Not to make life even more complicated than it already is, but wearing cologne is an art, gentlemen. And a delicate one at that.
It’s tricky thing that, judging by the sheer number of people who cross the thin line between sexy and noxious, many dudes aren’t doing right.
Now, nobody wants to be that person who smells like they saturated themselves in a vat of musk and sandalwood, nor do they want to pick out the perfect fragrance and happily put some on, only to have the scent be completely gone in two hours.
Since those two unfortunate scenarios happen to the best of us, Business Insider put together a handy guide on the dos and don’ts of putting on cologne, which I then compiled into a nice, simple list.
And so, here are four important things you should know about the art of wearing cologne, because we all deserve to smell great.
1. Spray cologne on your skin, not your clothes.
Fragrance is supposed to gently sit on your skin and mix with your own oils, which allows the different notes of the scent to come through. Fun fact: this is why some fragrances don’t smell good on everyone.
When you spray it on your clothes, the oil in the fragrance can’t mingle with your oils and do its thing, which is precisely why you should always spray it on your skin.
Plus, that age-old trick of walking through a cloud of cologne to get a nice, light coating of fragrance? WRONG. All wrong. It’s worthless. Don’t do that.
2. Less is more.
When you’re putting on cologne, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that less is more. You don’t need to douse every inch of your torso with 15 sprays. Nobody wants to smell you from a block away. No, no. That’s a rookie mistake that’s best left behind in the high school locker room.
To avoid suffocating yourself and everyone around in a cloud of Drakkar Noir all day, just stick to an expertly placed spritz or two…which brings me to my next point…
3. Apply cologne to the area between your chest and your neck.
Putting fragrance on your “heat points,” a.k.a. pulse points, allows the scent to basically get reactivated throughout the day, therefore creating a delightful scent trail called sillage.
That said, the little area between your chest and your neck is the perfect place to put on your signature scent, considering it’s one of the warmest areas of your body. Plus, as Business Insider points out, your chest hair will trap the fragrance oil, and make the smell last longer!
4. Don’t rub it in.
Here’s another rookie mistake that should be retired: you shouldn’t rub in cologne after applying it. For instance, if you give yourself a little spritz on your wrist, don’t mash it in with your other wrist. Apparently, that’s very wrong, and can completely distort the scent. Who knew?
As I said before, fragrance is meant to sit on your skin and mix and mingle with the natural oils on your skin, and rubbing it in fucks with the molecules of the top notes. So, don’t rub. Instead, gently pat it, if you must.
Well, I hope you put this important information to good use, my dudes.
H/T: Business Insider