Which cologne gets you the most compliments?
What is the best cologne for men?
These are difficult questions and not to be sniffed at.
At RMRS, we leverage the science of style to help you get respect and make more money and this means we make sure our statements are backed by facts and industry experts.
We've done some serious research and we have come up with a list of scents we think you'll love.
But then we thought… is that enough? Let's get a second opinion – from an expert.
Introducing Jeremy Fragrance. Jeremy tried out over 1,000 scents. And he narrowed the field to just THREE.
Gentlemen, these are the best of the best. Want to know what they are?
First, let's start with an introduction to fragrance.
- Parfum: This is the most concentrated and expensive of all fragrance options. The scent is composed of 20-30% pure perfume essence and a single application can last an entire day.
- EDT (Eau de Toilette): A lighter composition with 5% – 15% pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol which typically lasts for a few hours.
- Cologne (Eau de Cologne): A generic term used in reference to masculine scents. These sprays are typically composed of 2% – 4% perfume oils in alcohol and water and usually last for about 2 hours.
- Sillage: The degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn.
For a detailed guide to fragrances, read our article – A man's introduction to fragrances.
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Jeremy Fragrance's Top 3 Colognes For Men
#1: Givenchy Pi Neo
This fragrance is similar to the more popular Armani Code, but it lasts twice as long and costs half as much. It's a bright, summery scent – but includes a central note of anise (licorice) that makes it feel complex and unique.
Pi Neo is a perfect accessory for hot weather clothing – whether it's formal or casual.
#2: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense
Often when brands promise an “intense” version of a popular fragrance the result is underwhelming. Light Blue Intense, though, delivers on this premise. It's a new and improved shade of an old favorite.
Jeremy describes it as aquatic, slightly peppery, and yet atmospherically blue and fruity. “To me, Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail smells like this,” he says. It's got an impossibly cool and carefree vibe – while still being classic and masculine enough to wear with a suit.
#3: Tom Ford Tobacco Oud
This is the boldest scent Jeremy owns. Some women love this fragrance on a man, but it can be too strong for certain occasions and certain noses. If you can wear it with confidence, however, it may be one to take a chance on.
Tobacco is a very sharp and masculine scent. Oud, a woody Saudi Arabian perfume, is similarly rugged and dominant in flavor. If you want to smell like you've got hair on your chest, this is one of the best men's colognes for you.
Bonus: Creed Aventus & Coach For Men
I asked Jeremy how often men vs. women compliment him on fragrance. He said he usually gets about 70% of comments from women, as opposed to 30% from men.
His most complimented cologne from other men was Creed Aventus. (Certainly gets a compliment from me – it's the BEST cologne for men in my book.) Jeremy describes it as an authoritative scent that says, “Oh, that guy's cool.”
As for the ladies: there's no one cologne in the world that women universally love. But if you're looking for the safest option for, let's say, first-date approval… Jeremy's recommendation is Coach For Men.
Like two out of his top three, Coach is a very clean scent. What makes it different is that it has exceptionally wide appeal. But Jeremy cautions that if you're looking for a cologne that will be noticed and complimented, the wide appeal isn't always the factor to aim for.
Real Men Real Style's Top 10 Colognes For Men
But we can't stop there! You've seen Jeremy's choices, now let's list the Real Men Real Style Top 10.
We think these are the best-smelling colognes and trust us – women LOVE them.
Best Men’s Cologne #10. Paco Rabanne – 1 Million (EDT) | Jean Paul Gaultier – Le Male (EDT) | The One – Dolce & Gabbana (Eau De Toilette)
It's a three-way tie at #10 because while these fragrances garner a lot of compliments and are loved by women universally, they are also common and easily recognizable.
Paco Rabanne's gold bar bottle dispenses a heady mix of warm cinnamon, grapefruit, blood mandarin, and mint citrus notes along with Indian patchouli and masculine leather.
Le Male has a strong vanilla and lavender note, creating a scent to make women weak at the knees.
The One is a classic scent for men with amber, tobacco, and ginger notes. This strong, long-lasting and masculine fragrance is one of the most complimented fragrances.
You won't stand out or be original with these fragrances. BUT the ladies love these 3 scents, despite their ubiquity.
Spray on these fragrances for a night out, especially if it's an outdoor event because the sillage is strong.
Best Men’s Cologne #9. La Nuit De L'Homme – Yves Saint Laurent (Eau De Toilette)
A contrasting mix of explosive cardamom and fresh bergamot, lavender, and cedar. Cumin and vetiver provide a sensual base that is bound to leave the women wanting more of this amazing scent.
It's great for a quick evening date but I wouldn't use it for an all day event.
This would have been my #1 pick back in 2011, but the performance on the current edition is poor after the makers reformulated the ingredients several times.
The weak sillage requires a re-spray every couple of hours. However, this scent remains one of the most complimented scents and deserves a spot in our top 10.
Best Men’s Cologne #8. Salvatore Ferragamo – F by Ferragamo Black (EDT)
This is one of the best-smelling affordable scents for men.
This is not a unique scent, it opens with a fresh citrusy scent and then turns into something similar to La Nuit De L'homme.
