Top 10 Best Colognes for College Students (2023) Full Review
College colognes.
You need a fragrance that is both ultra-wearable and likable.
This review will describe the top ten best colognes for college students. I will describe their smell, performance, and anything else you need to know. As I write this, I am in the college library, so here’s first-hand experience of what’s best.
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Table of Contents
#10 – Halloween Man X
Upon the first spray is an immediate blast of a dark-roasted coffee note. It dominates the opening for the first 10 -15 minutes, supported by boozy sweetness and leather.
This trio is a special “blackjack accord” the perfumer explicitly created for this fragrance. The whiskey smell is polite. It’s more about the sweetness and blend it brings to the coffee note than its actual smell. The leather sits in the background, adding a masculine depth to the opening.
The dark roasted coffee note remains prominent for the rest of the wear but weakens as the scent continues. After the opening period, a cinnamon and cardamom combination wash over the scent like a tidal wave.
Cinnamon blends with the coffee note, creating an almost spiced latte aroma. The cardamom is invigorating and attention-grabbing, like your typical cardamom note. Both are prevalent for the rest of the wear and add a warmer, spiced nature to the background.
The whiskey note gains strength in the dry-down and brings out more of its booziness that it lacked in the opening. Vanillic Tonka Bean combines with the whiskey note and creates gourmand goodness. The rest of the wear is warm, spicy coffee notes with a smooth vanillic whiskey combination.
Halloween Man X lasts seven hours on the skin with average projection. It pushes out two feet for multiple hours before receding, never becoming a skin scent. This is exclusively fall and winter wear. The projection is light, allowing it to be worn for all occasions.
#9 – Mont Blanc Explorer
Upon the first spray is a blast of semi-sweet, fruity bergamot. After about five minutes, the scent starts to smell more like Aventus. Bergamot fades, and a heavy dose of ambroxan and woody notes peak through.
Ambroxan adds a noticeably synthetic smell, but both notes emphasize a woody accord. Explorer is a straightforward scent. Any other notes in the fragrance only amplify the fruity opening or woody dry down.
Does Mont Blanc Explorer’s scent profile smell like Creed Aventus? It has the bare bones of it. Both have a fruity opening, but Aventus is known for its juicy, tangy pineapple opening. As for the dry down, Explorer lacks the signature smoky birch. So, yes, similar scent DNA, but 9 times out 10, people can tell the difference.
This lasts seven hours on the skin, with average projection. It pushes out two to three feet for the first two hours. After this period, it becomes a skin scent. This is all-season and occasion wearable.
#8 – Dior Sauvage EDP
Right from the get-go, ambroxan is at full strength. It is undoubtedly dominant but not overwhelmingly intense. It actually tempers the harshness of citrus and pink pepper. Thus, the opening is smooth and only spicy enough to be awakening.
After a few minutes comes a more prominent vanilla and lavender. Both pair with the dominant ambroxan. This trio rules most of the opening, projecting exceptional warmth. One interesting aspect of vanilla is its subtle, dark, and smoky accents. It won’t come off as mysterious but more mature.
In the mid are more spices and citruses. The spices are never assaulting but instead add an additional invigorating dynamic. The citruses are a contrast of both sharp and juicy. In the opening, they were present, but much of them get overshadowed by the ambroxan.
All notes settle into place in the dry down. Again, the citruses are washed over; the rest of the wear is ambroxan with subdued spices. The warmth of vanilla and lavender still remains, but nothing notable.
When it comes to performance, Dior Sauvage EDP does it all well. It lasts eight to ten hours off my skin and fills a room. The longevity and projection are beast mode, and it works for all seasons, occasions, and times of the day.
#7 – Givenchy Gentlemen EDT Intense
An underrated masterpiece. Givenchy is a known brand but doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Yet, after you wear this scent, you’ll surely attract attention. Givenchy Gentleman EDT Intense is all about the iris. It is rich and dark rather than soapy and powdery, commonly found in Prada colognes.
Iris comes in right away and makes itself known. It dominates the opening and is contrasted by fresher greens. It is an equal balance between light and dark. A fresh and sweet vein carries Iris into the base. Little scent development happens until the dry down.
At this point, the scent gives way to a warm sweetness. There are lingering florals, but the most emphasis is on green woodiness.
Gentleman Givenchy EDT Intense is an average performer. Lasting seven to eight hours on the skin and projects up to arm’s length for a couple of those. It is a perfect fragrance for transitionary periods of spring and fall.
It can be worn in the summer, but you must be careful with the number of sprays. The sweetness towards the end of the wear gets cloying in high-heat situations.
#6 – Cremo Spice and Black Vanilla
The opening is led by an intense dose of cardamom. It is slightly peppery and not as smooth as in fragrances like YSL La Nuit de L’Homme EDT. However, it’s never off-putting. Within moments it’s enveloped by warm vanilla.
This is an excellent combination as both are warm and smooth. This combination will dominate into the mid, maintaining the perfect balance between sweet and subdued.
After one to two hours, the vanilla gains a powdery accent. While light vetiver nuances linger into the base and give, the fragrance added depth. Vetiver is equal parts woody and slightly aromatic.
The prevalence of cardamom has faded into the base, but the scent retains the invigoring spice. While the vanilla dominates with woody nuances for the rest of the wear.
