We’ve all been there, you put your cologne on in the morning before work and by the time lunch rolls around you’re smelling like the break room.
It’s irritating, to say the least, and means that you end up going through expensive bottles like they’re water!
Getting your cologne to stretch through the day is a bit of an art. It’s less to do with quantity and more to do with the quality of the scent and its application.
If, like most of us, you can’t afford to purchase cologne every time you do your weekly shop, check out these 5 secret tips!
1. Get the timings right
You might assume that the best time to apply cologne is at the last second before you leave the house. After all, the later you spritz, the later it lingers, right?
Wrong!
If you spray just before you leave the house, it’s odds on that your pores are closed. This stops the cologne from seeping into your skin.
The best time to spray your cologne is when your body is damp. Ideally, after a shower or bath.
Don’t spray it the moment you step out of the shower. It will just drip off with the water. Give yourself a pat-down and spray when your skin is damp.
The heat and humidity of the shower or bath will have opened your pores. Spraying while your pores are open allows the cologne to seep into your skin.
Why would I want cologne in my skin? I hear you ask. Well, if it’s in your skin instead of on top of it, it lasts longer. Cologne on the surface of your skin can be brushed away by clothing and contact.
With this in mind, it’s important to give the cologne some time to sink in. Don’t dress straight out of the shower. Carry on with your grooming regime for a few minutes before stuffing your wrists and neck into a shirt.
2. Store it safely
Ok, we know we just told you to apply cologne after a shower, but we’re also going to tell you not to keep it in the bathroom.
It might be more convenient, but storing your cologne in the bathroom makes it break down much faster than normal.
Fragrance is a delicate science and substance. In fact, it begins to break down the moment you make the first spray.
What’s going to degrade your cologne most is heat, light, and humidity. Three things that are synonymous with the bathroom.
You are far better off storing your cologne in your dresser or bedside table. This will protect it from water, UV rays, and too much heat.
3. Prep your skin beforehand
The neck and the wrist are the most common places to apply cologne. Unfortunately, they’re also areas that get rubbed and knocked by clothes the most.
Your collar rubbing along your neckline can wipe away that expensive cologne like a squeegee on a window.
You’ll need to give your cologne something to cling to during the daily assault. Moisturizer and petroleum jelly are ideal for trapping cologne.
They are both oily substances that will collect and cling to the cologne molecules that come into contact with them. You don’t need to slather yourself in jelly. Just a dap on the wrists and neck will help your cologne stick.
The moisturizer also helps to make your skin more absorbent. It’s like how hard earth doesn’t soak up water straight away, you need to aerate the soil first. Moisturizer does the same for your skin.
4. Don’t rub it in
For as long as people have been applying scent, they’ve been putting it on their wrists. There’s a science behind this application.
Your wrists, and your neck for that matter, are pulse points. They’re places where veins and arteries are close to the skin. This makes these parts slightly warmer than other bits of your body.
Warmer surfaces are better at diffusing and amplifying scents. It’s why fragrant candles smell stronger when they’re lit. Applying a scent to pulse points helps to intensify the smell.
However, rubbing your wrists together does not amplify the scent. What happens is that the cologne molecules are ground between the wrists like peppercorns in a grinder. This breaks down the scent more quickly.
5. Don’t Overdo It
Drenching yourself in cologne will not make you smell fresher for longer. It’ll slip and slide off your skin whether you’ve sprayed yourself twice or eight times. All you’ll end up doing is wasting your cologne and choking everyone around you.
Use the other tips and tricks to extend the life of your cologne. If you do need to reapply throughout the day, try carrying a few cotton swabs sprayed with cologne. You can dab them on your pulse points after lunch or before your evening engagements.
Cotton swabs are much easier and safer to carry. There’s no chance of smashing the bottle or misplacing the bottle.
Bonus tips: Choose the right cologne!
Not all colognes are made equal. In fact, not all colognes are, strictly speaking, colognes.
We use the term cologne as a bit of an umbrella term for men’s fragrances but it’s not technically correct.
There are actually 5 different types of fragrance and each has a different level of perfume oil concentration.
You’ll need to look closely at the bottle to find out whether your chosen fragrance is Eau de Cologne or Eau de Parfume.
Eau Fraiche has the lowest amount of perfume oil, only 1-3%. Typically, these fragrances will only linger for an hour or so. They are also the cheapest option.
Eau de Cologne is next with 2-5% perfume oil. These fragrances will last about 2 hours. Again, these fragrances will be fairly cheap thanks to the low oil concentration.
Eau de Toilette is the middle ground. Many designer fragrances are Eau de Toilette. The perfume oil content can be as low as 4% but as high as 15%. The higher the oil concentration the longer the fragrance will last and the more expensive it will be. In general, these fragrances last for about 3-4 hours.
Eau de Parfum is a more intense and concentrated fragrance. Many fragrances are available in both Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum. The difference is that EDP has an oil content of 15-20% and lasts for up to 5 hours. It is also, generally speaking, more expensive.
The final type of fragrance is perfume also known as parfum or extract of parfum. This is the god tier of fragrance. It has an oil content of up to 40% and can last for up to 24 hours.
Pure perfume is expensive stuff but a little dab goes a long way. If you have a scent that you love, it might be an idea to get the parfum version. It will cost more initially but it will last you a lot longer.
The reason that the oil content matter so much is because oils are harder to rub or wash off your skin. It’s why we suggested using a moisturizer or petroleum jelly to make your cologne last throughout the day.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to apply your cologne to get the best results, all you need to do is choose your scent.
Head over to https://rooftopsquad.com/ for advice and recommendations. You’ll be able to shop and buy your cologne with confidence after browsing a few of their articles.
Interesting related article: “Whale vomit found on beach highly sought after by perfume industry.”