Cologne: Fragrance for Men
It was only a few years ago that all men's cologne 
consisted of the same musky scents, but these days there's a veritable cornucopia of olfactory delights to tantalize any nose. Whether you're looking for a light, cool citrus scent, or a deeper, more robust fragrance, your choice of cologne can become your calling card, or even define you as a person. Here are a few of the top-rated colognes chosen by the good folks at AskMen.com (an indispensable Web site for advice on men's fashion and lifestyle). There are also some "oldies but goodies" chosen from the reviews at Basenotes.com, another fragrance resource. Some men will enjoy mixing and matching colognes frequently, but most will choose one scent and stick to it - day or night, rain or shine. It's completely a matter of preference. For a lineup of the most popular colognes, see our Classic Colognes Guide.
Quick Picks
Daytime
The first three scents here are light, fresh, sporty, and tend to have notes of citrus and water. The last two are woody scents with mossy and oriental notes, which are slightly heavier and muskier.
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Vacationer
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Trendy |
Sporty
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From City to Country
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Sophisticated
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Evening
These scents are quite varied to suit a variety of tastes. For something light and fresh, go for the citrus-based Reaction by Kenneth Cole. For typical musky scents that are still fresh and young, CK and Zegna have you covered. For the utmost in refinery go for Cartier or Canali.
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Player
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Fun-Loving
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Fashionable
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Classy
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Executive
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The Classics
Often revered as the most popular men's fragrance, listed by numerous user reviews as a great cologne is Gucci's Envy. It has recently been revamped but it was first released in 1988. L'Egoiste is great for evenings. Creed and Guerlain just emanate class and refinery. Learn more about Classic Colognes for Men.
Shopping for Yourself
Colognes need to be chosen carefully. It's easy to pick the wrong one, especially when you go out to a store and sample them all at once. In order to have a successful cologne experience there are a few main things you need to do when shopping for a cologne.
- Research three colognes you want to try out, one from each scent category if you wish, or all three from the same group that you know you like. See Choosing Cologne Based on Your Personality for more details on the selection process.
- Go to the place where you would typically buy cologne and spray each choice one at a time on paper, making sure to let them air dry before smelling them. Ask the salesperson if there are any coffee beans to smell between each fragrance test so that you can neutralize your nose before smelling the next one (this is actually quite common, so don't be shy about asking).
- After smelling them all, try one on your skin that you liked the best. Wear it for the rest of the day and see how it makes you feel. Cologne reacts differently on skin, mixing with your natural oils and body odor. Just because a scent smelled good on your friend, that doesn't mean that it will smell the same on you.
- If you are happy with the results of the trial wear, then you know you have a winner. Otherwise, repeat the steps again until you are happy with your selection.
- There is no point in wasting $50 or more on a cologne just to discover that you don't like it down the road.
What's Your Scent Personality?
Fresh, Sporty, and Youthful
The freshest scents are light, citrusy (lemon, grapefruit, or orange), and may remind you of the sea or fresh cut grass. These are perfect perfumes for spring and summer days, nights and weekends. They can also be worn as your day-to-day cologne because they are so light. These emit an aura of having a fun-loving nature and a light-hearted, playful take on things.
Spice Is Nice
These colognes have notes that are spicy (think pepper, ginger, or nutmeg), fruity (mostly citrus and currant), and floral (lavender, lily, or iris). These are rich spices that elude an air of sophistication, confidence, style, and exoticism. Perfect for evenings, fall, and winter. Summery aromatic colognes tend to be more fruity and fresh.
Also try these top rated colognes: Bois d'Argent Cologne by Dior, 1872 for Men by Clive Christian
Musk Is a Must
Think of cedarwood, pine, moss, sage, and amber with oriental and green touches. Vetiver, sandalwood, leather, tobacco, and musk are all major components of these woody colognes. They are what you would think of a typical outdoorsmen scent -- perfect for people who are down-to-earth.
Also try these top rated colognes: DK Men by Donna Karan, Havana by Aramis
Cologne as a Gift
If you are interested in buying a cologne for someone as a gift, you need to consider several things. First of all, make sure that you know he would like to receive cologne as a gift. Most men who wear cologne and aftershave will be happy to get it as a gift. However, if a man rarely wears a fragrance, it's probably a bad idea to buy him cologne. Instead, consider getting him a set of designer body wash, lotion, and deodorant. Most of the major fragrance brands make such gift sets.
The next step is determining what type of cologne to get him. If you have a close relationship with him you can easily see what he already has in his collection. Ask his friends and family if he has dropped any hints. If you want to be more discrete, try to catch a whiff of him to determine which notes he wears most. The main categories are citrus, spice, and woody. How do you tell the difference?
- Citrus scents will give off notes of lemon, marine, or fresh cut grass. It's light, fresh, and sporty. These are great for young guys.
- Spicy scents are aromatic and fruity. You may trace notes of lavender or currant. These colognes are often classy and hip.
- Woody scents have oriental notes and are often musky. Think sandalwood and vetiver, typically classic men's cologne.
- Also see the section above, Choosing Cologne Based on Your Personality.
The last consideration will be the cost. Most colognes cost $40 or more. You can find good deals online and great deals for sets.
Wearing Cologne
- Apply cologne right after drying off from taking a shower. It will absorb into your skin better and last longer.
- If you can, try to match the cologne with your shower soap so as to not clash and to increase the staying power. Also think about using the same product line in a combination, such as a body wash, deodorant, and cologne.
- Don't spray cologne on your clothes. It's too expensive to wear off that quickly.
- Spray on your hand and splash the bottom of your throat.
- If you wear the same cologne every day, you will be known strictly for that scent. Change it up once in awhile to appear more spontaneous.
- Wear cologne to suit the season and time of day or occasion.
