Top 10 Best Cheap Colognes for Men That Smell AMAZING

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Looking for a list of the best cheap cologne for men? Then look no further because…

We recently spent weeks researching and testing 73 affordable colognes and discovered some AMAZING hidden gems!

And the beautiful part?

All of our highest rated picks below smell awesome, have good lasting power, and received overwhelming positive ladies’ reactions. Plus, they are all proven compliment-getters.

Even better…

You’ll be pleased to know that some of these little-known gems can even be discovered for less than 25 US Dollars! (So they also make excellent gifts).

So if you’re on a tight budget and want to smell awesome, this list should serve you well, my friend.

Let’s dive right in…

In a hurry?

Our Top 3 Picks:

• 1. Armaf Club De Nuit Intense Man
• 2. Afnan 9pm
• 3. Missoni Wave

Jump Links

• 10. Missoni Parfum Pour Homme
• 9. Davidoff Cool Water Intense
• 8. Lalique Encre Noire
• 7. Salvatore Ferragamo F Black
• 6. Perry Ellis 360 Red for Men
• 5. Armaf Tres Nuit Pour Homme
• 4. Al Haramain Detour Noir
• 3. Missoni Wave
• 2. Afnan 9PM
• 1. Armaf Club De Nuit Intense Man

#10 Missoni Parfum Pour Homme

Hidden Gem!

This one caught me off guard for 2 reasons…

First off, I had never heard of Missoni before, so, admittedly, I wasn’t expecting much in terms of scent or quality. (Though, I later discovered Missoni is a high-end Italian fashion designer. My bad.)

And second off, when I first saw the dark-colored bottle, I was expecting some sort of deep, dark winter/nighttime only scent. HOWEVER after testing this…

I can report to you, I was pleasantly (doubly) surprised! How come?

Well, because not only, for the price, is the quality and the smell of Missoni Parfum Pour Homme surprisingly GREAT (and even the presentation!). But also…

This scent has a perfect balance of bright citrusy-freshness and woody-darkness, which gives you all year usability — for both days AND nights.

And even better, because it has a tried-and-tested, modern, mass-appealing clean soapy scent profile, it makes Missoni Parfum Pour Homme a pleasure to wear — for just about ANY situation. And here’s the sneaky part about why this scent works so well…

All Year Usability

You see, its scent profile sometimes gets compared to being mysteriously similar to the smell of the iconic Bleu de Chanel by Chanel. (More specifically, the EDT version of it.) Which smells awesome, by the way.

Now, my friend, let me be crystal clear:

No matter what you may have heard, Missoni Parfum Pour Homme is NOT a one-to-one clone of Bleu de Chanel.

However, when you first spray the Missoni, you may be reminded of bits of Bleu de Chanel (if your familiar with it, that is) as they share some similar notes (namely: grapefruit, ginger, and lemon). But that’s where it ends.

So these similar fragrance notes puts them in the “same realm”, but definitely not clone-like, as the Missoni does its own thing, so to speak.

Tried & Tested Mass-Appealing Scent Profile

And I’ll be straight with you…

Bleu de Chanel is the superior scent — but it comes with the price tag to match, right? 🙂

So, with all that being said:

Because you can snag Missoni’s Pour Homme for a fraction of the price of Bleu de Chanel, this makes the Missoni an excellent more affordable alternative — which will get you nearly close to the same smell (more like, in the same ballpark).

Hence, it’s on this list!

And, if you wear the Missoni and rake in the same sorts of compliments that Bleu de Chanel commands, I doubt you’ll complain, right? I didn’t. 😎

Yeah-yeah, all this is cool… but what’s it smell like? I’m glad you asked!

Right off the bat, Missoni Parfum Pour Homme smells bright and fresh with a burst of grapefruit and lemon citrus… and a nice hit of zingy ginger.

Bright, Fresh & Zingy

And as the citruses settle, lavender shines through to lend a smooth clean-soapy aroma with a pinch of sweetness.

Then finally, as the citruses fade, underneath the fresh, clean soapiness, you can detect a gentle dark woody undertone.

