Fragrance is a powerful but often forgotten tool that can boost your confidence and completely transform your style. If you want to make a good first impression the moment you walk in the room, you will want to smell as good as you look – and we’re here to help you pick out your perfect fragrance. After testing and reviewing many of the top fragrances available on the market, we’ve curated a list of the absolute best perfumes for men of 2023.
1. Blu Atlas Atlantis
At the top of our list is Blu Atlas’s Atlantis, which earns high marks for having a high-quality formula and smelling incredible. This men’s perfume has a fresh and citrusy fragrance profile that’s created to transport you to the coastal jungles of Bali. It’s made for the charismatic adventure-seeker looking to elevate his style with an expertly layered scent that is attractive yet not overpowering.
Just like with all formulas from the premium grooming company, this eau de parfum is made with clean, premium ingredients. It’s vegan and cruelty-free, and doesn’t contain any phthalates, parabens, synthetic dyes or preservatives.
Atlantis starts with invigorating notes of lemon, bergamot and blackcurrant. The fruity notes continue in the middle with apricot and peach. These are joined by lavender and clary sage, which ground the brightness of these notes with some herby earthiness. At the bottom, the cologne is balanced with notes of orris, oak-moss, musk, violet and ambrette seed.
This Blu Atlas cologne earns high praise for both its longevity and sillage. It lasts on the skin throughout the day, so you can be confident you’ll stay smelling fresh all daylong. This fragrance also strikes a nice balance between being noticeable to those around you without being so strong that it overpowers a room.
We are particularly drawn toward the versatility of this cologne. It has the fresh brightness that works perfectly in the spring and summer, but is still grounded by warm and earthy notes that help it transition well into fall and winter. Atlantis is also appropriate for the office, but still fun and vibrant enough for a night out on the town. Ultimately, it’s the ideal all-purpose cologne for any man that wants to simplify his grooming routine with one signature fragrance.
2. Byredo Mister Marvelous
We had high expectations for a fragrance titled Mister Marvelous and, thankfully, this eau de parfum lives up to its name. This woody and citrus-forward cologne from luxury perfume house Byredo was made for the confident, charismatic man looking for a classic scent for daily wear. However, as is the case with most Byredo fragrances, it is still unique enough to capture the attention of anyone he comes into contact with.
Mister Marvelous opens with a zesty and fresh start, with notes of mandarin leaves, neroli flower and bergamot. These notes are layered with bamboo and green lavender in the middle. As the cologne dries on the skin, warm and spicy base notes of white cedarwood and black amber emerge.
While Mister Marvelous can certainly be worn at any time, we think the fresher fragrance profile is a particularly nice fit for any man looking for a masculine daytime cologne – especially one that works well for spring and summer months. It also has good longevity and wears closer to the skin, making it an ideal choice for the man looking for an office-appropriate scent or a subtler fragrance that can be worn for various occasions. As expected, this Byredo EDP is definitely a splurge, but it’s worth the price if you’re looking to treat yourself.
3. Tom Ford Ombré Leather
We’ve started with some fresher colognes, but let’s talk about one of the best perfumes for men looking to take a warmer, more mysterious approach to his fragrance. Ombré Leather from fashion house Tom Ford is an ultra masculine American West-inspired parfum. The unique fragrance profile merges intense spicy and woody notes with unexpected floral aromas.
Ombré Leather begins with top notes of violet leaf and cedarwood and then reveals middle notes of jasmine and orris. The richness of the cologne comes out in the base, which features leather and green tobacco notes. These aromas add an interesting smoky characteristic that perfectly contrasts the top and middle notes.
This Tom Ford men’s cologne is a parfum, which means it is super concentrated with fragrance oils. While it may be a bit too intense for daytime wear, we think it’s the ultimate date night scent for the man looking to make a killer first impression. As to be expected with parfums, Ombré Leather has excellent staying power, so you won’t need to worry about reapplying after only a few hours. It also has strong sillage, and is crafted to turn heads the minute you walk in a room.
4. Burberry Mr. Burberry Indigo
If you’re looking for a daily cologne with a zesty, energizing fragrance profile, you’re going to want to try Mr. Burberry Indigo from Burberry. This eau de toilette is sophisticated and classic, yet enticing and is worthy of being a top contender for the man looking for his signature scent.
