gravityeyelids
Master Don Juan
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2013
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Okay im bored. And i have a crazzy obsession with cologne and fragrances. So i'm going to drop some ledge about the stuff that some Djs might not know. Don't ask me why, i'm just bored.
It's a weird hobby, but i probably have around 9 or 10 bottles of cologne...probably around 12 sample vials of various fragrances. Some things people might not know:
1) Top Notes- A fragrances has 3 "layers". The Top Notes, Middle Notes and Base (or Bottom) Notes. Notes are basically smells. For example, some sweeter frags have a "chocolate note", which simply means it smells like chocolate. Duh. But back to these 3 layers. Most people know that a cologne changes after you spray it, but they don't really take it seriously enough. A fragrance goes through phases of COMPLETELY different scents. When you first spray a frag, you get the top notes. These are the oftentimes strong, alcohol smelling ones. That's why they tell you to let a cologne die down before you see if you like it or not. After these top notes die down, the fragrance can radically change as the middle and basenotes come through. All frags are different, but i would roughly say that the top notes are the first 10 or so minutes, the middle notes come through after that, and then a few hours after you get the base notes as it dries down and becomes closer to the skin.
2) Projection/ Sillage and Longevity - Two terms that fragrance people use often are projection and sillage. Projection is how far away from your skin the fragrance can be perceived, sillage is how strong of a scent "trail" it leaves as you walk. Longevity is just what it sounds like. Some colognes are very weak, and only really last for about an hour. Others have monster projection and longevity (Theirry Mugler's A*men comes to mind) and can last as long as 8 or 10 hours. Some can even be smelled the next day.
3)How much do I spray? - Like anything, this depends. Obviously the weaker scents should be sprayed more, and the stronger ones less. Some only need as much as 1 or 2 sprays. Some need up to 8 or 9. This sounds like a lot, but honestly people usually dont spray enough. Some spray so much that you are coughing when you come near them. But i know a lot of guys that simply spray 1 or 2 times and i'm like "dude, why bother?". ON AVERAGE I would recommend 3-4 sprays. If this seems like a lot, keep in mind that the top notes are usually the strongest and the cologne dies down significantly after like 20 or 30 minutes, to the point where 2 sprays might not be able to be detected.
4) Where to spray? - There are different ways to go about this. And it basically depends on preference. Spraying closer to the face/head area (such as the neck) will be able to be detected more by yourself. Spraying on your wrists is going to make the cologne wear off more quickly than if you had sprayed a part of your body that isnt moving through the air as much, like your chest. You want to spray on pulse points such as your neck or wrists. You do NOT want to spray it in the air in front of you and walk through it like a pansy. This kills the projection. Dont be afraid to hold the sprayer just a few inches from your skin and fully spray it to the point where there is almost a small pool or wet spot. Dont worry, it'll be absorbed. DONT RUB IT IN. Some fragrance fanatics will debate this, but it kills the top notes and other parts of the fragrance when you rub it in. Just spray and leave it. This may be surprising but the NUMBER ONE PLACE to spray it? Your hair. That's right, it has something to do with the natural odors your hair produces, the texture of hair. It will allow it to last long and project well. Personally, i like to do about 2 on my neck, and one on each wrist
5) Cologne smells different on each person. Each person has different skin chemistry depending on the oils your body produces, pheromones, your diet, things like that. WHAT SMELLS GOOD ON OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SMELL GOOD ON YOU. Always try something on your skin and see how it reacts with your individual chemistry. Ask girls how it smells.
6)Scented soaps - If you are wearing cologne, avoid using highly scented shampoos and soaps. It will interact with the cologne, and the two usually aren't synergistic. I know you think your Axe or Irish Spring smells WICKED AWESOME, but it really doesnt. It especially doesn't smell better than your nice $80 bottle of YSL. you spent a lot, so why ruin it with cheap soaps and crap?
7) Girls - Girls LOVE a man that smells good. This is something you probably already know, but again GIRLS LOVE COLOGNE. Good cologne. Its almost a subconscious thing, especially if a cologne blends really well with your style/personality, they might not even realize why they're so attracted. I don't know about you, but it drives me absolutely nuts when i am with a girl that smells great. Honestly, it's a dealbreaker. I would never date a girl with poor hygiene, and if a girl always smells good, it definitely tips the scales in her favor. You can ALWAYS ask girls if they like your cologne. Go to Macy's try out a scent on each arm and walk around the store and find the cuties and ask which they prefer. THIS IS A GREAT OPENER. Girls are always willing to give advice. You can even do this at the bar. Sounds weird, but before you go out, spray one on each arm, and bring a pen, and say you;re trying to decide which to buy and have them give you input, then make a tally mark on your arm.
