I’ll third the recommendation for Eau Sauvage. When I was a junior in high school and spent a month with a family in France, they gave me a bottle of Eau Sauvage shampoo / body wash as a welcoming gift. It was possibly the only non-dorky thing about me that summer, and I didn’t smell like every other Axe-scented little twerp. I have to caution you, though – it didn’t get me laid.
Try citrusy over musky. 
My body chemistry is weird, there are only about 3 perfumes that don’t end up smelling like cat piss on me (FWIW – they are Curve, Poison and damn, I forget the other one!), so I always wear men’s cologne. My faves are: [ul]
[li]Aqua di Gio – very soft, clean and crisp[/li][li]Polo – classic scent, a little goes a very long way[/li][li]Burberry Brit – my current fave, it is very understated with undertones of ginger – makes me swoon[/li][li]Eternity – the women’s version makes me gag, but the men’s is divine[/li][li]CKOne – ok, unisex…this must be my third women’s that I can wear…[/li][/ul]
Now, there was a guy at the mall one day and he smelled so amazing that I actually asked him what he was wearing – he said it was “Paris Hilton Blue.” The Kirra from Pac Sun is pretty yummy, too.
A warning…despite my best efforts in wine snobbing I never HAVE been very good at sensory things, but here it goes…
My personal fav is “Le Male” by Jean Paul Gaultier . Kind of a woodsy vanilla type fragrance.
My other two are “Reserve” by Perry Ellis and the good ole Polo “Blue” .
Guy posting here. I don’t use cologne or aftershave, but I know a number of women who just love Old Spice. It’s amazing how a cheap drugstore brand seems to retain its charm for a lot of women, but all I can think of is those ridiculous commercials with the sailor.
Another guy with a suggestion/ request for feedback.
I’ve worn Tsar for years and gotten compliments.
Any opinions on that one ladies?
I love Obsession by Calvin Klein. And I’m another one who loves Old Spice on my guy.
What I did when I decided, a few years ago, that it was time I got a “grown-up” scent (as opposed to body sprays from Bath & Body Works), was go to Nordstrom. I told the salespeople that I was NOT going to buy anything that day, but that I was in the market for a new perfume and wanted help finding scents that I liked. They were great. They were very helpful and sent me home with a bunch of samples, so I could see how they smelled on my skin, over the course of a day. I went back and did the same thing a couple more times, until I found one I fell in love with. I highly recommend the process, because you’re never going to know what a cologne really smells like when you’re in the store, amidst all the other smells.
I’m thinking about going back and doing it again, for variety. You have to be prepared to fall in love with something pricey, though – that’s the biggest drawback!
Just a note on the Old Spice – my Dad used to wear that, so it will always remind me of him. My husband also likes it, but has been warned that I will not have sex with him if he smells like my dad.
Citrus works for most men. “Woodsy” works if you can find it (not pine, but more like redwood chips. Maybe just some sawdust from your workbench 
Another absolute vote for this one. I used to think it was best on blonde men, but I’ve discovered over the years that it suits redheads and brown-haired guys as well.
It’s light and fresh, and just right= it smells expensive and classy.
It got the guys I know laid.
Not a lady but here’s what I wear/have worn and like/liked:
Issey Miyake L’eau d’Issey
DKNY Be Delicious
Gaultier Le Male
If you can’t find anywhere local to hook you up with samples, you can probably find cheap samples on Ebay. A couple bucks may get you 2 or 3 little bottles that are great to toss in the car, one in the overnight case, work desk drawer, etc. Some Ebay sellers bundle a bunch of different ones in a grab bag that makes it easy to pick your hits and misses without dropping $40-80 on a bottle of stank.
ETA Aqua Di Gio
I love Pi by Givenchy 
oh, I forgot one of my favorites. This one is hard to make work, unless you are a complete stud.
Envy by Gucci, it is hard to describe, sex in a bottle maybe?
I don’t really care for it, overpowering with a lot of musk, but damn… The ladies seem to like it.
another vote for Acqua Di Gio Everytime I smell it something biologically goes off in my body and I want to just pounce on the man claw his clothes off and DESTROY HIM in bed. soo good.
Where do I get some?
Coming from a guy who has NEVER owned a cologne/after shave… what is the “etiquette” of said products? What do I wear when? How much where?
sorry for the hijack…just very curious
In my opinion, do two sprays to the wrist, rub together…one to the chest and one to the back of the neck
Dry down is important! Give most of these mentioned an hour to breath.
I used to wear Acqua di Gio every day, but budgetary constraints forced me to cut back to special occassions only. The next time I ran into them, two female friends of mine BITCHED ME OUT because I didn’t smell as good anymore.
It was simultaneously flattering and unnerving.
NOnono - don’t rub perfumes or colognes - it bruises the fragrance. Or so I’ve heard. I can’t tell you how much to wear - if there’s someone you trust to tell you the truth, put some on and ask them if it’s too much. You DO NOT want to be making people’s eyes water with too much stink-um. The rule of thumb for perfume and cologne is that someone standing close enough to talk to you should be able to smell it, but somebody just walking by shouldn’t (in other words, less is very much more in this arena).
I’m going on a smelling trip today - I’ll report back and let you know which smells I liked. I’ll warn you, though - I have an excellent nose, and I am EXTREMELY fussy over scents.
I was in House of Fraser at the weekend with a friend doing the usual girlie-type shopping. Some bloke approached us as we walked through the [del]biological warfare[/del] perfume section offering us something called “212 Sexy Men”.
I had to ask if that meant I got all 212 guys at once or just one at a time. I mean, where am I going to find room to keep all 212 of them?