Zara is known for producing fragrances “inspired by” high-end fragrances- and they do a great job.
Some of the best Zara colognes are 90% similar to their designer counterparts, but at 10-20% of the price.
My top pick this week, Vibrant Leather, is very similar to Aventus by Creed, for a fraction of the price.
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Similar to Tobacco Vanille
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Best Overall
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Smells like YSL
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$41.99 ($12.35 / Fl Oz)
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$50.00 ($24.63 / Fl Oz)
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$73.65 ($21.66 / Fl Oz)
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Pros:
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- An affordable scent that evolves and develops over time.
- Authentic tobacco notes conjure spice and plenty of masculine bite.
- Very similar to Aventus by Creed - but just a fraction of the price.
- Citrus and bergamot combine for a masculine and professional-smelling fragrance.
- Sweet amber and warming cardamom combine beautifully in this successful cologne.
- 90% similar to YSL L'Homme, for a fraction of the price.
Sure, you’ll have to make some allowances in terms of performance. Most Zara colognes will need to be reapplied to survive the whole day, but you can’t really expect more. Either way, they still last longer than most other colognes in this price range.
Zara have have produced over 200 fragrances up till now, which might leave you wondering where to start.
Luckily for you, I’ve narrowed it down to the 11 best Zara perfumes for him.
In this guide, I’ll be covering which colognes are best for imitating certain designer scents, alongside a few unique fragrances that bring something new to the table.
So- let’s get into it!
Best Zara Perfumes for Him in 2023
Vibrant Leather – The Creed Imitator
Tobacco Collection RWA – Best for Class on a Budget (Tobacco Vanille)
Night Pour Homme III – Best for Nightlife (Yves Saint Laurent Imitator)
Cherry Smoothie – A Subtle Tom Ford Lost Cherry Alternative
Gourmand Addict – A Tom Ford Bitter Peach Smell-a-like
Zara Lisboa – An Acqua di Gio Alternative
Vibrant Leather Oud – Best for Retro Feel
Men’s W/End till 3:00 AM & till 8:00 PM – Best Value for Money
Man Gold – Best for Confidence and Seduction
Vetiver Pamplemousse – Best for Energizing Citrus
Best Zara Perfumes for Him
Vibrant Leather – The Creed Aventus Alternative
Vibrant Leather is a masculine and professional-smelling fragrance, delivering CEO confidence and authority.
| Top Notes: | Bergamot, Citruses |
| Middle Note: | Bamboo |
| Base Note: | Leather |
If you’ve always wanted to get into Creed fragrances but can’t afford them, this is the cologne for you.
Vibrant Leather opens up with the iconic combo of bergamot and zesty lemon and lime. This freshness fades within an hour or two into a wood, musky aroma.
The leather in the name is rather quiet. I interpret Vibrant Leather as a fresh and clean fragrance, rather than the dark leather the name prepares you for.
As you’d expect for a cheaper cologne, it doesn’t pack quite as much of a punch as its designer inspiration. Vibrant Leather wears as more a light Eau de Toilette than a powerful Eau de Parfum. It’s a watered-down interpretation, but you can’t expect anything more for the price.
You’ll get an hour or so of solid projection before Vibrant Leather retreats to skin-scent territory for a further 4-5.
Even with that in mind, Vibrant Leather is a cologne I would recommend to basically anyone. For a hilariously low price, you’re blessed with a real compliment-collecting fragrance that is truly versatile.
Very similar to Aventus Creed. Does an excellent job for a fraction of the price.
Citrus and bergamot combine for a masculine and professional-smelling fragrance.
| Occasion: Creed Aventus fans | Longevity: 5 – 6 hours |
| Age Group: 23 – 40 | Projection: Light |
| Season: Year-round | Value for Money: 5/5 |
Tobacco Collection RWA – Tobacco Vanille Imitator
For the price, RWA is almost unbelievably good. Too good. It’s a supreme, tempting aroma from start to finish, with solid projection and longevity.
| Top Notes: | White Rum, Tobacco Flower |
| Middle Notes: | Peony Wood, Tobacco Leaf, Cardamom and Cloves |
| Base Notes: | Bourbon Vanilla |
The tobacco in this blend is realistic, sweet tobacco flower just like in Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille.
