A cologne may be invisible but it is highly essential for any man who wants to make a statement. It is a great accessory that will polish your look.
It’s totally fine to keep just one bottle of cologne but there is no law against keeping several bottles at a time.
As a matter of fact, any well-groomed man keeps at least two to three bottles of colognes to compliment his personal style.
An opened bottle of cologne usually has a minimum shelf life of 2 years so it is safe for you to own multiple bottles at the same time.
You can keep however less or however many you want but owning more than one bottle of cologne has its own benefits and uses.
The reason being you can switch them up according to the season and occasion. For instance, it isn’t the best idea to wear a heady and musky cologne during a hot summer day or at the beach.
Choosing the right fragrance that suits your personal style can be tricky. There are several factors to keep in mind so in this article we will go over some important combinations of different colognes.
Why a Man Should Have Several Colognes
If you want to be unique and stand out in a crowd, then it is simply a must to own a cologne. We have all walked past certain people who make us think, wow, that guy smells great!
With a tasteful cologne, you can be that person too.
It’s actually a lot simpler than you may think. All you have to do is go out and buy yourself a cologne that you like.
If you are anything like us, you will be completely hooked and will want to buy many more. Because once you find a cologne that really suits you – then it’s a personal revolution, both socially and internally.
6 reasons to have more than one cologne
One reason why you will want to increase your cologne collection is that you will find yourself subconsciously choosing your fragrance based on certain factors.
During colder days, you will find yourself naturally radiating towards sweeter and warmer scents while hotter days will call for lighter and fresher scents.
The bottom line is, different occasions and experiences call for different scents. This is why a man should have several colognes – you want to be flexible and be smart in every situation and environment.
1. Daytime and Evening
Colognes that smell light and fresh are more fitted for daytime while you are out at the mall or working at the office because they are not strong enough to overpower the person next to you yet pleasant enough to lift your mood and keep the odors at bay.
Stronger, spicier perfumes are more fitting for evening and night time as they are seductive in nature and will serve you better during dates or night outs at the bar.
2. Colognes are Seasonal
Take your cue from Mother Nature and try switching up your fragrance with the changing seasons. Hot summer days intensify our sense of smell while cold winter days will dull it.
This is why it is more suitable to wear stronger fragrances during the winter months and less intense ones like zesty, fresh fragrances during the summer months.
Spring season calls for scents that have floral, fresh notes with medium to lower projection.
During the fall when the temperatures start to drop, you can start applying those scents with stronger scent projection like those with spice aroma and oriental wood.
3. Don’t Become Monotone
Not that there is any law against people wearing the same cologne every day for the rest of their life but changing up your fragrance every now and then certainly has its advantages.
Think about it – that oriental cologne that got you a lot of female attention the other night at the club might give a headache to your colleagues at work.
It’s a good idea to vary your cologne just like you vary the way you dress. After all, we don’t wear the same outfit every day, do we?
A simple rule of thumb is to wear lighter scents during the day and bolder scents in the evening.
4. Cologne for Different Occasions
Different occasions call for different colognes. For example, long and stressful days are quite common at work. Using a classic, crisp scent that lasts all day will do you good.
Definitely do not wear that seductive, muscular fragrance you wore the other night on your date that left a lasting impression on her. It will just overpower your workplace and piss off everybody around you.
We normally keep the most extraordinary fragrances for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, or birthdays.
Typically, they are the most expensive ones in our collection. So don’t wear them for something like a family Christmas celebration. It would be a complete waste of your money.
5. Your Fragrance Reflects Your Mood And Personality
Your mood changes every now and then. Some days you are energetic and active, while some days you are more relaxed and calm. There is a close link between the mood and personality of an individual when it comes to the choice of perfume.
This is because fragrance affects us on an emotional level and alters how we feel because it is processed not in our nose but in our brain.
By choosing the right cologne according to your mood and personality, you will be able to intensify a good mood or lift a bad mood throughout the day.
As Donaldson puts it, “your mood comes through your choice of fragrance.”
How to Build Your Collection of Colognes
The cologne you wear every day should not be the same as the cologne you wear on special occasions. When you own more than one cologne, you will be able to express how you feel and the mood you are exhibiting.
That said, it will also not help if most of the colognes in your collection smell pretty much the same. Here is how you can build your own fragrance wardrobe so that it caters to your different moods and occasions.
Formal Cologne
This could be anything from your office to an important board meeting. The key is to find a fragrance that lasts all day yet is not strong enough to project itself into the other person’s nostrils.
Stick to light and clean-smelling citrus scents, herbaceous and barely-there fragrances that will make you smell great without endangering your colleagues’ lung function.
Notes like sandalwood, vanilla, cinnamon, and apple are laid back yet make for an impressive combination.
Informal Cologne
Informal occasions could include anything from when you are lounging at home in your boxers to outings with friends to vacationing on holidays. This time, you can finally wear a fragrance without having to worry about offending the person next to you.
You can wear anything from citrusy, aquatic scents to peppery, spicy notes, depending on your personality, mood, occasion, and season.
A Cologne for Dating
When on a date, you want to make a lasting impression on your woman or date for the right reasons.
The trick is to go for a stronger and more impactful fragrance that will signal your presence and mark your territory.
Musk and vanilla notes are highly recommended because they are sensual. You also want to pick a fragrance that lasts all night.
Spring Cologne
Fresh, floral notes with medium to lower projection are perfect for the spring season. This is the season when flowers are in full bloom and the birds are chirping melodiously outdoors.
Notes like these will keep your mood in sync with the environment around you. You will find many fragrances that easily fit this description. Think pepper, mint, ambergris, and patchouli.
Summer Cologne
Summer is when our sense of smell is extra sensitive to fragrances. You want to go for zesty, fresh yet subtle scents that will beat the high temperatures.
Some of our favorite summer daytime notes include neroli, bergamot, jasmine, and citrus fruits. It can also work for hot evenings.
Fall Cologne
With the gradual drop in temperatures, you can now start wearing your favorite musky, stronger colognes without worrying about projecting it on the other person’s nostrils.
Notes like spice aroma and oriental wood are perfect and irresistible for the cooler days.
Winter Cologne
During winter days our sense of smell are less sensitive, making stronger fragrances take center stage.
Notes like amber, patchouli, cinnamon, rose, mint, orange, and grapefruit are perfect as you sit by the fireside in your rollneck sweaters.
How to Extend the Longevity of Your Colognes
Good colognes don’t come cheap. That’s why you need proper maintenance to keep them smelling good for as long as possible. Here is a list of dos and don’ts to help you keep the longevity of your colognes.
Dos:
- Store them away from direct heat
- Keep them in cool places
- Store them in a dark place or in the boxes they come in
- Tightly screw the lids on with screw tops
- Keep the caps on
Don’ts:
- Store them in the cold refrigerator
- Store them near the window ledge
- Freeze them
- Keep them in bathroom shelves
- Keep them near a radiator or heater
There you have it – your go-to guide on how many colognes a man should have. Whether you decide to stick with your signature cologne or go all out and experiment with different fragrances is totally up to you.
Just remember, if you are in doubt you can simply approach the salesperson behind the counter to help you out!
