The 18 Best Celebrity Colognes for Men (2026 Update)

Colognes are an essential part of every man’s grooming routine. They enhance a man’s overall appearance and give him an extra edge of confidence.

Over the years, many celebrities have launched their fragrances, some of which have become iconic — and 2025 and 2026 have brought a fresh wave of releases, from a brand-new Shaquille O’Neal signature scent to an anniversary edition of David Beckham’s Instinct line. In this updated guide to the best celebrity colognes for men, we cover 18 fragrances, old and new, with honest pros, cons, and a quick-scan performance table.

The average reading time is 25 minutes. The article was last updated on 05/07/2026.

What is a celebrity fragrance?

A celebrity fragrance is a perfume or cologne created by, or licensed to, a celebrity. The star is usually the face of the scent and helps to market and promote it, though in most cases the actual juice is developed by a fragrance house or licensing partner working behind the scenes with professional perfumers. Celebrity fragrances have become increasingly popular in recent years, with athletes, musicians, and actors alike launching their own lines — and increasingly, retailers like JCPenney are partnering directly with sports stars to release exclusive scents.

The benefits of using a celebrity cologne

Using a celebrity cologne has several benefits worth considering. Firstly, it allows men to connect with their favorite celebrities on a personal level, wearing a scent tied to an athlete, actor, or musician they admire. Secondly, celebrity fragrances are often reasonably priced and widely available, especially compared to niche or luxury houses.

Thirdly, many of them are formulated by respected noses in the industry, so the quality can rival far more expensive bottles, even if the branding is what gets you in the door. Finally, celebrity fragrances are widely available and can be found in most department stores, drugstores, and online retailers, making them a low-risk way to try something new.

What’s trending in celebrity colognes right now

The celebrity fragrance market has kept moving quickly through 2025 and into 2026, and a few trends stand out:

Athletes are still the dominant force. Basketball, soccer, and combat sports stars continue to drive the bulk of new celebrity cologne launches, often through licensing deals with fragrance houses rather than fully independent brands. Cristiano Ronaldo’s CR7 line, produced with Eden Parfums, added a new “Energy” flanker in 2025 and celebrated ten years on the market with a relaunched, modernized bottle for its original scent.

Retail-exclusive launches are booming. Rather than going through a traditional prestige fragrance house, some celebrities are partnering directly with big-box retailers. Shaquille O’Neal’s debut signature fragrance launched as a JCPenney exclusive in September 2025, tied to his long-running XLG clothing partnership with the retailer, and he followed it up with a second scent, Eqlipse, in late April 2026 — also JCPenney-exclusive for its first six months on shelves.

Legacy licenses are changing hands. Long-running celebrity fragrance deals are being renegotiated as the industry consolidates. David Beckham’s fragrance license, held by Coty since 2005, is moving to Interparfums starting in 2028, with a new signature scent planned under the new management. The transition hasn’t been entirely smooth — Beckham’s brand management company has filed a lawsuit against Coty alleging mismanagement of the line, including complaints about it being sold in outlets like gas stations, a reminder that not every celebrity fragrance stays carefully curated forever.

Anniversary reissues are having a moment. Brands are leaning on nostalgia, relaunching flagship scents with updated bottles and reformulated juice to mark round-number anniversaries — Beckham’s Instinct just celebrated its 20th anniversary with a new edition crafted by perfumer Dominique Ropion, and Ronaldo’s original CR7 scent got a similar tenth-anniversary refresh.

Ambassador collections keep expanding the definition of “celebrity cologne.” Not every famous name owns the brand behind their fragrance. Some, like NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, front an entire line as a signed brand ambassador rather than an owner — a model that’s becoming more common as fragrance houses look for global sports stars to headline regional collections.

With that context in mind, here’s the full, updated rundown of the best celebrity colognes for men, including the newest additions.

