Part Two of our “Best Summer Fragrances for Men” list. In Part One, we covered our top 15 men’s summer night fragrances period. In Part Two, we’ll highlight the best luxury summer fragrances, our favorite affordable (“cheapie”) warm-weather scents, and cover the fragrances that just missed the cut.
If you spend your summers in Monaco or the Hamptons, then you’ll want a fragrance to match your lifestyle. These are stunning warm weather fragrances that have reached the pinnacle of luxurious scents.
Xerjoff Nio
It’s rare to hear a fresh citrus fragrance described as a masterpiece, but Nio may be worthy of the title.
Nio is way more than just a generic summer citrus scent. It’s unique, complex, and presents a mélange of ingredients in their purest, most natural form. There’s not a hint of synthetics in this fragrance.
The Scent
The only citrus listed in the notes is bergamot. The bergamot commands the opening along with neroli and green, foresty notes. The sum of the ingredients is heavenly: bright, sparkling citrus, floral notes with sweet accents, and a clean and green, garden-esque undertone. The heart of the scent in spicier, but it’s sweeter spices like pink pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. The spices mostly stay in the background, with the foreground being citrus, green notes, and florals (neroli, jasmine).
Nio is classified as a woody aromatic, which becomes apparent as the scent dries. There’s so much depth in the base. You get a core of guaiac wood and cedar, both with creamy facets, and vetiver. The vetiver is clean and smooth and supports the scent’s green, aromatic character.
When people say a fragrance has depth, this is what they mean. The woody base underpins the green, spicy, floral, and citrus notes beautifully, allowing each ingredient to have a distinct impact on the overall scent.
Performance
Above average, and certainly better than most summer fragrances. Citrus and neroli are two ingredients that lack staying power, and Nio gets both notes to last a considerable amount. Moderate projection, but summer heat will help push this one even more.
Final Verdict
Perfect for anyone who wants to smell great. It’s fresh enough to be worn to the beach, and posh enough to be worn on a night out.
Afternoon Swim is citrus through and through. The perfumer explicitly pays homage to different citrus — namely mandarin, orange, and bergamot — in this fragrance. And that’s what you get. It’s fresh, it’s citrus, and it’s universally appealing.
The Scent
There’s not much to say here. The mandarin and the orange are the two stars. It’s an explosion of juicy orange smell that never goes away. There’s also bergamot to complete the citrus trifecta and a bit of pop from the ginger. There’s ginger and ambergris in the base, but it’s not an animalic or musky ambergris and the overall scent isn’t very “marine” or salty.
Performance
Not bad for a fresh citrus fragrance. The longevity is about average. It projects well for the first hour or so; after that it retreats to a moderate projection.
Final Verdict
Afternoon Swim is gloriously fresh and vibrantly citrus. While price is always a consideration, some say it’s too basic of a scent for the price. That doesn’t mean it’s not great. It’s a scent DNA everyone loves and done exquisitely — as you’d expect from a brand like Louis Vuitton. Try it out before you commit $300.
Afternoon Swim is better for casual wear. It performs better outside in the sun rather than a controlled indoor environment, so this could be the ultimate bougie beach fragrance. Wear this to the pool at the Four Seasons.
You can probably guess the dominant note in this one. Neroli Portofino is all about citrus and florals, specifically florals originating from the bitter orange tree. It’s also reminiscent of one of the oldest men’s colognes in history: 4711 Original Cologne by Maurer & Wirtz.
The Scent
Neroli Portofino is an uncomplicated fragrance. There’s bergamot and lemon to add bright citrus notes (and probably lime, as suggested by Tom Ford’s product marketing) and clean white florals, namely neroli and orange blossom. The scent is clean, soapy, and sweet (but floral sweet, not sugary sweet). The citrus and florals last throughout the scent.
The base is anchored by clean white musks, ensuring Neroli Portofino stays immaculately fresh during its lifespan.
Performance
Awful. The scent is divine but the performance is terrible at this price point. The projection is soft and longevity is below average. You can’t be stingy with sprays. This scent won’t offend anyone so spray as much as you’re willing.
NOTE: There’s a fortified version of this fragrance (aptly named Neroli Portofino Forte), but it goes in and out of availability. If you find it, BUY IT!
Final Verdict
It’s a delightful scent: extravagantly clean and a skillful use natural, high-quality ingredients. Performance is a known issue; treat this as a luxury purchase and don’t plan on getting a ton of mileage from it.
Isola Blu is the rebranding and reissuing of a former release, Oligarch. While Roja’s Elysium is easy to wear and easy to love, Isola Blu is more of an acquired taste. There are so many intricacies that it can be overwhelming for fragrance newcomers. If you’re looking for a fragrance experience at the top of the mountain — this is it.
The Scent
Isola Blu opens bright with a cocktail of citrus: lemon, lime, and bergamot. The citrus is paired with fruity notes of apple, coconut, and blackcurrant as well as floral notes of jasmine, orange blossom, and champaca (similar to jasmine). The opening is fresh and sweet. After that, the scent takes a more earthy turn. The green, herbal, and aromatic notes define the heart of this fragrance.
The aromatics start with lavender and thyme. Further into the scent you get juniper and maté (popular in modern fougères). The bedrock of the scent is deep green and earthy notes of oakmoss, patchouli, and a “cut grass” accord (which most reviewers liken to vetiver). There’s also ambergris, which seems appropriate for a coastal-inspired fragrance, and woody notes of birch (but not smoky) and cedar.
In total, Roja Parfums lists 29 notes for Isola Blu. We can’t pretend that we can discern even half of them. What we can say is Isola Blu is a sophisticated and completely non-linear fragrance. It’s a fragrance where you’ll discover something new every time you smell it.
Performance
For this price, you’d expect other-worldly performance. And Isola Blu gives it to you. Even at a parfum concentration, the longevity is extraordinary; it lasts until you shower it off. It also projects heavily for the first few hours and never turns into a skin scent. It’ll create a healthy scent bubble around you.
Final Verdict
This is the official fragrance of yachts in St. Barts. It smells like its price tag (very opulent), but it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for something light and floral or sweet and citrusy — this isn’t it. But if you’re looking for a summer showstopper, try this one out.
Quality fragrances aren’t cheap. Luckily, there are some excellent summer fragrance options that won’t break the bank and will leave you smelling great at the office, at the beach, and anywhere else you’re going this summer.
Lacoste L.12.12 Blanc (Eau de Toilette)
There may not be a better value proposition than Lacoste Blanc (called Lacoste White in some markets). Price hikes have become the norm in the beauty and perfume industry, but Lacoste has kept the price for its fragrances VERY competitive.
Classified as a woody floral, Blanc is a great everyday fragrance that can worn at the office, at the gym, or anywhere else you’re going. It’s fresh and very versatile.
The Scent
Blanc opens with a prominent grapefruit note that’s accented by aromatic notes of rosemary and cardamom. The heart of the fragrance is defined by two white florals (tuberose and ylang-ylang) which aren’t notes you typically see in men’s fragrances, but it works. The base has clean vetiver, cedar, and a musky-leathery “suede” accord. The end result is a super fresh, cooling, tropical/floral-shower gel vibe with a creamy, woody base. Obviously this smells more synthetic than previous fragrances, but it’s very pleasing and an excellent choice for the price.
Performance
Blanc has better performance than other Lacoste fragrances. Yes, it still gets complaints about longevity and projection, but both are above average.
Final Verdict
A great casual summer scent for the high heat. Blanc is a “cheapie” that smells anything but cheap. It’s an unbelievable value in today’s fragrance economy.
Released in 2020, Missoni Wave came out of nowhere to become one of the summertime favorites of the fragrance community. Missoni has only two men’s fragrances and is still largely unknown in the broader fragrance world. Wave draws comparisons to Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport and Versace Pour Homme, but it’s not a cheap, synthetic ripoff of either. It’s a great affordable alternative to more popular aquatic designer fragrances. (It used to be more affordable… more on that later.)
The Scent
Wave opens strong with bright aromatic-citrus notes and very aquatic. As it dries down, it takes on more musky-woody notes (even though no woods are listed in the description) and some slight creaminess and subtle sweetness. Wave is a salty marine-aquatic fragrance through and through, and very fresh.
Wave takes aspects of both Chanel Allure Homme Sport and Versace Pour Homme without being a “clone” of either. Allure Homme Sport is sweeter and creamier, with more of an emphasis on woody notes, whereas Versace Pour Homme has brighter citrus notes, with more emphasis on white florals. Simply put, Wave mirrors the opening of Versace Pour Homme and the drydown of Allure Homme Sport.
Performance
For a fresh aquatic fragrance, Wave has great performance. Longevity is very good. Projection is above average.
Final Verdict
Wave is a perfect summer daytime scent and performs well in high heat. Suitable for the office, the beach… really anywhere that’s not overly formal. It’s not a groundbreaking scent, but one that people by and large will find very pleasing.
NOTE: Like Rasasi Hawas (below), Wave’s explosion in popularity caused prices to spike dramatically. I’d wait for the hype to cool down a bit or look for it at discount stores. Most agree it’s not worth full retail price.
Price: $70 for 30 mL (1.0 oz.), $95 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), $125 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.) — Missoni Official Site (USA)
Rasasi Hawas for Him
If you’re tired of poor-performing summer scents, Hawas is for you! Often compared to Paco Rabanne’s Invictus Aqua (now discontinued), Hawas is actually a reinterpretation of the original 2013 release of Invictus. (Hawas predates Invictus Aqua, but postdates Invictus.) Hawas is a fresh, sweet, aquatic scent that’s made to last.
The Scent
Hawas is strong right out the gate. You get fruity-sweet aquatic notes immediately, namely bergamot, apple and plum. It doesn’t open overly sweet, but gets sweeter as it dries down. The heart of the fragrance features spicy (cardamom, cinnamon) and floral (orange blossom) notes, as well as ambroxan. Hawas remains a citrusy-fruity-sweet aquatic through its lifespan. It’s been called “spicy Invictus” and “aquatic bubblegum” by those in the fragrance community.
The original Invictus gets complaints for having an overly youthful, almost cotton candy-like sweetness. Hawas manages to hedge the sweetness with salty aquatic notes; it balances fresh and sweet very well.
Performance
Outstanding. It’s probably the best performer on this list. (Yes, Hawas was recently reformulated, but the performance is still excellent.) This scent lasts all day and projects strongly.
Final Verdict
Like Invictus, Hawas would be an excellent summer clubbing fragrance, but it’s also appropriate for everyday casual wear and for all age groups. It’s a surprisingly versatile scent.
Price: Due to its explosion in popularity, and limited availability in some markets, Hawas is selling for much more than usual. A 100 mL (3.4 oz.) bottle is selling for $100 on Walmart.com. This fragrance was selling for around $40 not long ago. It might be best to let the hype die down and let prices readjust.
Nautica Voyage
No summer fragrance list would be complete without one of the best summer cheapies around! Nautica Voyage is shockingly good for the price (one of the best-selling fragrances on Amazon) and super versatile.
The Scent
Voyage is a basic fresh aquatic fragrance. It’s unexotic and more synthetic than other fragrances on this list. The heart of the fragrance is sea salty and aquatic notes, crisp green apple, lotus, and a cucumber-melon accord. There are some woods and musks in the base, but they’re faint.
Performance
Voyage was released in 2006, but has been reformulated since then. The performance is not as good as it once was, but still above average for a fresh fragrance. (And excellent for the price.) Above average longevity, and it projects nicely for 2-3 hours.
Final Verdict
Voyage is a pleasant, clean, and inoffensive scent that works for any age and is a safe pick for any occasion — formal, professional, or casual.
Price: No price listed on Nautica’s website, but Walmart.com has a 100 mL (3.4 oz.) bottle listed for under $20.
Nautica Voyage
Missoni Wave
Rasasi Hawas
Missed the Cut
Fragrances that received consideration but not a spot on our list. The least we could do is give them a shoutout — and an explanation for why they missed the cut.
Mugler Cologne “Come Together”
Mugler Cologne is easily the most controversial omission on our summer fragrance list. In our research, the original Mugler Cologne was one of the most mentioned fragrances on “best of summer” lists.
So, what gives? Well, the original Mugler Cologne was a summer hit. Mugler Cologne was reformulated in 2018. In fact, the original was discontinued and relaunched as a series of flankers. The “Come Together” flanker is the one that most resembles the original. In short, they made it worse.
The Scent
The original Mugler Cologne was a fresh, green-soapy fragrance with great performance. (It was compared to a deluxe version of Irish Spring soap.) It was a simple, linear fragrance that emphasized white florals and clean white musk. It was so popular that Creed created its own interpretation of Mugler Cologne (Original Vetiver) that’s still available today.
The original had a persistent neroli note that gave the scent a smooth, floral vibe. “Come Together” lost that. It’s grassier than the original. It’s less smooth. And the performance has taken a major hit.
Final Verdict
There are some in the fragrance community who swear it’s the exact same juice as the original, and in all fairness, it still have mostly positive feedback. That said, we can’t in good conscience put this in rankings. You’ll have to be your own judge.
AQVA Marine was previously ranked #12 on our list, but was booted due to a MASSIVE price increase. It’s a good fragrance, but not that good.
The AQVA series has been a huge hit for Bvlgari. Launched in 2005, AQVA Pour Homme set itself apart with its seaweed accord and deep oceanic notes. AQVA Marine puts more emphasis on aquatic notes to create the ultimate beachside fragrance.
The Scent
AQVA Marine opens fresh and aromatic with grapefruit, rosemary, and pine. It doesn’t take long for the scent to settle into its trademark marine and seaweed accord, but its lighter than the original. You still get briny, salty-aquatic and green, seagrass-like notes in the heart. There’s still cedar in the base, but it’s white cedar (greener, earthier) instead of Virginia cedar (woodier). Where the original smelled like the deep sea, AQVA Marine smells like you’re sitting seaside. It’s more ozonic. There’s neroli to add a floral touch. It’s an overall cleaner scent.
Performance
The performance is good for an aquatic fragrance. Moderate projection and above average longevity.
Final Verdict
AQVA Marine is more high heat-resistant and broader appealing than the original. It’s best worn casually during the summer.
Y Eau Fraîche was dangerously close to taking Dior Homme Cologne’s spot in the rankings, but Homme Cologne got the nod.
This is not just another blue fragrance. This is an exquisitely fresh (and criminally underrated) summer gem.
