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There’s nothing sexier than a man who smells like he just groomed every inch of his body, and this Cremo cologne guide will show you how a quality product smells, feels, and wears in different seasons. You’ll have the pros and cons, the recommended age, and the fine quality of each scent.
The best part of this company is that you can buy it anywhere, and it’s an affordable range for a company that uses such unique ingredients. Not everyone wants the most expensive brand on earth, and you might want something within the average price range that still smells wow!
My partner loves his Cremo Bourbon Vanilla cologne, and I won’t argue with his choice. I’ve been an avid collector and expert of everything scentsual for years now, and I’m going to help you find the cologne that turns heads. Don’t fret; I’ll make it fun and teach you some tricks.
The Cremo Brand
The Cremo brand is a newcomer to the American grooming market, but it has sure made a splash in the popularity pool. Founders Mike Boon and Kyle Schroeder desired a shaving cream that would change the way men and women felt about the tenuous task.
The original Cremo shaving cream entered the market in 2005, and the results were something else. People called it a dreamy wonder that felt like silk on their skin. It had a creamy element like no other, and it set the stage for the Cremo company to manufacture many grooming products.
The company believes every man and woman should have the attention to detail you find in an old-school barbershop, which explains their crown logo. The intention is to make you feel like you’re royalty, and “astonishing superiority” is the slogan often used.
Cremo’s brand exploded into the American market, and it repeated the success of shaving cream with its colognes. The brand became such a hit that Edgewell purchased it for $235 million in 2020. Edgewell is another major grooming and sustainability brand, recognizing value quickly.
Cremo is about taking your grooming ritual to the next level, and you get to use quality, rare, and unique ingredients without paying your life savings for a spritz.
Cremo Promises and Sustainability
Cremo is a clean, organic, and sustainable brand, using every measure possible to maintain the earth. Edgewell ensures that all the brand’s products are cruelty-free and PETA-approved, meaning the ingredients are also reef-friendly to sustain the oceanic scenery we love so much.
All the products are “bulldog-friendly,” a fun UK metaphor to say they’re carbon neutral, keeping the environment in mind again. The brand promises to use recyclable plastics and fully biodegradable products where necessary, but there’s more to colognes than these factors.
Cremo has a range of products, including colognes, which are paraben and allergen-free, great for sensitive skin. The company cares about the environment and your skin, and there’s nothing more admirable than that, especially when I’m allergic to just about everything!
Sure, my partner wears the colognes, but our embraces can be daunting if he doesn’t consider my allergies and skin sensitivities. He even cares enough to protect my skin from his other branded colognes with special products. Anyway, I think Cremo is a brand with the correct values.
Some Rare Ingredients
Just when you think Cremo can’t win any more Noddy badges, it comes with a not-so-secret realization. Cremo uses rare and natural ingredients, some being genuinely pricy, like oud from agarwood. The brand doesn’t use common ingredients. They use uncommon notes like:
- Iced citron
- Coconut and tea tree oil
- Driftwood
- French lavender
- Black vanilla
- Wild mint
- Seagrass
- Bourbon vanilla
- Silver water
- Blue cedar
- Kentucky bourbon
- Palo santo
Take it from a woman who owns way too many perfumes and is involved with a man who owns an entire store of colognes; these ingredients aren’t everywhere. I love how Cremo sources barber-quality ingredients, meaning the brand wants only the best for your colognes.
Cremo Cologne Guide: 10 Astonishingly Superior Scents for You
Cremo is worth a try, and the range is a highly sophisticated one, which means I’m about to introduce my fun system for knowing how elegant each scent smells. Each of the following factors will earn the fragrance one point out of five. The closer you get to five, the more opulent it feels.
- An uncommon focal ingredient earns one point (it will be the bold ingredient in one of the note layers)
- An intensity higher than medium earns one point
- Longevity lasting more than 6 hours earns another point
- Types of men that include the words “elegant, sophisticated, or opulent” also earn a point
- Age groups above the mid-20s earn another point (elegance comes with age, and you know it)
Simple enough, right? You’ll be left with a sophistication level, and if that still doesn’t do it for you, I’ll add two alternatives that smell similar, albeit they won’t be clean or sustainable. Let’s see how each cologne smells, ranks, and evolves.
