7 Best Armaf Colognes for Men (2023) Full Review
Armaf.
One of the best clone houses on the market.
This review will describe the seven best Armaf colognes for men. I will detail their smell, performance, and anything else you need to know. Dupes are a controversial topic in perfumery. However, all of these are well done, even if uninspired.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Yet, we only endorse fragrances we’ve personally used or are highly recommended by trusted peers. You can learn more about our Disclaimer & Disclosure here.
Table of Contents
#7 – Club de Nuit Milestone
The opening starts with a combination of sea notes, berries, and bergamot. The sea notes have a saltiness, comparative to Millesime Imperial. The fruity, sweet berries play second fiddle in the background. Providing an excellent balance to the dominant sea notes.
The bergamot is the least prevalent but still useful. It provides a fleeting citrus kick that allures interest.
Once bergamot starts to fade, its void is filled by violet leaf and musk. The violet lingers in the background but is a nice, airy blend with a powdery touch. The musk is most prominent, combining with the sea notes.
The rest of the wear equal parts sea notes and musk take over the scent. Supported by a soft and warm sandalwood backbone.
Milestone lasts six hours on the skin with moderate to light projection. The first 1.5-2 hours, it pushes out to an arm’s length. After hour two, it gradually recedes to become a skin scent at hour five and will be for the last hour of wear. This is spring and summer wear for all occasions.
#6 – Tres Nuit
The opening starts with a citric lemon paired with powdery iris and, most prevalent, green lemon verbena. The opening is fresh but never too bright with the green contrast.
A decent dose of aromatic lavender is added in the mid. It is fresh but mainly keeps the citruses in check. In the background is a subtle addition of violet that pairs with iris, making the entire fragrance more powdery for the rest of the wear. Green lemon verbena is still present at the same intensity.
The overarching emphasis in the opening and mid is green freshness with powdery accords. The dry down has a hefty dose of warm sandalwood with equal parts fresh greens. This is what you’ll smell for the rest of the wear.
This lasts six to seven hours with light projection. It pushes out well for the first two hours. After this period, it slowly becomes a skin scent. It’s not surprising as Green Irish Tweed has similar performance. This is spring, summer, and early fall wear for all occasions.
#5 – Ventana Pour Homme
The initial 15 minutes is the only part that differs from Sauvage. It opens with more citrus and less pepper. The citruses are a bitter lemon and tangy mandarin orange with fruity nuances. After this period, you’ll still get the aromatic lavender and, eventually, the signature Sauvage dry-down.
This lasts six to eight hours on the skin with moderate projection. It pushes out an arm’s length for the first three to four hours. It recedes, never becoming a skin scent. The versatility is as good as Sauvage.
#4 – Club de Nuit Intense Man EDT
There’s no way the opening doesn’t capture your attention. It starts with an enormous blast of bergamot, pineapple, and bergamot. The pineapple is the most prominent, contributing an intense, juicy tone similar to Aventus.
The lemon and a masculine depth are in the background. I can’t particularly pick out a specific note. Still, it has a subtle leatheriness that is present now and in the mid. At this point, the only downfall is that the citruses are slightly synthetic. It’s never off-putting, but it smells like what it costs.
The smoky woods and musk start to come through after half an hour while retaining the fresh citruses from the opening. The off-putting synthetic-ness has dissipated, and Intense Man EDT is a much more enjoyable scent at this point.
These notes settle into each other for hours and smooth out. All while retaining the masculine and invigorating touches from before.
The rest of the wear is smoky birch with ambergris and musk. The fresh accents remain from the citruses’ top notes, but the specific notes have faded.
How good are the longevity and projection? Excellent, with 2 – 3 sprays, it lasts 10 – 12 hours on the skin, and projection can fill a room. It can be worn for all seasons or occasions but may struggle in the winter.
#3 – Hunter Intense
The opening has bright bergamot with subtle pink pepper. The initial opening is similar, but as it develops, there are additions of sweet florals that give the fragrance a degree of sweetness for the rest of the wear.
People often say it smells like Dior Sauvage mixed with Paco Rabanne Invictus as it dries. I do understand where this idea is coming from. The base of Hunter Intense has the same heavy ambroxan note with woody accents, but there is the addition of an aquatic accord. This is what you’ll get for the rest of the wear.
The performance is eight hours on the skin with okay projection. The first three to four hours, it pushes out well. After this period, it recedes and becomes a skin scent for the rest of the wear.
The versatility is nearly as good as Dior Sauvage. It can be worn in all seasons and occasions. You’ll have to apply heavier in the winter, as it does struggle.
#2 – Club de Nuit Urban Man Elixir
The opening five minutes is 1:1 with Sauvage. After this initial blast, Urban Elixir heads in a fruiter direction. There are still aromatics and lavender in the mid, but with a fruity tinge. In the dry down, it replicates Sauvage again. It’s a heavy dose of ambroxan with musky and woody nuances.
The performance is eight to ten hours on the skin with excellent projection. It pushes out an arm’s length or more for the first three to four hours. After this period, it recedes but maintains a mild ambiance. The versatility is just as good as Sauvage.
If you’re looking for the same intensity and blend of ambroxan in the base as Sauvage, this is the scent for you.
#1 – Club de Nuit Blue Iconic
The opening starts with lots of citruses, most notably grapefruit and lemon. In the background is the freshness of mint. It is spicy but leans more in the fresh and aromatic direction.
After 10 – 15 minutes, actual spice notes come through. A zingy and warm ginger is at the forefront. There are subtle wafts of smoky incense sneaking up from the base. Though the citruses are bright, Blue Iconic maintains rich and dark faucets.
There isn’t much of a mid. It is the transition from the fresher top notes to the darker base notes. The dry-down is all about woods, smoky incense, warm amber, and musky nuances. It is still fresh, but most of the top notes have faded. This fresh warmth is what you’ll get for the rest of the wear.
This lasts eight to nine hours on the skin, with moderate projection for the first two hours. After this period, it recedes to a light ambiance. As for seasons and occasions, it is all.
Final Words
The final burning question is, are Armaf colognes worth it? Yes. Some reviewers are hardcore and say you shouldn’t buy dupes because they are uninspired. However, don’t listen to them.
Many of these are dupes of expensive fragrances that not all have the means to purchase. Armaf makes great fragrances that mimic these aromas for a more budget-friendly price. You will sacrifice some quality, but none are too synthetic or cheap-smelling.
I have a collection, and I still enjoy having Armaf colognes in my collection.
After you try an Armaf cologne, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.