Select Night by Mercedes-Benz

Select Night is one of the fragrance releases from Mercedes-Benz which has enjoyed some popularity since its release in 2019. It was one of the colognes from the brand that I bought a decant of months back, so that I could test out and see if it actually deserves the attention. How does Select Night actually smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Mercedes-Benz Select Night Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, lavender, bergamot,  vanilla, orange blossom, guaiac wood, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli

Click here to try: Select Night

My Full Review

Select Night starts off with a pretty hefty dose of cardamom in the opening act. The spice hits hard, but still feels somewhat tempered by notes like lavender and vanilla. Early on the lavender has the upper hand, but towards the end, the vanilla will take over the top spot.

Still, the cardamom reigns supreme in the opening act. It actually has a fizziness to it which reminds me of Armani Code Profumo. Mainly, I think its the way the orange blossom and vanilla are interacting in the mix.

Beyond the spice, Select Night has that same sort of sweetness in the mix, as the other colognes that it gets compared to. To me, that’s its least appealing aspect, as the sweetness smells kind cheap in this blend for some reason.

This gets compared often to Noir Extreme by Tom Ford. Sure, it has some similarities, but it is not at all the same. Noir Extreme is much better than Select Night.

At some point the cardamom will start to lose it hold on the composition. That’s when this really becomes lavender and vanilla dominant. I also get a period with a stronger orange blossom and some emergent sandalwood.

The dry down is more of a woody fresh blend with plenty of lavender and vanilla. The cardamom and orange blossom fades. There is a bit of a powdery finish to this and the sweetness has toned down from earlier in the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Select Night starts off with plenty of power. I can spray it on a piece of clothing I have laying around and pick up the cologne from 8+ feet away easily. It doesn’t stay at that super high level, but it is above average when compared with most basic colognes out there.

The longevity for Select Night is somewhere in the 8-9 hour range for me, on skin. Good projection and it’ll stick around for a long time without issue.

Performance with the Benz cologne is well above average, across the board. Great value.

Seasonally, this is built for autumn and winter, while not being overly heavy. So, in some regions of the world, you’d probably be able to get away with wearing Select Night in spring as well.

It does live up to its name, as being more for the night. It’s stylish and attractive enough to receive complements, but probably not going to fit in at the office during the daytime. But, as a fragrance to wear out, one should get plenty of use. Any age can roll with Select Night, also.

Overall Impressions of Select Night

Overall, do I like Select Night? It’s pretty good, one of the better Mercedes-Benz releases, but isn’t amazing. If its closest comparison is Noir Extreme, it falls well short of what I get out of the Tom Ford cologne.

It does have some elements of its own and similarities to that Code flanker, so it’s not trying to be exact anyway.

The opening cardamom is nice, especially with that fizziness, giving this a warm dynamism. The dry down is more of a straightforward woods, lavender and vanilla, but it’s solid.

The performance is for sure one of its strengths. So, if you can get a good deal on a bottle, there isn’t too much downside to owning this cologne. Nothing about Select Night is a glaring weakness, does everything well enough, and is worth trying out.

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.