How to wear men’s fragrance correctly

Did you know there is an element of style that can boost your confidence, double your chances of getting a woman’s phone number, reduce stress, and increase your perceived level of trust?

No it’s not your suit, tie, or even a nice pocket square. It’s actually invisible to the eye – fragrance! Smell has a powerful effect on how others perceive you. Despite this, nearly 80 percent of men aren’t using fragrance on a regular basis!

Maybe you are just getting started with fragrance and you don’t know how to use it correctly. Don’t worry, here are tips on how to use and apply fragrance properly:

Tip #1 – Understand cologne types.

So let’s clear up a few terms first. Cologne is a name often thrown around, but it doesn’t necessarily refer to a fragrance for men, just like a perfume doesn’t mean a fragrance for women.

These are different names for the concentration of oils contained in the fragrance. A cologne is 2 to 4 percent concentration, an eau de toilette is 5 to15 percent, and a perfume is 20 to 30 percent. The higher the concentration, the stronger the smell and the greater the lasting power of the fragrance. “Sillage” is also you term you may hear; it refers to the degree in which a perfume’s smell will linger in the air.

All of these things merit consideration when choosing the type of fragrance that’s best for you and your needs.

Tip #2 – Apply your fragrance correctly.

You want to apply cologne to the warmest parts of your body, as your body heat will help push the smell throughout the day. Apply it to dry skin, like right after getting out of the shower. Good areas to spray are behind the ears, the back of the neck, the chest, the shoulders, the wrists, the inner elbows, and the forearms.

Exactly where you spray will be up to your own personal preference, say,1 to 2 sprays behind each ear, one spray on the back of the neck; then if you want to go a little heavier, put a couple sprays on each shoulder. Hold the bottle 3 to 6 inches away from your skin when spraying the fragrance.

It is not recommended to spray your neck after you shave, as this can be painful and cause irritation.

It’s better to spray on your skin for the best effect, as the fragrance will create a unique smell when mixed with the natural oils of your skin. Spraying on your clothes is an option, though, and is a good choice if you are going to be wearing multiple layers of clothing and don’t want the scent to get buried.

However, be careful – the oils from some fragrances could potentially stain your clothes if you put it on too heavy. If in doubt you may want to test on a spot that isn’t noticeable to see if it will cause any discoloration.

Do not spray in the air and walk through it. This is very ineffective because most of the spray will fall to the floor.

If you are using a regular bottle instead of a spray, be careful not to splash it everywhere. Apply it to a single finger and use that to put the fragrance precisely where you want it.

You don’t want to rub the perfume into the skin; this actually destroys the molecular bond, making the scent weaker.

Tip #3 – Wear your fragrance correctly.

Remember, less is more when it comes to fragrance.

Put on a light spray of cologne so it can only be detected when one comes really close. Don’t be the guy who bathes himself in fragrance and announces his presence before he even enters the room.

You can put on more or less depending on your environment. If you are going to be walking around outside in the city streets, you can go a bit heavier so you will be detected by the people passing by. If you are going to be in close quarters like on an airplane, for everyone’s sake you will want to go much lighter.

Remember, fragrance should be discovered, not announced.

Now when it comes to storing your fragrance, you want to keep it in a cool, dark place that doesn’t have much fluctuation in temperature. A bedroom closet can be a good choice for this.

You don’t want to store it in your bathroom, where the swings in temperature will shorten the life of the fragrance. Also make sure the cap is on securely for storage so it doesn’t evaporate over time.