Quick-scan performance table

Use this table to compare the fragrances at a glance before reading the full pros and cons below. Longevity and sillage ratings are based on aggregated community feedback from Fragrantica and Parfumo and can vary by skin chemistry, climate, and batch.

*Ratings marked with an asterisk are based on early reviews only, since these are recent 2025/2026 releases without a large body of long-term community feedback yet.

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Top celebrity colognes for men

Here are the details on each of the best celebrity colognes for men, updated with the latest releases:

Game On – Cristiano Ronaldo cologne

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s most famous soccer players, launched his fragrance line in 2015. Game On is a woody fragrance that features top notes of papaya, ice, cardamom, and apple; middle notes of lavender, violet, and elemi resin; and base notes of tonka bean, sugar, cedar, juniper berries, cashmere wood, and guaiac wood.

Pros

• Solid longevity for the price point — most wearers get 5–6 hours before it fades to a skin scent.
• Excellent value, typically found for well under $30 for a full bottle.
• An easy-to-wear take on the “fresh fruity-woody” style popularized by Armani Stronger With You.
• Inoffensive enough for daily office wear, gym bag, or a casual night out.

Cons

• Shares a strong resemblance to Armani Stronger With You and Prada Luna Rossa Carbon, so don’t expect to stand out in a crowd wearing it.
• Projection drops off noticeably after the first hour or two.
• Because it leans so close to its inspirations, it’s worth sampling both before you buy, especially if you already own one of them.

Play It Cool – Cristiano Ronaldo cologne.

Introduced in 2019, this fragrance for men opens with mandarin orange, pear, and bergamot; moves into a heart of sea notes, lavender, and cardamom; and settles into a base of tonka bean, amberwood, and musk.

Pros

• A genuinely fresh, aquatic opening that works well in warm weather.
• Very good price-to-bottle-size ratio, making it an easy impulse buy.
• Light enough to layer under a stronger fragrance for evening wear.

Cons

• Lasting power is weak — most reviewers report the fragrance fading to almost nothing within an hour, with projection dropping off even faster.
• The dry-down reads more like a generic body spray than a cologne.
• At this price bracket, there are more distinctive aquatic fragrances available, so this one is easy to skip unless you’re a completionist for the CR7 line.

Legacy – Cristiano Ronaldo cologne

Launched in 2015, Legacy is a woody, aromatic fragrance for men. The top notes are green apple, bergamot, lavender, and cinnamon; the middle notes are cedar, violet, peony, rosemary, sage, and orris; the base notes are ambergris, patchouli, and vetiver.

Pros

• A masculine, herbal-woody profile that reads more grown-up than most of the CR7 line.
• Excellent price for the composition, as with all the CR7 eau de toilettes.
• The bottle design has aged well and still looks sharp on a shelf.

Cons

• Projection and sillage are on the low side, so you may need to reapply throughout the day.
• Reviews are genuinely mixed — this is a scent you’ll either take to immediately or find forgettable, with little middle ground.
• Ten years on, some may find the composition a bit dated next to the newer CR7 Energy.

Find the colognes at the official CR7 Fragrances store or via Cristiano Ronaldo’s official website.

CR7 Energy – Cristiano Ronaldo cologne

New for 2025. Ronaldo’s newest release is an aromatic fougère built around patchouli, moss, cardamom, cedarwood, orange blossom, bergamot, geranium, ginger, lavender, and labdanum. Marketed around the color green — a motif closely associated with Ronaldo’s personal brand — the fragrance is positioned as an active, everyday scent for spontaneous men on the move, continuing the sporty angle the CR7 line has leaned on since its 2017 flagship release.

Pros

• A fresh, spicy-aromatic opening thanks to the ginger and cardamom combination.
• Versatile enough to wear year-round rather than being pigeonholed as a summer-only scent.
• Continues the strong value-for-money reputation of the CR7 line — bottles are easy to find for a fraction of designer prices.