8) Different seasons/ different times - Cologne is usually only appropriate for a given season or time of day. There are winter colognes, which smell often spicier, sweeter, muskier. An example would be many of the Burberry ones (london, etc.). Summer scents tend to be aquatics, citrus, fruitier, fresher scents. Dont be spraying Coolwater or Acqua Di Gio in the middle of winter if there's snow all over. Another big thing is PROJECTION. Stronger scents are much better for winter because in the winter, scents project less. Think about it. If its really cold out, you're going to be sweating less, which releases cologne notes, as well as the fact that cologne is "activated" more on warmer skin. So your summer scents dont need to be super strong because they will project well in the warm/humid climate.
In addition, there are different colognes for different times of day, and different occasions. Some work better during the day, some at night. There are work scents, formal scents, going out scents, everyday scents, etc. You don't want your super loud, obnoxious scents in the office, but you do want them at the bars to help project over the dozens of people around you. Also you want to spray more when you're going out to party than if you're going to work. No one in the cubicles wants to be gassed out by some dudes cologne. Some colognes do work well in almost every occassion, but these are pretty rare. These are ones that lend themselves better to being signature scents, which are scents that you wear daily and that people identify as yours. For example, when i met my last GF, i was always wearing Perry Ellis 360 Red (FANTASTIC cologne, by the way), and to her, that was MY smell. She preferred it over all my other cologne because it "smelled like me". As i said, scent is powerful to girls, and if you have a good signature scent, it will instantly make her think of you and create good feelings when she smells it.
Examples:
Winter scent - A*men by Theirry Mugler
Summertime day scent - Coolwater, Perry Ellis Red, Nautica Voyage
Night time fall/winter going out scent - La Nuit De L'homme by Yves Saint Laurent
Formal, Dressing up scent - Dior Homme
So the question ends up being WHAT SHOULD I GET? What should you actually buy? I realize this is elitist and snobbish. But don't listen to any shmuck on these forums or in the real world. People will be like "OOMG THIS POLO ONE CHICKS DIG ITS GREAT". Chances are....it's not. Its like music. It comes down to preference to some degree, but the great albums are univerally regarded as great. No jazz lover is going to sit there and argue that Kind of Blue is a bad album. It's not. Period. No rock lover is going to argue that the Beatles suck. You can't. So on that note, as you would give the advice of someone who has more experience with girls more creedence than a chode, listen to me and other people who are experienced in this weird hobby moreso than just any dude that says BUY THIS. I have a number of recommendations
BIG MISTAKE that people make is spraying it, taking a whif and going "nope, dont like it" Now that you know how the layers and notes of frags work, you should realize how idiotic that is. The first 5 minutes of a cologne tell you almost NOTHING about how that is going to smell over the next 5 hours. STOP spraying and nexting them. You need to spray them ON YOUR SKIN, and smell it periodically at the VERY LEAST for like 30-40 minutes after you spray it to get a good idea of it.
It's a weird hobby, but i probably have around 9 or 10 bottles of cologne...probably around 12 sample vials of various fragrances. Some things people might not know:
1) Top Notes- A fragrances has 3 "layers". The Top Notes, Middle Notes and Base (or Bottom) Notes. Notes are basically smells. For example, some sweeter frags have a "chocolate note", which simply means it smells like chocolate. Duh. But back to these 3 layers. Most people know that a cologne changes after you spray it, but they don't really take it seriously enough. A fragrance goes through phases of COMPLETELY different scents. When you first spray a frag, you get the top notes. These are the oftentimes strong, alcohol smelling ones. That's why they tell you to let a cologne die down before you see if you like it or not. After these top notes die down, the fragrance can radically change as the middle and basenotes come through. All frags are different, but i would roughly say that the top notes are the first 10 or so minutes, the middle notes come through after that, and then a few hours after you get the base notes as it dries down and becomes closer to the skin.
2) Projection/ Sillage and Longevity - Two terms that fragrance people use often are projection and sillage. Projection is how far away from your skin the fragrance can be perceived, sillage is how strong of a scent "trail" it leaves as you walk. Longevity is just what it sounds like. Some colognes are very weak, and only really last for about an hour. Others have monster projection and longevity (Theirry Mugler's A*men comes to mind) and can last as long as 8 or 10 hours. Some can even be smelled the next day.
3)How much do I spray? - Like anything, this depends. Obviously the weaker scents should be sprayed more, and the stronger ones less. Some only need as much as 1 or 2 sprays. Some need up to 8 or 9. This sounds like a lot, but honestly people usually dont spray enough. Some spray so much that you are coughing when you come near them. But i know a lot of guys that simply spray 1 or 2 times and i'm like "dude, why bother?". ON AVERAGE I would recommend 3-4 sprays. If this seems like a lot, keep in mind that the top notes are usually the strongest and the cologne dies down significantly after like 20 or 30 minutes, to the point where 2 sprays might not be able to be detected.