Spice and Black Vanilla lasts five hours on the skin with light projection. The first spray pushes out a couple of feet and remains present for the rest of the wear. This is fall and winter wear for all occasions.
#5 – Dolce & Gabbana The One EDP
The opening is a fleeting citrus hit but is quickly overpowered by a tidal wave of warm spices. For the first two hours, spices dominate. Nuances of amber and tobacco are peaking in from the base but aren’t prevalent.
After two hours, the dry-down starts and is the best part of the fragrance. At this point, you’ll understand why it’s a sexy fragrance.
The spices tone down, and amber and tobacco are in equal parts. There is some sweetness, but it is primarily warm and inviting. This trio dominates for the rest of wear and is why Dolce and Gabbana The One EDP is so popular.
The performance is not great. It lasts six to seven hours on the skin with intimate projection, but it’s incredibly wearable. On a date, you don’t want a fragrance to be announced. It should be discovered. Allow her to get faint whiffs of the sexy smell and want to come closer.
#4 – Versace Dylan Blue
he opening starts with a citrus blast from a bergamot and grapefruit combination. Underneath are warmer aquatic and salty ambroxan notes with a shower gel vibe. Previously, I have described the shower gel aroma as fruity.
The citruses and shower gel aroma lead the way for the first few minutes. While the aquatic and warm ambroxan become increasingly stronger.
Once in the heart of the fragrance, it’s a battleground of notes. The shower gel aroma has dissipated. The citruses and fresh spices linger but are both significantly weakened. While the ambroxan washes over the scent. Specifically salty ambroxan.
If salty ambroxan doesn’t make sense. Think of it as Dior Sauvage’s ambroxan dry down mixed with ocean water. After two to three hours, the rest of the wear is fresh, salty ambroxan with musk nuances. Dylan Blue does have a scent progression. However, it’s mostly a beginning and an end, with a quick transition in the middle.
This lasts eight to ten hours on the skin with moderate projection. The first few hours push out three feet. After this period, it recedes but maintains a light ambiance for the rest of the wear. This is all-season and occasion versatile.
#3 – Versace Eros Flame
A bright and juicy duo of lemon and tangerine leads the opening. Following the dominant top notes is a warm undertone of black pepper. Like Eau Fraiche, it is not overwhelming but adds a different dynamic to the top notes.
The first few minutes are pretty dependent on the citruses with spice nuances. But after that, the vanilla and tonka bean pair bring out their smooth, creamy aroma. They are more than background notes but definitely not at the forefront.
For the first hour, there is a strong rosemary note. It comes across as both aromatic and herbal.
Once rosemary loses strength, it opens the door for the dry-down to develop. The main focus is now on woody elements. The most prominent notes are smooth cedar and sandalwood. Both are accompanied by a faintly sweet vanilla.
For the rest of the wear, it is creamy wood with green nuances, light vanilla, and spices sprinkled on top.
The performance is impressive: Eight to nine hours on the skin. No matter the season or occasion, leaving a decent scent trail in the process. In the high heat, tone down the sprays. This is all occasion wear.
#2 – Chanel Allure Homme Edition Blanche
Bright and sharp citruses are the most prevalent in the opening. Early on, a strong lemon note takes the lead. Followed shortly after by vanilla, providing a creamy sweetness. This is relatively early in the wear, and this duo is virtually the only notes.
At this point, the scent is exceptionally gourmand. I think of it as sorbet, but others sometimes call it a lemon cake aroma. For a decent chunk of the mid, it’s delicious before leading into the dry down.
Most of the citruses have faded, and woody notes fill the void. The most prominent is creamy sandalwood, bringing vetiver with it. From here, the scent only gets drier. Yet, always retains its freshness.
The dry-down develops early. For the rest of the wear, it is a vanilla and sandalwood duo with light touches of vetiver.
The performance won’t blow you away like the smell. Longevity is in the five to six-hour range, and projection is decent the first hour, then settles closer to the skin. This is a perfect summer scent that also does well in the warmer parts of spring and fall.
#1 – YSL Y EDP
There’s a second layer to the opening. A trio of bergamot paired with crisp apple and cool ginger spice leads the top. The star of the show is the apple note, which even comes across as natural smelling. Now, the exciting part.
The second layer is a smooth, slightly woody warmth and aromatic juniper berry. The big emphasis is on aromatics. Even though the light woods are deeper, they don’t take away from the overall freshness. At this point, the scent still remains crisp, clean, and slightly sweet.
Sage overtakes the ginger in the heart of the fragrance. This change mainly amplifies the green herbal qualities and adds to the aromaticity. This leads to the base of dominant cedar and woody vetiver. The rest of the wear is about apple, green herbs, and ambery woods.
Y EDP not only smells fantastic but has outstanding performance. It lasts eight to ten hours on the skin with above-average projection. No matter the season or occasion, it works. You might have to spray more heavily in the winter months.
Final Words
Picking a fragrance as a college student is hard. You don’t necessarily have a bunch of money to buy niche fragrances or build an extensive collection, so it’s important to have a few that are extremely wearable and versatile.
No matter which fragrance you choose on this list, it is excellent. Lastly, everyone says Dior Sauvage is the most popular DNA. Yet, all I smell on campus is Versace Eros…
After you try a cologne for college students, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.