While this one is all about the citrus, there’s also a clean, soapy quality that calls to mind the type of wood-paneled barbershops your grandfather would visit to get his shave. It’s a traditional scent, but still feels wearable today. A true eau de cologne, this is on the lighter side but mingles with your skin effortlessly to produce a clean, fresh vibe even after it’s gone a bit quiet. It’s the kind of fragrance you wear with everything.

If Dolce & Gabbana can be trusted with anything, it’s capturing the vibe of the Italian coast. This fresh, pleasing cologne is all about the intense burst of sharp citrus at the top that makes it instantly uplifting. (You’ll notice its fruits are all found in Italy.) The dry down is equally special, with a smooth, seductive aroma from the patchouli. It’s unequivocally masculine but still subtle and light. Wear it with your best swimsuit.

There have been many iterations of Polo through the years, but the original, which debuted in 1978, has stood the test of time. Today it smells traditional, sure, but in a throwback masculine way that’s impossible to argue with. There’s a lot going on in terms of notes, but the overall effect is fresh and herbal with a hint of spice and a semisweet, musky dry down. It’s a versatile cologne for guys who like a crowd-pleaser with a bit of tradition.

This citrus-forward cologne is deceptively simple. The optimistic scent is a brilliant blend of citruses with a tinge of sweetness and a hint of spice warmed up with a subtle base of amber and wood. It smells great at first spritz but really blooms when it has time to dry onto your skin, giving you a luxurious freshness that’s equally attention-grabbing during the day or night.

This classic cologne gets a lot of attention for its unique mix of citrus, which gives the opening its distinctive character. (Maybe it’s the yuzu.) But as you wear it, you’ll notice a clean, soapy quality that makes you feel and smell like you just took the best shower of your life. It’s not in-your-face but instead subtle and unobtrusive. It’s the kind of fresh cologne that is just aching to be worn outside.

If you need a little more plot than straight-up citrus when it comes to a fresh fragrance, Lumira’s Soleil Du Maroc is a great spicy-fresh pick—like a clean white tee, but with a leather jacket tossed over it. Designed to capture the glow of a Moroccan dawn, it opens with that bright, wake-you-up feeling from crisp-air freshness, lemongrass, and lime zest. Then it gets interesting, layering in a warm spark of nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon—spices that add lift and energy rather than turning the whole thing into a holiday candle. Finally, it settles into a smooth, quietly sexy base of woods and vanilla, so you get freshness up top, warmth in the middle, and a soft, lasting finish that still feels fresh.

The fresh, salty, and aquatic combination of this cologne has a nostalgic quality that recalls the iconic scents of the ’90s but with a modern update. It’s lighter, crisper, and just a tad subtler. Think of this as the grown-up equivalent of a post-workout body spritz. It instantly makes you feel fresher and cleaner, but it’s way more elegant than something that comes in a can.

This unisex fragrance from Free Yourself represents water (eau in French) in the brand’s elements collection. Its unique mix of citrus, aquatic, and musky notes combine to create the aroma of a serene, flowing stream in the woods. The soft tang of lemon and grapefruit quickly gives way to aquatic notes as well as amber, musk, and white woods to give off that natural, watery scent.

The citrus in the opening of this cologne is crisp but also green, not sharp like the citrus you’re used to, and as it dries, floral notes like iris emerge to produce a natural, outdoorsy vibe. Once it dries down on your skin, it takes on a clean quality that’s smooth and slightly woody, like a very expensive, very elegant soap. It’s a classic (released in 1985) for a reason.

Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy list of notes—that’s kind of the point of this one. There’s a lot going on, which can make it hard to pin down with just your nose. The vibe seems to evolve quickly, but it starts with a burst of citrus that sticks around for a fresh, clean feeling, then slowly transforms into something sweeter, muskier, and more powdery. It’s a mature, nostalgic fragrance that isn’t aggressive but instead creates a sense of allure.

This unisex scent is an exercise in subtlety, despite its well-known longevity. (It really does last for hours.) A slightly boozy freshness from the juniper berries mixes well with the tinge of spices, yet somehow that makes it feel fresher instead of spicier. The musk, amber, and vanilla combine on your skin to produce a smooth, skin-like quality that never loses its fresh feeling. It’s quite obviously a niche IYKYK type of scent, like “quiet luxury” in a bottle.

Apart from the initial burst of freshness from the double dose of bergamot in the top note, this cologne gets most of its freshness from orange blossom. The chic, clean, white floral note sticks around and rises above all the others, even during the dry down, leaving you smelling light and fresh, but not like a bowl of potpourri. It’s an incredibly versatile cologne yet somewhat unexpected for a men’s scent.