There’s more to finding the right cologne than just spraying it on your wrist and deciding whether or not you like it. In fact, that will only lead to a mispurchase.
Avoiding expensive errors takes thought, preparation, and time, as I discovered.
My Fragrance Mistake
Working in an office at 17, all of my colleagues were men of at least 30 whose serious-minded demeanor I wished to emulate.
So, like them, I wore a well-fitting suit, striped shirts with motif neckties, shined shoes, a neatly trimmed mustache, and, eventually, a good cologne.
Until then, I’d always smelled of soap and shaving cream. This could be described as clean and masculine, but I wanted more. I needed something to complete the mature image I endeavored to project.
So, one Saturday, I headed for Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street to find the cologne that I hoped would become my signature fragrance.
After about three minutes of sniffing my way around the perfume department, I found the perfect thing, which I proudly wore to work on Monday morning.
Being in a confined office environment, I wanted to keep it subtle. So it was just a quick squirt at the pulse points of my neck.
But as the hours passed, the more unpleasant I found the aroma that wafted around my head. It surely wasn’t the same cologne I’d applied that morning?
It had cost me a good portion of my monthly salary, and, as it turned out, I was to never wear it again.
So, what went wrong?
Finding the Right Cologne Is a Skill
You can’t decide in an instant if a cologne is right for you. The way it smells during its first 15 minutes on your skin might be quite different from the way it smells two hours later. And it might smell very different on you tomorrow than it does today, depending on what you’ve eaten and which toiletries you’ve used.
More than just a matter of taste, choosing fragrance is a skill that takes thought, preparation, and time.
Let’s take a look at what you need to know before heading for the fragrance counter, and how to make the best choice once you’re there.
Be Prepared
If you are to find a cologne that is truly right for you, you must make time to prepare your sense of smell, neutralize your body’s natural odor, and properly consider your preferences.
Sense of Timing and Smell
Our sense of smell sharpens as the day progresses. Therefore, plan your shopping trip for later in the day.
But before you head off to the nearest department store, make sure you haven’t eaten garlic or spicy foods during the past 12 hours. And don’t use heavily scented toiletries—these will distort your body’s natural odor, thus influencing how fragrances smell on you.
Think About the Type of Fragrance You Want
Before arriving at the store, it’s a good idea to know the type of fragrance you’re looking for.
Olfactory Families
Fragrances are categorized into what are called “olfactory families.” These are numerous and include citrus, aquatic, oriental, and woody—terms you’ve probably already encountered. More often than not, combinations are used, e.g., Issey Miyake’s L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme is a woody, aquatic fragrance.
You can learn about olfactory families and much more besides on the website fragrantica.com.
Environment, Time of Day, and Season
Consider when you intend to wear the cologne. For example, if you want it for the evening, something oriental would work better than a crisp, citrus note, which is more suitable for the day.
If you intend on wearing it to the office where you’re working closely with others, it needs to be clean and discreet.
Think, too, about the season. Fragrances are more pungent and last longer on the skin during warm weather. Therefore, a lighter scent is appropriate for summer, and a heavier one for winter.
Eau de Cologne or Eau de Toilette?
Another consideration is intensity.
Because it contains fewer aromatic compounds, Eau de Cologne is less intense and, therefore, more discreet than Eau de Toilette.
Choose Eau de Cologne for the day and/or warm weather, and Eau de Toilette for the evening and/or cooler weather.
By the way, the use of the word “cologne” in this article refers to men’s fragrance products in general.
Source: PixabayShopping for Fragrance
Describe the Type of Fragrance You Want
Anything you can tell the salesperson about your preferences will help him or her direct you to the type of cologne you have in mind. Don’t worry if you don’t know the correct terminology. Words like “heavy,” “light,” “fresh,” “clean,” etc. should be enough, but be as descriptive as you can.
The aim is to avoid testing fragrances that won’t appeal to you; it’s best to limit yourself to no more than five in order not to confuse your nose.
If you do confuse your nose, an old trick is to sniff into some coffee beans to clear the nasal palate. You can take a few with you in a small plastic or paper bag, since some stores don’t have them at the ready.
How to Test Fragrance
Use Blotting Strips, Request Samples, and “Test Drive”
All fragrance counters provide blotting strips. Use these to sample the fragrances you think might interest you.
