The Best Diesel Colognes For Men: Our Top Picks

Diesel is an Italian luxury clothing and fragrance brand that has achieved worldwide fame. Its flagship fragrance, Only The Brave, has been a phenomenal success due to its bold scent and its fist-shaped bottle design.

Diesel's fragrances combine zesty fruits with spices and deeper notes of wood, amber, and tobacco. The brand's colognes are not for the faint-hearted but are instead aimed at modern men who want to add a touch of daring to their lives.

With over 25 Diesel men's scents released to date, which is the best?

Diesel Only The Brave Eau de Toilette

The perfume has top notes of lemon and mandarin orange, with a heart of coriander and violet, and a base of amber and leather. The fist-shaped bottle is inspired by a sculpture in Detroit that pays tribute to the boxer Joe Louis. The bottle symbolises masculinity and courage, with the fist in different positions expressing different values.

Only The Brave is a versatile fragrance that can be worn during the day or night and is suitable for both casual and formal occasions. It has good performance, with a longevity of 5+ hours and moderate to strong sillage and projection. It is an attractive and versatile cologne available at a low price point.

Overall, Only The Brave is a classy, underrated, and masculine fragrance that dries down into an elegant amber and leather scent. It is a safe blind buy that will not offend anyone and is ideal for younger guys.

Diesel Only The Brave Tattoo

The fragrance opens with a burst of crisp apple and juicy mandarin orange, before giving way to peppery notes and sage, adding a layer of spiced herbs. As it dries down, the scent becomes more suited to cooler weather, with notes of luxury pipe tobacco, resin, and woods, along with a hint of earthy patchouli.

Only The Brave Tattoo is a sexy, masculine evening fragrance. It starts off fruity with a dusting of pepper, then brings in tobacco and resin as it settles. It has good performance, with a longevity of 6+ hours and moderate to strong sillage and projection.

The bottle design is a fist-shaped flacon in dark shades, with "Only The Brave Tattoo" inscribed in a "La Graffiti" style. The outer packaging complements the design of the bottle.

Overall, Diesel Only The Brave Tattoo is a well-balanced, warm fragrance that is perfect for a winter evening. It is a versatile scent that can be worn casually or for a night out.

Diesel Fuel for Life for Men

The cologne comes in a leather pouch with a gold cap and is geared towards a young crowd. It is best suited for casual nights out and mild spring and fall weather. The scent has great projection and solid longevity, lasting 8 to 12 hours.

Diesel Fuel for Life Spirit is an intensified version of the original Diesel Fuel for Life, with added cinnamon and whiskey notes, and a sexier, more mysterious feel. It is perfect for a night out during the colder months and is also aimed at a younger demographic.

Diesel Plus Plus Masculine

This is an older fragrance from Diesel, with a unique vibe to match its bizarre milk carton box. The fresh spiciness of cinnamon and nutmeg is always a winning combination. It's not too intense, but tempered by sweet orange and tonka bean. This fragrance may not be for everyone, but it's sure to bring back memories of the 1990s, which had its own distinct style of fragrances.

If you're looking for a cologne that stands out from the crowd and offers a blast from the past, Diesel Plus Plus Masculine is an excellent choice. With its unique packaging and captivating scent, it's sure to become a favourite in your collection.

Diesel Spirit of the Brave

Launched in 2019, Spirit of the Brave is an exciting deviation from the usual Diesel scents. It has a woody, aromatic, and spicy/fresh scent that seems to have no relation to the rest of the collection apart from the Intense version.

The fragrance has a crisp, zesty bergamot and bitter-green galbanum opening, ensuring it grabs your attention from the start. The heart is a pine forest scent of fir and slightly smoky cypress, giving an outdoorsy, natural vibe. Upon dry-down, hints of almond and vanilla come through from the tonka bean, while labdanum injects a musky sweetness.

Spirit of the Brave is best suited for the changing seasons of spring and autumn. It leans slightly more towards daytime wear and would make the perfect office-safe scent—manly, confident, and professional.

Performance is average, with 4+ hours of longevity before it becomes a skin scent. Sillage and projection during this time are moderate to strong.

Overall, Spirit of the Brave has a forest-fresh opening with a splash of citrus and dries down to a tonka bean vanilla note. It's a great choice for a fresh and light spring/autumn scent, equally suited to casual wear or more formal.

Frequently asked questions