The Scent
Y Eau Fraîche opens beautifully. There’s bright, sparkling citrus that’s perfectly balanced by spicy ginger and a potent lemon note. Lemon is a difficult note to pull off. When done poorly, it make the fragrance smell cheap or, even worse, like a cleaning solution. Y Eau Fraîche puts the lemon note front and center, and does so in a way that’s elegant and refreshing. It elevates the entire scent. Beyond the lemon and ginger, you get a minty fresh note, possibly from the geranium, and juniper to help mellow everything out. The scent eventually peters out and becomes a basic woody scent (cedar is the only listed woody note).
Performance
Underwhelming. Longevity and projection are both average for a summer scent, but you’ll need to heat to help it project.
Final Verdict
Y Eau Fraîche is stands up well to high heat and is best suited for casual daytime wear. Perfect for all ages.
Price: It’s sold out on YSL’s official site and on most retailer sites, but previous retail price was $100 for a 100 mL (3.4 oz.) bottle.
Montblanc Legend Spirit
With Paco Rabanne’s Invictus Aqua discontinued, Legend Spirit seemed like a shoe-in for our summer list. Rasasi Hawas took its spot, but it’s difficult to find. If you’re unable purchase Hawas, Legend Spirit is a good alternative.
The original Invictus Aqua (2016 version) was renowned for its sharp, bubblegum-like sweetness that could fill a room. Legend Spirit is less piercing and less performing than Invictus Aqua, but it’s better suited for the heat and won’t choke you out with sweetness.
The Scent
Legend Spirit is heavy on aquatic notes, citrus and musk. The grapefruit in the opening is smooth, not bitter or tart like in other fragrances. It smells more synthetic than other fragrances (then again, so did Invictus Aqua), but it’s not off-putting. Montblanc classifies Legend Spirit as a woody-aromatic and lists cardamom and lavender as heart notes, but they’re subtle. Legend Spirit is more of a fresh aquatic than anything else.
Legend Spirit is surprisingly versatile. This would be an appropriate summer office or gym fragrance, but also a good clubbing fragrance. It’s just a very simple, pleasant scent.
Performance
Final Verdict
Overall, Legend Spirit lacks the sweetness and the performance of Rasasi Hawas, another Invictus-inspired fragrance that made it higher on our list. If you want something more refined and less sweet, give Legend Spirit a try.
CK One Summer Daze missed our “Best Affordable Summer Fragrance” list due to a combination of price and quality. It’s priced similarly to Missoni Wave, but not as good. And it’s similar in quality to Nautica Voyage, but twice the cost.
Summer Daze (released in 2022) was a solid release for Calvin Klein. The CK One line gets complaints for smelling overly synthetic, but Summer Daze is a surprisingly smooth, natural-smelling fragrance with an affordable price tag. (It’s even cheaper at discounters.)
The Scent
The orange bottle gives it away. On first spray, you’re hit with a burst of sweet, juicy citrus. While the only listed note is kumquat, most reviewers get notes of orange, mandarin, and grapefruit. (No one is quite sure what kumquat smells like.) It’s a sweet citrus, not bitter.
The drydown is pretty uneventful. Calvin Klein lists a “mint iced tea” accord as the heart note and musk and vetiver in the base, but the scent is citrus-dominant from start to finish.
Performance
Lackluster. While initial projection is very good (a few sprays can fill a room), the scent doesn’t last very long. Only a couple of hours. You’ll need to reapply often to get good mileage from it.
Final Verdict
Summer Daze is a quality, pleasant-smelling citrus scent with performance issues. If the price is right, it’s unquestionably a good purchase. This is a casual, daytime summer fragrance — perfect for a day at the beach.
Cool Water Wave competed with Nautica Voyage for best cheap summer fragrance, but lost. It’s a good bargain bin scent and better than most at its price, but there are much better fragrances out there if you’re willing to spend a little more.
The original Cool Water (released in 1988) is a legend in fragrance history. It’s arguably one of the best affordable fresh aquatic fragrances ever made and achieved massive success. Yes, much has been made of Cool Water’s many reformulations since its release nearly 35 years ago, but it’s still a classic scent with a popular fragrance DNA that’s been “copied” countless times.
The Scent
Cool Water Wave is a fresher take on the original. The spirit of the original is there, but Wave is more aquatic. (Cool Water is more of a green-aquatic.) Wave opens with grapefruit and a peppermint note that’s familiar to the original Cool Water. Unfortunately, the opening doesn’t last long. It quickly becomes a standard woody-aquatic scent with some juniper notes. Overall, Wave is a clean-smelling fragrance that won’t offend anyone.
Some reviewers thought Wave shared vague similarities with Paco Rabanne’s Invictus. Wave is fruity-sweet, but not nearly as sweet as Invictus.
Performance
Moderate to below average. You’ll want to reapply this one throughout the day to make it last, and it doesn’t project much. For a fresh summer cheapie, it’s hard to complain.
Final Verdict
Not everyone prefers Wave to the original Cool Water. Wave strips away most of the earthy, herbal notes that made the original Cool Water popular. Wave is more of a “summer” scent and resistant to high heat, but Cool Water also works in the summer. Wave is more suited for a younger crowd and for casual wear. Cool Water is more mature (but not “old”) and better in professional environments.
Price: No prices on Davidoff’s website, but a 125mL (4.2-oz.) bottle is selling for under $30 on Walmart.com.
Best Date Night Fragrances for Men, Pt. 2
Best Date Night Fragrances for Men, Pt. 2
Part Two of our “Best Date Night Fragrances for Men” list. In Part One, we covered our top 15 men’s date night fragrances period. In Part Two, we’ll cover the best luxury date night fragraces, best affordable date night options, some great (has-been) date night options, and a popular men’s fragrance that we think is terrible.
For those willing to spend lavishly on exquisite fragrances, we present you the very finest date night scents. These lavish fragrances are all expertly crafted with the most prized and sought-after ingredients in perfumery.
Roja Parfums Enigma Pour Homme
It can be difficult to execute a tobacco-heavy fragrance in an elegant way, but Roja’s Enigma (sold as “Creation-E” in some markets) does this to perfection.
Enigma comes strong with boozy cognac, smoky tobacco, and sweet benzoin and vanilla. It’s a heavy fragrance, largely from the tobacco and cognac, that’s surprisingly fresh, likely from the citrus and floral ingredients. It also has somewhat of a trademark “cola” vibe that almost every reviewer says reminds them of Coca-Cola or root beer (or boozy Dr. Pepper). Reviewer Joy Amin believes this could be a mixture of the cardamom, spicy notes of ginger and pepper, and sweet vanilla. (The bottle color even looks like soda in a glass.)
The Scent
As noted, there is a bit of pop from the citrus (bergamot, lemon, mandarin) and faint floral notes, but this does not define the scent. Enigma starts sweet (the fizzy “cola” plus the benzoin/vanilla combo) and boozy (cognac) then plunges into smoky tobacco.
While the benzoin and vanilla last throughout the lifespan of the scent, the cola vibe fades. And the boozy cognac gets overtaken by vanilla-tobacco notes as the scent matures. There’s also a touch of powder in the base, so be aware if you hate powdery notes.
Performance
Final Verdict
Enigma is better suited for colder weather. While parfum cologne was meant to be a fresher, more versatile version of the parfum, it’s a bit heavy for warmer weather. It’s also a scent meant to be worn dressed up; do not wear this to the gym or in casual situations.
While the parfum version is a darling in the fragrance world, the parfum cologne (an eau de parfum concentration) smells very similar to the parfum for a fraction of the cost. Under closer inspection, the parfum version leans heavier on the cognac and tobacco while the parfum cologne leans more into the benzoin and vanilla. And perhaps the parfum lasts longer and projects a bit more, but performance is not an issue for the parfum cologne.
African Leather is a spicy leather scent that’s luxuriously smooth. It has a host of Middle Eastern spices, namely cardamom and saffron, a hint of oud, and a dense, heavy drydown of earthy vetiver and patchouli.
The Scent
You get leather right away, but this isn’t just a leather fragrance. It’s as much — or more — about the spices. The most prominent is cardamom, which remains through the entirety of the scent. You also get saffron, cumin, and some mellow floral notes of geranium.
You also get oud in the base of the scent, but it’s not overbearing (as oud can sometimes be). It’s more benign and complementary of the other notes.
The base of African Leather is green, earthy, and musky, with notes of patchouli and mildly-smoky vetiver. It never loses its spicy-leathery touch, but it becomes a much heavier scent as it dries.
Performance
Outstanding. Very long-lasting and projects well.
Final Verdict
An exotic but very refined leather scent that’s warm and spicy with floral and aromatic edges. You couldn’t find a better evening scent for cooler fall and winter nights.
Kilian has put out so many rockstars in the niche perfumery world that it seemed obligatory to have them represented on our list. Angels’ Share is probably the house’s most popular offering, but Black Phantom gets the nod as the best masculine gourmand fragrance on the list. It’s dark, rich, and potent. A must-try for anyone looking for a sweet fragrance with deeper tones.
The Scent
Black Phantom hits a number of gourmand high notes (coffee, caramel, and dark chocolate all stand out). It starts as a coffee bomb and melds into a coffee-caramel-chocolate fragrance. It’s a dark scent — almost equal parts bitter and sweet.
Deeper into the drydown you get boozy rum and vanilla. Woody notes of vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, and cedarwood form the backbone of the scent, but most will pick up touches of smoky vetiver or smooth, creamy sandalwood.
Performance
Disappointing. The scent is thick and rich, but that doesn’t mean it projects a ton or lasts forever. The projection is appropriate for a date night scent. Perfect for close encounters, it’ll make an impression on those near you. The longevity is a bigger issue. Not terrible, but don’t expect it to put in overtime.
Final Verdict
An evening scent for cooler nights. Obviously avoid this fragrance if you don’t like coffee or chocolate, otherwise Black Phantom is a complex, seductive scent that deserves at least one wear.
This fragrance is all about cinnamon, clove, vanilla, and (as the name would suggest) musk. Musc Ravageur was made famous by its wild, animalic-musky notes. (Which has been somewhat tamed in newer iterations.)
This is not just an everyday scent; this is strictly for trying to win over someone’s affection. Musc Ravageur is totally unique scent that sounds weird but works exceptionally well.
The Scent
Musc Ravageur opens slightly fresh with notes of lavender and subtle citrus notes of bergamot and mandarin. The fresh citrus notes fade quickly, giving way to spicy notes of clove and cinnamon — which both last through the duration of the scent — and lavender in the background. As it dries, the cinnamon melds with the vanilla and creamy sandalwood in the base, giving the scent a gourmand-ish feel. And of course, musk plays a huge role in the dry-down.
While many modern fragrances use clean white musks, Musc Ravageur uses musks that smell more like traditional musk. (i.e. deer pheromones) It’s dirty, raw, and primal. (And powdery, too.) Hell, it’s carnal. Combined with the warm ambery touches in the base — this fragrance is a knockout.
NOTE: Frédéric Malle’s fragrances were acquired by Estée Lauder in 2015, and some reviewers have accused the conglomerate of reformulating Musc Ravageur’s original 2000 formulation. Specifically, weakening the clove note (clove and cinnamon are no longer listed ingredients on the Frédéric Malle website) and reining in the animalic-musky notes. While a reformulation is certainly possible, Musc Ravageur remains a staple in the fragrance community and most reviewers don’t notice any dramatic differences.
Performance
Excellent. Projects heavy for the first few hours and creates a nice scent bubble, and it lasts all day on skin. No complaints here.
Final Verdict
Musc Ravageur is not for everyone. Some people will be put off by the clove or musky notes. Regardless, this is a fragrance everyone should experience at least once. Best worn in cooler months in the fall and winter, perhaps also during spring nights after the temperature drops. This is a mature, masculine scent — befitting for an older crowd.
The best date night fragrances on a budget. While none of these fragrances are cheap, the value is there and the scents are magnificent.
Valentino Uomo Intense
The entire Valentino Uomo line is exceptional, but Uomo Intense is the most seductive offering from the house. Uomo Intense is another iris fragrance, but it’s much more than just a “lipsticky” scent. There are dark notes and a leather accord that add depth, warmth, and sophistication. You’ll want to avoid if you don’t like powdery fragrances, but it’s an incredible scent if you do.
The Scent
Uomo Intense is heavy on the iris from the start. It’s smooth, very powdery and does have a “lipsticky” vibe (see our spiel on iris in the Le Male Le Parfum description). Eventually the iris is met with a vanilla bean-tonka bean combo that creates powdery-sweetness, and in the base is a leather accord to balance everything out. Uomo Intense could be considered a unisex fragrance, but the leather offers some richer, darker nuances that give it a more masculine edge.
Powdery perfection. The iris is stunning. Valentino managed to create something that’s sexy and elegant at the same time. Women love this on me — Enough said.
Above average. The scent projects well and has good longevity.
Final Verdict
Uomo Intense is elegant and surprisingly versatile for a scent that goes pretty hard on the iris and leather. (Both polarizing notes in perfumery.) In fairness, it’s not a leather-dominant fragrance and the iris (while very powdery) is not totally reminiscent of a makeup bag. It’s careful not to go too far in either direction.
The original Valentino Uomo (2014) and the original Dior Homme (2005) were both perfumed by Olivier Polge. Uomo took inspiration from Dior Homme, and Uomo Intense stays true to the Uomo DNA. Thus, the comparison of Uomo Intense to the 2011 release of Homme Intense is a given since they’re crafted in a similar way.
Both fragrances are built around the note of iris, but there are differences. Homme Intense is more powdery and leans even heavier into the lipsticky-iris vibe than Uomo Intense. In fact, the “lipstick” note is the hallmark of the pre-2020 Dior Homme and Dior Homme Intense. (They were both reformulated in 2020 and 2021.) The leather sets Uomo Intense apart from Homme Intense. Uomo Intense has persistent vanillac notes from the vanilla bean and tonka bean blend, whereas Homme Intense makes use of lavender to complement the iris, ambrette for musky notes, and a woodsy base of cedar and vetiver.
Uomo Intense will appeal to a broader range of people because it dials back the powdery-lipsticky iris notes you get from Homme Intense. The Dior Homme series has a dedicated group of diehard fans, but it’s not for everyone.
Azzaro The Most Wanted (Eau de Parfum Intense)
The Most Wanted is the antepenultimate (third most recent) release in Azzaro’s “Wanted” line, and many believe it’s the strongest offering from the brand yet. The Most Wanted builds on the success of the line’s previous iteration, Wanted By Night, and adds a gourmand-like caramel note. The Most Wanted turns down the spicy heat and tobacco from Wanted By Night and turns up the sweetness.
