The best winter colognes for men perfectly blend notes of wood, spice, vetiver, cocoa, coffee, and bourbon to create a warming scent for cooler months. In curating our list, we’ve selected winter fragrances that use a unique combination of the notes above. Some are spicier, some are creamy and chocolatey, and others are like sticking your nose down a whisky barrel. Ultimately, these colognes deliver heavier scents that last longer than their summer counterparts. Some of our selections are versatile enough to do you right in any season. Let’s check out our favourites!
Best Winter Fragrances for Men at a Glance
Highlights from our list include the following:
- Best overall: Terre d’Hermès by Hermès
- For value for money: Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne
- For luxury: Althaïr by Parfums de Marly
- For spicy notes: Free d’Homme by CoSTUME NATIONAL
Now that you’ve read our favourites, let’s check out the complete list.
Table of contents
- Best Winter Fragrances for Men at a Glance
- 1. Terre d’Hermès by Hermès
- 2. Althaïr by Parfums de Marly
- 3. Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne
- 4. Gentleman Society Eau de Parfum Extreme by Givenchy
- 5. Rehab by Initio Parfums Prives
- 6. Bleu Noir Parfum by Narciso Rodriguez
- 7. Free d’Homme by CoSTUME NATIONAL
- 8. Bad Boy Dazzling Garden by Carolina Herrera
- 9. Explorer Platinum by Montblanc
- 10. Bonne Chauffe by Frapin
- 11. Scandal Les Parfums by Jean Paul Gaultier
- 12. Bad Boy Extreme by Carolina Herrera
- Alternatives to These Winter Fragrances for Men
- Why You Should Trust Our List
- How You Should Choose from Our List
RELATED: These are the best colognes for men overall, as tested and chosen by our editors.
1. Terre d’Hermès by Hermès
Price: from $140 AUD
- Pros: It strikes the perfect balance between zest, pepper, and wood, which makes it a great choice for winter. Affordable and pleasant enough to wear daily. Unique, without being offensive.
- Cons: Very popular, so don’t expect to stand out too much.
Scent profile and smell: One of the highest-rated and widely recognised scents for men, Jean-Claude Ellena created a masterpiece with Terre d’Hermès by Hermès. While we’d happily wear this every day of the year, in any season, its profile is best suited to the colder winter months. Terre d’Hermès perfectly balances zesty grapefruit on the nose before the peppery middle, and woody base come through as the scent dries down on the skin.
Performance and longevity: Performance is outstanding, even in eau de toilette form (as tested), with more than 8 hours of longevity on the skin and more on clothes. Expect tight and meaningful silage, while projection is bang-on for a professional men’s cologne. It’s not going to waft through an entire venue and scent bomb the room, but it’s enough to get you noticed in a crowd, especially suited to dinner table discussions and charity balls.
Who should buy this fragrance: Like most winter scents for men, this one is heavily masculine and a touch old-school. As such, it’s not the best choice for younger men, and we’d recommend it to men older than 18. It’s suitable for daily wear and on all occasions, and we’ve worn it to the office, parties, and dinners.
Top notes: Orange and Grapefruit
Middle notes: Pepper, Pelargonium and Flint
Base notes: Vetiver, Cedar, Patchouli and Benzoin
2. Althaïr by Parfums de Marly
Price: from AU$498
- Pros: We love the vanilla and wood combination, which is, in our eyes, the ultimate winter combo. There’s enough spice and musk built into the base notes that it rounds out and dries down to perfection. Ignore the naysayers who get turned off by the price!
- Cons: The most expensive winter fragrance on our list doesn’t perform as well as scents half its price. However, we’d still buy it for the smell.
Scent profile and smell: Truth be told, Althaïr by Parfums de Marly might be our favourite winter cologne, but the preventative price tag of nearly $500 makes this a deep-pocketed option. It’s a particularly attractive option if you’re into vanilla and wood, and we think it’s like sticking your nose into the finest French oak barrel before it’s filled with bourbon whiskey. Seriously, we cannot get enough of this fragrance, and we’d ignore anyone who says it’s a basic niche alternative to Hugo Boss Bottled. We also don’t think it’s “too sweet,” as some reviewers online have stated.
Performance and longevity: Performance is good, but not amazing for a fragrance at this price point, at 4-6 hours on the skin and slightly more on clothes. On the other hand, projection is very good, and 4-6 sprays are enough to keep this one going for at least half a working day.
Who should buy this fragrance: Ultimately, this is a very expensive fragrance, and while it may not be the knock-out niche scent you might be hoping for, it’s luxurious enough to impress even the most seasoned nose. Savour it for special occasions and wear it with confidence.
Top notes: Cinnamon, Cardamom, Orange Blossom and Bergamot
Middle notes: Bourbon Vanilla and Elemi
Base notes: Praline, Musk, Ambroxan and Guaiac Wood
3. Invictus Victory Elixir by Paco Rabanne
Price: from $195 AUD
- Pros: We love the aromatic lavender and green cardamom opening that quickly transitions to a beautiful blend of vanilla and patchouli. It’s suitable for formal occasions in winter, but you could also wear it in spring and autumn.
- Cons: Longevity is only OK at around 6 hours on the skin and slightly more on clothes. Expect to top up during the day if you plan on attending a night event.
Scent profile and smell: We already loved Paco Rabanne’s Invictus Victory, but ‘Elixer’ turns things up a notch with a tangy vanilla flavour, plenty of coconut, wood, and even a hint of spiced amber. We often recommend this to younger men as they tend to prefer this cream vanilla scent, whereas older gentlemen opt for spicy ambers and pepper scents, e.g., Free d’Homme CoSTUME NATIONAL.
Still, Invictus Victory Elixir is perfect for the colder months. One of three co-authors of the fragrance, Anne Flipo, says that keeping the essence of Invictus at the forefront of the process, he wanted to offer an irresistible darker facet, too. To achieve such a taste he added Indonesian patchouli, the secret ingredient that brings that spicy excellence on the dry down. Again, it’s not an intense spice, but it’s enough to differentiate this one from the original and make it perfect for winter. Of course, the opening notes of aromatic lavender and green cardamom issue playfulness.
Performance and longevity: Performance-wise, this is another great scent from the brand. Our testing shows you should expect 4-6 hours on the skin and maybe even a little more on clothes. Projection is outstanding, and you only have to spray 4-6 times on the wrists and neck to get the most out of this one.
Top notes: Lavender, Cardamom and Black Pepper
Middle notes: Incense, Patchouli
Base notes: Vanilla Pod, Tonka Bean
4. Gentleman Society Eau de Parfum Extreme by Givenchy
Price: from $210 AUD
- Pros: Masculine as it gets after dry down! It’s long-lasting and perfect for cocktail dinners where suits are expected. It’s suitable for young and old.
- Cons: Projection is very strong and somewhat overpowering. The balance is achieved after the scent dries down, but you have to give it 20 minutes or more before it figures itself out.
Scent profile and smell: Gentleman Society Eau de Parfum Extreme by Givenchy proves that you shouldn’t judge a fragrance until it dries down on your skin. A very strong black coffee note dominates the scent, but as the fragrance evolves, it shows burnt wood matched by three types of vetiver: Madagascar vetiver, Haitian vetiver, and just plain old vetiver.
Performance and longevity: Performance is very good, and during our testing, we experienced more than 8 hours of projection from this scent. Spray 4-6 times on the wrist and neck, and you’ll be set for a full day in the office.
Who should buy this fragrance: We recommend this winter cologne for men between 24 and 60. It’s a very masculine scent that better suits a professional office worker, sole trader, or similar.
Top notes: Peppermint, Nutmeg and Clary Sage
Middle notes: Coffee, Orris Root, French Narcissus, Madagascar Vetiver, Haitian Vetiver and Vetiver
Base notes: Vanilla, Australian Sandalwood and Himalayan Cedar
5. Rehab by Initio Parfums Prives
Price: from AU$498
- Pros: This is a long-lasting winter cologne, and you should expect more than 10 hours of longevity on the skin and even more on clothes.
- Cons: Some might find the lavender, vanilla, and wood spice combination a little too sweet. It’s expensive compared to designer options on the market. Still, it outperforms most.
Scent profile and smell: Don’t be fooled by the top notes of lavender and bergamot. This scent has a spicy streak that makes it perfect for winter. It’s certainly a unisex option, but men shouldn’t be deterred because the middle notes of cedar, vetiver, and patchouli, alongside the woody base notes, balance out the lavender quickly. Give the fragrance time to develop, and it is the patchouli that becomes the champion by adding a little earthiness alongside the vanilla sweetness.
Performance and longevity: High-quality, natural ingredients brought to you by one of the great niche fragrance houses meant we expected nothing but the best performance and Rehab delivered. You’ll get more than 10 hours of longevity, and even more on clothes, alongside tight sillage and sound projection.
Who should buy this fragrance: This scent is best suited to men in their mid-to-late 20s and beyond. Our list includes better, bourbon-led options for older gents and sweeter options for younger men, too. You’ll feel comfortable wearing this daily, but it’s not the best option for cocktail parties and professional events because of the vanilla and lavender accord. Look for a zestier option instead.
