If you are happy with the scent of your drugstore aftershave splash, you’re probably wondering why would a guy want to part with it for such a rarity as solid cologne?
Top pick: Fulton & Roark Solid Cologne
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Well, let us start by saying that your typical aftershave splash contains only two or three aromatic molecules, while a cologne has got a much more powerful fragrance.
Think of woody, mossy notes, or exotic oriental scents. This is what you’ll smell if you open a box of Spruce solid cologne by Otter Wax or Explorer by Ulio&Jack. …But why choose a box of solid cologne to traditional cologne’s solid glass bottle?
Well, the answer that first comes to mind is practicality. If there’s a 100 ml bottle of cologne in your backpack, you’d be stopped at the airport, but security wouldn’t mind you carrying a tiny box of beeswax-like solid cologne.
How to Apply?
Having established what solid cologne is, let’s now give some tips as to its best use. It may look like some kind of beard balm or mustache wax, but it’s neither, actually. Even if it contains the word cologne in its name, it is not to be used after your morning wet shave, as traditional Eau de Cologne.
Rather, you should apply a tiny bit of this delicate, aromatic substance on your wrists, as shown in this video, or a tiny dab behind your ears. The fragrance it’d give out is very powerful and long-lasting. Most solid colognes for men are quite pricey because they contain natural ingredients. Let us now take a closer look at our top pics.
Best Solid Cologne
#1. Fulton & Roark Solid Cologne Review
Fulton & Roark have developed nine of the best solid colognes out there, also offered in a sample pack, a gift set, and two bundles. All solid colognes are wax-based and each has a distinct fragrant character that’s both long-lasting and steadily-wearing.
Medicine Bow
Green in clover, Medicine Bow gives out discreet Clover & Petitgrain hues and a whiff of Cannabis.
I think that the product’s name has something to do with that but Fulton & Roark bravely state that their creation has been inspired by the first shoots of grass slowly lifting their green and yellow eyes to the sun after a harsh winter. The shea butter and jojoba oil in this solid cologne are essential to its texture.
I bet you’re still thinking about that spec of medical cannabis I mentioned earlier! The manufacturer calls it “the complexities of cannabis flower”. In any case, this solid cologne scent is for the man who wants to lead, not to follow.
Mahana
If Medicine Bow is for the mysterious individualist, Mahana is a solid cologne for the cheerful and open-minded Meet-the-Fockers type of dad with its refreshing mix of Pomelo, Coriander, and Green Leaves scents.
The pace that inspired Fulton & Roark’s technologists to develop this blend is Papakolea – a green-sanded beach in Hawaii. This solid cologne also smells of fresh air, verdant hills, and driftwood, inviting its wearer to explore the unknown!
Hatteras
This assertive traditional fragrance is probably what Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter would wear at the Queen’s tea party. The formula’s star is the fern with a little bit of lavender and fresh hay.
A more sensitive nose could also sniff some vetiver, oakmoss, and incense. This solid cologne for men has been named after the island of Hatteras, off the North Carolina coast. Its marlin-rich waters attract thousands of extreme anglers every year.
#2. Duke Cannon Solid Cologne Review
Duke Cannon Men’s Solid Colognes come in the form of a concentrated balm in 1.5-ounce boxes and they all smell great. The boxes have a vintage design and manifest that this 100% American product is “For the Traveling Man”.
Naval Supremacy
This daring combination of distinctly masculine scents has been developed by Duke Cannon for the type of guy who recognizes himself in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s timeless poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Users say the seawater and seaweeds scent is so masculine that it makes the wearer’s testosterone spike.
Duke Cannon keeps the formula secret but assures that it contains 100% natural ingredients. We suspect that the product’s incredible freshness is because there might be a spec of shea butter in the cologne’s balmy body.
Some users swear this is the most masculine solid cologne Duke Cannon has ever made. Others write the Sea scent becomes rather weak in about two months.
Redwood
This scent is for the hardworking down-to-earth man, who knows what he wants from life. Apply it on your wrists or toss a tiny dab behind your ears and you’ll immerse in a warm cloud of discreet sandalwood, amber, citrus, rosemary, and clove fragrances. The manufacturer says that Redwood “smells like a walk through the Great Northwest”.
This unique formula contains orange and clove bud essential oils, well complemented by Calendula extract. Both varieties of this solid cologne cost less than $20 per ounce, making it one of the cheapest best solid colognes on our list.
