Cologne: Fragrance for Men
Shopping for Yourself
Colognes need to be chosen carefully. It's easy to pick the wrong one, especially when you go out to a store and sample them all at once. In order to have a successful cologne experience there are a few main things you need to do when shopping for a cologne.
* Research three colognes you want to try out, one from each scent category if you wish, or all three from the same group that you know you like.
* Go to the place where you would typically buy cologne and spray each choice one at a time on paper, making sure to let them air dry before smelling them. Ask the salesperson if there are any coffee beans to smell between each fragrance test so that you can neutralize your nose before smelling the next one (this is actually quite common, so don't be shy about asking).
* After smelling them all, try one on your skin that you liked the best. Wear it for the rest of the day and see how it makes you feel. Cologne reacts differently on skin, mixing with your natural oils and body odor. Just because a scent smelled good on your friend, that doesn't mean that it will smell the same on you.
* If you are happy with the results of the trial wear, then you know you have a winner. Otherwise, repeat the steps again until you are happy with your selection. There is no point in wasting $50 or more on a cologne just to discover that you don't like it down the road.
What's Your Scent Personality?
'''Fresh, Sporty, and Youthful'''
The freshest scents are light, spicy (think pepper, ginger, or nutmeg), fruity (mostly citrus and currant), and floral (lavender, lily, or iris). These are rich spices that elude an air of sophistication, confidence, style, and exoticism. Perfect for evenings, fall, and winter. Summery aromatic colognes tend to be more fruity and fresh.
'''Musk Is a Must'''
Think of cedarwood, pine, moss, sage, and amber with oriental and green touches. Vetiver, sandalwood, leather, tobacco, and
musk are all major components of these
deodorant. Most of the major fragrance brands make such gift sets. The next step is determining what type of cologne to get him. If you have a close relationship with him you can easily see what he already has in his collection. Ask his friends and family if he has dropped any hints. If you want to be more discrete, try to catch a whiff of him to determine which notes he wears most.
Wearing Cologne
* Apply cologne right after drying off from taking a shower. It will absorb into your skin better and last longer.
* If you can, try to match the cologne with your
shower soap so as to not clash and to increase the staying power. Also think about using the same product line in a combination, such as a body wash, deodorant, and cologne.
* Don't spray cologne on your clothes. It's too expensive to wear off that quickly.
* Spray on your hand and splash the bottom of your throat.
* If you wear the same cologne every day, you will be known strictly for that scent. Change it up once in awhile to appear more spontaneous.
* Wear cologne to suit the season and time of day or occasion.
Quick Picks
Daytime
These scents are lighter and great for causal use or everyday wear.
Evening
These scents are quite varied to suit a variety of tastes. They have a muskier, heavier scent and are recommended for "romantic" or evening wear.
The Classics
These colognes have been around for quite some time and are still popular scents today.
More Recommendations
Still not satisfied? Here are a few more colognes to check out.
Related Guides
International Resources
For this resource in your home country, please see:
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FR: Eau de Cologne Guide d'Achat
DE: Herrendüfte
