This article is a continuation of the Axe-bashing ‘Why You Should Wear Cologne‘ article.
Cologne is selected the same way you select your clothing. Choosing the right fragrance to wear depends on:
- Time of day
- Your age
- Your mood
- The weather
- Where you are going
- How you are getting there
- What goes well with your skin
Time of day:
You should always have at least two colognes, one for day-time use, and another for night-time. What you wear to work, college, or school should take into consideration that you will be in close proximity with other people. A light and fresh fragrance is appropriate. Stay away from heavy colognes or very spicy ones. My picks here are Givenchi Blue Label, Calvin Klein’s Euphoria, and Dunhill’s Desire Blue.
On the other hand, you can wear heavier colognes for night-time events, but not if you’re going to the movies (see point about being around people). Restaurants, night clubs, bars, and other social gatherings are full of aromas of every kind, and so you can afford to use a stronger cologne that can be noticed. My night colognes have recently been dominated by Armani’s Black Code, although a recent addition of Burburry’s Award Winning ‘London’ seems to compete for attention. Ralph Lauren’s Romance had a good run a few years ago and many men (and women) still enjoy it.
Your Age:
This goes without saying. You wouldn’t wear your father’s pants, so why would you wear his cologne? That being said, there are some classics out there that defy the call of time. Just make sure not to get stuck wearing at 30 what you used to wear when you were 17. Be informed of new fragrances and try to update your stash at least once a year.
Your Mood:
Cheery scents for cheery moods. Dark rich scents for when you’re feeling a little down. Citrus hints are happier than oak. Get my drift? Don’t underestimate the power of scent on your mood. We only have five senses that can affect our mood, scent counts for 20% of those. A ‘happy’ cologne for me is in the lines of Givenchi Blue, DKNY’s Delicious, and Calvin Klein’s Summer.
The Weather:
I like to go with something metallic and elemental on rainy days (Dunhill’s Desire Blue is perfect for rain). Sunny hot days call for something that smells of citrus or fruit (throw on a bright colored shirt while you’re at it). Cold snowy days call for something rich that warms up with your layered clothing, yet not too spicy or strong. Hugo Boss Dark Blue goes well under a scarf. I find the warm scent intensifies with heat, yet stays very pleasant.
The Event:
Where are you going? Afternoon coffee dates are best served with an in-between fragrance: not too light, not too strong. Wear something with some light flavor if you can. Hugo by Hugo Boss works well here, it’s a morning cologne with a little extra ‘umph’.
Have a high-powered executive meeting first thing in the morning? Do away with my advice on light and hidden morning fragrance. A bold and conservative fragrance is needed here to go with your power tie for a boost of confidence that they can see, and smell. Stay away from spice in case someone at the meeting has a sensitive nose. Another Hugo Boss called Soul will fit the bill.
A dinner date followed by a night out at the clubs? Go all the way, spicy and delicious!
How You’re Getting There:
Are you driving to your destination/event? Or are you commuting? This may be a less important factor, but another note about crowded places is appropriate. If you notice people keeping a healthy radius from you on the bus or the underground, you’re probably wearing something too strong.
Your Skin:
Cologne reacts differently to different skin. The oils our bodies produce contain chemicals that react with the cologne. Sometimes the effect is negligible, other times the result is less than satisfactory. A fragrance may smell differently between the bottle, the tester paper, and your skin. I LOVE the smell of Hugo in the air, but that carriage quickly turns into a pumpkin as soon as it hits my skin.
There is no way to know for sure unless you try. If you are lucky and you look like you are going to be a regular purchaser, sometimes the clerk will give you little free samples to try at home before making a decision. Ask for these if you have real doubts. Otherwise, it’s trial and error till you get a hang of what works well with your skin.
So, how DO you wear it?
- Hold the bottle about 3 to 6 inches away from the area you want to spray. Make sure you get an even mist on the area. Too close and you’ll get a wet spot, too far and half the spray will evaporate before it gets on your skin.
- Never apply cologne on your clothing. Always apply directly on skin. Fabric does not retain fragrance as well as your skin, and unless you wash your clothes as often as you shower, your shirt will smell bad the next day.
- Common areas to spray are both sides of the neck, a dab behind each ear, and a spray on the inside of the wrist. Rub your wrists together to get the fragrance on both wrists. These areas of your body are the ones that most people will likely be close enough to notice what you’re wearing. If you are feeling adventurous, you can apply to other more exotic (yet less frequented) areas. Just know that cologne can taste bitter, sour, or acidic. I will say no more.
- One short press on each area should be more than enough. You don’t want to be known as the ’smelly guy’. Cologne is an intimate affair, only those who have the privilege of getting close enough to you get the reward of smelling your scent. This is the main difference between cologne and Axe body spray: any fool can fish with dynamite, but It takes an exceptional hunter to lure the mermaid.