“Test Drive” Your Final Choices
When you’ve narrowed your choice down to two, request samples. You’ll then be able to wear the fragrances for a day or two (depending on the sample sizes) to test reactions and ascertain which you enjoy wearing most over a period of time. It will also give you the opportunity to ask family and friends for their opinion, in case you’re still unsure.
But don’t allow others to decide for you. Principally, your final decision should be based on the way the fragrance makes you feel. For example:
- Does it make you feel excited when you’re getting ready for an evening out?
- Does it make you feel confident at the office?
- Does it make you feel light and breezy when you’re out for a walk on a summer day?
Test on Your Wrists
If you don’t have time to “test drive” your two finalists, go ahead and apply them directly on your inner wrists whilst in the store.
You’ll find they smell a little different to the way they did on the blotting strips. It’s because fragrance reacts to the unique chemistry of the skin as well as body temperature, which is what makes scent so individual and personal. It also explains why a cologne that smells great on a work colleague might not be right for you.
With one fragrance on each wrist, leave the store and allow their characters to unfold. This will take a couple of hours, but it’s the part of the procedure that will determine whether you’ve really found the right cologne.
Rubbing your wrists together will not speed up the process; instead, it will alter the molecular structure of the fragrance, which impairs quality.
In case you’re wondering why you should leave the store: The luxurious combination of scents you encounter when entering a department store makes it impossible to judge fragrance accurately. If you can’t leave, at least go to another (unscented) department before making a decision.
This applies for linear and non-linear fragrances—more on that below.
How Fragrance Unfolds
Most high-end fragrances are non-linear, meaning they have a life cycle and consist of three notes: a top or head note, a middle or heart note, and a base note. But all three are not instantly or constantly evident, which is why it takes time to choose properly.
Imagine this structure as a pyramid.
The top note is the one you smell first, and it’s the one manufacturers rely on to sell their product.
The middle note shifts to the forefront after 15 to 30 minutes. This is when you smell all three notes, or, better phrased, the “whole” fragrance.
The base note continues to linger after the top and middle notes have dissipated, so it’s important that you like it.
After two or three hours have elapsed and you’ve decided which of the two colognes is right for you, go back to the fragrance counter and buy.
Find the Right Cologne Faster With Linear Fragrances
But if I were to recommend a fragrance to my 17-year-old self, it would be a linear product.
Unlike non-linear or complex fragrances (as they are also called), these do not unfold; that is to say, the scent remains constant from the moment they are applied until they fade.
It’s not true that all linear fragrances are cheap. Innumerable niche and high-end designer products exist, one of my favorites being the office-friendly Amber Pour Homme by Prada.
Niche Fragrances
If you’re looking for a more distinctive cologne, you could consider a niche fragrance.
Designed neither for mass production nor mass appeal, these exclusive products are created by industry enthusiasts. Their ingredients are of higher quality, and they tend to be more daring.
Due to their singularity, niche products make good signature fragrances.
You’ll find niche brands in specialist stores and on the internet.
Source: Ayala Sender from Vancouver, BC, Canada, Canada [CC BY 2.0]How Do You Know If You’ve Found the Right Cologne?
According to a study published online in 2012, we instinctively choose fragrances that blend well with our body’s natural odor. Therefore, if you like the way a cologne smells on your skin right down to its base note, and you’ve considered all other factors listed in this article, you can be sure you’ve made the right choice.
To recap, here is a checklist of the most important points to remember in order to find a cologne that’s right for you:
- Shop for fragrance later in the day when your sense of smell is more acute.
- Never wear scented toiletries and cosmetics, and avoid garlic and spicy foods for at least 12 hours before shopping.
- Decide on the sort of fragrance you’d like before arriving at the store, considering environment, time of day, and season.
- Test fragrances on blotting strips before applying to your skin. Test on your wrists once you’ve narrowed your choice down to two.
- Test no more than five fragrances in one sitting to avoid confusing your nose.
- Sniff coffee beans to clear your nasal palate.
- Never rub fragrances when testing.
- Make your final decision in a scent-neutral environment, away from the perfume department.
© 2024, J. Richardson. All rights reserved.
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