The 12 Best Colognes That Hit Shelves This August

One of our favorite niche fragrance brands is back at it with a gorgeous new gourmand EDP inspired by a slice of malty date cake. It’ll make your mouth water in the best way—yes, it’s sweet, but never too sweet. With a delicious, spicy blend of Sri Lankan cinnamon, nutmeg, dates, condensed milk, and bourbon vanilla, it’s a truly sophisticated take on the classic gourmand. You can even jam out to a song called “Ain’t That Sweet” that the brand’s founders released on Spotify for the scent’s launch—how cool is that?Fragrance FamilyGourmand, amberNotesMyrrh, sweets, Sri Lankan cinnamon, date, praline, lily, condensed milk, bourbon vanilla, nutmegSizes1.7 oz, 3.4 ozThis month, the iconic Brazilian fragrance house Granado launched its new Spritz collection, taking a step into the world of men’s grooming. The scent starts out light and fresh with a classic burst of citrus from blood orange and some spice from ginger, then moves into a soft floral heart and a woody, musky base that makes it feel a bit more masculine. If, like us, you can’t get enough of the scent, Granado released a whole Spritz collection including an aftershave balm, body lotion, and more.Fragrance FamilyCitrus, spicy, woodyNotesBlood orange, bitter orange, ginger, orange blossom, ylang ylang, red orchid, cedar, musk, amberSizes3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowOne of my favorite new affordable fragrance brands I’ve recently discovered is House of Twist, a brand that makes long-lasting, high-quality scents for a fraction of the cost of luxury fragrance houses. Twist launched three new scents today that I can’t wait to smell—I’m most excited about The Attraction No. 259, a woody amber scent inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Beau. If you like rich oud scents, you’ll want to try out Oud Prestige No. 158, a smoky and woody scent inspired by Lattafa’s Badee Al Oud; and if you’re a fan of Le Labo’s Thé Noir 29, check out After Dark No. 267.Fragrance FamilyAmber, woodyNotesBergamot, creamy coconut, tonka, woody amberSizes3.4 ozRemember how I mentioned an exciting new collab between a luxury fragrance house and a famous sports car maker? That would be this new trio of parfums from Xerjoff and Automobili Lamborghini—yes, that Lamborghini. It’s a unique, very Italian partnership that blends the worlds of artistic perfumery and luxury sports cars, a combo I didn’t know I needed until now. My personal favorite of the three is the red Fierezza Parfum, a fresh scent with spicy pepper, sweet florals, and smooth amber and suede at the base. But the woody, aromatic Avanguardia and the warm, spicy Perseveranza are also sophisticated and sexy.Fragrance FamilyFreshNotesPink pepper, davana, Sichuan pepper, incense, geranium, marine note, ambrette, frangipani, amber, myrrh, suedeSizes3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowLe Labo has gained a cult following for its minimalist, artisanal fine fragrances and has also become known for its city-exclusive fragrances that are each inspired by a specific city (anywhere in the world!) and sold only in that city. But each September, these city-exclusive scents are available worldwide. This month, Le Labo announced its new SHIU 25 EDP, an homage to the opening of the Beijing He Yuan Le Labo Fragrance Lab—and the brand’s website is offering samples ahead of its September worldwide release.The scent is built around Shiu, a quiet expression of the Ho tree, and features an intriguing blend of frankincense, pink pepper, and iris as well. It’s warm and comforting with a bit of smokiness. Full-size bottles will be available starting September 1 and sold through the end of the month.Fragrance FamilyWoody, amber, floralNotesFrankincense, pink pepper, camphor/ho wood, iris, white blossomSizes0.05 oz (1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, and 16.9 oz coming soon)Montblanc has made history this month, adding a fifth fragrance to its famous Legend collection: the Legend Elixir, which happens to be the brand’s first-ever fragrance in a parfum concentration. It’s the most intense in the Legend lineup, built around an elegant duo of warm vanilla and soft iris with bursts of bergamot, lavender, pink peppercorn, and earthy clary sage along the way. It’s complex, long lasting, and super sexy.Fragrance