10 Best Men’s Colognes of All Time

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If you’re new to the world of cologne, it can be absolutely baffling to encounter the jargon that fills most perfume descriptions. Even a quick glance into the world of cologne reveals an entirely new culture, complete with novel language, temporary superstars, and beloved classics.

Those who know just how important scent is in your day to day life can seem almost obsessive over new fragrances, but it’s not as strange as it seems. Once you realize just how large an effect the scent you wear has on those around you, it becomes increasingly more important to know exactly what it is you are projecting with your chosen scent.

Wearing a cologne isn’t just a case of buying the fanciest bottle, slapping some scent on your wrist, and instantly appearing more sophisticated. In fact, using the wrong cologne can have the opposite effect, making you seem sleazy, cheap, boorish, or out-of-touch. Once you do know how to choose the right cologne for the right occasion, you can cause those around you to treat you with new respect, charm someone important to you, and give yourself a great confidence boost.

The language around perfumery has to be complex in order to properly express important details which are often insignificant in day to day smells. New terms such as high notes, silage, skin scent, and projection were coined to help describe the important aspects of colognes in ways which can be easily understood by those in the know. Once you know your vocab, this allows you to fine tune your choices, picking the exact scent you require for your situation.

You do need to fine tune your choices, because there are no clear rules on which cologne is going to smell good on you. Your individual skin chemistry, the environment you are in, and the scents of other products you use are all going to subtly alter a scent in sometimes unpredictable ways. Even though descriptions and reviews can help you narrow down your choices, in the end, the only way you can be sure of getting the right cologne for you is to wear it.

We’ve put together this list of the ten best men’s colognes of all time to help you get a better idea of what makes a good one. The scents on this list have been chosen to appeal to the widest range of people, so you won’t find any niche personalized fragrances here. We recommend trying these colognes out, and learning for yourself what makes a cologne smell good on you.

Top 10 Best Men’s Colognes of All Time

1. Atlantis, by Blu Atlas

It’s hard to be the best of all time when you’re a relative newcomer to the field, but Blu Atlas’ Atlantis is giving it a try. Atlantis has burst into the perfumery scene with everything you need in an everyday cologne: versatility, longevity, style, and notoriety. Blu Atlas is quickly becoming one of the most well known men’s skincare brands in the market, building a reputation on premium ingredients sourced from cruelty-free, vegan sources.

Unless you have a five-figure shopping budget, versatility is an extremely important factor when choosing a quality cologne. Blu Atlas makes the top of the list due to its ability to excel in both a casual and work environment.

Atlantis opens with top notes of bergamot, lemon, and blackcurrant, offering an invigorating burst of energy at the beginning of the day. Heart and base notes of lavender, clary sage, musk, and oakmoss create a woody-herbal atmosphere as you wind down for the evening.

The distinctive nature of Atlantis comes from a tropical mixture of peach, apricot and a hint of bergamot, backed by orris and musk. This combination manages to be distinct from other classic colognes, but the ingredients themselves are inoffensive enough to your average person that the scent doesn’t risk becoming disruptive.

While there is absolutely a place on your shelf for a distinct, stand-out scent, these always run the risk of becoming an irritant in the workplace. The most popular notes found in most colognes are popular for a reason, and that reason is that most people find the scent enjoyable. In order to achieve individuality, variations are used on a series of common combinations. Atlantis predominantly relies on a floral-musk base, while the addition of stone fruit gives it a unique note.

Atlantis has good projection for around four hours, and remains close to the skin for up to eight. Projection, if you’re new to perfumery, is how far away the average person can smell a perfume. Although a rough guide can be given, the exact amount will always vary based on temperature and your personal skin chemistry.

If you don’t want to be the person who fills up the entire train with vanilla scent, choose a mid or low projection cologne. For outdoors, a high projection cologne will help you smell amazing, even in the breeze. Atlantis continues to be both enticing and comfortable. The projection on this cologne doesn’t fill the room, but instead creates a personal envelope of scent to welcome people near you.

As an eau de parfum, you can expect good longevity and a reasonable silage from Atlantis. Longevity is self explanatory, and silage is how long a perfume lingers in a room after you’ve moved away. Atlantis is made with high quality ingredients, which gives it good longevity, silage, and projection.

As well as the great scent, it’s the ethically sound, versatile, and innovative aspects that make Blu Atlas’ Atlantis rate so highly on this list. The cologne itself is of good quality, and we love the matte black presentation. Overall, it’s a definite winner.

