Axe is an affordable deodorant and body care brand and my first memory of it was when I was in high school. All the guys used to wear Axe but while it is often associated with younger generations, there are lots of us that still get a kick out of these sprays.
Axe has now 61 different scents, based on my count. Even though fragrances come and go, with this much choice, how do you know which is the scent for you?
Here’s where I can help. I’ve been trying out the top Axe body sprays to find out which scent smells the best and fights my sweat and odor. Let’s dive right in!
1. Axe Gold Oud Wood And Dark Vanilla
Having an oud-based fragrance in Axe made me thrilled. Oud is one of my favorite scents and with the addition of vanilla, this deodorant feels more like a luxury perfume. I went crazy spraying it all over myself and was surprised at just how strong it was.
If you don’t like intense deodorants then it might not be for you. But if you want an opulent, powdery, unisex deodorant, it’ll be right up your alley.
Just like many other Axe sprays, Gold Oud Wood and Dark Vanilla does a really good job at masking odors but since it’s not an antiperspirant, it won’t stop you from sweating. For day to day wear, I felt reasonably dry and fresh and the scent continued for as long as I needed it to.
2. Axe Dark Temptation
Dark Temptation is a men’s deodorant but there’s a sweetness to it that I think makes it more than unisex. With a chocolate and patchouli scent, this is something you can wear in place of cologne if you want something a little less in your face for day to day wear.
That said, Dark Temptation is one of the stronger Axe scents and since I like something that grabs attention, I had to put it in second place.
I felt as though the deodorant kept me smelling fresh all day but I feel as though it performed better when I used it alongside the Dark Temptation body wash. So, if you like this one, you may find yourself spending a little more to buy the whole range.
3. Axe Apollo
If you’re looking for a powerful masculine deodorant then Apollo will be up there with the best. It’s not one of my favorites although the sage and cedar scent is quite nice. However, I couldn’t put it any lower than third place because this is one of the most popular Axe deodorants out there.
Apollo is one of the more classic Axe scents from the early 2000s. I remember people going crazy for this and to this day, I still notice it on people as they pass me by. While it’s only a deodorant, it really packs a punch.
Plus, I find that Apollo does an excellent job at masking odors and does keep you fresh and confident for longer. That said, I find that, after around six hours, I need to reapply if I want to get the best performance.
4. Axe Excite
I personally prefer Excite to Apollo but I put it lower down because Apollo is so much more popular.
The Excite spray is a rich, warm smelling deodorant with coconut and caramel. There’s almost a unisex vibe to this one and I think it perfectly compliments an evening cologne because of how luxurious and strong it smells.
What about sweat protection? Well, I was very pleased to say that the fragrance lasted all day and stopped the smell of nasty odors. People have however told me that the scent didn’t mask sweat odors in their bodies, but rather made them worse. For this reason, I’d suggest putting it to the test before you commit.
5. Axe Gold Citron
The blend of white woods and citrus appeals to me. The only reason I haven’t placed this Axe deodorant further up in my ranking is because there were some scents that I found were a little stronger and longer lasting.
Gold Citron stopped me from feeling stinky throughout my day, but I didn’t catch as many whiffs of it as I did with something like Dark Temptation. That said, I didn’t notice any sweaty odors when I was wearing it so it does what you’d expect.
I do think that this particular Axe deodorant is better suited to younger guys as the scent is quite youthful. If you want something more mature then I’d go for Anarchy (look at number 7).
6. Axe Love Is Love
Axe Love is Love is a unisex fragrance that is sadly only a limited edition. However, with the sweet, woody scent of sandalwood, I had to include it on my list.
I’ve heard a few people commenting on how Love is Love is one of the best scents from Axe. But because of its limited status, I couldn’t include it higher on the list. Yet, the Pride Flag on the spray is a brilliant addition.
This is a deodorant body spray so it’s not designed to stop you from sweating but it does mask odors really well. It feels incredibly fresh when you spray it and that’s something that lasts all day without being offensive.
7. Axe Anarchy
This deodorant scent became a hit for Axe very quickly. So much so that the brand Launched two Anarchy scents for women.
This men’s version is a sweet amber scent that I feel works well as a replacement for cologne on days where you want a more discreet fragrance.
Anarchy does keep odors at bay for a few hours but like some of the other scents by Axe, I found that I needed to repeat the spray after a few hours. Not so much because I felt as though I smelt bad but because I could no longer smell it on my skin.
