12 Best Colognes for Young Men

When you are a teenager or a young man, this is the phase of your life that could shape your entire future. You have a lot of potentials, a lot of places to be, a lot of energy, and of course, a lot of different activities to attend. Wearing perfumes and colognes as part of your daily routine is more important than most people think.

Colognes and scents, in general, should be your secret weapon, an invisible wingman that can affect your image and how people perceive you. So let’s take a closer look at some of the best colognes for young men the money can buy.

What Should You be Looking for in Young Men Cologne?

As a general rule in the perfume world, you can wear whatever you want whenever you want. However, some characteristics should exist in cologne to be more suited to the younger crowd. The following are some of what should be in its qualities:

• It should reflect the spirit of youth, which is being fun, playful, and charming.
• Its smell should be nice and crowd-pleasing.
• It should encourage people to compliment you when you wear it, which boosts your confidence.
• The cost should be reasonable and doesn’t break the bank.
• Wearing these colognes should make you noticeable to the girls of your age.
• A young man’s cologne should have sweetness and freshness or at least one of them.
• It should cover all the bases and needs.

What Types of Cologne Do a Youngster Need?

Different situations and scenarios in day-to-day life need to be treated differently when choosing fragrances and colognes.

If you want to step up your cologne game, It’s better to have a different type of cologne for every situation, such as:

1. Clubbing and Night Outs, you will need a fun and playful cologne.
2. Dates and Intimate Situations, you will need a sexy and alluring cologne.
3. Daytime and Everyday Use, you will need a versatile cologne.
4. For Summertime in General, you will need a summary and aquatic cologne.
5. For Classy Events and Family Gatherings, you will need a nice and elegant cologne.
6. Going to the Gym or any Sports Event, you will need a sporty and light cologne.

Best Cologne for Young Men

Choosing the right cologne for the previous situations can be an overwhelmingly tricky task. However, some proven colognes can easily fit those criteria. In the following sections, I will give you great suggestions and recommendations on the best colognes for young men for each of those categories to make your life much easier.

For Clubbing and Night Outs:

Invictus – Paco Rabanne

One of the most popular cologne from Paco Rabanne in the last few years, and for a good reason. It has the bubble-gummy sweetness that everybody is talking about with a touch of freshness from the grapefruit, making it perfect all year round.

But you have to watch your sprays in the high summer heat because it can get a little bit cloying. The projection is excellent, with great longevity. This scent will easily fit the clubbing environment.

• Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Nights.
• Top Notes: Sea Notes, Grapefruit, and Mandarin Orange.
• Middle Notes: Bay Leaf and Jasmine.
• Base Notes: Ambergris, Guaiac Wood, Oakmoss, and Patchouli.

Ultra Male – Jean Paul Gaultier 

Without mentioning Ultra Male, one can’t talk about the best cologne for young men. This cologne from Jean Paul Gaultier is still considered by many as the clubbing king. Its distinctive pear note in the opening with loads of sweetness makes it more youthful and playful than its older brother Le Male.

However, what gives this cologne its reputation is its performance. With its highly overpowering projection and neverending longevity, you will easily outperform everybody at the club or on the night out. This cologne is strictly for cold weather, so keep that in mind.

• Seasons: Fall and Winter.
• Top Notes: Pear, Lavender, Mint, Bergamot, and Lemon.
• Middle Notes: Cinnamon, Caraway, and Clary Sage. 
• Base Notes: Black Vanilla Husk, Amber, Patchouli, and Cedar.

Eros – Versace

Inspired by ancient Greece mythology of love, this cologne has been raised into popularity like no other Versace colognes, as one of the best cologne for young men. Eros is a seductive and sweet scent that can capture the attention of any girl within your vicinity. The opening is fruity and fresh with a very noticeable lemon and mint combination. After the initial phase, it becomes more like sweet mint candy with outstanding performance.

This cologne could also be one of the best sexy and alluring scents for dates and intimate situations if you go easy on the trigger and don’t overspray. Eros can be worn all year round, but it’s not for the dead of summer, though.

• Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Nights.
• Top Notes: Mint, Green Apple, and Lemon. 
• Middle Notes: Tonka Bean, Ambroxan, and Geranium.
• Base Notes: Madagascar Vanilla, Virginian Cedar, Atlas Cedar, Vetiver, and Oakmoss.

For Dates and Romantic Evenings:

1 Million Lucky – Paco Rabanne

This cologne from Paco Rabanne is nothing like the original 1 Million. It still has some sweetness, but it somehow manages to be a fresh and gourmand scent at the same time. One million lucky has a fresh opening from the grapefruit and bergamot, but what gives it its unique smell is the mix of hazelnut, honey, and fruits.

The performance is good, with moderate projection and excellent longevity. This cologne can be worn all year round when it comes to seasonality, but you can be more liberal on the trigger in colder months.

• Seasons: All-Year-Round.
• Top Notes: Plum, Ozonic notes, Grapefruit, and Bergamot. 
• Middle Notes: Hazelnut, Honey, Cedar, Cashmere Wood, Jasmine, and Orange Blossom.
• Base Notes: Amberwood, Patchouli, Oakmoss, and Vetiver.

The One for Men – Dolce & Gabbana

The One for Men is one of the sexiest colognes on the market. It is sweet and spicy with a bit of freshness on top. The opening has some freshness from the grapefruit, but it doesn’t stay long. After the initial phase, it becomes warm, woody, and creamy from the Amber, Tobacco, and Cardamom combination.

