Mark D. McKee / The Manual

A man’s cologne is a very personal selection. You know me; I am all about first impressions. I believe there are five senses to the first impression. You need to look good, you need to give the right feel (please don’t touch people when you meet them), you need to have taste, you need to say the right things, and you need to smell memorable. That looks different for every man. Every summer, I look for that lighter scent that will keep me up all day. For me, I like citrus fragrances during the day in the warm weather. But I hate carrying cologne with me. Except for the solid. It is compact, convenient, and discreet. I discovered Duke Cannon’s solid cologne, and it was the perfect choice for 2026. Personally, I like Seawolf. But I reached out to my friends at DC to get some insight on what it is about solid cologne that is taking off right now, and how Duke Cannon caught my attention in the overstuffed landscape of men’s grooming products.

I think we just hit the tone. It started with a soap that was based on the soap issued to GIs in the Korean War. There was something so utilitarian yet iconic about this big block of soap that just solved the job better. We tell it how it is. It’s a big ass block of soap that is going to get you clean. – Jason Genseske, VP of Product Experience

Solid cologne is the right choice for the summer Mark D. McKee / The Manual

For me, it comes down to convenience. I get a little bent out of shape when I buy a fragrance that is heavy when I apply it, and then disappears quickly. Now, there are always the physics of the top notes (which are what you smell right away and disappear quickly), but the base notes should stick around. Now, not many colognes are going to last all day, and reapplication is natural. But carrying a bottle is inconvenient and impractical. So the stick cologne will be my new best friend. In my pocket next to my headphones, all summer long, for those moments I need to reapply.

“We really thought there was a missing piece,” Genseske says. “Solid cologne changes the relationship men have with fragrance. It provides a discreet application, and you can take it on the go. And the way it projects provides a little bit more nuance. It doesn’t project into the room. You have to get closer to someone to smell it.”

On their stick cologne that is different from most solid colognes:

“Most solid cologne, in our previous product, you had to use your finger. You dab it in. Then your finger has a lot of oil and a heavy fragrance load on it. That is fragrant, and your hands are messy. The stick was just designed to be the right tool for the job.”

It isn’t going anywhere Mark D. McKee / The Manual

At the end of the day, this isn’t a fad. This isn’t going anywhere.

“I think solid cologne is here to stay,” he says. “It meets the consumer where he is at. He is busy. He is on the go. Fragrance is part of his life and part of his self-expression. And it solves a job that needs to be solved. I don’t want to carry a bottle of cologne with me everywhere, and I don’t want to be the guy who sprays up at work or in my car. Having this more personal fragrance that is more discreet and doesn’t announce that you just applied. It meets consumers where they’re at and eliminates friction points throughout the day.”

I truly believe that solid cologne is to spray cologne what spray cologne is to Axe Body Spray. It is an evolution. It is an upgrade. There is no reason for you to carry cologne with you or put it in your car or office. Keep your spray bottles at home. They are elegant and elevated, for sure. But stick cologne is the tool for the job.

Mark cut his teeth in the men’s style world when he sold suits first at box stores such as Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank… Read Full Bio