MY TOP 5 PICKS FOR THE BEST COLOGNE FOR MEN (+ HOW TO WEAR)

StyleGrooming

Feb 7

The majority of my clients ask me about wearing cologne when we're working together during a consultation.

Let’s go over some tips and things to think about with fragrance to make sure you're getting the most out of things, as well as some of my top picks that you can try yourself instead of spending hours guessing.

First, you should be wearing some sort of cologne. It's like the cherry on top of what you're wearing. It will make you stand out, help others remember you, and give people a glimpse into your personality.

For reference, I wear cologne every day. If you're just getting started, at a minimum, try to wear it when you're going out at night.

The worst thing you can do when applying cologne is overdoing it. You should be aiming for 3-5 sprays at a maximum. This also depends on the overall strength of the fragrance.

When spraying, never apply it to your clothing. Cologne is meant to mix with the natural oils in your skin to create a somewhat unique scent. Typically, you'll want to apply it to your neck and wrists. After that, you can add where needed, if needed.

Guys ask me all the time what type of cologne they should get when we work together. The truth is, I don't know. No one does. But I can point you to some good brands and help you sort it out.

First, you should choose something based on what you like. This sounds trite, but I've seen so many guys incorrectly base purchasing decisions (like clothing) on what they think women will like, and they end up hating it and lacking originality in the process.

You'll be wearing your cologne every day, and you'll be the one smelling it the most, so it makes sense you should dig it; other's olfactory glands be damned.

Go smell a bunch of stuff to get an idea. Sephora and any higher-end department store will have a variety of options for you to try. You can also order little sample kits from different brands if you wanted to do your testing at home, but it's much easier to do all this in person.

I try to match fragrance to a client's personality. I'd advise you to do the same. If they're a bit more outgoing and attention-seeking, something with a bit of spice does nice. If they're more reserved and minimal, something clean or citrusy works well. This goes back to just finding stuff you like - you'll naturally gravitate toward it. When you find the right one, you'll know. It's like attraction to a person - you don't really have a choice in the matter.

Once you find a couple you like, spray it on your skin so you get a sense of how it interacts with your natural oils. Oh, and don't rub the cologne in like you see people do in movies/TV shows - it ruins the top notes of the fragrance.

Ask the sales associates to make you samples of the 1 or 2 you like (they'll do this a lot of the time if you ask nicely, but not always). This way, you'll be able to test out your choices and live with them for a bit and even gauge others' reactions to your choice.

Once you've decided on what you like, pull the trigger and make a purchase. And be cool ⏤ buy from the store that gave you the samples and helped you out in the first place, even if it's online.

As one last tip, I'd recommend that you buy from brands that specialize in fragrance (this is PIVOT maxim #849234 - buy from specialists, not generalists).

You want to buy from brands that put their heart into a specific category (for example, a personal styling service run by a man, who only works with men, who only specializes in menswear... I digress).

The fragrances below are the ones I've had in the past I love, but you don't need to use them specifically.

I'd encourage you to check out these brands to see if you find something you personally like. Don't buy the generic stuff every Youtuber/Blogger recommends, lest you prefer smelling like every other guy.

On to the recs...

BYREDO - Bal d'Afrique Eau de Parfum