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5 Best English Laundry Cologne For Men In 2023

Want to get your hands on the best English Laundry cologne for men, but don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered.

Launched in 2010, English Laundry is one of the newest fragrance and fashion brands to come out of the United Kingdom. With a refined style and classic compositions, each of their colognes and perfumes offers a sophisticated scent that’s sure to make a great impression.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about English Laundry colognes, including the aromatic notes and suggestions for wear on our top five picks. With options for every style and budget, you’re sure to find something that suits your particular tastes.

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5 Best Smelling English Laundry Cologne For Men In 2022

Though their catalog isn’t as extensive as older fragrance houses, English Laundry still has a strong portfolio. The following five scents represent what we think are their best offerings.

English Laundry Arrogant (Our Top Pick)

English Laundry’s first and still most notable scent, Arrogant is a woody aromatic style fragrance that debuted in 2010. It’s a modern rendition of a classic style, and perfectly suited for becoming your go-to cologne for daily wear.

The composition of arrogant is built in pairs. Zesty bergamot and spicy coriander introduce the scent’s top notes, lavender plays off of cedar in the heart, and sandalwood is coated in resinous amber for the base. It’s a delightfully simple selection of aromatics that gives plenty of room for each layer to mingle with the others, creating a constantly-shifting identity.

Long lasting, but with a friendly and approachable intensity, Arrogant really is a beautiful example of what fragrance makers can do. We applaud its direct and friendly style, and love that you can continue to pick out nuances throughout the entire 8 to 12 hour duration of the scent.

Notes: 

  • Top notes of bergamot and coriander
  • Middle notes of lavender and cedar
  • Base notes of sandalwood and amber

Best For: 

  • Year round wear
  • Anytime wear
  • Becoming your new go-to cologne

English Laundry Oxford Bleu

One of a less common variety of classic cologne styles, Oxford Bleu is a woody floral musk scent that just begs to be worn every day. Even so, it’s a wonderful cologne for making first impressions, and would be a great choice to wear when you’re going on a date.

The top notes of Oxford Bleu are friendly and approachable, mingling fresh mint with juicy green apple and crisp lemon. Tonka bean makes an unexpected entrance to Oxford Bleu’s heart notes, since it’s usually reserved for a base; it joins iris and geranium for an intoxicating quality. Further developed by base notes of dry and grassy vetiver, confectionary vanilla, and resinous sandalwood, Oxford Bleu really is the total package.

Long lasting and fairly intense, Oxford Bleu requires that you be sparing in your application so as not to overwhelm the senses. It’s versatile enough for everyday wear, yet complex and sophisticated enough to wear for special occasions as well.

Notes: 

  • Top notes of mint, green apple, and lemon
  • Middle notes of tonka bean, iris, and geranium
  • Base notes of vanilla, vetiver, sandalwood, and oakmoss

Best For: 

  • Everyday wear
  • Making a sophisticated first impression
  • Date nights

English Laundry Signature

An oriental woody style cologne that debuted in 2012, English Laundry Signature is an easygoing cologne that excels in warm weather wear. Rather than emphasizing strong masculine tones as our previous two scents have, Signature goes for an invigorating and youthful selection of botanicals that will leave you feeling energized from the first application.

Lavender, lemon, cedar, and bergamot create a well-balanced herbal, woody, and citrus triangle of aromatics in Signature’s top notes. The heart notes of coriander and nutmeg seem to infuse the entire composition, and are present from the first spray to the last moments of dry down. Animalic musk and resinous amber offset sandalwood and grassy vetiver in the base notes, giving greater complexity to each other layer.

Offering moderate longevity and moderate intensity, Signature is an easy-to-wear cologne that truly excels during the spring and summer thanks to its lighter aromatics. If you’re looking for a lighter take on traditionally masculine colognes, this is the one for you.

