Best Perfumes & colognes According to r/fragrance

"L'Ombre dans l'Eau with a man and Thé Noir 29 with a woman/NB. Both unique but not too weird (and TN29 is like pheromones for lesbians lol)."

"By any chance were those that went off from Diptyque? I'm on my second bottle now. Both Philosykos and L'ombre Dans L'eau went off within 3-5 years. Maybe because they claim to use more natural ingredients? For natural brands, Lush is very stable. I had a bottle of Karma that stayed the same through over 5 years. Another bottle i got the same year as my Diptyque is still good too."

"This is one of my fav profiles! Can't believe no one has said this here, but EASILY Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau is top tier. Replica Promenade in The Gardens, Philosykos and Hermes Sur Le Toit are great.  I'm intrigued to smell Replica From the Garden, Corsica Furiosa, and all the Jorum Studio herbal/green offerings."

"Yes, it's beautiful. My favorites from the brand are Chergui, Feminite du Bois, and Five o'clock au *gingembre*."

"right now I’ve been wearing a decant of Chergui and most of the time I absolutely love it, makes me think of incense dipped in honey and rose petals, but after a while there’s something in the dry down that’s a bit off putting and I can’t figure it out. really on the fence about it lol"

"Serge Lutens Chergui is one of my favorites when it’s cold outside, but I’ve also been reaching for Byredo Alto Astral a lot which seems like a summer scent…the sweet freshness of it is so uplifting during these short, cold days though"

"I would say Eau Givree. It is nice and inoffensive. I would try not to wear anything more than a light amount of something inoffensive for the service itself. I was always told guests should dress nice but plainly to keep the focus on the couple and you could be seated next to someone with a sensitivity. For any side events, I think you have a lot of great options and some creative layering ideas!"

"Wear whatever perfume you want., when you want. That said, TDH Eau Givree which everyone bangs on about being a summer fragrance, only actually lasts like 2 minutes in the heat so it makes for a great scent to wear when its colder, as then you can actually smell it."

"Eau Givree is a work of art! I love it so much I have to stop myself sometimes in fear of running through it quickly."

"I asked for a perfume that smelled like “Baba Yaga if she was a hot butch” and the person handed me a bottle of Ormonde Jayne Ormonde Woman. It’s like a spicy forest. Top notes are Grass, Cardamom and Coriander; middle notes are Black hemlock or Tsuga, Violet and Jasmine; base notes are Vetiver, Cedar, Sandalwood and Amber."

"Oh man. I received OJ-Woman as a Scentbird trial scent and had the most visceral negative reaction I’ve ever had to a fragrance. It made my stomach churn within minutes and the sillage is intense so I kept getting wafts even after changing and showering. it was making me a little panicked, like I would be nauseous forever. Not sure what note hit me like that but I’m guessing black hemlock since it’s the main note? Or maybe coriander?"

"Mixed? Okay, this is making me feel crazy because Ormonde Woman woman is one of my signatures. 😆"

"They still push that. Jo Malone has become one of my favorite colognes to wear Myrrh& Tonka. They always say to try and pair it with something else even though it’s $220 a bottle…"

"Jo Malone Myrrh & tonka and also Goddess Burberry intense. I feel such regret looking at them in the closet every morning, but the thought of of wearing them makes me nauseous"

"“You smell scrumptious” - random stranger when I was wearing Jo Malone - Myrrh and Tonka"

"Colonia is an eau de Cologne style fragrance and the original is 4711. It is cheaper but I don't recommend it because you will be disappointed with the performance. My recommendation is to save up. Jomashop has it for $57 for 50ml, which is pretty affordable as far as fragrance goes. You might find a. Cheap dupe and you might or might not like it but you know you'll be happy with the original."

"Only stuff that I know doesn’t last. I’ll reapply ADP Colonia mid day sometimes because I only get 4 hours out of it"

"Acqua di Parma - Colonia Lemony, fresh, super-citrus, powdery. Perfect hot weather fragrance and I am in Southeast Asia so its perfect for the climate. I also like the fact that it is not super popular so I don't smell like everyone else."

"Some people started calling the phenomenon of a fragrance smelling off or weak when first opened but drastically improving after several sprays and letting it sit "maceration". This phrase actually means something else in perfumery, which makes it an easy target for pedantic ridicule online. Personally, I've had two fragrances that smelled amazing when I sampled them but were nothing like that when their bottles were new: Prada Amber PH and Versace PH. Both bottles have improved greatly with age. I've also had other bottles that have gotten more potent, smoother, more balanced, or less synthetic smelling over time. I don't know what we should call it, but I believe that maceration-truthers are referring to this phenomenon."