Cremo Spice & Black Vanilla
Cremo Spice & Black Vanilla is a manly, earthy, and rich fragrance. The warm vanilla and woody accents engulf your nose from the first spritz as they lead you down a sensual path to perfectly balanced cardamom that leaves you feeling musky, and it ends with incredibly earthy warmth.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Vanilla, woody, warm spicy, aromatic, musky, balsamic, amber, powdery, and earthy
First Notes: Cardamom
Middle Notes: Cashmere wood
Base Notes: Vetiver and Bourbon vanilla
Intensity: Medium to Strong
Longevity: 8 to 10 hours (this longevity is exceptional for an Eau de Toilette!)
Seasons to Wear: Fall and winter
Age Group: 30s to 50s
Type of Man: This cologne makes me think of a mature man with highly sophisticated roots and a somewhat beastly nature. The beast inside you will surface through the elegant layer, allowing your ambitious, sexy, desirable, and absolute masculinity to burst every bubble.
Level of Sophistication: 5!
Recommended Alternatives: Spicebomb Extreme by Viktor & Rolf and Homme Intense by Christian Dior
Disadvantages:
- This cologne has an overwhelming explosion of woody and vanilla notes at first, leaving some men in the animalistic cage when they want a more traditional smell
- The fragrance is wild enough to put young men in awkward spots
Cremo Bourbon & Oak
Cremo Bourbon & Oak is a bold statement for classy and layered men. It enters your senses with a solid woody accent that feels unimaginably bold before it dries into a manly and traditional Bourbon heart, where the warmth of spicy notes brings balance back to the animalistic side.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Woody, whisky, and warm spicy
First Notes: Spicy notes
Middle Notes: Fine Bourbon whisky
Base Notes: Oakwood
Intensity: Medium to strong
Longevity: 8 to 10 hours (Cremo certainly adds quality to EDT longevity like no other brand – it must be those rare ingredients they source)
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not summer
Age Group: 30s to late-40s
Type of Man: This cologne exudes a robust, rugged, and all-encumbering kind of man who also has a layer of sophistication to mask the subtle beastliness inside of him. It feels edgy, alluring, intoxicating, and bold on another level, but it’s a beautiful cologne for the right age group.
Level of Sophistication: 5!
Recommended Alternatives: CH Prive Men’s by Carolina Herrera and Unforgivable by Sean John
Disadvantages:
- This cologne has an overwhelming burst of whisky and woody elements that won’t work for soft-spoken, kind gentlemen, and the spices don’t always balance the wild side of it
- It has a smaller target age range because it’s mature and sophisticated but too modern for men in their 50s and too strong for men in their 20s
Cremo Bourbon Vanilla
Cremo Bourbon Vanilla is a wild journey for your senses. It strikes you down with a robust aromatic and woody expression that smells like a modern man with everything under his belt. It moves into a sweet whisky heart, and it ends with a notable but surprising citrus freshness.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Woody, aromatic, whisky, sweet, citrus, and fresh spicy
First Notes: Cardamom and citron
Middle Notes: Bourbon vanilla
Base Notes: Aged oakwood
Intensity: Medium to strong
Longevity: 6 to 8 hours
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not summer
Age Group: 30s to 50s
Type of Man: This cologne is an untamed level of elegance with an unsurprising beast hidden under the woody and whisky undertones. Bringing vanilla to the mix allows men with seductive, determined, mysterious, contemporary-masculine, and unpredictable qualities to wear it.
Level of Sophistication: 5!
Recommended Alternatives: Mysterious Tobacco by Cheruto and Vanille Bourbon by Les Senteurs Gourmandes
Disadvantages:
- This cologne has the same mysteriousness that Cremo scents love, and it smells a little strong for men who entirely love traditional fragrances
- The robust elements of this cologne only suit mature men, even if they have contemporary elements
Cremo Leather & Oud
Cremo Leather & Oud is an ode to traditional men who love leathery fragrances. The smoky start is highly unusual but quickly dries into a rare agarwood element before getting warm amber and spicy undertones. The cologne ends with a beastly burst of citrus that feels conventional.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Smoky, oud, leather, amber, warm spicy, animalistic, and citrus
First Notes: Bitter orange and saffron
Middle Notes: Leather, incense, and smoke
Base Notes: Agarwood (oud)
Intensity: Medium to strong
Longevity: 8 to 10 hours (I love the way these EDTs last all day long)
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not summer
Age Group: Mid-30s to 50s
Type of Man: This cologne has a strong leathery accent with the oud note, and it feels opulent beyond anything. It has a rugged nature without being too masculine, and it also feels slightly animalistic, alluring, bold, determined, and protective.
