Men's Cologne
When you think of "cologne", I'm sure you think of "men's cologne". There actually is cologne for women, but we won't be discussing that at the moment. I want to talk about cologne that is designed specifically for men. If you want a quick guide to wearing men's cologne, the information below should cover the basics of cologne.
We'll start by discussing how to select the right cologne for you. Then I'll discuss how to apply cologne properly. Each of these topics is an important part of wearing cologne. Cologne is a chemical blend. To smell right, you need the right chemical blend in the right proportions. Otherwise, everything won't smell quite right.
To Each Man His Cologne
Keep in mind that no one cologne is good for every man. There might be colognes that smell better on more men, but there is no such thing as the universal "perfect cologne". So you have to find the ideal cologne for you.
Every man has a different body chemistry. When a cologne is sprayed on your skin, the chemicals in the cologne begin to react with your skin's natural chemical makeup. Men's cologne will smell differently on you than it does your best friend. So just because your best friend has a cologne you really like, that cologne might not be the best cologne for you. When selecting a men's cologne, you're going to have to use trial-and-error.
How to Select Men's Cologne
When you go into the cologne department of a men's department store, ask to smell of a selection of colognes in your price range. Don't spray the cologne directly onto your skin at first. Instead, have the attendant spray a dab of each cologne on separate cologne card. (That is, a scrap of paper which you can then pick up and sniff.) In this way, eliminate the men's colognes that do not appeal to you. You'll have your favorite colognes out of the selections and have your cologne search narrowed down somewhat.
Once you have the cologne selections narrowed down to two or three favorites, have the person at the perfume counter spritz your arm with the perfume selections. Now you can compare how each cologne smells on your body. Notice how the cologne will smell differently on your arm than it does on the perfume cards. When you have compared your finalists, select the men's cologne that smells best on your body. It's as easy as that.
As an additional cologne tip for men, consider resetting your palette before testing the cologne on your skin. Make the trip to the cologne counter your first stop in the store. Once you have narrowed your cologne favorites down, walk around the store for a while. Get other scents in your nose, so you aren't overwhelmed by too many colognes at once. Walk by the coffee bar if there's one nearby, because the coffee smell will clear your smelling palette. Once you have cleared your senses, return and select the cologne that's best for you.
Applying Cologne - Cologne Tips For Men
Applying cologne is a bit of an art. Remember that you're trying to enhance, not overwhelm, with the cologne you are wearing. So when you apply cologne, make certain you are sparing in how much men's cologne you wear. If you apply so much that you can smell it boldly, you have applied too much cologne. This will be offensive and will not have the pleasant effect you're going for.
Also, remember that you will get used to smelling a particular kind of cologne after a while. This naturally leads a man to apply more cologne, which is a mistake. Just because your nose is used to smelling your cologne does not mean the people around you are. If you apply more cologne than you used to, you risk wearing an unpleasant odor for those around you. Finally, if you are in a confined location like a cubicle at work, you should apply less cologne, because the smell will overwhelm people in a smaller space.
Where Do I Spray Men's Cologne?
You should place men's cologne on the parts of your body that produce the most heat. That's because these are the places most likely to produce body odor. Apply small dabs of cologne to places like your underarms, chest, neck or wrists. Once again, use sparse amounts of cologne, because if you apply cologne to multiple spots on your body, you risk overwhelming the people near you.
Don't apply cologne to your face, because some colognes will cause your face to break out with acne. Also, don't apply cologne to your clothes. The cologne is meant to combine with your body chemistry. If you spray it on your clothes, it will combine with the chemistry of your clothing and produce unpredictable results. Sometimes, the result of putting cologne on your clothes is the cologne "turns on you" and you end up reeking an offensive odor. You don't want to go to all this trouble to turn women off, so follow the men's cologne tips above and you should do just fine.