8 Colognes You Can Wear to a Nice Dinner

One of our favorite lightweight colognes, Armani’s Acqua di Giò EDT, also happens to be one of the best-selling colognes of all time. It’s extremely refreshing, with citrusy top notes of lime, lemon, bergamot, and mandarin orange, and marine notes add a fun summery feel to it all. It’s clean and inoffensive, but not boring by any means. It has a smooth, earthy base with white musk that plays beautifully with your skin’s natural scent.Fragrance FamilyFresh, aquaticNotesLime, lemon, bergamot, neroli, mandarin orange, sea notes, jasmine, rosemary, persimmon, freesia, rose, hyacinth, violet, white musk, cedar, oakmoss, patchouli, amberSizes1 oz, 1.6 oz, 3.3 oz, 5 oz, 6.7 ozLafco launched its first personal fragrance collection this month, and I’ve already been wearing its Golden Morning EDP to the office. At its heart, Golden Morning is a soft floral scent, but top notes of fresh bergamot and calming chamomile as well as base notes of woods, smooth honey, amber, and musk make it the perfect, universally appealing scent for pretty much any occasion. The chamomile and honey are sweet but not overpowering, and floral heart notes of lavender, violet leaf, and rose create a fresh, uplifting center that feels polished, not bold.Fragrance FamilyFloralNotesBergamot, apple blossom, chamomile, pink pepper, lavender, violet leaf, rose, angelica seed, cashmere wood, sandalwood, honey, tonka, amber, muskSizes0.34 oz, 1.7 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowA scent that stays close to your skin is a good call when going out to a restaurant; those sitting near you will smell it and be intrigued, but it won’t travel as far as the other side of the table and certainly won’t be distracting. When looking for these kinds of skin scents, my go-to is Commodity Fragrances’ Personal Scent Space collection. Like a good book, Commodity’s Book– Personal fragrance is one I can always rely on. With a crisp opening of black tea, fresh eucalyptus and warm sandalwood at the heart, and a base of cedarwood, vetiver, and skin musk, it strikes the perfect balance of freshness and warmth.Fragrance FamilyFresh, woodyNotesBlack tea, eucalyptus, sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, skin muskSizes0.34 oz, 1 oz, 3.4 ozIn a similar vein, Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier EDT also has that clean, musky charm, but with some added luxury just by way of being a Diptyque fragrance. The Paris-based luxury fragrance house was inspired by the texture and smell of paper, ink, and skin when creating this scent. The result is something subtle yet elevated, a light musk with a base of warm steamed rice. It won’t fill the room, but will make the person sitting next to you wonder, damn, does this guy always smell this good? Fragrance FamilyWoody, muskyNotesWhite musks, mimosa, blonde woods accord, rice steam accordSizes1.7 oz, 3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowWith warm woods, soft spices, and a musky base, the popular Dior Homme EDT is undeniably masculine and seductive without being too intense. It’s the perfect choice for a date night where the food is the main event, but you want to look and smell good, too.Fragrance FamilyWoodyNotesBergamot, pink pepper, elemi, atlas cedar, cashmere wood, patchouli, Haitian vetiver, white musk, iso e superSizes1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, 5 ozWhen you want something clean, fresh, and universally beloved that you can rely on for any occasion, you’ll probably be pointed in the direction of Versace’s Eros EDT. It’s a classic masculine scent that’s light and refreshing instead of deep and overpowering. Top notes of herbal mint, citrusy lemon, and clean green apple give it a gorgeous freshness up top, and its earthy, woody base of vetiver, oakmoss, and cedarwood provides a softer balance.Fragrance FamilyFreshNotesMint, lemon, green apple, tonka bean, ambroxan, geranium, vanilla, vetiver, oakmoss, cedarwoodSizes0.3 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, 6.7 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowA bit less traditionally masculine than Versace Eros but still perfect for a nice evening out, Maison Louis Marie’s No.12 Bousval EDP is inspired by sunny days in the Belgian countryside. It’s elegant, bright, and airy, with fresh, citrusy top notes of bergamot, Valencia orange, and the subtle spice of cardamom. The base is a soft, earthy blend of okmoss, cedar, amber, and musks.Fragrance FamilyCitrus, floralNotesBergamot, cardamom, Valencia orange, heliotrope flower, white ginger, eucalyptus, petitgrain, oakmos, musk, gilded amber, cedar noir, myrrhSizes0.34 oz, 1.7 ozRoll-on fragrance oils tend to be more subtle than spray cologne, so they’re a nice option for places like the office or a restaurant where you don’t want your scent to radiate too far. Riddle makes some of the best fragrance oils out there, and they’re all unisex, so they work well on just about everyone. My recommendation for guys looking for that smart, polished, out-to-dinner scent is the brand’s Santal fragrance. A little spicy, a little woody, and a touch earthy, it will certainly give off those polished vibes you’re looking for.Fragrance FamilySpicy, woodyNotesCardamom, cassis, orchid, amber, sandalwoodSizes0.67 oz