Cons

• Early reviewers note it shares DNA with several other mass-market “fresh fougère” releases, so don’t expect total originality.
• As a newly released fragrance, long-term performance and reformulation risk are still unproven.
• Like most of the CR7 range, moderate longevity means you’ll want to carry a travel spray for reapplication.

Find it at the official CR7 Fragrances store.

Flight by Michael Jordan

A woody, spicy fragrance introduced in 2011. The top notes are African orange flower and bergamot; the middle notes are pepper, Virginia cedar, and sage; the base notes are amber, vetiver, and seaweed.

Pros

• A versatile, casual EDT that works across spring, summer, and fall.
• Excellent price point, often available for well under $20.
• A masculine, wearable fragrance suitable for a wide range of ages.

Cons

• Projection and sillage are moderate at best — this stays close to the skin.
• The scent profile is competent but familiar, without much to distinguish it from other drugstore woody-spicy colognes.
• Bottles can be harder to find in physical stores now that the line has aged; you’ll mostly be shopping specialty fragrance retailers online.

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Jordan Energy by Michael Jordan

This fragrance by Michael Jordan was launched in 2014. Unlike much of the rest of the Jordan lineup, it skips a heavy woody-musky base entirely, building instead around a bright, top-heavy “clean air” accord dominated by energizing grapefruit and cardamom, with a hint of ginger underneath.

Pros

• A fresh, clean-air feel that’s noticeably lighter and more citrus-forward than the rest of the Michael Jordan range.
• Frequently found for well under $15, making it one of the cheapest entries on this whole list.
• Casual and sporty enough to pair naturally with a gym bag or a T-shirt-and-jeans outfit — it doesn’t try to punch above its weight.

Cons

• Longevity runs 4–6 hours in normal wear but drops to 2–3 hours in hot weather, so plan on reapplying.
• Some reviewers report a powdery, slightly cloying dry-down that doesn’t agree with every skin type — sample before committing to a full bottle if you can.
• Because it leans so light, it can feel like a “starter” fragrance rather than a signature scent for most occasions.

Legend by Michael Jordan

Legend was launched in 1997. The notes are bergamot, lavender, anise, green tea, old leather, white patchouli, green moss, cedar, black coffee chords, warm amber, and sensual musk.

Pros

• A distinctive, sweet, coffee-tinged cologne that stands out from the rest of the Michael Jordan lineup.
• Consistently one of the best-reviewed entries in the entire Michael Jordan fragrance collection, and often cited by fans as the standout of the range.
• Longevity is long-lasting with moderate-to-strong sillage — a rarity at this price point.
• Excellent value when found at discount, making it one of the better bargain buys in the celebrity cologne category overall.

Cons

• The resemblance to Rochas Man is strong enough that fans of that fragrance may find little reason to switch.
• As with most Michael Jordan fragrances, this is licensed through the design house Bijan rather than sold via an official Jordan-branded storefront, so you’re buying through third-party retailers.
• Older stock can vary in quality, so buy from a reputable retailer to avoid degraded juice.

Michael Jordan fragrances are produced under license and sold through major fragrance retailers such as Perfume.com and FragranceNet, since there is no standalone official Michael Jordan fragrance storefront. If you’re chasing a specific edition or batch, it’s worth cross-checking listings on Fragrantica or Parfumo first, since older Michael Jordan releases have seen some formula variation over the years.

Blue Seduction – Antonio Banderas Fragrances

Blue Seduction was launched in 2007. The top notes are melon, bergamot, mint, and black currant; the middle notes are seawater, green apple, cappuccino, cardamom, and nutmeg; the base notes are woodsy notes and amber.

Pros

• A great casual, warm-weather fragrance with a genuinely fresh, aquatic character.
• Very affordable, and the compact bottle travels well.
• Widely available, making it an easy gift or first fragrance for a teenager or young adult.

