THE TOP 15 BEST SUMMER COLOGNES FOR MEN IN 2022

selective focus photo of bottle with cork lid
by Joseph DeAcetis

One of the main reasons guys wear cologne during office hours is to smell fresh. When your customer’s aim is to dress for success, both grooming and fragrance should be considered both to complete the package, and add to the bottom line of the sale. Dressing sharp and put-together dons a feeling of strength and confidence that co-workers and superiors will notice and respect throughout the day, so why not help your clients go a few steps further? More to my point, a  nice fragrance and a good grooming regime will enhance his overall look, and get his day off to a great start. 

Whether heading back to the office or going or out for a warm summer evening, this season’s new men’s fragrance releases will build a positive association in day-to-day encounters from business meetings to board meetings. And that’s the power of wearing the right fragrance this summer.

At first, I tested an abundant number of selected fragrances to review a wider range of summer releases as a comprehensive guide for men, but soon thereafter narrowed my selections down to highlight the best men’s fragrances this summer has to offer for you to make a favorable impression. That’s the power of fragrance!

Hermes H24

A lively, sensual and bright fragrance, stemming from the daring blend between nature and technology expresses the contemporary man perfectly for summer. The fragrance contains the combination of an enveloping sage, an electrifying narcissus, an invigorating rosewood, and a warm, metallic note of sclarene (MSRP $107).

Ermenegildo Zegna XXX Charcoal

When vibrant saffron meets a mineral carbon. This must-have scent contains notes of black pepper, that ignites the senses as a striking vibration of elements, leaving a lasting and inspired impression. The XXX Charcoal bottle alone breaks the mold with its melting grey glass bottle and fully recyclable outer carton made from FSC-Certified paperboard (MSRP, $180).

 

Paco Rabanne Invictus Platinum

Invictus Platinum is the new striking eau de parfum made for epic achievers. It’s time to lose yourself to victory. This intensely galvanizing fragrance challenges the daily courage of winners who get back up and find the motivation to never give up. The winning force of mint clashes with fusing lavender and cypress. Invictus Platinum is a fragrance for those who always meet the challenge. (MSRP $82.00).

Louis Vuitton City of Stars

City of Stars is an evening cologne inspired by a summer night in Los Angeles, featuring notes of citrus, sandalwood, and tiare flower from Louis Vuitton Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. Lauded contemporary artist and Los Angeles native Alex Israel collaborated on the packaging and accessories – a fragrance trunk and travel case – with original artwork (MSRP $280).

Ralph Lauren Polo Blue Parfum

Consciously designed in a refillable bottle with a modern silhouette, the fragrance takes one luxury product and repurposes it into another. Polo Blue Parfum adds rich sensuality to its signature aquatic freshness. Inspired by an enchanting sail at dusk, the sophisticated scent echoes the seductive power and freedom of the open seas, transporting you on a trip of a lifetime (MSRP, $116).

John Varvatos Artisan Blu

Plunge headlong into an azure sea. John Varvatos Artisan Blu is the ultimate embodiment of crystal blue waters under the warmth of the sun. This aromatic citrus fragrance exhales an elegant and refreshing personality, evoking visions of a saturated, vibrant seaside lost in the Mediterranean summer (MSRP $95).

Dior Homme Sport

Energetic and elegant, the new Dior Homme Sport eau de toilette for men combines fresh vivacity and charm with a hint of sensuality for a duo that packs the punch of a boxer’s uppercut. Vibrant, explosive, and immediately recognizable, the opening signature of Dior Homme Sport is marked by citrus and open-air freshness. For this new fragrance, the Dior Perfumer-Creator chose to fashion the eau de toilette with warm and ambery notes, wrap it in spices, and round it out with woody notes (MSRP, $85)

Montblanc Red

There is no color more intense than red. Visually striking and always captivating, when it appears in a man’s wardrobe it is an attractive color that exudes confidence, resilience, and strength. Bold and eye-catching, red is also part of Montblanc’s heritage, appearing in the design of the legendary “Rouge et Noir” fountain pen, one of Montblanc’s earliest writing innovations in 1906. An endless source of inspiration, it has since become a signature Montblanc color carried down through the years, across collections from writing instruments to leather goods, and now fragrance with the introduction of Montblanc Legend Red. Bold and eye-catching, the color red captures the fragrance’s complexity and masculine intensity (MSRP, $100).