It’s rounded out by warm and creamy vanilla opens up, with touches of rum and cardamom and cloves lending spice and warmth to the heart.
This is no generic, linear tobacco blast, that’s for sure.
It is the perfect cologne for Gents looking to exude a luxurious sense when they’re suited up; whether you’re making deals in the office or seducing at an up-market bar.
There’s surprising and welcome depth in this fragrance, with layers evolving and changing over time.
If you have no money to smell a million bucks, I say to you: buy this warm and cozy scent from Zara.
An affordable alternative to Tobacco Vanille that evolves and develops over time.
Authentic tobacco notes conjure spice and plenty of masculine bite.
| Occasion: Smelling expensive on a budget | Longevity: 5 hours |
| Age group: 25 – 35 | Projection: Moderate |
| Season: Fall/Winter | Value for Money: 5/5 |
Night Pour Homme III – Best for Nightlife – Yves Saint Laurent Imitator
Night Pour Homme has a “fizzy” cola sort of vibe. I’ve always loved resinous, amber, cardamom-infused fragrances, and this Zara cologne fits the bill 100%.
| Top Notes: | Cardamom and Bergamot |
| Middle Notes: | Lavender |
| Base Notes: | Amber and Cedar |
If you’re a fan of Yves Saint Laurent, this one is for you. It’s 90% of the way similar to L’Homme, and a great alternative.
I am shocked by the resemblance- if you hadn’t worn either fragrance regularly, I doubt you’d be able to tell the difference at all.
A word of warning- the first 5-10 minutes are sort of rough. It starts SUPER synthetic and chemically, and doesn’t smell particularly good.
After 10-15 minutes, everything settles down and this initial harshness fades away.
There’s a touch of iris which lays across the fragrance profile like a racing stripe. It sticks out, draws attention, but enhances rather than distracts. It’s this floral undertone that differentiates it from YSL’s L’Homme.
Oh, that and the performance. For such a low price, you know that performance isn’t going to be able to stack up against high-end designer houses like YSL.
Nevertheless, you’re going to get the standard Zara output of 4-5 hours, which is very respectable at this price point.
Sweet amber and warming cardamom combine beautifully in this scent.
90% similar to YSL L'Homme, for a fraction of the price.
| Occasion: YSL L’Homme fans | Longevity: 4 – 5 hours |
| Age group: 25 – 35 | Projection: Moderate |
| Season: Year-round | Value for Money: 5/5 |
Vibrant Leather Oud – Best for Retro Feel
A twist on my top pick, Vibrant Leather Oud is one of the best Zara colognes I tested. It’s got an 80s/90s feel and reminds me of a classy nightclub where you’re dressed to the nines.
A crisp Armani shirt, an enormous watch, leather moccasins with no socks- Vibrant Oud is the Zara fragrance you’d choose for flexing on the haters.
| Top Notes: | Bergamot |
| Middle Notes: | Incense and Woodsy Notes |
| Base Notes: | Oud (Agarwood) |
Compared to the original, Vibrant Leather Oud is a little toned down in terms of brightness. This is a deeper blend that replaces the sweet citrusy bergamot with smoky, mysterious incense. In that sense, it’s a touch more masculine- but less clean and business appropriate.
Zara Vibrant Leather Oud opens with a mandarin note combined with dark oud. The oud here is similar to modern interpretations like Tom Ford’s Oud Wood. It’s unpolarising and cleaned up for a western audience, for sure.
Once it settles down, Vibrant Leather Oud mellows into woody incense, tempered with a hint of amber. Like the original, I don’t get much leather from this fragrance. There’s a hint in the base, but the overriding sense is soapy woodiness from the Oud.
