There’s little question that the way a person smells can make or break a date, especially early in a relationship. In books and movies, it’s common for someone to describe the way another person smells as “intoxicating.” And of course, everyone always hopes that the other person walked away with that same thought. But the truth is, not all perfumes and colognes are going to leave the desired lasting impression. Here are a few men’s colognes that seemed to really do the trick (and just a few others that failed miserably).
Burberry has been smelling sweet success for years. Burberry Brit has been lingering in women’s dreams since 2003, and Burberry Summer was released in 2007. Easily living up to its predecessor’s reputation, Burberry Summer made it onto AskMen.com’s list of best colognes for 2008.
Zenga makes a sensational cologne for the man in your life. Italian designer Ermenegildo Zegna released his Z Zegna cologne in 2005 and women have been swooning ever since. The newest addition to the Zenga line, called Zegna ZegnaIntenso and released in 2007, also made AskMen.com’s list of best colognes for 2008.
Within the past few weeks Average Metro Joe, a website dedicated to grooming tips and product reviews for men, declared Double Black as Polo’s best fragrance. Released in 2006, it was preceded by Polo Cologne for Men in 1978, Polo Sport in 1994, and Polo Blue in 2002. The truth is, it’s already a winner if it smells nothing like Polo Cologne for Men. Polo Cologne for Men belongs in 1978 rather than in your medicine cabinet. It is surprisingly potent in the worst way possible. Much to every woman’s dismay, Polo has decided to release a scent based on Polo Cologne for Men and sell it as Polo Modern Reserve for their 30th anniversary. Avoid it at all costs.
Cosmetic conglomerate Sephora announced Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme by Giorgio Armani to be the winner of Best of Sephora 2008. It should be known that Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme was bred from a prosperous line of colognes. Though the 2007 release of Armani Attitude fell short of greatness, Armani Code was unquestionably a grand slam. Released in 2004, Armani Code received recognition for being The Fragrance Foundation’s 2006 Winner.
There is an obvious lesson in all of this information. While quite a few new colognes were released in 2008 – think Izod’s signature fragrance and Sean John I Am King, to name a couple – but very few were more successful than our old favorites. Burberry, Zenga, Armani, and Polo have found the formula for success and it doesn’t include slapping a celebrity’s name on the bottle. While scents by Ed Hardy and Vera Wang will come and go every year, some colognes are constant and will continue to capture hearts.
