7 Best Louis Vuitton Colognes for Men (2023) Full Review
Louis Vuitton.
A brand for simple and quality fragrances.
In this review, I will describe the seven best Louis Vuitton colognes for men. I will detail their smell, performance, and anything else you need to know.
Table of Contents
#7 – On the Beach
The opening starts with equal parts: Yuzu, Neroli, and aromatics. Yuzu has a very bright and juicy opening. Though it is memorable, it is short-lived. The overarching emphasis in the first few minutes is sharp and herbal spice. Much of the aromatics sit underneath and solely lend their herbal nature. I can’t specifically tell which notes they are at first.
Within a few minutes, rosemary and hints of thyme become prominent. It’s these that donate the heavy aromatics in the opening.
The mid is simple. A woody Cypress sneaks its way in and amplifies the aromatic nature. A large portion of the wear is herbal, spicy, and woody. The dry down adds a gritty sand accord, which you’ll get for the rest of the wear.
This lasts eight hours on the skin with light projection. The first three to four hours, it pushes out two feet. After this period, it becomes a skin scent. This is exclusively summer wear and for all occasions.
#6 – L’Immensite
An intense duo of ginger spice and bright citruses lead the opening. I love the ginger as it has a warm and alluring faucet. The citruses are slightly less prominent. I mainly smell bergamot, but grapefruit is in the background. After the intensity dies down, a light aquatic accord in the background makes itself known.
Ginger spice remains the star of the show in the heart. Sage and rosemary are the first additions, with sage being the most prominent and contributing a significantly aromatic nature.
The dry down simplifies. A warm and deep amber note comes through. The remaining ginger and citruses sit atop. The faint aquatic accord is still present, but I have to “look’ for it.
This lasts seven to eight hours on the skin with moderate to light projection. It pushes out two to three feet for the first three to four hours. After this period, it recedes and becomes a skin scent. This is spring, summer, and early fall wear and is great for all occasions.
#5 – Nuit de Feu
The opening is all about smoky incense and oud. If you love incense, this is a fragrance you need in your collection. Within a few minutes, the notes settle into themselves. The oud gains a dirty/barnyard-like quality. The only aspect that some may find decisive.
I enjoy the bard-yardness as it is quality and blended. It puts a unique twist on the fragrance that not many other fragrances can do. The mid makes room for a rich and natural leather note. The incense and oud settle on it, using it as support.
The dry down stays the same. Some musk nuances from the base are still all about smoky incense, oud, and leather.
This lasts ten hours on the skin with light projection. It pushes out a foot for the first four to five hours. After this period, it becomes a skin scent. Nuit de Feu is fall and winter wear for special occasions. With this unique blend of notes, you’ll shine on a formal occasion.
#4 – Sur la Route
A hefty dose of citric bergamot leads the opening with an equally intense grass note and light spices. In the beginning, the overarching emphasis is freshness with green and spicy tinges. Though the citruses are intense, they aren’t juicy; instead, they smell as if they’re diluted. This really helps amplify the freshness of the fragrance.
The mid has more prominent pink pepper spice from the opening with a new addition of light nutmeg. It is fleeting and gone before the dry-down starts. A prominent leather note gives depth in the background.
The dry-down finishes with a leather and cedar depth, nuances of spice, and a fresh greenness from what’s left of the citrus and grass notes in the opening.
This lasts six to seven hours on the skin with light projection. It pushes out one to two feet for the first three hours. After this period, it becomes a skin scent. This is spring, fall, and winter wear for all occasions.
#3 – Afternoon Swim
Afternoon Swim starts with a blast of prominent orange with ginger undertones. Followed by a welcoming dose of bergamot. Together, both citruses are very bright, but ginger grabs attention in particular. The right amount of “spice” gives the opening depth and taste.
Over time, bergamot comes to be in equal parts to orange. At this point, ginger is less prevalent. Losing strength proportionality to the orange note. The final addition to the rest of the wear comes quickly in the mid.
A light touch of ambergris is added and has a salty nuance. If I had to guess, this is where the name came from. Into the base, citruses linger but far from the strength of the opening. The scent is left with light ambergris that smells like you just got out of the water from a swim.
It lasts 5 – 6 hours on the skin with intimate projection. This poor longevity is mainly due to the dominant citrus notes. Instead of projecting a bubble, you’ll have a subtle ambiance. This is exclusively summer wear but for all occasions.
#2 – Ombre Nomade
Equal parts of incense and oud lead the opening, both of which have dark and smokey accents. This oud is particularly interesting. It mixes with a slightly sweet and fresh duo of raspberry and rose. The addition of rose is common, but the fruity raspberry is alluring.
As this is all happening, a resinous and amber base sneaks underneath. It is prevalent but shines in the dry down. As for now, the rose and raspberry only ever get strong enough to balance the dominant oud. There’s still sweetness, but the longer it’s on my skin, gets richer and smoother.
Rose and raspberry are lost in the dry down. My nose still picks up oud and incense that is coming back. But the most emphasis is the hefty dose of benzoin. This gives the scent a nice resinous finish and lingering amber wood.
Ombre Nomade lasts 12+ hours on the skin with excellent projection. It has a room-filling projection for the first three to four hours. After this period, it recedes but maintains an arm’s length or more ambiance for the rest of the wear. This is fall, winter, and early spring wear for special occasions.
#1 – Imagination
Imagination starts with an equal mix of citron and orange. Both are citruses that come across as very zesty and sharp. It’s never sour, but it packs a punch the first few minutes.
As the scent progresses, it has all the typical qualities of a luxury citrus fragrance. Clean, airy, luxurious, etc.… but most importantly, it’s very well blended.
Quickly, the citron becomes the strongest of the duo and rests on a light bed of ambroxan. They progress into a prominent black tea and neroli mix with warm spice nuances.
Overall, this addition will come across as green and clean florals. If you are unfamiliar with neroli, it’s a great note to amplify citrus, and that’s precisely what it does here. All these notes mix and mingle. Eventually, they settle for an ultra-pleasing citrus soapy smell. It is a simple scent, but how it developed was beautiful.
It lasts 8 – 10 hours on the skin with excellent projection the first hour to an hour and a half. When the citruses are really pumping, the projection pushes out multiple feet. This is exclusively spring and summer wear for all occasions.
Final Words
Most Louis Vuitton colognes, even the ones not on this list, are worth it. The brand is known for its authentic and quality citrus openings. Louis Vuitton is a great brand to check out if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line summer fragrance.
On the flip side, they have long-lasting winter fragrances that can impress anyone; see Ombre Nomade especially. In short, I love having Louis Vuitton colognes in my collection. They are expensive, but all on this list are worth the money.
After you try a Louis Vuitton Cologne, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.