The performance is slightly improved from the original, but only marginally. The projection is longer (you might get two solid hours), but the overall longevity is much the same. If you get 5 hours, you’re doing well.
Even with that in mind, Vibrant Leather Oud still represents obscenely good value.
If this were like a Versace fragrance with improved longevity, people would go crazy for it.
Deeper and more masculine than the original Vibrant Leather.
A streak of smoky, mysterious incense adds a seductive quality.
| Occasion: A classy club night | Longevity: 4 – 5 hours |
| Age group: 21 – 35 | Projection: Moderate |
| Season: Fall/Winter | Value for Money: 4/5 |
Need to know: What does Oud smell like?
Cherry Smoothie – A Subtle Tom Ford Lost Cherry Alternative
For a fragrance that costs far less than the Tom Ford version, Cherry Smoothie is really impressive. The cherry and almond top notes are vibrant and natural-smelling, but this time there’s a touch of plum or berries, too.
The classic cherry/almond combo, but this time with a touch of berries.
A more subtle scent for intimate encounters and indoor environments.
| Occasion: Intimate environments | Longevity: 6 Hours |
| Age group: 25 – 40 | Projection: Subtle |
| Season: Year-round | Value for Money: 4/5 |
The heavier, boozy quality of the Tom Ford original is also notably absent, so this is a great choice for anyone put off by alcoholic undertones.
As you’d expect from a budget scent, the performance here isn’t exactly beastly, but you’ll still get around 6 hours out of this fragrance. The main difference is that the projection is a little lighter. It’s like a more intimate version of Lost Cherry, detectable when you’re 2 – 3 feet away rather than filling the room with fragrance.
| Top Notes: | Cherry, Almond and Plum |
| Middle Notes: | Heliotrope, Hawthorn and Peru Balsam |
| Base Notes: | Vanilla and Tonka Bean |
Zara Gourmand Addict – A Tom Ford Bitter Peach Smell-a-like
Okay, this is technically a women’s fragrance, but hear me out.
| Occasion: Energy and Fruitiness | Longevity: 6 Hours |
| Age group: 18 – 25 | Projection: Moderate |
| Season: Spring/Summer | Value for Money: 4/5 |
Gourmand Addict smells like peach iced tea – light, sweet and fun. It’s the kind of scent that feels youthful and optimistic, so I’d recommend it as a budget pick for Gents in their early to mid 20’s on a sunny holiday.
It’s not as masculine as other scent son this list, but there is some chocolate and patchouli in the base that lends a bit of seriousness to the dry down.
You could happily wear Gourmand Addict as a date fragrance if you’re going out for fun cocktails in the sun. This carefree fragrance will pick up compliments for any Gent confident enough in his masculinity to not need a cologne to be manly on his behalf.
Men and women alike will ask me what I’m wearing and they’re always shocked when I tell them it’s a high-steet scent that only costs about $40 for a 3 Oz bottle.
| Top Notes: | Mandarin, Orange and Bergamot |
| Middle Notes: | Peach, May Rose, Blackcurrant and Jasmine |
| Base Notes: | Woodsy Notes, Patchouli and Benzoin |
Zara Lisboa – An Acqua di Gio Alternative
Lisboa is another example of Zara colognes punching well above their weight in terms of price.
| Occasion: Breezy Freshness | Longevity: 3 – 4 hours |
| Age group: 25 – 40 | Projection: Light/Moderate |
| Season: Summer | Value for Money: 3.5/5 |
It smells about 85% similar to Acqua di Gio, with the same airy, aquatic feel that I love in the Armani cologne. In this breezy cologne, clean citrus and florality descend into woods with a hint of spice.
I’d recommend this as a daily-use fragrance that you can spray without thinking, perfect for spring and summer.
Girls seem to love it too, by the way. If I wear Lisboa to the office, it’s only a matter of time before I receive compliments from female colleagues.