8. Axe Wild Bamboo
Before trying I was a little skeptical about Wild Bamboo as I thought it might not be a scent for me. But then, I was impressed by the super fresh and uplifting scent of bamboo and grapefruit.
I found that this was one of the best Axe deodorants to use right out of the shower as it stayed smelling clean for a decent length of time. The fragrance covered any odors really well but it didn’t stop me from sweating and when working harder, I found my underarms a little wetter than I’d have liked.
Perhaps if the longevity was a little better, I’d have included Wild Bamboo a little higher in my ranking. But I do think it’s one of my favorites for everyday wear.
9. Axe Cool Ocean
Cool Ocean is a super fresh smelling deodorant with a blast of mint alongside the earthiness of rosemary. I felt instantly refreshed after using this spray, and it kept me feeling clean for hours afterward.
I think that Cool Ocean is a masculine scent but because it feels so soapy and clean, women could get away with wearing it. I’d have featured it further up my rank but I feel as though this is a pretty generic smelling deodorant and not all that original.
Axe claims that this deodorant will keep you fresh for up to 48 hours and while it did hold up well, I wouldn’t say you’d get quite that long. Since it is aluminum free, as all Axe products are, you will have something long lasting that’s also kind to the skin.
10. Axe Anarchy For Her
Axe is largely aimed at guys but there are a few women’s deodorant sprays and Anarchy for Her is one of the best selling. The packaging has a nice feminine touch so you don’t feel as though you’re wearing a men’s brand. I think this would make a good gift option.
I find that Anarchy for Her smells fruity and sweet, which makes it a great choice for younger women or teenage girls.
The deodorant is designed to be worn all over the body and leaves a lasting scent for a good few hours after applying. The body spray actually does prevent bad odors and works well even when you’re exercising or being active.
The History Of Axe (The Way I Experienced It)
If there’s anything that Axe is known for it’s the TV commercial promising lashings of female attention. Back in the day, I remember being enamored with the idea of being chased by hundreds of bikini clad women through the wilderness and across the beach. But I think by today’s standards, that 2011 commercial might not hit in the same way!
Axe was formed under the Unilever brand in France back in 1983 although Unilever is actually a British company. Prior to this, the parent company had successfully launched a range of women’s deodorant body sprays called Impulse which up until this day remain the spray of choice for young women around the world.
In the UK and a few other countries like Australia and Ireland, Axe is sold under the brand name Lynx owing to issues with trademarking in these locations. But you’d easily be able to tell a bottle of Lynx and Axe as being the same product since the branding and marketing are totally the same. Moreover, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that Axe was launched in North America.
One of the main concepts behind Axe was that it would be a deodorant that could also act as a cologne thereby bridging the gap between these two personal care products.
While it can be worn by men (and women) of all ages, Axe is mainly marketed towards guys between the ages of 15 and 28. Because of this, many people associate the products with high schoolers despite not realizing that there are some seriously mature and indulgent deodorant scents out there; Dark Temptation and Gold Oud Wood and Fresh Vanilla, I’m talking about you!
Regardless of the target audience, Axe has seen success after success. In 2006, just four years after being introduced to the US market, more than $71 million worth of Axe products had been sold in the country. Today, the company brings in a whopping $1 every year, despite the many controversies it has seen.
For example, there have been multiple complaints around the sexual promiscuity promoted in the marketing campaigns. Plus, back in 2008, Axe was blamed for the death of a teenage boy in the UK who allegedly died of heart failure after spraying copious amounts of Axe deodorant in an unventilated area. However, when you investigate a little more closely, you find out that the victim may well have already had a heart condition that was exacerbated by the use of too much deodorant.
Throwing in Some Axe Body Spray Memes
As a parent who used to use Axe back in my younger days, I can really relate to this meme. It’s that musty concoction of typical Axe scents like Apollo mixed with the sweat of the day that seems to fill the house as soon as teen boy’s bedroom door opens. But it’s as if he’s nose blind and only his mother and I catch a whiff of the terror.
Do you remember how ingrained those Axe adverts were in your mind? I was convinced that if I doused myself in the stuff, I’d be sure to score. Most of the time I was wrong because every other guy in the club was also covered in Axe so women would probably be gassed out in a corner somewhere rather than hitting on these guys that smelled like a teenage locker room.
Doesn’t there seem to be an image associated with wearing Axe body spray? The cheap, young guy with one thing on his mind; impressing the women. The only problem is that the rest of us cringe when we see what he’s done to himself. That was never me when I was younger, was it?
