Top 6 compared
The best men’s colognes
A signature scent for the office, the weekend or a night out, in a couple of sprays.
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The top 6 at a glance
A fragrance changes as it wears: the top notes are the first impression, and the base notes are what lingers hours later, so a bright opening can end somewhere quite different. Scents fall into families. Fresh and aquatic ones are light, with citrus or a sea-clean note, and easy to wear to work; a fougère has the lavender-and-wood character of a classic barbershop scent; woody ambers are warmer and richer.
Most of the bottles here are eau de toilette, the lighter strength; Le Male Le Parfum is an eau de parfum intense, which is stronger and needs fewer sprays. Some of these scents have been made since the 1990s.
What matters
- A smaller bottle first, if the scent is new to you.
- The price per fluid ounce, since bottle sizes vary.
- Notes you already like, such as citrus, lavender or vanilla.
#1Versace Eros Eau de Toilette (3.4 fl oz)
$50–$75
Versace’s modern flagship: mint, green apple and lemon up top, tonka bean and ambroxan at the heart, then a warm base of vanilla, vetiver and cedar, in a turquoise bottle with a gold Medusa cap. Strong enough for an evening out, and worn lightly it suits the office too.
What owners say: Owners say it lasts through a working day without being overbearing, that two or three sprays see them through an evening, and that the bottle looks as good as it smells.
A closer look: Mint and apple make the first few minutes sharp and green, and the vanilla and woods come forward within the hour, so wait before deciding whether it’s for you. Spray it on clean, dry skin at the neck and wrists, and start with two sprays: the vanilla and amber base is richer than the fresh opening suggests.
- Turquoise bottle, gold Medusa cap
- Tonka bean in the heart
- Turns woodier within the hour
- Start with two sprays
- Made in Italy
Best for: Fresh, bold and long-lasting
- Bottle
- Eau de toilette, 3.4 fl oz
- Scent family
- Fresh woody amber
- Key notes
- Mint, green apple, vanilla
- Launched
- 2012
#2Versace Blue Jeans Eau de Toilette (2.5 fl oz)
$20–$30
A 1990s classic: bergamot, juniper and citrus over lavender and nutmeg, with sandalwood, cedar and vetiver underneath. It comes in a blue metal tin, which is half its charm.
What owners say: Owners call it a retro favorite that never went out of style, wear it to work as happily as on a weekend, and say it holds for hours; one has worn it since 1994.
A closer look: Being a fresh, aromatic scent it suits the daytime, and it can live in a gym bag or a desk drawer. The tin keeps the bottle out of the light, which is what preserves a fragrance, so store it in there between uses.
- Blue metal tin
- Tin keeps the light out
- Juniper and nutmeg notes
- A fresh daytime scent
Best for: Fans of a fresh 90s scent
- Bottle
- Eau de toilette, 2.5 fl oz
- Scent family
- Fresh woody aromatic
- Key notes
- Bergamot, lavender, sandalwood
- Launched
- 1994
#3Armani Acqua di Giò Eau de Toilette (1 fl oz)
$50–$75
The scent of a Mediterranean summer since 1996: bergamot and marine notes over jasmine, rosemary and cedarwood, finishing on white musk and patchouli. Light enough for the office, and fresh rather than sweet.
What owners say: Owners like the smell, plain and simple, though they disagree about how long it stays on the skin: all day for some, a few hours for others.
Heads up: The link opens on the 1 fl oz bottle, the smallest here, which suits a first try or a toiletry bag; compare it by size as well as price if you want a bottle for every day.
A closer look: Armani’s advice is to spray it on the pulse points, the wrists, inner elbows and neck, where warmth lifts the scent through the day. A fresh fragrance fades faster than a woody amber, so a second spray after lunch is normal rather than a fault, and the small bottle is easy to carry for it.
- Jasmine and rosemary heart
- White musk and patchouli base
- Spray on the pulse points
- Small bottle for afternoon top-ups
Best for: Marine notes for daytime wear
- Bottle
- Eau de toilette, 1 fl oz
- Scent family
- Aquatic aromatic
- Key notes
- Bergamot, marine notes, cedar
- Launched
- 1996
#4Diesel Only The Brave Eau de Toilette (1.7 fl oz)
$50–$75
Zesty lemon up front, aromatic rosemary in the heart and amber wood underneath, in a glass bottle shaped like a clenched fist. A fougère, so it has the clean, barbershop character of a classic men’s scent with a warmer finish.