Longevity is similar to the current Acqua di Gio at 3 – 4 hours, which might sound a little underwhelming – until you remember this Zara scent only cost around $15. At that price, you can afford to load yourself up with a few more sprays to get the longevity you’re looking for.
| Top Notes: | Lemon, Grapefruit and Orange |
| Middle Notes: | Jasmine |
| Base Notes: | Woodsy Notes |
Men’s W/End till 3:00 AM & Men’s W/End till 8:00 PM- Best Value for Money
These two colognes come as part of a pair pack designed to guide you through an entire day of revelry.
W/End till 3:00AM
Let’s look at the “night” partner first. W/End to 3:00AM is like a minimalist version of vibrant leather. It still revolves around top notes of pineapple and bergamot, but it’s cleaned up and restrained.
| Occasion: Late-night escapades | Longevity: 4 – 5 hours |
| Age group: 18 – 28 | Projection: Moderate |
| Season: Year-round | Value for Money: 5/5 |
I’d bracket this more as ambiguous musky citrus than something that would make you exclaim “pineapple!” in the way VL or Creed Aventus might.
This light fragrance has “I just got out of the shower” vibes, emphasizing freshness for daytime activity.
As time goes by there’s a bit of development from semi-sweet florals like lavender and violet, and the heart livens up through a pinch of black pepper. It sits on top of a powdery base of cedar with a hit of sweet amber.
Standard longevity and projection of 4-5 hours. Are you noticing a theme developing with Zara colognes?
| Top Notes: | Pineapple and Bergamot |
| Middle Notes: | Lavender and Violet Leaf |
| Base Notes: | Cedar |
And now, onto its partner in crime…
W/End till 8PM
Men’s W/End till 8:00PM is an aquatic and aromatic day scent that women seem to love to be around.
| Occasion: Casual daytime dates | Longevity: 4 – 5 hours |
| Age group: 18 – 28 | Projection: Moderate |
| Season: Fall/Winter | Value for Money: 5/5 |
My girlfriend literally grabbed hold of me during my test day and wouldn’t let me go until I told her what I was wearing. When I told her it was a $15 Zara cologne, she was as bemused as I was.
Then, the same thing happened to me in the checkout aisle later that day. Okay, this time the lady wasn’t quite as insistent, but you get the point. W/End 8:00PM makes women sit up, take notice and pay attention.
Till 8:00PM has that Invictus-style pineapple bursting forth in full glory. When it combines with mandarin orange in the opening, the result is a sweet peachy delight.
| Top Notes: | Mandarin Orange and Pineapple |
| Middle Notes: | Lavender and Pepper |
| Base Notes: | Amber and Leather |
Gun to my head, W/End 3:00AM is my favorite of the two. It smells like Bvlgari Aqva Atlantique, and is a great option if you want a fresh and tropical cologne without spending a fortune.
The quality/cost ratio is high across all the best Zara colognes, but that’s never been more obvious than with the W/End twin pack deal.
Man Gold – Best for Confidence and Seduction
Man Gold is a classic “sex appeal” fragrance and doesn’t smell anywhere near as cheap as it is.
| Occasion: Candlelit seduction | Longevity: 5 hours |
| Age group: 25 – 35 | Projection: Strong |
| Season: Year-round | Value for Money: 4/5 |
The opening is rich and chocolatey, with fresh citrus perched on top of a dark, gourmand balsamic. Despite the sweetness, the overriding sense is one of masculinity and confidence.
After 5-10 minutes the games begin. In come strong spiced elements of dry cinnamon and warm cardamom, and Man Gold starts to smell as precious as gold itself. Touches of incense enhance this luxurious sense and lend a mysterious, brooding quality.
