7 Best Smelling Colognes for Men

Here are some amazing scents that women love!

Ever hang out at a gathering or bar when suddenly someone passes by drenched in a pungent, musky cologne? It is far too excessive!

Typically, luxury perfumes and colognes for men are insanely expensive because their ingredients are rare, not simply because the branding is so grand. Many of these scents are crafted from the superb oils extracted from flower petals or tree roots, and even musk from male deer.

Below is a guide to some of the best smelling colognes on the market. Before we go over some of the best colognes we need to breakdown what makes up a fragrance.

The Fragrance Lifecycle

Here are the three types of ‘notes’ that make up most fragrances: top, medium, and base notes:

• Top note. Top notes are the initial, lighter smell of the fragrance that hits the nose immediately after application to the skin. The top note lasts from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Typical top notes are various light floral scents, citrus, fruity scents, powdery scents, marines and aquatics, and spices such as cinnamon.
• Medium note. Also referred to as the middle notes or heart notes. The middle note showcases the main element of the fragrance. Middle notes develop after the top note clears and can last 3-5 hours after being sprayed. This is in addition to the top note; they build off each other. Heart notes most often include heavier floral scents such as jasmine, or green scents such as grass or stone. Spice scents such as cinnamon and clove can appear here, along with fruity scents as well.
• Base note. The last to develop, these scents are often the bolder notes of the scent which become more noticeable later in the day. Base notes lay the foundation and will determine how long the fragrance lasts on your skin. They tend to last from 5 to 10 hours. Typical base notes are sandalwood, moss, vetiver, vanilla, tar, leather, smoke, tobacco, and musk.

Each of these colognes has a different fragrance and smell. Prices will vary, but the only thing that truly matters is the smell!

Abercrombie & Fitch’s Fierce

Fitch by Abercrombie & Fitch was first introduced in 2002 and is now the signature scent of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand. Fierce is even sprayed throughout the stores and on clothing as a form of marketing.

This cologne has an oakey but sweet, fragrance. You can smell subtle hints of orange, lemon, rosemary, rose, jasmine, and cardamom. This cologne is the number one preference for young men and teenagers.

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male fully embodies a man’s complex nature, offering a unique blend of contrasting scents. This fragrance for men was launched in 1995 from the house of Jean Paul Gaultier.

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male has a hint of mint, lavender, and vanilla, making it one of the most recognizable colognes on the market. This cologne is ideal for the modern man who wants to smell great every day but does not want to overdo it.

Dior Homme Intense

Christian Dior has brought us some of the most luxurious, trendsetting, and fashionable beauty products around!

This cologne is one of the newest colognes from the fragrance master, Dior. The main smell that you get when wearing this cologne is lavender, but you can also smell subtle hints of pear, cedar and other natural scents of a forest.

If you are looking for the perfect cologne to wear on special occasions, this is it. Launched in 2011, this Eau de parfum spray lives up to its name with its simple yet powerful scent composition!

Paco Rabanne 1 Million Cologne

1 Million by Paco Rabanne is a masculine type of fragrance launched in 2008 by the fashion designer of the same name.

This stunningly designed cologne is sure to get people asking where you got it. It is shaped like a gold bar to get people excited about the fragrance.

When wearing this cologne you are sure to smell many different flavors including grapefruit, orange, and mint. You can also smell subtle hints of cinnamon and leather. The style and fragrance of Paco Rabanne 1 Million Cologne will surely make you feel like a million bucks.

Creed Aventus

Aventus was released in September 2010, as part of the celebrations for Creed’s 250th Anniversary. This aroma has been referenced as one of the best smelling colognes!

This cologne is sure to turn heads and get people swinging back around for another smell. Aventus greets you with a refreshing fruit blend of crisp green apples, black currant, and pineapple.

The scent is then capped off with a sweet musk smell that delivers the ultimate masculine aroma. Unlike other fragrances on the market, this one has a long-lasting smell of about twelve hours.

Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De L’homme

This Yves Saint Laurent cologne gets some of the most compliments from women due to a combination of truly unique aromas. This cologne has a main fragrance of cardamom, but you can also smell the bergamot and lavender which creates a bright structure of contrasting forces.

The sweet and smooth smell of this fragrance offers a fresh, yet deep and mysterious scent that can last well over eight hours.

Creed Green Irish Tweed

Creed Green Irish Tweed has received some of the most compliments from women and that may be the reason that some of the hottest celebrities choose to wear it. This cologne has been around since 1985, without needing to change the smell. When men wear this fragrance they often feel more confident and focused.

The best way to describe this scent is it’s exactly how you’d imagine. A brisk Spring-time walk, through a super fresh green field in Ireland. Irish Tweed contains top notes of verbena and lemon, quickly switching to pungent floral notes.

With final subtle base notes of sandalwood and ambergris, creating the uniquely refreshing mossy smell!

HOW TO APPLY COLOGNE?

• The number one rule is not to marinate in your cologne. 
• Apply to key areas called “pulse points”: the chest, the base of the throat, wrists (don’t rub)
• Apply extra if you have dry skin

TYPES OF COLOGNES?

• Eau Fraiche. The most diluted version of the fragrance, usually with 1-3% perfume oil in alcohol and water. Usually lasts for less than an hour. 
• Cologne (Eau de Cologne). The oldest term for perfume, used in North America for masculine scents. Light, fresh, and fruity, typically composed of 2-4% perfume oils in alcohol and water. Tends to be used in fragrances for younger people. It usually lasts for about 2 hours.
• Toilette (Eau de Toilette). A light spray composition with 5-15% pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol. It usually lasts for about 3 hours.
• Perfume (Eau de Parfum). Historically genderless, used to describe both men’s and women’s products, and is the best term for describing a fragrance. (I’ll be using cologne more in this post though, simply because that’s the term most readers associate with fragrance.) It contains 15-20% pure perfume essence and lasts for about 5 to 8 hours.
• Parfum. A corruption of the Latin phrase per fumum (through smoke). The most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. Slightly oilier, parfum (or perfume; you can see how these terms get confusing!) is composed of 20-30% pure perfume essence. A single application can last up to 24 hours. 

A nice fragrance adds to your overall impression of being a stylish, put-together man. Being well dressed up’s your confidence. So wearing cologne intensifies that feeling, as you’ll be confident that you not only look like a million bucks but smell like it too!