The Scent
While The Most Wanted isn’t fully gourmand, caramel is the dominant note. The scent opens with sweet caramel and spicy cardamom. As it dries, the bourbon vanilla accord and amberwood melds with the caramel to create notes of burnt sugar and vanillac sweetness. The scent gets warmer, thicker, and sweeter over time. Vetiver (one of the few listed notes) doesn’t make a huge impact on the scent, but it likely helps prevent the scent from becoming too sweet and gives some smokiness to the burnt sugar notes.
Performance
Above average. Since it doesn’t have any top notes that jump out right away, the projection is never massive, but it pushes off the skin well for such a heavy scent. Longevity is very good.
Final Verdict
We were close to putting Wanted By Night in this spot, but we found The Most Wanted gets more love from the fragrance community. This is a great option for winter, but it works well in mild-to-cold weather.
Price: $98 for 50 mL (1.7-oz.), $114 for 100 mL (3.4-oz.) — Macy’s Website
Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely
Stronger With You Intensely builds on the popular scent profile of the original, but drops the chestnut note in favor of toffee. “Intensely” is another sweet fragrance and an exceptional gourmand for the price.
If you enjoy sugary-sweet fragrances, then this is right up your alley.
The Scent
As mentioned, Intensely is mostly a fortified version of the original, but it’s sweeter. The scent opens with spicy cinnamon and pink pepper notes that meld nicely with its overall sweetness. As it dries down, the scent’s dominant toffee accord comes through, along with the vanilla and tonka bean. The sweetness is dulled (marginally) by fresh aromatic lavender and warm ambery tones in the base.
Performance
As the name suggests, Intensely is a STRONG performer! The scent projects very well and lasts a full day (and night).
Final Verdict
The scent is easy to love but does lean a bit more youthful. Wear this one in fall and winter evenings.
NOTE: If you’re unable to get your hands on anything from the Stronger With You line, Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million Elixir is more widely available and often compared to Stronger With You. You could aslo try another fragrance on our list, Azzaro’s The Most Wanted (Eau de Parfum Intense).
Azzaro The Most Wantedvs. Armani Stronger With You Intensely
Given the caramel note, it’s not surprising that The Most Wanted is compared to Armani’s Stronger With You Intensely. They’re undeniably similar.
Stronger With You Intensely uses spices like cinnamon and pink pepper to add sweet heat; The Most Wanted uses cardamom, which is more aromatic.
Stronger With You Intensely has powdery notes from the tonka bean that The Most Wanted doesn’t have; The Most Wanted has warmer, almost charred-like ambery-woody tones in the base.
Both fragrances are sweet, and both derive their sweetness from caramel/toffee notes. Stronger With You Intensely performs better and may lean to a younger audience.
Armani Stronger With You Intensely
Mercedes-Benz Club Black
AZZARO The Most Wanted
Versace Eros Flame
The orignal Versace Eros achieved widespread acclaim in the larger fragrance community as a super sweet, beastly performing, sexy clubbing scent. It’s one of the best-selling men’s fragraces today.
Eros Flame is the freshest offering of the Eros line. It adds spicy citrus and florals to help dull the ultra-sharp sweetness and make it more appropriate for year-round use. The spirit of the original is still there, but it’s been changed for the better.
The Scent
The original Eros was all about the mint, green apple, and vanilla and tonka bean in the drydown. (And lots of ambroxan.) The opening was green and fresh; the drydown was saccharine vanilla. Eros Flame drops the mint and green apple in favor of spicy citrus and florals.
Eros Flame is fresher than the original. You get tart, bitter citrus notes — from the chinotto (orange) and lemon — and spicy black pepper for a more lively opening. The citrus doesn’t last long, but the spicy pepper begins to meld with green-aromatic notes of rosemary and floral notes of rose and geranium.
The drydown of Eros Flame matches the drydown of the original; it’s all about the sweet vanilla and tonka bean. Flame tries to subdue the sweetness with woods (sandalwood) and earthier notes (patchouli, oakmoss), so you could consider Flame a (slightly) more mature vanilla scent. Still sweet, but more fresh and aromatic, and a bit powdery.
Performance
Eros Flame performs very well. It lasts a long time and while it doesn’t project quite as much as the original Eros (which was a heavy projector), it’s still above average.
Final Verdict
Eros Flame preserves the identity of the Eros line while offering a spicier, fresher take on the original. Flame is more appropriate for daytime wear or non-winter usage. Eros was always a more youthful fragrance, and Eros Flame is still youthful, but Flame’s more tempered sweetness make it better suited for all ages.
Pi gets overshadowed by Givenchy’s newer offerings, particularly the Gentlemen series, but Pi has built a cult following since its debut in 1999. Pi goes heavy on the benzoin, offering warm and sweet ambery and vanilla tones.
The Scent
The benzoin takes over the scent from opening to close. It’s sweet, vanillic, and powdery, with touches of amber and an almond accord. (To be clear, neither amber nor almond are listed in Givenchy’s note breakdown, but every reviewer remarked on the almond and ambery notes.)
There’s a brief introduction of fresh citrus (mandarin) and aromatic notes (Givenchy formerly listed tarragon, basil, and rosemary as ingredients), but they fade almost instantly. It quickly becomes a vanilla scent from first spray. Very sweet, but stops just short of being cloying.
Performance
While some of the fragrance community complains of poor performance, most reviewers say the performance isn’t as bad as advertised. Projection and longevity are about average.
Final Verdict
While marketed as a men’s fragrance, Pi toes the line as a unisex fragrance: sweet and gourmand-ish but complemented with more masculine edges. Pi can be worn dressed up or down, but should be reserved for cooler (or at least non-summer) months.
We promise there’s no bias for vanilla-based scents, but they’re popular for a reason. Club Black is (pleasantly) surprising for two reasons. First, it smells very refined and upscale for such an afforable fragrance. Second, no one expected something this good from an automotive company. If you love cars and good fragrances — this is the scent for you!
The Scent
As mentioned, the prominent note is vanilla, but it’s not just a vanilla scent. The incense helps create a smoky vanilla accord with some added boozy and soft gourmand notes. There’s an overall freshness, possibly from the bergamot and ambroxan, and woody notes in the base. Sweet and elegant, and not at all synthetic smelling, heavy, or cloying.
Performance
Surprisingly good! It has good staying power on your skin and above average projection. Club Black will create a nice scent bubble.
Final Verdict
An excellent date night fragrance for a great price. The vanilla is elevated by smoky incense and boozy notes. Club Black can be worn by any age, casually or formally.
We’re not sure where to place Moschino’s Toy Boy, so we’ve dubbed it the “court jester.”
Is Toy Boy nothing more than a dancing fool (a silly fragrance that’s mildly amusing but not to be taken seriously) or a Shakespearean fool (a wise commoner that’s underestimated by the nobility)? That’s for you to decide.
Moschino Toy Boy
Toy Boy has two things working against it: the bottle design and the primary ingredient (rose).
While the bottle certainly stands out from the crowd (not necessarily a good thing), it looks juvenile and unserious. You’d never guess Toy Boy is an elegant fragrance by the bottle.
The second issue is that Toy Boy is a rose-based scent. The number of floral fragrances marketed to men is limited; the number of (mainstream) men’s rose fragrances is almost nonexistent.
If you can overlook the goofy bottle and are open to a rose fragrance, you may find an affordable gem in Toy Boy.
The Scent
In one sentence: Toy Boy is a spicy rose fragrance with some woody and musky notes in the base. The rose note lasts throughout the life of the scent, but it’s never just a rose fragrance. The rose is amped by spicy, sweet, and musky notes. It’s also not an overly sweet or feminine rose scent; it’s a very fresh, clean-smelling rose.
The scent opens with rose and a burst of spicy pink pepper and fruity pear. The pear note is potent and adds freshness to the opening.
For once-great fragrances whose days have passed. These fragrances have been banished from our list and now live in exile.
Dior Homme Intense
For fragrance aficionados, putting Dior Homme Intense in exile is blasphemy. Many in the fragrance community consider the 2011 version of Dior Homme Intense to be one of the best releases from Dior this century. Dior Homme Parfum (also unavailable) was considered a great release as well, but Dior Homme Intense (2011) put the Dior Homme line on the map.
Let’s be clear: this is a pre-emptive exile. After being relaunched in 2020, Dior Homme Intense isn’t even available online (other than secondary reseller sites) in the U.S. We don’t know what the future Dior Homme Intense will look (smell) like.
A lot is going on at Dior right now. Dior Homme Sport has been relaunched twice in the last five years (in 2017 and again 2021 after the awful reception of the 2017 version). Dior Homme was relaunched in 2020 to very mixed reviews. So much so that they launched Dior Homme Original in 2021, which was the much-beloved Dior Homme 2011 version. But now Dior Homme Original is no longer available. And Dior’s longtime in-house perfumer François Demachy retired in 2021 and has been succeeded by Francis Kurkdjian. It’s likely that much of Dior’s Homme line will be remade by Kurkdjian. What that means for Dior Homme and its flankers going forward… is unknown.
Paco Rabanne 1 Million
Due to the sheer popularity of 1 Million, it seemed obligatory we include it on this list. While it’s still HUGELY popular (one of the best-selling men’s fragrances in the world), it’s a bit too youthful and overly synthetic/bubblegum-sweet to make a “best date night” list. We considered 1 Million Privé, bit it was discontinued.
Dior Fahrenheit
A staple of the late ’80s and ’90s, Fahrenheit was game-changing for Dior and revolutionary for men’s perfumery. It’s hard to overstate how impactful it was in the fragrance community; the scent wasn’t just unique, it was unmistakable. The scent was created to resemble a muscle car.
Carolina Herrera Bad Boy
Ralph Lauren Polo Red
Sentenced to Death
This section is reserved for fragrances that have committed unspeakable atrocities against perfumery. For them, there is no redemption and no forgiveness.
JOOP! Homme
Legend has it that JOOP! Homme was sent to hell — and hell sent it back! If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing the scent from this pink bottle of horrors, then consider yourself lucky.
The Scent
It’s unconscionable that some find this fragrance sexy.
Performance
Final Verdict
The Community Speaks
Don’t take our word for it. See what the fragrance experts have to say.
Best Date Night Fragrances for Men
Best Date Night Fragrances for Men
When it comes to men’s fragrances, you’ll find the greatest range of scents in the “date night” category. Why? Because unlike office scents, gym scents, clubbing scents, etc. where the goal is to appeal to the masses, date night scents are more individual. Date night scents are personal; the only opinions that matter are yours and the person you’re with. And if you’re in a setting where you’re trying to attract romantic attention from the crowd, then you want an attention-grabbing scent that’s bold and stands out.
We did our best to include a range of prices on our list. If you’re going to spend money to impress someone, you’re probably going to do it on a date. (But you have to go broke to find a great scent.) While none of our picks are cheap, most are very priced fairly for the quality. And if you need a fragrance for a special occasion (i.e. expensive) – we’ve got you covered there, too!
*** NOTE: All prices listed are from the manufacturer’s U.S. website, unless stated otherwise. You can usually find these fragrances for less on discounter sites, department stores, and various other fragrance retailers. Never pay more than the price listed on the brand’s website.
There can only be one king of men’s date night fragrance, and D&G’s The One EDP wears the crown.
Watch (or read) any “top men’s date night fragrance” list and you’re all but guaranteed to find The One EDP near the top. It’s so ubiquitous that reviewers have started omitting it just to change things up.
In fact, some in the community think The One EDP has become too successful. They argue you’ll smell like every other guy — or worse, an ex-lover — by wearing The One EDP on a first date or a night out. That’s for you to decide. Our take is The One EDP has reached a massive level of sustained success because it’s great. All hail the king!
Dolce&Gabbana The One for Men (Eau de Parfum)
What makes The One EDP so great? It’s unique, yet mass appealing. It’s a spicy tobacco scent that’s surprisingly fresh and sweet. It’s equally suitable for formal or casual wear.
The One Eau de Parfum has the distinction of being named “sexiest men’s fragrance on the market” by numerous fragrance reviewers.
The Scent
The One EPD is basically an intensified version of the original (EDT), which sounds obvious but is not always the case with EDT/EDP versions of fragrances. It opens with grapefruit and spicy-aromatic notes of coriander, ginger, and cardamom.
Once it dries down, it takes on a warm, ambery-tobacco vibe with an undertone of woody cedar notes. The lavender and orange blossom help add freshness to the overall scent, while the basil adds a touch of green spicy-sweetness.
Performance
The original, released in 2008, was loved by the community but plagued by performance complaints. While the EDP does a lot to fix the performance issues, it’s not a performance beast by any stretch.
It never projects very much, not even past an arm’s length, but that’s okay for date fragrances. It does, however, linger in the air for a while and leaves a pleasant scent trail (called a “sillage”), so that’s a nice bonus. The longevity is improved; it’ll last long enough for a night out.
Final Verdict
Overall, The One EDP is a warm, sweet, and spicy-woody scent that’s perfect for fall and winter nights. (For a more year-round option, The One EDT is a brighter, more citrusy-tropical version that’s better for spring.)
It works (and has worked) for men of all ages. This is a masculine scent DNA that’s smooth, refined, and always in style.
Price: $110 for 100 mL (3.4-oz.), $153 for 150 mL (5.0-oz.) — Macy’s Website
Date Night Royalty
The ruling class of date night fragrances. These are well-established, highly seductive scents that never fail to impress. Some are spicy, and others are sweet — but they’re all GREAT!
Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’Homme
La Nuit de L’Homme gives The One EDP a run for its money in date night supremacy. Its scent DNA is seductive, mass appealing, and perfect for fall and winter nights.
The Scent
Released in 2009, La Nuit de L’Homme is a spicier, more sensual version of the original YSL L’Homme. The fragrance opens spicy and sweet, with a touch of powder. Fresh lavender and bergamot notes clash with a potent, spicy cardamom note. Cardamom is a popular ingredient in romantic fragrances, and La Nuit de L’Homme is synonymous with it.
As it dries down, the bergamot fades, leaving the lavender and cardamom to compete with an earthy, grassy vetiver note and cedar. La Nuit de L’Homme is a warm, aromatic and spicy-woody scent that’s easy to love.
Performance
Longtime fans of La Nuit de L’Homme will tell you that reformulations killed the performance of this fragrance. In fairness, the performance isn’t as bad as advertised. Longevity is average, but it’s a soft scent and doesn’t project very much. Great for close encounters, but you’ll want a few extra sprays.
