How to properly wear Cologne

Men, you’re most likely wearing your cologne wrong. In fact, you may be wearing the wrong cologne entirely. Did you know that there is a process to choosing and wearing the right cologne? I personally was wearing cologne all wrong and am taking this new-found knowledge and running with it.

Cologne and fragrances can make or break a first impression or scare your lady (or potential lady) away from you. No one wants to smell a sweaty or overbearingly fragranced man. So, here are the steps and tips you’ll need to choose the right fragrance for you.

Choosing the right cologne

There is a process to choosing the right cologne. I know you’re probably not feeling like it, or you feel you’ve chosen the right scent, but still consider the following tips.

Before you choose a scent, you need to understand that there are multiple types of cologne that all last different amounts of time because of their level of concentration.

The four types of cologne are:

• Perfume (parfum) | 20–30% concentration or up to 8 hours
• Eau de Parfum | 15–20% concentration or up to 5 hours
• Eau de Toilette | 5–15% concentration or 2–3 hours
• Eau de Cologne | 2–4% or up to 2 hours

Of course, the higher the concentration, the higher the cost and not every man can afford that. So, the most common cologne’s are designer brands which are found most anywhere and are the cheaper side of the spectrum.

The other type of cologne’s are niche which are more expensive and are most often worn by scent aficionado’s. In order to pick the perfect scent for your personal taste, you need to start by spraying cologne onto scent cards from a distance and smelling them. Once you’ve found one that you like, spray it onto your wrists and wear it for the rest of the day, regularly smelling it to make sure you love it.

It’s important to note that cologne’s change over the day. The fragrances break down and mix with your natural oils, so making sure you not only like the initial scent but the fragrances that follow is important.

NOTE: Cologne is made of several “notes” which are the top notes, mid-notes, and base notes, all of which wear off at different times, changing the fragrance of the cologne over the day.

• Top notes last 15–120 minutes
• Mid-notes last 30 minutes to 5 hours
• Base notes last around 6–8 hours

How to apply cologne

Now that you have your favorite cologne in hand there are things you need to consider before applying it. There are specific parts of the body which react well to cologne and will make the scent smell better and last longer on your skin.

Men should apply cologne to their pulse points, or in other words, the warmest parts of the body. This includes the:

• Chest
• Neck
• Shoulders
• Wrists
• Inner Elbows

If applied to these areas, the cologne will project more and will require less fragrance. So, pick two of the area’s from above and spritz one or two times to each area and voila, you’re a new man.

Wait, though, there’s more things to consider to make sure you’re smelling and feeling your best. Below are some of the most important tips to consider when applying cologne and could mean the difference between a great impression or a last impression:

• Be sure to apply cologne right after a shower when you’re squeaky clean and dry
• DON’T spray the cologne in the air and walk through it
• Hold the bottle 3–6 inches away from your body when spraying
• DON’T rub the cologne into your skin after applying it
• Reapply the cologne to your wrists after the fragrance begins to wear off to boost the scent

That’s it for this post, gentlemen. Thank you again for being a part of The Fireside.