In view of its price, you can not expect this product to challenge Lacoste or Armani Code. Albeit Redwood’s smell is not as masculine as the one of the Sea cologne, it gets 4/5 for sillage and longevity.
#3. Reuzel Solid Cologne Review
You probably know Reuzel for their men’s pomades, but they also offer one of the best solid colognes in the world.
The flagship in their selection is the Wood & Spice Solid Cologne Balm. It’s got a waxy texture and a distinct fragrance with hues of lemongrass, Cedarwood, and cloves.
Selling at just over $8 per ounce, this is one of the more affordable choices in the solid cologne category. The bearded pirate on the screw-top tin box looks really daunting, but the important thing is that it stores the product really well. In any case, its a mismatch to the manufacturer’s statement that this product is for men who like working with their hands.
There’s no need to scoop a hefty dollop out of the box – just gently pass your fingertip on its waxy surface and rub it into your wrists. For best results, try to apply this solid cologne on your pulse points, including your neck.
Reuzel recommends that you keep a tin of their solid cologne into your Dopp kit along with their 3-in-1 Tea Tree Shampoo because the scents of the two products complement each other really well.
The user opinions about Reuzel’s solid cologne are quite contrasting. They range from “Great balm for skin and amazing fragrance!” and “Dieses solid Cologne ist der absolute Hammer!” (This solid cologne really rocks!) to “This is a useless product, no fragrance!”
The reviews on Reuzel’s website extol this cologne’s great smell and the natural ingredients it’s made of. One of the opinions I liked best is that “upon opening the tin you catch a quick whiff of nostalgia.”
#4. Walton Wood Farm Solid Colognes
Walton Wood Farm is a small beauty products maker based on a farm in Ontario, Canada. Its founders, Leslie and Peter, started really small by making bath salts in their kitchen. Today, some of the best solid colognes for men in North America come from the famous Walton Wood Farm.
Leslie and Peter’s team of fragrance experts have developed seven different solid colognes, each selling at just over $35 per box. All of Walton Wood Farm’s solid colognes are free of alcohol and animal cruelty. Google says that their three most popular colognes are The Musician, The Canadian, and The Wanderer.
The Musician
I was quite surprised to find out that the formula of Walton Wood Farm’s flagship cologne contains Sunflower Seed Oil. This is relatively cheap stuff, mostly used for cooking and with mediocre skin benefits. Apparently, the manufacturer’s infatuation with cooking oils does not stop here, because Hydrogenated Soybean Oil is to be found in the same product, along with Hydrogenated Castor Oil.
The last one is omnipresent in today’s beauty and skincare products. They have put in some beeswax and Carnuba Wax for texture and consistency, while the product’s scent comes from the added Grape Seed Oil. Sorry if this part of our review sounds like some of your granny’s recipes. Despite its natural ingredients, this solid cologne’s smell isn’t quite impressive. Some users find its grape scent quite refreshing but add it does not last as long as expected.
The Wanderer
The Wanderer’s formula contains ingredients like Hemp Seed Oil and Avocado extract to moisturize men’s skin and protect it from the elements. Rub a tiny bit of the product on your wrists to feel its delicate scent of cracked pepper and mandarin. This product’s hypoallergenic formula is free of artificial dyes, gluten, SLS, and parabens. Apart from that, the wanderer contains the same combination of natural oils as The Musician. One Amazon subscriber even asks why there isn’t any scent description for this product.
The Canadian
Walton Wood Farm says that the unique combination of essential oils in The Canadian’s formula smells of the true North. On Amazon, this solid cologne is listed as having a Maple Bark & Wild Portage scent, but on the manufacturer’s official website you can see the same combination of ingredients as in The Musician and The Wanderer.
Some Amazon buyers say they like the natural, unobtrusive smell of this solid cologne, but others say it smells like a generic AXE spray for teenagers. Still, The Canadian has its staunch followers and one of them points out that this cologne smells like “a rounder, less sharp version of Black XS by Paco Rabanne.”
#5. Outlaw Soaps Solid Cologne
Outlaw Soaps has integrated the Wild West theme into all of its beauty and skincare products. Here are some of their best solid colognes:
Blazing Saddles Solid Cologne
As soon as you rub even a tiny amount of this solid cologne onto your skin, you’ll feel like you’ve just been cast to star in a spaghetti western. This cologne smells of leather, sandalwood, and sagebrush. Some enthusiasts swear they can even sense w whiff of gunpowder in there. Outlaw Soaps say this is their sexiest scent.
