College is an important time in your life. You’re learning new things, meeting new people, so why shouldn’t you try a new fragrance? A great fragrance is an easy way to enhance your appearance and up your confidence. But what fragrances are the best for a college student like you?
There are many fantastic fragrances for guys that are in college. A great scent in the classroom, at work, or a social event is a fantastic way to make a first impression and boost your self-esteem.
Many of these scents are uplifting, fresh, and give you an addictive happy feeling due to their sweetness and fresh or aquatic notes. There are many fragrances out there that fit this bill, but we’ve narrowed it down to the top 13 fragrances we think are best for college-age guys like you.
1. Christian Dior Sauvage
Inspired by wide-open spaces and best known for its uniquely raw, fresh scent, Dior Sauvage is a modern take on the highly successful 1960’s classic Eau Savage. First launched in 2015, it has a seductive, manly scent that’s not too overpowering. You’ve probably seen the very popular advertising campaigns featuring a very bold, masculine Johnny Depp.
Though the names are similar, the fragrances are very different as Sauvage offers a mild, youthful scent, unlike Eau Savage which boasts a heavier citrus scent. Sauvage falls into the large Fougere family of fragrances, which means “fern-like” in French and which generally contains notes of oakmoss, lavender, and coumarin. If you want a natural, clean scent, then a Fougere fragrance is a great choice.
Bergamot, mint, and pepper are the headnotes of this fragrance. The Bergamot orange plant was specifically designed with Dior Perfumer-Creator Francois Demachy and local producers to create a “custom” signature scent that is uniquely fruit, zesty, and a little peppery.
The fragrance then dries down with heart notes of fresh lavender, Sichuan pepper, geranium, vetiver, elemi, and earthy patchouli. It finishes nicely with warming cedarwood, ambergris, and labdanum as base notes.
Dior’s Sauvage makes for the perfect spring and summer fragrance, favoring the warmer months because of its mildness. We think it’s well suited for a man of any age, but it’s particularly spectacular for men of college-age as it’s not too masculine nor assertive. Enjoy it as an evening fragrance for a date night or to the club or casually wear it to the office – the statement is yours to make.
2. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo
Wildly popular since launching in 2015, sophisticated Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo is a crowd-pleaser with the perfect combination of intense and adventurous aquatic, spicy, and wood notes.
It was created by Alberto Morillas and inspired by the salty and sweet ocean waters and volcanic rocks of the Mediterranean Sea.
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Profumo is an evolution of its predecessor, Acqua di Gio. It opens with a stunning scent of sea notes and fresh green bergamot, topped with warming herbal notes like rosemary, geranium, and sage. These notes are complemented by the intense fragrance of incense and musky-sweet patchouli.
A fragrance like this is perfect for the warmer months, but due to the heavier undertones, it could even work in a colder setting. On top of that, it’s seductive enough for a dinner date yet vibrantly fresh for the college classroom, the office party, and beyond. It leaves you with a clean, confident, masculine feeling that’s rich and invigorating.
3. Versace Eros
Versace Eros is an aromatic fougere fragrance that was created by Aurelien Guichard and launched back in 2012. Inspired by Greek mythology, this fragrance is meant to “release unrestrained passion and to accentuate desire,” according to Versace, an Italian luxury fashion company that began in 1978 by Gianni Versace. Versace makes beautiful upmarket leather accessories, fashion, and memorable fragrances.
Versace Eros is a fresh, woody, and oriental fragrance, boasting a cooling undertone of mint oil, fresh green apple, and zesty Italian lemon. The combination of the apple and mint has exploded this signature fragrance into popular status.
When you first apply the scent, there’s a sweet, creamy vanilla vibe, which sweetness balances out smoothly due to the apple and mint. As Eros dries down, it exudes some aromatic floral and woody notes, but still holds onto the unique combination of the apple, vanilla, and mint.
Eros’s top notes are mint, green apple, and lemon, followed by middle notes of tonka bean, ambroxan, and geranium. Madagascar vanilla, Virginian cedar, Atlas cedar, vetiver, and oakmoss complete as base notes.
Interested in fragrances similar to Versace Eros? Then you should read this article here!