4) Where to spray? - There are different ways to go about this. And it basically depends on preference. Spraying closer to the face/head area (such as the neck) will be able to be detected more by yourself. Spraying on your wrists is going to make the cologne wear off more quickly than if you had sprayed a part of your body that isnt moving through the air as much, like your chest. You want to spray on pulse points such as your neck or wrists. You do NOT want to spray it in the air in front of you and walk through it like a pansy. This kills the projection. Dont be afraid to hold the sprayer just a few inches from your skin and fully spray it to the point where there is almost a small pool or wet spot. Dont worry, it'll be absorbed. DONT RUB IT IN. Some fragrance fanatics will debate this, but it kills the top notes and other parts of the fragrance when you rub it in. Just spray and leave it. This may be surprising but the NUMBER ONE PLACE to spray it? Your hair. That's right, it has something to do with the natural odors your hair produces, the texture of hair. It will allow it to last long and project well. Personally, i like to do about 2 on my neck, and one on each wrist
5) Cologne smells different on each person. Each person has different skin chemistry depending on the oils your body produces, pheromones, your diet, things like that. WHAT SMELLS GOOD ON OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NOT SMELL GOOD ON YOU. Always try something on your skin and see how it reacts with your individual chemistry. Ask girls how it smells.
6)Scented soaps - If you are wearing cologne, avoid using highly scented shampoos and soaps. It will interact with the cologne, and the two usually aren't synergistic. I know you think your Axe or Irish Spring smells WICKED AWESOME, but it really doesnt. It especially doesn't smell better than your nice $80 bottle of YSL. you spent a lot, so why ruin it with cheap soaps and crap?
7) Girls - Girls LOVE a man that smells good. This is something you probably already know, but again GIRLS LOVE COLOGNE. Good cologne. Its almost a subconscious thing, especially if a cologne blends really well with your style/personality, they might not even realize why they're so attracted. I don't know about you, but it drives me absolutely nuts when i am with a girl that smells great. Honestly, it's a dealbreaker. I would never date a girl with poor hygiene, and if a girl always smells good, it definitely tips the scales in her favor. You can ALWAYS ask girls if they like your cologne. Go to Macy's try out a scent on each arm and walk around the store and find the cuties and ask which they prefer. THIS IS A GREAT OPENER. Girls are always willing to give advice. You can even do this at the bar. Sounds weird, but before you go out, spray one on each arm, and bring a pen, and say you;re trying to decide which to buy and have them give you input, then make a tally mark on your arm.
8) Different seasons/ different times - Cologne is usually only appropriate for a given season or time of day. There are winter colognes, which smell often spicier, sweeter, muskier. An example would be many of the Burberry ones (london, etc.). Summer scents tend to be aquatics, citrus, fruitier, fresher scents. Dont be spraying Coolwater or Acqua Di Gio in the middle of winter if there's snow all over. Another big thing is PROJECTION. Stronger scents are much better for winter because in the winter, scents project less. Think about it. If its really cold out, you're going to be sweating less, which releases cologne notes, as well as the fact that cologne is "activated" more on warmer skin. So your summer scents dont need to be super strong because they will project well in the warm/humid climate.
In addition, there are different colognes for different times of day, and different occasions. Some work better during the day, some at night. There are work scents, formal scents, going out scents, everyday scents, etc. You don't want your super loud, obnoxious scents in the office, but you do want them at the bars to help project over the dozens of people around you. Also you want to spray more when you're going out to party than if you're going to work. No one in the cubicles wants to be gassed out by some dudes cologne. Some colognes do work well in almost every occassion, but these are pretty rare. These are ones that lend themselves better to being signature scents, which are scents that you wear daily and that people identify as yours. For example, when i met my last GF, i was always wearing Perry Ellis 360 Red (FANTASTIC cologne, by the way), and to her, that was MY smell. She preferred it over all my other cologne because it "smelled like me". As i said, scent is powerful to girls, and if you have a good signature scent, it will instantly make her think of you and create good feelings when she smells it.
Examples:
Winter scent - A*men by Theirry Mugler
Summertime day scent - Coolwater, Perry Ellis Red, Nautica Voyage
Night time fall/winter going out scent - La Nuit De L'homme by Yves Saint Laurent
Formal, Dressing up scent - Dior Homme
So the question ends up being WHAT SHOULD I GET? What should you actually buy? I realize this is elitist and snobbish. But don't listen to any shmuck on these forums or in the real world. People will be like "OOMG THIS POLO ONE CHICKS DIG ITS GREAT". Chances are....it's not. Its like music. It comes down to preference to some degree, but the great albums are univerally regarded as great. No jazz lover is going to sit there and argue that Kind of Blue is a bad album. It's not. Period. No rock lover is going to argue that the Beatles suck. You can't. So on that note, as you would give the advice of someone who has more experience with girls more creedence than a chode, listen to me and other people who are experienced in this weird hobby moreso than just any dude that says BUY THIS. I have a number of recommendations
BIG MISTAKE that people make is spraying it, taking a whif and going "nope, dont like it" Now that you know how the layers and notes of frags work, you should realize how idiotic that is. The first 5 minutes of a cologne tell you almost NOTHING about how that is going to smell over the next 5 hours. STOP spraying and nexting them. You need to spray them ON YOUR SKIN, and smell it periodically at the VERY LEAST for like 30-40 minutes after you spray it to get a good idea of it.