Notes: 

  • Top notes of lavender, lemon, cedar, and bergamot
  • Middle notes of coriander and nutmeg
  • Base notes of musk, sandalwood, vetiver, and amber

Best For: 

  • Spring and summer wear
  • Daytime wear

English Laundry Notting

Another excellent example of the woody floral musk style found in Oxford Bleu, English Laundry’s Notting has been making waves since its debut in 2013. It’s a curiously powerful cologne with noticeable diffusion into a room, but somehow never becomes overbearing.

Citrus peels dominate the top notes of Notting, combining bergamot with lemon and lime to great effect. Freshly cracked black pepper is an uncommon bedmate to jasmine in this cologne’s heart notes, creating a spicy and intoxicating blend. Anchored by the signature animal musk that gives it great masculinity, Notting’s base notes also include a handful of woods encased in amber.

Featuring excellent longevity and a moderate to intense character, Notting is a fantastic cologne for wearing to work. It seems destined for daytime use, but also makes a nice transition from the end of the work day into going for a pint over at the pub.

Notes: 

  • Top notes of bergamot, lemon, and lime
  • Middle notes of black pepper and jasmine
  • Base notes of musk, sandalwood, cedar, and amber

Best For: 

  • Wearing to work
  • Freshening up after the gym

English Laundry Tahitian Waters

We think this might be English Laundry’s most unique and fascinating scent, combining scents that you won’t find in most classically composed colognes. A floral fruity gourmand style released in 2013, it’s definitely a love it or hate it fragrance.

The typical citrus top notes of lime, bergamot, and orange are joined by coconut in Tahitian waters, making for a decidedly tropical feel. This is further supported by exotic ylang ylang and intoxicating jasmine in the heart notes, as well as a base of brown sugar and cedar resin. Overall, it gives an impression of an immaculately crafted tropical cocktail, complete with a paper umbrella.

Men looking for a unique and unforgettable cologne should definitely consider investing in Tahitian waters. It has a moderate longevity, and while the top notes can be quite intense, it quickly dries down to a more manageable and approachable volume.

Notes: 

  • Top notes of lime, bergamot, coconut, and orange
  • Middle notes of ylang ylang and jasmine
  • Base notes of brown sugar and cedar

Best For: 

  • Summertime wear
  • Men looking for a unique cologne

Is English Laundry Cologne Good?

In the grand scheme of fragrance companies, English Laundry is just getting started. At only 10 years old, it has yet to have the time to win any awards for its colognes — so how can you know whether it’s really worth buying?

Honestly, we think that the ingredients and packaging for English Laundry speak to the quality of their colognes. You can tell even from a quick glance that they source high quality aromatics, and have great attention to detail not just in their packaging but in their compositions as well.

So overall, we can confidently say that yes, English Laundry cologne is quite good — though we’d also encourage you to try it for yourself, and form your own opinions of their fascinating fragrances.

What Does English Laundry Smell Like?

Each of English Laundry’s colognes is made in a particular style, with compositions ranging from woody aromatic, to woody floral musk, to floral fruity gourmand and more. Here are a few colognes that smell like English Laundry colognes, so you can get a better idea through comparison:

Creed Millesime Imperial is another excellent example of the woody floral musk style, but unlike English Laundry’s colognes it is accented by sea salt and aquatic tones for a more summertime take on the style.

Tom Ford Noir Extreme is similar to English Laundry Signature in its oriental woody style, though it leans heavier on floral scents and saffron to carve out its own niche. The sandalwood base note truly ties them together.

Hermes’ Terre D’Hermes is directly related to English Laundry’s Arrogant, as both are made in the classic woody aromatic style. Here, you’ll notice that both colognes are great for year-round wear, and project a dry and sophisticated masculinity.

Brian has been fascinated with fragrances since his 8th birthday, when his Dad gifted him a bottle of Acqua di Gio. Since then, he has become a men's grooming & style aficionado who teaches men how to look sharp. Backed by personal experience, Brian's articles are known for his no-holds-barred style where he holds nothing back. You will get his real opinions on the latest men's grooming products and best practices where he reveals the best (and worst) style advice every man should know.