And here’s the beautiful part, my friend:

As I mentioned before, this is a one-size-fits-all solution for anyone over 20… which will have you smelling GREAT all year… no matter what the situation — days or nights. (Just adjust your sprays depending on the temperature.)

Because you can wear this dressed casual… to fully suited-up in the office… or even on a date-night!

This Scent Has Your Back!

Now, although Parfum is in its name, this is actually an EDP concentration. And we found this to project about an arm’s length for up to the 2-hour mark.

It then sits politely close to your skin (making it a perfect fit for the office/work) and, depending on the temperature you wear it, expect a decent 5–8+ hours of performance.

Oh, and hats off to Missoni…

As they didn’t take any shortcuts with the presentation. This comes in a classy looking dark-brown-colored heavy-glass bottle — which comes complete with a patterned carved-metal magnetic cap.

Which may I add… snaps, satisfyingly, back into place after use. 🙂

Nothing not to like!

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#9 Davidoff Cool Water Intense EDP

New & Improved! (And Smells… Completely Different!)

My friend, don’t let the name or bottle mislead you because…

Spoiler alert — BIG ONE:

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that this new Cool Water Intense version smells completely different from the iconic original Cool Water. It’s not even in the same ballpark! 🤷‍♂️

(If you’re unaware, the original is one of the best-selling colognes of all time! It’s a green, fresh, aquatic scent, which was released in the late 80s. Even so, today it’s still worn and loved by many guys, as it has a timeless, fresh-clean scent profile — its success speaks for itself!)

Cool Water Vs Cool Water Intense

In fact, Davidoff could have easily released this Intense version with a completely new name… and a completely different bottle design. And nobody would be none the wiser. So…

Needless to say, this misleading name ruffled a few feathers with the die-hard fans of the original. Who excitedly rushed out, expecting to get (as the name on the bottle would suggest) a similar smelling or darker Intense version of their favorite scent — only to be heartbroken! I totally get it.

To put that into perspective, this would be like Disney releasing a new Avatar movie… that has absolutely nothing to do with the previous Avatar movies (such as, a documentary about farming) — the fans would go bonkers, right? 🤣

HOWEVER…

All is not lost:

Because if you forget about the misleading name (and the fact this isn’t an Intense version of CoolWater)… and you just give this a try — you may be VERY pleasantly surprised (I was!), because here’s the thing…

This actually smells GREAT! It’s modern, it’s youthful… and it’s LONG lasting! Oh, and it’s also very reasonably priced! (Plus, it was even created by a world-renowned master perfumer: Annick Menardo — she’s a big deal.)

And, of course, none of this even matters if you’re unfamiliar with the original. Anyways…

Enough chit-chat, let me just tell you how Cool Water Intense smells…

Tropical Creamy Sweetness

As soon as you spray Cool Water Intense , you’re greeted with the semi-sweet and zesty freshness of mandarin orange citrus.

And as the citrus burns off, a light splash of coconut water works in tandem with the orange fruitiness to create an inviting tropical creamy-orange sweetness (not the overly sickly-sweet kind of coconut, though).

And as it plays out, the coconut water slowly fades into the background, and it’s replaced by the warm dusty sweetness of vanilla.

All in all, you get that modern, youthful balance of freshness and sweetness — with a pleasing, clean tropical creamy feel to it.

Modern Youthful Aroma

It’s fresh. It’s sweet. And it’s creamy. And don’t go complaining if you get overwhelmed with positive attention, okay? 🙂

And that, my friend, is the new, so-called, intense version of Cool Water. Admittedly, it’s a BIG departure from the OG. But not bad. Not bad at all.

In fact, I won’t lie, I really enjoyed this new modern rendition (even though the naming makes no sense). That said, they did get one part of the name right, because this is pretty…

Intense Lasting Power!

Because the good news is, this new version is a stronger, longer-lasting Eau de Parfum concentration, so expect it to last in the neighbourhood of 6–10+ hours (depending on your climate etc).

Even better:

This pushes out nicely for up to 3 hours (arm’s length), and then it slowly recedes giving off gentle wafts of creamy sweetness — leaving people craving for more!

Now, due to the sweetness, this has a bit of a playful edge to it. Therefore, I would say it’s more suitable for casual use: date-nights, nights out, clubbing, that type of stuff.