Versace Eros is perfect for the colder months of the year, though you could also wear this in the spring or summer. It’s an easy-to-wear fragrance for clubbing, work, or any casual setting because it is so smooth and sweet.
4. Paco Rabanne Invictus
Paco Rabanne is a Spanish fashion designer that created many popular fragrances throughout the decades. His first fragrance, Calandra, launched in 1969 and was considered to be revolutionary at the time because it was so complex.
Paco Rabanne later introduced his first fragrance for men in 1973, Paco Rabanne Pour Homme. Since then, he has created an extraordinary collection of scents, with one of the most popular being Invictus.
Invictus by Paco Rabanne is a woody aquatic fragrance and was launched in 2013. It was created by Veronique Nyberg, Olivier Polge, Dominique Ropion, and Anne Flipo, who helped create many of the fragrances on this list. It opens with a grapefruit scent and fresh sea notes, which lead to aromatic bay leaf and Hedione jasmine. The base contains woody notes like earthy patchouli, oakmoss, and Guaiac wood.
Top notes include sea notes, Mandarin orange, and grapefruit, with bay leaf and jasmine in the middle. Patchouli, oakmoss, Guaiac wood, and ambergris make up the base notes for Invictus.
Due to the fresh aquatic take on this fragrance, it’s perfect for the warm spring and summers. It’s fresh and sporty and makes us feel energized and dynamic. It’s also a great affordable choice that won’t break the bank.
5. Chanel Bleu De Chanel
We’ve got a lot of fresh-smelling fragrances on this list because they are just so good! Bleu De Chanel is no exception. Created by world-renowned French perfumer Jacques Polge who is best known for his role from 1978 to 2015 as the Head Perfumer at Les Parfums Chanel, Bleu De Chanel was released in 2010 and has been turning heads ever since. It’s an aromatic woodsy fragrance that blends with clean citrus for a seductive scent.
Bleu De Chanel opens with top notes of lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, pink pepper, mint, coriander, and aldehydes. Aldehydes are chemical compounds that enhance a scent with a soapy, floral touch with a hint of almonds. Middle notes of ginger, nutmeg, melon, and jasmine follow, along with base notes of amber, incense, cedar, patchouli, labdanum, amberwood, and Caledonian sandalwood.
You’ll first be greeted with gorgeous scents of grapefruit and bergamot along with spicy coriander, pink pepper, and energizing mint. The rich, smoky incense and amberwood notes cultivate a warm, luxurious feel.
Chanel describes this cologne as “a meeting of strength and elegance,” and that’s definitely true. Pair Bleu De Chanel with warm weather for a scent that exudes confidence and masculinity. Try it out on a breezy summer night with friends or whenever. Again, it’s a very versatile scent.
6. Yves Saint Laurent l’Homme
Yves Henri Donat Mathieu-Saint-Laurent was a French professional fashion designer who began impacting fashion in the 1960’s all the way to his passing in 2008. He worked in Paris for Christian Dior and grew his career from there, launching his fashion line and even his very first fragrance, Y, in 1964.
Yves Saint Laurent l’Homme was launched in 2006 and created by a team of four perfumers, Anne Flipo, Pierre Wargnye, Dominique Ropion, and Juliette Karaguezoglou. It’s one of the brand’s signature fragrances and offers a fresher vibe than its brother, Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit De l’Homme. It’s a woody, floral, and musk scent that adds a classic touch of sophistication.
When you first smell l’Homme, you’ll get a good dose of fresh citruses like lemon and bergamot, alongside a hint of spicy ginger to keep the fragrance soft and refreshing. Delight in cardamon, cedarwood, and coumarin for a relaxing, cozy feel.
Enjoy top notes of ginger, bergamot, and lemon, then violet leaf, white pepper, basil, iris, and spices as the heart of the fragrance. The base notes are tonka bean, Tahitian vetiver, oakmoss, sandalwood, and cedar for a deliciously rich and spicy blend of citrus.
Because l’Homme has such a fresh scent, it’s well suited for the warmer months of spring and summer and perfect for daytime use when you are out doing errands or at a get together with family.