Final Verdict
La Nuit De L’Homme is suitable for all age groups. It’s a mature scent, but not “old” by any stretch.
Spicebomb Extreme is one of the “big 3” of date night fragrances.
Like the previous two entries on this list, Spicebomb Extreme has a proven scent DNA that will impress (and seduce) the masses. Unlike the previous two entries, Spicebomb Extreme is a LOUD projector. This scent is brash! It jumps off the skin and fills the room.
The Scent
Spicebomb Extreme is spicy (as the name would suggest), very sweet, and tobacco-heavy. From first spray you’re hit with a blast of spices — cinnamon, saffron, black pepper, cumin — that’s well balanced by a sweet, persistent “black vanilla” note and some lavender for freshness. There’s also a robust tobacco note, but it’s not overpowering. After the initial opening, it takes on warm ambery notes while retaining the tobacco, vanilla, and spicy cinnamon and peppery notes.
The overall scent is very well balanced. The vanilla does a great job to take the edge off the spices, and the tobacco helps smooth out the vanilla to make it less sugary-sweet and more of a dark, rich vanilla.
Performance
Spicebomb Extreme boasts excellent performance. It projects monstrously and has great longevity. Do NOT overspray!
Final Verdict
Spicebomb Extreme is more youthful than The One EDP or La Nuit De L’Homme, but any age can pull this one off. It’s also not a formal fragrance. This is a casual scent, and great for outdoor events since it projects so much. Save Spicebomb Extreme for colder nights.
Chanel is one of the darlings of the fragrance world, and Allure Homme Sport is considered by many to be the best designer men’s fragrance, period.
Eau Extrême takes the freshness of Allure Homme Sport and adds more spice and a deeper, creamier woody base. Eau Extrême is superbly versatile for a romantic scent; it’s posh enough for a suit-and-tie but sporty enough for more casual wear.
The Scent
Chanel fragrances are typically characterized by a simple, minimalist scent DNA — but very elegant with clean, natural ingredients. Eau Extrême is no exception. It opens fresh with mint, lemon, and mandarin. As the freshness fades, the mint is joined by spicy peppery notes and eventually overtaken by creamy tonka bean, clean white musk, and woody cypress notes.
Performance
While the Allure Homme line is not known for great performance, Eau Extrême has considerably better performance than Allure Homme Sport. The longevity is very good and it projects very well, surrounding you with a seductive scent cloud.
Final Verdict
Eau Extrême can be worn in any season and works great for the spring, summer, and fall. (The scent may get lost in extreme cold.) The scent is versatile enough for any age.
Price: $130 for 50 mL (1.7-oz.), $157 for 100 mL (3.4-oz.), $190 for 150 mL (5.0-oz.) — Chanel Official Site (USA)
Parfums de Marly Layton
Parfums de Marly has so many great date night options and so many fragrances that receive massive hype in the community, but Layton is the superstar of the house. It’s universally loved, can be worn year-round, and is versatile enough for formal or informal wear.
So, Layton may have been the safe pick – but it’s also a masterpiece.
The Scent
Layton starts fresh with bergamot and green apple. You get sweet and spicy notes of cardamom and pink pepper with the fresh-citrus notes as well as some aromatic-floral notes, most notably lavender and geranium. The lavender really helps keep the scent fresh.
The vanilla note, which starts strong, gets even stronger through the life of the scent. Vanilla is the main player of Layton, along with the apple and cardamom. But Layton is not just a fresh and spicy-sweet fragrance. There’s an extraordinary depth to this scent, with a rich woody backbone of guaiac wood and patchouli. Overall, Layton is a warm, spicy vanilla scent that’s smells luxuriously sweet.
Performance
Layton has very good performance. The scent lasts a LONG time and radiates off your skin very well. The projection is especially strong in the first two-three hours of spraying, and it never dies down to a point where it’s just a skin scent. This is the kind of performance you expect (and pay for) from a quality niche perfume.
Final Verdict
Layton is not just a great date night scent. It’s such a premium fragrance that it can be worn in any kind of formal or semi-formal occasion; Layton lives up to the hype. It has enough freshness to be worn year-round, but the sweet and spicy notes make Layton ideal for cooler weather and transitional seasons. It can work for any climate, except for extreme heat.
Tom Ford has a number of sweet and seductive scents, but perhaps none are more expertly done than Noir Extreme.
Part spicy floral, part gourmand — Noir Extreme shifts gears completely in the drydown of the scent. This is truly a unique, sexy, crowd-pleasing scent that will make any date night better.
The Scent
Noir Extreme starts warm, spicy, and floral. The blend of spices (cardamom, saffron, nutmeg) and white florals (jasmine, orange blossom) dominate the opening. Then it changes. The scent takes a sweeter, gourmand-like turn with notes of vanilla and a delicious kulfi note. It concludes with warm ambery notes and milky undertones of sandalwood, resulting in a creamy, powdery, resinous, vanillic base. An elegant scent for classy gents.
Performance
While it doesn’t project much, longevity is great. Noir Extreme is best for close encounters and can last a full night.
Final Verdict
This is a formal, refined scent suitable for all ages. While Noir Extreme can be worn from fall until spring, it really shines on cooler nights in the fall.
Price: $155 for 50 mL (1.7-oz.), $235 for 100 mL (3.4-oz.), $275 for 150 mL (5.0-oz.) — Tom Ford Official Site (USA)
The Knights – The Date Night Challengers
The knights are all jousting for date night supremacy! Any one of the fragrances could become the next mainstream romantic scent.
Xerjoff Naxos
As far as niche perfumery goes, Xerjoff is not for the uninitiated. Xerjoff’s fragrances are intricate, nuanced, and (usually) reserved for seasoned fragrance connoisseurs.
What makes Naxos special is how approachable it is for the masses. Xerjoff has so many great fragrances that are celebrated by the community, but Naxos is an immaculate scent that has mainstream appeal.
The Scent
Naxos blends two notes that work in perfect harmony: honey and tobacco. Both notes are present throughout the life of the scent, but neither overpowers it. In the opening you get citrus notes of lemon and bergamot and a heaping dose of clean lavender to freshen things up.
As it dries down, the bright citrus notes fade (but not entirely) and the sweetness of the honey is emboldened by sweet vanilla and tonka bean. You also get spicy cinnamon notes, which pairs exquisitely with the vanilla and lavender.
The tobacco leaf — which smells more like a green, earthy tobacco rather than a tobacco pipe — helps buffer the sweetness and freshness so the scent never goes too far in any direction. It’s smooth, creamy, bright, aromatic, sweet, warm, and partly gourmand. There are so many highlights that make Naxos a remarkable scent.
Performance
Great. Excellent longevity and it projects very well.
Final Verdict
Naxos is shockingly wearable for a tobacco scent. It appeals to so many people, even those who don’t love tobacco or overly sweet fragrances. It also works great in all seasons. Yes, it’s outstanding in the fall and winter, but it also works well in the spring and summer. Maybe avoid the high heat of midsummer, but summer nights are fine.
No “best date night” fragrance list would be complete without at least one leather fragrance. Leather is a notoriously difficult note to execute, and perhaps nobody does it better than Tom Ford.
Ombré Leather is an approachable leather fragrance; it’s a softer leather scent that’s balanced by floral and spicy notes. It’s also versatile enough to be worn year-round as an evening fragrance and can be worn dressed up or down.
The Scent
Ombré Leather opens partly floral (jasmine) and partly spicy (while not listed in the ingredients, most reviewers believe cardamom is the predominent spice). But make no mistake – the entire scent profile is defined by leather.
Ombré Leather is softer and smoother than other leather fragrances. While there are no sweet notes listed by Tom Ford, there’s a subtle sweetness — possibly due to the jasmine and amber in the base. As it dries, it gets even better. The scent warms and turns faintly smoky from the amber and patchouli, which complements the leather and woody notes in the base perfectly.
Performance
Very good for a date night fragrgance. It’s not supposed to be a loud projector, but it’s certainly enough to get you noticed. Longevity is outstanding. It also leaves a nice sillage.
Final Verdict
One of the best leather fragrances on the market. Clean, refined, masculine. It’s luxurious enough to be worn formally, but feels right at home for a casual night out.
Price: $155 for 50 mL (1.7-oz.), $225 for 100 mL (3.4-oz.), $250 for 150 mL (5.0-oz.) — Tom Ford Official Site (USA)
Parfums de Marly Herod
Like Layton, another star from Parfums de Marly (and #5 on this list), Herod enjoys near universal praise from both fragrance aficionados and the broader fragrance community alike.
Herod makes outstanding use of Parfums de Marly’s signature vanilla note and tobacco — typically a polarizing ingredient — to create an impeccable scent that has the broad appeal of a designer fragrance but with the intricacies generally reserved for niche perfumery.
The Scent
Herod is a tobacco scent and makes no bones about it. It starts spicy-sweet (mainly from the cinnamon) and fruity (likely from the osmanthus, since there are no fruity ingredients listed). The tobacco leaf and incense creates a smoky, burnt-pipe tobacco vibe that lasts throughout the fragrance life.
The vanilla grows stronger as the scent progresses. It never gets too sweet or overpowering, and actually begins to take on facets from the other notes. The cinnamon and pepper add a spicy edge, while the incense gives it a mild smokiness. And the sweet vanilla balances the green, leafy tobacco wonderfully. Herod manages to be vanilla-forward without being too cloying.
Performance
Excellent. Very long-lasting and projects heavy (beyond your personal space).
Final Verdict
Herod is an approachable, easy-to-love tobacco-vanilla scent that’ll impress any fragrance newcomer or fanatic. A superb fragrance for any romantic encounter, but should be reserved for cooler months.
While the entire Prada Luna Rossa line is well received by the fragrance community, “Black” may be the biggest hype-getter of them all (along with Carbon).
Luna Rossa Black is all about amber, vanilla, and Prada’s trademark powdery touch. Black is an elegant, refined version of a mass appealing, people pleasing fragrance.
The Scent
Luna Rossa Black is a sweet fragrance from open to finish, but it’s not an overpowering bubblegum sweetness like Paco Rabanne 1 Million. The coumarin (tonka bean) lends touches of powder and creaminess, and a prominent vanilla note. As it dries down, the sweetness subdues (somewhat) and gives way to musky and warm ambery tones. The scent is sweet and rounded – no sharpness at all.
Performance
Moderate projection and good longevity. It turns to a skin scent after a few hours.
Final Verdict
Luna Rossa Black balances being a unique scent AND a safe scent magnificently. It’s a great pick for any age. Probably better for evening wear, but not an inappropriate daytime fragrance at all. Best worn during cooler months: fall, winter, and early spring.
Sauvage Elixir is a stark contrast to the original Sauvage.
Sauvage is fresh, clean, and citrusy; Sauvage Elixir is warm, sweet, and spicy. And Sauvage Elixir is strong. (Even compared to the original Sauvage.) You’ll get no performance complaints here.
The Scent
As mentioned, Elixir goes in an entirely different direction than the original. Sauvage EDT is all about bright citrus, spicy pepper and ambroxan. Sauvage Elixir opens with lavender and warm spicy notes (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom). There’s no prominent citrus note at all. The lavender and spices last into the heart of the fragrance, blending fresh and green-aromatic notes (almost fougère-like) with the patchouli and smoky vetiver in the base.
Deeper into the dry-down you get warm ambery notes, woods, and maybe a hint of ambroxan. This is the spiciest version of Sauvage, but from sweeter spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, not sharp spices like black pepper.
Performance
Strong! Sauvage Elixir projects monstrously and lasts forever on skin. Do not overspray! Two-to-three sprays max.
Final Verdict
This is a cold weather scent, best for fall and winter. Numerous reviewers mentioned that Sauvage Elixir reminded them of powerhouse fragrances from the ’70s and ’80s, so perhaps it may appeal more to an older crowd. That said, Elixir doesn’t smell the least bit dated and should be appropriate for anyone beyond college years.
Maison Margiela’s “Replica” line aims to recreate certain environments.
REPLICA Jazz Club puts you in the center of a Brooklyn jazz club, with aromas of fine cocktails, aged liquor, and burning cigars. And they nailed the execution masterfully.
The Scent
Jazz Club is smooth and sweet. Its scent is built on three primary ingredients: vanilla, tobacco, and a rum accord. It opens with sweet vanilla and subtle spice from the pink pepper. As the scent opens further, the boozy-tobacco notes emerge.
Reviewers are split on how smoky or boozy they find Jazz Club. Some say the tobacco and rum notes stand out distinctly. Others say it’s more of a hint of boziness, or more of a green tobacco leaf scent than a cigar. But everyone agrees the scent works. The vanilla, tobacco, and rum all work in tandem; there’s no note that overpowers the others.
Performance
Jazz Club is compared to D&G’s The One EDP (more on that later). And like The One EDP, people wish it performed better. Projection falls between soft and moderate; longevity is above average.
Final Verdict
Most reviewers say to reserve Jazz Club for the cooler months, but a little heat may help push this one off the skin. Save Jazz Club for evening and nighttime wear.
So how similar is Jazz Club to The One EDP? No doubt similar.
The One EDP has more green and aromatic notes; Jazz Club is a bit spicier. The One EDP has cedarwood and ambery notes in the base; Jazz Club uses boozy-tobacco notes and vetiver as its base. There’s no boozy notes in The One EDP.
Jazz Club has better performance and probably leans a bit more masculine. The One EDP is a designer fragrance: more approachable, more people pleasing. Jazz Club is a niche fragrance: rougher around the edges and more nuanced.
Rochas Moustache (Eau de Parfum)
Moustache Eau de Parfum enjoys almost mythical status in the fragrance community – mostly because it’s so hard to find. (Nearly impossible in the U.S.)
Released in 2018, Moustache EDP came out of nowhere to become one of the most hyped fragrances of the past five years. The hype is real. Moustache EDP is an affordable yet elegant date night scent that’s totally irresistible.
The Scent
Moustache EDP is defined by two prominent notes: vanilla and benzoin. From the start, the scent is seductive, spicy, sweet (but not overly sweet), a little boozy and slightly powdery. The pink pepper adds a lasting spicy note and the benzoin-vanilla combo adds warmth and sweetness. The patchouli and creamy cedar base comes through in the drydown. Though rose is listed as an ingredient, it never makes much of an impact on the overall scent.
Performance
Moustache EDP has good performance. It has good longevity, and while it doesn’t project too much the scent does hang in the air nicely. While the fragrance can be worn year-round (barring intense heat), it’s ideal for cooler fall weather.
Final Verdict
A few things set Moustache EDP apart from previous entries on this list. First, this is a formal fragrance. It should be worn dressed up. Second, this scent will not appeal to a younger crowd. This is a gentlemen’s fragrance. Third, this is a unisex fragrance. It’s is a softer scent and lacks any of the traditionally masculine notes (e.g. leather, tobacco, musk, heavy spices) that you get in other men’s fragrances.
NOTE: Moustache EDP is a much different fragrance than the EDT version. Be aware when buying.
Price: It’s very difficult to find and price fluctuates, but many reviewers said they paid under $50 for a 75 mL (2.5-oz.) bottle at discount sites. If you find it, buy it.
Alternative: Yves Saint Laurent Tuxedo
If you’re one of the many who aren’t able to find Moustache in stores or online, you can opt for the more expensive alternative: YSL Tuxedo. Every fragrance reviewer noted that Moustache EDP is a clone of (the much beloved) Tuxedo, and it’s readily available online.
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Le Parfum
While most reviewers absolutely love this fragrance, they’re split on just how “lipsticky” the scent is. Some have described it as a woman’s makeup bag (so very lipsticky), similar to the original Dior Homme; others have said the lipstick smell is overblown.
Iris can be a tricky ingredient in men’s perfumery, and this is the first one on our list. JPG’s Le Male Le Parfum pulls off iris as well as any designer fragrance on the market.
The Scent
As mentioned, the main note is iris. Iris is a common ingredient in women’s cosmetics, which is why the scent reminds so many people of lipstick or other beauty products. (FYI, the scent of iris in perfumery is extracted from the root, not from the flower.) Historically, iris has been a tough sell in men’s fragrance; some think it’s too feminine. So Le Male Le Parfum’s popularity should tell you how good it really is. Dior Homme, once a powerhouse iris fragrance for men, reformulated in 2020 and removed the iris.
Le Male Le Parfum can be described as powdery and sweet, with creamy vanilla notes and spicy top notes of cardamom. Le Parfum retains the lavender and vanilla from the original Le Male, but drops the mint in favor of iris. The scent starts fresh and sweet and dries down to a warmer, spicier base, but the milky-sweet vanilla and powdery iris last through the heart of the fragrance. It’s not overly sweet, but less aromatic than previous Le Male flankers.
Performance
Just average. Projection is OK, but longevity is good. Truthfully, many longtime fans of the original Le Male have complained of weakened performance for years.
When first released in 1995, Le Male’s performance was legendary. Ever since a controlling stake of JPG’s fragrances was sold to a Spanish conglomerate, performance complaints have ensued. It’s a recurring issue with the brand.
Final Verdict
This is the most upscale offering from the Le Male series. It’s classy, mature, and versatile. It can be worn dressed up or down, in any season. (But not hot summer days.) A fashionable choice for any night out.
One final thought…
While iris may be a controversial ingredient, the original Le Male was counter-cultural in its own way. It was a sweet vanilla and lavender-heavy floral fragrance in a market where most men’s fragrances were sportier or more traditional men’s colognes: earthy and green, aggressively spicy, or deep woodsy scents. Even Le Male’s iconic bottle was risky for a fragrance marketed to men in the ’90s.
Le Male Le Parfum follows the JPG tradition of going against the grain.
Price: $106 for 75 mL (2.5-oz.), $135 for 125 mL (4.2-oz.), $170 for 200 mL (6.7-oz.) — Macy’s Website
Guerlain L’Homme Idéal Eau de Parfum
Guerlain is a storied French perfume house that is sometimes overlooked by the American market.
The L’Homme Idéal line is highly regarded by the fragrance community, with the Eau de Parfum being one of the favorites. Every L’Homme Idéal fragrance features a bitter almond note, but the Eau de Parfum turns up the sweetness with an irresistible cherry-vanilla-almond accord and spices.
The Scent
The original L’Homme Idéal was highlighted by its “amaretto” accord — which gave it a prominent boozy, bitter almond note — and leather in the base. Idéal Eau de Parfum keeps the bitter almond, but it’s balanced with sweet notes of cherry and vanilla (tonka bean). There’s a hint of spices and incense, and a subtle leathery undertone.
The cherry is the standout note. Combined with the amaretto accord and vanilla, you get sweet, boozy, and sour notes throughout the scent. The tonka bean and sandalwood in the base gives a persistent creaminess that adds depth and richness to the sweet cherry and vanilla.
As is common in French perfumery, the lavender gives Idéal Eau de Parfum fresh and distinctly powdery touches.
Performance
Like many French colognes, Idéal Eau de Parfum is a bit understated, but certainly not weak. Projection is moderate, while longevity is pretty good. Very appropriate for more intimate occasions.
Final Verdict
Idéal Eau de Parfum is best worn during fall or winter nights, but it’s not exclusively a cold-weather fragrance. Great for casual or more formal wear.
Price: Not currently available in the United States. Retails for 125,00 € for a 100 mL bottle on Guerlain’s French website.
Don’t take our word for it. See what the fragrance experts have to say.
Best Summer Fragrances for Men
Best Summer Fragrances for Men
Whether you’re dealing with dry heat or high humidity, summer can be rough on fragrances. Regardless, summer is a great time to stand out in a sea of body sweat and sunscreen. These fragrances will help you beat the heat in style!
Our criteria for this list are fragrances that:
are mass appealing
can perform in extreme heat
have their own unique scent
have an established record of market success
We tried to choose a healthy mix of designer and niche fragrances and include some budget-friendly picks in the list.
*** NOTE: All prices listed are from the manufacturer’s U.S. website, unless stated otherwise. You can usually find these fragrances for less on discounter sites, department stores, and various other fragrance retailers. Never pay more than the price listed on the brand’s website.
These fragrances are the kings of summer! They are the undisputed stalwarts of Beach Town, USA (and anywhere else it’s hot) and guaranteed to get positive feedback from just about anybody. If you’re looking for just one fragrance to buy and smell good for summer, then look no further.
The best part? These three fragrance are affordable. At the time of writing this, a 50mL bottle (1.7-oz.) for any of the three retails for under $80. In the high-end fragrance world, that’s well priced. If you’re new to the fragrance game, these are excellent starters.
Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense Pour Homme
It’s hard to find a “Best Summer Fragrances” list without seeing Light Blue Eau Intense near the top. While still relatively young (debuted in 2017), Light Blue Eau Intense seems like it’s been a summertime favorite for decades.
The Scent
Eau Intense opens with a rush of citrus, salty aquatic notes, and juniper. The opening definitely fits the “Intense” moniker. The citrus and salty marine accord defines this fragrance. As it dries down, you get more of the aromatic and woody elements and clean musks. Like Versace Pour Homme, Light Blue Eau Intense is often compared to “fresh laundry.” Overall, a very easy-to-wear citrus scent that’s high-heat approved and a great casual summer fragrance.
The sexiest beach fragrance you can wear. Smells fresh and clean… like a salty sea breeze with freshly-cut citrus.
The best of The Big Three. Longevity and projection is above average, and projection is especially strong in the opening.
Final Verdict
While most in fragrance community prefer Light Blue Eau Intense (saying the original version had poor performance), there are some that prefer the original Light Blue Pour Homme, saying the marine accord is muted in the Eau Intense version.
To me, the Eau Intense version lost [the original’s] magic when it added this generic fruitiness to it.
You may recognize this pick from our “Best Office Fragrances” list. Well, not only is it a great office scent, but it’s also a summertime star that performs beautifully in the heat!
The Scent
Classified as an aromaticfougère, Versace Pour Home is bright, clean-smelling fragrance. There’s a sharp burst of citrus in the opening and a hint of lemon, adding a bitter freshness. As it dries down, you get floral notes in the mid (mainly from the neroli) and woody-musky notes in the base. It’s an aquatic fragrance — but without the salty marine accord of other fragrances like Acqua Di Giò — and a citrus scent from start to finish.
If you’re looking for a fresh/aquatic/floral fragrance that’s going to be safe, this is it. The higher the heat, the better it works.
Moderate projection. Longevity is below average, but not bad. Perfect for all age groups.
Final Verdict
While Pour Homme is overwhelmingly liked in the fragrance community, sometimes it gets overlooked. It’s often compared to Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport (most prefer Chanel, sans price tag) and is a more linear, synthetic fragrance than others listed. However, Pour Homme is as versatile as it gets. It works equally well at the beach, in the gym, in the office, or out on the town. It’s a great scent that’ll freshen you up, won’t be too overpowering (no matter how many times you spray), and works with any outfit — from sweats to a suit. All of that and well priced. An outstanding summer fragrance!
Yes, another Versace fragrance. We didn’t intend to put two fragrances from the same house in the top three, but Eau Fraîche has topped countless “Best Summer Fragrances” lists. It can be argued for any spot in the top three.
Classified as an aromatic aquatic, Eau Fraîche was released in 2006 (as a flanker to the original Versace Man), two years before Versace’s hugely-popular Pour Homme. Both fragrances continue to sell exceptionally well and remain two of the most popular summer fragrances on the market.
The Scent
Eau Fraîche is fresh, citrusy, and fruity. Clean, but not soapy, and a bit of spice, this fragrance blends herbal notes (tarragon, clary sage) and woody notes (rosewood, cedar) very well. There’s also a touch of sweetness from the star fruit (carambola) note, which adds a tropical vibe and is a rare find in perfumery.
Performance
Projection is above average; longevity is moderate. Don’t go too crazy with sprays. Eau Fraîche will knock you out if you spray too much.
NOTE: Versace Man Eau Fraîche is, in fact, an eau de toilette (EDT) concentration and not… an eau fraîche.
Final Verdict
Eau Fraîche is a great pick for a fragrance to wear outdoors during the day. It really responds well to the heat. This fragrance leans more youthful, but is safe for all ages.
“The Big Three” fragrances have more in common than not. Truth be told, there’s no reason to buy all three unless you’re an aspiring fragrance collector or enthusiast.
The fragrances in “The Next Tier” have more diversity. If you’re looking for a change from generic “summer” fragrances but still want to appeal to the masses — then keep reading!
Dior Sauvage
What more is there to say about Dior Sauvage? It’s not just the best-selling men’s fragrance right now, it’s historically popular. In 2021, it became the fist men’s fragrance ever to outsell all individual women’s fragrances. It’s hugely popular for clubbing and as a date night scent.
Sauvage took the blue “shower gel” vibe of Bleu de Chanel and pumped up the volume with a deafening amount of ambroxan. So much so that it’s now synonymous with the ingredient. You can’t say it didn’t work — this fragrance gets more popular every year.
The Scent
Half blue fragrance, half ambroxan bomb, Sauvage opens strong with a cannon blast of citrus: lots of bergamot and spicy pepper. The ambroxan adds powerful woody and ambery tones that denote this fragrance. There’s also lavender and vanilla, which add a touch of powder and sweetness. The Eau de Parfum is smoother; it enhances the sweet vanilla and fresh lavender and uses an array of spices (e.g. cinnamon, nutmeg) to balance everything out. There’s still plenty of ambroxan and citrus, but it’s more tame.
Performance
Sauvage has legendary projection (people WILL smell you) and excellent longevity.
Final Verdict
For our summer pick, we recommend the original (Eau de Toilette). While Sauvage Eau de Parfum may be the better overall fragrance, the original is fresher and has the strongest projection. Sauvage will appeal to a younger crowd. It can be worn out to dinner or to the gym, during the day or at night. A very versatile (and very popular) scent.
Price: $68 for 30 mL (1.0 oz.), $100 for 60 mL (2.0 oz.), $120 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.) — Dior Official Site (USA)
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Profondo
Consider Profondo a deeper, more upscale version of the original Acqua Di Giò. (One of the best-selling men’s fragrances ever.) Profondo takes the classic marine-aquatic accord of the original and adds more contemporary ingredients. As the bottle would suggest, this is a blue-style fragrance, but it’s different than other “blue” fragrances on the market. It’s fruitier, more aromatic, and doesn’t have the ambroxan-heavy, synthetic smell that drive some people away from the genre.
When first released, Profondo was met with apathy. It seemed redundant. There were already popular blue and blue/ambroxan fragrances on the market (namely Dior Sauvage, Versace Dylan Blue, and Bleu de Chanel). But over time, the community has embraced Profondo.
The Scent
Profondo opens fresh, citrusy (bergamot, green mandarin), and very aquatic. It keeps the marine accord of the original. The citrus fades and the marine/aquatic notes mix with bitter green, aromatic notes like rosemary, cypress and lavender. (While patchouli is a listed ingredient, most reviewers do not detect it.)
The base is more straightforward. You get warm ambery and musky-woody notes that last until the scent expires.
The opening is gorgeous. You get lovely, sweet mandarin… It’s fresh, invigorating, and starts off quite sweet with a nice, fruity pop. As it transitions, it becomes a little more green, a little more sour… Fits nicely with the slightly-salty marine accords in the opening.
In the summer fragrance realm, Profondo has above average performance. Both projection and longevity are good.
Final Verdict
Love them or hate them, blue fragrances are trendy right now, and Profondo is one of the best. This scent appeals to all ages and can be worn dressed up or dressed down. Very easy to wear, very versatile, and very mass appealing.
Price: $86 for 40 mL (1.4 oz.), $126 for 75 mL (2.5 oz.), $160 for 125 mL (4.2 oz.) — Armani Official Site (USA)
Dior Sauvage
Armani Acqua di Giò Profondo
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau
Chanel Allure Homme Édition Blanche
You probably expected Allure Homme Sport in this spot (another citrus powerhouse from Chanel), but instead we chose a sweeter option. Known epithetically as the “lemon meringue pie” fragrance, Allure Homme Édition Blanche is a delicious summertime scent that never fails to impress. It’s sweet, it’s tart, and it has Chanel’s signature touch of class that made its perfumes famous.
The Scent
Édition Blanche opens with bergamot and a brisk, radiant lemon note that lasts throughout the life of the fragrance. The juicy lemon clashes with sweet vanilla notes to create an irresistible dessert-like scent. The sandalwood offers a smooth, creamy base that helps balance the sweet vanilla and sharp citrus. Overall, a great reinterpretation of the original Allure Homme.
Performance
Average. Projection is moderate, but will improve in warmer weather. Longevity is below average, but not bad.
Final Verdict
Édition Blanche is a fresh, citrus, gourmand-like scent that’s great for the spring and summer. Maybe not the best choice for extreme heat or for a day at the beach, but an elegant, sophisticated scent nonetheless. Perfect for summer nights out.