2. Eau Sauvage Eau de Toilette, by Dior

A true classic, the original Eau Sauvage was released in 1966. Although the formula has changed slightly since then due to health concerns over some ingredients, overall the composition remains much the same.

This eau de toilette has a family of spinoffs and re-releases spanning everything from aftershave to parfum, often with multiple variations of each. To add to the confusion, Dior also markets another excellent cologne, “Sauvage”. This perfume is completely unrelated to Eau Sauvage, so if you’re shopping for this fragrance, be sure you’ve got the right one. Although most other members of the Eau Sauvage family are of excellent quality, we believe the original can’t be beat.

The original Eau Sauvage contains an incredible bouquet of individual scents, arranged flawlessly into a cologne which is strong without becoming overpowering. Eau Sauvage is a very masculine scent, opening with a burst of fresh citrus and herbs. Lemon and bergamot mingle with basil, rosemary, and caraway to create a sweet but refreshing aura.

Once the citrus fades a little, other notes within the perfume begin to become apparent. Rose, carnation, and jasmine add a floral aspect to the fragrance, but if you’re concerned this may be too feminine for your tastes, be reassured that the base of oakmoss, vetiver, musk and amber create a robust backing for the fruit and floral notes.

Although perfumes of this class usually have excellent projection or longevity, Eau Sauvage is not among them. The fragrance fades quickly after an hour or so, but as this is a perfume designed for the wearer, this isn’t as much of an issue as it is with other colognes. The initial burst of confidence and wellbeing that comes with first application is where this cologne really shines. Anyone in the know who catches even a hint of Eau Sauvage will recognise it instantly, so there’s no need to fill the room.

3. Bleu de Chanel Eau de Toilette, by Chanel

Although a quick look at the descriptions of Bleu de Chanel and Eau Sauvage might have you thinking they are much the same, as soon as you actually smell them it becomes clear that these are two unique, exquisite takes on the citrus-floral-woody composition commonly known as a chypre.

Bleu de Chanel opens with the familiar scent of grapefruit and lemon, but before the mist has settled notes of mint, pink pepper, and a hint of smoky incense clearly distinguish it from Eau Sauvage. A warm, spicy aspect becomes evident on dry down, with jasmine, ginger, nutmeg, and sandalwood infusing the citrus-incense combination with a softer edge. While this eau de toilette is certainly refreshing, the use of earthier spices lends Bleu de Chanel a rich, warm feel instead of the more vibrant and invigorating mid notes found in Eau Sauvage.

Base notes of patchouli, vetiver, and cedar add a full bodied nature to the cologne, anchoring the spice and citrus with a woody, earthy incense. Although labdanum and musk are present, these take a back seat to the incense, which dominates the base notes. The smoky, peppery incense becomes much stronger on dry down, eventually becoming the defining note of the cologne.

As with Eau Sauvage, this classic is extremely versatile, and you’ll find yourself gaining compliments at the workplace, out shopping, or relaxing with friends. While Bleu de Chanel was an exciting new take when released in 2010, since then the popularity of similar scents has risen. Bleu de Chanel no longer stands out from the crowd due to a unique combination of ingredients, but instead for its quality materials, good longevity, and general likeability.

4. Terre D’Hermès, by Hermès

It takes a master craftsman to create a modern classic like Terre D’Hermès, so it’s no surprise to hear that the nose behind this cologne is the famous perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena. The original cologne was released in 2006 and has since gone on to receive multiple awards, including Best Classic Men’s Fragrance 2011 from Shortlist, and Best Classic Men’s Fragrance 2012 from Bassnotes. While it has in recent years been slightly eclipsed by the 2018 Eau Intense version, overall the original still remains the favorite of many perfume collectors, both professional and novice.

What sets Terre D’Hermès apart from other colognes is the fresh, earthy atmosphere invoked upon application. Terre D’Hermès is often listed as a citrus perfume due to opening notes of orange and grapefruit. However, while these zesty openers certainly give the perfume a citrus edge, what really defines Terre D’Hermès is the woody-mineral scent reminiscent of a forest growing on rich earth.

Although there are a few similar perfumes, it’s extremely difficult to mix earth tones and citrus without evoking rotting fruit. Terre D’Hermès manages to steer clear of this with a masterful base composition of vetiver, cedar, and benzoin, which steers the scent into a more healthy, growing direction. Although patchouli is present, it serves more of a fixative role than as a scent.

Black pepper and geranium are present as middle notes, but again play more of a supporting role to enhance the mineral aspect of the scent. This eau de toilette also features “flint”, a synthetic scent similar to that of clean wet stone. While the ingredient flint doesn’t actually contain any rock at all (rocks not being known for their scent) it somehow grounds the foliage and earth aspects of Terre D’Hermes nicely.