7. Versace Dylan Blue
Versace Dylan Blue is a strong, sophisticated masculine fragrance that captures the sensual scents of the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a woody, aromatic scent that is perfect for the man that defies rules and conventions and takes the road less traveled.
Created by Alberto Morillas who also was the nose behind the effervescent Giorgio Armani’s Acqua Di Gio Profumo, Versace Dylan Blue was launched into stores in late July 2016. It was part of the popular Versace Pour Homme collection.
With hints of bold ambrox, refreshing and citrusy bergamot and grapefruit, to earthy black pepper, incense, tonka beans, mineral musk, saffron, and papyrus wood, this fragrance has a long-lasting scent that is powerful and sexy. It’s similar to the popular Bleu De Chanel but more playful, opening with a fresh but warm burst of spice paired with simmering citrus and aquatic notes.
The top notes include Calabrian bergamot, grapefruit, water notes, and fig leaf. Middle notes include ambroxan, organic patchouli, violet leaf, papyrus, and black pepper. Warming musk, incense, tonka beans, mineral musk powder, and saffron make up the base notes in this delicious fragrance that sports a fougere vibe.
Versace Dylan Blue wears beautifully in the spring and fall months when the weather is still refreshingly cool yet welcoming and warm. Wear it anywhere for a subtle, strong presence that people will remember.
8. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense
Dolce and Gabbana was founded in 1985 by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana and has been a popular Italian luxury fashion house ever since. The company created their very first fragrance in 1992, called Dolce & Gabbana for Women, and followed suit with a men’s fragrance in 1994. Their most popular line of fragrances to date is Light Blue, and it’s certainly recommended.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense is a woody aquatic fragrance that was created in 2017 by Albery Morillas. It’s a lively, fresh scent that opens with a gorgeous aquatic scent, flecked with the scent of grapefruit. The fragrance intensifies with some herbal and aromatic notes, then followed by warm amberwood. It’s almost impossible not to be happy while you are wearing this scent, the freshness is that uplifting.
The top notes for Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense are grapefruit and Mandarin orange while the middle notes include juniper and seawater. The base notes are amberwood and musk.
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense is a top choice for the hot summers and because of its aquatic and fresh scent, you can wear this one anywhere. It’s memorable but not too overpowering, so it’s great for those early morning classes or your midday gym workout. If you’re looking for something especially fresh, this is one of the top picks.
9. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male
Jean Paul Gaultier made a name for himself starting in the early 1980s, spanning diverse, controversial genres and whose fashion design style continues to blend social concepts of masculinity and femininity. Jean Paul introduced his first fragrance, Classique, in 1993, and the ever-popular Le Male was born two years later.
Launched all the way back in 1995, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male is a sweet, oriental fougere fragrance for men. It’s inspired by the masculinity of sailors, figures that long-inspired Jean Paul Gaultier himself. Vanilla, mint, and lavender make Le Male sensual but reassuring. Its sweetness makes it a perfect fragrance for college-age guys. Francis Kurkdijan is the nose behind this one.
The top notes of Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male are lavender, mint, cardamom, bergamot, and artemisia, which rounds out the sweet floral notes. The lavender evokes the comforting, familiar fresh scent of shaving soap topped with sensual vanilla. The heart notes are cinnamon, caraway, and orange blossom, while the base notes include vanilla, cedar, amber, sandalwood, and tonka bean.
Another affordable choice, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male is a fresh fragrance that also possesses some type of creamy sweetness. It is best suited for the fall and winter months due to the creaminess of its base notes and can easily be worn any time of the day, whether it is to work or out to a bite to eat with friends at the local marketplace.
10. Calvin Klein Eternity
Calvin Klein is an American-born fashion designer with a brand of the same name that has spanned the test of popularity for decades, gaining speed in the 1960s. From classic and minimalist men’s and women’s clothing to watches, jewelry, and home furnishings, Calvin Klein is also no stranger to the perfume business. In fact, the brand has over 170 fragrances with the launch of its first perfume, Calvin, in 1981.