Projection-wise, Man Gold does a little better than the other Zara colognes on this list. It’s a loud fragrance, and you’ll get 2-3 hours of arms-length fragrance from the initial application. Longevity is roughly what you’d expect, clocking in around 5 hours.
| Top Notes: | Lemon, Balsamic |
| Middle Notes: | Cinnamon, Incense and Black Cardamom |
| Base Notes | Ebony Wood, Amber, Patchouli |
Vetiver Pamplemousse – Best for Energizing Citrus
Vetiver Pamplemousse is a fatally attractive grapefruit cologne. It’s all about energizing and sharp grapefruit, uncomplicated aside from a couple of touches of greenery.
| Occasion: Office freshness | Longevity: 4 hours |
| Age group: 25 – 35 | Projection: Light |
| Season: Spring/Summer | Value for Money: 3.5/5 |
It might be the most accurate and realistic grapefruit I’ve ever found in a cologne. Most budget fragrances confuse the note by adding lemon and lime, where the result is just a general citrus sense.
Vetiver Pamplemousse surprised me with its quality right away, with an authentic grapefruit smell that captures the bitterness of the rind and the juice of the flesh. It sort of reminds me of the white spongey section under the skin.
In the dry down, you start to notice subtle notes of green vetiver, which serves as a softener to the acerbic grapefruit accord. Still, the vetiver is nowhere near as prominent as the name might lead you to believe.
Overall, it Vetiver Pamplemousse punches way above its price bracket. It performs similarly to some of the best Jimmy Choo colognes – but for half the price. There’s no alcohol sense that you often find in cheaper fragrances.
This is a pleasant and natural-smelling cologne that I don’t tire of throughout the day. That said, I do find myself having to reapply it. At the risk of repeating myself, Zara produces high-quality fragrances- but their longevity is not top-tier.
You’re looking at 4 hours or so before it fades away. I tend to spray once before work, once at lunch, and then again when I’m leaving the office. At this price, you can permit yourself to spray it at will and without guilt.
This zesty pick-me-up is best for spring and summer days and evenings. It is neither suited to nor capable of cutting through a frigid winter’s day.
P.S if you’re looking for a grapefruit heavy cologne but need better performance, you should check out Light Blue Pour Home – one of the best Dolce & Gabbana colognes.
| Top Notes: | Grapefruit, Sweet Mandarin |
| Middle Notes: | Green Vetiver |
| Base Notes: | Cedar, Vetiver Root |
FAQ- What You Should Know About the Best Zara Colognes
Are Zara Colognes Worth It?
Zara offers some of the best value-for-money perfumes for men I’ve ever come across.
They’re most known for producing scents inspired by notorious fragrances from high-end designer brands. They actually manage to get pretty close to the originals.
The twist is that Zara fragrances cost far less than the colognes that inspire them.
For example, Night Pour Homme III is 90% similar to Yves Saint Laurent’s L’Homme.
Night Pour Homme III retails for $36, while L’Homme goes for $81! The Zara scent may not be as long-lasting, but it’s less than half the price.
What is the Best Zara Men’s Fragrance?
Vibrant Leather is the best Zara Men’s fragrance. It’s the most popular and mimics Aventus by Creed which is one of the world’s best fragrances, period.
However, my personal favorite is the tobacco-inspired Rich Warm and Addictive. It’s such a great expression of warm amber-y goodness, and has better longevity than Vibrant Leather.
Are Zara Fragrances Long-lasting?
For the price, Zara colognes perform admirably. You get 4-5 hours of high-quality fragrance.
They outlast many budget offerings, where you’ll often only get 1-2 hours.
You’ll be disappointed if you’re looking for the 10-12 hour longevity you can expect from designer houses, but your wallet will thank you.
Which Zara Perfume Smells Like Creed?
Vibrant leather is an unashamed Aventus Creed imitation that does an excellent job for a fraction of the price.
I think that anyone who doesn’t have experience wearing both fragrances would struggle to tell the difference.
How to Buy Zara Colognes
Zara is a European company, so we aren’t blessed with masses of stores in the States. To save yourself a drive across the country, I’d recommend ordering online.
You’re also more likely to get the cologne you want this way, rather than settling for whatever they have in stock in-store.
I’ve included links to the best prices I could find from reputable retailers, so you can buy with confidence that your cologne is legitimate and will actually arrive. Zara colognes are cheap enough that it’s not worth using a sketchy website just to save a few dollars.
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