Colognes That’ll Make You Stand Out From the Crowd

From tried and true and classic to new, if you're looking for a new signature cologne we may have just found the one for you.

BY: Patrick R. Varone

Updated: November 15, 2023

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The ultimate list of the best men’s cologne that are sizzling hot right now. Toss out your seasonal hang up because now anything goes!

FAN FAVORITES

Sauvage
$92

Bleu de Chanel
$110

Tom Ford Neroli
$175

It’s a total cologne jungle out there, which makes it nearly impossible to find the right scent for you. If you’ve ever been to that magical section of Sephora, you know we we mean. While there’s nothing wrong with using the same fragrance all year long, we recommend switching things up at least twice a year (spring/summer and fall/winter) or, if you can, four times per year.

When searching online, one of the most common questions shoppers have is what do all the different ‘notes’ mean. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you understand the difference and, hopefully, make a sound buying decision.

Top Notes – These are scents you’ll smell first and will normally be on the lighter side.
Base Notes – These are scents that are a bit stronger and will leave a lasting impression.
Medium Notes – These scents are usually fruity or floral and will help balance out your top and base notes.

We’ve researched some of the best-selling cologne brands this year, verified a bunch of different price points, narrowed it down to what makes sense this season, and then created the ultimate list of our picks for the best men’s cologne in 2024.

Hours of Research

15 Colognes Considered

25 Total Picks

15 Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

Notes to Note: Vanilla, cocoa, tonka bean, and sweet wood sap.

We can’t say it enough. Get this cologne immediately. While it’s certainly on the pricer side it’s 100% worth it. It’s more than perfect for just about any season. TBH, you can wear it pretty much any time of year and people will always come up to ask you what your scent is. Hello icebreaker!

EDITOR'S TIP

This is certainly an expensive cologne, so I recommend if you're buying online to shop at reputable retailers like Sephora, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's or Ulta. There, you'll know you're getting the real-deal. I get a bit nervous with buying fragrances from Amazon.

Sophia Garcia-Davis

Sr. Editor

Maison Margiela Replica ‘Jazz Club’ Cologne

Notes to Note: Tobacco leaf absolute, rum, and pink pepper.

If there was just one ‘go-to’ for the winter, it would definitely be Jazz Club by Maison Margiela Replica.

This popular fragrance smells like a “guys guy” type of scent without smelling too strong or overpowering. It’s unique enough that he’ll likely get compliments and questions, which can really make a great ice-breaker for the single guys out there.

EDITOR'S TIP

I own this one and a few others from the "Replica" line. Unlike some of their other scents, with this one - a little goes a long way. I recommend two sprays - max - so that you don't give yourself and everyone around you a headache!

Patrick Ryan

Editor

Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Eau de Toilette

Notes to Note: Bergamot, grapefruit, pink pepper, cinnamon, chili pepper, saffron, leather, vetiver, and tobacco.

Spicebomb by Viktor&Rolf is making our list this again season because it’s totally addictive. Not to mention it’s been a top-seller for 6 years in a row. Once you smell this one, you’ll be able to detect it on anyone else wearing it immediately. It’s so distinctive in it’s scent that you won’t confuse it with anything else out there.

It has a beautiful spice, leather, bergamot, and zesty vetiver smell to it that’s super masculine and completely comforting. It can be worn all year round and a little goes a long way so you’ll be able to hold onto this one for a while.

Tom Ford Oud Wood Cologne

Notes to Note: Oud wood, rosewood, cardamom, sandalwood, vetiver, tonka bean, and amber.

Tom Ford’s “Oud Wood” is such a distinctive scent, really earthy, woodsy, and give you that feeling of being outdoors and super comforting all at the same time. It’s a bit more on the expensive side, but still makes a great gift that he’ll use daily all throughout the year. A little goes a long way with this one, so you won’t have to spray a ton of it on you to get its full effect. Plus, it’ll last longer too, which is prefect since it’s a bit pricey.

Acqua di Gio “Absolu” Fragrance For Men

Notes to Note: Grapefruit, marine notes, and amber woods.

One of the best-sellers of all time was Acqua di Gio and now the latest, Absolu, is breaking records left and right. Currently one of the highest reviewed this month, it’s a beautiful mix of masculine scents and nature. Perfect for all year round!

Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette

Notes to Note: Reggio di Calabria bergamot, Sichuan pepper, and ambroxan.

