The 8 Best New Colognes of 2024 (So Far)

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We're only a few months into the year, but it’s safe to say we’re already smelling great. Fragrances are funny; there are always trends, but they don’t necessarily adhere to a calendar the way fashion does. They just keep on coming, which is great news for frag heads like us, but can also be hard to keep up with. Then there are the flankers—fragrance speak for remixes of existing scents—that belong to larger fragrance groups, but serve to evolve the scent story in new ways. Between flankers and new releases, keeping up with newness in the fragrance world is almost a full time job. Luckily, it’s a full time job that we love to have.

It’s too early to really know the biggest trends yet (though we have some ideas) but if we had to pick a through line for the best new colognes of the year (so far) it’s that they all take traditional ideas and twist them. Like, adding unexpected notes or ingredients to colognes that otherwise would be straightforward. There’s also a healthy dose of nostalgia and, truly, there is no better way to play with nostalgia than with fragrance (scent is the sense most tied to memory, after all).

So whether you’re looking for a new signature scent or are just interested in adding to your collection, these brand-spanking-new colognes are the best place to start. If this is any indication on where the year is going, we’re in for an exciting 2024.

Sea Salt + Driftwood Eau de Parfum

Like all of its products, Huron’s fragrances are surprisingly high end-smelling for the price tag. We’re fans of the original Citrus + Eucalyptus (a zingy fresh, clean vibe) but the new Sea Salt + Driftwood might be our favorite so far. It’s smooth, mineral-y, and aquatic and calls to mind the iconic watery scents of the 1990s (you know the ones) without feeling old fashioned.

H24 Herbes Vives Eau de Parfum

There’s a lot that went into the creation of this new addition to the H24 family, including the use of a brand new molecule called Phsycool that smells vaguely minty but also has an actual effervescent sensation on your skin. Like the other H24 colognes, Herbes Vives is rooted in botanicals (in this case herbs like sorrel, savory, and hemp) but it’s also fresh and watery, inspired by the smell of a garden after it rains. Think of it as the modern spring fragrance: fresh, herbal, but surprising as well.

After Sun Eau de Toilette

Vacation’s ability to capture nostalgia and update it with a combination of modern technology and tongue-in-cheek humor makes it stand out, not just in the sun care market, but also in the fragrance world. Case in point: this new fragrance from the brand, inspired by the electric green post-sunburn “aloe vera” gel of your youth. The result instantly transports your back in time, but isn’t entirely literal. The scent is modernized with notes of actual aloe vera, gin, green tea, ozone, tonic, “resort towel plush,” and more. It’s somehow both hilarious and addictive, and the perfect sundown scent for, well, a vacation.

Born to be Unforgettable Eau de Parfum

This may be billed as a citrus scent, but what you actually get at first spray is a near-literal interpretation of Coca-cola. It sounds wild, but actually smells great—so fresh and fizzy that you can almost feel the bubbles. If that puts you off, don’t worry; that cola note dries down quickly to reveal a versatile masculine vibe of cedarwood and smooth vanilla, laced a little bit with spices. Then the cola notes pops through every so often just to remind you how innovative this scent actually is.

Solo Vulcan Eau de Parfum

Loewe fragrances are always a bit cerebral and unexpected, but this new one is extraordinarily hard to put your finger on. Notes of thyme, lavender, orange flower absolute, and vetiver intermingle to create a vibe that’s green and herbal, but also warm and comforting. You’d expect it to be fresh and clean, but somehow it’s more earthy and almost syrupy in is woody sweetness. It’s one of those scents that reveals itself more and more each time you wear it and somehow almost never smells the same.

Hwy 190 Extrait de Parfum

OGs may know Fulton & Roark for the brand's solid colognes, which we’ve been fans of for years, but recently the North Carolina-based company released all of its unique scents in extrait de parfum sprays for the first time. In spray form, their fragrances are richer and more deeply layered than their more subtle solid counterparts. It’s hard to pick just one out of the collection of 15, but we keep going back to HWY 190, a smooth, wind-in-your-hair mix of myrrh, cedarwood, vetiver, and freesia that calls to mind road trips in a convertible (top down, of course).

Oud Ranch Perfume

Nashville-based niche fragrance house Ranger Station always stays true to its roots (think Western crooner vibes) when creating its fragrances and candles. This new addition is no exception. The brand's take on oud, a typically overpowering and heavy note, is lighter, woodier, and smokier thanks to a healthy dose of palo santo. It’s a surprisingly chill cologne that doesn’t take itself too seriously and may just be the perfect daytime oud.

Vanilla Sex Eau de Parfum

If you’ve been paying attention to fragrance trends recently, you’ve likely noticed that vanilla is having a major moment. Vanilla can be polarizing, especially among men, but if you’re going to dip your toe into the trend, we say go for it with this unmistakably vanilla cologne. It’s sweet thanks to multiple kinds of vanilla and tonka bean, but tempered with a top note of bitter almond and a base of smooth sandalwood. It smells best once it’s been on your skin for a while and had time to mix with your natural chemistry to bring out a bit of muskiness.

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