But it’s not one I would recommend for the office as it’s quite loud.

And you’ll be pleased to know, this is one that can be enjoyed by all ages (note, it does have a youthful feel to it, though). Plus, it can be worn all year (just modulate your sprays.)

That said, I would refrain from wearing this in high-heat climates, especially if you live somewhere that’s always hot and humid, as this is quite strong and powdery sweet.

Bottom line:

If you want something youthful, modern, and long-lasting… which smells fresh with some seductive creamy sweetness… (that’s not going to break the bank) — then Cool Water Intense could be for you.

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#8 Lalique Encre Noire

Dark & Mysterious

If you don’t know…

Encre Noire is French for “black ink” — and this is a VERY suiting name for this scent. Let me explain, my friend…

Encre Noire is a vetiver-based scent. Vetiver is a fragrant grass that has a green, earthy, woody aroma.

Speaking of… if you like the note of vetiver, then I highly suggest you check out our top vetiver colognes to discover the cream of the crop. Anyway…

Here’s something you should know:

Not all vetiver colognes are created equal. Some are clean smelling, and some are dark and earthy smelling.

Dark “Inky” Woody Aroma

Now, Encre Noire falls under the latter dark and earthy smelling vetiver category, and this stuff gives off a complex dark wet-woody inky aroma. It smells dark and mysterious.

Also, the earthy vetiver aroma is blended beautifully with some cypress, which adds a green element to the scent, to smooth it out. The result?

Encre Noire smells super unique and like an expensive niche-quality scent. It’s VERY mature smelling and very elegant.

Now, I’ll be straight with you…

Daring & Complex

This is NOT a typical mass-appealing fragrance. In fact, it’s a daring complex scent, and it would NOT be wise to gift this to somebody else. Trust me, my friend.

Now, this is best for fall and winter nighttime use. And please note, this is not for the younger crowd — it’s a mature, serious-smelling scent, so I suggest for the 25-up.

And to be clear:

This is a formal, special occasion type of scent. Think: black tie events. Suit and tie. In fact, even the bottle and box look classy.

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#7 Salvatore Ferragamo F Black

An Elegant Masculine Scent

Here’s the scoop:

You know you are getting a high-quality fragrance with F Black, because this was composed by world-renowned master perfumer Olivier Polge. Who?!?

Oh, in case you don’t know…

Olivier Polge is the man responsible for some of the greatest fragrances ever created — including D&G The One. And he is currently the head perfumer at Chanel. ‘Nuff said. 🙂Anyways…

Let me tell you how F Black smells:

F Black opens with a burst of sweet powdery lavender and a hint of green apple… mixed with a dose of spicy black pepper. And to be honest, the opening can be a little harsh, so let it settle for the magic to happen. 🙂

Trust me, the dry down is MUCH better.

Mature & Classy

Because when it settles on your skin, the sweetness from the tonka bean joins the party and smooths all the opening notes out. The result?

You get a gorgeous masculine warm peppery-apple aroma. It smells romantic and classy!

Now, this is more suited for the mature 25-up crowd for use in cooler weather. Formal suit and tie or semi-formal, work, nights out, and dates etc.

A quick word of caution, though:

I would avoid wearing this in the high, humid summer heat, my friend, as it will become powdery sweet. Oh, and you only need 1–2 sprays max and you’re set. And the good news…

This is still singing for up to 7+ hours!

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#6 Perry Ellis 360 Red for Men

Spicy Aquatic Fruity Freshness

I will make it super easy for you, my friend:

360 Red smells very, VERY similar to the iconic, MUCH more expensive, Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio, but with an added slightly spicy cinnamon aroma.

And here’s the cool part:

A LOT of people in the fragrance community (and yours truly) actually think 360 Red smells better than Acqua Di Gio. And the good news – 360 Red is only a fraction of the cost! (Oh, and it even lasts longer than Acqua Di Gio!)

Can you say jackpot? 😎

Anyway, enough babble; let me quickly and simply tell you how 360 Red smells…

Like a Fresh, Fruity Ocean Breeze

360 Red smells like a fresh, fruity ocean breeze mixed with a soft woody note, with pops of spicy cinnamon. And just like its more expensive brother, Acqua Di Gio, this ALSO garners a LOT of nice compliments.