Top notes: Lavender and Bergamot
Middle notes: Cedar, Vetiver and Patchouli
Base notes: Sandalwood, Musk and Guaiac Wood
6. Bleu Noir Parfum by Narciso Rodriguez
Price: from AU$196
- Pros: One of the most wearable options on our list, this is a certified blind buy that works for all ages. Projection and longevity are both great for the price point.
- Cons: The opening is a little soft and we were hoping for more zest from the mandarin and orange, expecting to see Eau Givree levels, which this doesn’t provide.
Scent profile and smell: This is another great fragrance from Narciso Rodriguez that you can wear every day and remains suitable for many different occasions: casual get-togethers, the office, and even dinner parties. We’ve included it here on our winter fragrances round-up, but it’s equally suitable for autumn and spring. Its cool iris is expertly balanced by cream, musk, and powder. This is a blind buy and compares to Valentino Uomo Intense.
Performance and longevity: Performance is top-notch for a powdery fragrance, and we’ve easily managed 4-6 hours of longevity on the skin and just as much on clothes. Projection is a little soft and we’d recommend 6 sprays across your wrists and neck to get the most out of it.
Who should buy this fragrance: This is suitable for all ages, but we think it would perfectly suit an office worker, stay-at-home dad, and younger gents who partake in cocurricular school activities like band, chess, and debating. It’s classy.
Top notes: Cardamom, Cypress, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange
Middle notes: Musk and Suede
Base notes: Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Leather, Vetiver and Atlas Cedar
7. Free d’Homme by CoSTUME NATIONAL
Price: from AU$209
- Pros: Super spicy! Brought to you by one of the great perfumers in the business of intense incense scents, this one blows your socks off with smoky, waxy pine. Very long-lasting.
- Cons: It is not something to wear to the office, not something for younger gentlemen. This is strictly a special occasion cologne to wear in winter.
Scent profile and smell: If there’s a spicy winter cologne for men that you have to get your hands on, it’s Free d’Homme by CoSTUME NATIONAL and perfumer Julien Rasquinet. We’ve been lucky enough to try The Moon by Frederic Malle on multiple occasions, and this might be the best alternative. It’s unique, so be warned if you’re looking for a safe blind buy. Expect to be smacked across the face with cinnamon and fresh spice upon first spray, but the dry-down sees waxy pine, smoky labdanum, and plenty of incense.
Performance and longevity: As expected for such a spicy fragrance, the performance is outstanding, and we managed more than 6 hours on the skin. Projection is very strong, and it glues itself to clothes, so be warned not to spray too much (2-4 sprays is enough).
Who should buy this fragrance: We’ve worn it in the office, but there are better options on the market for daily wear. Save this one for events, dinners, cocktail parties, etc. As for age groups, we’d recommend this one to an older gentleman.
Top notes: Lime and Lemon
Middle notes: Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Saffron
Base notes: Incense and Labdanum
8. Bad Boy Dazzling Garden by Carolina Herrera
Price: from AU$168
- Pros: This winter cologne’s hallmark is its ultimate wearability, and we think it’s a great alternative to the spicy options on our list. Thankfully, it doesn’t stray too far into the world of wood and/ or sweetness, choosing to channel sage and vetiver, which is preferable.
- Cons: Its longevity is sub-par, at barely 4 hours on the skin. It’s not a unique scent, doesn’t stand out, and you shouldn’t expect many compliments from strangers.
Scent profile and smell: We had to add another Carolina Herrera favourite to our list of the best winter fragrances because we were so impressed by ‘Extreme’. Dazzling Garden contrasts the spicy ginger with vetiver, which adds to this cologne’s wearability. However, it’s quite purple in its smell. The scent resembles the original Bay Boy but loses the pepper and Bergamot, which we love. Sage also gives it a great boost after drying down.
Performance and longevity: Performance is only so-so, and you shouldn’t expect more than 4 hours of longevity with good projection after 4-6 sprays.
Top notes: White Pepper and Grapefruit
Middle notes: Clary Sage and Vetiver
Base notes: Cacao and Tonka Bean
9. Explorer Platinum by Montblanc
Price: from AU$170
- Pros: This is a great value-for-money winter fragrance that lasted a long time in our testing. We managed to get nearly 8 hours of full projection out of this scent with only 6 sprays and 2 top-up sprays during the middle of the day. Remarkable!
- Cons: Smell-wise, it’s nothing special and is far from the most unique option on our list. If you’re looking for something to stand out, this probably isn’t it.
