25 Best Colognes for Men 2025, According to Fragrance Experts

Best Fresh Scent: Diptyque Corail Oscuro Eau de ParfumOriginal photo from Ariel Wodarcyk testing Commodity Moss+ Bold Eau de Parfum

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Diptyque Corail Oscuro Eau de Parfum

Great for guys who: Are looking for something niche yet wearable

What we love: While testing fresh scents, we came across many of the same fragrance compositions: zesty citrus top notes, aromatic middle notes, and woody base notes. Many of them were great, but we wanted to find a freshie that was a little more unique, which brought us to this crisp mineral and rose blend.

“This is one of the best salty fragrances I’ve ever smelled,” says Wodarcyk. “Unlike some perfumes with a mineral accord, Corail Oscuro doesn’t smell beachy. Instead, it’s refreshing and dewy, with a sophisticated pepperiness from the rose note. I spritzed this on when perusing a guy friend’s perfume collection and instantly knew I had to get a bottle for myself. The scent lasts for about eight hours on skin, with consistent projection, but it can last for days on clothes.”

Family: Fresh
Notes: Mandarin, rose bourbon absolute, mineral accord
Sizes: 3.4 oz.
Type: Eau de parfum

Best Budget Pick: Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Forever Eau de Toilette

Courtesy of brand

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Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Forever Eau de Toilette

Great for guys who: Love a classic “clean and fresh” vibe on a budget

What we love: Don’t sleep on this affordable gem. A mix of bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, and ginger makes it smell like the start of a really good day. It’s crisp, nostalgic, and gives serious throwback energy—in the best way. Bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, and ginger blend into a bright, carefree scent that instantly boosts your mood.

Stansbury says it smells like you just stepped out of the shower and into a good mood. “I picked it up on a whim while running errands and ended up loving it more than some of my high-end bottles,” says Stansbury. “It gives nostalgic early-2000s energy—but with a more grown, polished finish.”

Family: Fresh Aromatic

Notes: Bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, ginger, sandalwood

Sizes: 1.7 oz., 3.4 oz.

Type: Eau de toilette

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between cologne and perfume?

“People think that the term cologne refers to a scent that is for a man,” says Alexandra Pauly, a fragrance writer and founder of pet beauty brand Biche, but that’s not accurate; it’s actually a technical term. It all comes down to the concentration of fragrance oils in the bottle; perfumers mix scented oils with alcohol, which helps spread the oil on your skin and then evaporates quickly. Each of these terms roughly denotes the concentration of oil in the bottle, giving you a sense of how strong and long-lasting the scent will be. (Most of the picks on this list are actually eau de parfum.)

While parfums (also referred to as extraits de parfum) are marketed as being the best bang for your buck—giving you the most perfume oil possible—it’s not quite that simple. “Some people like a fragrance that has a huge sillage, which is like a scent trail it leaves behind, or they want something that lasts all day,” Pauly says, and parfums are great for that. “But personally, I think just go with whatever you like. Don’t buy something just because it has a high percentage of perfume oil.”

What are the main fragrance families?

There’s no one way to categorize scents, since it’s all so subjective. But to give you a sense of what to expect, we’ll divide these men’s fragrances into four main families based on scent expert Michael Edwards’s fragrance wheel: fresh, woody, amber, and floral. (This is the industry standard for categorizing scents, Pauly says.) But these are just the very basics; you’ll likely respond to more specific subdivisions like aquatic, green, and spicy, and we encourage you to come up with your own ways of describing your favorite scents.

Ultimately, finding the right family is all about what you respond to and the images and memories each scent evokes. Do you want to be transported to an old-growth forest in Colorado? Go with something woody. Prefer to close your eyes and get subtle notes of spice, smoke, or vanilla? Consider an amber fragrance. Fresh scents smell like clean laundry—and floral is self-explanatory. Most scents marketed for men fall into the first three categories.

What are top, middle, and base notes?

Most perfumes are made up of layers of various fragrances, giving them more complexity.

Top notes: These notes are the first ones you’ll smell when fragrance hits the skin—and the first ones to dissipate as time passes.Middle notes: Also known as heart notes, these are the elements of the fragrance you smell once the top notes have faded. Here, you’ll notice the scent starting to transform.Base notes: The longest-lasting and deepest of the bunch, these are the notes you’ll smell on yourself all day. Note that while you might stop smelling the base notes after a while, it doesn’t mean they’re gone; they’ll be why someone might compliment you on a fragrance you forgot you were wearing.When testing colognes and perfumes, it’s important to spray them on your skin, not just on paper. Because fragrance oils react differently with everyone’s unique chemistry, the same fragrance can smell slightly different on two different people, according to some fragrance obsessives.

What are some long-lasting colognes for men?

In perfumery, there are certain notes that are considered volatile, which means they fade faster than others. Citrus, fruits, and some light florals are considered volatile, which is why you’ll usually find them in a fragrance’s top notes. Meanwhile, amber, woody, balsamic, and resinous notes are not volatile, which is why they’re typically found in the heart and base notes. Fragrances labeled as woody, amber, and aromatic tend to last longer than those in the fresh category.

How can you make cologne last longer?

Where you spray perfume can impact its lasting power. Clavien recommends applying scent to your pulse points (neck, wrists, behind the ears, and backs of knees). “These areas generate heat, which helps diffuse the scent throughout the day,” she says. In addition to applying to your pulse points, spraying a scent on your hair and clothes can improve its projection and make it last significantly longer.

