How to Pick a Cologne: What Scent is Right for You? - Part 1

Walking into the cologne section of your local dispensary can be daunting for most men.  The sheer number of options available is overwhelming at times and often you'll find yourself gazing at bottles wondering why you even tried to find a new scent.  The good news is that all these scents really filter down into 6 different categories of scent.  Today I'll show you the first three scent categories that you can consider and which is best for you.


Citrus
A great summer fragrance, citrus colognes have notes of fruit, flora and sometimes wood. Citrus scents are generally lighter and can seem to lose their power quickly, but that is generally only the case with inferior products. Try to avoid lemon scents as they will smell more like wood polish than anything, lime is a better choice.

Tom Ford Private Blend 'Azure Lime' Eau de Parfum

Woody
Wood notes often have more of a "musk" scent traditionally associated with your grandpa's cologne. But you don't have to smell like an old man when wearing a woods scent, most modern, quality cologne's have updated profiles to avoid a dated scent. If you are working in a very conservative office, a woody cologne should be your choice of work-time scent.

Yves Saint Laurent 'La Nuit de L'Homme' Eau de Toilette

Fresh
Another note that is perfect for summer, fresh notes are light and often have an "ocean air" quality to them.  I'd associate it with how you would smell after a swim in a river and an afternoon sipping drinks on the porch.  I'm going to show you Acqua di Gio as a recommendation but it comes with a caveat: only choose this if you really have no confidence in your ability to find your own scent. This is a great cologne but it is incredibly popular, meaning that you will smell like many other men who wear it.  Remember, scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, and if the girl you're dating had a bad ex who wore this, it will remind her of that ex very distinctly.  If you feel confident in finding your own fresh scent, do so.

Acqua di Giò Men Eau de Toilette Spray

Tomorrow I'll go over the remaining three cologne scent types you should know. If you have a scent you're currently wearing that you love, let me know!

Thanks for reading. As always, be dapper.