7 best men’s cologne for Father’s Day 2021
Father’s Day is just a few weeks away, which means now is an opportune time to narrow in on what you want to surprise your dad or father figure with before the holiday arrives on June 20. One simple yet thoughtful present for your dad is men’s cologne — a fragrance allows him to express his personality with scent.
There is a plethora of fragrance options available and you can opt for seasonless scents that dad can wear throughout the year if you prefer. In addition to classic colognes like Ralph Lauren Polo, Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male and Prada Luna Rosa Carbon, there are also fresh and clean scents like Cool Water by Davidoff and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, for example. There are also popular unisex fragrance options out there for dad, including Calvin Klein CK One Platinum Edition, Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and Byredo Gypsy Water. If your father figure prefers colognes targeted toward men, French fragrance houses like Frederic Malle and Parfum de Marley have you covered.
Best colognes for dad this Father’s Day
To help simplify your search for gift-worthy men’s cologne this Father’s Day, we rounded up seven standout options for dad, ranging from bestsellers at Shopping reader favorite stores to unique custom fragrances.
Curve for Men
Amazon’s No. 1 bestselling cologne boasts a 4.7-star average rating from nearly 12,140 reviews on the site. According to the brand, Curve for Men smells like a combination of lavender, cardamom, black pepper and sandalwood. It is available in various sizes, and you can give your dad one of six gift sets for a sampling of products — the 4-piece option, for instance, consists of cologne, aftershave, body wash and hair pomade.
Hawthorne Work and Play Colognes
Hawthorne is a direct-to-consumer men’s grooming brand that generates two fragrances for each customer — Work and Play — based on responses to a questionnaire. If you’re looking to level up your dad’s entire grooming routine, you can answer all 15 questions to build him a fully stocked and customized array of products — offerings include a face cleanser and lotion set and a body wash.
Dior Sauvage Eau de Parfum
Ulta’s No. 1 bestselling cologne is Dior’s warm, woody fragrance that your dad can spritz on in the morning before his day starts or ahead of an evening out. Dior says this fragrance smells like a blend of mandarin, bergamot, leather and warm sandalwood. (Dior Sauvage’s Eau de Toilette is the No. 5 bestseller at Ulta.)
Giorgio Armani Men’s 2-Pc. Acqua di Giò Absolu Gift Set
Macy’s No. 1 bestselling men’s fragrance gift set is from Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani and the individual bottle of cologne boasts a 4.8-star average rating from more than 2,300 reviews on Ulta. This aquatic-meets-earthy men’s cologne features notes of ocean water, amber and patchouli. Beyond Absolu and the original Acqua di Giò cologne, Armani also makes Acqua di Profondo, Acqua di Profumo fragrances as well.
John Varvatos House of Varvatos Coffret
For cool dads with a rock and roll edge, consider this 3-piece variety pack of men’s cologne from menswear designer John Varvatos, who previously collaborated with musician Nick Jonas on a line of men’s fragrances. The Coffret set includes Artisan cologne which has notes of citrus, thyme and ginger extract, Heritage, leans more outdoorsy with a blend of apple, cardamom, sandalwood and cedarwood, and Vintage, which has a spicy and warm smell due to rhubarb, santolina and cubeb peppers. This is Ulta’s No. 3 bestselling cologne set.
Le Labo Santal 33 Eau de Parfum
Santal 33 is one of Le Labo’s most popular unisex fragrances — it earned a 4.4-star average rating from nearly 350 reviews on Nordstrom. The perfume features a woody blend of cardamom, iris, leather, cedarwood and sandalwood. If your dad enjoys the smell of tobacco and hay, The Noir 29 might be more up his alley — it also features notes of bergamot, cedar, musk and vetiver.
Chanel Bleu De Chanel Eau de Parfum Set
Bleu De Chanel is a solid pick for the dad who appreciates fresh citrus scents blended with woody notes of cedar and amber. The standalone bottle of Bleu De Chanel boasts a 4.8-star average rating from nearly 170 reviews on Sephora. This gift set features a full-size bottle, plus a refillable and travel-friendly bottle dad can toss into his gym bag or bring with him in his carry-on.
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