It smells fresh, clean, and timeless. So…

It can be worn by ALL ages, in ALL seasons, for ALL occasions! That said, it shines in the high-heat when it warms up on your skin.

By the way, to discover more fragrances that work well in the high-heat, check out our best summer colognes for men list.

Ultra-Versatile!

And the good news:

In our tests, we found this to have good lasting power, too, because as I mentioned earlier, 360 Red lasts LONGER, and even projects more off skin, than Acqua Di Gio. Ain’t complaining, mind you. 🙂

In fact, we were getting 5–7 hours of noticeable scent life, which is GOOD for a freshie!

Bottom line:

If you’re simply looking for a safe, clean, pleasing fragrance — to wear for almost ANY situation, then try this.

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#5 Armaf Tres Nuit Pour Homme

Classy — Fresh, Clean & Green

Here’s the scoop, my friend:

Tres Nuit Pour Homme smells shockingly similar to an AMAZING and super-expensive fragrance from the luxury brand Creed, named: Green Irish Tweed — which, incidentally, earned the #2 spot on our best Creed fragrances for men list.

But I will be straight with you:

As I expected, when smelling these two fragrances side-by-side, Tres Nuit Pour Homme has a slightly harsh opening compared to the MUCH more expensive Green Irish Tweed. I get it. HOWEVER…

Once the two fragrances settle on your skin, they smell VERY similar! 🧐

Are they exact? No.

Obviously, they do not smell identical as Creed use super-expensive natural ingredients. But let’s be real, my friend, Tres Nuit Pour Homme costs a fraction of the price!

Therefore, it makes a GREAT “no-brainer” alternative that smells VERY close but without having to break the bank. 🙂

Not gonna lie, though, IMO the bottle looks a bit tacky. 🤣 Oh, and the sprayer is not the greatest, either. But hey, you’re not wearing the bottle, right?

What’s that? You say you have never smelled these 2 scents, so none of this makes any sense?

Oh, my bad, my friend; let me quickly tell you how Tres Nuit Pour Homme smells…

Fresh & Green with Creamy Woods

Tres Nuit Pour Homme opens with fresh citrusy lemon mixed with lavender and violet, which give it a clean soapy green aroma (without smelling overly synthetic).

It then dries down on your skin to a fresh green and creamy-woody aroma — with a pinch of sweetness.

And it smells GREAT. Furthermore…

It’s also super versatile as you can wear this anywhere, anytime (suggest 30+): Suited-up or in a T-shirt and jeans. In the office or casual — you name it!

Please note, though, this is not a clubbing type of scent. It’s mature and classy.

In fact, Tres Nuit Pour Homme would make a perfect signature scent for a mature guy (especially for an office scent!) Does it last long?

Well, in our tests, we found it to last 4–6+ hours on skin. And we found it to give off gentle wafts within an arms length.

Bottom line:

If you want to smell very, very similar to a luxury, high-end scent for a FRACTION of the cost – get this.

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#4 Al Haramain Detour Noir

Hidden Gem Alert!

My friend, I’m going to let you in on a little secret here…

This little-known scent is one of the fragrance community’s jealously guarded secrets. In fact, probably 99% of ALL guys have never heard of it. That is — until now. 😎

However, I’ve purposely hidden the bottle from you (for now). What the?!? Why?

It has to be this way, my friend — trust me because…

If I had shown you the bottle above, I’m almost certain, you would have immediately skipped this scent and totally disregarded it. And if you did, I feel I would be doing you a massive disservice. Let me explain…

Detour Noir smells insanely good because it smells very, VERY similar to a much, MUCH more expensive luxury fragrance called Layton by the house of Parfums de Marly.

In fact, we’re talking an almost clone! (Hmm. What’s going on here, then? 🤔) Anyway…

Smells Similar to Another Luxury Scent

As you may or may not know, Layton is an elite-level fragrance that has a proven track record in the online fragrance community for having a HUGE compliment-factor.

(By the way, that’s a tough crowd to please.)

