Wearing cologne seems like a pretty straightforward process. However, there are certain techniques you can use to help make your cologne last longer, smell better, and put off more aroma.
Haphazardly spraying all over your body doesn’t quite have the effect you’d expect – the cologne might not last throughout the day and you may end up being OVER fragranced.
We wanted to show you how to wear cologne, the right way.
Where to Apply Cologne on Your Body
If you’re new to the cologne game, you probably know almost nothing about it. So first things first, where are the best spots to apply cologne?
Generally, you’re going to want to use your cologne on the warm parts of your body, in order to allow the scent to spread easily while using less.
Along with the warm spots on your body, you will also want to mainly stick to the upper body, so that anyone around you can smell your fragrance easily.
This means that the best parts of your body to apply cologne to would be your wrists, your neck, and your chest. You can also use your inner elbows and shoulders, but they usually are not used as commonly.
Where to NOT Apply Cologne on Your Body
Onto the flip side of that coin, places you don’t want to apply cologne would be the colder areas of your body, along with the areas on your lower body.
The groin area and behind the knees are warm areas, which means the scent spreads easily, but they are on your lower body, meaning that in order to actually get to the smell, you would have to have the opposing person actively try and smell you, and not have it come naturally.
Also, your groin is a delicate area – the skin there is a lot more sensitive than the rest of your body and spraying cologne on or near your groin could cause irritation or health issues. Also, if you receive fellatio, you’ll taste awful.
The armpits follow the guidelines of where to apply it, with it being warm and on the upper body, but unfortunately, most people use deodorant which will either overpower the fragrance or mix with it to create a scent you do not want.
How Much Cologne Should You Use?
The amount of cologne you use should always be moderate. Using too much cologne can cause you to smell artificial, whereas not enough won’t have any effect.
Using the appropriate amount of cologne in the correct places will also aid in it blending better with your natural oils and pheromones.
There are a couple different types of cologne applicators you may run across when building out your cologne arsenal, so we wanted to cover the most common ones:
Spritz Colognes
As with most things, the amount of cologne you need to use will depend on the fragrance you have.
If you’re using lighter scented colognes, for example spring and summer fragrances, you will usually use more spritzes.
4-6 light spritzes total should keep you smelling fresh and good without being overpowering (applying 1-2 spritzes to the wrists, neck, and chest). If you’re using heavier scents, 2-3 will be the perfect fit for all your needs.
Continuous Spray Colognes
Continuous spray colognes have generally the same application style as the spritz colognes. You’re going to want to use light, quick bursts.
You want to to do this 2 to 3 times with heavy fragrances, and 4 to 6 with lighter fragrances, holding the spray at least 6 inches away from where you are trying to apply it.
This might take a little while to get used to, so you might want to test it out a couple times just to make sure you’re getting the right amount on you. No shame in making mistakes!
How to Apply Cologne
Believe it or not, there’s a right and wrong way to apply cologne. Many men decide to rub cologne into the skin or spray it in the wrong places – read on to learn where and how you should apply various types of cologne to increase the longevity of your fragrance throughout the day.
Spritz Colognes
All of the different cologne types are going to have a couple main rules for using them. You want to use them when you have clean, dry skin, for example after a shower. You want to target the main points, wrists, chest, and neck.
Don’t rub it in afterwards, and make sure to reapply when needed. Besides those, for spritz colognes, you will want to hold the bottle 3 to 6 inches away from your skin when using it.
You don’t want to be too close, as the fragrance won’t spread well. You also don’t want to be too far, as you won’t get enough of the fragrance on you.
Continuous Spray Colognes
Same thing as the spritz colognes, these have the same rules. That means using it after a shower is the best time to use it.
Target the main points, and don’t rub it in after. You also only want to be from 3 to 6 inches away when using it. You don’t want any moving air around you when using this, as you’re going to lose the right amount of fragrance you want if you have that.
For example, if you have a fan running near you when you start to use your cologne, using the normal amount may not be what you need. If that happens you’ll either have to use more than usual, resulting in less cologne overall, or your fragrance will be harder to smell.
I always recommend staying away from moving air whenever you use these.
Non-Spray/Direct Application Colognes
These kinds are definitely different than the last ones. There are a couple ways to use this cologne depending on which one works best for you.
The first way is to put your wrist on top of the bottle, flip it twice and then put the bottle down. After this you will dab your wrists together, and then use the cologne on your wrists to spread it further, usually putting it on your neck and chest.
The other way of doing this is to use a cotton ball or tissue, dab a few drops onto it, and then gently apply it to the areas stated above. The problem with this one is that you have to dab it on as soon as you can, as you don’t want the scent top be absorbed by the cotton ball or tissue.
Should You Put Cologne on Your Clothes?
There’s always been a debate on this topic, and it’s always going back and forth. Personally, the best way to keep you smelling fresh and clean is to not use cologne on your clothes.
You want to keep the cologne on your skin, as your clothes are going to be constantly bombarded with different scents, which will dilute and dull your scent. You want to be able to keep your fragrance fresh and smelling good while also not being obscured by other outside scents.
However, some people have sensitive skin, or are allergic to certain ingredients, so in those cases, using the cologne on your skin would be perfectly okay.