At the start, Mr. Burberry Indigo opens with herbal and citrusy notes of lemon oil, blackcurrant and rosemary. These notes are layered with invigorating spearmint, as well as green violet leaf and driftwood. In order to bring some warmth and earthiness to the fragrance, the EDT is expertly layered with white oak moss, musk and dry amber accord at the base.
What particularly makes this Burberry cologne stand out is the fact that it has incredibly strong staying power – which is fairly uncommon for eau de toilettes. It stays a bit closer to the skin, making it a nice choice for the occasions where you don’t want your fragrance to linger too far away.
Thanks to its lighter fragrance profile and abundance of earthy, green notes, we especially love Mr. Burberry Indigo for daytime wear during the spring and summer. That said, it’s subdued enough to work well as a transitional fragrance as we move into the cooler months of fall.
5. Acqua di Parma Colonia Essenza
Elegant, modern and thrilling are the best words to describe Colonia Essenza from Italy-based Acqua di Parma. This woody eau de cologne is packed with a wide array of citrus notes, creating an energizing and lively fragrance profile.
Colonia Essenza packs a powerful zesty punch at the very start, with top notes of orange, lemon, bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit, neroli and petit grain. In the middle, herby and floral notes bring the brightness of the top notes down to earth, with notes of rosemary, cloves, lily of the valley, rose and jasmine. Vetiver, white musk, patchouli and amber round out the base, bringing in a touch of inviting warmth.
This Acqua di Parma fragrance has great staying power. The sillage is moderate, as the cologne stays close to the skin but lingers a bit when you leave the room. With such a bright, crisp fragrance profile, we especially recommend this eau de cologne for daytime wear when the weather is warm.
6. Diptyque Orphéon
For a complex scent that is absolutely mesmerizing, try Orphéon from luxury Parisian perfumery Diptyque. Created to evoke the vibes of the vibrant nightlife in Paris in the early 1960s, this unisex eau de parfum is thoughtfully layered with fresh and warm notes.
Orphéon starts with a top note of fruity and bright juniper berries and reveals a note of floral jasmine in the middle. The fragrance becomes darker and more mysterious with the base notes, which include warm tonka bean and woody cedar.
Looking for a signature scent that works for every occasion? Orphéon might be your perfect match. Thanks to the artful combination of both crisp and rich notes, Orphéon is a scent that transitions beautifully from season to season. It’s also just as appropriate for daytime as it is for the late evenings. Beyond that, the longevity of this eau de parfum is super impressive. It also has moderate sillage, which means you won’t need to worry about it being too overbearing for those around you.
As an added bonus, this EDP (as well as all fragrances from Diptyque) comes with a matching sample bottle. This means you can test out how the fragrance wears on your skin before opening the full-sized bottle you purchased. Given that this is one of the more expensive options on the market, this helps ease the stress around the higher price tag.
7. Chanel Platinum Égoïste
When you think of Chanel, you probably think of luxury, and this eau de toilette lives up to the brand’s reputation. While it’s been on the market since the early 1990s, it is a modern fragrance that still holds up in 2023. Platinum Égoïste is a crisp and aromatic cologne that’s made for the charming, bold man who wants to make his presence known the moment he enters a room.
This artfully made EDT begins with herby and green notes of lavender, rosemary and petitgrain from Paraguay. These notes are layered over clary sage and geranium, which are balanced by the inviting warmth of amber, vetiver and cedarwood.
Platinum Égoïste has incredible lasting power on the skin (especially considering it is an EDT), so there’s no need to worry about it fading before lunchtime. It also has a stronger sillage, which makes it a fragrance that’s perfectly matched for the man not afraid to make a bold statement. While the freshness of the fragrance lends itself to spring and summer, we still think that this cologne works just as well in the cooler months, thanks in part to the warm notes in the base.
8. Carolina Herrera Bad Boy
If you want to let your inner rebel shine, get your hands on a bottle of Bad Boy from Carolina Herrera. Why is it one of the best perfumes for men? Well, the captivating scent of this eau de toilette is just as playful and sleek as the lightning-shaped bottle, and is a particularly great choice for a date or a night out on the town.
