients. 

Code Absolu opens up with nutmeg, rum, suede, and tonka bean. There is also a hint of citrus and crisp apple, in the background. The spice of the nutmeg is dominant for a few minutes, before the suede and tonka bean really take over.

The fresh spice here is great, nutmeg and rum, are surprisingly great together. The fruit notes, are also just strong enough, to prevent it being a completely dark fragrance.

This one is fresh, warm, with a nice sweetness from vanilla and tonka bean. The projection is strong, but not absurdly so, and the longevity consistently hits 10+ hours, on my skin. Code Absolu Full Review

Top Nightlife/Youthful Vanilla Blend

Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male Eau de Toilette Intense 40ml Spray– Originally, I had Le Male, on this list. However, that was before the release of Ultra Male by Jean Paul Gaultier. This flanker fragrance to the original, takes what was great about it, and does it even better.

A warm and spicy aroma highlighted by vanilla and pear notes, which gives it a sweet and candy-like edge. I have a full bottle of Ultra Male and it is a fragrance that I wore pretty much all winter in 2018.

The mint and cinnamon combination adds a very nice spice to the uber sweet arrangement. This JPG scent delivers very good sillage and I’ve always gotten around 9 hours of solid wear from it. This is a colder weather scent, that is sexy, and built for the nightlife. Ultra Male is great, upbeat, and a worthy successor to the original Le Male. Ultra Male Full Review

Best Vanilla and Tobacco Blend

TOM FORD Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum 50 ML(1.7 OZ)– A high performing giant in the world of fragrance. Tobacco Vanille is obviously highlighted by those two notes, but it’s excellent blend of sweetness and spiciness is what really sets it apart.

Expensive? Yes, but it delivers an experience that is all its own. This is masculine, refined, and a fragrance that really shines in the winter time.

This is another one, like Sublime Vanille, that features an absolutely divine vanilla note. It’s very realistic and smells utterly perfect to my nose. Add to the two main notes, you get a lovely cacao, fruits, and creamy tonka bean.

The scent is also quite dry and doesn’t have a ‘juicy’ fruit sensation. Overall, it is super sweet and spicy, while being a performance scent that will last and project for ages. Tobacco Vanille Review

Best Daily Wear Designer Vanilla

Pi By Givenchy For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounces– A sweet yet woody fragrance with vanilla and almond notes. It has a fresh and somewhat powdery dry down with the tonka bean note and a resinous benzoin.

Pi can be a great go to fragrance for a guy who wants something affordable that can be worn every day (outside of the hottest months). What I really like about this Givenchy cologne, is it’s subtle earthiness and herbal qualities that lie just underneath the vanilla sweetness.

Pi is a rich and very cozy scent to wear on the coldest days. It’s sensual powdered dry down and that great little almond addition, always seem to draw complements. It has been around for a few decades at this point and still has legions of fans, who swear by the power of Pi.

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Great Exotic Use of Vanilla

Opium By Yves Saint Laurent For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounces
A spicy and oriental type of fragrance which is soothed by the vanilla note that plays a supporting role to the anise and peppery elements. Solid performer and one of the first colognes I ever bought.

There are those warm sort of smoky elements that create an interesting take on the usual, sugary kind of vanilla colognes.

It’s profile overall, is that of the orient. Opium is mysterious and has a sort of ancient charm to the aroma, its resinous and spicy. The whole thing envelopes you skin and the vanilla note is in the heart of it all. I wish that I had more of my vintage bottle of this Yves Saint Laurent classic. My Opium Pour Homme Review

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The Easy to Wear, Crowd Pleaser

Hugo Boss Men’s Boss No. 6 Eau de Toilette Natural Spray, 3.3 fl. oz.

A moderate fragrance with woodsy notes that is great for casual wear. The apple, cinnamon, and vanilla give Boss No. 6 a sweet yet crisp aroma. This is a good one for those who want a vanilla based scent that is blended with other notes and can be worn as an everyday sort of cologne.