Hermès Terre D’Hermès Eau Givrée

The perfect fresh scent from summer, Hermès perfumer, Christine Nagel sought to express the intense freshness of a land covered with ice, and the fusion of these two elements, a source of primary, regenerative energy for men. In a radiant prelude, the incisive freshness of citron, juniper berry, and Timut pepper vibrates on the skin, bringing a prickle of optimism. Suddenly, the powerful sensation of an icy breeze speaks out with perfect fluidity, equal to equal, with the generous power of mineral and woody notes, a concentrate of pure, highly distinctive elegance. (MSRP, $137)

Issey Miyake L’Eau D’Issey Pour Homme

Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Eau & Cèdre is a vibrant, fresh fragrance, with the strength of cedar wood enhanced by water. It’s a renewal of the original L’Eau d’Issey pour Homme that celebrates its story, but also anchors the house as it turns towards tomorrow, forever seeking to innovate and serve nature. In a clash of elements, water and wood meet in this new Eau de Toilette Intense that explores the power of masculinity in its most subtle facets (MSRP, $105).

Parfums de Marly Haltane

Haltane is the must-have scent for men this season because it’s a unique and bold gender-neutral fragrance for all generations. It is an original scent that is the perfect balance of sophistication and freshness. Soft and rich, escorted by saffron, the praline accord is an ultra-modern spin on mythical Oud wood. Natural agarwood emerges in this veil of contrasts and signs the skin with a refined and luminous imprint and enduring comfort. Haltane creates the perfect contrast and balance of both radiance and shadow – an homage to the nature and forests surrounding the Château de Marly. (MSRP, $395)

Porsche Design Pure

Clean. Refined. Elegant. The Porsche Design Pure eau de toilette radiates definitive exclusivity and masculine purism – from the clean design of the bottle to the timeless fragrance itself. The signature scent flows into the top notes with a transparency defined by ozone accords and fragrant grapefruit. With clary sage, cashmeran, and lavandin in the heart note and base chords of sweetgum, vetiver, and patchouli, the scent leaves behind a warm, masculine, and elegant aura. The bottle, designed by Studio F. A. Porsche, is an elegant combination of superior materials – transparent gray, blown glass, and brushed metal. (MSRP, $85)

Diptyque Orphéon Eau de Parfum

For the second chapter of its 60-year celebration, the Maison is unveiling its new eau de parfum: Orphéon. Imagined as a tribute to a night bar adjoining the first Diptyque boutique, it celebrates the place where the founders’ friendship was forged. The atmosphere has been recreated by the perfumer Olivier Pescheux – since there is no one left who can personally recall these places, the key requirement was to reinvent them. Orphéon is an olfactory dream fresh, flowery, sensual, and woody, dominated by cedar, vetiver, and patchouli. (MSRP, $190

Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Black Patchouli

Velvet Black Patchouli tells the story of Italy and its open doors to the Orient, an olfactory celebration of the fusion of East and West. Patchouli symbolizes this rich exchange of cultures, recalling a time when precious goods arrived from the East on the shores of Italy, imbued with its mysterious heady scent. Previously celebrated in the Velvet Collection, this prized ingredient, very dear to the Designers, now forms the foundation of a new olfactory masterpiece with a rich oriental signature. ($310, exclusively at Dolce&Gabbana boutiques.)

Imaginary Authors Falling Into The Sea

Imaginary Authors offers wildly unique fragrances born from the concept of scent as art and art as provocation. Like a good book, these scents are meant to inspire you. In these bottles are layered narratives that are sure to generate stirring conversation and fragrances that might be capable of changing the course of your own personal story. Falling Into the Sea is sunshine in a bottle and should be worn on cloudy days to invoke the ardor of summer. With uplifting notes of Bergamot, Warm Sand Accord and Lemon; Falling Into the Sea is amazing to embrace. (MSRP, $95)

Natura Kaiak Oceano

Kaiak Oceano for men brings the fresh scent of algae and the density of amber and wood. This fragrance brings the sensation of movement which is reinforced through its refreshing and energetic fragrance. (MSRP, $69)