I was out with my mother in law over the weekend at a restaurant when she asked me, “What’s that horrible smell?” I didn’t notice it until she said something. The sweet smell in the air was enough to make me throw up. As I turned around in our booth the smell continued to intensify. My nose was correct! The dude behind me out on a date with his girl had taken a bath in the cologne known as ‘Joop’. A cologne that has not been popular since 1990.
It got me thinking that I need to school down the guys and give them some Cologne tips. If you own any of these you may want to throw them away. Joop, Calvin Klein’s ‘Obsession’, Calvin Klein’s ‘Eternity’, Polo (the original green bottle) and Drakar Noir.
Rule of thumb is if it was made more than ten years ago you may want to rethink. Men’s cologne has come a long way. There is cheap cologne and good cologne.
Chemical Reactions
It’s important to know that every scent or cologne smells different on every person. The way a scent takes to your body and your skin is a question of chemistry, and has to do with the chemical reaction between you and the particular fragrance. While your friend smells great in the latest Calvin Klein men’s cologne, it could make you smell more like a gym locker.
With this in mind, it’s always important to try cologne before purchasing it. Never assume that what smells good on everyone else will smell good on you. You would never buy a pair of shoes before trying them on, right? Well, the same goes for men’s cologne.
Cologne Brands That I Enjoy
Issey-Miyake, Creed , Burberry, Gucci, Tom Ford, Armani
How To Select a Scent
Go to the store and spray different types of cologne on a card. Do this if you intend on trying out a bunch of different ones. If you try them all on your arm, by the time you get to the fourth cologne, your arms and wrists will be drenched by the other scents. You won’t get a good idea of the right fragrance unless you put each one on different cards or pieces of paper.
When the person standing in front of the men’s cologne section at the department store is ready to attack you with a bottle of cologne — ready to spritz and spray you with it — stand back, and tell them to spray a card instead. That way your wrists remain scent-free.
Smell the different cards and evaluate which fragances you like, and which ones smell more like bug repellant. Start eliminating the ones you really don’t like. After having sniffed and smelled all the cologne you are interested in — or until you feel faint, whichever comes first — take a breather and walk around the shopping center or outside the store for a while. According to one of my readers, if you sniff coffee between each cologne, you can get the full effect of each scent, since coffee refreshes your sense of smell. So if you’re walking around the department store with a cup of Starbucks, you don’t even need to take a break from sniffing.
You want to give your nose a little bit of a rest so that your sense of smell is rejuvenated before returning to the store to make your final purchase.
Once you do go back to the store to make your decision, you can test out how the cologne smells on you. At this point, you shouldn’t have as many options since you won’t be as bombarded by an array of scents and fragrances, after having already gone through an elimination process.
Other Options
If you want to be different and create your own fragrance, you can always blend one of the above scents or one of the colognes you already own with a natural scent such as jasmine, vanilla or cinnamon. Not only will you drive women wild (vanilla and cinnamon are known to be aphrodisiacs ), but it’ll also create your own personal fragrance. You can purchase these natural scents at Body Care stores such as The Body Shop.
If you’re not much of the cologne type, you can always opt for aftershaves and scented soaps. These scents will probably not be as potent as actual cologne, but they will still make you smell clean and fresh.
Keep in mind that if you work in small quarters such as a small office or cubicle, you may not want to wear such strong, potent scents. Opt for a citrus or lemon-based scent, and splash on the stronger fragrances for the nights on the town.
A change in personal fragrance is a great way to update and modify your style and look. Remember that like every other change in your style, such as facial hair, a hairstyle and designer sunglasses, make sure that your cologne matches your personality. With the perfect fragrance, you’ll smell success in more ways than one.
Tips On How To Use
- Hold the bottle at least 6-10 inches away – you don’t want to have to spray yourself several times, as too much of a good thing can be noxious.
- It’s ok to lightly spray your chest — but don’t go lower than your abs.
- Please don’t spray your wrists — that’s something women do.
- Spraying your clothes is ok — if you do it lightly, and keep it in the general vicinity of your collar.
One more thing. No ‘Axe’ Body Spay. Throw it away.
Source: hubpages.com, askmen.com, Esquire,
