Can’t find the right cologne? Learn how to prepare your skin and nose for proper fragrance testing so you can choose what suits you best.
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 did today, depending on what you’ve eaten and which toiletries you’ve used.
Choosing fragrance isn’t just a matter of taste; it’s a skill that takes thought and time.
From body chemistry and sense of smell to proper testing, this article explains how to create conditions that allow you to make the best choice.
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
The sense of smell sharpens as the day progresses. Therefore, plan your store visit for later in the day.
But before you head off, make sure you haven’t eaten garlic or spicy foods during the past 12 hours. And don’t use heavily scented toiletries—these distort the body’s natural odor, which influences 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 works better than a crisp, citrus note, which is more suitable for the day.
If you intend to wear it to the office where you’re working closely with others, it should be clean and discreet.
Think, too, about the season. Fragrances are more pungent and longer lasting 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, in this article “cologne” refers to men’s fragrance products in general.
Shopping for Fragrance
When arriving at the fragrance counter, anything you can tell the salesperson about your preferences will help him or her to 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 to avoid confusing 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 to test how others react and ascertain which you enjoy wearing most over a period of time.
But don’t allow other people 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 favorites, go ahead and apply them directly on your inner wrists while in the store.
You’ll find they smell a little different from the way they did on the blotting strips. It’s because fragrance reacts to body temperature and the unique chemistry of the skin, 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 while you allow their characters to unfold. This takes a couple of hours, but it’s the part of the process that determines whether you’ve found the right cologne.
Rubbing your wrists together does not speed things up; instead, it alters the molecular structure of the fragrance, which impairs quality.
In case you’re wondering why you should leave the store: the combination of scents that fill a fragrance counter makes it impossible to judge accurately. If you can’t leave, at least go to another (unscented) department before making a decision.
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 it 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.
By the way: A department store is the only place properly equipped for fragrance testing—full brand ranges for better comparison, trained staff, and the freedom to spend as much time as you need. Prices, however, can vary widely between in‑store and online, even within the same business. It’s not unusual to see a difference of several dollars for the exact same bottle. So while you should always test fragrance in person, buy it wherever the price is more favorable.
Find the Right Cologne Faster With Linear Fragrances
If you don’t have hours or even days for testing, look for a single-phase or 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 you apply them until they fade.
Despite what you may have heard, not all linear fragrances are cheap. Many niche and high-end designer products exist, a good example 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 are created by industry enthusiasts. Their ingredients are of higher quality, and they’re usually more daring.
Due to their unique character, niche products make good signature fragrances.
You’ll find niche brands in specialist stores and online.
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 when searching for a new cologne:
- Shop for fragrance later in the day when your sense of smell is more acute.
- Don’t use scented toiletries, and avoid garlic and spicy foods for at least 12 hours before shopping.
- Decide on the type of fragrance you’d like before arriving at the store, considering where and when you intend to wear it.
- Test fragrances on blotting strips before applying to your skin. Test on your wrists only when 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 fragrance counter.
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 only leads to a mispurchase. Avoiding expensive errors takes thought, preparation, and time.
© 2024 J. Richardson