Boss No. 6 is a fairly inexpensive choice and has a gourmand sensability. Its sweetness is like that of baked goods: warm and tasty. The wood notes emerge led by sandalwood and mahogany to give this Hugo Boss scent, more masculine depth.

It all comes together as light, a bit powdery, and spicy cologne with that lovable vanilla note sitting in the thick of it. Boss No. 6 Review

Awesome Sweet Smelling Vanilla Perfume

Acqua Di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Mandorlo Di Sicilia Eau de Toilette Spray, 5 Ounce–  Almond and vanilla are paired to create a warm and lightly enveloping aroma, that has a sweet candy-like quality. Mandorlo di Sicilia is a unisex scent, but can be a great colder weather wear for men.

This one reminds me of these little root beer candies, that I ate sometimes, as a child. Orange, almond, and the vanilla come together to give it a sweet, somewhat nutty, fizziness.

Akin to carbonation. Mandorlo is fresh and dries down, mostly as vanilla, with a powdered sugar quality. The sillage is fairly light, but it can last for 6-7 hours, on my skin.  My Full Review is Here

5 Perfumes Similar to Ghost

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Ghost has fairly quietly become a very popular fragrance over the past two decades. I mean, people know about it, but it doesn’t really get talked about all that much. However, it definitely has its fans, and those looking for a similar essence or a cheaper substitute. Is there one? In this post, I want to present some options to consider which smell like Ghost perfume.

What Perfumes Similar to Ghost?

Woman in Gold by Kilian– Does this smell exactly like Ghost? No, but I feel that it is in the same family, so to speak. Woman in Gold has that warm vanilla with a spicy edge and some rose.

The difference? The rose is less prominent and the peach is non-existent. It is instead replaced by mandarin orange, which is quite light here. Also, no musk.

This By Kilian scent is however, quite charming and classy. Not an inexpensive option, but one you might enjoy greatly, if you like Ghost.

Because It’s You by Emporio Armani– Another one which can strike a similar tone as Ghost, just as a fruitier version. With Because It’s You, you will get a delicious raspberry note, in lieu of peach.

It goes lighter on the musk and rose, but has a nice creamy vanilla note, that is just what we’re looking for. Sweet with a fantastic freshness and a feminine slightly powdery finish.

Spirit of Shadow– If you can find a bottle of Spirit of Shadow, this will be the closest thing to a smelling of Ghost, perhaps. Rose, vanilla, peach, and musk are the main components. When combined, it’s going to be a very close match. Also, Milton Lloyd scents are usually very inexpensive. Just not the easiest to get a hold of nowadays.

Camaheu by Gabriella Chieffo– Lemon is the main note here, sitting above the familiar vanilla and rose notes. Yes, this is different, but it feels like a brighter interpretation of Ghost at times.

Camaheu doesn’t give off that complete summertime citrus scent. You still get some warmth and musk to go along with the ingredients, we are looking for with our target.

Ghost Deep Night- While this fragrance from Ghost, is a flanker and not the same, it shares so many of the notes of the original. It just happens to take things in another direction; more like an inverse of Ghost, but still very good. So, I wanted to include it on the list.

Deep Night has much less rose than the original, but amps up the fruitiness, woodiness, and retains the powdery aspects. It has a great blend and enough sweetness to make it attractive, but not ever sickly sweet.

While not an exact scent that smells like the original, I think it’ll be one that many reading will enjoy giving a try.

3 Best Smelling Paloma Picasso Perfumes

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Paloma Picasso is a designer that was fairly active in the 1980s through the 1990s. Since then, there hasn’t been any new releases, and there weren’t that many to begin with. However, despite the limited options, this brand still produced some well loved gems during its shorter run. Plus, you can still find bottles with plenty of availability. In this post, I want to present what I feel are the top 3 perfume options from Paloma Picasso. 

 

What are the Top Paloma Picasso Fragrances?

Best Overall Perfume

Tentations– The others on this list, were releases from the 1980s, while Tentations came about in during the mid-1990s. Nonetheless, it lived up to its predecessors and exceeded them, in my opinion.