Cons

• Weak performance and longevity — expect only a couple of hours of wear before it disappears.
• Not well suited to hot, humid climates, where it fades even faster.
• Popularity has declined over the last few years as fresher, better-performing alternatives have flooded the market at similar prices.

Antonio by Antonio Banderas Fragrances

Antonio is a woody musk fragrance for men that won the 2007 FiFi Award for Fragrance of the Year in the Men’s Popular Appeal category. Balsam fir, cashmere wood, musk, pepper, and lemon are among its fragrance notes.

Pros

• A long-lasting, strong-sillage fragrance that punches well above its original price point.
• A genuine compliment-getter, according to long-time fans of the scent.
• Award-winning pedigree gives it more credibility than most celebrity fragrances from the same era.

Cons

• Unfortunately, this one has been discontinued for some time, so you’re now limited to whatever remaining stock retailers or resellers still have.
• Because it’s out of production, prices on remaining bottles have crept up, and there’s a real risk of buying old or improperly stored stock.
• If you do track down a bottle, check the batch code and community notes on Fragrantica first — reformulated or aged stock can smell noticeably different from vintage bottles.

The Icon – Antonio Banderas

The Icon by Antonio Banderas was launched in 2020. The top notes are grapefruit and black pepper; the middle notes are sage and lavender; the base notes are oakmoss and sandalwood.

Pros

• A crisp, fresh scent profile that many reviewers compare favorably to Dior Sauvage at a fraction of the price.
• Genuinely affordable, making it one of the best budget alternatives in its category.
• A clean, modern bottle design that doesn’t look out of place next to pricier fragrances.

Cons

• Noticeably weaker projection and longevity than the fragrance it’s often compared to.
• Some bottles have reported issues with the atomizer not drawing enough liquid, leading to weak sprays — worth checking before you commit to a full bottle.
• As a “dupe-adjacent” scent, it may feel derivative rather than distinctive if you already own similar fragrances.

Antonio Banderas fragrances are produced by Puig and sold through the official Antonio Banderas Perfumes website.

Unforgivable – Sean John

Unforgivable is a fragrance created by Sean John, the fashion and fragrance brand founded by Sean Combs. This fragrance features notes of bergamot, orange, and juniper berry, along with tangerine, grapefruit, basil, clary sage, iris, sandalwood, tonka bean, cashmere wood, and rum in its fuller composition. It won the FiFi Award for Fragrance of the Year, Men’s Luxe, in 2007.

Pros

• An adaptable fragrance that suits both daytime and evening wear.
• Low price relative to the richness of its citrus-and-suede opening.
• An award-winning scent with a loyal fan base who still buy it regularly.

Cons

• Many long-time fans report that the current formulation smells noticeably different — and weaker — than the original 2006 release.
• Endurance is limited, with some reviewers clocking well under an hour of noticeable wear per application.
• The fragrance has drawn comparisons to Creed Millésime Impérial for years, so purists sometimes see it as an homage rather than an original.
• Given the well-publicized recent legal troubles surrounding Sean Combs, some shoppers may simply prefer to spend their money elsewhere; that’s a personal call, but worth being aware of if the brand’s namesake matters to you.

I Am King by Sean John

I Am King by Sean John is a woody aquatic scent for men launched in 2008. The top notes are cranberry, tangerine, and orange; the middle is seawater and cassis; the base is Amalfi lemon, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, French labdanum, and oakmoss.

Pros

• A safe, clean, office-appropriate scent that won’t offend anyone in a shared space.
• Simple and fresh, making it an easy entry point for someone new to fragrance.
• Affordable price point for the bottle size.

Cons

• Weak longevity and sillage mean you’ll likely need to reapply during the day.
• Best thought of as a beginner’s fragrance rather than something a more experienced collector will reach for often.
• As with other Sean John releases, availability has become less consistent at major retailers in recent years.

Intimately Beckham Cologne

Intimately Beckham Men is a perfume that won two awards: the FiFi Award for Fragrance of the Year in Men’s Popular Appeal 2008, and the FiFi Award for Best Packaging in Men’s Popular Appeal 2008.

