Choosing the right cologne is as essential as choosing your outfit. You express your style, boost your confidence and speaks your story through your attire, accessories, and fragrance. Colognes have many layers and personalities you have to unveil before you head on and buy that bottle.
Below is a list of the best colognes for men in 2022, each complete with top, heart and base notes, qualities and characteristic to help you out with your decision. Discover their stories and inspirations and see which ones describes you the most.
AVENTUS BY CREED
A cologne of royalty status – Creed is a high class, luxury fragrance that’s critically acclaimed and the official perfume of European royalty. Coming from the birthplace of perfume, France, it’s a premium label that uses authentic traditional methods and materials of the highest quality.
Creed Aventus Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 1.7 Oz $335 SHOP NOW.
Review: Aventus is enthused by the theatrical life of a momentous emperor s waging war and romance with equal scale. It is Perfect for the daring, feisty and confident man
It was launched with the celebration of Creed’s 25th anniversary, representing success, vision and power. It is the trail for men who savor a lifetime well-lived.
GENTLEMAN BY GIVENCHY
Givenchy Gentleman is delicate yet fearless. It is a classy mixture of authority and sweetness. A seamless representation of the contemporary man – a modern gentleman who projects refinement.
Gentleman Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $106 SHOP NOW.
Review: Much like how an accurate gentleman is graceful, audacious, delicate and thoughtful, Givenchy Gentleman embodies the masculine as well as the subtle side of men.
It’s a delicious, warm and welcoming smell, something that’s not too powerful to wear at the office, even on night appointments. Wear it during the colder months, autumn and winter, and experience how it transforms your mood and everyone else around you.
Y BY YVES SAINT LAURENT
Created for the Generation Y (born from 1980s to 1990s), this perfume offers the millennial generation a diverse fragrance catching the spirit of youth. A blatant crowd pleaser, YSL Y boasts a good presentation – it is innocent, dependable and familiar.
Y YSL Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $137 SHOP NOW.
Review: Lifetime Achievement awardee Parisian master perfumer Dominique Ropion formed the very first Y perfume. It is YSL’s parade that they want Y to be as viable.
If you’re looking to get compliments even in your simplest outfits, YSL Y is your perfect match. It gives you the freedom to wear whatever you’re comfortable with and still feel stylish and confident. It is also a handy scent that you can practically wear anywhere – from the office to your date night, to the gym and cocktails, YSL Y is perfect all year round.
OUD WOOD BY TOM FORD
Oud – a costly and infrequent wood used in temples encouraged Tom Ford to create Oud Wood, pioneering his composition of exotic smoky spices. It is a fascinating mixture of dark, rich and sensual. It is released as part of the Private Blend collection which Tom Ford describes as his own scent laboratory.
OUD WOOD Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $365 SHOP NOW.
Review: Oud Wood is launched unisex, but leaning more on the masculine side. It is friendly, pleasant, and appeals to the masses. It is uncomplicated, easy to wear, and simply an enjoyable scent.
It is a brilliant oud introduction if haven’t tried one yet. It is an intriguing scent, a conversation starter, a fragrance to last your dinners and evening outdoor events. Its warmth is preferable for the winter, autumn and fall months.
BLUE DE CHANEL
Since introduced in 2010, Bleu De Chanel has always been a crowd favorite. It is a timeless classic piece. It is considered by many men to be the most versatile perfume there is.
BLEU Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $160 SHOP NOW.
Review: Bleu De Chanel is the perfume of a guy who refuses to be bound by rulebooks. It tells a character that proclaims itself with freedom and resolve. The spirit of a man who picks his own purpose.
Boost your confidence and feel like the CEO of your own company with this fragrance that’s sure to sway elusive comments your way. It’s daring presence with range of notes will make you feel ready to accomplish anything
212 BY CAROLINA HERRERA
Ranked among the top favorite perfumes among many reviews, 212 Men by Carolina Herrera is inspired by the magnetism and energy of New York, exuding flamboyance, elegance and vigor.
212 Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $60 SHOP NOW.
- Fragrance Family: Woody Floral
- Scent Type: Fresh Energetic
- Top Notes: Spices, Grapefruit, Lavender, Bergamot;
- Middle Notes: Sage, Gardenia, Violet, Ginger;
- Base Notes: Vetiver, Incense, Sandalwood, Musk;
Review: Appropriate for men of all ages, 212 is an intricate and charming perfume to have. It could last for hours and has a lingering mysterious scent like no other.
If you aren’t into musky, overwhelming and woodsy scents that are common with most men’s perfume, then you’re definitely going to love 212. It is mild, it won’t stain your clothes, seductively oozing with appeal yet substantially subtle. It impeccably reflects the stylishness and poise of the contemporary, urban men.
TERRE D’HERMES BY HERMES
Conceived in 2006, former Hermѐs exclusive in-house master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena says that Terre D’Hermѐs is inspired by a man and his love for richness of nature. He wants this scent to be unique to anyone who wears it, thus, he refrained from using musk in this composition, saying that musk creates a mask on the skin, which defeats his purpose.