Oh, before I forget… If you’re unaware, Al Haramain are a Middle Eastern brand. And for context: Layton is a warm, spicy-sweet woody scent. To keep it simple…

It starts off smelling of fruity-apple sweetness mixed with a menthol note… and eventually, ends up almost resembling a delicious spiced, warm apple pie with lots of vanilla and some underlying woodiness. Smells fantastic.

Warm Spicy Apple Pie

And it deserves its reputation — but it ain’t cheap! But the good news, Detour Noir is a fraction of the price! Literally. (It’s not even close!)

Therefore, Detour Noir is a RIDICULOUS bargain! So why hide the bottle, then?

My friend, I am just going to be blunt:

The Detour Noir bottle looks (and feels) absolutely horrendous. 🤣

Full stop. Period.

(Sorry, Al Haramain.)

So if I had shown you the bottle above, chances are, the bottle would have scared you away… and you would NOT be reading this right now. Anyway…

Now I’ve got your attention, let me reveal the bottle…

Yup, it’s pretty bad, right? (You still here?) 🙂

In fact, not only does it look cheap, but it also feels even cheaper. The cap is light plastic, and is VERY difficult to put on and take off from the bottle (and sometimes, it feels like it’s going to pull the entire top part of the bottle apart with it. Yikes!).

Top tip: Just throw the cap away — problem solved. You’re welcome.

Furthermore, the bottle is strangely shaped, which makes it awkward to hold and spray. And to round it all off, the lettering on the front of my bottle rubbed off after only a few uses.

Let’s just say, it ain’t gonna win any design awards. (One consolation, though, the box is a LOT better looking than the bottle.) Anyway…

No biggie. Because at the end of the day:

It’s what’s inside the bottle that matters, right?

And laugh all you want, but trust me, the juice inside the bottle smells a LOT better and a LOT more expensive than the presentation would lead you to believe (or the low price you can snag it for, for that matter). All this to say…

Never Judge a Book By its Cover

And let’s be real, if you dazzle someone with your new scent, they are hardly going to march you home and demand that you show them the bottle. Imagine that? That said, they may demand to know the name of it. 🙂

Now all this, begs the question:

Does it really smell “that” similar? It sounds too good to be true!

Short answer: You bet!

Better answer:

To silence the alarm bells going off in your head, let’s be perfectly clear:

Detour Noir Vs Layton

Detour Noir is NOT an exact one-to-one clone of Layton. But it’s super close. In fact, hold up, let me do a quick side-by-side comparison for you…

Okay, I have Layton freshly sprayed on the back of my left hand… and Detour Noir on the back of my right hand…

Immediately, of course, I notice the superior blending and quality of the ingredients in Layton (understandable).

Detour Noir, on the other hand, is rougher and needs about 20 seconds to air out before going in for a sniff. But after a few minutes, it’s smells a LOT better.

And as they both dry down on my skin, smelling them right up close, I can still noticeably pick up differences in smell and quality…

Detour Noir is slightly fresher and lighter, and it simply does not have the complexity, depth, or richness of Layton. Not gonna lie.

Also, in our tests, Layton performed noticeably better (I’ll touch on this in a minute). But to be honest, they…

Smell VERY Similar in The Air

Smelling them in the air from a distance, they are VERY close. And as time goes by, from a distance, they become even more similar. Impressive.

And let’s be honest, other people are not going to be digging their noses right into your scent. They, too, will be smelling it from a distance, right?

Therefore, to the average person (untrained nose) on the street, from a distance, it would be difficult for them to tell these two apart.

For context, if I had to say a percentage of how similar they are, I would say:

• Smelling right up close they are, ballpark, 80% similar, and…
• In the air from a distance they are, ballpark, 90% similar.

Pretty impressive if you ask me, considering the price difference!

(Please keep in mind, though, these are just rough estimates to give you an idea.)

Conclusion:

With Detour Noir, you get something that smells VERY close to something that is much, MUCH more expensive — for a FRACTION of the cost. That, my friend, is the definition of a bargain, right?

It’s “cheating” … but… it works!

Usability

And as they share the same scent profile, Detour Noir can be worn pretty much whenever Layton would shine its magic, such as:

Date nights, nights out, clubbing, bar-hopping, special occasions, work/office, or just for casual use and more.

