Boys that age love Sauvage.

I forget where I got it but I found something for my younger teen that was samples of 5-6 popular colognes. I gave it as a Christmas present and said I’d get him his favorite for his birthday. A college kid may have more particular tastes than a 16 year old though.

My 18 y/o and his friends have been into cologne for awhile. What's your budget for this purchase? Creed Aventus is his favorite, but it's really expensive and I'd be reluctant to blind buy it.

Two tips:

• TJMaxx often has popular fragrances available online at a discount, but they won't come up in a Google search. You have to go to the website and search for it there.
• Consider bath gel/body lotion instead of EDT or EDP. It's less expensive and more subtle.

Go to Sephora, ask one of the sales associates what's popular by age. Or just know in advance if you want woodsy, spicy, or clean type scents and they can help narrow it down.

My 23 yr old DS likes cologne. He wears Hermes Terre d’hermes and it smells nice. I get him a tiny bottle basically every Christmas and it lasts, he uses sparingly and only for special occasions.

Tom Ford cologne is popular. Nordstrom’s has a good selection.

All the prior suggestions are good, and I will add another. Go to Macy's, and ask for the little samples of men's cologne from the counters. Put them in your son's stocking and ask which one he likes best - then, that's the one to buy. And, I haven't been in Macy's in over a decade, so this is assuming that's still a thing they do

A nice smelling soap would be my choice over cologne. Same for women.

Anonymous wrote:Buy him a nice watch, good bells, or fancy sneakers.

I think cologne is too personal for a mom to give a son. You have no idea what the young ladies will like.

I fondly remember Polo from my young days but to kids that probably smells like grandpa.

That should be belts. My son would never have nice ones if I didn't buy them.

Get him one. But teach him to use a very small amount.

Buy him a nice watch, good bells, or fancy sneakers.

I think cologne is too personal for a mom to give a son. You have no idea what the young ladies will like.

I fondly remember Polo from my young days but to kids that probably smells like grandpa.

I think it’s a super nice gift. I think there are a ton of nice smelling colognes you could get him that are universally liked…get him a small bottle!

It’s sort of too subjective for you to pick. He’d have to smell it. For a good neutral gift Ralph Lauren makes really nice simple cotton sweaters, on sale at Macy’s and would be a step up but not too out of comfort zone for a sweatpants kid.

Don’t do it

Does your college aged son wear cologne on special occasions, and if so what kind?

DS is 20 and has never had a girlfriend, but expresses interest in having one. He is basically a sweatpants kind of dresser but seems to wear khakis and sweaters more now which indicates to me an increased interest in his appearance, which I am guessing is linked to hoping to meet a girlfriend. I know I am speculating a lot but he isn’t much of a share-er .

Anyway I am brainstorming Christmas gifts, and was wondering if a small bottle of cologne would be well received. I have no idea if young guys today wear cologne.