Lavender & Tonka Bean are the prominent notes. The moderate sillage prevents this incredibly long-lasting (5-6 hours) fragrance from offending sensitive noses.
A work-friendly scent that you can wear in close contact like on a date or at a crowded nightclub. The affordable pricing is a plus.
Best Men’s Cologne #7. Versace Pour Homme – Versace (Eau De Toilette)
If you prefer fresh scents over sweet ones, this awesome citrus scent is great for the daytime during the spring, summer, and fall months (basically, all year round).
The top notes of lemon, neroli, bergamot, and rose de mai mix with middle notes of hyacinth, clary sage, cedar, and geranium. The base notes are tonka bean, musk, and amber.
Suitable for the office or if you're out running errands. You will definitely turn heads when you walk by people but it's not overpowering.
Best Men’s Cologne #6. Bleu De Chanel – Chanel (Eau De Toilette)
This is a classic ladykiller, the Casanova of fragrances.
The woody aromatics of Bleu de Chanel blend with citrus notes creating a sophisticated and seductive scent that makes way for a spicy undertone as the day progresses.
Another fresh everyday scent. A little spicy from the incense and fresh from the grapefruit. It lasts you the workday and has a moderate sillage, so you don't overpower people with your scent.
Best Men’s Cologne #5. Thierry Mugler – A*Men Pure Malt (EDT)
This #5 pick stands out for its unique smell. And it is highly complimented.
It guarantees originality. The method used for creating this fragrance is inspired by traditional techniques used to produce the finest Whisky!
Aged in toasted oak caskets, the scent reveals a smoky fragrance with a lingering elegance of malt, spicy, woody, and sweet elements. Not too harsh and not too in your face, this fragrance delivers a subtle and seductive knock-out punch.
You will stand out from anyone else and will be hard-pressed to find someone wearing the same scent as you.
Although this all-round winner is versatile and appropriate for a wide variety of occasions, it is perfect for winter and fall and best worn at night.
Best Men’s Cologne #4. Versace Eros – Versace (Eau De Toilette)
As the name indicates, this fragrance inspires passion and desire. Named after the Greek god of love and son of goddess Aphrodite – Eros, this is Versace Pour Homme's more sexy and seductive cousin.
The strongest notes here are Vanilla, Mint, & Tonka bean making it sweet and masculine at the same time. This is one of the most complimented scents I found. Great for day and night, spring, summer, winter, and fall.
It is long-lasting and the medium sillage makes it appropriate for social contexts where you might expect close proximity with the opposite sex.
Best Men’s Cologne #3. Dior Sauvage (Eau De Toilette)
Can a fragrance that smells like fresh laundry be a hit with the ladies? YES!
Dior Sauvage is the perfect warm-weather scent and is long-lasting.
One of my friends told me that he sprayed this on and his wife wanted to take him into the bedroom immediately.
Ambroxan, pepper, and bergamot are the strongest notes and give this fragrance a fresh scent all day.
Best Men’s Cologne #2. Aqua Di Gio Profumo – Giorgio Armani (Eau De Parfum)
Take the #1 selling men's cologne of all time, add some incense, make it longer lasting and you have Aqua Di Gio Profumo. We think this is one of the best men's cologne of all time.
It smells just as great as the original and lasts much longer. The perfect pick for spring, summer, fall, day or night.
The fragrance is aquatic, woody, and aromatic. A mix of spices and citrus notes gives way to subtle tones of geranium, sage, and rosemary, pulsing with recognizable whiffs of patchouli and incense.
This is an incredibly long-lasting fragrance with one of the most original scents.
Armani's inspiration intention with this intensely masculine fragrance was to transport the wearer and those around him out to the Mediterranean sea.
And don't we all know how much women love an aquatic adventure!
Best Men’s Cologne #1. Creed Aventus (Eau De Parfum)
Most men who have used Creed Aventus can attest that this should be the #1 choice. And the women will agree too. In fact, this is often quoted as women's favorite men's cologne.
This scent can be worn year-round and provide you with a mature and masculine scent.
A popular choice among connoisseurs, this fragrance is ideal for dates, traveling, and social events. Wear it during spring, summer, fall, winter, day or night.
Best Men’s Cologne Honorable Mentions
Armani Code – Giorgio Armani (EDT)
A classic formula to warm your winter nights. Armani Code blends fresh bergamot and lemon top notes with star anise and olive blossom.
The scent is further sensualized with hints of tobacco, leather and Tonka bean.
This EDT is a compliment grabber but the performance isn't strong enough to break the top 10.
Carolina Herrera – CH Men Prive (EDT)
Sweet and masculine? The sweet opening note on this under-used fragrance turns into a strong spicy whiskey scent.
It can be too much for some people close up but when you walk by, your sillage is bound to turn heads. Expect strangers to comment on how good you smell.
So there you have it – those are the fragrances that are going to get you compliments. Jeremy goes into a lot of these, plus quite a few other fragrances on the Jeremy Fragrance YouTube channel.
If you haven't checked it out his channel yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's a really informative and fun watch with a unique ‘spin' on cologne… click here to check out Jeremy Fragrance.
