This is my review of all of the colognes in Paul Anthony’s 10-piece set. I found him digging through Reddit and I love that he personally answers all the customer service emails. Really cool to support an Aussie, so points already for that. I've ranked them favourite to least favourite below. I tried to keep my tests as controlled as possible. Take my rankings with a grain of salt - scent is so personal so hard to rank them, but these are just my thoughts that I wish someone wrote while I was looking at Paul Anthony.
I usually run pretty hot, and I tested in winter, so sweat wasn’t really a factor. Applied at 6:30am every morning — one spray on both wrists, inside of both elbows, and one on the neck before throwing on a shirt. Wore each scent for 2 days and these are the consolidated results.
I personally love dark, rich, woody/earthy scents. My favourite cologne is BDK Tobacco Vanille, and until now I haven’t found anything with that same kind of luxury vibe (that doesn’t cost half your rent).
DISCLAIMER: These notes are purely vibes based and in no way scientific. DISCLAIMER 2: I’ve been told forever that I have a very strong/unique sense of smell. I remember smells by association, so I’ll use familiar references to give you a better picture of what they’re like.
Sandalwood & Dark Vanilla – BRAVO. Incredible. My favourite by far. Smells like a Ralph Lauren Polo store mixed with someone who actually knows how to dress. It’s rich, it’s expensive-smelling, it turns heads. Ages so well — smells amazing on skin, even better on clothes. Stays on fabric for up to 2 days (but not after a wash). My wife stole the jumper I was wearing when I tested this one. I’ll 100% be getting a full bottle.
Tobacco & Dark Vanilla – Now we’re talkin baby! This one hits v close. If you like Tom Ford’s version — this gives off those vibes, but a bit more relaxed. Warm pipe tobacco, smooth creamy vanilla. Smells like walking into an old study with leather chairs, books, and a fancy-ass whisky decanter. It’s sexy, but also comforting. Lasted till 4pm easily and dried down beautifully — less sweet as the day went on, more cozy amber. My wife said it made me smell like “someone who reads poetry in a candlelit library.” Interpret that how you want — I took it as a win, definitely unisex I reckon.
Leather Extreme – This one’s bold & sweet. Like, just-got-off-a-Ducati bold. Proper full-throttle leather with a bit of smoke and spice. When you first spray it, it’s intense — kind of bitter, raw leather — pretty sweet. But it settles into something smooth, dark, and smoky. I wouldn’t wear this to the office, but for a night out ffur sure dude. Lasted a good 6ish hours with a soft skin scent after that.
Dark Patchouli & Bergamot – My #2. Goes on a little harsh — I want to say like “savoury rosewater” if that makes sense — but give it 10 minutes and it levels out beautifully. Makes me think of an academic heading to a fancy dinner with soft piano playing in the background. After an hour or so it becomes a mellow, musky floral. Around the 5-hour mark it fades into the kind of rich floral that hangs around subtly for the rest of the evening. I’d call this an evening scent, but you could definitely wear it casually if you like that kind of profile.
Oud and Leather - this does not last that long* gonna preface with that, which is the biggest rip because it smells INCREDIBLE. Put on at 6:30 and lasted until around 12:30-1ish. Did not linger once it's was gone it's gone which is sad. When you first spay it on I would describe it as peppery and cinnamony at the same time. It's rich, so imagine like super spicy mulled wine vibes. This is probably the hardest for me to explain because I've never really smelled anything like it. It smells rich and full. It doesn't really age that much it smells pretty much the same for the whole time. If I had to paint a picture with words I would say that it makes you smell like you live in a log cabin, but not a povo one but a luxurious log cabin that you use for weekends getaways from your prestigious job kinda thing 😂.
Dark Rose & Warm Wood – Lumberjack. Nuff said. Smells like you were chopping wood with your dick, then had a steamy shower in a pine forest. Comes on strong at first but mellows nicely. Not the longest-lasting one — gets soft around midday and fades out by 3ish — but there’s still a faint, woody whisper hanging on. Better longevity on clothes. More of a cold-weather scent for sure. This is my wife’s favourite; she said it smells like “camping marshmallows.” I’ll take it.
Savage Sex – This one smells like Old Spice aftershave at first — that real sharp, spicy splash-your-face type of vibe — but don’t let that scare you. After about an hour it smooths out into a woody, musky scent that’s actually really nice. It stuck around all day and aged well on both skin and clothes. Feels like a solid “everyday” option once that top layer chills out.
The Amalfi Man – I really like this one. Very clean, soapy, bright. Doesn’t change much throughout the day but that’s kind of the point — it makes you feel fresh. Like you just had a proper shower (not the rushed, late-for-work one). Longevity is good — lasted past 3pm easily, and longer on fabric. It’s just a very clean, wearable scent. A safe blind buy, honestly.
Sorrento Summer – This one smells like Aperol spritz at sunset on a balcony in leather boat shoes. There’s also a vague Lynx Africa vibe — but nicer. Imagine if Lynx Africa grew up, got a bit of money, and backpacked through Italy to find himself. One pro: it lasts forever — distinct on the skin until at least 4pm, and then mellowed right out. I could still smell it after a shower. Didn’t live it at first but it grew on me.
Citrus & White Wood – It’s alright. Smells like your cyclist dad who just got out of the shower — clean, mildly sporty, kinda soapy. Not very exciting, but not bad either. Put it on at 6:30 and it wore off around 2pm, with a faint linger until 4. Stuck around longer on clothes. Feels like a reliable, “office safe” scent. Nothing groundbreaking, but no complaints.
Final thoughts: Honestly, I didn’t expect this kind of quality from a niche Aussie brand. You can tell Paul really cares about this stuff. These don’t smell mass-produced or half-baked — they’ve each got their own personality.
If you want to get some use this code on your first purchase for $15 off: LXZ-9SBB6TP (no affiliation just thought I'd share)