William Mize on how to keep the guys smelling fresh.
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If you’re reading this, and you’re above the age of 16, you need to stop spraying yourself with Axe and go shopping for a signature scent.
My dad wears Old Spice, and it’s nice if you’re on a Retro kick, but for the vast majority of men, you need to take the time, go to a quality men’s department and start the process of picking out a scent that’s just right for you.
My Fiancee’ is one of the most scent oriented women I have ever known. She can take a whiff of a perfume or a cologne and tell you each ingredient used to make up that scent. It’s crazy. It also keeps me wearing deodorant, antiperspirant and a nice scent that she helped me pick out.
I wear it because I like it, but I also wear it because I love making her happy. These are two good reasons.
Don’t even doubt the power of scent on a woman. They love different ones, experimenting with them, and mixing and matching them. They are going to expect you to do the same, so you’re going to probably have to end up purchasing at least two scents when you’re starting out.
Where To Buy Cologne
Hint: It’s not Target. Or Wal-Mart.
Get yourself to a Macy’s, a Saks, a Neiman Marcus or a Nordstrom. Personally, if you can, I’d recommend the latter due to the exceptional service I’ve received there in the past and their very liberal return policy. It’s nice to know that should your purchase go sideways, you can always take it back and find a solution that benefits everyone.
Please don’t be intimidated by these stores! They are there to serve you. You are the customer. They want you to be happy with your purchase, and most of all, they want you to become a regular customer. They (should) know that if they treat you right, you’re going to tell 10 of your friends about the experience and the good word will travel fast.
They should also know that the opposite of the above is also true. If you have an unpleasant experience, you’re going to tell 50 of your friends, and the bad word will travel even faster.
In these days of Twitter and Facebook, they don’t want to get any bad report cards. They have teams dedicated to monitoring their stores’ online reputation.
So, go to a quality store, and have a quality experience, and get a quality product.
What To Look For In A Cologne
When you walk up to the counter, hopefully the person behind it will know an extensive amount about the colognes that they are selling. Be prepared to answer a few questions about what you used to wear, what you liked about it, and where you are wearing it (office, casual, evening).
Right now, I have two colognes – one for every day wear, and one for evenings/dates.
After the initial questions, they will start pointing you toward certain fragrances. Now, we all know that these folks might be working on commission, and might be incentivized to point you toward certain ones that are on special, or come with a shaving kit, a duffel bag or a pair of deck shoes, but don’t jump at the first one you smell. Be patient, be picky and really think about your purchase.
If you’re not sure about the terms that you will be using, this article over at Highland Men’s Care will give you pretty great instructions on how to purchase a cologne, what to look for, and what the heck they are talking about when they mention bases, top notes and middle notes.
How To Purchase Cologne
First, spray it on the small strip of paper that they will have. This allows you to smell the scent pure, without any interference or mixing with your own body chemicals.
This is usually a pretty fast pass/fail test.
If you like it, allow them to spray a very small amount on the inside of your wrist.
Now you wait.
It’s going to take some time for the scent to mix with your own body chemistry and become a different scent. That’s right. It’s going to smell differently on you than it did on that piece of paper.
Again, you want to be patient, because you want to know how it is going to smell on you, because that’s what your partner/date is going to be smelling.
Once you’ve settled on a scent, then it will be even easier to pick your next scent, should you desire to purchase two at this time. If not, then get a little spritz, pay for it and go out into the world. You don’t want a cloud following you. You want just a hint of the scent available should someone get close to you. And I mean really close to you.
You don’t want the cashier at the grocery store to give you the scrunch face and sniff and wonder what perfume counter you work at during the day.
The Takeaway
The time has come to grow up, my brother.
You need to raise your game, raise your standards and head out into the world and differentiate yourself from the rest. Getting a good signature scent or scents will get this process started. Trust me when I say that your female coworkers will notice this. They will talk about it. They will ask questions. And that’s exactly what you want – women talking about you.
Don’t be afraid to take care of yourself and make a purchase of a great scent. Sure, you might initially scoff at the idea or blanche at the cost, but you are worth it and it is a great investment.
Go for it.
You got this.
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This article originally appeared on William Mize’s Website.
Photo credit: s@@m/flickr
Thanks for this guide now its eazy to decide i was struggling since long now thanks
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Or better yet go scent-free (or, as I think of it, stench free). There is no reason to cover yourself with chemicals every day, and more and more places don’t allow them for health reasons. Try boarding a bus or elevator on a damp day – the accumulated stink of perfumes, colognes, hair products, and tobacco smoke can be overwhelming.
Scent-free soap and shower every day. Natural deodorant. Wear appropriate, CLEAN, clothing. Keep yourself fit enough that you don’t drop with sweat every time you move two inches.
No no no no no. Just wash yourself, use a descent deodorant and stop with all the cologne. It’s too much. When I can smell you 5 minutes after you’ve left the room… UG.