Scent profile and smell: Explorer Platinum by Montblanc also snuck into our list of top spring fragrances because of its cream, wood, and sharp coconut opening that dries to near perfection. We also think it’s a great choice for those warmer winter days towards the end of the season when you put away the trench coat and pull out the hoodies and shirt jackets.
Performance and longevity: Performance is a hallmark of this winter cologne, and we got 6-8 hours of longevity during colder days and up to 6 hours when the weather got warmer. There’s plenty of projection, and 4-6 sprays on the wrist and neck are plenty.
Who should buy this fragrance: This fragrance is perfectly suited to everyday wear and most occasions. It’s not unique or niche-smelling, so we’d consider it a safe blind buy. However, if you want to stand out from the crowd and find something non-generic, we recommend you look elsewhere. Still, if you’re between 20 and 50 years old, this is a great option and a true alternative to some of the most expensive options on the market, e.g. Santal 33.
Top notes: Violet Leaves
Middle notes: Clary Sage
Base notes: Cedarwood
10. Bonne Chauffe by Frapin
Price: from AU$349
- Pros: It’s photorealistic, like sticking your head into a French oak barrel that just had bourbon poured out of it. It’s super spicy and masculine, and it’s a great statement fragrance.
- Cons: Performance is only OK, and we’d like a little more longevity considering the price tag and the notes, which typically lend themselves to a long-lasting option.
Scent profile and smell: Picture (and smell) the moment you pop the closure off a bottle of cask-strength whiskey, and you have the base of Bonne Chauffe by Frapin. Layer in plenty of spice, cinnamon, plum, patchouli, and leather, and you have the make-up of this masculine scent. To get it out of the way early, this isn’t suitable for a younger chap and should be strictly reserved for an older gentleman who loves all things, watches, whisky and cigars.
Performance and longevity: No fragrance on our list projects such as photorealistic boozy, cognac, and whisky notes. It also has the performance to match, and we managed more than 6 hours of projection on skin. Sillage is also outstanding, and you’ll only need 2-4 sprays on the wrists and neck to get the most out of it.
Who should buy this fragrance: Save this one for special occasions during the winter. Think cocktail parties when you dust off the tuxedo and need something just as striking to match or networking opportunities with important clients.
Top notes: Pepper Oil and Davana
Middle notes: Plum, Bran and Oak
Base notes: Benzoin, Vetiver, Patchouli and Cedarwood
11. Scandal Les Parfums by Jean Paul Gaultier
Price: from $190 AUD
- Pros: Top-tier performance and the longest-lasting winter fragrance we’ve ever tested at more than 8 hours on the skin and more on clothes.
- Cons: It can be too sweet for some noses, and we’d love to achieve a more woody balance in the fragrance overall.
Scent profile and smell: Jean Paul Gaultier’s Scandal Les Parfums is another great seductive winter fragrance on offer. From the self-described king of sex appeal, we first fell in love with this cologne because of its velvet box and striking bottle design. However, it also has a great-smelling scent on the skin and dries down to a lovely fruit-led mandarin, geranium, and jasmine before salted caramel kicks in from the bottom.
Performance and longevity: It’s also a top performer, with outstanding longevity on the skin, lasting more than 8 hours in our testing. That’s backed up with great projection, and you’ll only need 4 sprays to extract the maximum from this fragrance.
Who should buy this fragrance: Because of its underlying sweetness, we recommend this one to a younger crowd, but those aged 16-40 shouldn’t hesitate to blind-buy it and test it out for themselves. Perfectly suited for a late night in winter, we wouldn’t recommend it for warmer weather.
Top notes: Geranium
Middle notes: Tonka Bean
Base notes: Sandalwood
12. Bad Boy Extreme by Carolina Herrera
Price: from $140 AUD
- Pros: Everything we look for in a great winter fragrance for men. Layers of vanilla are balanced by fresh ginger and vetiver, which are safe for a blind buy as we’ve tested in compiling this list. Longevity of more than 4 hours at this price point makes it great value for money too.
- Cons: While it possesses a lovely smell, it’s not particularly niche and won’t stand out to a collector with Moncler Pour Homme, Santal 33, etc. in their collection.
Scent profile and smell: When in Winter, go spicy. We were blown away by the hits of fresh ginger and the warmth of vetiver des sables found on the nose of Bad Boy Extreme by Carolina Herrera. A layered fragrance, you’ll soon notice the two-fold expression with high notes of citrus obtained through a process of ‘flash distillation’ that allows the perfumer to find the “truest sense of the plant with a much lower carbon footprint than when using traditional methods,” according to the nose of the operation Quentin Bisch.