Bad Boy has a warm and spicy fragrance profile that starts on a crisper note, with Italian green bergamot and both black and white pepper. In the middle, woody and earthy notes of cedarwood, clary sage and vetiver emerge. The lavishness of the scent really comes through in the base, with warm cacao, amber and spicy tonka bean.
Since Bad Boy has such a rich, magnetic fragrance, we recommend it for fall and winter, when the weather is cooler and you need to add some warmth to your style. This long-lasting EDT stays closer to the skin, which means that despite its deeper aroma, you won’t need to worry about it being overpowering.
9. Kilian Paris Black Phantom “Memento Mori”
There is Black Phantom “Memento Mori” from Kilian Paris for the man who’s not afraid to be bold with his cologne. Creatively inspired by a pirate ship out on stormy seas, this eau de parfum has a woody and gourmand fragrance profile that is deeply intoxicating. It’s one of our more expensive recommendations, but this complex and completely unique fragrance is worth the splurge.
This Kilian Paris EDP blends together rum from Martinique with sugar cane, coffee and creamy sandalwood for a richly sweet and decadent scent. These notes are balanced by vetiver essence, which adds a dry earthy and woody aroma and bitter cyanide accord.
This cologne has incredibly long-lasting staying power, and also creates a large fragrance cloud that will linger in the room. This EDP’s rich fragrance profile makes it a suitable choice for fall and winter. If you want to make a strong impression on a first date, Black Phantom “Memento Mori” is for you. We also love that the company offers refills of the cologne, which means you can continue to reuse your original sleek black and gold accented bottle to create less waste.
10. Commodity Book+
Commodity has become one of our favorite newer fragrance companies, thanks in part to its innovative take on the world of scents. The brand offers its fragrances in three different scent spaces: Bold (+), Expressive and Personal (-). As you can gather from the name, scents in the Bold collection are the most amplified of the three. They are made with great longevity and a strong sillage so that you can make your presence known as soon as you walk into a new space.
Right now, one of our favorite Commodity scents is the Bold version of Book, which is crafted for the man who can spend hours in a library. This warm and woody scent opens up with herbaceous and floral notes of eucalyptus and violet. The woodiness comes through in the middle notes, including cedarwood and sandalwood. At the base, the boldness of the fragrance profile truly shines, with notes of velvet musk and smoke.
We found that the well-balanced fragrance profile can work for year-round wear, but we especially like it for cool fall and winter days. It’s also worth highlighting that the company is fully vegan and cruelty-free. All Commodity fragrances are also free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates.
11. Dior Eau Sauvage
If you’re seeking a modern yet timeless scent, Dior’s Eau Sauvage is for you. This masculine eau de toilette is expertly balanced with aromatic, fresh and citrus notes that create an elegant, sophisticated fragrance profile.
One of the stars of this cologne is San Carlo bergamot, which is exclusively harvested for this fragrance. At the top, the bergamot is joined by vibrant and crisp notes of lemon, petitgrain, rosemary and basil. Middle aromas include warm and floral notes of sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine, rose and coriander, while the base features vetiver, oakmoss, musk and amber notes.
With its lively aromatic and citrus-forward fragrance profile, Eau Sauvage is one of our favorite picks for wear during the warmer months. This EDT has moderate sillage and good staying power, so you’ll continue to smell incredible throughout the day as you go out and explore during the spring and summer.
12. World of Chris Collins Citrus Grandis
We’re topping off this list with another one of the best citrus-centric colognes on the market: Citrus Grandis from World of Chris Collins. This unisex eau de parfum partners the citrus notes with earthy and woody aromas for a bright, well-rounded fragrance.
The citrus truly comes out in the top notes of this fragrance. Citrus Grandis opens with yuzu, pomelo and cedrat for a zesty and bright start. The citrus theme continues in the middle with verbena, which is paired with fresh blackcurrant. The use of woody and warm notes at the base makes this fragrance especially unique. As the scent dries, notes of sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, musk and incense emerge. A final note of spicy and lemony elemi expertly ties the complex fragrance together.
This luxury fragrance has great longevity and nice sillage, making it worth the higher price tag. While it can be worn year-round, we love Citrus Grandis for warm summer days.
