Choose and Wear Cologne

A good cologne will make people notice you.
A bad cologne will do the same thing.

You may be wondering why you should need to wear cologne anyway. Nobody really wants to be "that guy"; the one that you always know is coming. Trust me; that's not how cologne is supposed to be! There is no excuse for being poorly dressed or poorly groomed. This guide will help you with one aspect of the latter. The thing about cologne is that if you have already bought some, you probably care enough about yourself that you want to stand out, but you have no idea what to buy. Consequently, you end up smelling like every other clueless guy other there; like an aqua scent (sound familiar?). This isn't your fault. If you want to stop floating in a sea of Acqua Di Gio, read this guide!

Steps

  1. When do I wear what? There are three categories that break this answer down. They are age, event and season. Age is not a huge factor to take into consideration, but it is one. Some people, however, are under the presumption that, say, a 23 year old's nose cannot appreciate a high class cologne. This is bunk. The caveat, however, is that wearing a $200 bottle of a cologne is fairly useless in a high school setting. Season is a pretty logical one, actually. Wearing a strong, musky woods scent can be overpowering in hot, summer weather and scents consisting of marine or aqua notes are too weak in a cold winter.
  2. What do I wear when? This is not a question that can be easily answered, so I will divide it into situations and explain a good scent to wear.
    • 15 year old in high school. If you're in high school, chances are the most formal thing you're going to is the school dance. A decent cologne for the age group would be Reaction by Kenneth Cole. It smells good for a Kenneth Cole, is relatively cheap, common and projects well. It smells like melon and apple at the top, and sandalwood at the base. Good workhorse. Alternatively, there's Paul Smith for Men, which basically smells like nice cut grass. It's a light everyday scent, exactly what you need.
    • First day at your new big office job. You're going to need to make a good impression on your new boss and colleagues. A good choice is Caron's The Third Man, consisting of lavender and spices that never gets offensive. This is a warm and confident cologne and will develop great over the day.
    • Clubbing. My favorite club scent is A*men. It consists entirely of chocolate and vanilla.. with more chocolate.. and more chocolate.. It endures hours of sweaty dancing and has great projection. Plus, women love it.
    • Formal dinner. Himalaya by Creed works wonders here. It smells like cool winter air mixed with woods. This scent is pricey and does not last longer than a few hours but it's worth it. People, this is what money smells like.
    • Please help me I need a woman. Envy by Gucci is a great cologne for attracting women. This is not an everyday scent, but the opposite gender reacts well to it. Woods, spices, tobacco and incense make this a good choice.
    • Normal, everyday use. DKNY Be Delicious is a good choice for casual wear. It's sweet and light so it'll work in the summer and it has enough spices to work in the fall. It is also relatively easy to find.
    • A light summer scent. Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue for him is a new and fresh cologne which is great for teenagers and even some kids since it has a great light scent that doesn't have the extreme strength of the original cologne, Dolce and Gabbana, light blue is good for spring and summer, the original cologne is good for autumn and winter and it has a more stronger and adult scent, but light blue can be worn by more age groups.
  3. So, how do I apply this stuff? Cologne reacts to body heat, so the best places to apply are on the wrists and around the chest/neck. My routine is to apply one spray to the left wrist and one spray on the right wrist. Then, I spray once or twice on the chest. Some people like to put some on the back of the neck to create a scent trail or on the backs of the ears, and don't rub the cologne in it breaks down the molecules and doesn't last as long as it should. In any case, use discretion. You don't need to let everyone know you're coming.
  4. So.. what about deodorant? Unscented deodorant will be your best bet from now on. I swear by Mitchum. A definite no-no is using any deodorant with stupid smells like "Ocean Wave" or "Jazz Fusion" or whatever.
  5. Where do I get this stuff? There are lots of eBay retailers that are reputable (remember to check feedback), and that's probably where the best deals will be found. For real world stores, try Neiman Marcus, Sephora or any department store like Macy's.



Tips

  • In between colognes, take a whiff of some coffee beans to "reset" your sense of smell. These will probably be provided too.
  • Don't spray cologne onto your clothes. It will not last longer; quite the opposite, actually.
  • If you're buying in a store, remember to smell before you buy. Spray onto a provided strip and continue to smell it occasionally for about 20 minutes until you have a good handle on the cologne. In addition, after you've found a cologne that you're fairly serious about buying, make sure to try it on before buying. Every cologne reacts differently with different skin chemistries. You can try on up to four colognes at a time- one on each wrist and one on the inside of each elbow (where your veins are).
  • If your bottle of cologne doesn't have a spray top, put your finger over the top and turn the bottle. Then rub your finger on your chest. Use moderation.
  • Before you buy it, smell it. If you can, put a little spritz on and ask someone impartial to smell.
  • Get a larger sample so you can have several times to smell the cologne and ask other opinions. You can get these at the department store or search online for samples. It is difficult to form an opinion on cologne in the fragrance department of a store with lots of other smells competing with it. Best to have it with plenty of time to make sure you like it.
  • A full spray of cologne on your wrist is overkill. Try a quick spritz on one wrist and rub the wrists together. Your chest has more area to cover. You want to attract the attention of a subtle almost as if it was a teaser of a scent on your wrist and when someone leans in to you they can get to lean in and get the full effect and smell the chemistry on you. Don't fool yourself in over applying.

Warnings

  • Please do not wear too much cologne. 1-3 sprays is enough.
  • Most colognes should be thrown out in about 5 years, if the bottle is actually still being used.

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Sources and Citations

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