Top 10 Most Popular 90s Men’s Colognes – Full Review
90s Colognes.
The decade that fragrances went to the next level.
This review will describe the top ten most popular 90s Men’s colognes. I will detail their smell, performance, and anything else you need to know.
These may be three decades old, but they are all as good as when they were first released.
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Table of Contents
#10 – Hugo Boss Bottled
The opening is all about the signature Hugo Boss Apple.
Cinnamon Spice plays second fiddle in the background. I get an apple pie aroma, but not too sweet. A tart plum note pairs with the apple. This takes the opening in a fruitier rather than sweet direction.
The prominence of the top notes doesn’t last long. A decent dose of vanilla pushes plum and apple into the backseat. It brings warm sandalwood and cedar with it.
As the dry down develops, it solidifies into equal parts wood and vanilla with wafts of apple and cinnamon.
This is what you’ll smell for the rest of the wear. It is sweet but charming and smooth rather than sugary.
The performance is the biggest downfall. It lasts five to six hours on the skin with light projection. The first hour has decent multiple feet projection.
After this period, it slowly recedes, eventually becoming a skin scent in the last hour of wear. As for seasons and occasions, it is all, but I recommend spraying less in the summer heat.
#9 – Carolina Herrera 212 Men
The overarching emphasis in the opening is green notes. It is both grassy and floral. The fresh aroma is not the most unique start, but it grabs attention.
Ginger spice is the secondary player and helps break up the greenness and grabs attention. The last accord is subtle citric grapefruit.
Within a few minutes, the citric grapefruit becomes increasingly more intense. It eventually comes to be in equal parts with the greenness. Ginger and pepper spice sit in the background.
Determining where the green floralness came from in the opening was difficult.
Floral violet and green/herbal sage show themselves in the dry down. The citric nature recedes to the background again and will remain there for the rest of the wear.
Ginger retained its present but never overwhelming spice accent the entire wear. The final additions are clean musk and a sandalwood depth. This is what you’ll smell for the rest of the wear.
The longevity is in the eight to ten-hour range with moderate projection. It only pushes out an arm’s length but does so for three to four hours.
After this period, it recedes to a mild ambiance, never becoming a skin scent. Some guys love room-fillers, but this moderate, consistent projection makes it wearable.
This is all-season wear. However, I have to douse myself in the colder weather to maintain decent performance, so you may consider a more winter-geared fragrance
. As for occasions, it is best for casual and office wear. It is an extremely wearable fragrance but doesn’t have an “oomph” factor.
#8 – Givenchy Pi
The opening is led by freshness, a blast of aromatics and vanilla.
The freshness is from a semi-fruity and sweet mandarin orange. It is a fleeting hint but provides a great introduction to the more dominant parts of the scent.
The aromatics are more prominent. To my nose, it is a combination of rosemary and basil. If you’re familiar with these from the grocery store, you’ll know they have a degree of “spice,” it’s no different here.
In the background, vanilla is prevalent, amplifying the sugary sweetness.
After a few minutes, the fresh citruses and aromatics are drastically dissipating, and vanilla is filling the void.
The overarching emphasis in the mid is vanilla with creamy almond additions. It softens the sweetness and gives vanilla a unique twist.
The scent profile has a hefty dose of florals, but I never pick up on them. They keep the fragrance fresh, light, and wearable.
The dry-down adds ambery Benzoin. It’s smooth and warm, giving the fragrance depth. The rest of the wear is vanilla, almond, and ambery Benzoin.
Givenchy Pi will not be a monster performer, nor should it be. The projection and longevity are perfect for a date. Your aroma will be discovered rather than announced.
As for seasons, this is exclusively cold-weather wear. The scent gets quite cloying in the warmer temperatures.
#7 – Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey
The opening is all about equal parts citrus and spice. It is sharp and in your face. These first five minutes are the most decisive part of the fragrance.
Within a few minutes, the fragrance gets drier with a woody, vetiver, and tobacco depth.
I thought with these darker notes; it would darken. However, the citrus begins radiating off the skin.
Citruses are dominant in the mid. A more prominent duo of nutmeg and tarragon show themselves above all other spices. There is a new musky addition. The scent retains the same woody depth. The overarching emphasis is fresh and aromatic.
Spices fade in the dry down. A woody duo of cedar and sandalwood fills its void, bringing hints of lotus floral notes.
Yet, it never becomes powdery, only amplifying the freshness and cleanliness of the fragrance. The rest of the wear is wood dominant with fresh citrus, musk, and florals in the background.
This lasts six to eight hours on the skin with moderate projection. The first half or more of the wear pushes out an arm’s length; it recedes but never becomes a skin scent.
This is exclusively spring and summer wear but for all occasions.
#6 – Creed Millesime Imperial
Upon the first spray, you’re slapped in the face with summer vibes. The opening is fruit and citrus-based. There’s a prominent lemon note and an array of fruity ones. The fruits are most reminiscent of melon.
These top notes rest in front of a faint sea salt and musk background. There are marine accords, but only sea salt is prevalent in the first few minutes.
As the opening develops, musk and citrus become a great pair. The contrasting accents of both combine and project a warm and inviting aroma. This pairing lasts most of the mid and leads to the dry down.
Fruity notes are still dominant in the base, but the marine accords really came through. For the rest of the wear, the fruits and citruses are the stars of the show. And salty oceanic notes are present in equal parts.
Like most Creed fragrances, the performance could be better. It lasts 6 hours and has an average projection. Imperial Millesime doesn’t hold up well in the colder temperatures.
