Who Is The Best Guerlain Men’s Cologne NOW? Discover The Top 7!
Guerlain.
One of the most, if not the most, underrated fragrance brands.
This review will describe the seven best Guerlain Men’s colognes. I will detail their smell, performance, and anything else you need to know. By the end, I’ll prove why you need them all.
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Table of Contents
#7 – Guerlain Les Absolus D’Orient Santal Royal EDP
Sandalwood is not the most prominent in the opening but lingers in the background. Though surprising, it still achieves sandalwood goodness.
Leather and oud dominate the opening. Sandalwood and spices await their turn in the background. Yes, sandalwood is there, but faintly.
First-time users, myself included, will think this is an oud-dominated scent.
However, as the scent develops, leather and oud get broken down by warm rose notes. Warm enough to counterbalance the smell but not dominate it.
When this happens, sandalwood makes its presence known.
Once in the dry down, you’ll understand why the sandalwood base was worth the wait. It takes oud, leather, and rose and washes over them with warmth and creaminess.
It makes the scent whole, but I wish it would have been more prominent for the entire wear.
The time of wear is limited. It is exclusively a fall and winter scent. In warm temperatures, it is simply too heavy. This lasts nine to ten hours on the skin with room-filling projection.
The first four hours, it pushes past an arm’s length. The rest of the wear is a mild ambiance.
#6 – Guerlain Vetiver
The opening is led by a lemon, bergamot, and neroli blast. The citruses emphasize freshness, while the neroli has a cleaner aroma but doesn’t take away from the citruses.
Within a few minutes, the fragrance is all about Vetiver. It has a very natural green smell.
The heart is all about the natural green Vetiver that has gained woodier and earthier faucets. The dry down has a peppery tinge, while the dark and earthy accents are amplified.
The rest of the wear is various spices, leather, and dry tobacco, all amplifying the strength of Vetiver.
The longevity is in the five to six-hour range with light projection. The first two hours, push out two to three feet.
After this period, it becomes a skin scent for the rest of the wear. This is spring, summer, and fall wear for all occasions.
#5 – Guerlain Homme EDP
Homme EDP is a simple scent but an interesting blend of notes. The opening is led by a minty blast with a lime twist and a dose of rum.
To an extent, this is a mojito-like aroma. All top notes blend to project the mojito-like accord. It comes across as refreshing.
Within a few minutes, the booziness is lightened by a vetiver and woody base. The fragrance turns fresh and aromatic at this point, but interestingly enough, the vetiver accord adds an earthy tinge.
This duo will remain for the rest of the wear, adding depth and warmth but not overpowering the unique top accord.
The further the scent develops, the greener it gets and the less boozy it gets. The dry-down makes room for sweet florals and more dominant woods and Vetiver.
The rest of the wear is green and woody with fresh and earthy accents.
The performance is slightly below average. It lasts five to six hours with intimate projection. It is good for seasons and occasions but struggles in the winter. This is more of a summer show-stopper.
#4 – Guerlain Ideal L’Homme Intense
One of the newest flankers from the line but like a typical Guerlain, it’s a show-stopper. The scent is simple and linear. The first spray will grab your attention, and the final sniff will bring you back for more.
The opening is strong and spicy. Right off the bat, a prominent spice from chili pepper slaps you in the face.
Immediately after, it fuses with a slight smoke accord. This is unique because the smoke tones it down and pairs really well. Now don’t worry, it’s not like a campfire.
After a few minutes, the scent starts to sweeten up. The mid adds masculine leather. It is always smooth and never overpowering, sitting under the top notes.
I like to think of it as a gentleman’s leather. The scent stays the same for the rest of the wear but gets slightly sweeter into the dry down.
Guerlain L’Homme Ideal intense is one of those scents: the longer it sits, the better it gets.
Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Intense is mainly a cold-weather fragrance. It lasts eight hours and fills a scent bubble to your elbow for a few of those. The sweetness becomes cloying in high heat.
#3 – Guerlain Heritage EDT
The bottle has been redesigned, but this is still the same high-quality scent. In my collection, it has always been a steady eddy that is ready for any situation and performs well while doing so.
Heritage EDT opens with a mix of breezy lavender, a duo of citruses, and spice nuances. All are sitting on a light patchouli background. Yeah, this is a patchouli-focused fragrance, and it is prevalent immediately.
As the scent progresses, the spices intensify, and the mid gains a slightly powdery nature. Now, what also becomes more prominent is, you guessed it, patchouli. It brings a slight rose note and sandalwood undertone with it.
Now, from this point, the patchouli virtually takes over. The warm sandalwood got more prevalent in the dry-down. Like everything else, it is just a supporting note to the dominant woody patchouli.
This fits into the gentlemen’s fragrance category. The longevity is in the eight to ten-hour range, while the projection is moderate and consistent.
The scent is definitely unique enough to be a signature scent. But just be careful when wearing it in the warmer months. It can often get too intense.
#2 – Guerlain L’Homme Ideal EDP
There’s a common phrase, “dress to impress.” Well, this is the scent you wear to this. It is very charming and ready to turn heads. Now I’m not guaranteeing that this will get you compliments.
However, it will definitely attract attention.
Cherry, leather, almond, and spices take the lead. Out of all mentioned, the almond works most by itself and progressively gets nuttier.
The other notes work in unison. Smooth leather blends with the warm spice and a unique cherry note sits on top.
As the mid develops, all the top notes are retained and have “settled” into position.
They are accompanied by floral nuances, specifically lavender and rose. Neither floral is in your face, but they are present and add a charming quality.
The spices fade in the dry-down, and other gourmand notes are coated with a sugary candy-like aroma. Any gourmand note with its unique accord is clumped with the others.
This clump lingers in the background of the prominent leather and wood duo. It is a creamy and sweet pairing with leather and wood for the rest of the wear.
The longevity and projection are above average. It will last the whole event or wherever you decide to wear it. This scent always reminds me of Tom Ford Black Orchid. Because it is so unique, it will wear you if you don’t wear it.
Guerlain L’Homme Ideal EDP is limited to fall and winter. The sweetness becomes too cloying in the warm temperatures.
Yet, it’s a show-stopper for dates and going out. This lasts eight hours on the skin with above-average projection.
#1 – L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme EDP
I have always thought that Guerlain has been an underappreciated brand. After this review, you can shine some light on the brand. Or don’t so that we have unique signature scents.
L’Instant’s powerful citrus opening is impressive. It’s a fleeting waft of bergamot and lemon.
In the background are a light resinous nature and soft, sweet anise. The anise from the get-go smells of warm and woody spices. It’s a unique spice combined with others.
For quite a while, I get refreshing citruses with spice. Over the next one to two hours, the opening combination slowly transitions.
Light patchouli with some lavender and white floral touches lead the way. The patchouli is dark and woody, emphasizing the anise and preparing you for the base.
With 3 hours left in the wear, the dry-down starts. Patchouli becomes stronger and brings dark cocoa and a variety of woody notes with it. This is a slightly earthy pairing.
Yet, still has a delicious gourmand faucet. The rest of the wear has these same accords, but the notes get softer and warmer.
It is a simple scent but one filled with pure charm. The performance is average all around the board. It lasts six hours with light and consistent projection.
This may seem like a downfall, but it works to its benefit as it is such a great date night scent.
Final Words
So, why are Guerlain fragrances worth it?
They are high-quality but never too expensive. Different fragrances on this list have different jobs, but with only a couple or a few of these, you are bound to stand out and have every situation covered.
Guerlain fragrances are amazing. However, don’t limit yourself to the brand. Discover the best Parfums de Marly fragrances for men here.