Similarly, I would stick with using Detour Noir in cool weather (fall/winter/and early spring). Just avoid high-heat situations and you’ll be golden. (For ages, I suggest: 20-up.)

Now, Detour Noir is an EDP, and for the first 2 hours, you can pick it up really well (it radiates just over arm’s length).

Rolls For Up to 8+ Hours!

It then slowly recedes, but is still rolling for a good 6–8+ hours. (For context, Layton projects strongly for 3–4 hours and gets me around 8–10+ hours.)

Bottom line, if there has ever been a fragrance NOT to miss… it’s THIS one. But…

Just a quick heads-up:

Detour Noir is getting harder to find lately as it seems to instantly sell out — as more and more people are slowly becoming aware of it. Sadly, this has also caused it to creep up a little in price. So…

Pounce on this before they decide to jack the price up again.

(Oh, apparently, they have improved the box it comes in. Hopefully, the bottle will be next.) 🙂

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#3 Missoni Wave

An Affordable High-Quality-Smelling Aquatic Freshie

Missoni Wave is a GREAT bang-for-your-buck! Here’s why, my friend:

Oh, and by the way, if you’ve never heard of Missoni before (I hadn’t)… Apparently, they are a luxury Italian designer clothing brand. Anyway…

I’m just going to be straight…

Missoni Wave smells remarkably similar to 2 other premium blockbuster colognes on the market:

• Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport, and…
• Versace’s Pour Homme.

The latter, incidentally, ranks #2 on our best Versace colognes showdown. Anyway…

I already own and am familiar with both of these scents. You may be, too. (If not, both smell awesome, by the way.)

(So if you own either one of those scents, you may want to skip Missoni Wave as it will be redundant. But if you don’t have any of these or you’re running low, then read on…)

Budget-Friendly BUT Smells Premium!

Now, if you are familiar with these 2 colognes mentioned above, imagine this…

If Versace Pour Homme and Chanel Allure Homme Sport had a baby (Yikes!). Imagining it? Great. Now you understand Missoni Wave. 🙂

More specifically, to my nose, Wave smells like a hybrid of the best bits from both of them. And it flat out works! In fact, let’s quickly examine…

Quick side-by-side sniff test:

Ok… I have the Versace sprayed on my left forearm and the Chanel sprayed on my right forearm… and Missoni Wave on the back of my left hand….

Yup, Wave unmistakably smells like a mashup of them both — which is NOT a bad thing! Because…

You get the best of both worlds… the sparkling freshness of the Versace… combined with the luxurious creaminess of the Chanel — for a more affordable price! I’ll take that! 😎

A Beautiful Combination

To be honest, though, I would say Wave smells more similar to the Chanel than the Versace.

And what’s more, I would say the quality of Missoni Wave is “on par” with the quality of the Versace, but dare I say — Wave is better smelling (and lasts longer). I said it. 🙂

However, I’m not gonna lie by telling you the quality or smell of Wave is on par with the Chanel. The truth is, the Chanel is superior in EVERY way — including the price tag!

But because Missoni Wave can be found for, literally, a fraction of the cost of the Chanel, this makes Wave an absolute steal!

Now, of course, if you have no idea how these 2 other scents smell, then none of this will make any sense, right? So let me quickly tell you how Wave smells…

Uplifting Fresh Tang of Sea Air & Citruses

Missoni Wave opens up lively, with an uplifting blast of bright citruses — mixed with the fresh tang of salty sea air.

And when this settles, juicy mandarin orange starts to shine through the aquatic freshness with a kiss of fruity sweetness. And underneath all these notes is a hint of greenness.

And as it dries down on your skin, the citruses gradually fade, and the mandarin is joined by a hint of slightly powdery vanilla with soft woods sitting underneath — which lend a nice creamy woody feel to the scent.

All in all, it’s nothing groundbreaking — just fresh, clean, and VERY pleasant.

And because Missoni Wave smells so similar to the previously mentioned A-list scents, it, too, gets the same sort of “You smell nice!” type compliments that they deservingly receive. Not gonna complain about that, though. Anyway, season wise…

A Boost of Fresh, Clean Confidence

Because of its fresh, aquatic scent profile, Wave is an absolute pleasure to wear in the warm weather — this is where it shines!