For me, Tentations is the best smelling Paloma Picasso release, and I definitely prefer its scent to the other two. Nonetheless, it won’t be for everyone.

Tentations is a spicy and warm scent, with cinnamon and pepper, among other spiced ingredients. It has a layer of sweetness and a bit of a boozy kick, from the included vodka note. At times, it is smoky; then, it is sweet and spicy. Really unique and a very deep fragrance. Harder to find a bottle, nowadays, and may be priced really high.

 

Runner Up Fragrance

Mon Parfum– This is a honeyed sweet and dry wintertime fragrance, that smells quite a bit like its predecessor, found below. However, Mon Parfum does its own thing, including losing the civet note which can be quite polarizing. 

Lots of oakmoss here, along with ylang ylang, hyacinth, and angelica. It has a finish of the oak moss, sandalwood and other dry feeling ingredients. Mon Parfum is best used in the autumn and winter months, has a classic 1980s feel, and leaves you with a classy and elegant aroma.  

 

Most Popular

Paloma Picasso – The namesake fragrance is the best seller of the lot and shares a very similar scent to Knowing by Estee Lauder. So, if you’re familiar with that one, its about what you can expect This one is a bit warmer, has a deeper/darker feel to it, than the Estee Lauder perfume.

Nonetheless, it can lighten up somewhat, as it moves along. It gives you a carnation, coriander, and citrus opening act. Followed by a musky, and at times, rough middle act.

Later, it feels woodier, cleaner, and somewhat herbal. Very interesting scent, that can absolutely pack a punch. Mon Parfum and this are nearly the same, but different enough, to be distinct. If you want more musk and floral notes; this would be your go to. 

4 Best Victoria & David Beckham Perfumes for Women

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David Beckham’s ever popular line of men’s fragrances is still going strong. However, when he wanted to release a lineup for ladies, he teamed up with his wife, Victoria, to launch the perfumes. It was along the same premise as David’s men’s line, create good smelling scents, at a low price point. In this post, I’d like to explore the 4 best perfumes from the Victoria Beckham line of perfumes. Note: As of this current update in 2020, it is becoming harder to find these perfumes around. Some aren’t being made any longer, but there are still bottles floating around for relatively cheap.

 

What are the Best Victoria Beckham Fragrances for Her?

Beckham Signature By Beckham For Women Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5-Ounce / 75 Ml– This one feels a bit different from the rest of the bunch. That could be because it shakes things up with more unique notes such as orchid and anise. It gives a good performance and strikes an interesting balance between the fruit/floral sweet, spice, and soft powder. Victoria Beckham was a part of the ad campaign for this perfume.

It opens up with the orchid being fully in control and flanked by some sweeter notes, like vanilla. The anise and patchouli, will play a major role as it wears on, and provide a great spiciness 10-15 minutes after spraying it on. I think that Beckham Signature for Women has been discontinued, as of now, but it’s still a great option with bottle available online. 

 

BECKHAM INTIMATELY YOURS EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ FRGLDY– A floral/fruity blend with pear and bergamot giving support to lily, freesia, and frangipani. Slightly sweet with a vanilla vibe, this gives off a summery/tropical floral aroma that is quite smooth and pleasant to wear.

Intimately Yours has a bright warmth and woodsy undertones provided by vetiver and sandalwood. The frangipani is creamy and upbeat, especially when you get more of the sandalwood note. Intimately Yours is a highly enjoyable, mostly floral fragrance, that doesn’t get too bogged down in a garden-like aroma. Lighter sillage, but great smell. 

 

Beckham Signature Story by David Beckham, 2.50 Ounce– A very clean and feminine scent with a hearty helping of rose. Also, a citrus top provided by orange and peach, to go along with a warm/spicy musk note. Solid performance for casual/romantic wear.

Signature Story was a flanker fragrance to the original Beckham Signature. Though, the two really don’t have anything in common other than the name, and patchouli. Very musky floral, during the dry down, heavier on the peony and rose. Reminiscent of Lovely by SJP. 