What owners say: Owners find it noticeable without being sweet or overpowering, collect compliments on it, and say it lasts well enough that they’d buy it again.
A closer look: Bright citrus is all there is at first, and after a while the rosemary and amber wood take over and give it a warmer, softer finish. Spraying onto skin rather than clothes lets the scent develop as it should, and at 1.7 fl oz the bottle is small enough to pack in a toiletry bag.
- Fist-shaped glass bottle
- Clean barbershop character
- Sized for a toiletry bag
Best for: Citrus with a warm, woody finish
- Bottle
- Eau de toilette, 1.7 fl oz
- Scent family
- Fougère
- Key notes
- Lemon, rosemary, amber wood
- Launched
- 2009
#5Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Le Parfum (2.5 fl oz)
$100–$150
The intense version of Le Male: cardamom opens it, lavender and iris carry the familiar shaving-soap heart, and a vanilla and amber base lasts well into the night. The sailor’s torso bottle comes in Gaultier’s embossed metal tin.
What owners say: Owners describe vanilla and cinnamon warmth with lavender beneath, say it lasts all day and keep it for evenings and occasions; the one complaint is a bottle that arrived leaking.
Heads up: It’s a parfum, stronger and sweeter than the original Le Male eau de toilette, so one or two sprays is plenty; the lighter original is a separate product, sold in 2.5 fl oz and 4.2 fl oz bottles.
A closer look: Keep it for the evening, when a warm vanilla and amber scent comes into its own, and spray it on the chest and collar as Gaultier suggests rather than all over. Stored in its tin, away from sunlight, a bottle this strong lasts a long time.
- Sailor’s torso bottle
- Embossed metal tin
- Iris in the heart
- Spray on chest and collar
Best for: Evenings, warm and intense
- Bottle
- Eau de parfum intense, 2.5 fl oz
- Scent family
- Woody amber
- Key notes
- Cardamom, lavender, vanilla
- Launched
- 2020
#6Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette (3.3 fl oz)
$10–$20
Green apple and a watery lotus note over cedar, musk and amber, light and clean rather than loud. It suits someone who’s never worn a fragrance, and makes a handy desk-drawer spare for someone who has.
What owners say: Owners like a scent that’s neither too strong nor too faint, think it’s a good value and wear it every day, and several say it draws compliments; how long it lasts is where they disagree, all day for some and not for others.
A closer look: A fresh scent like this fades sooner than a woody amber, so a spray on the chest under a shirt as well as the neck holds it longer, and a second spray after lunch is normal. The 6.7 fl oz bottle works out cheaper per ounce if it becomes a habit.
- Musk and amber base
- A first cologne to try
- Spray the chest too
Best for: First-time fragrance wearers
- Bottle
- Eau de toilette, 3.3 fl oz
- Scent family
- Fresh aquatic
- Key notes
- Green apple, water lotus, cedar
- Launched
- 2006
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Versace Eros | #2Versace Blue Jeans | #3Armani Acqua di Giò | #4Diesel Only The Brave | #5Gaultier Le Male Le Parfum | #6Nautica Voyage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $20–$30 | $50–$75 | $50–$75 | $100–$150 | $10–$20 |
| Bottle | Eau de toilette, 3.4 fl oz | Eau de toilette, 2.5 fl oz | Eau de toilette, 1 fl oz | Eau de toilette, 1.7 fl oz | Eau de parfum intense, 2.5 fl oz | Eau de toilette, 3.3 fl oz |
| Scent family | Fresh woody amber | Fresh woody aromatic | Aquatic aromatic | Fougère | Woody amber | Fresh aquatic |
| Key notes | Mint, green apple, vanilla | Bergamot, lavender, sandalwood | Bergamot, marine notes, cedar | Lemon, rosemary, amber wood | Cardamom, lavender, vanilla | Green apple, water lotus, cedar |
| Launched | 2012 | 1994 | 1996 | 2009 | 2020 | 2006 |
| Best for | Fresh, bold and long-lasting | Fans of a fresh 90s scent | Marine notes for daytime wear | Citrus with a warm, woody finish | Evenings, warm and intense | First-time fragrance wearers |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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