Hello and welcome to TheCraziestJ’s guide to Cologne.
Most people in this topic have keyed in very accurately to the fact that different colognes will react differently with different people’s natural chemistry. This is no myth. Yet it appears that nobody hear has touched on a separate, equally important element when choosing a fragrance: setting.
Yes, folks, different atmospheres and environments call for different smells. Coffee smells great when you first wake up, but a strong whiff right after a heavy workout and it can almost make you wretch.
You may notice that some of the more prevalent brands of colognes have a season printed right on the bottle, for example, Calvin Klein’s “Eternity” has “summer.” This is not a description of the fragrance but rather the classification of the cologne. Generally speaking colognes break down into these basic categories:
Summer:
Which are lighter, fruitier smells that are appropriate for, you guessed it, summer months, and times when you will generally be in a more casual and open atmosphere. They will blend nicely with the smells that float naturally during warmer weather, and project a younger, more energetic vibe.
I personally use CK Eternity for my summer cologne, but some other good recommendations are “Cool Water,” “Fahrenheit” by Christian Dior, and for the younger readers (high school and college) “Kirra” which is the Pac-Sun house brand. I still wear this brand when I know I’ll be in younger company.
Winter:
Winter colognes are a deeper, sweeter fragrance that are geared more towards indoors and less energetic atmospheres. Think of any situation you would wear a sweater too, you should be wearing a winter cologne. These fragrances tend to be more dominant, and so should be applied more lightly than summer colognes. Men with dryer skin will also tend to favor more winter colognes, as they will absorb more of the scent, making them less dominant.
For my winter cologne I wear Perry Ellis’s “Reserve.” Some other recommendations I have would be “Black” by Kenneth Cole, or “Attitude” by Armani.
I strongly encourage anyone to have at least one of each a summer and winter cologne, but do take your time in selecting which one matches your chemistry best.
There are a few other more select styles of cologne I will mention, and there are many others which are uncommon enough that I won’t bother here.
Eau De Toilette:
Literally “fragrance for the bathroom,” these tend to be a stronger concentration of fragrance, yet the scent themselves tend to be extremely light in nature, often lighter than summer colognes. As such, an Eau De Toilette is really more of thing used to make you smell clean, rather than scented.
Musk:
At the opposite end of the spectrum is a musk. These are heavy, hearty colognes that say “MAN” in a very loud voice. They project a very mature and even wise attitude, but are not meant for seduction. A musk is appropriate for business conferences, or family affairs. They are also appropriate if you plan on being in the company of hunters or farmers, as they tend to use more animal oils than other types of cologne.
I personally do not own an Eau De Toilette, for in those situations my bath soap usually lingers long enough to project the smell. I have a “Stetson” musk, which I rarely use, but I’ll don for formal business affairs.
Remember the purpose of a cologne is not to flavor a room with a pleasant aroma, (that’s what an air freshener is for) but instead to subtly imply something to the person next to you. Your scent should be almost ambient and indistinct, the goal being to create an impression so that for the course of an evening or a lifetime, whenever she picks up on that smell, she will be subconsciously reminded of you.
I hope this mini guide has been helpful, and I welcome any question or comments you may have!
-TheCraziestJ