However, you can make use of this all year as a dumb-reach, do-it-all scent for whenever you want that fresh out-the-shower confidence feeling. (That said, we found it does not perform outdoors in cold winter air. Understandable as it’s a freshie!)

And I would say it’s more suitable for daytime use, example: Casual wear, work, the office, doing errands. In fact, just about ANY situation — oh, and it’s GREAT for the gym.

Furthermore, it’s also a scent that all ages can appreciate as you can’t really put an age on smelling nice, fresh, and clean, right? That said, it does have a youthful feel to it.

A Do-it-All

Missoni Wave comes in an EDT concentration… and during our tests, it lasted in the neighbourhood of 4–7+ hours (We tested during warm weather, so your mileage may vary.)

And on first spray, this projected softly (within arm’s length) for up to 1.5–2 hours. It then dials back and hovers just above your skin. (For application, we found 3–5 sprays is the sweet spot.)

So. to state the obvious, if you’re looking for a powerhouse — this ‘aint it.

But here’s the cool part:

Not only does this come in a premium-looking heavy-glass bottle (which is aptly colored with a gorgeous oceanic-blue gradient), but also it has a handy magnetic cap, which is carved with the brands signature pattern. Top marks! So the takeaway…

If you’re looking for an affordable modern fresh aquatic cologne, with decent performance and hyper versatility, then Wave could be for you.

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#2 Afnan 9PM

A Party, Clubbing Banger

Ah, Jean Paul Gaultier’s Ultra Male… you just gotta love it. Huh? What the heck does Ultra Male have to do with Afnan 9pm?

A LOT.

Spoiler alert:

Afnan 9pm smells RIDICULOUSLY similar to Ultra Male. Which, by the way, is a good thing because anyone who’s been in the game for a while knows… Ultra Male smells AWESOME and is a proven compliment monster! Oh…

If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a youthful, attention-grabbing, sweet-sexy type of scent. And it has long been heralded as one of the best clubbing/party/night-out style scents on the market. Period.

So what? Why should you care about all this?

Well, my friend, here’s the beautiful part:

Because not only does Afnan 9 pm smell shockingly similar to Ultra Male… but also you can sometimes discover this little-known gem for up to 1/3 of the price of JPG Ultra Male (maybe even ¼! — depending on where you live).

Bingo! So this, then, makes 9pm…

An Absolute Steal!

Do they smell identical?

No. Not gonna lie, my friend. But it’s close… extremely close. Same-same — but different. 🙂

(Put it this way, if you already own Ultra Male, you don’t need this. Oh, and Afnan are a Middle Eastern brand, in case you’re wondering.)

In fact, let me spray them both on now, side-by-side, and tell you how 9pm smells… Plus, I’ll let you know how close they smell, percentage wise (and how they differ).

Addictive Sweet Aroma

OK… As soon as you spray Afnan’s 9pm, you almost think you must have picked up the Ultra Male bottle by mistake… Oops, my bad — sorry. Let me get the right one… 🙂

OK… got the correct bottle this time. (Kidding. Mostly.)

Let’s try again… As soon as you spray 9pm, you’re greeted with a burst of fresh fruity apple mixed with a pinch of cinnamon — with some lavender and warm friendly vanilla buried underneath.

This gives off an addictive bubble-gummy fruity-sweetness. Nice.

And as it dries down, the slightly powdery vanilla starts to ramp up, which adds a nice spicy warmth to the scent.

And just like its brother, Ultra Male… Afnan’s 9pm was made for compliments and never fails to delight those around you.

But don’t be too surprised if somebody asks if you’re wearing Ultra Male, though.

OK, so that’s how 9pm smells. So…

Now let me quickly tell you how Ultra Male smells… Wait… Do I really need to repeat myself? 🤣

Seriously though, my friend, the breakdown is just about the same, so I will spare you. But here are the main differences we found:

Afnan 9pm vs Ultra Male

The main differences we found are…

9PM:

• Has a fruity apple accord and no pear
• Is less sweet and more fruity
• Starts off lighter and fresher
• Is an EDP concentration (more potent) and…
• Is a LOT more affordable!