Price: $125 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), $150 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.), $184 for 150 mL (5.0 oz.) — Chanel Official Site (USA)
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau
In 1995, Jean Paul Gaultier struck gold with the release of the iconic Le Male, one of the industry’s best sellers and an OG of night club fragrances. Le Male was a sweet, minty-fresh, barbershop-inspired scent that’s earned its place in fragrance history.
Consider Le Beau a beachy version of its predecessor.
The Scent
Le Beau was launched in 2019 as a fresher take on the original Le Male. The mint is gone. There’s bergamot and geranium in the opening, but this isn’t a citrus fragrance. The creamy coconut wood and vanillic sweetness from the tonka bean (a common ingredient in the Le Male series) are the main players. There’s a fresh, shower gel feel to it, but more tropical than classic shower gel scents like Bleu de Chanel. It’s woodier as it dries down. It’s more subdued than Le Male. The bergamot is not too citrusy, and the vanilla is a drier, less sugary-sweet vanilla. It’s still sweet, but not a youthful “bubblegum” type of sweet.
Performance
Longevity is better than projection, but both are above average. Jean Paul Gaultier recently released an Eau de Parfum version of Le Beau, but we recommend the original Eau de Toilette version for summer.
Final Verdict
Le Beau is a nice change of pace from traditional summer fragrances. Rather than rely on citrus and aquatic notes for freshness, Le Beau emphasizes sweeter, creamier notes of coconut and vanilla (tonka bean) while staying light and airy. This is an easy to wear, casual summer scent for a slightly younger crowd.
The next eight fragrances are the overlooked summer kings that deserve the spotlight. Looking to change up your summer scent? These are your best options.
Prada L’Homme L’Eau
Most of you know the original L’Homme Prada as one of the best masculine soapy/powdery fragrances on the market and one of the kings of the office. L’Eau is a lighter, less powdery take on the original that’s made for the heat. Still clean and soapy, but more floral. If you like the original, you’ll like this one.
The Scent
The floral notes are most prominent, mainly neroli and iris (similar to the original L’Homme), and the ginger adds some zingy, spicy-fresh notes. Prada also lists amber, cedar, and sandalwood as ingredients, but most reviewers don’t get these notes. This is a fresh, floral fragrance from start to finish.
Performance
Some reviewers were disappointed by the performance. The longevity is decent, but it never projects more than an arm’s length.
Final Verdict
L’Eau is a linear fragrance, meaning the way it smells when first sprayed is how it smells when it dissipates. L’Eau appeals to all age groups and can be worn in formal or casual situations. It would be an exceptional summer office scent.
Our first niche fragrance on the list. Elysium is a fresh citrus fragrance that manages to make a complex fragrance DNA very mass appealing. The quality of the ingredients is second to none. If you’re looking for an introduction to niche perfumery — or just want a safe blind buy — then Elysium is it.
The Scent
Elysium is (technically) classified as an aromaticfougère, but modern in its composition. It opens fresh and bright with a wonderful burst of fruity citrus (grapefruit, lemon, bergamot, lime) that’s perfectly blended with lavender and thyme. As it dries down, you get a blend of florals (jasmine, lily of the valley) and warm, sweet, and smoky notes. The ingredients list is an embarrassment of riches; there’s ambergris, vetiver, benzoin, blackcurrant, vanilla, juniper, pink pepper, musks, and much more.
Truthfully, even the most trained perfumer nose cannot distinguish all of these individual notes, which is why it’s more important to focus on nuances rather than notes. What’s special about Elysium is that each fragrance reviewer picks up on something different. Many remarked on the smoky vetiver. Others thought juniper was the dominant note. Most enjoyed the fresh, juicy citrus in the opening; others enjoyed the sweetness in the base.
In my opinion, it’s better than Aventus. It’s a rich, woody, fantastic citrus — very punchy, juicy, and sharp — plus a lot of grapefruit, vetiver, and some fruity touches from the blackcurrant. Fantastic longevity and projection for a fresh citrus fragrance.
Very good. It projects well and has excellent longevity.
Final Verdict
While it’s on the high end of niche perfumery, it’s an incredibly versatile and easy-to-wear fragrance. The citrus opening makes this a quintessential summer fragrance, but you could wear this year round. It can be worn in a t-shirt or a tuxedo. Perfect for any occasion. Not a youthful fragrance, but more youthful than other niche fragrances.
While everything from the Blu Mediterraneo collection is great, Fico di Amalfi is the most cited as a summertime favorite. This is high-quality Italian niche perfumery and is a must-try if you love fig or are fig-curious.
The Scent
As the name implies, Fico di Amalfi is a fig-based fragrance (some compare the smell of fig to a peach) that blends fruity-sweet fig notes with citrus. There’s classic Italian citrus ingredients like lemon and bergamot and also a prominent grapefruit note. The fig and grapefruit combination allows you to fully experience the essence of each ingredient without it being too sweet or too bitter. Further into the scent you get pink pepper and jasmine along with the fig nectar.
Something unique about Fico di Amalfi is it uses all of the ingredients from the fig tree: the fruit as well as the wood and leaves. The base of the scent is green and woodsy with the fig leaves and cedar, and a faint sweetness from the benzoin. It never loses its citrus or fruity character and stays fresh throughout.
Performance
Like most fragrances in the Blu Mediterraneo collection, performance isn’t great. Longevity is OK, but it’s a soft projector. Ideal for the summer heat (which will help projection) or more intimate encounters.
Final Verdict
The Blu Mediterraneo collection is known for citrus, and Fico di Amalfi is no exception. Obviously you have to like fig, but this more than just a fig fragrance. The citrus makes this a more approachable fig scent; it freshens everything up. The fig sets this apart from a standard summer citrus scent; it adds fruity, sweet, and green accents. It’s an unconventional scent that’s popular for a reason. A vacation in a bottle.
If you like fig…Philosykos by Diptyque is a classic fig fragrance that’s greener and less sweet than Fico di Amalfi.
If you don’t like fig… Acqua di Parma has a number of great summer options. Arancia di Capri is a wonderfully bright summer citrus scent that shines in the heat. It’s beloved by the community and an asset to any fragrance collection.
Dior Homme Cologne
Dior Homme Cologne is uncomplicated, unpretentious — and criminally underrated. It’s a shame it doesn’t get more recognition by the community. Homme Cologne is minimalist and understated, but makes excellent use of very high-quality ingredients.
If not for weak performance, this fragrance would be ranked much higher than it is currently.
The Scent
There are only three notes listed: bergamot, grapefruit blossom, and white musk. Truthfully, there’s not much more to the fragrance than that. The citrus is bright, slightly tart and subtly sweet. It’s been compared to lemon Italian ice, and there are hints of other citrus notes like lemon and lime.
As it dries, there’s a lustrous freshness from the soft, white florals and clean white musks to freshen everything up. It’s bright, fizzy, effervescent, and very refreshing.
A fresh, clean scent… one of the best “clean” fragrances you can wear. Citrus, lots of bergamot, with a musky, clean linen-type of scent.
As a light fragrance concentration (eau de cologne), Homme Cologne suffers from poor performance and longevity. Be generous with sprays and don’t worry about applying too much; this isn’t a scent that’ll bother anyone.
Final Verdict
Simple, but elegant. Homme Cologne is luxuriously clean and shines in the high heat. Great for any age and any occasion.
Sedley gets the nod over Parfums de Marly’s other summertime blue, Percival. (Percival is still great, though.)
“Shower gel” fragrances are en vogue right now, but few niche perfume houses have jumped on the trend. Sedley takes a blueprint that’s been proven successful and elevates it to a level it’s never been. Whether or not that justifies the price is up to the consumer, but it’s undeniably excellent.
The Scent
Sedley opens with a bright, fizzy pop of spearmint, lemon, and other citrus notes (bergamot, grapefruit). The opening is fantastic. It draws freshness from the citrus, aquatic notes, and a tingly, green minty note. The citrus is smooth, not sharp and bitter like other citrus scents. It settles into more green, aromatic notes (rosemary being most prominent) and clean lavender, giving it a slight barbershop feel when blended with the minty notes. Further in the drydown you get some woody notes (cedarwood, sandalwood), a slight smokiness from the incense, clean white musk, and ambroxan.
The ambroxan used used in Sedley is a propriety ingredient called AMBROX® SUPER, which the company says is more animalic and natural smelling than ordinary ambroxan. It’s described as powerful and elegant ambery odor with musky and woody tonalities. The ambroxan note in Sedley is softer in the opening but continues to get stronger.
Performance
Sedley was reformulated a year after it launched to improve performance issues. For a fresh fragrance, Sedley has excellent longevity and above average projection. A few extra sprays and some heat will help push this one off the skin even better.
Final Verdict
Sedley is Parfums de Marly’s freshest offering and most suited for the high heat of summer. Very versatile — can be worn professionally or casually.
By now, you’re probably tired of reading about citrus fragrances. We get it — there are a lot of boring, generic citrus scents out there. Artisan Pure is not one of them. John Varvatos describes Artisan Pure as a woody-citrus scent that’s inspired by the coffee and citrus groves of Xalapa, Mexico.
A word of warning: this is NOT a typical safe, mass appealing summer scent that guarantees enjoyment. We wouldn’t “blind buy” this one. Artisan Pure goes in a different direction than most other fresh citrus fragrances, so not everyone will like it.
The Scent
Artisan Pure opens with a barrage of competing fruity-citrus and green-spicy notes that are sweet (clementine, mandarin, bergamot), tart (lemon), and herbaceous (ginger, thyme, marjoram). One reviewer likened the opening to a “lemony orange peel.” Artisan Pure keeps much of the citrus and herbal notes throughout the life of the fragrance. The citrus notes meld into green petitgrain notes and a woody base with ambery notes and clean white musks, creating a simple, pleasant end to the scent.
Performance
Artisan Pure is one of the best performing fragrances in the John Varvatos Artisan series. Its longevity is above average for a citrus scent, and it projects well for the first two or three hours. (It will project better in the heat.)
Final Verdict
Artisan Pure is a great casual, summer daytime fragrance that will work for any age.
With Eau Très Fraîche discontinued, Eau Givrée takes over as the preferred Terre d’Hermès summer flanker. Hermès released Eau Givrée in 2022 and the response was immediately positive. Whenever a new release replaces an old favorite, there’s usually some pushback from the community. Eau Très Fraîche was an absolute treasure, so Eau Givrée had big shoes to fill.
Eau Givrée deviates considerably from the original Terre d’Hermès; it’s more than just a lighter version of the classic. It’s crisp, refreshing, and built for the high heat of summer.
The Scent
The listed citrus ingredient is citron, which is similar to lemon but has the bitterness of a lime. When combined with the Timut pepper, the citron creates a lively and pungent grapefruit note that’s sharp and photorealistic. It’s such a vibrant and vivid grapefruit-like note (since grapefruit isn’t a listed ingredient) that you’d swear there was one in front of you. The juniper adds green, leafy accents to the grapefruit and gives the scent an aromatic freshness.
The opening is spectacular; the drydown is less eventful. The sharp citrus begins to dull. It’s still fresh, but it starts to more closely resemble the classic Terre d’Hermès DNA (citrus and earthy vetiver).
Performance
Not the best. It projects well initially but settles down considerably after an hour or so. Since this is an eau de parfum, it should pop off the skin nicely with some heat. Longevity is decent.
Final Verdict
The original Terre d’Hermès was a novel, innovative citrus scent. Eau Givrée is not. Eau Givrée loses the aquatic notes of its predecessor (Eau Très Fraîche) and lacks the “dirty orange” character of the original Terre d’Hermès. It’s expertly crafted but follows a more conventional formula for summer fragrances.
Eau Givrée can be worn casually, but it’s chic enough to be worn formally or at the office.
If Allure Homme Édition Blanche is the “lemon meringue pie” fragrance, then Virgin Island Water is the “piña colada” fragrance. This Caribbean-inspired tropical scent uses enduring notes of lime and coconut and a subtle, underlying white rum accord to create the ultimate beach fragrance.
The Scent
Virgin Island Water opens with a wave of zesty citrus: mandarin, bergamot, and a healthy dose of lime. There’s also aquatic notes and a robust coconut note that gets stronger as the fragrance dries down. The heart of the fragrance introduces faint white floral notes (jasmine, hibiscus, ylang-ylang), and the base gives sweet, boozy rum notes and clean musks. An overall refreshing — and slightly exotic smelling — casual summer scent.
Performance
Most find Virgin Island Water has slightly-below-average projection and slightly-above-average longevity. Creed fragrances in general receive complaints regarding performance, especially in recent years. Of course there are some who say projection is abysmal, but that’s not the norm. Just don’t go into this one with high expectations for performance.
Final Verdict
Virgin Island Water has been a summertime favorite for fragrance aficionados (and those who enjoy fragrances less enthusiastically) for years. Enough for people to overlook for the performance shortcomings.
If you want to spoil yourself (or someone else) on a magnificent summer scent, this is a great choice.
Creed specializes in fresh and clean scents and has plenty of great summertime fragrances.
Aventus Cologne is a warm weather gem and Erolfa is a beautiful maritime-inspired scent. (Millésime Impérial is also great but misses the cut entirely due to its unforgivably poor performance.) Reviewers are split on Royal Water; some love it and some think it’s bland. And of course you can’t go wrong with soapy-fresh scents like Silver Mountain Water and Himalaya.
If you’re a bit shocked by the price (I don’t blame you), the house Laboratory Perfumes has a fragrance called Gorse which smells similar to Virgin Island Water.
Hungry for More
Don’t see anything you like? Take the word of some of our favorite fragrance connoisseurs on YouTube. This site uses the collective wisdom of our most trusted fragrance reviewers in the community. Any fragrance that makes our lists has been tried and tested.
Best Office Fragrances for Men
Best Office Fragrances for Men
What makes a great office scent? Versatile and easy to wear. Masculine and mass appealing, but not too strong or overpowering. An office fragrance smells like business. Or… whatever you think a successful person smells like. Gordon Gekko. Don Draper. Tony Stark?
There’s no better way to be THE MAN at work than by wearing an impeccable office fragrance. Often overlooked, fragrances are a simple style tip that can help anyone in the career — from entry-level to executive. These are not meant to be showstopper fragrances or elusive, never-before-smelled scents. These fragrances are low-risk with guaranteed appeal and help complement your overall style.
Bleu de Chanel is the President and CEO of the corporate fragrance world until it retires or gets voted out by the shareholders. Bleu de Chanel is one of the best-selling men’s fragrances and sets the standard for modern office scents.