"Honestly Versace Pour Homme It's good but these days it just feels boring and basic? Don't find myself wearing it much..."

"I feel the same way about Versace Pour Homme. It's just so good I want to eat it. I hope they don't fuck with it"

"Allure Homme Sport Grew up going to the beach and the sweet sea breeze in the opening sparks dopamine and nostalgia unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before."

"For me it was Chanel Allure Homme Sport. Had only tried it on a test strip. Once I bought it and sprayed on my skin I was disappointed with the poor performance and vanilla dry down"

"Allure homme sport. It’s so refreshing and fresh and as a young man wearing it, it makes me feel powerful. It says it’s a summer scent but I can only imagine it working better in cold weather"

"Honestly the entire Britney fantasy line is underrated. The newest one - Jungle - is a fun green floral melony scent"

"Celebrity fragrances are a turn off for me, but Britney Spears’ Fantasy gives me ‘Nam flashbacks to high school."

"I actually love the Britney Spears fantasy bottles 🙈 I wish I could get replicas of them to keep my perfumes in! I especially love the white🤍"

"Penhaligon's. Duchess Rose for floral, Bewitching Yasmine for oud, Juniper Sling for fresh, Cairo, Constantinople, Babylon, Halfeti for spicier, Luna for a light scent, The World According to Arthur if I'm feeling masc. A good vanilla is all that's missing."

"*cracks knuckles* right, so I LOOOVE roses. Here are my personal favourite: - Penhaligon’s Duchess Rose - Opens with a sweet mandarin and then goes into this luscious, juicy rose. - Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin - A dark rose dipped in honey and sugar. - Le Jardin Retrouvé Rose Trocadero - Fresh, dewy, uncanny rose. Very very realistic and simple. - Loewe Rosaleda - Rose and Musk, pure and simple. So enveloping and fresh (extra tip: layer it with Esencia Elixir for a green, aromatic twist) - Frederic Malle Rose Tonnerre - THE ROSE. - Beaufort Acrasia - Rose + Incense. Very fresh, dark and gothic, almost cold. - Jo Malone Red Roses - Fresh, light, ethereal rose. Smells like a freshly cut bouquet of light pink roses covered in dew drops."

"Masc or femme? Penhaligon's Coveted Duchess Rose is my #1 favorite rose scent, expensive af but lovely. Much Ado About the Duke is the masc counterpart. Elizabethan Rose is a greener rose scent, and Liquid Love is another Penhaligon's rose (not even counting Cairo, which has a rose note but is decidedly not primarily rose.) PdM Delina la Rosee, Delina, Delina Exclusif are all super strong, super femme. Discontinued: Stella is a classic, and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose is beautiful. Jo Malone Red Roses is nice but has no staying power on me."

"Terre d'Hermes went from flyspray to my favourite office fragrance. Every man should own this one."

"*Terre d'Hermes* Loved it on paper, and also loved it in the air. On my skin, it was awful. Fortunately, I was testing a sample."

"Have you tried Terre d’Hermès? It is masterpiece that is well-known to be earthy yet bright, because of its warmth and bitter citrus notes that are spicy and summery. https://preview.redd.it/mx55z3ngc5fd1.jpeg?width=3474&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92e702b0a9f96db3aa4096d80bea0aa56489e179"

"I don't think it is, reserve privee won the best mens fragrance of the year the year it released, it just hasn't had new fragrances in years if you don't count the society line, which I personally don't."

"I strongly dislike Dior homme intense and Givenchy gentleman reserve privee due to the iris being too powdery."

"I love Givenchy’s Gentleman Reserve Privee’s boozy element, but I don’t think it’s super strong or obnoxious."

"Prada Luna Rossa Carbon, made me love lavender. Now, almost all my collection got lavender."

"I had a coworker who would shower himself in Prada Carbon and now I hate that fragrance lol"

"I don't like how often shit gets discontinued but it's always better to have more options imo. Even if some of the new releases are similar, I might vastly prefer one take on the same thing to another. I think Prada's Luna Rossa Carbon, which is very obviously Sauvage-inspired and could seem redundant, basically did Sauvage in a way that appeals a lot more to me and that I like a lot and would actually buy."

"Yes!!! I love the weirdness and creativity of H24. It’s not a huge compliment getter, but like TdH, it’s great to smell it throughout the day. I’ve never considered it as a “neo-fougere,” but I like this line of thinking. Nice post."