Terre D’Hermes Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $140 SHOP NOW.
- Fragrance Family: Woody Spicy
- Scent Type: Classic Woods
- Top Notes: Grapefruit, Orange;
- Middle Notes: Pepper, Pelargonium;
- Base Notes: Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli, Benzoin;
Review: Terre D’Hermѐs has numerous awards under its belt, including Best Classic Men’s Fragrance in 2012, Launch of the Decade Reward and Readers Favorite in 2009, and the prestigious Men’s Fragrance of the Year – Luxe at the FiFi Awards back in 2007.
For the more subtle gentleman, Terre D’Hermѐs is exceedingly adaptable. It can be worn in many suitable settings – the office, at the field, even on a formal occasion or a date night. It executes best through the milder spring or fall months. It is mature, elegant, and impressive.
1 MILLION BY PACO RABANNE
Launched in 2008, young men of all upbringings herd to seize for themselves a bottle of 1 Million, rousing an instantaneous success for this daring and ambitious fragrance.
- Fragrance Family: Woody Spicy
- Scent Type: Fresh Sensual
- Top Notes: Bloody Mandarin, Mint, Grapefruit;
- Middle Notes: Rose, Spicy Notes, Cinnamon;
- Base Notes: Indian Patchouli, Woody Notes, Leather, Amber;
Review: It’s a rich and boozy scent, an intricate garland of spicy, woody and amber notes. It’s seamless evolutions from the top, middle and seductive base notes are quite remarkable. It is powerful and will effortlessly last through the whole day.
Created for teenager and young adults, 1 Million is an irrefutably good fragrance. It is a winter perfume, an evocative of cold jovial evenings and crackling fires. It is best suited and more efficacious at night time activities.
TUSCAN LEATHER BY TOM FORD
An exceptional blend of courtesy and virility, Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather is bad-ass and indisputably the most famous leather fragrance to hit the market. It is also a part of Tom Ford’s Private Blend released in 2007.
TUSCAN LEATHER Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $365 SHOP NOW.
Review: Tuscan Leather is unapologetic, toothy and brawny. It isn’t sweet, instead it’s smoky, coarse and undisguised. It is a dreamy scent and adds character when worn with a trench coat or leather jacket. It’s smoldering and ideally worn for winter and autumn.
Tuscan Leather is your go-to fragrance if you’re looking for that extra kick for your dominatrix, biker, lumberjack or cowboy look.
ARMANI CODE BY GIORGIO ARMANI
An essential among many men’s perfume assortment, Armani Code is one of the style industry’s most iconic modern perfumes for men. It is a seductive fragrance that lures the senses and draw out a mysterious and vintage metaphors
- Fragrance Family: Oriental Spicy
- Scent Type: Cool Spices
- Top Notes: Lemon, Bergamot;
- Middle Notes: Guaiac Wood, Star Anise, Olive Blossom;
- Base Notes: Tobacco, Tonka Bean, Leather.
Review: Armani Code is the perfect winter fragrance. It is best during the late autumn and a great buddy throughout the Christmas and New Year festivities, with the leather and tobacco notes appropriate for the evenings. It is a brilliant choice for a date night, a candle lit background or strolling holding hands down along the incandescent street lights
SAUVAGE BY CRISTIAN DIOR
Advertised by actor Johnny Depp in 2015, Sauvage by Dior is a noble yet powerful composition inspired by the hot and wide-open desert spaces and the blue sky covering its rocky landscapes.
Sauvage Eau de Parfum, Cologne for Men, 100ml $122 SHOP NOW.
Review: Sauvage has been the scent of the decade as it hits a groundbreaking record of becoming the bestselling fragrance in the UK for four straight years in 2019.
If you want sophisticated, warm and incredibly sexy, 212 is the fragrance for you. It is a gorgeous scent perfect for the winter months. It’s a strong classic that’s tap into many tribes.
Sophistication isn’t connected only with the clothes and jewelry you wear. Your scent goes a lengthy way on how society see you. The cologne you dress makes a speech about you. The initial thing it does is people attribute that signature to you. And for persons you’re meeting for the first time, this will form lasting impressions.
Don’t judge a perfume by the first spritz. Fragrance isn’t just one smell. If you’re testing, don’t spray, sniff and buy. Walk for a good 30 minutes in it, let it linger. Savor it’s top, heart and base notes.
How do you want people to perceive you? Sexy? Clean? Laid back? Manly? If you are the romantic type of guy, choose the floral, citrusy scents. If you re the broody type, consider woody and musky scents. Also keep your seasons in mind. Light and floral scents are good for the warmer months. Darker and woody scents are best for colder months. However, these are just guidelines. Feel free to break them sometimes. The decision is always yours. Whatever fragrance you choose, it should match your appeal and body language.