Men’s cologne has a long history. There’s some debate about exactly when people started wearing fragrances, but experts say Egypt in the year 2000 BC marks one of the earliest cases of wearable scents.
In more recent history, historians point to the 19th century as the start of modern fragrance-making.
Today, fragrances have a huge price range — but they easily get very expensive. Most expensive colognes earn their price thanks to rare and pricey ingredients, but luxury bottles made of crystal and gold can boost the price too. Sometimes, these ultra-expensive colognes are widely available for sale. But other times, the world’s most expensive colognes are limited-edition and hard to find.
Here are the top 10 most expensive men’s colognes.
- Bois d’Argent
- Millésime Impérial Creed
- Neroli Portofino
- X For Men
- Oud Wood
- Greenwich Village (Swarovski Crystal Edition)
- Lalique for Bentley Blue Crystal Edition
- Paco Rabanne 1 Million 18 Carats
- Imperial Majesty
- Clive Christian No. 1
Scent: Wood, honey, vanilla, amber, and more
Unique Feature: This cologne features notes of leather
Origin: France
photo source: fragrantica.com
Bois d’Argent from Dior is a woody cologne with undertones of leather. Although it’s the least expensive scent on this list, the fragrance still goes for more than $150.
Bois d’Argent itself comes from a collection of three separate fragrances: Bois d’Argent, Eau Noire, and Cologne Blanche. These scents are available in bottles designed by Hedi Slimane, the leader of Dior’s Pour Homme pret-a-porter collection.
As a scent by Dior, Bois d’Argent is crafted and produced in the Dior factory of Saint Jean de Braye, France.
Did you know?
Before the late 1940s, Christian Dior was mostly known as a couturier (a clothing designer). However, Dior eventually made it clear that he was interested in being a perfumer just as much as a designer.
Scent: Fruits, sea salt, lemon, and more
Unique Feature: This cologne has musky base notes
Origin: France
photo source: fragrantica.com
Olivier Creed is the nose behind this expensive cologne. The fragrance has brighter top notes of fruit and sea salt, but the body is defined by musky hints of wood. The scent also features middle notes of mandarin oranges and iris, but the most prominent scents are described as “marine.”
Millésime Impérial Creed is produced in France by the luxury perfume crafters at Creed, a brand in the business of high-end fragrances and garments since the 18th century. According to the brand, perfumer Olivier Creed travels the world to source and inspect the finest materials before including them in his fragrances.
Did you know?
Creed (sometimes called the House of Creed) produces its perfumes at a family-run factory near Paris.
Scent: Bergamot orange, mandarin, lemon, lavender, and more
Unique Feature: Sculptural bottle
Origin: Switzerland or the U.S.A.
photo source: fragrantica.com
Tom Ford’s expensive cologne offers an intense citrus scent with undertones of lavender and amber. The fragrance goes for a steep $305 per bottle.
Although its exact origin is unknown, Neroli Portofino is likely made in Switzerland or the U.S. — just like many Tom Ford products.
This particular Tom Ford fragrance was crafted under the guidance of Rodrigo Flores-Roux. Rodrigo was born in Mexico City and studied biology before he started creating scents and shampoos for cosmetic brands.
Unlike some colognes on this list, Neroli Portofino doesn’t come in a diamond or gold bottle. However, the container’s sculptural design adds to the price and overall luxury.
Did you know?
Rodrigo Flores-Roux has also worked with Swiss brand Givaudan
Scent: Woody
Unique Feature: This cologne features notes of paprika
Origin: The U.K.
photo source: fragrantica.com
X For Men by Clive Christian is a woody scent overall, but it also features prominent notes of pineapple, rhubarb, and iris. The fragrance was crafted by Geza Schoen, a German perfumer trained at Haarmann & Riemer.
Interestingly, Geza has been a major proponent of synthetic ingredients. His unique approach to the craft has resulted in “cult favorites like Boudicca Wode and Paper Passion” as well as popular scents for Clive Christian — including X For Men.
Like every bottle of Clive Christian cologne, X For Men comes with a hefty price tag. Be ready to spend at least $500 on a small container of this fragrance.
Did you know?
One fragrance fan says “Geza Schoen is living proof that the future of niche perfume is bright.”
Scent: Woody
Unique Feature: This cologne feature rare oud wood scents
Origin: Switzerland or the U.S.A.
photo source: neimanmarcus.com
As its name suggests, Oud Wood by Tom Ford is a very woody and earthy scent. The fragrance features top notes of rare oud wood and base notes of Chinese Pepper — but the focus really is on those woody overtones.
With a price tag of about $670 per bottle, this cologne easily ranks among the most expensive men’s fragrances in the world.
