Tips For Wearing A Scent

A distinct scent for a man is a necessity these days. It’s a scent-based signature that’s lingers on everything you wear, and stays in the minds of everyone you meet. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. You’d be surprised at the kinds of compliments you can get once you stop smelling like beer and spray-deodorant and move on to something with a little more depth.

With that in mind, we put together a list of things to be on the lookout for with respect to colognes and perfumes. From picking to wearing cologne for yourself.

Picking A Scent

When picking a scent, one of the first things to consider is personal style and image. Try a few different scents and figure out what impression each one gives, and if it’s true to your own style. It’s also wise to go out and smell various colognes, write down your first impressions and top three, and then return on another occasion. Your sense of smell is easily overwhelmed at the perfume counter, and a break is essential to discerning what scents have a lasting impression on you over time.

Stores keep tester cards for you to blast with cologne so you can get a sample without leaving the store smelling like you fell into a vat of the stuff. Similarly, many places keep coffee beans around, as coffee acts as a palette refresher – a sort of reset button for your nose.

Your sense of smell is easily overwhelmed at the perfume counter, and a break is essential to discerning what scents have a lasting impression on you over time

Once you’ve found a few you like, test them on your own skin. This is an important step, as colognes interact with your sweat, your body heat, and your individual body chemistry. There’s no telling how any single cologne might smell while you’re wearing it.

Wearing Your New Scent

One of the most common problems with men and cologne is an utter cluelessness when it comes to how to apply it. Stick to the following tips and you’ll be fine:

• Our publisher prefers one single spray, but our editor has an entire cologne strategy. Two on the chest, one on the wrist, one on the neck.
• The wrist and neck are ‘pulse points’ where your body generates the most heat, and the cologne will emanate outward from your body.
• Cologne worn on the chest is kept away from the air, and will linger throughout the day and night.
• Don’t hit yourself again if you can’t smell it. That’s the idea. It’s only supposed to be noticeable once you get up close and personal. Your sense of smell is weakest after waking up, so be careful with overzealous application.
• Give yourself a quick refresher in the late afternoon if your cologne is fading and you think it’s going to be a long night. One spray ought to do it.
• Don’t wear a powerfully scented deodorant with your cologne. Conflicting scents or unexpected interactions can smell unpleasant.
• In the summertime, the combination of heat and sweat greatly amplifies the smell of your cologne; apply sparingly on those hot days.