Pros

• A calming, slightly exotic scent profile that stands apart from more generic “fresh” celebrity fragrances.
• Excellent value for money, especially for gift sets.
• A well-regarded bottle design, backed by its FiFi packaging award.

Cons

• Moderate longevity and comparatively weak sillage mean you may need to overspray to get noticeable performance.
• Better suited to newcomers exploring fragrance than to anyone looking for a long-lasting, all-day scent.
• As one of the older entries in the Beckham catalog, it now sits somewhat in the shadow of the brand’s newer Instinct releases.

Classic Blue by David Beckham

The Classic collection consists of Classic, Classic Touch, Classic Summer, and Aqua Classic. They were all introduced between 2013 and 2018 and share similar overall pros and cons.

Pros

• All four share a fresh, clean profile that’s easy to wear in professional settings.
• Great for situations where you want to smell pleasant without dominating the room.
• Strong price-value, especially in gift-set bundles around the holidays.

Cons

• Moderate to low longevity and sillage across the whole collection.
• Best suited to summer wear or post-gym freshening up rather than as a signature evening scent.
• With so many entries in the Classic line, it can be hard to tell the four variants apart without side-by-side testing.

Check the full David Beckham range at the official Beckham Fragrances website.

Instinct 20th Anniversary Edition – David Beckham

New for 2025. To mark two decades since the original Instinct launched in 2005, David Beckham’s fragrance house released this anniversary eau de parfum, crafted by celebrated perfumer Dominique Ropion. It leans into green, botanical territory, built around bergamot and patchouli, warmed with cashmeran, brightened with clean aldehydes, and rounded out with a fruity apple accord.

Pros

• Having a perfumer of Dominique Ropion’s caliber behind the formula gives this release more credibility than most celebrity fragrance flankers.
• The green, aldehydic opening feels more contemporary than much of the older Beckham catalog.
• As an anniversary edition, it works well both as a nostalgic pickup for longtime Instinct fans and as a fresh entry point for newcomers to the line.

Cons

• Being a 2025 release, there’s limited long-term feedback yet on how it wears over a full season or how consistent later production batches will be.
• The ongoing licensing dispute between Coty and Beckham’s brand management could affect distribution, availability, or even future reformulation — worth keeping an eye on before you commit to a large bottle.
• As with most anniversary editions, it may command a slightly higher price than the standard Instinct lineup.

Find it at the official Beckham Fragrances website.

Shaquille O’Neal Signature Fragrance

New for 2025. Shaquille O’Neal’s debut eau de toilette marked his first entry into fragrance, launched exclusively through JCPenney in September 2025 as an extension of his long-running XLG big-and-tall clothing partnership with the retailer. The scent opens with bergamot, grapefruit, and black pepper, moves through cardamom, suede, and benzoin, and settles into a base of tonka bean, amber, and musk, presented in a black bottle with gold and copper accents.

Pros

• A confident, oriental-woody profile that’s more distinctive than most rookie celebrity fragrance debuts.
• Genuinely affordable at its $55 retail price for a 4.2-ounce bottle.
• Backed by seven years of an existing retail partnership, giving the launch more built-in credibility — and shelf space — than a typical celebrity vanity project.

Cons

• Some early reviewers note a strong resemblance to other amber-woody mainstream colognes already on the market, so don’t expect total originality.
• During its initial six-month exclusivity window, it was only available through JCPenney, which limited access for shoppers without a nearby store.
• As a debut fragrance, longevity and batch consistency are still being tested by the broader fragrance community.

Find it at JCPenney.

Eqlipse by Shaquille O’Neal

New for 2026. Following the success of his eponymous debut, Shaquille O’Neal returned in late April 2026 with Eqlipse, again launched as a JCPenney exclusive. O’Neal describes the scent as aquatic, woody, and fresh — a noticeably different direction from the warmer, spicier profile of his first release, aimed at giving fans a lighter, more everyday option.

