Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we'll discuss applying
cologne and how to best make sure you smell
great all day long.
Fragrance wearing has been around for
thousands of years and is practiced by both
men and women. Now, one might benefit from wearing fragrance as it might elicit
social status and attractiveness and it might elicit highly emotional
associations and responses. This is all according to the book of
Neurobiology of Sensation and Reward. Fragrances can also increase one's
perceived trustworthiness and can also make the wearer feel much more confident
as well. I don't know about you, but I've
certainly experienced this when wearing a favorite scent before going out with
friends or even to work. Now, for most men, a quick
way to finish off a morning grooming routine is to spruce themselves with
their favorite fragrance before they head out the door
and while this might seem like a great way to make the fragrance last longer,
it oftentimes doesn't last by the time you've reached your destination. The
goal here is to make sure that our carefully selected fragrance will last
us all day long and by the way, if you want
to know how to find your distinguishing scent,
check out this great video here (The Cologne Guide) and if you'd like some recommendations,
we've listed some great classic colognes for men in this video ( 10 (More) Classic Fragrances for Gentlemen & 8 Classic Fragrances for Gentlemen).
Now, let's talk about how to make your cologne last longer.
Number one: Check the concentration level of your fragrance.
That's important to know that there are different types of colognes and a
general understanding of their concentration and
purity level will give you an idea as to how long those scents might last.
Now, for example, perfume has the highest concentration level ranging from about
15 to 40 percent. This ensures that the scent will last
for around 8 hours. It's great to find a scent that has a
stronger concentration level that you truly enjoy wearing. To learn
more about the various types of fragrances and their purity levels,
check out our comprehensive guide on our website. Here we will also share
information about scent notes and more. Now we'll be using the term
fragrance and cologne most often here but do keep in mind there are
differences when speaking technically. Number two: Apply right after you
shower. Now, as mentioned before, applying your fragrance right before you
head out the door seems logical but in actuality, it's best to apply your
fragrance right after you shower. "But won't it dissipate as I go through the rest
of my grooming regimen?" you might ask. Actually, no. This is because when you
step out of the shower your pores are still
open; this is the perfect time for your body to be able to absorb the cologne
and to lock-in that aroma. That way, we begin to achieve our goal of making the
scent last longer. Now, this is much better than trying to
spray it on yourself when you're fully dressed.
This is because the cologne will then latch onto the fabric
and eventually, dissipate much quicker and oftentimes, it runs the risk of being
able to stain your clothing rather from oil or the alcohol content.
Number three: Moisturize your skin. Now, for the skin to lock in the cologne
scent, it should first be hydrated so apply a lotion or cream underneath but
keep in mind the scent of your moisturizer should not
be overpowering your cologne. Now ensuring that your fragrance is the
dominating scent here, is going to give you a confidence boost
and help others perceive you well for the very first time,
walking in with a cloud of 12 cents to a workplace or a casual gathering
could be seen as both confusing and perhaps
upsetting to others. The goal here is to allow the subtle scent of your fragrance
to help enhance your presence to others not force them away.
Now an extra tip here will be to apply petroleum jelly onto your pulse points.
This helps ensure that you have an additional barrier between your skin
and the cologne, helping prevent complete absorption so that the cologne will last
much longer. Number four: Harmonize cologne with other
scents. If you can't get a hold of a fragrance-free lotion,
make sure that the scent itself does blend well with your cologne. Some
brands will offer a matching lotion or cream even a body wash.
This will help ensure you achieve that harmonious scent. Now that being said,
it's also very important to make sure that our aftershave is not competing
with the aroma of our other products in the grooming repertoire.
To know more about wearing your aftershave lotion and cologne together
check out this comprehensive guide on layering products (Aftershave, Lotion, and Cologne).
Number five: Another important rule in applying fragrance so that it will last
longer is applying it to pulse points on warm
areas of your body. The heat on these areas will keep
this thing going all day long. Plus points are your chest neck,
lower jaw, forearms, inside of your elbows, and
behind your knees. These are a lot of areas, if you're
just starting out, try two or three areas first
and when you're comfortable wearing more fragrance, then you can start to spray on
more of these warm areas. Keep in mind it's important to keep
the nozzle three to six inches away from your skin
and to only spray yourself about two times per area if your cologne
is of regular intensity so that you're not too overpowering when you enter the
room. Number six: Don't rub your skin.
Although rubbing your wrists together after first applying a fragrance might
seem like a sensible thing to do, it's actually not a great idea. This will
kill the note and it will not allow the fragrance to absorb into your skin.
The rubbing friction actually breaks down the molecules of the scent making
sure that the scent will disappear much faster. I personally
have made this mistake numerous times; it's something we see a
lot of people do and we all just happen to repeat it.
If you want to know more about cologne do's and don'ts check out this video
(The Cologne Guide). Number seven: Discreetly reapply when
necessary. If you need a boost in your scent midday,
it makes sense to reapply your fragrance. However, carrying around an entire bottle
of fragrance is not only inconvenient, trying to spray in public places is not
gentlemanly and also it might be upsetting to others
and some might even be allergic. A great technique is to spray your
cologne onto cotton swabs and then to put them in a plastic sandwich bag
to ensure the moisture is not escaping. It's easy to carry around all-day
and when you need a touch-up, you can simply reapply by dabbing these onto
your pulse points. Consider stepping into a restroom or
somewhere private to reapply. Number eight: Line your clothes drawer with
cologne. Although we don't recommend spraying
your clothing directly, you can make sure your signature scent
will attach itself onto your clothing in a proper way
by lining your clothing drawers with tissue paper
that has been sprayed with your favorite scent. This helps you keep your aroma
throughout the day even at a whiff. Now, let's talk about how
to store your fragrance. To make sure that your cologne keeps
its smell and quality for as long as possible,
it's important to understand where we should be keeping fragrances
within our homes. Don't store it in your bathroom. This is because the chemical
makeup can get completely messed up by the changing
temperatures and humidity from when you shower. Ideally, cologne
should be kept in a cool and dry place; perhaps a bedroom drawer or even your
closet to help ensure its quality. Also, avoid exposing your fragrances to
sunlight. This will break down the chemicals and the potency of your
fragrance. And make sure that the cologne will
expire much sooner. Check the expiration date to make sure that your fragrance
concentration is intact and this will help ensure that
it will last as long as possible. You'll find this information on the
bottom of your bottle or on the label. Some companies list period after opening
which gives you information as to how many months the cologne can last before it
expires. Typically though, fragrances can last up
to three years when handled properly. Lastly here, to make sure that your
cologne lasts longer, it's important to remember to keep it in the original
bottle in which you purchased it. There are very fancy bottles on the
market today but exposing your fragrance to air and evaporate is not a great
idea. This will upset the fragrance itself, its
potency, and the chemical makeup. Now in
conclusion, it's important to remember that fragrances enhance a man's overall
confidence level but remember, less is more. Practice these fragrant acts
along with a proper grooming repertoire so that you can smell great and fresh
all day long. Now to save yourself from the most common grooming mishaps that so
many men commit, check out this video (15 Biggest Men’s Grooming Mistakes). Now today, I'm
wearing a burgundy and light gray checked sport coat with a
light blue dress shirt and a really unique pocket square from
Fort Belvedere. I'm pairing that with a dark brown belt,
khaki pants, dark brown dress shoes, and I'm accenting this
with a navy and burgundy shadow stripe sock
also from Fort Belvedere. If you like to find great accessories like these,
check out the Fort Belvedere shop here.