 

Intimately Beckham By Beckham For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.0 Oz / 30 Ml– A good one for the floral lovers out there. An airy bouquet of notes including lily, vanilla, tuberose, and neroli. The musk is much less pronounced than in the option above. Intimately Beckham ends up being a moderate and fresh kind of fragrance. The tuberose really comes through later on, but the other notes play a nice enough support roll, that it isn’t overwhelming.

5 Best Smelling Thierry Mugler Colognes for Men

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Thierry Mugler has been a best selling designer in women’s fragrances for a long time with such hits as Alien and Angel. However, the design house’s men’s fragrance line also has some gems in its midst, that seem to go unappreciated sometimes. For this post, I want to take a look at some of these Thierry Mugler colognes to represent what I feel are the best options for guys out of the bunch. Best Men’s Colognes Homepage

 

What are the Best Smelling Mugler Fragrances for Men?

Angel By Thierry Mugler For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray Rubber Bottle 3.4 OZ– This one is sweet. Like, really sweet, long lasting, and heavy. However, it is also a very great fragrance if you like gourmand notes such as caramel, coffee, honey, etc.

A*Men has more patchouli, early on than the other entries on this list. It is paired with those sweet notes, to create a wonderful and masculine gourmand. The patchouli is there for the entire wear and is fantastic within this framework. Coffee and caramel are the longer term sweet notes, which stick around, and this all sits on top of a woody base of sandalwood and cedar. A*Men is, I believe, the most popular and best selling of the men’s Mugler line. 

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Thierry Mugler A Men Ultra Zest Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce– This Mugler scent is really underrated. It opens with a great mix of orange and tangerine. It’s juicy with an underlying blend of patchouli and coffee, pulling it all together.

The secondary wave is of mint, tonka bean, and vanilla. This allows for a sweet, fresh, and creamy aroma that is downright delicious. I get about 7 hours of wear with moderate sillage. It’s good to wear in either the summer or winter. It’s not being made anymore, but Ultra Zest is still available online, for a decent price. I really enjoyed this one. Ultra Zest Review

 

Angel Men Pure Malt by Thierry Mugler Eau De Toilette Spray (Limited Edition) for Men, 3.40 Ounce– Fruity, malt, and woodsy notes make for an interesting fragrance. It doesn’t come across nearly as strong as the original Angel but that is a good thing for some people. The whiskey note gives it a warmth that is absolutely beautiful in the winter.

This smoky and boozy blend, is possibly my favorite Mugler scent to wear. It’s somewhat limited to the colder weather, but it is utterly great, during that time frame.  Fruits, vanilla, malt, and patchouli kick this one off. Later it gets fruitier, boozier, creamy, and woody. Strong sillage, but not overbearing with a good performance in terms of longevity. Pure Malt Full Review

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Angel B Men By Thierry Mugler For Men. Eau De Toilette Spray Rubber Bottle 1.7 Ounce
I have softened on my stance of not liking this cologne very much, from my original review. Since then, I have come to appreciate its dark spiciness, even if I still don’t like licorice notes. Overall, it’s a very good masculine scent for the right guy.

B Men has been discontinued, but it is still underrated, and not well know. Though, it is still available. The spices remind me of Pure Malt’s in a lot of ways, but B Men doesn’t have the booziness or same level of sweetness. I really dig the dry down, where you get a great earthy/woody group of notes, which pairs amazingly with the spices. Well worth a try, if you can pick up a bottle for a decent price. 

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Thierry Mugler Eau de Toilette Spray, Angel Men Pure Havane, 3.4 Ounce– A good tobacco based scent that is softened by the honey, cocoa, and vanilla notes. The tobacco itself is a sweeter kind while remaining masculine. Pure Havane is a fantastic fall/winter cologne.

This is another one of my personal favorites. Usually, I am back and forth between this and Pure Malt. It is like rolled tobacco dipped in honey and vanilla. Sweet, warm, with that light honey stickiness.  The patchouli adds a little bit more depth, but Pure Havane is pretty straightforward. Again, it is pretty limited and not for those in a hot climate, but it is an outstanding perfume. Read my full Review

havane