Tips on Properly Applying Cologne
By Adeline J. Wells
Good style is about more than simply wearing fashionable clothes; it is about maintaining a well-groomed, elevated energy for your being. One of the most common contributions to style is a signature cologne; a scent that others may associate with you, one that enhances your personal atmosphere. However, cologne is too often left to fade throughout the day, or it may be overwhelming and too strong. Here are a few tips for how to properly apply and wear cologne, aiming to ensure it keeps you smelling fresh all day long:
Shower First
Cologne is best applied after a warm shower, when the skin is clean and the pores are open. It is always a good idea to moisturize first, which helps the cologne absorb into the skin more efficiently. Many experts recommend applying cologne while still naked, before the body has been touched by fabric fibers. All of these circumstances help create a clean slate for the scent to cling to, melding with your body’s chemistry to become one fragrance.
Create the Proper Distance
Experts recommend maintaining a distance of three to six inches from the skin when applying a spray cologne. Spraying any further away risks under-applying, while any closer might make the cologne too concentrated. A light application from six-inches away means that the target area should be properly covered without being oversaturated. For oil or wax-based colognes, it is important to dab the cologne onto the skin as opposed to rubbing, which breaks the molecular bond within the fragrance, causing it to fade faster.
Focus on the Hot Spots, Not Clothes
Too often, men will make the mistake of applying cologne onto their clothes, as opposed to the skin. While intended to make it last longer, this tactic prevents the cologne from mixing with one’s natural oils, resulting in the scent remaining flat.
Instead, apply cologne onto areas of the body that emit heat; this helps the fragrance diffuse, mingling with the bodies’ chemistry to create a signature twist on the scent. Hot spots include the pulse points, neck, upper chest, forearms, and inner-elbow.
Choose the Right Cologne for You
When searching for a new cologne, remember that you are the one who will be wearing the scent each day; above all, you need to like it for yourself. Most colognes are marketed by two or three fragrance notes that make up the bulk of the scent, which evaporate over the course of wear. Some may enjoy more woody, musky notes, while others may prefer lighter notes that have a more floral, herbaceous tone. When considering what you prefer, remember that the top fragrance notes evaporate the quickest, while the base notes, often the boldest, stay on the skin and last the longest.
Many recommend doing some research before shopping for a scent in-store, considering which notes you may prefer. When you do shop for a cologne in person, it is a good idea to blog the scents on provided cardboard test strips initially, as this provides a neutral baseline for the fragrance to be tested on. Be sure to not test more than three colognes on your skin, as this can cause your olfactory receptors to be overwhelmed and shut down.
Enjoy the experiment. Regardless of the scent you choose, it is important to remember that while the cologne may be temporary, the enhancement to your being and satisfaction of smelling good is what will last.
