10 Colognes Women Absolutely LOVE On Men
Will she bury her face in your neck and sigh, ‘Mmm… you smell great'?
Or will she wrinkle her nose and pull away?
Whether she's your wife or the girl you just met… she's the MOST important critic of your cologne.
And to her, your cologne is the most important thing you can wear. A 2008 study out of Europe showed that women's attraction is driven by scent more than by sight. So – do you smell attractive?
You've all been asking me for more recommendations of colognes women love on men. I've listened – so without further ado, here's my top 10, plus a few bonuses thrown in for good measure.
- Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
- BVLGARI Man in Black
- Tom Ford Noir
- Dolce & Gabbana The One
- Gucci Guilty Eau Pour Homme
- Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
- Kenneth Cole Mankind Hero
- Salvatore Ferragamo F by Ferragamo Black
- John Varvatos Artisan Black
- Amouage Reflection Man
Read on to discover why women love these fragrances and my 5 bonuses…
#1. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
Click here to discover Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue over at Scentbird!
This is a light, fresh, crisp, clean, aquatic cologne with citrusy notes in the beginning. Some people detect a floral note, which is actually rosewood.
Top Notes: Sicilian mandarin, frozen grapefruit peel, Bergamot, Juniper
Heart Notes: Rosemary, Szechuan pepper, Rosewood
Base notes: Musk wood, Incense, Oakmoss
Season: Spring/summer
Day or night: Day
Formal or casual: Casual
Projection (how far away you can smell it): Moderate – you’ll have a scent cloud for about 4 hours but won’t smell it from too far away
Performance (how long you can smell it for): Moderate, 3-6 hours
Why do women love Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue?
Light Blue smells young, fresh, and energetic and it's a great mood booster. Sweet but not too sweet; it's not going to offend anyone.
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#2. BVLGARI Man in Black
Click here to discover BVLGARI Man in Black over at Scentbird!
Man in Black is all about spices, rum and leather. If you like Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb, you'll love this – it's like a drier, smoother Spicebomb with a more mature vibe.
Top Notes: Rum, Cardamom, Cinnamon
Heart Notes: Tuberose, Iris, Leather
Base notes: Benzoin, Tonka bean, Guaiac wood, Black amber
Season: Fall/winter
Day or night: Night
Formal or casual: Both
Projection: Moderate. You can throw a thick sweater on and still smell it.
Performance: Long-lasting, 10+ hours
Why do women love BVLGARI Man in Black?
Bvlgari Man in Black is an alpha male fragrance that’s also warm and comforting and sweet in a dark, masculine way. It's sexy, mature, confident and classy, like James Bond.
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#3. Tom Ford Noir
Click here to discover Tom Ford Noir over at Scentbird!
This is a sophisticated sweet, spicy oriental cologne with flowers and woods. Some men find it too powdery and androgynous; others think it’s very masculine.
Top Notes: Bergamot, Verbena, Caraway, Pink Pepper, Violet
Projection: Black pepper, Nutmeg, Tuscan iris, Geranium, Bulgarian rose, Clary sage
Base notes: Opoponax, Amber, Indonesian patchouli leaf, Vetiver, Civet, Vanilla
Season: Fall/winter
Day or night: Night
Formal or casual: Formal – it’s Tom Ford, so it’s the fragrance equivalent of a great suit.
Projection: Moderate. Don’t overdo it – too much of this and you'll overwhelm people.
Performance: Long-lasting, one spray can last all day.
Why do women love Tom Ford Noir?
The mix of dark notes and rose makes Tom Ford Noir mysterious, sexy, gothic, and romantic.
#4. Dolce & Gabbana The One
Click here to discover Dolce & Gabbana The One over at Scentbird!
This sweet, spicy, aromatic oriental is a VERY popular date night and clubbing fragrance. It's masculine and classic.
Top Notes: Grapefruit, Coriander, Basil
Heart Notes: Cardamon, Ginger, Orange Blossom
Base notes: Cedar Wood, Ambergris, Tobacco
Season: Spring, fall, winter
Day or night: Night
Formal or casual: Casual
Projection: Low to moderate. After an hour, it becomes a skin scent (something you can only smell close to your skin.)
Performance: Low to moderate, about 4 hours
Why do women love Dolce & Gabbana The One?
The One is soft, warm, sexy, comforting, gentlemanly, and youthful without being childish. It's a crowd-pleaser – but they may well have smelled it before.
#5. Gucci Guilty Eau Pour Homme
Click here to discover Gucci Guilty over at Scentbird!
When you think Guilty, think of two words: sweet and masculine. This woody aromatic cologne was created as a companion to the women’s perfume Gucci Guilty, but it's an alpha male scent.
Top Notes: Lavender, Lemon
Heart Notes: Orange flower
Base notes: Cedarwood, Patchouli
Season: Spring/summer/fall
Day or night: Both
Formal or casual: Both
Projection: Low to moderate
Performance: Moderate, 7-9 hours
Why do women love Gucci Guilty Eau Pour Homme?
Gucci Guilty sends the message “I’m a man, not a boy.” It's dark, mysterious, and romantic rather than sexy. A 2015 Dutch study found that calming scents like lavender increase trust. So if you want her to trust you, spray-on Guilty.
#6. Tom Ford Grey Vetiver
Click here to discover Tom Ford Grey Vetiver over at Scentbird!
Just like it says on the label, you've got vetiver – an earthy aromatic scent – with salty notes, woods and citrus. It smells bright, clean, and sunny but also sophisticated, masculine, mature, and distinguished.
Top Notes: Vetiver, Orange flower, Grapefruit
Middle Notes: Aromatic sage, Orris, Nutmeg
Base Notes: Pimento, Amber woods, Oakmoss
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Day or night: Both
Formal or casual: Both
Projection: Moderate – it'll be noticed but it's not overwhelming
Performance: Moderate to long-lasting, 7-9 hours
Why do women love Tom Ford Grey Vetiver?
Tom Ford Grey Vetiver projects the image of a classic sophisticated gentleman. This isn’t a sexy come-hither scent, it’s elegant and classy.
#7. Kenneth Cole Mankind Hero
Click here to discover Kenneth Cole Mankind Hero over at Scentbird!
This versatile aromatic woody scent is rugged and masculine. It smells of mountain air and rich woods with black vanilla.
Top Notes: Italian lemon, Coriander seeds
Heart Notes: Plum wood, Lavender, Clary sage, Vanilla
Base notes: Coumarin, Amber woods, White moss, Musks
Season: All
Day or night: Both
Formal or casual: Both
Projection: Good, will project about 3 feet for 2.5 hours
Performance: Moderate to long-lasting, 8 hours
Why do women love Kenneth Cole Mankind Hero?
Kenneth Cole Mankind Hero's got the combination of rugged manly outdoorsiness with sexy black vanilla.
#8. Salvatore Ferragamo F by Ferragamo Black
Click here to discover Salvatore Ferragamo F by Ferragamo Black over at Scentbird!
This is a spicy aromatic cologne created in 2009 as an elegant and intense evening version of the original F by Ferragamo.
Top Notes: Lavender
Heart Notes: Black Pepper, Coriander
Base notes: Labdanum, Tonka
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Day or night: Night
Formal or casual: Both
Projection: Moderate to strong – you can smell it 2-4 feet away.
Performance: Long-lasting, 6-8 hours
Why do women love Salvatore Ferragamo F by Ferragamo Black?
Salvatore Ferragamo F by Ferragamo Black is a powerful ‘bad boy’ fragrance that suggests you wear a black leather jacket, ride a motorbike, and need a good girl to redeem you.
#9. John Varvatos Artisan Black
Click here to discover John Varvatos Artisan Black over at Scentbird!
I love John Varvatos. Artisan Black is a longer-lasting, woodier, and muskier take on the classic Artisan. It's full of citrus and neroli – made more masculine by dark notes like patchouli and leather.
Top Notes: Tangerine, Meyer lemon, Italian red-orange, Calypsone
Heart Notes: Murraya flower, Tunisian Neroli, Moroccan orange blossom, Indian Sambac Jasmine absolute, Ginger, Purple ginger, Cardamom absolute, Coriander seed
Base notes: Kephalis, Belambre, Boisiris, Serenolide, Vetiver, Patchouli, Mexican cueramo, Soft leather, Iris Root Absolute
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Day or night: Both (a change from the original Artisan, which was very much a day scent.)
Formal or casual: Both
Projection: Low to moderate, dies down after the first hour.
Performance: Moderate, 4-6 hours
Why do women love John Varvatos Artisan Black?
Simple – John Varvatos Artisan Black is dark, rich, sensual, and sexy.
#10. Amouage Reflection Man
Click here to discover Amouage Reflection Man over at Scentbird!
Top of the list is this great niche cologne. It's a sweet, smooth woody floral musk built from old-fashioned fragrance combinations often found in toiletries, fine-milled soaps, and barbershops. It's been likened to Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Le Male.
Top Notes: Red Pepper Berries, Rosemary, Bitter Orange Leaves
Heart Notes: Orris, Jasmine, Neroli
Base notes: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vetiver
Season: Spring/summer/fall
Day or night: Both
Formal or casual: Formal
Projection: Powerful – it projects well for up to 4 hours.
Performance: This is what they call a ‘beast mode' cologne – it lasts all day.
Why do women love Amouage Reflection Man?
Amouage Reflection Man is elegant, classy, romantic, old-fashioned, sweet, soft and approachable. Plus the ingredients are really high quality, so it smells natural rather than chemical.
