Folks, this article is something you wouldn’t want to miss.
Let’s talk about fragrance. How you small says a lot about your personal style. Remember, smelling good not only makes you more attractive but it also lessens your stress and boosts your confidence.
Here’s Why You Should Wear Your Cologne
1. It makes you more attractive to women
Smell is significant for women when choosing a mate. A European study has shown that scent is the most powerful factor for women. While men use their eyes or that visual cues are important to them, women use their nose because they can easily get attracted to what they can smell rather than what they see.
In fact, women have a better-tuned sense of smell than men. Their noses are specifically designed to be sensitive to male pheromones. Combined with fragrance, this is an even more attractive olfactory experience.
The smell can also foster emotional connections. In fact, olfaction, or the sense of smell, is 150,000 times more sensitive than vision. Our eyes can only detect about 7,000,000 colors, but our noses can detect over 1 trillion unique odors. Our olfactory bulb is connected to the limbic system that is why smell triggers memories better than any other senses.
2. Smelling good boosts an overall impression
Dressing up adds up to your confidence. How much more if you double that up with a nice fragrance? You feel better when you look nice and wearing a nice cologne enhances that confidence.
Your scent is very important even in non-dating and non-sexual situations.
Now Let’s talk about fragrances.
What Are Fragrances?
A complex mixture of raw materials makes up a fragrance. These raw materials can either be natural or synthetic.
A solvent, usually alcohol, is used to dissolve perfume oils. This is done to preserve the concoction of scents. Higher oil concentration means a stronger fragrance. How strong a fragrance is most likely determines how long it will last on your skin.
Fragrance, Perfume, Toilette Cologne – Are They All The Same?
Fragrance comes in different names and categories, but generally, fragrance is a unisex, generic term for perfume.
Since it comes in many forms, the following are its categories:
– Eau Fraiche: The Eau Fraiche is the most diluted version which usually has 1-3{09c4984b2daad12ea44dc04bb543566d84c83d28b9c75f61575496cafc88c793} of perfume oil in alcohol and water solution and usually lasts for less than an hour.
– Cologne (Eau de Cologne): Cologne is the oldest term used especially for masculine scents in North America. The cologne is usually light, fresh and fruity. Only 2-4{09c4984b2daad12ea44dc04bb543566d84c83d28b9c75f61575496cafc88c793} of perfume oil in alcohol and water composes the cologne and is usually preferred by younger people. Cologne lasts for about 2 hours.
– Toilette: (Eau de Toilette): this light spray is composed of 5-15 {09c4984b2daad12ea44dc04bb543566d84c83d28b9c75f61575496cafc88c793} of pure perfume essence dissolved in alcohol and usually lasts for about 3 hours.
– Perfume (Eau de Parfum): Perfume is a unisex term, so it’s a preferred description for both men and women’s products. Perfume is also the best term used to describe fragrance. Perfume contains 15-20{09c4984b2daad12ea44dc04bb543566d84c83d28b9c75f61575496cafc88c793} of pure perfume essence, and its scent lasts for 5-8 hours.
– Parfum: The term parfum is a derivation of the Latin phrase per fumum which means “by means of smoke.” The Parfum is the most concentrated and expensive among all the fragrances. It is slightly oilier and is highly concentrated composed of 20-30{09c4984b2daad12ea44dc04bb543566d84c83d28b9c75f61575496cafc88c793} pure perfume essence and can last up to 24 hours.
Fragrance Life Cycle
The life cycle of a fragrance has three parts. In each part are individual scents or notes that make up what you smell.
The three notes are top, medium, and base.
1. Top Note
This is the initial and light smell that instantly hits the nose as soon as you apply it on the skin. This scent usually lasts about 15 minutes to 2 hours. Top notes usually range from light floral scents, citrus, fruity scents, powdery scents, marines, aquamarines, spice such as cinnamon.
2. Medium Note
The medium note is also referred to as the middle or heart because it has the main element of fragrance. The middle notes appear as soon as the top notes clear up. The middle notes usually last 3-5 hours after spraying. In addition to the top note, the middle note builds off each other. These notes often include floral scents that are of much heavier tone such as jasmine, grass or stone. The middle note also includes spice scents such as cinnamon and clove along with other fruity scents.
3. Base Note
The base notes are the last ones to develop, and the scents here are often bolder and more noticeable later in the day. The base notes lay the foundation of the fragrance’ longevity on your skin which lasts from 5 to 10 hours. Base notes include sandalwood, moss, vetiver, vanilla, tar, leather, smoke, tobacco and musk.
Linear And Non-Linear Fragrances
From the term itself, linear fragrances are those that smell the same, from the initial spray until you wash it off. Non-linear fragrances go through the layers of notes.
Fragrances of high quality go through the lifecycle mentioned above. Manufacturers who make low-cost fragrances often do not invest in complicated processes thus only creating cheap perfumes with monotone scents.
But, that doesn’t mean all linear fragrances are of low quality. Linear fragrances also have purposes. At work, you might want to smell fruity the entire day and not suddenly turn musky after lunch. Non-linear fragrances also do the opposite. A nice citrus might transition into a smooth vanilla lavender for your date night.
Designer And Niche Fragrances
– Designer Fragrances: These are the ones you commonly see in stores and are made by Armani, Chanel, Burberry and other brands that usually cost between $25-150 per bottle. These fragrances are typically mass-produced and tend to be made from cheaper materials to save cost for mass production.
– Niche Fragrances: These fragrances are usually more expensive and made from higher quality materials. These are created by industry artists that are either customized or made for a more selective customer looking for some more unique scent. Typically, these custom fragrances can go from $50 per bottle and more. Not everyone like bold scents but niche fragrances are sought after by those who wish to push the boundaries.
Pricing Of Fragrances
Higher cost does not necessarily mean better fragrance. In fact, some popular fragrances of the past were cheap formulas because it is possible that you end up with a non-attractive or smelly mess when mixing expensive raw materials.
However, what makes a fragrance expensive is the amount of perfume oil it contains. But since the fragrance industry is more on the lookout for mass production and marketing per se, you end up paying marketing cost and branding rather than the materials itself.
Some major brands are both science and marketing. They associate familiarity in their perfumes such as Ralph Lauren or Polo perfumes.
Selecting And Buying The Perfect Cologne
According to studies, a man naturally selects his cologne according to his body scent.
Remember, you are the only one who can choose the best scent that suits you. Don’t let others choose for you so you won’t end up piling those gift scents sit on your shelf.
You can use other people’s ideas or opinions to help identify which is which. However, do not buy someone else’s cologne or recommendation without trying it on yourself.
So how do you test a new fragrance? Try to test it if it complements your natural body odor over the day. You can try out four perfumes at a time, but I think it’s better to try out two first if you are just starting out.
1. Spray each scent on each wrist or elbows if you go four.
2. Don’t be too excited about the cards at department stores. More likely they are just giving off the top note but not how it really smells on you.
3. Refresh your palate between smelling colognes. Smell something strong first before smelling another cologne.
4. Smell the notes because the scent may change over the next few hours.
5. Walk around and smell the fragrance at various intervals.
6. The moment you find THE ONE, purchase it and start wearing it. Don’t worry about not finding the perfect one the first time because having that perfect fragrance that suits you is a process and it might actually take time.
Which size should you buy? Well, since fragrances come in 1 ounces to 3.4 ounces or even bigger, try the smaller ones first if you are just starting out that scent, so there’s lower risk. Your taste might also change along the way, so it’s also cost-effective that you buy the small ones first.
The shelf life of perfumes is not that long. Heat can break apart the molecules in your fragrance. Do not store your fragrances in storages or areas that come in contact with sunlight. As much as possible, keep them stored in a cool, dry place. Closets are ideal.
Rules For Proper Fragrance Application
We have all smelled someone who’s too over the edge with his fragrance it’s making you feel dizzy. Guess what? You wouldn’t want to make that same mistake, right? So, here’s what you should do.
– Spray or wear it on dry skin: If you are using a spray, apply it 3-6 inches away from the skin. Also, spray it preferably after a shower.
– Start minimal. Especially if you are just trying out that new scent or you are new to wearing fragrances, start light by spraying once on your chest. If you are more comfortable with how the perfume smells on you, you can then try and spray some more.
– Apply to heat areas: There’s this term called sillage which means a scent trail or how strong the fragrance lingers on the air. Our body heat pushes the scent, thus creating that sillage. Start applying on the warmest parts of your body: chest, neck, lower jaw, wrist, forearm, inner elbow, shoulder.
– Only respray when necessary: Avoid spraying your perfume from time to time. Remember, each scent usually lasts for about an hour so only respray when needed.
– Maintain the note: Do not rub your perfume on your skin because it only breaks the molecular bond, weakening the scent’s strength.
– Don’t try the spray and walk technique: I’m sure you did try spraying your perfume and walking through it, just in case it sticks to your skin! Say no more because I did too! Unfortunately, most of the fragrance drops straight to the floor, so we didn’t catch any scent doing that.
– Do not spray on your clothes. This is very common because usually, we spray perfume as the last part of our grooming routine. Oils in fragrance only stain the fabrics plus, spraying it directly to your clothes will hinder the fragrance to naturally go through the stages of notes.
– Don’t splash: Most colognes come from a regular bottle. In that case, take one finger and gently press it against the bottle’s opening. Only dab the cologne onto the parts of the body as mentioned above.
– You know what they say about being minimal? Yes. Less is more. Your scent is discovered, not announced. So, wear it enough that people close by can smell it but not be overpowered by the scent.
In conclusion, it doesn’t matter what brand you wear, what type of fragrance that is. What’s important is that you feel good, you smell good, and your confidence is up and kicking! Again, the smell is the strongest sense so it may take a while to perfect your own scent but you will definitely get there.