Level of Sophistication: 5!
Recommended Alternatives: Ombre Leather by Tom Ford and Oud by John Varvatos
Disadvantages:
- The cologne is too traditional for men who want something modern and vibrant
- It smells like a solid transcendence of leathery undertones and woody elements, making it a better option for mature men
Reserve Collection: Cremo Distiller’s Blend
Cremo Distiller’s Blend is a rich and empowering fragrance from the reserve collection. Your senses are bound to be impressed with three unique ingredients. The cologne starts with an aromatic bang before entering an All-American woody heart and ending in natural notes.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Aromatic, whisky, earthy, woody, and green
First Notes: Smoked vetiver
Middle Notes: Kentucky Bourbon
Base Notes: Aged American Oakwood
Intensity: Medium to strong
Longevity: 8 to 10 hours
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not summer
Age Group: 30s to 50s
Type of Man: This cologne is the epitome of masculine sophistication, and it smells like a hot-bod soaking sun while drenching sweat as a barber shaves his beard. It has an untamable beastly nature, and it feels rugged, edgy, impulsive, desirable, manly, and arrogant (in a good way).
Level of Sophistication: 5!
Recommended Alternatives: Malbec Bleu by O Boticário and No. 63 by Pre De Provence
Disadvantages:
- This cologne is a salute to men who want to feel like lumberjacks with their shirts off while keeping their elegant demeanor, and it doesn’t sit well with men who want something smoother and less animalistic
- Indeed, the cologne is super masculine, but that makes it less worthy of a young man’s skin because the younger generations want to smell a little catty and contemporary
Cremo Blue Cedar & Cypress
Cremo Blue Cedar & Cypress is a sensual tease like no other. The fragrance starts with a gorgeously bold woody accent from the rare and prominent blue cedar note before you dive into opulent aromatics that don’t overwhelm the senses, and it ends with a natural and fresh finale.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Woody, aromatic, green, and fresh spicy
First Notes: Lemon leaf
Middle Notes: Cypress
Base Notes: Blue cedarwood
Intensity: Medium
Longevity: 6 to 8 hours
Seasons to Wear: All seasons
Age Group: 30s to 50s
Type of Man: This cologne smells like a million dollars on mature, intelligent, sexy, mysterious, and elegant men who know what they want, where they’re going, and how to get there. It has strong qualities that work well for ambitious men who want success under their belts.
Level of Sophistication: 4
Recommended Alternatives: Encre Noire by Lalique and The Big Bad Cedar by Atkinsons
Disadvantages:
- The cologne has a profoundly masculine and traditionally mysterious element that suits mature men far better than younger guys
- The conventional smell of woody and spicy notes might not blend well for modern men
Reserve Collection: Cremo Palo Santo
Cremo Palo Santo is another gorgeously unique fragrance from the reserve collection. It’s a sneaky cologne with a spicy bite from the palo santo woody undertones before you get another burst of cardamom to make it feel exotic and tempting, and it ends with a subtle citrus feel.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Woody, aromatic, warm spicy, and citrus
First Notes: Cardamom
Middle Notes: Dry papyrus
Base Notes: Aromatic palo santo
Intensity: Medium to strong
Longevity: 6 to 8 hours
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not summer
Age Group: 20s to mid-40s
Type of Man: This cologne is a wildly modern aromatic that smells exotic on every level. It has a sophisticated undertone if you combine exoticism with modernism. It’s pretty bold with a naughty, vibrant, confident, youthful, and charismatic quality that suits contemporary or oriental men.
