Choosing the right fragrance is important for a lot of reasons. Fragrances have the power to give you just a little bit more of everything— confidence, power, allure, you name it. If you wear them right, fragrances can serve as an important accessory to any outfit.
Like other accessories, you can’t just wear the same fragrance for all occasions. There’s one for everyday, one for dates, and one for important events. It’s recommended that you wear different fragrances for different times and occasions depending on the kind of energy you want to exude. After all, smell is linked to memory. Your scent can influence the way people perceive and remember you.
Now that you know all this, where do you even begin? With so many choices out there, it can get daunting, so we compiled the very best fragrances for you, categorized in a simple way (trust us, the official fragrance categories and subcategories may make you dizzy).
Whether you’re looking for an addition to your fragrance collection, deciding on a new fragrance— or maybe you’re someone shopping for a gift for the man in your life— this list is bound to help you on your olfactory journey.
- 1 L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake
- 2 Lacoste Essential Sport
- 3 Ferrari Light Essence
- 4 Burberry Weekend Men
- 5 Davidoff Cool Water
- 6 Invictus by Paco Rabanne
- 7 Leau Majeure D’Issey by Issey Miyake
- 8 Kenneth Cole Blue
- 9 Oud Wood by Tom Ford
- 10 Calvin Klein Intense Euphoria Men
- 11 Burberry Brit Men
- 12 Uomo Salvatore Ferragamo Urban Feel
- 13 Paco Rabanne XS
- 14 Thiery Mugler Amen
- 15 Kenzo Homme Sport
- 16 Gucci Made To Measure
- 17 Calvin Klein Eternity for Men
- 18 Paco Rabanne Pour Homme
- 19 Versace Pour Homme
- 20 Gucci Guilty Pour Homme
- 21 Dolce and Gabbana Intenso
Fresh and Citrusy
Nothing exudes energy and confidence more than a good fresh scent. Perfect for vibrant, sunny days, fresh and citrusy fragrances are casual and free, a great accessory to brighten up your days. Not every occasion calls for heavy, masculine scents. For daily, casual use, here are some fresh fragrances to try:
L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake
This fragrance was made to be a versatile scent for men. L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake is bursting with zesty notes, including Yuzu, lemon, bergamot, lemon verbena, and Mandarin orange, making it perfect for all-day wear.
There are notes of spice and wood in this fragrance too. Wear it anytime, anywhere!
Wear this if you want to exude: freedom and serenity.
Lacoste Essential Sport
Lacoste Essential Sport for Men is sporty and light, with notes of grapefruit, bergamot, ginger, rose, pepper, patchouli, and sandalwood. This long-lasting fragrance is perfect for all-day wear.
Wear this if you want to exude: the confidence of a sporty and modern man.
Ferrari Light Essence
This high-performing fragrance is ideal for hot and sunny days. Fresh, clean, and elegant, it contains notes of lemon and fruits as well as florals and wood.
Wear this if you want to exude: fresh and energetic confidence.
Burberry Weekend Men
Burberry Weekend for Men is a clean and comfortable daytime scent. It’s bursting with fresh notes of citrus and tropical fruits, which give way to more warm notes of oakmoss, sandalwood, honey, and musk.
Wear this if you want to exude: Just-got-out-the-shower freshness and an overall relaxed vibe.
Aquatic
Aquatic fragrances are perfumes or colognes containing water notes, including seawater, freshwater, and marine accords. They are some of the most popular fragrances in the market. Although they were initially marketed to outdoorsy and sporty types, it didn’t take long before everyone else caught on. There was something about the cool and fresh quality of these scents that drew in the masses. They reminded of cool waters and evoked the freshness of sea spray, taking the wearers to the heart of the ocean with every spritz. Mostly geared towards men, aquatic fragrances instantly gave a fresh, clean, and masculine vibe that was simply irresistible to many. That’s why until today, these fragrances remain popular everywhere. Here are some beloved aquatic scents you can try:
Davidoff Cool Water
This one is a beloved classic. When it was released in 1988, it instantly became a crowd favourite and would remain so to this day. This pioneer in the aquatic category is perfect in its timeless simplicity. Fresh and sharp water notes blend with green notes as well as masculine notes of musk, wood, and tobacco to complete this classic fragrance.
Wear this if you want to exude: an aura of elegant simplicity and timeless masculinity.
Invictus by Paco Rabanne
Powerful, heroic, intense: this fragrance will fill you with a sense of victory. Its bottle is even shaped like a trophy! Powerful sea notes emerge with fresh grapefruit and Mandarin orange notes, followed by green and woody notes.
Wear this if you want to exude: the power and energy of a winner.
Leau Majeure D’Issey by Issey Miyake
Leau Majeure D’Issey evokes the power of the sea, with notes of grapefruit and bergamot engulfed in waves of sea notes. When it dries, woody base notes emerge to complete this fragrance.
Wear this if you want to exude: strength and masculinity.
Kenneth Cole Blue
Kenneth Cole Blue is refreshing and energizing, with strong waves of sea notes as well as fresh citrus accords and notes of cedar and amber.
Wear this if you want to exude: a modern, sophisticated, sporty vibe.
Woody and Earthy
A lot of people opt for the cool and casual vibe of citrusy or aquatic scents. On the other side of the spectrum, there is also a great number of people who prefer warmer scents like those with woodsy and earthy notes. There’s something so alluring about warm scents. Inspired by nature, woodsy and earthy fragrances exude a masculine sensuality that’s deep and full of character. When it comes to manly scents, this is the choice of many. Here are some of the best woodsy and earthy fragrances you can try.
