Mens Cologne – Most Popular

Cologne is good for leaving a lingering impression rather than overwhelming with fragrance. Cologne’s light touch adds to a man’s body chemistry rather than overpowering it.

Choosing a man’s cologne is made easy by the range of superb choices available. Various fragrances suit all kinds of men, no matter what kind of scent they prefer: citrus, musky, wood or flowery.

This guide to the most popular mens colognes gives some general hints about choosing cologne, and then reviews the top men’s colognes.

Choosing a Men’s Cologne

Ever wonder why a perfume smells different from person to person? Ever bought a popular cologne only to be disappointed by how it smells on you?

All perfume is based on chemistry. The combination of your skin’s natural scent and that of any cologne results in a perfume totally unique to you.

Cologne Choices for Basic Skin Types

Men with oily skin type prefer a lighter, fresher fragrance, like citrus, sporty, clean outdoors-type colognes and light floral types. These “notes” (the original ingredients used to create the cologne) are more in harmony with their skin chemistry. Oily skin can get away with more frequent applications of cologne, since lighter colognes evaporate fast.

Dryer skin types prefer deeper musky, wood, resin and moss fragrances. These notes complement a dry skin body chemistry. Since colognes are less heavy than the full strength perfumes, you need not fear that the scent will be too strong for everyday wear. Men with dry skin need fewer repeat applications, because these scents linger longer on dry skin than on other skin types.

How Colognes Are Designed

Perfumes and colognes are made up of a number of “notes”, much like a cooking recipe, except these ingredients are the essences made from flowers, scented woods, mosses, citrus fruits, and resins. A master perfumer selects his top, medium and bottom notes to create a harmonious bend that is more than the sum of its parts. Each element acts on the other elements in a process that seems more like alchemy than science.

The top notes in any blend are those that reach the nose first. Good examples would be light floral and citrus scents.

Medium notes are the largest part of any recipe for cologne, supporting and harmonizing with its top and bottom notes. Examples of these are cedar wood and moss.

The bottom or base notes give depth and a lasting quality to the mix in the same way bass instruments enhance a musical score, currently popular ones include resins with vanilla scents.

The Most Popular Men’s Colognes for Sporty and Outdoors Types

Versace Pour Homme is a an earthy, musk-based cologne with lighter notes of bergamot, offering an exotic whiff of the Orient and great staying power from the musk who’s sweetness is complimented by the fresh citrus of Bergamot. Young, hip and active men should try this cologne. It’s suitable for all occasions and lasts all day.
Cool Water by Davidoff International is a complex and sophisticated cologne, suiting the man who is equally at home in the boardroom or golf course. Its versatility means it’s appropriate at dinner as well as in the heat of the negotiations that precede it. Cool Water gets its gorgeous greener scent from a blend of oak moss, sandal wood, and amber, musk balanced with sage, rosemary and coriande0r. Cool Water is a spicy and subtle blend suiting men of all ages.
Good Life by Davidoff International is a straightforward cologne for daytime wear. The strongly masculine vibe comes from the citrus notes, particularly lemon, always a favorite with sportsmen, which is backed up by a base of lavender, amber and the classic sandal wood. A nice variation on a classic blend of notes, this young and vibrant cologne suits clean cut traditionalists and those seeking a first men’s cologne.
Euphoria by Calvin Klein features a strong patchouli base, a trending scent at present. This is the correct way to wear that particular scent, since Euphoria contains the wildness of patchouli by tempering it with basil, cedar, redwood and amber, for a more down to earth blend that only hints of its leading note. This will suit original and creative men who are a little more daring in their cologne choices.
Happy For Men by Clinique is a sports cologne with a new twist in the addition of grapefruit. A strong citrus tone dominates the blend, but it doesn’t overpower the wearer, since the well designed fragrance emits subtle lemon, orange and grapefruit themes from a combination of base notes which give it the power to last all day long.
Chrome by Azzaro is a great daytime cologne for men of all ages, because the rosewood (a classic men’s scent) notes really stand out. Other influences include strong citrus notes, sandal wood and oak wood spiced up with a splash of ginger.
D’Orange Verte by Hermes is a green, citrus based cologne that suits day or night wear, a good choice for long haul days where little time can be spent on personal grooming. The combination has appealed to men of all ages due to the tempering of citrus tones with a bitter orange flavor. D’Orange Verte is a subtle sports cologne.

The Top Men’s Colognes for Boardroom Masters

The One by Dolce & Gabbana offers a base of cedar wood and tobacco, the most traditional of blends for young professionals, adding coriander and basil to strike exactly the right note at work, in meeting,s and on the move. The combination says you are confident and willing to take chances while taking into account the guidance of your experienced mentors.
Extreme Cologne by Paul Smith suits the rugged individualist, since its spicy undertones hint that you may be capable of more than you are currently asked to do. A daring and masculine fragrance, Extreme gets its push from notes like nutmeg, bergamot, rosemary and cardamom. If excitement is your spice of life, this cologne will fit you well, since it carries an aura of the unknown, which is attractive on a man of any age.
Angel by Thierry Mugler is a daytime scent with the possibility of crossing over for evening wear. Its woody notes are backed with the deeper tones of nutmeg. Angel is an individual and unusual fragrance, possessing an uncanny quality to change with the hours of the day. Wearers notice a sharper tone of citrus in the earlier hours, followed by a spicier combination of caramel and coffee later in the day.

The Top Men’s Colognes for Romantic and Sensual Types

L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent is a classic French cologne for confident men. This distinctive floral, spice and wood combination is one of the most recognizable of men’s colognes. A complicated combination of its three elements, L’Homme offers a sweeter scent than many traditional types of men’s cologne, while still staying safely within the bounds of what is considered acceptable masculine evening wear.
Gucci by Gucci is one of the most complex and intriguing of men’s colognes. It gets the romantic vibe from patchouli (long considered an aphrodisiac) combined with floral notes. Gucci gets its mystique from a blend of spices including black pepper. And Gucci gets its masculinity from its woodsy notes. Suitable for men of all ages, Gucci is a heady cologne, best kept for romantic evenings.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 9:04 am and is filed under Cologne, Men, Popular. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Mens Cologne – Most Popular

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