How to Make Your Fragrance Last on the Skin
To get the most out of your cologne of choice, you need to know how to apply it properly. While some fragrances naturally have better lasting power than others, you can follow a few application practices to prolong longevity. Here are our top tips for making your cologne last from morning until night:
- Spray on Pulse Points: The absolute best places to apply fragrances are your pulse points, which include the chest, neck, wrists, inner elbows and back of the knees. Pulse points are naturally warmer, and the warmth activates the scent to maximize its projection and longevity.
- Apply it Soon After Showering and Moisturizing: For the best possible results, in addition to applying to warm areas of the body, you’ll want to apply your cologne to damp skin. If your skin is dry, the fragrance will evaporate more quickly, which shortens the longevity. Spritzing a few sprays soon after showering and/or moisturizing your body is your best bet for smelling fresh from morning until night. If you’ve already showered and moisturized but want a fragrance refresh, you can apply a small amount of moisturizer or petroleum jelly to the area where you’ll apply your cologne. This quick fix ensures your fragrance gets locked into the skin to improve its staying power.
- Don’t Rub: A lot of people think that they need to rub their wrists together or pat their wrists against their neck after spraying fragrance, but this ultimately does more harm than good. By rubbing skin against skin, you’re actually making the fragrance evaporate more quickly. As mentioned in the point above, this means your cologne will fade even faster. All you have to do is spray your cologne onto your skin and then let it be so it can dry and absorb.
- Spray on Skin, Not Clothes: We generally don’t recommend spraying your cologne on your clothes. First of all, there’s a risk that the ingredients in the fragrance can cause damage to fabrics. Beyond that, this also doesn’t help you maximize the lasting potential of your scent. Colognes and perfumes are meant to be sprayed on the skin, where our body warmth helps with the absorption of the fragrance. A fragrance applied to fabrics will evaporate quickly, and won’t last nearly as long as it will on the skin (especially when applied to pulse points). For the best results, hold your bottle about 3 to 6 inches away from your pulse point so it’s concentrated right on the skin.
It’s also worth noting that proper storage will help your fragrance stay fresh in the bottle. This can not only help with its staying power, but will ensure the scent doesn’t go bad. To help maintain the integrity of your fragrance, store it in a cool, dry and dark place, where moisture in the air and intense light can’t get to it. Each time you use your cologne, make sure you also put the cap back on, since exposure to air can break down the fragrance.
The Top Things to Keep in Mind When Looking for a Fragrance
In order to have the most successful cologne buying experience, you should know a few things. Here are three key things to keep in the back of your mind as you are shopping around.
Observe How a Scent Wears on Your Skin
First thing to keep in mind: scents wear differently on different people. We each have our own unique pheromones, which affect how a fragrance ultimately smells when applied to our skin. When you find a fragrance that you enjoy, apply a spritz or two to your wrists rather than spraying it on a piece of testing paper. Allow it to absorb into your skin, and then see what you think of the cologne once it has had a chance to merge with your body chemistry. You might find that it’s not quite as pleasant as it was on paper!
Look at Longevity and Sillage
Another thing to consider when looking at a fragrance is its longevity and sillage – two terms that we’ve referenced quite a bit in the recommendations above. Longevity refers to how long the fragrance lasts on the skin. While colognes with higher fragrance oil concentrations (such as parfums and eau de parfums) typically have better longevity, this can depend on the formula. As you’ll note, many of the eau de toilettes we mentioned have impressive lasting power. Use the formula concentration as a guide, but also refer to reviews from other consumers to see how long the cologne typically lasts on the skin.
Sillage, on the other hand, refers to how far a scent projects, and the scent trail that is left behind after you leave a room. The sillage that works for you ultimately depends on your preferences and where you plan on wearing your fragrance. For example, office-appropriate colognes should generally have a sillage that wears closer to the skin. However, a fragrance with a wider scent projection may be appropriate if you’re looking for a cologne for special occasions or a night out on the town.
Consider Your Scent Preferences and Lifestyle
Finally, we recommend going into the cologne shopping process having an idea of what scents you enjoy, as well as where you’ll be wearing your fragrance. While there are certainly all-purpose fragrances that are just as appropriate for work as they are for a late night out, there are certainly others that are better suited for specific situations.
Consider specifically where and when you’d like to wear this cologne and what fragrance families and notes you enjoy. This will help you narrow down your selection, which is incredibly helpful given how many colognes are available on the market.
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