Chanel Bleu de Chanel Parfum
Chanel Bleu de Chanel
Bleu de Chanel is a clean-smelling (and expensive-smelling) versatile fragrance that broke the mold and helped popularize the blue / shower gel-type fragrance trend. And while it has been around for over a decade, it has maintained strong mainstream popularity.
The Scent
Bleu de Chanel is dominated by citrus in the opening (namely lemon zest and a heavy dose of grapefruit), aromatic notes, and a woody base of cedar and sandalwood. There’s some mint up top for freshness and a hint of incense to add depth. It’s a timeless scent that’s been copied by almost everyone.
Final Verdict
Blue fragrances were made to be mass appealing and easy to wear — a fragrance you can blind grab for any occasion — and Bleu de Chanel does it better than anyone. It’s the safest office scent available and a great pick for all ages.
Which Bleu de Chanel concentration is best?
Going by mainstream popularity, the original eau de toilette (EDT) is the best seller. Going by popularity in the fragrance community, most will say the eau de parfum (EDP). However, since this is a list of best office fragrances, we’re going to recommend the parfum. (Although you can’t go wrong with any of them.)
Bleu de Chanel Parfum turns down the dominant citrus notes of the original and emphasizes the incense and woods. The result is a creamier, more refined, and more masculine character — but still fresh. The mint and ginger notes are more subtle in the parfum, but the richness of the woods really shines.
Bleu de Chanel is made to be really fresh, with nice qualities of sandalwood, cedar, and strong notes of citrus and grapefruit. A slightly minty tone on the opening, with ginger and jasmine to balance the aromatic woody base. The EDP is similar to the EDT, with added amber notes and tonka bean. The EDT is a good summer blue. The EDP is a must-have; it perfectly balances the fruit, ginger, spiciness, woods, and ambery tone. More sensual, but easy to wear — day or night. Very versatile.
Price (EDP): $125 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), $150 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.), $184 for 150 mL (5.0 oz.) — Chanel Official Site (USA)
Price (Parfum): $155 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), $185 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.), $220 for 150 mL (5.0 oz.) — Chanel Official Site (USA)
Executive Committee
If the head honcho gets ousted (or willingly steps down), chances are one these takes its place. The following fragrances have been mainstays on “Best for the Office” lists for years. They’re established, popular, and trend-setting without being cloned or duped into oblivion.
Prada L’Homme
Prada has mastered the art of soapy, powdery freshness in men’s fragrance — and L’Homme Prada is king. Released in 2016, its signature iris note gives it a powdery-floral character that makes it an unbeatable office scent.
The Scent
L’Homme is an inoffensive, people-pleasing fragrance that mixes between a barbershop and shower gel scent. Fragrance reviewer Monika Cioch puts it perfectly in her Top 10 Office Fragrances for Men: Perfect for the office because it’s impossible to dislike.
Keep in mind that most men’s floral fragrances tend to lean more unisex than decidedly masculine. L’Homme is no different, as the iris and violet notes are the main players. According to its perfumer, L’Homme is comprised of iris and amber, ingredients traditional for Prada, combined with neroli, geranium, and patchouli.
Performance
L’Homme has good performance. It lasts a long time on skin and while the scent doesn’t project very much, it will leave a nice scent trail (called a “sillage”) wherever you go. Most fresh/floral fragrances struggle with performance, and even moreso if the fragrance uses natural ingredients, so L’Homme has very good performance if you consider that.
Final Verdict
While L’Homme is suitable for year-round use, L’Homme L’Eau is a fresher take on the original and ideal for summer use.
The best masculine soap fragrance on the market… a clean, luxury vibe from the high-quality iris.
Bleu de Chanel may sell better, but the fragrance community loves Chanel’s Allure Homme series just as much. Allure Homme Sport may be the king of versatility. It can be worn in any weather, indoors or outdoors, and for any occasion — no matter how casual or formal.
The Scent
Allure Homme Sport is best described as a citrus-aquatic with bright mandarin and ozonic notes and a clean, soapy character. The citrus notes last throughout the lifespan of the fragrance, but are balanced by neroli and cedar notes in the dry down. The orange and aquatic/sea notes fuse with a creamy, almondy tonka bean note that makes Allure Homme Sport a must-try (must-smell?) fragrance for anyone.
Performance
Disappointing. Allure Homme Sport could be the king of fragrances if it performed better. It becomes a skin scent after a few hours (which may not be a bad thing for the office), so feel free to spray generously.
Final Verdict
Fresh, clean, citrusy, marine-esque — Allure Homme Sport is the safest office pick of the Chanel Allure Homme line. Both Allure Homme Sport and Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême draw positive attention wherever they go.
Sharp, aquatic citrus. Powdery, smooth, clean – it has the classic Chanel DNA. Lasts eight hours, very easy to like… definitely a versatile signature.
Price: $105 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), $125 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.), $160 for 150 mL (5.0 oz.) — Chanel Official Site (USA)
Chanel Bleu de Chanel Parfum
Prada L’Homme
Chanel Allure Homme Sport
Versace Pour Homme
Versace Pour Homme is a wonderfully bright, citrusy fragrance that’s super versatile and very affordable. Making its debut back in 2008, this fragrance is time-tested, affordable and still very popular. “Fresh laundry” is a phrase used by multiple reviews to describe this fragrance.
The Scent
Pour Homme stands up to the summer heat remarkably well. The floral notes are subtle and well balanced by the aquatic-citrusy top notes. Pour Homme is fresh and clean, but not as much of a shower gel fragrance as Bleu de Chanel. It’s about as safe and mass appealing as it gets.
Performance
Longevity is average- to slightly-below average. Moderate projection.
Final Verdict
Clean, crisp citrus-aromatic… you can’t go wrong with this. Very affordable and won’t disappoint.
Versace Pour Homme is often compared to Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport. (For reference, Allure Homme Sport predates Versace Pour Homme.) Both are fresh, citrusy fragrances that have a marine/aquatic vibe and perform best in warmer weather. Both receive complaints about a lack of longevity, particularly Allure Homme Sport due to its higher price point.
Versace Pour Homme is a fresher, lighter fragrance; it’s more effervescent and works better in high heat. Allure Homme Sport is creamier and stays closer to the skin; it’s better for year-round use and lasts longer. Versace Pour Homme has more pronounced citrus notes, particularly in the opening; Allure Homme Sport is better rounded with tonka bean and cedarwood in the base.
While the fragrance community loves both, Allure Homme Sport gets a slight edge. (Some complain Versace Pour Homme smells too synthetic.) Having both fragrances may be a bit redundant, so it’s probably best to pick one and explore other fragrances.
Hermès Terre d’Hermès
If you’re tired of blue or fresh/aquatic fragrances, then this one is for you! Terre d’Hermès is a modern classic and best-selling men’s fragrance that was first released in 2006. And while it is a citrus fragrance, it’s nothing like anything else on this list.
It’s so complex… earthy and mature but still fresh and clean; a bit dirty but still professional. This is true artistry but still great value for money, plus good performance… the perfect office fragrance.
Terre d’Hermès is a vetiver-based* fragrance with a sharp burst of bitter-orange in the opening. Fresh, but the vetiver and cedarwood take center stage.
* It’s important to note that Hermès doesn’t list vetiver anywhere in the fragrance description. That said, it’s considered somewhat of a “vetiver bomb” by the fragrance community, so who knows…
In the opening, the bright orange battles with bitter grapefruit to give the fragrance an overall clean character, while the vetiver gives it an earthier quality. (“Dirty orange” is a common description.) The original release, the eau de toilette (EDT), introduces a gunflint note (a rare find in fragrances) that gives it a minerally-metallic scent. The Parfum version adds a shiso note, but it’s basically just a deeper version of the original.
It opens with a very prominent vetiver note, but it’s balanced with bright, citrusy grapefruit and orange that adds a sparkling character to the fragrance. As it dries down, the vetiver is smoky but more mellow, resulting in a soapy, musky, beautiful scent.
All concentrations have excellent projection and very good longevity. While appropriate for all seasons, it’s best in the transitional seasons (spring and autumn). The EDT is your best bet for year-round use.
Final Verdict
Terre d’Hermès is an overall impeccable office scent: unmistakably masculine and mature. If you work for someone, then this smells like what the boss wears. A quintessential “suit” fragrance.
Very versatile, perfectly balanced. Bitter orange balanced by the spiciness of the black pepper and vetiver in the dry down. An extremely elegant vibe.
Price: $100 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), $134 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.), $186 for 200 mL (6.8 oz.) — Hermès Official Site (USA)
Board of Directors
The upper management of professional scents. These fragrances can make any employee smell like one of the higher-ups!
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver competes with Terre d’Hermès for the title of best vetiver fragrance for business. Vetiver can give either a dirty and earthy quality or smooth and creamy. Grey Vetiver is the latter. It’s a cleaner, soapier, less spicy scent than Terre d’Hermès.
The Scent
Grey Vetiver opens with zesty citrus, mostly from the grapefruit but also from the orange blossom. As you’d expect, it leads with vetiver from the opening, but it never overpowers the scent. The citrus and the woods balance the vetiver nicely. It’s linear — how it starts is (mostly) how it finishes.
Vetiver fragrances can have a reputation for being too grassy, smoky, or earthy (dirty), depending on where the vetiver is sourced. Grey Vetiver is smooth, refined, and very upscale — more of a soapy-green vetiver. It’s made for a suit-and-tie office environment.
Performance
Grey Vetiver has good performance. It projects well and has enough longevity to last a full work day.
Final Verdict
A year-round fragrance, but it’s a better spring/summer fragrance than fall/winter. Grey Vetiver is made for a slightly more mature audience, so it’s recommended to try this one before purchasing.
Another Tom Ford fragrance? Beau de Jour is too good to leave off the list!
Beau de Jour pays homage to the classically masculine, old-school gentlemen’s “barbershop” colognes but modernizes the DNA. It’s a genre that Tom Ford seems to appreciate. Classified as a woody-citrus fragrance, and containing two-thirds of the notes of a traditional fougère, Beau de Jour brings all of the sophistication and refinement of Tom Ford Grey Vetiver but is a completely different scent.
The Scent
Beau de Jour sits somewhere between a classic and contemporary fougère. The opening is all about fresh, soothing lavender and spicy-fresh mint. The mint and lavender carry into the heart of the fragrance and are met by aromatic and green-herbal notes of rosemary and basil. The geranium adds a fresh floral touch and the oakmoss deepens the overall scent with an earthy, musky backbone. Further into the dry-down, the scent warms up with ambery notes and patchouli. Fougères are traditionally a gentlemen’s scent, and this is an unambiguously masculine fragrance. Like most Tom Ford fragrances, Beau de Jour is smooth, refined, and undeniably classy.
Performance
Longevity for this fragrance is average. It doesn’t project very much, but it will hang in the air wherever you go, especially in an office or indoor setting.
Final Verdict
Beau de Jour is made for the office. It smells professional, upscale, and very clean-cut. It also balances the clean, soapy character of a classic fougère with warmer, sweeter ambery tones.
The only concern is if this scent appeals strictly to older gents (which fougères typically do). While Tom Ford did try to blend traditional and modern ingredients, Beau de Jour has a vintage feel to it. Try this one before you buy.
Beau de Jour is fine for year-round use, but it’s best in the spring and summer.
Tom Ford is amazing when it comes to elegant, sophisticated, and appealing scents – this checks all the boxes. Incredible if you like fougère fragrances. A beautiful lavender, powdery, a little minty up top… you’re going to smell like you own the place.
While some perfume houses merely make “barbershop”-inspired scents, Penhaligon’s actually began as a barbershop in London in the 1860s. Its first fragrance dates all the way back to 1872, and its oldest (still available) fragrance Blenheim Bouquet was commissioned for the Duke of Marlborough in 1902.
Sartorial is described as inspired by the scents of the workroom at Norton & Sons, Bespoke Tailors at No. 16 Savile Row, re-creating the perfect illusion of a tailor’s workroom. It only makes sense that this fragrance would pair well with a suit and tie.
The Scent
Released by the British perfume house Penhaligon’s in 2010, Sartorial is a modern take on the classic fougère. It has traditional fougère ingredients (lavender, tonka bean), modern fougère notes (cardamom, patchouli, oakmoss), and some unique ingredients, too. (Beeswax, honey, and a steam accord.) A gentlemen’s cologne — indisputably masculine and delightfully powdery — the main players in the opening are the lavender (fresh), honey (sweet), spicy/green herbal notes, and pleasant metallic notes (meant to mimic the scent of sewing needles). The fragrance takes on floral and woody notes as it dries down.
Sartorial is old-fashioned (but not dated) and has an almost palpable old-timey barbershop feel. If you’re familiar with Brut 33 from Fabergé, consider Sartorial a posh version of that cologne.
Performance
Above average for projection and longevity.
Final Verdict
Sartorial is designed for a more mature crowd. It’s appropriate for year-round use, but better in mild weather. Suitable for formal or business casual events. A dapper scent for classy gents.
Elevated working-man scents. These fragrances stand out from the crowd but are still accessible for all levels of the corporate hierarchy.
Montblanc Explorer
Before we start, let’s get something out of the way. Yes, Explorer is considered by many to be an Aventus clone. That said, Explorer is an excellent fragrance and can stand on its own merit. You also may be surprised that when compared side by side, many people like Explorer better than the much more hyped (and much more expensive) Creed Aventus.
The Scent
Explorer is heavy on the ambroxan and akigalawood, and bergamot in the opening, which makes it fresh and easily wearable. It perfectly balances the fruity, sweet citrusy notes with the deep, earthy vetiver and patchouli base notes. Explorer is a straight-forward fragrance. There aren’t a ton of notes and it’s a bit more synthetic smelling than other fragrances in this list. That’s not a bad thing, but be aware if you prefer more natural smelling scents. Explorer is a crowd-pleasing, affordable option that’s perfect for the office.
Woody with an explosive citrus note. The definition of smelling good with simplicity.
In 1916, the Italian perfume house Acqua di Parma released its first fragrance, Colonia, as a citrusy floral men’s cologne. Colonia Essenza was released in 2010 to be a more mature and sophisticated version of the original Colonia. It keeps the bright citrus and soft florals of the original (although it trades lavender for neroli and jasmine), but it strengthens the base with amber and musk. The result is a deeper, more modern, and more masculine addition to the Colonia Collection.
Acqua di Parma has a stellar reputation with fragrance aficionados, and Colonia Essenza is one of its most popular releases.