Dior’s ‘Sauvage’ is another great option for just about any time of year and is one of the best-sellers for a third year in a row. It smells surprisingly fresh, outdoorsy, yet light enough at the same time so it won’t be a scent that chokes you or, even worse, the people are you who smell it. It’s masculine in the traditional sense, but airy and subtle all at the same time. If you’re giving this one as a gift for that special guy in your life, you really can’t go wrong. You can also pick this one up at Nordstrom – where you can typically get free shipping and free returns!

Hermes Terre d’Hermes

Notes to Note: Grapefruit, orange, oak-moss, flint, and woodsy notes.

A great woodsy and outdoorsy scent for guys who like a bit of a rugged fragrance, without seeming too strong. A top-seller again this year on Sephora, we’re still as obsessed with smelling it as the guys are with spraying it.

Creed Aventus Cologne for Men

Notes to Note: Bergamot, blackcurrant leaves, apple, pineapple, pinkberries, birch, patchouli, jasmine, musk, oakmoss, ambergris, and vanilla.

Aventus by Creed is our pick for the absolute best cologne you can gift someone this year. The only catch is that it’ll set you back a bit in the price department but, trust us, it’s totally worth it. If we can describe the smell in one word we’d say “rich.” How can it smell rich, you ask? Once you smell it you’ll completely understand what we mean. This masculine scent does the absolute best job of combining earthy and woodsy scents with fruity undertones. Once you smell it you’ll never want to not wear this one.

ScentBird Monthly Cologne Subscription

ScentBird is such a fun option especially for the indecisive guy who wants to try new things. Each month you’ll get to sample a 30-day supply of one of the new or top-selling fragrances of the year. This one ends up being one of our most popular options month-after-month

10.

Versace Man Eau Fraîche

Notes to Note: White lemon, rose wood, tarragon, cedar leaves, clary sage, vegetal amber, acajou, and musk.

This is our pick for one of the most under-rated colognes of the year. It’s been around for quite some time, but it’s the perfect to bring out in the warmer months making it perfect for the spring, summer, and even those warmer fall days and nights. This one smells totally fresh, light, and clean. It’s a great option to even toss in your gym bag or work bag to quickly freshen up when you need a little pick-me-up.

11.

Chanel Bleu Spray

Notes to Note: Citrus accord, labdanum, and sandalwood cedar.

Bleu (yes, that’s spelled correctly) started out as a spring and summer fave and has now morphed into a year-round top-seller. It has a really nice perfectly balanced mix of masculine woody scents with lighter citrus notes that help make this a daily must-wear. Whether you’re picking this one up for yourself or gifting it to someone else you really can’t go wrong.

12.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum

Notes to Note: Tunisian neroli, Italian bergamot, Sicilian lemon, winter yellow mandarin, lavender.

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino is one of the absolute best fragrances for men this season. It perfectly balances scents of citrus, light floral, and amber that helps to make it one of the most intoxicating scents we’ve ever smelled. It reminds us of time spent relaxing on the beach, vacations on the coast of Italy, and living our best life.

13.

Maison Margiela Replica Sailing Day

Notes to Note: Aquatic accord, iris absolute, red seaweed accord.

Maison Margiela’s ‘Sailing Day’ is such a wonderful new spray cologne that we can’t stop smelling. This is your best bet to use in those warmer months because it’s totally light, airy, and totally refreshing. It makes you feel like you took a shower even when, you know, you didn’t. It’s like they bottled up the essence of spending the day drinking wine on a billion dollar yacht. It can sometimes be tough to find – but we’ve had luck recently with Sephora and it was a great price too!

14.

Jake’s House by Henry Rose

Notes to Note: Fresh marine, neroli, and musk.

If you’re truly looking for something different and not totally mainstream – you gotta check out Jake’s House by Henry Rose (Michelle Pfeiffer’s company). It’s clean, fresh, and has a nice (not overpowering) musky finish to it.

15.

Giorgio Armani “Armani Code” Eau de Toilette

Notes to Note: Bergamot, mandarin, clary sage, and tonka bean.

It’s one of our faves to smell because it’s honestly so fresh and clean we can’t get enough! There’s something about it that reminds us of wealth, power, and masculinity without being too overpowering.

Patrick R. Varone

I decided to create a one-stop destination for all things gift related – from the traditional types of gift guides (for your wife, husband, kids) to guides that are for all the dorks out there, like me, who love pop culture moments like Schitt’s Creek, The Golden Girls, Friends – you name it). I hope you find the gifts that we chose to be ones that put a smile on your face and your loved ones (or frenemies). We (myself included) choose everything by hand and stand behind all the products that make it into our gift guides. Sometimes we get it wrong and will end up removing them – hey we’re not perfect!