Performance and longevity: Beyond the industry jibberish and lingo, we loved the scent of patchouli, which adds long-lasting performance to this winter fragrance for men. We managed more than 4-6 hours on the skin before it faded to a skin scent. Of course, top-ups will be mandatory if you want this one to last a full day, but that’s to be expected at this price point, even for a perfume.
Who should buy this fragrance: Priced at well under $200, it’s one of the best value-for-money winter fragrances we’ve tested. We’d happily recommend it to a person who loves seductive aromatics and nutty chocolates with plenty of cacao and coffee through the middle and base. There’s some Le Labo Santal 33 going on here, but this is more suitable for colder weather because of these chocolate undertones.
Top notes: Ginger, Sage
Middle notes: Vetiver, Cocoa
Base notes: Patchouli, Tonka Bean
Alternatives to These Winter Fragrances for Men
The winter fragrances for men we’ve recommended above have been chosen through extensive hands-on research with at least one week of testing. However, it would be wrong to dismiss the great fragrances we’ve worn for shorter periods, including those that gave us a great first impression when tried on in-store and from the brands themselves in smaller ‘tester’ sizes. As such, when we can test the following fragrances in-depth to judge their performance and scent, we’ll likely move them up our list. Now, let’s take a quick look at some great alternatives.
- Blackpepper by Comme des Garçons (from AU$140): Blackpepper is a unisex stunner that employs patchouli, oud, black pepper, and tonka bean to deliver a nose strikingly similar to its spicy namesake. Like most winter fragrances, expect a woody accord that perfectly accompanies those chestnuts roasting on the open fire. Comme des Garçon serves up some of the best fragrances in the industry, and Blackpepper follows the lineage accordingly.
- Sauvage EDP by Christian Dior (from AU$160): Inspired by the clear blue sky and rocky mountains, Christian Dior’s Sauvage will certainly serve you well in the winter, but the versatile fragrance also gets the job done no matter what the season. Fresh is the word, thanks to raw notes of bergamot and pepper, while a mild woody base provides some redolent heat.
- Gucci Guilty Absolute by Gucci (from AU$220): Launched only a few years ago, Gucci Guilty Absolute is so hot it’s guaranteed to warm up your winter. Like the Michael Kors addition, we absolutely love the bottle design and warmly coloured fragrance, but the scent will instantly draw you in. Gucci Guilty features a leather accord bolstered by exotic, woody notes, while the inclusion of vetiver gives it a grassy touch. A winner in any handsome man’s eyes and nostrils.
- Nuit d’Issey Parfum by Issey Miyake (from AU$182): Fashion brand Issey Miyake took cues from the deepest of the night when crafting Nuit d’Issey. Inside the sleek, black bottle is a spicy cologne of considerable magnitude. At the top are notes of bergamot and grapefruit, while the heart is pure leather. A base of wood, patchouli and tonka bean rounds out this top winter fragrance’s warm, mysterious glow for men.
- Armani Code by Giorgio Armani EDT (from AU$130): Inside the sleekest of bottles is one of the most popular and best winter colognes that money can buy. Armani Code touts a spicy, oriental fragrance rife with citrus, wood, leather and tobacco. May it fulfil your desires all winter long, as it has done to so many before you.
- Bleu De Chanel by Chanel (from AU$240): Smoky, woody, citrusy and classic, Bleu De Chanel blends notes of nutmeg, ginger, sandalwood, grapefruit, pink pepper, jasmine and cedar to aromatic perfection. Give it a winter blast.
- Feuilles de Tabac by Miller Harris (from AU$288): Feuilles de Tabac debuted in 2000 and has been enchanting libidos ever since. Running underneath balanced waves of sage and grassy pine are addictive base notes of tobacco and warm patchouli.
Why You Should Trust Our List
Trust is the backbone of our independent publication. Unlike most of the lists you’ve read online, we only recommend products we’ve had a chance to test ourselves through independent review. We provide original photography to demonstrate that we’ve gone hands-on with these products before providing a conclusion based on 10 years of experience reviewing men’s colognes. Our editorial team has decided upon this conclusion, considering each inclusion’s smell, price, and availability.
How You Should Choose from Our List
The Winter scents we’ve selected are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. We’ve sought colognes that perfectly balance amber, citrus, wood, spice, smoke, and more to bring out the best in you in the colder months. Of course, we emphasise finding options that will work for all ages, as these notes can be overpowering if they aren’t balanced correctly.
We’ve also focused on fragrances that we’d happily recommend as a blind buy, that is, a scent that we think you’d be happy wearing without ever smelling it in person. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve included notes, described the longevity, and compared and contrasted each scent to other popular options on the market.
If you need further help selecting, we recommend reading our guide on finding your signature scent and how to apply your new cologne once you’ve chosen your favourite.
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