The Scent
Like the original Colonia, Colonia Essenza opens with a sharp burst of citrus. There’s sweet (orange, mandarin, bergamot) and bitter (lemon, grapefruit) notes that set the tone early with lively, zesty citrus. The citrus is complemented with clean white florals (neroli, jasmine) and deepened with base notes with amber, vetiver, patchouli, and clean white musk. There are also some aromatic notes listed, but this is still a citrus-forward scent with florals (though not as floral as the original) and some darker, richer base notes to give it a more masculine edge.
Performance
Very good, especially for an eau de cologne. It projects well, as colognes usually do, but has incredible longevity.
Final Verdict
Colonia Essenza is a modern version of a classic Italian gentleman’s cologne, so it couldn’t be more perfect for the office. While the original Colonia was strictly for spring and summer days, Colonia Essenza gets better year-round use, day or night. This one likely appeals more to a slightly older demographic.
Price: £92 for 50 mL (1.7 oz.), £129 for 100 mL (3.4 oz.) *** — Acqua di Parma (UK)
*** Acqua di Parma does not ship to the United States through its corporate website. Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue both sell a 50 mL (1.7 oz.) bottle for $137 and a 100 mL (3.4 oz.) bottle for $191. Sephora sells a 100 mL (3.4 oz.) bottle for $181. If you’re not purchasing in the United States, you may be better off purchasing directly from Acqua di Parma.
Advisory Board
Fragrances that aren’t retired but are past their glory days. While newer scents may get more attention, these fragrances have stood the test of time and have outlasted countless “trends” in men’s perfumery.
Dior Eau Sauvage
Dating back to 1966, Eau Sauvage is a citrus aromatic that makes expert use of natural ingredients. (As opposed to some of today’s synthetic-dependent fragrances.) I know the words “timeless” and “classic” are thrown around casually, but Eau Sauvage is worthy of the praise.
(Just FYI, it smells nothing like Dior Sauvage.)
The Scent
The opening is herbal and citrusy with notes of lemon, bergamot and basil. The heart of the fragrance introduces earthy, woody vetiver, oakmoss, and hedione (the first fragrance to use this now famed ingredient). It’s not overly floral and uses green, aromatic herbal notes (rosemary, basil) and vetiver to balance the sharp citrus notes in the opening.
Citrus, a touch of herbal-aromatic facets, and woods. A classic that will never go out of style.
Eau Sauvage has soft projection and moderate longevity. It’s not meant to fill a room, and may need to be reapplied throughout the day.
Final Verdict
Eau Sauvage is masculine citrus cologne that’s mature, polished, and understated. It can be worn year-round, but is better in warmer weather. Eau Sauvage will appeal more to an older crowd.
The oldest fragrance on our list. Guerlain Vétiver was originally released and sold as a unisex fragrance pre-20th century until it was reformulated/reissued as a men’s cologne in 1959. (It wasn’t released worldwide until 1961.) The version of Vétiver sold today is the formula first created in 1959 and is the epitome of a classic French men’s cologne.
The Scent
If it wasn’t obvious, Vétiver is a vetiver-based fragrance. It’s balanced with fresh citrus top notes (orange, bergamot, lemon) that clean up it considerably. (Vetiver is often used as a bitter and earthy fragrance note.) The citrus isn’t dominant but it keeps the vetiver from being too dirty. The heart of the fragrance is spicy (nutmeg and pepper), slightly sweet (tonka bean), and a little green and herbal (tobacco leaf). The spices and tobacco help warm the vetiver in way that it’s still clean, still grassy, but now has a smoldering feel to it.
Vetiver can be a strong (and off-putting) note for those unfamiliar with it, but this is a great intro to vetiver. (Similar to Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver.) A timeless scent — it’s 60+ years old and still smells modern.
Performance
Exactly what you want from an office fragrance. Outstanding longevity and it projects well without being too intrusive.
Final Verdict
A professional’s fragrance. Chic but very masculine. Woody and earthy but still fresh and clean. Vintage but not dated. This could be a great year-round scent, but it’s more suited for warmer weather. As said, it’s not “old” by any stretch, but younger professionals may want to try something different. Fantastic scent for older professionals.
A classic vetiver that features the note in way that’s very accessible and smells clean and gentlemanly. There’s citrus up front — lots of lemon and bergamot — and a bright cleanliness that’s immediately backed by some dry woods, but still quite fresh. There’s more texture here, almost a bitter quality (which vetiver can definitely have), but it’s blended to perfection.
The youngest fragrance on the Advisory Board, L’Eau d’Issey released in 1994. It predates the original Acqua Di Giò (the best-selling men’s fragrance of the 2000s) and undoubtedly influenced many of today’s fresh fragrances.
The Scent
The yuzu is the star of the show, which gives it a distinct citrusy-sour scent that’s very unique to this fragrance. As it dries down, the bite from the tart citrus and spices mellows, allowing the creamier base notes to round everything out.
Performance
Longevity is excellent for a fresh fragrance, and it projects well.
Final Verdict
After all these years, L’Eau d’Issey is still a stylish office pick. (And very affordable!) Good for warmer weather.
In the business world, consultants are brought in to provide specialized knowledge – or to provide backup when the stakes are high. They’re also handsomely paid for their services. If you’re looking to (seriously) up your fragrance game and aren’t concerned with price — these are worth a look.
Parfums de Marly Percival
“Blue” fragrances dominate the business world, and for good reason. They smell clean, professional, and inoffensive. There’s nothing about Percival that hasn’t been done before by fragrances like Bleu de Chanel, Dior Sauvage, or Versace Dylan Blue — but Percival does it better than anyone else.
The Scent
Percival opens with citrus (bergamot, mandarin), lavender, and geranium. It’s very fresh and slightly powdery. There are some green aromatic notes and some spices (notably mint and pink pepper), and then the ambergris hits you. The ambergris lasts throughout the life of the scent. (Important to note that ambergris isn’t listed by Parfums de Marly, but multiple reviewers detected this ingredient.) Percival uses balsam fir and musk to create a woody core that’s not too heavy.
Percival is often compared to Montblanc Legend, which took heavy influence from Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch (the scent they used in the stores). Percival is a much more genteel fragrance than the more youthful Abercrombie & Fitch fragrances, so you don’t need to worry there.
Performance
Great. It projects well (but not too powerful for an office scent) and last a full day.
Final Verdict
Percival is versatile enough to be worn to a board meeting or to the park. It’s a people pleasing scent that’s safe for all ages. Percival was created as a summertime fragrance (and it stands up to the summer heat admirably), but you can wear this all year.
We could’ve picked a safer, more mainstream-friendly fragrance from Roja Parfums. Elysium Pour Homme, the flagship of the house, is an extravagantly fresh citrus scent. Vetiver Pour Homme is a more opulent version of a vetiver-based men’s fragrance. APEX is a refined take on a classic, foresty Chypré, which is a fragrance style almost built for the office. That said, Burlington 1819 is scent that stands apart from everything else — even in the world of niche perfumery.
The Scent
Most of Roja’s fragrances are bold with the citrus, and Burlington 1819 is no exception. From the get-go, there’s a bite of bitter citrus (grapefruit, lime, mandarin), ginger, and mint to add an herbal, spicy-fresh accent. It starts very citrus heavy — fresh, sharp, and effervescent — and then takes an interesting turn.
There’s oakmoss that adds green, earthy tones to complement the aromatic top notes. There are spicy notes of saffron, cinnamon, and cumin — but they’re mostly in the background. There’s rum, tobacco, vanilla, and benzoin — but it’s not boozy or smoky or sweet. No single ingredient overpowers the scent; they’re all just present. Finally, there’s a musky-salty ambergris accord that lasts throughout the life of the scent.
This fragrance contains a diverse collection of ingredients that are blended masterfully. A citrus and woody fragrance that’s a statement piece — very unique and grand.
Performance
Incredible. The scent seems to last forever. It projects very well, but stops just short of being too invasive. It creates a beautiful scent bubble that lasts for hours. Truly impressive performance.
Final Verdict
This is not for fragrance novices. The amount of different notes can be overwhelming for someone who’s newer to the fragrance world, but Roja is very precise with the ingredients used.
Wear this when you’re trying to close the biggest sale of your life. It’s a black tie-worthy scent that can be worn any time of year.
One of the wealthiest smelling fragrances of all time. Luxurious citrus, aromatic spices, amber, rum… very long lasting. It smells complex — unlike anything you’ll find at cheaper price ranges. This smells like its price tag.
Due to nonstop price increases, (alleged) reformulations, and recent performance complaints, we’re hesitant to recommend Creed fragrances. However, Creed has been a staple of the luxury fragrance market for decades and still has a loyal following of fragrance enthusiasts. It’s worthy of a mention. Creed also has a number of exceptional “fresh and clean” scents. Almost every fragrance from the house is office appropriate.
The Scent
Silver Mountain Water is ozonic and gloriously fresh; it has a sharp citrus bite, a touch of powder, and a musky base. According to Creed, the scent was inspired by the Swiss Alps and is supposed to radiate a pure, icy freshness. It opens with a burst of citrus (bergamot, lemon), a discrete blackcurrant note in the heart, and an herbal green tea note — all resting on a creamy, woodsy base of sandalwood (a popular ingredient in Creed fragrances) to add a calming nature to the scent. There’s nothing groundbreaking to this fragrance, but it’s a high-quality, pleasant scent that people love.
Performance
Disappointing. Poor performance seems to be a recurring complaint for Creed fragrances in recent years. Silver Mountain Water does not last long (you’ll need to reapply throughout the day) and does not project very much.
Final Verdict
This is a great summertime scent. It can be worn anywhere — you could wear this to the gym or to a wedding. If not for poor performance, it would be a perfect 10.
A word of caution: some people dislike the inky-metallic vibes of Silver Mountain Water. (Like pen ink, or an ink well.) It’s not an issue for the vast majority of people, but just be aware.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Creed’s Original Vétiver, even as a second option.
Original Vétiver is an elegant, green soapy fragrance that’s wonderful for year-round office use. We went with Silver Mountain Water because it’s the more popular fragrance — and because we already have a number of vetiver-based scents on this list. If you’re looking for an earthier “green and clean” alternative to the more shower fresh Silver Mountain Water — then look no further than Original Vétiver.
Unfortunately, Original Vétiver suffers from the same performance issues as many Creed fragrances. It doesn’t project much nor does it last very long.
Interviewing
Due to recent retirements (and dismissals), our “Best Office Fragrance” list is hiring! These fragrances come highly recommended and have superior pedigrees in the fragrance world, but they need more time to prove they’re the best candidate for this list.
Dior Homme
The original Dior Homme was VERY office inappropriate. It was a sensual, powdery-lipsticky iris scent. The NEW Dior Homme (reformulated and relaunched in 2020) is much different. It felt the wrath of the entire fragrance community when first relaunched due to the new formulation, but it’s a good fragrance. It’s being considered for a spot on our list.
Retired
Legendary fragrances that were put into retirement (i.e. discontinued). They’re sorely missed by the community and we hope to see them re-enter the workforce one day.
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Giò Profumo
Acqua Di Giò Profumo was our #1 office fragrance before it was unceremoniously discontinued.
In 2023, Armani released Acqua Di Giò Parfum to replace Profumo. While reviewers agree the two are very similar, most still prefer Profumo. Parfum is fresher, more like the original Acqua Di Giò, but it lost some of the character that made Profumo so special.
It feels strange not having Acqua Di Giò on a best office fragrance list. The Parfum was the presumed successor to Profumo, but gifting a spot to the Parfum felt nepotistic — like Profumo had named its unqualified son-in-law to take its position. We couldn’t do it. Parfum will have to earn its way on the list.
Prada Amber Pour Homme
Amber Pour Homme, the very first men’s fragrance released by Prada, has been tragically discontinued and removed from our list. It is still available on some retail sites, but no longer listed on Prada’s official website. Buy it while you still can.
Update: Amber Pour Homme is now listed on Prada’s international website, but not on the US website. We’re hoping it’s the start of a comeback!
Fired
These fragrances were once gainfully employed on our “Best Office Fragrance” list, but it just wasn’t working out. They’ve been terminated from the list. 🙁
Yves Saint Laurent Y Eau de Toilette
YSL reformulated the original Y EDT in 2022 to “improve performance and packaging.” While YSL never announced any changes to the fragrance formulation, most reviewers agree the scent changed considerably. The new scent is less suited for the workplace and more of an everyday scent. Thus, it has been removed from our list.
Old Review
The Eau de Parfum (EDP) from Yves Saint Laurent’s Y series may be the most popular, but Y Eau de Toilette (EDT) is the better office choice and better for the spring and summer. Y EDP projects better and lasts longer, but that’s not always ideal for a professional setting. You don’t want an office scent that’s too overpowering.
The Scent
Y EDT is fresher and less sweet than the EDP. It’s heavier on the citrus and aldehydes in the opening, slightly soapy, and settles into a marine-ambergris accord with subtle notes of incense. There is also a prominent apple note in the mid, which sets it apart from other fragrances in this group. The ambroxan in Y EDT is present but not as dominant as something like Dior Sauvage. Like the others, this is a very people-pleasing fragrance.
Updated (2022) Scent: While YSL claims the 2022 reformulation only to strengthen performance, most fragrance reviewers agree the scent is different. The violet leaf from the original is gone and lavender has taken its place. It’s a fresh and clean scent with a woodier base, but it lost the aquatic-marine vibe of the original. The opening isn’t as bright; the citrus and the aldehydes are dialed back. The balsam fir in the original has been replaced by cedar and vanilla, which adds a creamier woody base with a touch of sweetness from the vanilla. The ambroxan is still there in background. It’s a more dressed up fragrance. YSL lists sage and geranium as ingredients, but the new scent isn’t heavy on aromatics and only slightly floral. The added incense doesn’t have much effect on the fragrance.
Performance
Y EDT was reformulated and re-released in 2022 to improve performance. While some reviewers complain about performance, most find longevity to be average- to above-average. Projection starts out strong but wanes after a couple of hours.
Final Verdict
While Y EDT is a great fragrance in its own right, it does draw comparisons to other blue/ambroxan fragrances like Versace Dylan Blue and Dior Sauvage. Consider Y EDT if you’re looking for something less ambroxan-heavy than Sauvage. Y EDT is a year-round scent that’s great in warmer weather, and also a great choice for young professionals.
The Community Speaks
Don’t take our word for it — see what our favorite fragrance connoisseurs on YouTube. This site uses the collective wisdom of our most trusted fragrance reviewers in the community. Any fragrance that makes our lists has been tried and tested.
