It’s something they can wear every day, a good bottle lasts for ages, and it feels undeniably luxurious. Dropping serious cash on a scent they don’t actually like would, frankly, suck. Luckily, we’re pretty obsessed with fragrance here at Esquire.
We’ve smelled, tested, and worn more colognes than we can count—and we know which ones tend to be crowd-pleasers. It helps to know what your giftee is into. Do they want something light and fresh they can wear year-round?
Something dark and smoky for winter? Or are they new to cologne, meaning a beloved classic is the safest bet? (And we know the fan favorites by heart.) Whatever their taste (or level of fragrance expertise), we put our heads—and noses—together to find the best colognes to gift everyone on your list. This fragrance is not one to go under the radar and escape people’s attention.
From experience, it will draw people in from across the room and ask what you’re wearing. A little clichéd but very much tried and tested. It’s unabashedly smoky and resinous, which makes for a captivating cloud of mystery. —Alfonso Fernández Navas, senior style and market editor A reliable fastball of a men’s going-out scent.
Up top, it’s fresh and gets compliments without being an attention-grabbing club citrus fragrance. On the dry down, it’s deep and sophisticated without being too fashion-y and cerebral. This would be my go-to for most guys.
I’ve given bottles to my brother (divorced dad in his 40s) and his oldest son (just turned 21). Gets compliments in both age ranges. —Luke Guillory, commerce editor It’s a classic for a reason. I like to wear it for the important kind of evenings when I need an extra bit of refinement. —Mark Burger, social-media editor A versatile scent that wears well practically any time of the year.
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