7 Best Colognes for Teenage Guys – Youthful & Alluring
Being a Teenager is hard.
Finding the perfect fragrance for you is even harder.
In this article, I’ve selected seven of the best colognes for teenage guys. All have a youthful touch and retain a quality smell. It’s time to stop choosing at random in box stores and start turning heads.
Table of Contents
#7 – Mont Blanc Explorer
Is this really an Aventus dupe, or does Aventus just inspire it?
Well, I lean towards the latter. Yes, I know, I know. This is a clone list. But in fragrance culture, this has become so popular as an Aventus clone that it needed to be included.
The mid of the fragrance is certainly comparable. It is warm, semi-sweet, and woody. The first 15 seconds is a burst of synthetic bergamot. It goes away quickly, turning semi-sweet and fruity.
What you won’t find in the opening is pineapple. This is one of the main reasons Explorer is only inspired by Aventus.
Once the fragrance has been on the skin for a few minutes, it starts to smell like Aventus.
As bergamot fades, a woody note of akigalawood and a heavy dose of ambroxan fill the void. Light vetiver adds to this duo, but ambroxan masks it. The base is woody but lacks both birch and smoky accents.
The longevity is below average. It lasts on my skin for four to five hours and projects moderately during that time.
As for when to wear, Mont Blanc Explorer is a summer cologne. It still works great in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, but in the depth of the winter, it struggles.
If interested, check out my full review of Mont Blanc Explorer.
Explorer is an excellent teen cologne because of the aforementioned Aventus inspiration. Along with its excellent versatility. I remember when I was a 15 – 16-year-old boy and starting to build a collection.
For those of you in those shoes, this is a great choice that won’t break the bank.
#6 – Missoni Wave
For the price, you can’t beat Missoni Wave. It almost made it into the “$” range (under $40). On this list, it is the most aquatic-themed but also has one of the better woody dry down’s.
From the beginning, Missoni Wave is all about the citruses that rest on an aquatic base. Fresh citruses and creamy mandarin are present in equal parts. This combination is still citric but does it in a unique way.
In the background are a slightly green tinge and a prominent aquatic sea salty note. The opening has a juicy, invigorating smell when combined with the citruses.
Drying down, Missoni Wave only gets more satisfying.
It never turns sweet, allowing it to be an excellent summertime cologne. A woody tone is more prevalent in the base. It mixes with the aquatic background and creates a fresh aquatic woody aroma.
At this point, the citruses have faded, and it has become more of a fresh and woody cologne.
The longevity and projection are average. It lasts most of the day and projects a decent scent bubble around you.
If you are looking for a Missoni Wave alternative. Chanel Allure Homme Sport and Versace Pour Homme are both excellent choices.
#5 – Abercrombie & Fitch First Instinct EDT
Abercrombie and Fitch First Instinct EDT is a sexy, masculine young man’s fragrance. It is an easy-to-wear and likable cologne, one of the sexiest on this list.
The opening is led with a cocktail-like freshness. The initial smell is a blast of semi-sweet melon and fleeting citruses. In the background, gin nuances are also present.
At first, I thought this would be a tropical scent, but after smelling it, it really isn’t. The main emphasis in the opening is semi-sweetness and freshness.
As the scent matures, it maintains its degree of freshness and, in the base, adds a masculine tone. This comes from a duo of musk and suede that fuse with the sweetness.
To my nose, it has a very alluring vibe, like a sexy, aquatic sweat in the summer.
For the rest of the wear, it is masculine and musky sweetness.
So what about wear? The longevity is slightly below average, and the projection is average. This is exclusively warm weather and day wear. It’s not a summer scent but performs best in the heat.
#4 – Rasasi Hawas for Him
Two things are going on in the opening of Hawas. First, the initial spray is led by a bright apple note, having a sweet crispness.
The second thing is a duo of citruses. They are supportive but more prominent than background notes. They add a sparkling freshness to the opening.