Pros

• A fresher, more versatile profile than his debut scent, better suited to daytime and warm-weather wear.
• Reasonably priced at $55 for a 4.2-ounce bottle, in line with his first release.
• Gives fans of the original Shaquille O’Neal fragrance a genuinely different second option rather than a near-identical flanker.

Cons

• As with the debut fragrance, it’s currently a JCPenney exclusive, so availability elsewhere is limited for now.
• Being brand new to the market, independent long-term reviews on performance and longevity are still limited.
• Two releases in under a year suggest this could turn into a fast-moving flanker line, so it’s worth waiting to see how the collection develops before investing in a full set.

Find it at JCPenney.

STR8 Ahead – Giannis Antetokounmpo Collection

NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t the owner of his fragrance line the way Ronaldo or Shaq are — he’s the global brand ambassador for STR8, a European men’s fragrance and grooming brand owned by the Sarantis Group, which has built an entire “Antetokounmpo Collection” around him, including the scents Rise, Ahead, and Fr34k. Ahead, one of the best-reviewed entries in the collection, is a woody-spicy fragrance built on top notes of pepper, lavender extract, and bergamot; a heart of clary sage, neroli, and geranium; and a base of iris, cedar, and vanilla.

Pros

• A genuinely unique, tea-and-spice-leaning profile that stands apart from the fresh, generic “blue” fragrances that dominate this price bracket.
• Very cheap — full-size bottles routinely turn up for well under $20, sometimes closer to $10 at discount retailers.
• Decent versatility for gym, casual, and daytime office wear, according to community reviews.

Cons

• Community reception is genuinely polarized: some reviewers call it a hidden gem, while others describe the opening as sharp, synthetic, or “plasticky,” so sampling first is strongly advised.
• Distribution is heavily skewed toward Europe and parts of Asia; US buyers may need to order through international retailers or resellers.
• Because Antetokounmpo is an ambassador rather than an owner, the line reads more like a traditional endorsement deal than a personal passion project — worth knowing if that distinction matters to you.

Find the collection at the official STR8 Fragrances website.

My top 3 picks from this list

If you only try three fragrances from this roundup, these are the ones with the best track record for the money:

1. Legend by Michael Jordan — the strongest all-around performer here, with genuinely good longevity and sillage at a bargain price once you find it discounted.
2. The Icon by Antonio Banderas — the best budget option for anyone who wants a Dior Sauvage-adjacent scent without the Dior Sauvage price tag.
3. Instinct 20th Anniversary Edition by David Beckham — the most interesting new release on this list, thanks to perfumer Dominique Ropion’s involvement, if you’re willing to pay a bit more for it.

Which one would you try first? Let us know in the comments below.

Conclusion

Celebrity fragrances have become increasingly popular over the past two decades, with numerous celebrities launching their own lines — and the pace has only picked up in 2025 and 2026. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s decade-old CR7 empire adding a new Energy flanker, to David Beckham’s Instinct celebrating its 20th anniversary with perfumer Dominique Ropion at the helm, to Shaquille O’Neal stepping into the fragrance world for the first time with two releases in under a year, there’s more choice — and more genuinely interesting new material — than ever before.

Please note that we have reviewed only some of the best celebrity fragrances in this article. There are many more to choose from, so feel free to experiment. Most of them are reasonably priced, so you can afford to try a few before settling on your favorite scent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading

• The 12 Most Famous Perfumes for Men of All Time
• Find your perfect fragrance — a 10-question quiz

Pashalis Laoutaris

Fashion Blogger

I am a professional writer, fashion blogger, and owner of the site https://laoutaris.com. As a salesperson for more than 20 years, I have experience of 10 years in the fashion industry. I consider myself a true fashionista. I am writing daily blog articles about fashion, tools and converters, and everything you need to know about the current fashion trends.

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