"Might be connected - my wife absolutely despises Hermes H24 fragrance. Could be the molecular note here…."

"Try something like the H24 line from Hermès if you want something a bit understated, modern, but completely different from everything else."

"Arquiste **Indigo Smoke** It's finally getting colder, it's "tea fragrance" season! I just love this one, the slight sweetness from the fruit (officially apricot, but I smell blueberry jam) with the light incense/smoke and the bitterness of the tea... it's so, so beautiful. 10/10"

"I also didn’t get most of the listed notes from Indigo Smoke. It must be a nose/skin chemistry thing for me, because on the dry down, this was incredibly sweet in a a vanilla-like way that I hated. It might be worth trying again in the colder months though (depending on where you are) since it doesn’t quite seem like a warm weather frag—it might come to life a little more."

"Fantastic review; am also tea obsessed! Arquiste Indigo Smoke is a _gorgeous_ photorealistic take on lapsang souchon, with an apricot sweetness that never becomes cloying. It retains complexity on the drydown, while softening from that initial Luxury Fragrance™️ brace into a sweet-smoky, creamy, dusky richness - the apricot hangs on for the ride, while my skin does alchemy with the tea and aromatics. Lasts for hours on my skin (unusual), excellent sillage, and I don't go nose-blind to it. (I started with a decant sample, then bought the travel size from their website so I could get the $40 credit towards the full bottle!) D'Annam Matcha Soft Serve is a photorealistic, complex green tea; it was beautifully balanced but a bit too powdery for my skin, but that's sort of the way matcha is. Definitely recommend if green tea is a note you like. (I need to try their Vietnamese Coffee and a few others... and their White Rice full bottle is on the way!) Masque Milano Russian Tea is a more floral take; there's an initial bite of unsweet chamomile, and the tea emerges more subtly. If you like lighter jasmine-tea scents, this one might be a yes, though it's lower on the "tea-ness" scale than the others."

"Bowmakers - D.S. Durga. Might not be everyone’s thing, but it IS my thing, and it smells EXACTLY like a wood shop making instruments - the varnish, the different kinds of wood, the smoky resinous undertone. Incredible."

"That's so funny, Bowmakers smelled like straight turpentine to me. If my hotel room smelled like that, I'm not sure I'd have been able to stay there"

"Big fan of Bowmakers (DS&Durga) - reminds me of my carpenter father’s work sheet. I also get a really musty woody smell from Broken Theories (Kerosene) that I adore but it’s also very smoky/incensey"

"Hear, hear! My personal favorite take on patch is vintage Givenchy Gentleman, followed by Balenciaga Pour Homme, and vintage Davidoff Zino. Lord of Misrule by Lush is an awesome, contemporary take."

"Lord of Misrule by Lush. Instantly fell in love with it, wore it all winter and spring; and then came summer and I realized it smelled like mould beneath the black pepper opening."

"Lord of Misrule is a good one, Rose Jam is pure nostalgia for me.  Been dying to try Kerbside Violet, but it seems like it's only online, and I'm not on board with that blind buy."

"I was on the film set for Good Omens 2, episode 5. A group of us had to run out of a building and make our way through a crowd of demons who were trying to attack us. At the end of the take, we reset and walk back to go inside the building and do it again. As I'm walking back through the crowd of demons, two of them stop me to tell me how good I smell... it was a very surreal moment as they both looked terrifying! I was wearing Amyris by MFK."

"1. Love some blunt reviews; they're some of my favourites! 2. I really wanted to like Amyris Femme, but just found it so oddly sweet? On paper powdery iris over amber sounds like a dream, but in reality I find that this stuff just smells oddly derivative of better fragrances somehow. 3. Your partner has clearly never set foot into an Abercrombie store, ha ha. Those smell so distinctive - and nothing at all like BR540, IMO!"

"Hm, Amyris Homme EDT by MFK or The Hedonist by Ex Nihilo are chef’s kiss. LV Imagination, Bvlgari Tygar, Loewe Esencia EDP, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino or Amouage Search are really amazing as well"

"MFK has Gentle Fluidity Gold if you'd like a lighter take on vanilla, or Grand Soir if you're looking for a showstopper"

"Ah yes I get this too. Very unfortunate as going by the listed notes, I should love this. I also get it from Gentle Fluidity Gold and haven’t figured out what it is so I’m hoping someone can enlighten me."

"Gentle Fluidity Gold always gets me the same compliment, that I either smell rich, or I smell expensive."

