How To Choose and Wear Cologne

The way you smell should coincide with your personality and how you want to present yourself, and the right scent doesn’t just benefit those around you, but you’ll definitely see its advantages during your day-to-days. Finding the right fragrance will make you feel more attractive, it will make you feel more confident in yourself, and it will help you feel less stressed - and so choosing the right cologne is like integrating a bit of aromatherapy in your daily routine. 

First and foremost, you'd want to choose a fragrance that you're happy with - something that smells good and feels good, a scent that captivates your attention just as much as it captivates others. When choosing a fragrance, you want to keep a couple things in mind: the type of fragrance you're opting for and the notes the fragrance is hitting. 

Fragrances contain different concentrations, which determines the intensity of the perfume oils and alcohol in it. These concentrations can be categorized by the following main types of perfume: 

 

Parfum - aka Pure Perfume or Extrait de Parfum, contains the highest fragrance concentration because of its concentration of fragrance oil. Fragrances classified as Parfum have a concentration between 20% to 30%, with the alcohol composition being very low compared to other types. This means that your fragrance would last longer on your skin during the day, at least a good 10 hours. Parfum is an excellent choice for you if you have sensitive skin because it has a lower alcohol content than all of the other types. 
  
Eau de Parfum - one of the most common fragrances used, from formal events to everyday wear when you're out and about. It has a fragrance concentration of about 15% to 20% and is usually cheaper than Parfum. Eau de Parfum fragrances should also last all day (about 8 hours), and is quite potent, although be wary when applying to delicate fabrics, such as silk and wool, because it might stain.
 
Eau de Toilette - another common fragrance and is generally cheaper than Eau de parfum. With a concentration of about 5% to 15%, Eau de Toilette is a great everyday fragrance and typically lasts 4 to 6 hours. However, if you have sensitive skin, be wary of its high alcohol concentration.
 
Eau de Cologne - is another popular fragrance. It's generally cheaper than the previously mentioned fragrances and usually comes in larger vessels because you'd need to apply more of the fragrance in order to attain a substantial result. Eau de Cologne ranges from 2% to 5% and has high alcohol concentration, with scents lasting for only a couple of hours. 

Eau Fraiche - is the most diluted of the aforementioned fragrances, with a fragrance composition of about 1% to 3%. Instead of alcohol, Eau Fraiche is primarily composed of water and fragrance, making it ideal for sensitive skin. And because the concentrate is quite small, it gives off a very subtle scent. Like the Eau de Cologne, Eau Fraiche typically lasts a couple of hours. 

 

Now, just because a fragrance has a higher concentration than another, doesn't necessarily mean it's better. You want to choose a fragrance that reflects your lifestyle. For instance, If you're generally sensitive to strong smells but still want to attain a mild scent, opt for the Eau Fraiche. If you have sensitive skin, go for the fragrances with little to no alcohol - so the the Parfums, the Eau de Toilettes, or the  Eau Fraiches. And if you consider yourself bold and want your fragrance to reflect that, choose the Eau de Parfum or the Eau de Cologne.

Most fragrances consist of three types of notes: top, medium (or heart), and base. Distinguishing between these notes should help you narrow down fragrances and help you determine what fragrance speaks to you.

Top notes is what we smell immediately after applying a fragrance, medium notes are the notes we smell once the top notes evaporate, and base notes is what emerges once the middle notes middle notes evaporate. Top notes make the first impression of the scent, while middle and base notes create the full body of the fragrance. 

PERCEPTION & WHO YOU WANT TO ATTRACT

Scent is one of the first impressions you make. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014), our ability to smell comes from specialized sensory cells found in a small patch of tissue that connect directly to our brain. In addition, the regions in our brain that processes emotions and memories are also connected to our sense of smell - linking what or who we smell to the deeply embedded emotions and memories we have (whether it’s conscious or unconscious). Good smells release dopamine and serotonin into our system, as opposed to bad smells, which send pain signals to our brains to warn us of potential dangers.

Not only can the fragrance you choose produce dopamine and serotonin in others, but certain scents could also prompt certain emotional responses. That being said, as much as you'd want to cater your scent to your own liking, it's never a bad thing to consider others in the mix. It might be worth your while to consider associating the positive responses one might have to a certain scent to yourself, ultimately aligning your fragrance to a scent that associates yourself with the desired's positive emotions. This can work both romantically and platonically. 

 

As important as scent is to an individual, so is the amount you put on. Now, you're not 12 anymore, so you cannot get away with spraying half the bottle of cheap cologne all over yourself before you head out. You do not want your fragrance to overpower the room and those around you. Instead, spray/apply your fragrance onto both your wrists then use the excess to apply the fragrance directly from your wrists to behind your ear and both sides of your neck. Your wrists, behind your ear, and your neck are some of the pulse parts of your body and emit more heat than other parts of your body. Heat activates and maximizes your fragrance, so applying it on your pulse points is the most efficient way to wear your cologne. If you're wearing a t-shirt and shorts, you can even apply your fragrance to other pulse points, like behind your elbow and the back of your knee.

 

 

Finding your signature scent can be a journey, luckily we carry a number of fragrances that can help get you started! 

Try Taylor of Old Bond Street's Eton College Gentleman's Cologne - an invigorating, citrus fragranced cologne with top notes of citrus, lemon, orange, and mandarin, medium notes of floral, and base notes of patchouli.
Or, if you have sensitive skin, you can also try their Jermyn Street Collection Alcohol Free Cologne -  a fresh and bright cologne with top notes of lemon, lime, lavender, fougere, and bergamot, medium notes of geranium, neroli, and amber, and base notes of musk, patchouli, and vanilla. 

And if you're on the go and want to bring something light, there's always Fulton & Roark's Solid Fragrances - highly-concentrated solid fragrances that offer a long-lasting and steady fragrance designed to keep you fresh all day.