How to find your signature scent

“If you’re someone who’s new to fragrance, I would highly, highly recommend going and smelling in person,” Pauly says. “Even if you think something sounds really amazing on paper, you can just never predict how it’s going to smell on your skin or how it’ll smell in person. And a lot of times, those notes that you see listed in a fragrance’s description are just marketing.”

To avoid blind buys, Pauly suggests ordering samples. Retailers like Nordstrom offer discovery sets; or if you buy samples through the perfume brands themselves, you might also get a discount on full-size bottles. Another way to test out scents is to visit a department store where they’d be happy to help you sample prospective scents. And while only certain scents are marketed toward men, don’t be afraid to try everything: “Smells, to me, are not inherently gendered,” Pauly says. Trust me: You’ll know when you find the right bottle.

If you’re giving a fragrance as a gift and you know he hasn’t tried it before, Pauly recommends going with a gift set from a brand you know the recipient likes. You can also offer to shop together in person—or do some digging into your giftee’s preferences before pulling the trigger on a bottle.

Why are some colognes more expensive than others?

With designer colognes, you’re also partially paying to buy into the brand ethos—which unfortunately includes the price of advertising and brand-building. There’s some variation in the price of raw materials and the concentration of perfume oils, which will impact the final price. “But it really just comes down to the packaging, the marketing, and the branding,” Pauly says.

Where should you spray cologne?

When it comes to application, fragrance expert Richard Rochon says cologne performs best where your body naturally radiates warmth—like the throat, wrists, back of the neck, and inner elbows. “Those areas help the fragrance open up and project throughout the day,” he says. He also cautions against rubbing wrists together, which “can break down the top notes and distort the scent.”

Fragrance influencer Paul Fino, known online as Paul Reacts, agrees but adds his own twist. “I spray it behind my neck, on my wrists, and inside my elbows,” he says. “Then I do an overall wrap-around spray. That way, if I walk away from someone, they’ll still smell me.” In other words: a strategic spritz can turn your scent into a silent signature.

Does cologne ever expire?

It might surprise you, but yes—cologne has a shelf life. While there’s no universal expiration date, most fragrances last anywhere from three to five years depending on the ingredients and how they’re stored. Over time, exposure to light, air, and temperature changes can alter the color or smell of your scent.

“A lot of men’s fragrances have deeper notes—like amber, musk, or wood—that naturally hold longer, but even those can change if not cared for properly,” says Fino. Clavien adds that you’ll usually notice subtle shifts before it fully turns. “As the top notes evaporate, the scent may feel flatter or less vibrant,” he says. “If it no longer evokes the same feeling you loved when you first bought it, that’s when you know it’s time for something new.”

Let’s settle this once and for all—cologne doesn’t replace a shower. “Fragrance is meant to enhance clean skin, not cover odor,” Rochon says. The best time to spray is right after showering, when skin is warm and slightly moisturized. He recommends applying on hydrated skin or layering over unscented lotion to make the fragrance last longer. “Think of cologne as a finishing touch,” he adds, “not a fix.”

How should you store cologne?

Rochon says to treat your fragrances like skincare. “Keep them away from heat and light—never on a bathroom shelf,” he says. “Humidity and temperature changes can break down the oils and alter the scent.” Instead, Rochon recommends storing bottles in a cool, dark place like a dresser drawer or closet, ideally in their original boxes to protect them from light exposure. “A well-kept fragrance can stay true for years,” he says, “and in some cases, it even softens gracefully with age.”

How we chose the best men’s colognes

Each of these scents has been tested on skin by Glamour editors and contributors to find the best options for men right now. While fragrance is deeply personal and subjective, we evaluated each one for staying power, sillage (how well it projects without overpowering), and overall wearability. We compared dozens of new launches, timeless male fragrances, and even a few men’s perfumes that women can’t stop talking about. We paid attention to ingredients, formulation, and application—testing how the scent evolved when layered on moisturized skin or applied to pulse points. We favored formulas that balanced high-quality essential oils, clean or sustainably sourced notes, and thoughtful blends that evolve beautifully throughout the day. Synthetic versus natural compositions were considered too, especially for longevity and sensitivity on skin.

When testing, we experimented with different application methods—from pulse-point spritzes to full-body mists—to see how each scent performed in real scenarios. We noted which ones lasted at least five hours with moderate sillage (strong enough for people to remember us by, but never overpowering), as well as those rare finds that lasted eight hours or more—even clinging to clothing for days.

We compared notes with fellow editors, fragrance experts, and even our friends and family to find ones that earned genuine compliments(Some lingered on clothing for days.)

We’ve spritzed, sniffed, and tested our way through the popular brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Hermès, and Prada—plus modern classics from Gucci, Burberry, and Bvlgari—to find ones that redefine what masculinity smells like today. Whether it’s a sleek, unisex blend from Byredo, the sensual depth of Mugler and Christian Dior, or the fresh hit of Chrome Le Parfum, our editors tried it all. We also reached for power players like Montblanc, Cartier, and Guerlain, exploring how today’s fragrances blur the lines between strength and softness, confidence and subtlety—because smelling good has never been just one note.

And if you’re not sure where to start, a cologne sampler set is a great way to explore. Testing a few smaller vials helps you see how different notes—fresh, woody, spicy, or musky—develop on your skin before committing to a full bottle. The Men’s Fragrance Discovery Set and Sephora’s Cologne Sampler Set with Redeemable Voucher let you play the field—spritz, sniff, and see what actually sticks before committing to the whole bottle.