The downside of this cologne is its performance, which is weak and underwhelming. Still, for date nights and intimate situations, you don’t need an overpowering cologne that could choke your date anyway. This cologne would be a perfect fit for these scenarios.

Important Note: This review is for the Eau de Toilette version. There is an Eau de Parfum version with the same name. The Eau de Parfum is almost identical in smell to the Eau de Toilette but with a slightly heavier composition and better performance, but not by much. So feel free to pick either one of them.

• Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer Nights.
• Top Notes: Grapefruit, Coriander, and Basil.
• Middle Notes: Ginger, Cardamom, and Orange Blossom.
• Base Notes: Amber, Tobacco, and Cedar.

For All Occasions:

Versace Pour Homme – Versace

If you want a versatile cologne that can cover all your needs, look no further. With its fresh opening from the lemon and bergamot and some floral touches from the neroli, this cologne can suit any season or occasion with ease. It has a lovely and crowd-pleasing scent with a high compliment factor.

You can use it for night-outs, for dates, during the day, at work, in the gym, you name it. Versace Pour Homme has a striking similarity to Allure Homme Sport by Chanel but at a much affordable price. 

• Seasons: All-Year-Round.
• Top Notes: Lemon, Neroli, Bergamot, and Rose de Mai.
• Middle Notes: Hyacinth, Cedar, Clary Sage, and Geranium.
• Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Musk, and Amber.

Le Male Superman Eau Fraiche – Jean Paul Gaultier

Superman edition is one of the many variations and flankers of the original Le Male. It is Jean Paul Gaultier’s answer to fresh and bubble-gummy scents on the market. This cologne has a minty and aldehydic opening with the original Le Male DNA in the background.

Although this cologne is intended to be a summer scent, you can easily rock it all year round due to its heavier vanilla and tonka bean base. Its complement factor is high with above-average performance.

Important Note: There are two other versions of Eau Fraiche colognes, Le Male Popeye Eau Fraiche and Le Mâle Eau Fraîche André Edition, but they are basically the same scent. So feel free to choose any one of them.

• Seasons: All-Year-Round.
• Top Notes: Mint, Aldehydes, and Neroli. 
• Middle Notes: Sage, Clary Sage, Amber, and Woody Notes.
• Base Notes: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, and Sandalwood.

For Summertime:

Versace Man Eau Fraiche – Versace

Man Eau Fraiche is, in my opinion, the epitome of summer. It is light and airy, like a gentle summer breeze. It opens up with Star Fruit and citruses, which develop to a faint musky scent on the skin over time. 

This cologne’s downside is its life span, which is relatively short compared to other colognes in this list. But in that short amount of time, you can definitely make a great first impression.

• Seasons: Summer.
• Top Notes: Lemon, Bergamot, Carambola (Star Fruit), Cardamom, and Brazilian Rosewood.
• Middle Notes: Cedar, Tarragon, Pepper, and Sage.
• Base Notes: Musk, Woodsy Notes, Saffron, Amber, and sycamore.

Nautica Voyage – Nautica

Nautica Voyage from Nautica is one of the best cheap colognes on the market today and a trendy one for the summertime. It has a fresh and aquatic opening that smells like a freshly cut cucumber with a sea breeze. The performance is suitable for a summer scent, with good longevity and above-average projection.

• Seasons: Summer.
• Top Notes: Apple and Green Leaves.
• Middle Notes: Lotus and Mimosa.
• Base Notes: Musk, Cedar, Oakmoss, and Amber.

First Instinct – Abercrombie & Fitch

First Instinct has a unique smell and is often considered one of the best colognes for young men in the last few years. It is light and soft with a great tropical scent. This cologne’s uniqueness comes from its prominent melon note with a touch of gin in the background.

You will definitely pull a lot of compliments wearing this cologne because of its pleasing scent. Its drawback is the performance, which is somewhat average at best, but you could spray more throughout the day since it’s not expensive.

• Seasons: Summer.
• Top Notes: Melon, Tonic Water, and Gin.
• Middle Notes: Violet Leaf, Sichuan Pepper, and Citruses. 
• Base Notes: Musk, Suede, and Amber.

For Classy Events and Family Gatherings:

L’Homme – Yves Saint Laurent 

If you want to reflect an aura of class and elegance, you definitely should try this cologne. L’Homme is one of those scents that hardly anyone can dislike. It has a fresh opening from the citrus and ginger, and after a while, it develops into a slightly creamy and elegant scent.

The only negative thing about this cologne is the performance, which is moderate and often underwhelming. However, because of that, it’s a perfect fit for classy events and indoor family gatherings.

• Seasons: All-Year-Round.
• Top Notes: Ginger, Bergamot, and Lemon.
• Middle Notes: Spices, Violet Leaf, White Pepper, and Basil.
• Base Notes: Tonka Bean, Cedar, and Tahitian Vetiver.

For the Gym:

Eau de Lacoste L.12.12. White – Lacoste

Lacoste L.12.12. White is considered one of the best choices for the gym and any sports activity. Its citrusy and floral composition gives a fresh and clean smell. It is light enough so that even when the body heats, it still sustains its clean and showery aura around you. The performance is average, but you don’t need a heavy projection scent anyway for this purpose.

• Seasons: Spring and Summer.
• Top Notes: Grapefruit, Rosemary, and Cardamom. 
• Middle Notes: Ylang-Ylang and Tuberose.  
• Base Notes: Suede, Virginia Cedar, Leather, and Vetiver.