Launched in 1990 and created by Carlos Benaim, Eternity For Men is a fresh-smelling clean, green scent, with hints of citrus, some florals and herbals, and a glimmer of woody notes.
It’s an aromatic fougere scent that sports lavender, lemon, as well as Mandarin, and bergamot orange for top notes and follows with herbal sage, coriander, and basil. There is also a hint of Juniper berries, jasmine, orange blossom, lily, and Lily-of-the-Valley in the middle. Base notes include warm, creamy sandalwood, vetiver, amber, musk, and Brazilian rosewood.
With this fragrance, you’ll smell amazing while wearing this one out on a beautiful, warm day. The citrusy clean scent pairs wonderfully with the freshness of spring or summer, and we believe any age can rock this fragrance. If you’re looking for something memorable, yet easy and versatile, give Eternity a few spritzes.
11. Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Extreme
Viktor & Rolf is a fashion house based in Amsterdam that was founded in Paris, France in 1993 by Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren. They are known for their artistic and innovative fashion shows as well as their delicious fragrance collections.
Creating their first scent called Flowerbomb in 2004, this scent garnered many flankers that followed as well as an extensive line of men’s fragrances. That is where the addicting scent of Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Extreme comes in.
Spicebomb Extreme is an oriental spicy fragrance that was created in 2015. More intense than its predecessor, it combines aromatic lavender with tart spices like caraway and black pepper, giving off a subtle, masculine vibe that’s extremely comforting. Layers of tobacco notes balance out the warm vanilla, leaving the wearer with a rich, sweet, peppery scent. Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Extreme is a unique fragrance that has a seriously luxurious kick to it.
Try wearing Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb Extreme out in the fall and winter months, when the sweetness and spiciness of the fragrance won’t be too powerful. The cold weather pairs beautifully with the kick of tobacco, vanilla, and black pepper notes. It’s great for casual wear, but it makes a stellar scent for more formal events, like weddings, office parties, and holiday get-togethers.
12. Montblanc Individuel
Montblanc began as a luxury writing instrument company in 1906, selling their signature pens in Germany. Over time, the company expanded its line of goods to include leather products, watches, travel accessories, and fragrances. In 2001, Montblanc created their first fragrance called Montblanc Presence, a scent for women. They later followed up with a men’s fragrance in 2003, Montblanc Individuel, a youthful, sweet fragrance.
Montblanc Individuel is an oriental woody fragrance created by Pierre Bourdon. It has some sweetness to it with fruit notes as well. At first spritz, you’ll notice a fresh, clean smell followed by a fruity and spicy blend. As the scent dries, floral notes appear for even more sweetness and a powdery feel. A kiss of raspberry also adds a nice touch.
Top notes include cinnamon, lavender, pineapple, mint, rosemary, Juniper berries, coriander, and cardamom. The middle notes have orange blossom, violet, jasmine, and geranium, with base notes of raspberry, vanilla, musk, amber, patchouli, sandalwood, dark chocolate, oakmoss, and vetiver.
Montblanc Individuel pairs nicely with a not-too-warm, not-too-cold day in the spring or fall for any occasion. It’s an amazing scent for younger men under 25 because of its many youthful undertones.
13. Coach For Men
Coach for Men was created by Anne Flipo and Bruno Jovanovic and launched in 2017. According to Coach, it was inspired by “mavericks, rebels, and all-American dreamers,” and represents the spirit of the timeless brand.
It’s a woody, aromatic fragrance that isn’t as intense or powerful as some of the other fragrances on this list, though it is still masculine. Feel energized with the opening notes of pear and citrus then feel the warmth of coriander and cardamom. The fragrance dries down with earthy base notes of suede, vetiver, and ambergris.
Pear, kumquat, bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, and green nashi are the top notes for this scent. The middle notes include cardamom, geranium, and spicy coriander. Ambergris, suede, Haitian vetiver, and amberwood compose the base notes.
Coach for Men is a widely popular fragrance for good reason. It’s affordable, easy to wear, liked by most, and is similar to the sharp and daring Dior Sauvage, but with a safer vibe so you can wear it anywhere. It’s perfect for sunny, summertime days or for a job interview where you’ll want to make a memorable first impression.