"Eau Duelle (EDT) by Dyptique; to me is a feminine-leaning, beautiful vanilla balanced by green, pine-y notes. In the air it smells like a fine fragrance and is quite versatile to me! It's on the expensive side but it's niche, fresh, earthy, and vanilla dominant. You can also buy it at your local whatever - Dillard's, fashion boutiques, duty-free, etc."

"Sample Eau Duelle before you buy it, on me the projection and longevity were disappointing"

"Eau Duelle is such a gorgeous scent! I layer Eau Duelle EDT or EDP over L’Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate for a creamy, cozy scent. My other favorite combinations are Diptyque Eau Des Sens layered with either Le Labo Another 13 or Diptyque Tam Dao."

"I work as a waiter. I know it's the safest thing to not wear any cologne when serving food but my dad bought me a bvlgari man in black bottle for my birthday. I wore that the same night I worked, and that night, I got complimented from 6 different women. One even tipped me after and wanted my number. And that's how my cologne addiction started"

"Hi, I wanted to ask yall if anyone knows a fragrance or a dupe of bulgari man in black, that has better performance. I love the scent, but 1 hour and its gone off my skin"

"BVLGARI Man in Black I love it, hard to describe but reminds me of some sort of rubber"

"Afternoon Swim is my fave! I wish the performance was better, but my god it's good. Imagination for those who can't justify the $$ is actually worth it, killer longevity. How's Pacific C. for longevity/projection? I liked it, but found it quite unisex."

"Afternoon swim is definitely my 2nd favorite from LV. If the longevity was better I probably would have kept it tbh."

"Afternoon swim is really really really nice. I love the scent. With that said, I’ll never buy it. To each his own, but I cannot justify paying $300+ for a fragrance that is just….salty mandarin. Might get hate for this, but while I’m not really a clone guy (nothing wrong with them, just my preference) I do have Montagne’s Afternoon Dive that I got for $45. It is not the exact same as afternoon swim, but it is more than close enough for me to feel like I’m wearing afternoon swim. Salty mandarin for $45, yes from me. Salty mandarin for $300+, no from me. Regardless of how I feel I hope you enjoy it and don’t forget you get half off refills once you use it all up. So don’t overspray, but don’t skimp either!"

"As someone who's borderline obsessed with smelling like a vampire, this is my time to shine! I don't think that there is one trait that makes a fragrance give me that vibe, although there are a few things that could take a scent into that direction such as notes of incense, earhiness, dark green notes, baroqueness and a general sense of darkness. Le Labo The Noir 29 - an expensive one, but totally worth it. It's dark, witchy, brooding and a little poisonous, but soft at the core and infinitely chic. It's a bit of a chameleon in the sense that there are many different ways to interpret it, it's essentially a fig & tea scent with vanilla in the base, but it's also tangy, tannic, bitter and caphoraceous. Kinda like drinking dry red wine in the middle of the forest. CDG Rouge - beetroot with churchy frankincense and soapy, mineralic aldehydes. Yup. Beets. Agricultural, vegetal but also sweet, warm and slightly bloody. Everything about this scents smells red, and it's definitely gothic, but it's also very classy and wearable. Lalique Encre Indigo - damp, earthy vetiver, tea and ink. Pretty self explanatory, highly underrated and definitely unisex despite being labeled as a men's scent on fragrantica. The original Encre Noir is a bit more challenging but it's definitely worth checking out as well. You might also want to check some offerings from Serge Lutens, it's an extremely highly regarded house for a very good reason and many of their offerings have this dark, slightly gothic vibe despite being extremely pretty and wearable, I recommend Iris Silver Mist, Fille En Aiguilles, Ecrin De Fumee, De Profundis, L'Orpheline, Feminite Du Bois, Cuir Mauresque, Chergui and Ambre Sultan, maybe Muscs Koublai Khan if you're feeling particularly daring. Some other perfumes you might want to try are Celine's Reptile, Portrait Of A Lady, Tom Ford Black Orchid, SHL777 Mortal Skin, Montale Patchouli Leaves, Jovoy Psychadelique, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, ELDO Hermann, Chanel Sycomore, Byredo Bibliotheque, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue & Vol De Nuit (I can't overstate how much I recommend trying these classic Guerlains!)"

"T here's something abt le labo and their lotions/creams vs their perfumes. I LOVED the noir 29 in lotion form on my skin. Then I smelled the spray perfume version and hated it."

"L'Ombre dans l'Eau with a man and Thé Noir 29 with a woman/NB. Both unique but not too weird (and TN29 is like pheromones for lesbians lol)."