The Burberry brand has become just as popular for its fragrance line as it’s been for its fashion. Each Burberry perfume for women has reached success on its own, but what about the Burberry scents for men?
One of the iconic colognes they have available is appropriately called Mr. Burberry, and it comes in three distinct versions, meaning you can choose which one suits you best.
Keep reading to learn all about this exciting fragrance and its three unique scent variations.
Who Makes It?
Developed in 2016 by Mr. Francis Kurkdjian, a Mr. Burberry cologne review isn’t complete without credit to the person who created it.
The 52-year-old parfumier who loves 80’s era perfume references and uses them regularly with his team became obsessed with scents and the perfume world as a teenager. He would study not only scents but everything about the industry.
Kurkjian, who owns his own fragrance company, Maison Francis Kurkdjain, still works with other companies, including Burberry, to develop their scents.
The parent company of the Burberry luxury brand, Burberry Group Plc, is still headquartered in London and sells its products through wholesale, mainline stores, digital sales, franchisees, and department stores.
Scent Notes
The Mr. Burberry cologne notes vary depending on which version you are wearing.
The Mr. Burberry eau de toilette 100ml captures the moments of London and provides a scent of grapefruit with a base of guaiac wood (a slight scent of birch and rubber) and vetiver (hints of earth, wood, and smoke).
The Mr. Burberry cologne 1.6 oz eau de parfum captures anticipating London nights and gives a woody fragrance with top notes of tarragon and cinnamon layered on patchouli with a base of amber and vetiver.
Mr. Burberry Indigo eau de toilette is the fresh scent that comes with escaping the city with top notes of lemon oil, rosemary, and black currant over a green violet leaf, driftwood, and spearmint.
If these scents don’t attract, maybe another Burberry scent will.
Who Would Like It?
Mr. Burberry eau de parfum is best for those who prefer a rich, sensual, earthy scent reminiscent of the drama and mystique London provides.
Mr. Burberry eau de toilette is for those who prefer a lighter, more refreshing scent. Its aroma of grapefruit is reminiscent of a warm spring day. With its classic scents, it brings out any man’s contemporary and sophisticated side.
Mr. Burberry Indigo is for the man who likes a feeling of escaping the thralls of the city. It’s for the energetic man who is always on the go.
When to Wear It
Every scent is best during a particular season. Mr. Burberry is no different.
Mr. Burberry eau de toilette, with its light, more fruity scent, is best during the warmer months of the year. It’s perfect for those summer days, gallivanting around town and enjoying the sunshine.
Mr. Burberry eau de parfum, with its more spicy scent of cinnamon, tarragon, and amber, makes this the perfect fall and winter cologne.
Mr. Burberry Indigo, with its refreshing scents of lemon, black currant, and rosemary, is a great scent any time of the year as it leaves the wearer feeling invigorated and refreshed.
Where to Wear It
Mr. Burberry eau de toilette is best for those daytime summer outings, lunch with friends, window shopping past your favorite stores, truly enjoying those summer days. With its light scent that isn’t overpowering, it’s also an excellent wear for the office.
Mr. Burberry eau de parfum, with its more spicy scent reminiscent of London nightlife, is best worn during those evening outings with friends or on a date. With the more potent smell, it’s probably not the best choice to wear to the office.
Mr. Burberry Indigo has a refreshing scent that is great to wear anywhere. Going to the office? No problem! Is it date night at the movies? This scent won’t overpower.
Packaging and Presentation
Developed by the creative director and chief executive officer, Christopher Bailey, Mr. Burberry pays homage to the signature Burberry trench coat with a simple design and black tie.
Mr. Burberry eau de toilette offers a simple, sleek, smoky glass bottle and contains a large, easy-to-grip top similar to the lids used in the women’s line of perfumes.
As with the eau de toilette, the cologne offers a similar smoky glass bottle, this one dark with the same easy to grip top and black tie.
Mr. Burberry Indigo offers a blue-hued glass bottle to complement this line’s name and fresh scent. True to the Mr. Burberry line, this bottle too includes the large lid and black tie.
A Mr. Burberry cologne set is also available, coming with either a one ounce eau de toilette bottle with a smaller travel size bottle, an eau de toilette aftershave with a body wash, or a 3.3 oz eau de toilette with a deodorant stick.
Personal Impressions
We feel that the Mr. Burberry line is a true winner with its collection offering a little something for everyone.
It’s hard to go wrong whether one prefers the dark woody scent of the eau de parfum or the lighter fragrance of either the eau de toilette or Indigo.
Performance
Mr. Burberry eau de toilette offers a moderate range of longevity, lasting about 4-6 hours.
Mr. Burberry eau de parfum is not an all-day lasting scent. As with the eau de toilette, it offers moderate longevity of 4-6 hours.
Mr. Burberry Indigo isn’t for someone who needs all-day longevity. The longevity of Mr. Burberry Indigo is in the moderate range, meaning it will likely wear off in 4-6 hours.