Often quoted, “Feeling the earth, lying on the ground, gazing at the sky”, creator Jean-Claude Ellena sums up his fragrance better than any other words could. Terre D’Hermes is suitable for all occasions, with reasonable longevity and projection.

5. Acqua Di Giò Profumo, by Giorgio Armani

The original Acqua Di Giò was released in 1996. Almost 20 years of refinement later, the 2015 Acqua Di Giò Profumo has become the go-to of many men’s cologne cabinets and is commonly thought to be the best of the Acqua Di Giò line.

Acqua Di Giò Profumo is another classic that excels at fitting in everywhere, from the workplace, to the gym, to Friday night drinks. This otherwise everyday incense cologne is enhanced and given a touch of sophistication by the herbaceous sea notes, which dominate the first few hours of application. Acqua Di Giò captures the essence of a suave gentleman by the seaside and overlies it on top of a smokey and sharp patchouli and incense base.

Interestingly, the most recent release in this line, Acqua Di Giò Eau De Parfum, has chosen not to include incense. This is likely due to the fact that it’s easy to over-apply even the lower concentration of scent present in Profumo, an eau de toilette, and so the high concentration of incense found in Eau de Parfum would simply be too much for the senses. Nobody wants to be the person that fills the entire building with incense, no matter how good it smells.

Acqua Di Giò Parfumo, and to a lesser extent Eau De Parfum, earn their place in our 10 best men’s colognes of all time for their strength, versatility, and sophistication. Although this cologne is a significant investment, we’re confident that you’ll get your money’s worth.

6. Le Male Le Parfum, by Jean Paul Gaultier

Another refinement of a classic, the original Le Male was designed by Francis Kurkdjian and released by Jean Paul Gaultier in 1995. 25 years later, Jean Paul Gaultier showcased the style of the brand he had built by releasing Le Male Le Parfum, the reworked, strengthened version of what is now a cult classic. Although the creators of the 2020 version, Quentin Bisch and Natalie Gracia-Cetto, have simplified the scent, it still retains the alluring complexity of the original.

While many other perfumes on this list are scents that evolve over time, Le Male Le Parfum is a much more linear fragrance, with the advantage of greater longevity. The less volatile nature of the scents chosen allows for prolonged projection, though it also requires warmer temperatures in order to be fully appreciated.

On first application, soft and spicy notes of vanilla and cardamom are immediately apparent. Middle notes of iris and lavender accent the cardamom nicely, adding some astringency to the mix and preventing it from becoming too sweet. This oriental mixture is grounded with the addition of earthy wood notes, creating a scent which is strong, but not overpowering.

Le Male Le Parfum is suitable for most occasions, though it has particular popularity among those looking for a partner. The gentle warmth of Le Male Le Parfum contrasts with the heavier musks and leather notes often associated with masculine scents, resulting in a much more approachable, less intense atmosphere. The classic nature of this scent and its excellent longevity land it a spot at number six of our ten best men’s colognes of all time.

7.  Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

It’s strangely difficult to pick just one of Tom Ford’s colognes to represent the brand. Although there is a similar nature to all of the Tom Ford line, the uniqueness of each means we found ourselves dithering between multiple colognes. In the end we chose Tobacco Vanille as the leader, due to the rapidly growing nostalgic nature of tobacco scents.

Part of the dilemma when narrowing down the best men’s colognes of all time, is that the tides of popularity ebb and flow as time passes. The scent of tobacco projects a significantly different demeanor now than it did fifteen years ago. However, there is something timelessly classic about the comfortable, familiar spice of Tobacco Vanille. Released in 2007, Tobacco Vanille is one of the last top quality tobacco colognes to be developed, before the negative impressions now associated with smoking began to diminish the popularity of tobacco scents.

Tobacco, as a scent, is different from the harsher rasp of tobacco smoke. Earthy, sweet, and masculine, it’s no surprise that for a long time tobacco was associated with comfort and well-being. Tobacco Vanille combines the sedate nature of tobacco scent with vanilla, another sweet scent often associated with good times.

A warm spicy melange of cacao, tonka, spices and fruits forms the base of this scent, supported by woody notes. If Tobacco Vanille was to be summed up in one word, it would be cozy. This is a very strong scent, and it’s easy to overapply it, leading to a sickeningly sweet aroma. Apply in moderation, and wash off the original thoroughly before reapplying.

This cologne is perfect for the winter months and suitable for both leisure and the workplace environment, as well as something to be enjoyed by yourself on cold windy nights with a cup of hot cocoa.

