EDIT: Ended up getting a decant of Millesime Imperial and now that I can compare them right up close it's no contest. Despite lacking that sharpness, it still smells classy and confident – it just cares more about the airy, powdery dry down than most other colognes on this list.

One of the few gripes I had with the original Creed cologne is it just doesn’t last particularly long – so most of the scents on this list have been chosen with improved longevity in mind. While Unforgivable is an approachable and versatile scent, the boozy quality in the base makes it best as a night scent, to my nose. For the first 2 – 3 hours, people will be noticing your fragrance from a couple of feet away – and probably saying very nice things. Creed's MI however has a bit more melon notes and is a bit more floral than SJU in its original form. It reminds me of drinking a stiff rum in a sandalwood cabin – it’s incredibly warm, smooth, and homely.The bright opening mirrors the effect in Creed Milliseme Imperial but introduces muted herbal elements of sage, cypress, and cardamom in the heart. If you want a fragrance that resembles a Creed or if you want to know if the Creed perfume fits to you, take this fragrance. Performance is more impressive than most of the colognes on this list, lasting a full 7- 8 hour work day before it becomes a skin scent. Once you’ve tried Creed Millesime, there’s a good chance you’ll fall in love and be able to justify splashing out on a full-sized bottle.

While I would use a spray on my pulse points for maximum projection, I’d apply this roll-on to my underarms or lower back. If you’re after an MI alternative reminiscent of the older batches, honestly just go for Armaf Milestone. However, if you’re interested in branching out into fragrances that are a twist on Imperial Millesime rather than a like-for-like scent, you can get even more mileage.Citron Del Mar opens up with the same salty melon fruitiness as Armaf’s Milestone, reminiscent of the OG Imperial Millesime. My top pick is Club De Nuit Milestone by Armaf, which to my nose is a 90% similar scent that lasts almost twice as long as the Creed original. There’s a little bit of nuance in touches of sweet florals like lavender and iris, but they never tilt overtly feminine.

I also love the woodsy quality in the base, like a sturdy scaffolding for the brighter citruses to swing around on. Sean John has often appeared at the award ceremony for the CFDA Fashion Awards held annually in New York. It was touted as being Sean Combs' ode to being on the beach resorts of Italy's Amalfi Coast and was said to contain notes of salty ocean air, Scicilian lemon, bergamot and verbena. Initially, it's performance was horrible so my review was negative, but lately I get a few hours more of it. It’s a faithful recreation that, albeit subtler projection-wise, would be a great choice for indoor environments like the office.

I know the suavest spots in town- from picking up new garments on Carnaby street to sampling fine cigars and colognes down in Knightsbridge. Over the past few years, I’ve been digging out the best Creed Millesime Imperial alternatives, and have been able to find some picks that I actually prefer to the original for just a fraction of the cost. Osaito is not the cheapest cologne on this list, but it’s still vastly more affordable than Creed Millesime Imperial itself. It’s about 60% similar to the current batch, sharing more with the sweeter and musky Imperial of yesteryear. When you factor in the fact that they also cost far, far less, the value starts to become pretty clear.