Yet, it works for all occasions, during the warmer months.
#5 – Chanel Egoiste Platinum
Egoiste platinum is all about its herbal and aromatic nature.
The opening is equal parts greens, Neroli, and lavender. None of this trio is dominant over the others, but all work in unison to create a fresh soap aroma. Your typical squeaky clean barbershop vibe.
After 10-15 minutes, the green and herbal nature is amplified. Followed by the addition of spicy and woody nuances. This takes the scent in a drier and more outdoorsy direction.
Yet, it’s never overpowering or goes as far as any of the preceding Chanel fragrances.
Vetiver is the dominant woody note. While still retaining a degree of greenness. Touches of cedar and sandalwood linger in the background. Both are supported by woody notes.
Fresh and soapy lavender has carried into the dry down. Accompanied by equal parts of woody notes and a nuance of greenness.
Egoiste Platinum lasts seven hours on the skin with above-average to moderate projection. It pushes out an arm’s length for two to three hours before receding, never becoming a skin scent.
This is all-season and occasion versatile; apply heavier in the winter.
#4 – Calvin Klein CK One
The opening is all about citric tropical fruits. Mainly, citric lemon and bergamot are paired with fruity papaya and pineapple. The fruits are milder and sweeter as they are tempered by fleeting green tea and cardamom spice.
Within a few minutes, the citruses are weaker. They don’t necessarily lose strength but smell diluted or watered down. Musk and floral notes add to the citruses, creating a clean, soapy quality for the rest of the wear.
The intensity of the citruses fade in the dry down. Greener and more floral notes fill its void. There’s still a decent dose of musk with woody cedar in the background.
The rest of the wear has “just out of the shower” freshness. It is clean and fresh with a woody backbone.
This lasts four to five hours on the skin with intimate projection.
From the get-go, it never pushes out more than a few inches. You’ll have to douse yourself for a reasonable projection. This is summer wear for casual situations.
#3 – Chanel Allure Homme
The opening is all about bright and clean citrus. It is led by mandarin orange and lemon with some sweeter, fruiter peach nuances.
Within a few moments comes light and fresh spices. I mostly smell a warmer coriander spice and a hint of lavender. There are other spices, but I can’t pinpoint them specifically.
There’s not much of a mid. The spices are fading, and the overall scent is getting warmer. The prominent citruses are pushed into the backseat. Wood, vanilla, subtle amber, and aromatic lavender fill the void.
The vanilla is the main focal point from early dry down to the rest of the wear. It’s authentic but never too sweet or overwhelming. The warmer notes in the background do an excellent job of maintaining balance.
The rest of the wear is citric lemon, dominant and powdery vanilla on a deep sandalwood base with warmer amber and benzoin faucets.
The longevity is in the six to seven-hour range with moderate projection. The first few hours, it is stronger, but the entire wear is a nice two-foot ambiance. As for seasons and occasions, it is all.
#2 – Jean-Paul Gaultier Le Male
The opening is led by a hefty dose of aromatics. The most prominent are floral lavender and spicy mint.
Other green aromatics and herbals are in the background, but neither is prominent enough to be distinguishable. All opening notes are supported by a warm vanilla depth peaking up from the base.
In the mid, there is a transition. The intensity of the aromatics is replaced by warm and spicy cardamom.
This is an excellent addition to the vanilla, amplifying its warmth. The vanilla never gets too sweet but does have a decent powdery accent.
It’s not until a few hours into the wear when the dry down starts. I smell amber, amplifying the warmth of the fragrance and a more prominent woody base. The aromatics have faded at this point.
The base is the better part of the fragrance and garners more attention. The overarching emphasis is warmth throughout the entire scent. The rest of the wear is a prominent vanilla and wood duo with spice and ambery nuances in the background.
Le Male lasts eight hours on the skin with above-average projection. It has a solid projection of an arm’s length or more for the first four hours.
After this period, it slowly recedes but never becomes a skin scent. This is fall, winter, and early spring wear. As for occasions, it is best for going out and casual events.
#1 – Acqua di Gio EDT
A recurring theme of Acqua di Gio is harmony between sharp citrus and masculine woody notes. The opening is bright and has a juicy freshness. When you count all the notes, there are 25 different accords.
However, the most prominent are citrus, florals, sea notes, musk, and woods. The citrus duo creates a fresh aroma. After the opening, the citrus fades quickly, transitioning from a fresh to a clean smell.
What I mean by this is that as the citruses fade, the fragrance loses the bitter brightness of the citrus.
As the scent develops, there is an amplified calone and sea note. These accords stay present for the rest of the wear once the scent is entirely developed.
Acqua di Gio smells clean, with masculine musk and wood accords in the background. Combined with a sea smell, the clean floral accord of jasmine gives a sweet residue.
The longevity is in the six-hour range with light projection. The first one to two hours are present. After this period, it recedes to a soft ambiance, never becoming a skin scent.
Final Words
These are not necessarily the best fragrances from the 90s but the most popular. With that said, all of these are great fragrances. There’s none on this list that I’d not want in my collection.
If these were released in the 90s, does that make them old-school? To a degree, there are a few here that smell mature.
Acqua di Gio and Egoiste Platinum are the first to come to mind. I’m in my 20s and still think these two and the rest on this list are very wearable.
The best 90s fragrances are all great. However, don’t limit yourself to 90s fragrances. Jump back a decade and discover the best 80s colognes for men here.