How You Should (and Shouldn’t) Wear Men’s Colognes

Photo by: Bigstockphoto
Photo by: Bigstockphoto

Ran out of your favorite perfume? You can use your beau’s cologne! But before you think about wearing men’s perfume, know that there are right and wrong ways of wearing it.

Unlike women’s cologne, men’s cologne has stronger notes. Some of the more interesting notes include peppercorn, leather, fig, and even whale vomit. You read that right — it’s called ambergris, the vomit of a sperm whale!

As cologne is applied, the alcohol evaporates, leaving the top notes (note that last longer), middle notes, and base notes of the cologne on the skin. So before you start spritzing away, it’s important to choose men’s cologne with the right notes!

How to Choose the Right Scent

The right scent will depend on your preference. For example, if you want to smell unique or mysterious, don’t choose a scent that’s extremely popular with other men. You might run with a guy who’s wearing the same cologne!

If you’re unsure what men’s perfumes work great for women, you can also ask your girlfriends for suggestion. If you’re out of ideas, go to your local beauty counters’ men’s perfume section and start checking out various scents on your own.

Day and Night Men’s Cologne: How to Tell the Difference

Men’s cologne comes in two types, light and dark colognes. Light colognes are best used during the day while dark colognes are recommended for nighttime use. Light cologne are ideal for daytime because the notes are lighter, the scent isn’t as strong, and typically contains “brighter” notes of citrus or floral notes.

On the other hand, darker men’s cologne has stronger, bolder scents. Dark colognes also consist of “richer” tones like mocha, peppercorn, spice, and even chocolates.

Because men’s colognes are stronger in tones than women’s colognes, it’s easy to overdo it. Don’t wear too much, you might turn people off.

To wear men’s cologne correctly, apply sparingly on the pulse points, the wrist, behind the ears, or either side of the neck. Don’t spray it all over your body! Just pat the cologne on the pulse points, press your wrists together and you’re done. Don’t add more.

Colognes are best applied on pulse points because it’s where the veins are closest to the skin. As the heart beats, the scent applied in these areas are heated, causing the cologne to release its scent throughout the day.

Do not rub your wrists together vigorously after patting the cologne; you will “bruise” the notes. When the notes are bruised, the scent will not smell the way it should. A light press of the wrists is all you need to release the fragrance.

In addition, don’t apply cologne on your clothes. Colognes are meant to interact with the skin, not the fabric. Applying it on clothes could mess up the scent.

Finally and most importantly, try not to apply men’s cologne on your armpits or crotch. Some people actually do this habitually and this is a dangerous practice!  Certain chemicals in the cologne could irritate the extra-sensitive skin in those areas of the body.