Published on November 4th, 2015 | by The Perfume Expert
BEST Winter Colognes
The Perfume Expert has done ALL of the research for you bringing you the hottest trends in men’s cologne for Winter 2015!
I’ve made it easy for you, outlining what’s hot and which are the BEST SMELLING colognes for this season! There are even some new colognes that are sure to heat things up this Winter!
But first, let’s talk about the latest fragrance trends for Winter 2015.
The hottest trends for Men’s colognes this season are dark Rose, sumptuous Leather, and earthy Oud. These three notes make up the Best Winter colognes for 2015!
Rose adds a hint of romance and sweetness to colognes. Leather creates a smooth richness, and Oud adds an organic exotic earthiness grounding scents.
ROSE:
I know you’re probably thinking that Roses are for women! Or that you’re worried you’re going to smell overly girly.
But DO NOT worry! This use of Rose in men’s cologne is quite masculine, sexy, confident, and romantic!
As these scents will prove, Rose when combined with more masculine notes is a GENIUS COMBINATION!
The best representations for Rose in men’s cologne for Winter 2015 are: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Lumiere Noire Pour Homme and Black Aoud by Montale.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Lumiere Noire Pour Homme
If you want to smell like Prince Charming, then this is the scent for you!
Lumiere Noire Pour Homme is pure romance and chivalry in a bottle!
Regal Rose surrounded by green Patchouli an sharp Artemesia that cuts through the sweet Rose like a sword. And not to be too romantic, there’s also plenty of hot Cinnamon and Caraway to spice things up.
The juxtaposition between fresh greens and spicy Cinnamon is what defines the “light and dark” nuances hinted to in it’s name, Lumiere Noire. It is a great combination of sweet and spicy, light and deep.
This is a spicy rose cologne that is well suited for night time use. Try it on date night or wearing it to a special occasion. Perfect for upcoming holiday parties!
We all know women love roses and Lumiere Noire is a well-liked cologne by women.
Available on Amazon here:
Black Aoud Montale
This cologne kills two birds with one stone, utilizing two of the hottest trends for Winter 2015, Rose and Oud!
The earthy organic nature of the Oud wood is a nice compliment to the sweet floral Rose. This allows the Rose facet to become more masculine.
Also grounding the Rose is green Patchouli and vibrant Orange. These two perky notes really freshen up the scent so it isn’t too heavy. But the dry down of Black Aoud is breathtaking!
When all the notes simmer down, you’re left with a heady mixture of soft Musk and deep leathery Labdanum that lingers well into the night.
Black Aoud is sophisticated and classy. It’s complex enough to be a fine modern cologne but has all the elements of a traditional scent. A real powerhouse fragrance good for nights out, black tie affairs, or confident meetings in the boardroom.
Black Aoud is available on Amazon here:
Leather:
On a more traditional note, Leather is another hot trend for this Winter. Unlike Rose, Leather is quite a common note used in men’s cologne, and rightfully so as it’s rich, deep, powerful and masculine.
But Leather has come a long way in the fragrance industry, once a synthetic smelling note, the Leather notes now are smooth, buttery, and sumptuous.
Two colognes really highlight Leather well, Acqua di Parma’s Colonia Leather and Mugler Cuir Impertinent.
Acqua di Parma Colonia Leather
It doesn’t get more manly than Colonia Leather!
This cologne is confident, rich, timeless, and pure class. Every time I smell this I envision a rich man in a smoking jacket, puffing on a pipe while sipping a glass of scotch sinking deeper into his brown leather arm chair.
Deep Leather facets are perfectly melded with smokey Tobacco, smooth sweet Rose, earthy Oud and Cedar woods. This makes it a modern classic! It also combines ALL three of the top trends for Winter 2015!
This cologne is opulent, dark, and sophisticated. But add to these traditional notes, vibrant Orange, Petitgrain and Lime and Colonia Leather becomes a perfect day time scent and office appropriate.
Due to it’s impeccable combination of rich smooth Leather, deep smokey nuances, sweet Rose mixed with a vibrant Citrus facets, this is one of the BEST colognes I have tried in some time!
Acqua di Parma’s Colonia Leather is available on Amazon here:
Thierry Mugler Cuir Impertinent
If Colonia Leather is the cologne with strong brute force, then Cuir Impertinent represents the softer side of Leather.
Elegant while masculine, sensual but serious, sophisticated yet with a bit of an edge, and inviting with a hint of mystery.
This colognes has all of the deep rich Leather and smoky Tobacco notes as Colonia Leather has, but added are the warm glowing Amber and fragrant Star Anise notes.
The deep Leather and smoky Tobacco give off a campfire like smell, but Amber gives the fragrance a more delicate edge that rounds out the masuline Leather and Tobacco. It makes it more soothing and comforting.
Star Anise adds a slightly sweet licorice nuance that brings a slightly spicy and herbal nature. When Star Anise is combined with Amber it almost smells like pumpkin spice.
Cuir Impertinent is a versatile cologne for day and night. It’s rich, smooth, warm, and inviting. A sophisticated cologne for the office during the day or cozying up by the fire on cold Winter nights!
Cuir Impertinent is available at Nordstrom online here:
Oud:
Oud, or Agarwood as it’s sometimes called, is fast becoming a trendy fragrance note. Once used only in niche oriental fragrances, Oud has now made it’s way into the mainstream market!
Oud is an utterly unique smell. It’s sort of a combination of sharp resin mixed with musty wood and nutty earthiness (kind of like mushroom). It is usually used in middle eastern scents as it’s exotic nature makes it an excellent addition to the oriental fragrance family.
An acquired taste, straight up Oud is a love or hate it kind of note, but two scents in particular use it in a subtle and wearable way: Byredo Accord Oud and Diptyque Oud Palao.
Byredo Accord Oud
Seeing Oud in a whole new light, Byredo’s Accord Oud is smoky, boozy, and intoxicating! A unisex fragrance that is sure to entice everyone within arms length. Combining dark berries and smoky Oud, this perfume is like a walk in the Autumn woods. Perfect for sweater weather!
This cologne utilizes two of this seasons trends, Oud and Leather! The rich Leather softens the Oud and gives it a smoky nuance that is mesmerizing.
Sweet Saffron, ripe Blackberry, and sweet Rum add to this head swirling mix by giving it that delectable sweetness. This sweetness also makes the scent more feminine.
As the notes dry down, soft Musk and green Patchouli and Sage combine as base notes to ground the fragrance making it a more wearable every day scent.
Seriously, Accord Oud is one of the most impressive new fragrances I have tried in a long time! It’s more than a cologne, it’s a wearable moment.
The combination of woods, smokiness, soft musk and berries is GENIUS!
Available at Barney’s here:
Diptyque Oud Palao
Another powerful masculine delight, Diptyque’s Oud Palao, is a complex and sexy scent that reminds me of black velvet. Dark, rich, smooth, and a little bit sinful.
A captivating and alluring concoction of earthy Oud, smokey Tobacco, leathery Labdanum, and sweet Rum. But add to these notes more feminine, Bulgarian Rose, comforting Sandalwood, and sweet Vanilla and you get an intoxicating and alluring cologne that is sure to make women swoon.
Hypnotic! Mysterious! Mesmerizing!
But with all these strong notes, you may think this scent would be too overpowering….that’s where sharp green Camphor and Patchouli freshen up the scent keeping it from being too heavy.
Oud Palao is for a confident modern Man. A man who takes charge and commands a room. This cologne is ideal for special occasions and night time soirees.
Available at Nordstrom here: