Hapworth on How to Wear Cologne the Right Way

the Caribbean. It was Paul and my first real vacation together, and I hoped it would be unforgettable. I needed cologne that would be memorable in the evening and just a reminder of scent during the day.

I did my research and learned about colognes. It wasn’t just the fragrance that was important, it was how you applied the cologne that determines the cologne’s scent. For the man, it's wearing it in the right spots, so heat will help intensify the cologne.

I had a lot to learn about cologne. I used to think that wearing it meant spraying it on your wrists and then rubbing your wrists together. Add a touch behind the ears and off you go. I soon learned that rubbing cologne is not the way to apply it correctly or are the ears the only place to release that special scent.

My cruise would include two formal nights. I wanted my cologne to be noticeable. During the day, we would be visiting islands and touring the island towns, so I wanted my cologne to be light and not overpowering.

I learned how to put on cologne the right way to work for both day and night.

Before you dress for that special nighttime date, put on your cologne first. You don't want to apply cologne after dressing because the spray can ruin your clothes. I would be wearing formal clothes, so I didn’t want to make any mistakes. The easiest way to apply cologne is to spray it on your fingertips and then dab it on.

Where do you dab it? The best places to put cologne are on your pulse areas. The wrists are good because you move your hands distributing the scent, but don't rub it. Let it dry naturally. Behind the ears near the jaw line is another good pulse area.

There are other places, too. Consider a dab behind your kneecaps and between your breasts.

Will you be dancing? I knew I would be dancing on the cruise, so I put cologne in my hair. When you dance close to your partner, the fragrance will be there for him to inhale. Simply spray the cologne on your hands and run your hands through your hair.

For the daytime, I knew I would be in shorts and sandals. I dabbed some cologne on my ankles. For the young, try dabbing it on your stomach. Don’t put too much. Hot weather will make the scent more powerful as you start to sweat.

If you want just a touch of scent, spray the cologne into the air and walk into it. You've seen this approach in old movies. Well, it works. It just gives you a hint of the cologne that works great for daytime wear.

How did my cruise turn out? Wonderful. We had a glorious time, visited Puerto Rico, and enjoyed dancing on those formal evenings. The cologne did what I wanted it to do. It made the trip memorable for Paul and for me.