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The 10 Best Signature Scents for Men (According to the Guy Who Tests Hundreds of Colognes Each Year)
This is the cologne that best represents your personality and taste; make sure it doesn’t polarize, and that it stands out for the right reasons.
November 03, 2024
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How do you choose a signature scent? Start by shopping smarter for fragrances, first and foremost. Use the web’s best resources. Sample far and wide. Ask your colleagues (the ones who smell good) what they’re wearing, and then find something similar, or from the same label perhaps—but never steal an acquaintance’s signature scent. This stuff is personal!
Don’t get too ambitious with a signature scent. While it’s nice to try something unfamiliar—because, really, enough guys are wearing Chanel Bleu already, ok?—you also should play it close to the chest on a signature scent. This is the thing you’ll wear nearly every day, in theory. Even if you build out an entire fragrance wardrobe with seasonal options, mood-oriented picks, etc, the signature scent remains the backbone of that collection. A signature scent should have year-round appeal, wearing well at work, on weekends, on date night, and so forth. Think woody notes, or patchouli, amber, light musks and other aromatics, green and ferny fougère notes… you get the idea. (Hey, maybe study up on Fragrance Families, too.)
Your colleagues, your roommates, your kids, your fellow commuters… they’re all going to associate this scent with you. So choose smartly. And by smartly, of course I mean “choose something from my list of 10 terrific options below,” ha! But seriously, of the hundreds I receive every year, these 10 really stand out, through and through.
You can also watch our video version of this roundup here:
First, Some Advice on Shopping for Fragrance
I’ll repeat that knowing how to shop for fragrance will help you immensely too: For example, knowing that “cologne” is a marketing term that makes it easier to signal “this is a men’s fragrance”. But when you see the term “eau de cologne” on a bottle, that means it is one of the weakest categorizations of fragrance and won’t last more than a couple hours. (Shop for “eau de toilette” and “eau de parfum” instead; all your favorite brands will produce those.)
The Best Signature Colognes for Men
And now, a roster of 10 fragrances that make outstanding signature scents, if I do say so myself. I believe you could wear any one of these and probably not find another person who is wearing it. (Don’t quote me on that, because most of them are from large, reputable brands. Still, you won’t see Dior Sauvage or Chanel Bleu on here for that reason, despite their deserved ubiquity. And at any time, one or two of these might reach ubiquity—but for now, I think most are popular without being overdone.)
1. Hermès Terre d'Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver EDP
Scent Profile: Citrus / Aromatic
Key Notes: Bergamot, grapefruit, sichuan pepper, vetiver
Hermès gave its iconic Terre d’Hermès potion many flankers (I prefer the word “remixes”); you definitely recognize that original scent, and many would say it’s better than all of its remixes. But this one, with a cranked-up vetiver expression, is even better than the original—in my studied opinion. It will solicit many “what scent are you wearing?!” inquiries, and is a nice talking point since it isn’t the overworn original. Best of all, it’s extremely accessible compared to most scents, too. And fun fact: Of the few fragrance bottles I ever actually deplete, I drained a 3.4-ounce bottle of this in a few short months. I genuinely wore it every day until it was gone. So that’s saying a lot, since someone in my job has access to hundreds of scents at a time.
2. Arquiste Misfit EDP
Scent Profile: Woody-Amber
Key Notes: Patchouli, ambrette seed, tonka bean, bergamot, lavender
There will be few fragrance articles on Blue Print that don’t mention Arquiste. Every year, this niche-luxe label releases something surprising and entirely unique. I could ode half a dozen of their scents in this spot (Peau! Sydney Rock Pool! Even the floral-hefty Boutonniere No. 7!) but I’d be remiss not to inform you that Arquiste Misfit is the single best patchouli expression in fragrance. This one manages to be both sexy and platonic, both sophisticated and unserious, all in one. God I just love it so much!
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3. Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP
Scent Profile: Woody-Sweet
Key Notes: Matcha tea, cedar, fig, vetiver
Le Labo is another fragrance house with five or ten brilliant “signature scent” candidates. (An ex of mine sports Bergamote 22 and thank god we ended on good terms, because I can never part ways with that spellbinding scent. I digress.) After spending a few years as an unsung hero on Le Labo’s roster, Thé Matcha 26 is finally rising the ranks. It nails the “subtle” part that is so necessary in signature scents. This one is quietly commanding. It’s for the person who chooses their words, but whose words are always heard. I get goosebumps when I smell it, and I am excited for all of the colleagues and friends who get to smell it on you every day. It’s so so so smart and sharp and tasteful.
4. Richard James Aqua Aromatica Blade of Grass EDC
Scent Profile: Woody-Green
Key Notes: Green tea, vetiver, bergamot, cedar, patchouli
I can’t be the only pavement-pounding advocate of this simple cologne. It’s much harder to come by than the others on this roster (really, just the Richard James site at this point is retailing it for the States). But what the scent gives you is exactly what’s advertised in its name: Freshly cut blades of grass. I’ve been guilty of spritzing it into my room diffuser when guests come over, but only because it’s the most appealing scent I can imagine broadcasting to a room of people. To me, it’s the equivalent of those scalp tinglers that release all the happy chemicals in your brain. One sniff for me, and the serotonin levels spike. But as for wearing it as a signature scent, it radiates optimism and freshness. Even during winter’s darkest days, you’ll light up the room with Blade of Grass.
In general, if you keep tabs on things that cause swamp ass (including some things mentioned above), then you’ll do yourself a ton of favors in the anti-chafing department, too. For example, what kind of seat do you park your ass on every day at work? Is it breathable, like a ventilated cushion? Or is it something leathery or hard-plasticky? Nix those last ones, in favor of something with a nice ventilated seat, like Elabest here:
Richard James Aqua Aromatica Blade of Grass EDC
buy on:
Apply this same thinking to other situations in your day, to make sure you’re always giving your ass the most comfortable odds. (On that note, ditch the khakis, too! They’ll hold moisture and will look diaper-dumpy.)
5. Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 + Ginger EDT
Scent Profile: Spicy-Woody
Key Notes: Iso E Super, ginger
Molecule 01 + Ginger is one of many remixes to Escentric Molecules’ notorious “barely there” skin-scent Molecule 01 EDP (perhaps the best selling “indie” scent), which evolves itself to the skin chemistry of each individual wearer. These scented remixes throw in something more—mandarin, or iris, or patchouli—to punch things up for those of us who want a little more of a base from a fragrance. I’m surprised to say that the ginger expression is my far-and-away favorite, of all their six current Molecule 01 remixes (all of which I have loved). It is unmistakably ginger, for starters, but that pinch of spice is light enough for year round wear, and has some serious charisma, too. It’s the definite “villain” in a list of heroes, and I think if you have some slant to your personality (don’t we all?) you might love swimming in this subtly sinister (albeit fresh!) scent.
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6. Louis Vuitton Imagination EDP
Scent Profile: Citrus-Fresh
Key Notes: Citron, ginger, black tea, neroli, ambroxan, bergamot
Let me put it this way: I always check Fragrantica’s reviews on a scent, to cross check if my opinions are being largely matched by others’ whose noses are better honed than my own. And if their studies schnozzes rate something about a 4 out of 5, then I consider it a big victory. This one is a near-impossible 4.6 as of now. It is perfect. Maybe the single most universal scent on this entire planet. For men. For women. For artists. For blue collar. For white collar. It is equal parts “poet laureate” and “cool dad”, as well as “Jon Hamm” and “Kid Cudi”. I do not embellish when I say it will add a couple points to your sex appeal, and I think if the LDS wore this when they went knocking door to door, they’d multiply faster than Jesus could split bread loaves and fishies. Just like Arquiste and Le Labo above, I could write a love song to many a Louis Vuitton scent—L’Immensité, Météore, Orage, and Afternoon Swim to name a few—but there’s no dethroning Imagination as the best of the bunch (and most universal signature scent candidate), at least not in my wildest imagination.
7. Caswell-Massey Oaire EDP
Scent Profile: Aromatic Fougère
Key Notes: Cedar, resin, citrus zest, tarragon, geranium, patchouli, musk
Perhaps the oldest brand on this list, Caswell-Massey is back in the fragrance game in a big way. Their staples have been the chosen scents of presidents—in fact, their Number Six EDP is four years older than the USA, and was a favorite of the very first president himself, one Mr. Washington. But it is the legacy label’s latest concoction, Oaire, that I find their most exciting to share with readers. I’m a sucker for a musky aromatic scent, and this one finds a way to give me the levity and sense of calm I crave from that family of notes. But its layers of leathery osmanthus, mischievous patchouli, grounding resin, and commanding cedar give it remarkable complexity. I think this one will wear better on someone in charge— maybe you’re the head of the office, or of the household even. It doesn’t feel subservient, or like something that asks for permission, but it certainly doesn’t bulldoze its way through the room either. There’s earned respect here; the kind that suggests wisdom and experience.
8. Aesop Rōzu EDP
Scent Profile: Woody-Aromatic
Key Notes: Rose, sandalwood, vetiver, shiso, pink pepper
Aesop has been killing it with fragrances these past few years, but I’m still enamored with one of the originals—their smoky, earthy, and brilliantly rosy Rōzu. I wish more men would wear floral scents, and I believe the solution lies in rose expressions like this one. Its other notes give it a broader, more nuanced profile (and despite being unisex, I would argue that this one leans masculine). I put on Rōzu for the simplest of occasions: A walk outside. A grocery run. A coffee with a friend. It’s probably the “safest” on this list in that it doesn’t earn me a bunch of questions, but I always know it’s working in my favor. Note only is there a guarantee of smelling fresh and clean, but it also stirs up a sense of security in me. An olfactive security blanket, if you will. I could probably spritz this on before bed and fall asleep far sooner—olfactive melatonin, maybe. Pure comfort.
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9. Comme des Garçons Blackpepper EDP
Scent Profile: Fresh-Spicy
Key Notes: Black pepper, cedar, oud, musk
I know I said that signature scents shouldn’t lean too sexy, but I also love to contradict myself. Besides, the point of learning these “rules” is understanding when to break them. And Blackpepper is a rule breaker of a scent. This one is completely sexy, something perfect for a fashion photographer or tattoo artist. Its peppery note is so strong and forward and enduring, but it’s layered subtly with musk, tonka (like vanilla), and cedar which help earn it some perennial appeal. I don’t think I can pull this off as my own signature scent, because I’m too people-pleasey, but if you want to add some elevation and intrigue to your aura… pepper it with this stuff.
10. Tom Ford Beau de Jour EDP
Scent Profile: Aromatic-Spicy
Key Notes: Patchouli, lavender, rosemary, oakmoss, amber
One of my favorite fragrance profiles is “earthy”—you know, like the smell of wet soil or moss, almost like a forest bath. And Beau de Jour blends a bevy of oakmoss with a dusting of mysterious musk and a blanket of uplifting lavender. The forest is there by proxy, with a hint of patchouli that dials up its allure and mischief. I liken this one to a “smirk”, a bit of a side eye that isn’t self serious. Nobody expects the Beau de Jour wearer to grab the karaoke mic, either. He’s probably in the back of the room poking a bit of fun at the pitchy singers, or their song choice, asking you if you want to go out and have a smoke. And yet, somehow, he’s also extremely endearing for all of these reasons; how does he do it?
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