How to Select the Right Cologne

Trust your nose when shopping for a new scent.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cologne

1. Select a cologne over an aftershave for a longer-lasting scent.
2. Learn about "notes," which are different scents that make up the cologne's personality.
3. Splash or spray, then wait 10 minutes. Top notes, usually light spices and citrusy, minty or fruity scents, disappear first.
4. Sniff your scent test area after 10 minutes for middle notes. These last about an hour and lean toward middle spices (such as vanilla or cinnamon), woodsy or earthy scents, or heavier citrus scents such as grapefruit or orange.
5. Wait an hour and smell the test area once more for the heavier bottom or base notes: long-lasting leathers, woods, tobacco, and heavy spices such as peppers and cloves. This is the lingering odor people will remember as you leave.
6. Use common sense. Buy the one you like the most.

Tips & Warnings

• Men's fragrances in the United States are called colognes; in Europe they're called "eau de toilette."
• Your skin's pH is what will determine how long a scent lasts. Trying the scent and then waiting for a while is the best determinate of what's best for you.
• Like women's perfumes, use cologne on pulse points (wrists, chest, neck), where your skin is warmest and therefore is the best diffuser.
• While trying out new fragrances, a coffee bean under your nose will restore nose clarity, so ask for one. Really.
• Buy from a reputable shop; cologne can spoil, or it can be poorly counterfeited.
• Don't apply cologne to your face, especially after a shave. Use aftershave instead.