8 Colognes You Can Wear to a Nice Dinner

A nice dinner out is always something to look forward to. Maybe you’re meeting clients for a steakhouse reservation you made months ago; maybe you’re taking your partner to their favorite restaurant for a date night; maybe your family’s in town and you’re headed to a lively, kid-friendly spot where everyone’s getting a side of fries. Whatever the plans are, one thing remains true: You should smell good when you show up.

A nice fragrance adds a little polish and personality to your vibe. That said, dinner scents should not steal the spotlight. This is not the moment for a cologne so loud the dinner party smells it before you even enter the room. The best fragrances for a nice dinner out are refined, easygoing, and maybe a little seductive, should the situation call for it.

Think classic woody scents, soft spices, smooth florals, fresh citrus, and clean musks that stay close to the skin. Try to avoid anything over-the-top, syrupy-sweet, smoky, aggressively leathery, or so strong it competes with the food. After all, the smell of freshly baked bread and fresh herbs should not be overpowered. We rounded up our go-to colognes for nice dinners below—here are the ones we recommend.

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 Family: Fresh, aquatic

Notes: Lime, lemon, bergamot, neroli, mandarin orange, sea notes, jasmine, rosemary, persimmon, freesia, rose, hyacinth, violet, white musk, cedar, oakmoss, patchouli, amber

Sizes: 1 oz, 1.6 oz, 3.3 oz, 5 oz, 6.7 oz

A 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 Family: Fresh, woody

Notes: Black tea, eucalyptus, sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver, skin musk

Sizes: 0.34 oz, 1 oz, 3.4 oz

In 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 Family: Woody, musky

Notes: White musks, mimosa, blonde woods accord, rice steam accord

Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz

With 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 Family: Woody

Notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, elemi, atlas cedar, cashmere wood, patchouli, Haitian vetiver, white musk, iso e super

Sizes: 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, 5 oz

When 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 Family: Fresh

Notes: Mint, lemon, green apple, tonka bean, ambroxan, geranium, vanilla, vetiver, oakmoss, cedarwood

Sizes: 0.3 oz, 1.7 oz, 3.4 oz, 6.7 oz

A 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 Family: Citrus, floral
Notes: Bergamot, cardamom, Valencia orange, heliotrope flower, white ginger, eucalyptus, petitgrain, oakmos, musk, gilded amber, cedar noir, myrrh

Sizes: 0.34 oz, 1.7 oz

Roll-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 Family: Spicy, woody

Notes: Cardamom, cassis, orchid, amber, sandalwood

Sizes: 0.67 oz

This story originally appeared on Esquire.com.

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