Like other Tom Ford fragrances, Oud Wood is probably made in the U.S. or Switzerland. However, its exact origins are hard to track down.
Did you know?
Tom Ford was born in 1961 in Austin, Texas. Before he launched his own brand in 2005, Tom served as the creative director at Gucci. Tom has been credited with reviving the Gucci brand during his years with the company.
Scent: Cassis, lychee, mandarin, peony, and more
Unique Feature: This cologne bottle is bejeweled with Swarovski crystals
Origin: Unknown
photo source: neimanmarcus.com
With Greenwich Village, perfume brand Bond No. 9 “brilliantly captures one of New York’s most beloved neighborhoods” in a cologne. The unique concept resulted in a wide variety of scents, ranging from mandarin to waterlily and more.
Greenwich Village by Bond No. 9 is available in several different bottles, but the most expensive is this Swarovski crystal edition. The bottle is completely covered in turquoise crystals in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Between the crystals and expensive ingredients, this cologne costs $1,000 per bottle
Did you know?
According to Bond No. 9, this cologne features notes of “peach musk” and oak moss.
Scent: Woody and spicy
Unique Feature: This cologne comes in a flacon designed by Lalique
Origin: France
photo source: lalique.com
French crystal manufacturer Lalique and luxury car brand Bentley teamed up to create this extremely expensive cologne. The scent is called “woody” and “spicy,” but the real star is that bottle (a.k.a. “flacon”). The design was crafted by Lalique using special pigmentation techniques to get that beautiful blue hue.
Considering how expensive Lalique’s and Bentley’s typical products are, it’s no surprise that this cologne is pricey — be ready to spend more than $6,000 to get your hands on a single 1.3-ounce bottle.
Did you know?
Lalique says this cologne is a limited edition, but it’s unclear how many bottles were made.
Scent: Blood orange, grapefruit, cinnamon, mint, and more
Unique Feature: This cologne comes in a diamond and gold bottle
Origin: France
photo source: luxurylaunches.com
Paco Rabanne’s ultra-expensive perfume features notes of blood orange and grapefruit, but the scent also includes touches of leather and wood.
When it comes to that insane price tag, Rabanne’s cologne is all about the bottle. The fragrance is housed in a gold container with a diamond crown, then placed in a case crafted by French designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance. The whole thing is topped off with a golden lock to secure the pricey fragrance.
Did you know?
Paco Rabanne’s cologne is limited edition — although it’s unclear exactly how many bottles were created. Interestingly, anyone with enough cash to purchase a bottle of this perfume will get a refill when their bottle runs out.
Scent: Jasmine, cardamom, lemon, and carnation
Unique Feature: Only 10 bottles of this cologne were made for men
Origin: The U.K
photo source: instylefashionone.com
Clive Christian is no stranger to luxury. Even the brand’s more accessible fragrances will cost you several hundred dollars — but that’s nothing compared to Imperial Majesty.
Imperial Majesty came out in 2006. The idea was to create a highly-concentrated fragrance to celebrate the Clive Christian brand and its customers. The resulting cologne has notes of jasmine, cardamom, lemon, and carnation — and it cost $215,000 per bottle.
Besides rare ingredients, Clive Christian’s ultra-expensive cologne got its price partially due to exclusivity. The scent was limited to 20 bottles, including 10 for women and 10 for men.
Rarity made the cologne expensive, but so did the scent’s bottle. Like many fragrances on this list, Imperial Majesty was packaged in a crystal bottle, but Clive Christian doubled down on the luxury with white diamond details and touches of gold along the neck.
Did you know?
Clive Christian himself calls this scent “the perfume of his heart.”
Scent: Indian sandalwood, lime, and lilly
Unique Feature: This cologne is presented in a French Baccarat crystal bottle
Origin: The U.K
photo source: themilliardaire.com
Clive Christian No. 1 is the most expensive men’s cologne in the world.
Clive Christian’s luxurious scent is the most expensive men’s cologne and one of the most expensive fragrances in the world. With a price tag of $250,000, the scent offers notes of Indian sandalwood, lime, and lilly complete with undertones of fruit. As a Clive Christian scent, this cologne comes from the U.K. However, the company partnered with French crystal maker Baccarat to craft the scent’s bottle. The result is an ultra-expensive fragrance housed in some of the world’s most expensive crystals.
Interestingly, Clive Christain didn’t limit its most expensive cologne to men. The company also created a version for women with notes of French iris, Indian jasmine, and vanilla.
Did you know?
Although this cologne’s prominent scent is Indian sandalwood, the fragrance also offers notes of grapefruit and mandarin oranges.