FamilyEarthy, woodyNotesFresh bergamot, lavender, pink pepper, cardamom, iris Germanica, clary sage, cinnamon, vanilla absolute, Ambrofix, benzoin, warm labdanumSizes1.7 oz, 3.3 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowSpeaking of intense, Dior launched a new, more highly concentrated version of its beloved Jasmin des Anges scent in the form of a new Esprit de Parfum for La Collection Privée Christian Dior. While the eau de parfum is a lighter floral with notes of apricot and honey, the esprit has a more intense expression of jasmine with rich, fruity liqueur-like notes and smooth, woody amber at the base. So if you like florals but want something more bold than dainty, this fragrance has your name on it.Fragrance FamilyFloralNotesGrandiflorum jasmine, apricot, honey, ylang ylang, amber, woody notesSizes2.7 ozMind Games—the niche, unisex fragrance brand inspired by the game of chess—has added two new dueling scents to its Perfumer Extraordinaire collection, rounding out the lineup to a total of six luxurious fragrances. The newest ones to join the chess board are Knight’s Tour and Arabian Mate, which each symbolize a different side of the game.Knight’s Tour is refined, composed, and strategic, with bright bergamot and spice, cedarwood and aromatic lavender, creamy florals, and a grounded, earthy base. Arabian Mate, on the other hand, is fearless, passionate, and sensual, with citrus, spiced pear, and cardamom up top leading to florals, oud, and patchouli, and then to a warm base of vanilla, tonka, and amber.Knight's Tour Fragrance FamilyWoodyKnight's Tour NotesCedrat, nutmeg, saffron, red ginger, cedarwood, lavender, gardenia, benzoin, vetiver, oakmoss, cashmeranArabian Mate Fragrance FamilyWoody, floralArabian Mate NotesBergamot, lemon, cardamom, spiced pear, rose, jasmine, guaiacwood, oud, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla absolute, tonka absolute, golden amberSizes0.05 oz, 3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowI, along with many Commodity Fragrance fans, am thrilled that the brand brought back its beloved Tonka scent from the archives for this season’s Editions Collection release. Originally released in 2017, Tonka is a soft gourmand built around creamy tonka bean, whose nutty quality is exaggerated with notes of almond oil and sweet benzoin. Its warm heart of sandalwood and magnolia reveals itself beautifully, adding some light floral and woody notes to the mix.Fragrance FamilyWoody, floralNotesAlmond oil, cardamom, sandalwood, magnolia, tonka bean, benzoinSizes3.4 ozThis new launch from Guerlain leans more feminine, sure, but I think it can work well on anyone. The L’Heure Bleue EDP is an airy yet bold scent that starts with an ozonic accord at the top, which feels clean and fresh. The heart has two forms of powdery iris: one lush and rich from iris butter, and one fresh and airy from iris tincture. Vanilla adds a distinctively sweet quality to the base, which lingers along with the ozonic notes from the very beginning.Fragrance FamilyFloral, freshNotesOzonic notes, iris, orange blossom, vanilla, ambroxanSizes1 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 ozAdvertisement - Continue Reading BelowYou probably know Salt & Stone for its luxurious natural deodorants (I use the brand’s Saffron & Cedar Deodorant literally every morning), and while its beloved scents have come in body mists for a couple, this month’s new release marks the first-ever eau de parfum from the brand. Meet Ambrette & Pear, a clean skin scent with notes of white musks, ripe pear, crisp apple, clean ambrette, and earthy moss. And of course, there’s a deodorant to go with it.Fragrance FamilyMuskyNotesPear, apple, orange blossom, ambrette, white musk, jasmine, iso e super, moss, ambroxideSizes3.4 ozBravo Sierra has a new vanilla EDP, but there’s something that sets this one apart from the other vanilla fragrances out there: If you take a look at the scent notes, you’ll see that vanilla itself is not one of them. Impressively, Vanilla Hide creates the impression of vanilla, but without the syrupy sweetness you might be thinking of. Instead, black tea helps create a scent that’s more dry and woody than classically gourmand.Fragrance FamilyWoody, spicyNotesMandarin zest, coriander seed, pink pepper, black tea, violet leaf, sueded rose, amber, vetiver, patchouliSizes1.7 oz