Level of Sophistication: 4
Recommended Alternatives: Tam Dao by Diptyque and Santal 33 by Le Labo
Disadvantages:
- Not every man loves the exotic effect of this cologne, and it can be pretty spicy at times
- The intensity of aromatics can limit this cologne to younger crowds who aren’t afraid of uniqueness and individuality
Cremo Citrus & Mint Leaf
Cremo Citrus & Mint Leaf is a gorgeously vibrant cologne for younger men. It has a bold woody undertone that surfaces first before you get an invigorating and refreshing burst of unusual citron, leaving your citrus senses wanting more, and it ends with a wild aromatic and fresh finale.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Woody, green, citrus, mossy, earthy, aromatic, and fresh spicy
First Notes: Iced citron
Middle Notes: Mint leaf
Base Notes: Blue cedar and oakmoss
Intensity: Medium
Longevity: 8 to 10 hours (this longevity is excellent for another EDT cologne)
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not winter
Age Group: 20s to 40s
Type of Man: This cologne feels enticing, adventurous, and seductive in a classy manner, and it makes me think of a young but elegant man with so much good in his future. It feels like something a man would wear when he has unusual dreams and ambitions.
Level of Sophistication: 3
Recommended Alternatives: Bentley for Men Absolute by Bentley and Ultra Red Man by Paco Rabanne
Disadvantages:
- This cologne can leave the wrong impression, as some people think it’s a bit feminine, but I’m not so sure about that (take it from a woman)
- The level of freshness can mask the woody and masculine undertones, making this a perfect fit for younger men but not mature men in their 50s
Cremo Iced Citron & Driftwood
Cremo Iced Citron & Driftwood is a unique blend for younger men from the brand. It begins with wild citrus notes that feel cooler because of the iced element, but the heart opens to driftwood and an earthy feel before the cologne dries into a saltier and fresher finale.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Citrus, woody, earthy, fresh, salty, and oceanic
First Notes: Iced citron
Middle Notes: Seasalt
Base Notes: Driftwood
Intensity: Medium
Longevity: About 6 hours
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not winter
Age Group: 20s to late-30s
Type of Man: This cologne is for a man who isn’t afraid of trying new things. He has a youthful sense of elegance, but he also feels bold, adventurous, outgoing, optimistic, and a little explorative. The oceanic quality feels a little more vibrant and uniquely ambitious.
Level of Sophistication: 2
Recommended Alternatives: Voyage by Nautica and Light Blue Pour Homme by Dolce & Gabbana
Disadvantages:
- This cologne certainly smells a little wild and unusual for traditional men
- It works well for young men with untamed natures but not for mature men
Cremo Silver Water & Birch
Cremo Silver Water & Birch is a versatile cologne that suits almost any man. It has a beautiful onset of woody and leathery feel before you dive into the aquatic heart, where the elements turn into a smoky and refreshing fragrance, and it ends with an earthy feel that grounds the scent.
Key Features:
Unfolding Accords: Woody, leather, aquatic, smoky, fresh, mossy, and earthy
First Notes: Silver water notes
Middle Notes: Oakmoss
Base Notes: Birchwood and woodsy notes
Intensity: Medium
Longevity: About 6 hours
Seasons to Wear: All seasons but not winter
Age Group: 20s to late-40s
Type of Man: This cologne strikes me as an entry into the opulent world of rich undertones while maintaining a modern twist with oceanic blends that fit it perfectly. It feels vibrant, sexy, intelligent, explorative, and somewhat dangerous (in the right scenario).
Level of Sophistication: 2
Recommended Alternatives: Silver Mountain Water by Creed and CK One Summer 2021 by Calvin Klein
Disadvantages:
- It has a subtle uniqueness that some men won’t love because the mountain water notes create an aquatic accord, which isn’t entirely accurate to the ingredient
- This cologne is a beautifully versatile option but doesn’t suit men in their 50s
How to Choose a Fine Fragrance From Cremo
Cremo imagines men being masculine, wild, and beastly as they should be, but the brand also wants everyone to see men as sophisticated, well-groomed, and explorative. It’s a fine line between the two kinds of men, and some colognes blend them into a well-balanced scent.
Choosing your signature from Cremo is a process, one which you can use these steps to crack the code. Some men might choose one right off the bat, but consider my steps before diving into the deep end. I’ve been a perfume connoisseur for years, so my steps might perfect your choice.