All of the above is undertoned by cinnamon spice. It’s well-blended and never overpowering.
In the mid, there is almost a complete transition. The fruits and citruses fade. While non-salty aquatic notes wash over the heart.
Instead of cinnamon in the mid, it is replaced with cardamom. Again never taking away from the scent.
Finally, the base is led by an amber and musk duo. The musk is similar to that of Creeds. The amber comes from underneath and pushes water to the “surface.”
Now, the amber coats your skin, and a musk/aquatic combination sit atop.
A great performer. The projection is really good for the first three hours, then dries down but never becomes a skin scent. Hawas is another scent that is also good to wear in the spring.
#3 – Afnan 9PM
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. This is a dupe of Jean Paul Gaultier Ultra Male. If you’re unfamiliar, that means this will be very sweet but also extremely seductive.
The opening starts with equal parts sweet fruity apple notes and powdery vanilla.
I can’t emphasize the sweetness of the opening enough. It is intense and almost piercing. The vanilla is retained for the rest of the wear, while the apple note will dissipate over time.
The sweetness doesn’t stay at the same intensity. Eventually, faint lavender and cinnamon nuances add. They don’t amount to much but help temper the intensity of the opening duo.
The scent simplifies from this point. Most of the fruity sweetness has been exchanged for warm amber. While the powdery vanilla remains dominant. The powdery accents are weakening as the wear continues.
The rest of the wear is deeper. It’s mainly vanilla with a warm amber depth to rest on.
One of the best aspects of 9PM is the performance. It lasts 12 hours and has an explosive projection for the first half an hour.
After the first half an hour, it recedes but will still fill a room. It is all-year-round wear, just not in the high heat of summer.
#2 – Dior Sauvage EDP
Wait, what?! I know, I know, we were all in shock about this.
Dior Sauvage EDP is a flanker of the original and the best Dior cologne, but not by a landslide. Its winning attributes were its supreme performance and excellent versatility.
Not only for season/occasions but also for age. A 50-year-old man can pull this off as easily as a 20-year-old.
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, and for the rest of the wear, it 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.
#1 – Versace Dylan Blue
Suppose you want your compliments to come from smelling fresh and clean.
In that case, you are in the right place. Versace Dylan Blue is a big performer. In my collection, it is one of the best compliment-pullers for the phrase “you smell good.”
It has a fresh shower gel vibe. The top notes are a citrus combination of bergamot and grapefruit. They are sweet and familiar. Resting underneath is an aquatic accord and ambroxan.
All last for the rest of the wear.
The citrus duo fades after some time but leaves its sweetness. Once the citruses fade, so does the shower gel vibe. At this point, ambroxan starts to darken with an earthy and spicy nature.
Yet, it never comes across as dirty.
The fresh and sweet aroma heads in a warmer direction. Most of the aquatic nature is gone, and ambroxan is left. It is prevalent but not an ambroxan bomb like Dior Sauvage.
Dylan Blue has above-average longevity and projection. You can spray this on and not worry about it for the rest of the day.
But speaking of sprays, be careful. It doesn’t seem like it’d be too intense, but three sprays in an office building fill the floor.
It’s all-season and occasion versatile. If you live in a climate below 10F (-12C), Dylan Blue will struggle but performs well for the most part.
One of the better parts of Dylan Blue is its uniqueness. It is not hyper-unique but considering blue fragrances. It has its own genre. Many fragrances have similarities, but none are clones.
Final Words
If you’re just getting into fragrances as a teen, I recommend sticking with a fragrance that is all-season and occasion versatile. This way, you’ll have an option that covers everything and anything.
If you’re building a collection, all of the summer and winter choices in this list are affordable and amazing fragrances.
These are all great fragrances for teenagers. However, don’t just limit yourself to these fragrances. Discover the best fragrances for men here.
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- Bleu de Chanel EDT vs. EDP VS. Parfum – Ultimate Buying Guide