Pros & Cons
Mr. Burberry offers an affordable price compared to other colognes. The bottle is classic and manly, and there is a scent for every occasion.
The eau de parfum offers a warm, inviting, woodsy fragrance, while the eau de toilette offers more of a classic citrus scent reminiscent of a warm summer day.
The negatives of the Mr. Burberry collection include the length that one can anticipate the scent lasting. The scent may also be too generic for some folks if one prefers a more unique scent.
The EDP Version: A Deeper Review
Perfumer
This new take on the classic Mr. Burberry Eau de Toilette was crafted by Chief Executive Officer Christopher Bailey and world-renowned French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian.
Francis is also the creator behind the original Eau de Toilette and the more recent Mr. Burberry Indigo.
Scent Notes
“What does Mr. Burberry cologne smell like?” Well, the EDP keeps to the roots of the original but takes on a darker, more sensual tone.
Most noticeably, this Mr. Burberry cologne contains notes of cardamom, mint, tarragon, and grapefruit.
Beneath that, you’ll find notes of lavender, cedar, and nutmeg, followed by patchouli, cinnamon, amber, benzoin, sandalwood, and vetiver at its base.
While this cologne keeps the core scents of grapefruit, cardamom, cedar, tarragon, mint, lavender, and nutmeg that are present in Mr. Burberry Eau de Toilette, the addition of amber, sandalwood, vetiver, and cinnamon enhances the depth and complexity of the Eau de Parfum.
The Who, Where and When of This Fragrance
Those who prefer darker tones and warm, earthy scents would love Mr. Burberry Eau de Parfum. It’s meant to evoke the feeling of mystery and luxury so often associated with London so it is perfect for those who like a bit of drama and mystique.
Being as its goal is to evoke the anticipation and excitement of London nightlife – this fragrance is perfect for your evening jaunts. It’s a sensual, rich cologne that might be better suited for dates and evening events rather than the office.
With its luxurious, warm undertones of cinnamon, cedar, and nutmeg, we think that this Mr. Burberry cologne would be best worn in the fall and winter.
The colder months often spark the desire for scents heavy with spices and comforting warmth, such as mulled wine and wood smoke. Mr. Burberry EDP neatly falls into step with and compliments those classic scents.
Packaging and Presentation
As opposed to Mr. Burberry Eau de Toilette and Mr. Burberry Indigo, Mr. Burberry EDP has adopted a sleek, refined, and dark presentation that evokes the image of the original Burberry black Heritage Trench Coat.
The bottle is a solid, heavy glass with a weighted cap, giving a lovely, sturdy feeling when held. Burberry offers the option of a personalized monogram that can be etched into the glass for a more personal touch.
In addition, the cap is reminiscent of the horn-look buttons present on the Heritage Trench Coat.
Uniquely, there is a small strip of black fabric tied around the neck of the bottle below the cap. This little piece of fabric brings to mind the image of a bowtie, but it is also a reference to the fabric invented by Thomas Burberry himself specifically for the heritage Trench Coat.
This fabric, called gabardine, was invented by Thomas to be breathable yet weatherproof in correlation with Burberry’s founding belief that clothing should be made to protect individuals from the harsh British climate.
The lettering on the bottle is an interesting mix as it consists of “Burberry” in a bold, traditional font with a freer, handwritten font used for “Mr.” The combination of the two conjures a feeling of old-world London academia.
This Mr. Burberry cologne is available in various box sets that include both the Eau de Parfum and the original Eau de Toilette, and are often packaged in an elegant black box adorned with the same brand monogram that is on the bottle itself.
Personal Impressions
As someone who favors dark, earthy scents reminiscent of spices and the colder months, Mr. Burberry EDP really appeals to me.
To me, the notes of mint and lavender seem a bit mismatched with the other notes of cinnamon and cedar. Though, it does offer a balance between light and dark scents as well as a callback to the original Mr. Burberry cologne.
Performance
Mr. Burberry Eau de Parfum is noted for having a strong, long-lasting scent that remains potent even after it dries.
While this cologne is marketed toward men (and very popular among the women in their lives) this cologne appeals to a wide demographic beyond just men.
Copies Worth Mentioning
If this Mr. Burberry cologne isn’t quite for you but you’re looking for something similar, there are other options out there at various price points.
Sunrise in Cadaques by Salvador Dali, Black Label Eau Legere by S. Oliver, and UDV Action by Ulric de Varens are all comparable alternatives.
Sunrise in Cadaques by Salvador Dali carries similar notes of cardamom, nutmeg, cedar, and vetiver, but leaves out the mint and lavender.
Black Label Legere by S. Oliver leans more into the citrus and spice and keeps the woody base that is present in Mr. Burberry EDP.
UDV Action by Ulric de Varens has similar notes as Black Label Legere, with an opening scent of citrus and spice with woody base tones.
Born and raised in Austin, David is a dedicated writer and avid fragrance lover. When he's not trying out perfumes, he enjoys traveling and exploring new restaurants.