Oud Wood by Tom Ford
Oud Wood is part of Tom Ford’s Private Blend collection. This one isn’t exclusively for men. This unisex fragrance is smoky, earthy, and woody. Notes of rare Oud Wood as well as rosewood, spices, wood, and amber come together, exuding a sense of mystery and sensuality.
Wear this if you want to exude: passion and mystery.
Calvin Klein Intense Euphoria Men
Calvin Klein Intense Euphoria Men is an aromatic and woody fragrance. The fragrance opens with lots of spices, followed by intense woody notes of cedar. The fragrance then dries down to base notes of amber, agarwood, patchouli, labdanum, and myrrh.
Wear this if you want to exude: the aura of an adventure-seeking man.
Burberry Brit Men
Burberry Brit for Men is woody and sensual, with top notes of Mandarin and Bergamot and a heart of cedarwood, nutmeg, spice, and wild rose. The base is alluring, with more cedar, wood, patchouli, and grey musk.
Wear this if you want to exude: the laid-back elegance of an English gentleman.
Uomo Salvatore Ferragamo Urban Feel
Uomo Salvatore Ferragamo Urban Feel evokes a city’s unique energy and urban edge. This fragrance has notes of bergamot, clary sage, and coffee, as well as ozonic notes. The heart is distinctly woody, set atop a base of ambroxan, patchouli, incense, and labdanum.
Wear this if you want to exude: the sharp, urban vibe of a city man.
Spicy
When it comes to fragrances (and life in general, really), some people don’t like the understated. Some people go right for the bold and audacious. And what better way to do this than to put on a spicy perfume? Notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are just some of the many spices featured in these fragrances. Spicy fragrances are more intense and sensual, bringing lots of character that can make a lasting impression when worn right. Take a look at these popular spicy fragrances. Who knows? Your next fragrance might be on this list.
Paco Rabanne XS
XS Eau de Toilette by Paco Rabanne is spicy, woody, fresh, and sensual. It starts with notes of mint, bergamot, and lemon, which then develop into spicy notes of coriander as well as juniper and geranium. The fragrance ends with base notes of rosemary, oakmoss, and sandalwood.
Wear this if you want to exude: the spirit of exploration.
Thiery Mugler Amen
A*Men by Thierry Mugler is an elegant and woody fragrance. This one is a gourmand or foodie scent, evoking delicious flavours of spices as well as sweet caramel, honey, and milk. The base notes for this sensual fragrance include benzoin, musk, sandalwood, as well as vanilla and coffee.
Wear this if you want to exude: a deliciously spicy sensuality.
Kenzo Homme Sport
Kenzo Homme Sport is woody and spicy with a sporty vibe. This energetic fragrance greets you with top notes of mint, grapefruit, and lemon, which give way to a heart of spicy notes. Finally, the fragrance dries down to notes of cedar and vetiver.
Wear this if you want to exude: a sporty and free-spirited vibe.
Gucci Made To Measure
This fragrance is inspired by the quality and elegance of a bespoke suit. The top notes of anise and florals develop into plum, juniper, water lily, and more spices. The luxurious drydown consists of leather, amber, patchouli, and labdanum notes.
Wear this if you want to exude: worldly refinement.
Green and Grassy
Green fragrances cover a wide variety of scents. Although the category is quite broad, it is mostly understood as a term that refers to anything that evokes scents of greens and foliage. This also covers grass, hay, moss, and a wide variety of herbs. Green and grassy fragrances are loved for their freshness and crispness. Capturing the scents of nature, these fragrances are invigorating and captivating. Here are some green fragrances for you to try next.
Calvin Klein Eternity for Men
Calvin Klein Eternity for Men is an aromatic fougère fragrance. This one is made to capture both refinement and strength, with citrus notes together with aromatic and herbaceous notes of sage, coriander, basil, orange blossom, jasmine, and lavender. Deeper and warmer notes of wood, vetiver, musk, and amber serve as the base for this fragrance.
Wear this if you want to exude: refinement and strength.
Paco Rabanne Pour Homme
This one is another beloved classic. This timeless fragrance is aromatic and green, with herbaceous top notes of rosemary and clary sage. The heart reveals lavender, geranium, and Tonka bean, which then settle into masculine base notes of oakmoss, honey, musk, and amber.
Wear this if you want to exude: the spirit of freedom and self-expression.
Versace Pour Homme
Versace Pour Homme is an aromatic fougère fragrance. The fragrance begins with lemon, neroli, bergamot, and Rose de Mai, which then develop into green and herbaceous notes. The base for this fragrance consists of Tonka bean, musk, and amber.
Wear this if you want to exude: Mediterranean sensuality.
Floral
Florals? We know what you’re thinking. Stereotypically associated with fragrances for women, florals are seen as too feminine to be in men’s perfumes. That’s all a misconception, though. Florals are extremely important ingredients in most fragrances, regardless if they’re for him or her. Some of your favourite fragrances for men most probably have a lot of floral notes in them. However, floral-forward fragrances for men are not very common, and that’s all the more reason to try them. Break stereotypes and try something new. Here are some popular and well-loved floral fragrances for men:
Gucci Guilty Pour Homme
Seductive and powerful, Gucci Guilty Pour Homme is rich with floral notes of lavender and African orange flower, which rest upon a base of cedar and patchouli.
Wear this if you want to exude: the spirit of a man who knows what he wants.
Dolce and Gabbana Intenso
Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme Intenso exudes elegance throughout. Its floral notes of marigold and geranium emerge on top with water notes, which transition to more green and woody notes.
Wear this if you want to exude: an aura of elegance and self-assuredness.
