The Best Colognes For Men, According To The Fragrance Foundation

Cologne experts ranked the ten best scents of the year.

The olfactory experts at The Fragrance Foundation recently crowned their ten best men’s colognes of the year across a range of categories.

“Men’s Luxury,” “Men’s Prestige,” “Indie Perfumer of the Year” and “Universal Luxury” (a unisex category) were among the cologne styles judged at the New York City event, which spotlighted a covetable array of scents begging to be added to any quality cologne collection. Perhaps no cologne brand made out better than Tom Ford, which carried the top ten with two entries (Tom Ford Bois Pacifique in the Men’s Luxury category, and the intense Tom Ford Black Lacquer in the Ultra-Luxury offering). With notes of leather and black pepper, there’s nothing quite like the bold flair of Black Lacquer, itself a fitting complement to the designer’s attention-grabbing tailoring and Western wear.

Fragrance Foundation President Linda G. Levy honored iconic designer Ralph Lauren with a Hall of Fame distinction at the event, while the classic aromatic and woodsy notes of famed Polo 67 (and its touches of vetiver and pineapple) were given top billing in the Men’s Prestige category, with Levy calling it “he fragrance industry’s biggest night,” adding that the event and its covetable categories celebrate “the creativity and craftsmanship of our industry, and the remarkable achievements of the people behind the scents.” That each fragrance offers something different for the discerning cologne enthusiast is admirable in its own right.

New York City’s own D.S. and Durga, which just introduced a new trio of high-end fragrances, represented the Big Apple in fine form as the Innovative Fragrance: Product of the Year winner. Its Murder Mystery Box Set offers up the chance to layer six distinct fragrances in an experimental manner, with scents covering everything from rich dark fruits to lush, grassy countryside and desert amber. Call it a choose-your-own-adventure product with the means to become your new signature scent, provided you get the balance just right.

In the Universal Luxury category, Byredo’s tantalizing and versatile Desert Dawn, with spicy notes of sandalwood and musk, took home top honors, while Maison Margiela’s Replica Afternoon Delight (priced surprisingly affordably at $85 and featuring rich notes of vanilla and musk) received the nod in the Universal Prestige section.

The Popular category, assuredly a tightly paced race, was trumped by Vacation After Sun‘s aquatic, accessible and summer friendly notes, while the handsomely appointed Balmain Beauty Ébène, with its intense notes of amber and tobacco, received the Perfume Extraordinaire prize. Rabanne 1 Million Eau De Toilette won Fragrance Hall of Fame honors, and the refreshing, luxe lemon and cedar scent notes of Délices des Bois Veronique Gabai garnered it top honors as Indie Perfumer of the Year.

With a striking blend of premium fragrance, classic-meets-modern packaging and distinctive scent notes in every bottle, the year’s best fragrances are more than worthy of your consideration as a finishing touch to your next refined #OOTD.