8. L’Eau D’Issey pour Homme, by Issey Miyake

L’Eau d’Issey is an interesting combination of citrus, floral, spice and woody notes. Although on paper it seems as if this would be too much for one scent, Issey Miyake has managed to blend the overall scent into a harmonious whole. Instead of the individual natures of each scent family competing, the similarities between them are enhanced, leading to an exquisitely balanced perfume.

Although the familiar lemon and bergamot are present in the opening notes, yuzu takes center stage. This bitter member of the citrus family creates a more shocking opening than the refreshing scent of orange and lemon, but it works well for this cologne. The sharpness is necessary to break through the floral sweetness of lotus, lily, geranium, saffron and mignonette, and to bring the herbal notes of sage, tarragon and cypress in line with the sweeter citrus scents of mandarin orange, and lemon verbena.

This refreshing combination of floral, herbal citrus vies with the warmer base notes of the scent, which consist of vetiver, musk, cedar, and amber. Interestingly the two scents appear to alternate over time, with the cool refreshing nature of the citrus opening returning to break the warmth of the spicy-woody drydown.

There’s certainly some interesting chemistry going on here, as not only does the scent vary over time, but it changes considerably depending on who is wearing it. L’Eau d’Issey is the perfect example of why it’s important to try colognes before you buy them. This cologne varies from a masterpiece of opposing yet complementary scents, to smelling like window cleaner. Which is dominant depends on how it is applied, who is wearing it, and what the ambient temperature is.

The majority of the time, this scent is intriguing, complex, and uplifting. Some few will be unlucky enough to find that their personal body chemistry does not work well with this cologne, and had best steer clear.

9. Black Phantom, by Kilian

No top ten list is complete without at least one gourmand fragrance sneaking in. This is a more unisex scent than others on this list, the sweet spice and coffee concoction not having a traditional association with any gender. One thing is for sure: no matter who wears it, they’re going to smell amazing.

If you’re on a low sugar diet, don’t torment yourself by smelling this fragrance. It literally smells good enough to eat, and you’ll find yourself taking another sniff as surely as you would another bite of luxuriously decadent chocolate cake. Dark chocolate is the leading note in this cologne, accented with a touch of coffee, and topped off with a shot of sugared rum. Hints of almond and sandalwood complete the fragrance. Heliotrope is also supposedly present, but the chocolate and coffee drown out any floral notes immediately.

If you love gourmand fragrances, this is the one for you. It’s just so incredibly delicious smelling you’ll find yourself wanting to lick the bottle – but don’t, it tastes awful. Not that we’ve tried.

10. Aventus, by Creed

Those of you familiar with the perfumery scene will either be cheering or giving a long-suffering sigh at the sight of this entry. Creed Aventus is a classic, it cannot be argued. Whether or not it deserves to be in this top ten is up for debate.

One of the most popular perfumes in recent years, Aventus was released in 2010. By 2015 it had become a ubiquitous scent in every high end nightclub around the world. Popularity inspires many men to wear Aventus just to be seen wearing Aventus, and so the popularity snowball gathers up new followers, leading even more men to wear the cologne in the first place.

While this eau de parfum is of excellent quality, those of us who have been on the perfume scene for a while are absolutely sick of hearing, smelling, and seeing Creed Aventus, the most mainstream niche fragrance on the market. You know that one music album you fall in love with and play again and again, until eventually you have heard it so many times that you never want to hear it again in your life? That’s Aventus.

However, it can’t be denied that it’s an excellently crafted perfume. The popularity snowball had to start somewhere, and the high quality, distinctive scent of Aventus is certainly a masterpiece in perfumery. A fruity burst of acidic, mildly astringent top notes immediately hits the senses on first spritz. Pineapple leads the way, with tart green apple, blackcurrant and bergamot filling out the top notes – a seemingly unusual combination until you smell it for yourself and discern the electric note that is lurking behind the sweetness in each.

Mid notes of birch, jasmine, and rose add a gentle floral edge to the cologne. This is required to balance out the heavy masculinity of the base notes, with patchouli, musk, and vanilla forming a strong, long lasting backdrop. The fruity opening of Aventus has decent longevity, but it’s still gone within the hour. The rich floral-musk mid and base notes are where Aventus shines, offering at least five hours of projection.

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In most cases, this highly masculine scent is not suited for the workplace, no matter how good it smells. This is a cologne that belongs to the night, to drinks with friends, and to the search for new company. You can’t really go wrong wearing Aventus, but be aware that it certainly won’t make you stand out from the crowd.