- Before anything, make sure you’re considering colognes suitable for your age range. You don’t want to smell like a pheromone-fueled teenager if you’re an elegant businessman in your 50s. Age is a massive factor in choosing your cologne.
- Once you have your age nailed down, your options will be far fewer, and that’s when you can consider which type of man you want to be. Would you love to be adventurous and vibrant, or would you prefer being an elegant and humble man with ambitions?
- Finally, if you don’t have a single cologne yet, you can choose the sophistication level from my fun system to nail the final signature and leave your mark with the Cremo men’s grooming brand. A low sophistication score doesn’t mean the cologne is terrible.
Taking Your Grooming Habits to the Next Level
Cremo is a men’s grooming brand, readily available and highly affordable, which means you can layer your products for proper strength and longevity. It’s not that Cremo’s colognes aren’t strong enough, or they don’t last too long. Most of them last ages for EDTs.
Everyone wants to know how to make their cologne stick better and last longer anyway. My biggest secret is to layer the products. You either use unscented lotions and soaps or match the notes with fragrances in your layering products.
The first place you want scented products is your hair, and Cremo has a few options. They have shampoo and conditioner to match nearly every cologne. Use the matching shampoo to wash your hair, and spray one spritz of cologne in your hair before it dries.
Shampoo and conditioner aren’t the only tricks. You can also use a body wash to moisturize your skin with the same scented product before spraying your cologne on your wrists or neck. Cremo has a matching body wash and body soap for nearly every cologne.
Cremo also has a range of antiperspirants and deodorants with the same ingredients, both of which allow you to layer your cologne while keeping sweat at bay. Applying multiple layers of the same ingredients will make you smell strongly of your cologne, and it will extend longevity.
Recommended Alternatives for Sophisticated Gents
Cremo colognes are great for men who want to smell opulent and manly in the same whiff, and each option above has two alternatives that smell similar or have similar notes. They don’t necessarily have rare ingredients, but they smell as close as you can come.
If you’re looking for another brand with fewer traditional notes but the same level of masculine boldness, these brands have similar qualities:
- 1 Million by Paco Rabanne is a seductively masculine scent
- Black by Prada is another masculine fragrance that seduces every mind and bends every knee
- Boss colognes make you smell like a manly leader who takes no rubbish from anyone
- John Varvatos colognes are an exotic journey through unusual masculine scents
- Mercedes Benz colognes are as sophisticated as the highest-rated scents in this guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Are Cremo Colognes Clean and Environmentally Friendly?
Answer: Cremo has always sourced rare but environmentally-friendly ingredients for its colognes, but well-known Edgewell bought the brand in 2020, meaning it’s now undoubtedly sustainable, environmentally friendly, and clean. Moreover, it’s also safer to use on sensitive skin.
Question: What Makes Cremo Colognes Special?
Answer: Cremo colognes are about bringing well-groomed and sophisticated men to the table, but they use rare ingredients and unusual blends without overwhelming the list of notes. From oud to silver mountain water and palo santo to Kentucky bourbon, the colognes are unique.
Question: Where Can I Buy Cremo Colognes?
Answer: The best place to buy Cremo cologne is from the official website, which guarantees authentic products and reasonable prices. Amazon is another excellent choice to source your Cremo signature, but you’ll also find the collection at Target, Walmart, Dillons, and Marianos.
Cremo Cologne Guide: Final Bow
Cremo colognes are an ode to everything clean, crisp, sophisticated, and gentleman-like. It’s about quality and superior ingredients to make you feel like a king. You’ll smell like you groomed every inch of your body with the finest details like a barber pays close attention to his work.
I love how Cremo Bourbon Vanilla smells on my partner. He’s a Millennial, which makes it easy for him to use colognes from any generation, but his Cremo signature leaves a different type of mark on my mind. It makes him feel like the protective, mature man he loves expressing.
I’ve never smelled colognes more sophisticated than the Cremo range, and I’ve smelled so many that my senses almost fail me now. Thank goodness for coffee beans that rescue my nose each time. Nonetheless, I encourage you to dress in elegant, sensual skin today.
Please choose your favorite Cremo cologne, and make it happen. What should you make happen? Anything you want!