Ultra Male:

• Has a juicy pear accord and no apple
• Is sweeter and less fruity
• Is darker, denser, and has more depth to it
• Is an EDT concentration (less potent) and…
• Is a LOT more expensive!

And the percentage of smell similarity (ballpark!):

• 90% similar — smelling in the air from a distance
• 80% similar — smelling them right-up close, side-by-side

To be fair, although they are different concentrations, in test after test, they both projected and lasted about the same (more on this in a minute).

Furthermore, quality wise, they are both about on par with each other. You might now be wondering…

When & Where Can I Rock 9PM?

Afnan’s 9pm is more geared towards the younger crowd (under 30), especially single guys “looking for some action” — so to speak. Yup, this is true “player” stuff. 😎

And as the name of the scent suggests, 9pm was designed to be a nighttime scent and works like gangbusters for: clubbing, parties, outside events, nights out, date nights… You get the idea.

However, that’s not to say you can’t wear this casually in the day. Though, I would say it’s a bit too loud and playful to be used in the office or for work etc.

Made For Compliments

Now, I should point something out:

To my nose, this is unisex, so if you’re looking for a butch, man’s man cologne — this ain’t it.

Because some of the women we showed it to said they loved it so much — that they wanted it for themselves! So please keep that in mind.

And, before we move on to performance, there’s one thing you SHOULDN’T do…

Is wear this outdoors in the high-summer-heat. Monster mistake. Why? It becomes sickly-sweet and projects like crazy! — trust me. 🤦‍♂️

So in terms of seasons, because of its sweetness, this is best worn in cool weather (fall/winter and spring nights).

That said, for summer nights, if the club (or venue) has air-conditioning — you’ll be golden.

Sleek Heavy-Glass Bottle

Afnan’s 9 pm comes as an EDP and projects nicely (say 2–3 ft) for up to 1–3 hours, leaving a nice scent trail in its wake.

It then recedes and sits closer to the skin — and in our tests, lasting power was in the 6–8+ hour range. And even longer on clothes, of course (days!).

(By the way, don’t go bonkers with the sprayer as this has the potential to fill up a room!)

Oh, and hat tip to Afnan…

For not trying to cut costs with the presentation. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised it comes in a sleek heavy (and, I mean, heavy!) glass bottle, with a matching heavy cap. Very nice.

Bottom line:

You’re here to pick up an absolute bargain, right? So — 9pm is a no-brainer!

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#1 Armaf Club De Nuit Intense Man

A Sweet & Fruity Sexy Masculine Scent

I will make it super easy for you, my friend:

Club De Nuit Intense Man smells remarkably similar to an ultra-expensive cologne called Creed Aventus. Which, by the way, smells AWESOME!

Is it as natural smelling and as complex as Creed Aventus?

No.

I’ll be straight with you…

Creed Aventus is crisper, brighter, and more effervescent… and smells more natural. HOWEVER…

In the air, they smell VERY close. And the craziest part…

Club De Nuit Intense Man costs a FRACTION of the price of Creed Aventus; therefore, it’s a great option if you want to save a TON of money, yet still experience the same sort of aroma (and compliments) as Creed Aventus.

To be brutally honest, though:

The opening of Club De Nuit Intense Man is slightly harsh, but when it settles down, after about 15 minutes – that’s when the magic starts. So how does it smell, then? Glad you asked! Well…

Fruity Freshness & Woods

Club De Nuit Intense Man smells fresh and fruity with a combination of pineapple, blackcurrant and apple… with underlying smoky woods and musk. And the cool part…

You can use it in ALL seasons and for ALL occasions, days or nights. In fact, it works amazing for nights out and dates (this is where it shines).

And to top it all off:

Club De Nuit Intense Man has good lasting strength, so for best results: do not overspray this — less is definitely more with this one, my friend.

Oh, and better still… it’s a brutal compliment getter.

Works like a charm. 🙂

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Now, over to you…

We would love to hear from you:

Do you know of any budget colognes that smell expensive?

Or maybe you have a question.

Either way, please let us know by leaving a comment below right now.

Where to go from here?

I highly recommend checking out our Top 10 best Acqua di Parma fragrances for some more awesome recommendations.

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