The Gambler Solid Cologne
The manufacturer says that the combination of tobacco, leather, and bourbon in this cologne’s formula is their luckiest scent. It quickly eliminates body odors, so the wearer can keep their stoneface at the poker table all night long. It’s got a refined but long-lasting smell designed to create an ambiance rather than an impact.
Fire in The Hole Campfire Solid Cologne
This is an explosively-awesome scent with hues of gunpowder, sagebrush, dirt, bacon, and whiskey. Like all of Outlaw Soaps’ products, this solid cologne is 100% skin-safe and made in the USA from naturally-derived ingredients.
#6. Cremo Solid Cologne
Cremo is a well-known maker of barber-grade products in the USA. The company’s story began a few years ago when one of its founders by the name of Mike couldn’t find a shaving cream for his sensitive skin and decided to develop his own, calling it Cremo. Today, they offer a wide selection of fragrances for men and women. Their best solid colognes are Bourbon & Oak and Blue Cedar & Cypress.
Bourbon & Oak
As soon as you slide open its tin box, you’ll smell a tantalizing combination of lively distiller’s spices and hues of smoked bourbon and oak. This cologne comes in the form of concentrated balm for super-easy application. The handsome tin box is made to outlast the product inside.
Blue Cedar & Cypress
This solid cologne has a distinct scent of blue cedarwood and cypress, and you may also sniff some citrus zest. One user admits this product smells like an old-school barbershop, adding that the citrus zest is there, but the cedar is not. Another user shares that it’s quite a masculine scent and very oaky, which only confirms the fact that the cedar scent is missing.
#7. Solid State Cologne Review
Solid State is a UK maker of men’s shaving and grooming products and fragrances. Their most popular and sophisticated men’s solid cologne is called Supreme. Inspired by Paco Rabanne – 1 Million, this solid cologne’s formula smells of citrus, spice, and exotic woods. its warm and somehow addictive scent is for those who never go unnoticed.
Aviator
Inspired by Bleu de Chanel, this solid cologne is for the rich eccentric, who’s constantly busy pulling the devil by the tail. if you think of yourself as the next Howard Hughes or Elon Musk, then you’ll appreciate this cologne for its daring scent of a rainforest. It’s got a base of Sandalwood, Amber, and Cedar Wood that smell great together. The fruity smell comes from ingredients like Melon, Ginger, and Jasmine.
The Wayfarer
Solid State’s fragrance experts have received their inspiration for this solid cologne from Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille. This multi-layered combination of scents is based on Dried Fruit and Wood, with Tonka Bean, Tobacco Blossom, and Cacao in the center. The top notes of this solid cologne are delicate, conveying a distant whiff of tobacco and Bergamot.
Buying Guide
As a rule, the best solid colognes of renowned manufacturers like Otter Wax or Ulio&Jack are more expensive than their liquid namesakes, so choosing the right one for your skin is essential. Albeit all of the solid colognes discussed above are premium products of outstanding quality, we recommend that you buy your first one from a specialized store after consulting a fragrance expert and trying several testers on. Once you figure out which scents wear well on your skin, you can continue shopping online.
Once you pick up your favorite product, you should start snooping around for hot deals. You see, solid colognes traditionally have long expiry terms, so stocking up some of the good stuff at a bargain price is always a good idea.
Is Solid Cologne Better Than Traditional Cologne?
This perhaps is the Hamletian question every solid cologne user wants to know the answer to. First, traditional cologne can be applied after your morning shave for a soothing effect, whilst trying to do this with your solid cologne would be a tragic waste of fragrant material without much soothing effect. If applied on the face, solid cologne creates a thin hydrating layer of essential oils that may include Jojoba oil and shea butter.
On the one hand, you can discretely carry a box of solid cologne in your pocket and apply it right before a long-awaited date or an important business meeting. Also, solid colognes are travel-friendlier and better protected in their small tin boxes. So, solid cologne would be the choice of the active wealthy man.
On the other hand, active wealthy men represent a relatively small part of manhood. That’s why cheap traditional colognes are still the far more popular suppressant of masculine body odors. Most men simply go with affordable and widely-popular colognes, even if solid colognes are far more economical and their scent lasts much longer.
