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One of the best compliments you can get about the way you smell—whether you’re wearing a cologne or not—is that you smell fresh. It’s not that people expected you to smell un-fresh (let’s hope not, at least), but there’s a particular surge of serotonin when you realize that others enjoy the refreshing radius of your company. This probably explains why the best fresh colognes for men are perennial picks, even when the weather feels cold, gloomy, and wet. To feel fresh is to feel renewed.
It’s also why fresh fragrances make perfect “signature scents”—the go-to fragrance you wear habitually throughout the week. “A fresh scent is a great signature candidate, because it has multifaceted appeal—from casual or formal, without limitations and be for any mood or occasion,” explains Leila Zagwolsky, co-founder and CEO of perfume discovery platform LUXSB – Luxury Scent Box. “These wear like your light blue dress shirt,” she adds, meaning that their freshness can work on nearly any occasion. If you already have a signature scent, consider rounding out the wardrobe with a fresh pick, especially for use in summer.
What are the defining traits of a fresh scent? Look for notes in the following families.
Aromatics: These are your herbaceous notes, as well as some florals. Think rosemary, sage, juniper, eucalyptus, lavender…
Florals: Most scents have floral notes layered in somewhere, particularly in the middle “heart” layer. But a floral-forward cologne can offer definitive freshness, especially with notes such as rose, neroli, gardenia, and lily.
Citrus: There’s no shortage of fragrances that hit you immediately with citrus top notes. But in a fresh cologne, these will be more pervasive and enduring. Bergamot, cedrat, mandarin, grapefruit are among the stars in these scents.
Green: Like a forest bath, or rolling verdant hills. Mosses, vetivers, teas, galbanum, and other leafy greens.
Powders and Musk: Some of these can also fall under florals and aromatics, but they smell ethereal enough for their own category. In addition to zen-inducing musk, think of powdery iris, violet, or heliotrope.
Aquatics: Marine notes (such as sea salt, ozone, or even melon) cast you out to sea, perhaps along the Mediterranean coast or the coziness of Cape Cod.
Read on for some of the best fresh fragrances to wear any time of year, or even for the full year round.
The Best Fresh Citrus Cologne: Memo Paris Corfu Eau de Parfum
Each of Memo Paris’s fragrances, which are all named after and inspired by specific locations, is like a trip in a bottle. And this Greek god of a summery expression, Corfu, is what the brand’s founders call their solar perfume. Zagwolsky says her LUXSB customers love it for its tart rhubarb scent, plus its extremely citrusy entry—bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, and orange all enhance fresh notes of basil, geranium, rose, jasmine, amber, creamy cashmere, and sandalwoods. “It feels reminiscent of golden hour, as the sky is filled with colors of pinks and reds with a fulfillment for the love of summertime,” she says.
Buy Now on Saks Fifth Avenue: $310 for 100ml
The Best Fresh Powdery Cologne: Zegna Florentine Iris Eau de Parfum
Every so often, I walk over to my fragrance collection and grab Florentine Iris—just for a quick sniff to send a calming chill down my spine. It’s the olfactory equivalent of those strangely relaxing, old-school metal scalp massagers. That’s what this powdery, velvety scent does for me, with its melange of iris, jasmine, and musk.
The Best Fresh Musk Cologne: Krigler Good Fir 11 Eau de Parfum
A note of white musk underpins the brilliant vetiver and mossy core of this verdant fragrance. It smells like walking through a fir-filled forest, and its inspiring scent straightens the spine and boosts confidence in its wearer. It smells so good you may even want to bring home the candle scented with this fragrance so the scent can surround you even when it’s not on your skin.
The Best Fresh Aromatic Cologne: Montblanc Legend Blue Eau de Parfum
Legend Blue emphasizes aromatics: Its spearmint, lavender, and mossy notes swirl around a woody-ambrous base. It’s a terrific signature scent candidate, a sophisticated but not-self-serious essence for the businessman whose top button stays unfastened. I wish they made it in a body wash, but it just launched, so perhaps that’ll enter the pipeline in the near future.
Buy Now on Montblanc: $115 for 100ml
The Best Fresh Floral Cologne: Ramon Monegal Ibiza Isla Blanca Eau de Parfum
If you want to be reminded of a beach vacation when you’re stuck at home or in the office, reach for this bottle, named after Spain’s beloved island resort. “It captures the light and magnificent clear waters of the island, a white moment,” explains Zagwolsky. “It is a freshness of salty sea air intertwined with Mediterranean pine balsam, almond blossoms and heliotrope, warmth of white musk and a sweetness of tonka bean.”
The Best Fresh Green Cologne: Creed Aventus Eau De Cologne
Though it’s notable for its use of pineapple, Creed’s bar-setting Aventus cologne is technically a chypre fragrance—and like others in this category is built around a dry, woody, slightly verdant combination of bergamot, oakmoss, and patchouli. It’s been a favorite among guys with great taste (and cash to burn) since it was introduced in 2010 because it smells so good: slightly fruity and a little offbeat, but undeniably masculine and confident. That position is underscored by its origin story. Olivier Creed, who developed the scent with his son Erwin and master perfumer Jean-Christophe Hérault, was inspired by the life and times of none other than Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Best Fresh Aquatic Cologne: Xerjoff 40 Knots Eau de Parfum
If you can’t take your sloop into the ocean every day, 40 Knots will remind you of the sensation. Its woody, salty, and sea-watery notes are as calming as the sound of ocean waves crashing ashore, but give the wearer a still-water type of serenity. It has the woodiness to wear year-round, but those aquatic notes are perfect for summer.
Buy Now on Xerjoff: €180 (about $196) for 100ml
Buy Now on Amazon: $205 for 100ml
Authors
Adam Hurly
Adam is a South Dakota native with a New York driver's license (and state of mind). He has resided in Berlin since 2018. Adam writes about grooming and travel for numerous publications; in addition…
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