- I hear that you should ‘layer’ the fragrance to retain a deeper scent for a longer period of time. What this means is that you should use the same shampoo, body wash, aftershave, and moisturizer of the same cologne. I personally consider this overkill, and more of a sales tactic to cross-sell other products of the same brand. But, to each his own. You might actually enjoy the other lines of products from the same fragrance.
This concludes this crash course on how to wear cologne properly. You may disagree with my advice and choices, and so I find it prudent to remind you that these pointers are the result of my own personal experience and are tainted by my preference.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have a favorite cologne or perfume that you want to recommend? The comments section is open.
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I loved the article but there are a couple of things I wanted to comment on;
1) Never apply cologne on your clothing!! Because most colognes have in hundreds of different chemicals and there is no way of knowing whether you might be allergic to one or the other, applying cologne to your clothes might be your only option. Person’s should BEWARE OF COLOGNE ON CLOTHING, don’t over do it, otherwise you’ll get that overwhelming, headache causing stench. Light is best on clothing; throw it over a chair and spray lightly and don’t forget some perfumes can stain so test before spraying.
2)Neck, wrists and ears……high traffic areas and they are also the body parts that generate the most heat so you can also dab a little under the arms just below the arm pits, this tends to mellow out the scent and make it more subtle
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I’m afraid I have to disagree with you about one point. You should NOT rub the wrists together after spraying on perfume or cologne because It actually damages the chemical composition of the perfume and causes the fragrance to break down quicker.
Thanks Nancy! I usually don’t like to have a strong fragrance at work, so spraying on one wrist and rubbing works as a compromise for me because, as you pointed out correctly, that does dilute the intensity of the fragrance.
Just started to wear cologne, good article and thanks. One question, where does YSL fit into all of this?
Hi and thank you for your comment! I am glad you enjoyed the article. I have always been under the impression that the house of Yves Saint Laurent has traditionally concentrated on women’s fragrances and their men’s colognes were more of an afterthought.
To be honest, I haven’t personally tried any of their men’s stuff. Go ahead and let me know how you find it! Now that you pointed it out, I’ll check what the local Sears has in stock too.
Thank You very much for your article. I’m a 20 yr. old male college student and not once did I ever think about chooosing a cologne for different events. This being said I do have a collection of colognes and eau de toilettes that I really enjoy. I wanted to get your advice on how to and when to wear these different fragrances. I have Euphoria by Calvin Klein, Crave by Calvein Klein, Curve Soul for Men, Ralph Lauren Polo Sport, Diesel for Men, Country Club by Lamis Creation and Versace Green Jeans Man. Granted most of these fragrances were gifts either as Christmas or Birthday gifts. I would like to hear your opinion on these as I am near graduation and wish to get a more sophistication about myself as a young man in the work force.
very well done!
and helpful to!
Thanks man this is a great article I haven’t worn cologne alot but wanted to try some so I got the new Unforgivable by Sean John, before I would jsut spray on clothes but now i’ll take your advice into consideration
P.S. What do you think about this scent?
Awesome post dude! you seem well educated in the art of cologne wearing!
this dint help at all i think that im 21 still i bought the colognes nothing well smh thumbs down
I wanted to know what occasions would suit wearing Fahrenheit and CK Escape?
Great article by the way ;O)
Hello good piple. This is a great website. I love colognes and i have noticed one thing. I used to wear colognes on my skin, but piple never noticed the smell..i got frustrated (since i like piple noticing wat am wearing)..lol…since i started wearing my cologne on my skin and on my clothes, i get full attention and piple always tend to ask wat am wearing…from that day onwards i wear my colognes bothways….Dolchi & Gabbana and Unforgivable by Sean john are my biggest fan…..
No time is ever a good time to wear cologne and scents should definitely never, ever be worn in a professional office. Modern offices have such horrible ventilation systems that employees can’t escape the chemicals in colognes. It’s not fair to co-workers to use it. Most people who wear it regularly are immune to the smell and the effects as their olfactory system has been compromised and therefore others suffer.
Bill is wrong. As a matter of fact most times I wear cologne to the office for no other reason than chemical warfare vs my coworkers.
hey this is an absolutely awesome article! it’s so hard to find information on men’s cologne, or for anything apparel-related for guys. thank you
now i can ditch my cheapy cologne and find a good one lol!
Be cognizant of whether cologne is appropriate in a given setting. For example, healthcare providers, clergy, teachers, counselors, etc. might find that wearing cologne detracts from their intention and purpose (which is more important, your function/message, or your smell?). You never want to give your patient/client/customer/student/etc a reason to be distracted by your scent and, especially when meeting with people one-on-one, you never know who has allergies that might be intensified by colognes and perfumes. My humble opinion is that colognes should be exclusively for social settings and avoided by professionals who desired to be remembered for their work, not their taste in cologne.
Also, guys, a trusted young female friend is usually the best consultant to have when choosing a fragrance!
Give me some good ol’ ‘Old Spice’ after a shave and I’m happy.