It’s a question I get all the time from guys – “Megan, what’s a good, year-round cologne for me?”
Or, sometimes, more to the point – “Just tell me what cologne girls like and I will go buy it.”
I mean, I get it. Most guys I know want to streamline their style – searching out clothes that match everything they already own, mastering a morning routine that takes ten minutes or less from shower to out the door. This desire for efficiency extends to nailing a signature scent. Some men swap their cologne when the weather changes, but many would prefer to keep only one bottle on the dresser all year round.
Unfortunately, my knowledge of men’s fragrance is pretty limited. Memories of my father’s green glass bottle of Brut gave way to an unfortunately long love affair with Abercrombie & Fitch Fierce in college. Today, I may admire a scent on a man but rarely think to ask the name of what he’s wearing.
So I asked for advice on year-round fragrances from someone whose nose is much more refined than my own. Barney Bishop runs Fragrant Moments, a men’s scent blog aiming to help men discover “the greater world of fragrances.” I asked for his picks on fragrances that guys can feel confident wearing all four season.
….
“A good ‘anytime’ cologne should err on the lighter side of the fragrance wheel,” says Bishop. That’s because as the seasons change, our body temperature changes, which in turn affects how the fragrances we wear smell both to ourselves and to others.
In warmer seasons, our body temperatures rise, intensifying the scent we’re wearing “to the point it jumps off our skin,” says Bishop. That’s why many men (and us ladies too!) swap out stronger, musky scents in exchange for lighter fragrances during the warm summer months.
In the fall and winter, however, we don’t (generally) sweat as much. This means we can wear bolder scents, like the spicy scents shunned in summer, without fear of overpowering a room.
If you don’t want to change your fragrance routine from one season to the next, Bishop advises you “look for scents in the citrus, floral, or aquatic family. These notes are all good for everyday use.”
An added bonus when wearing scents on the lighter side of the fragrance wheel: they’re often more office-friendly, thanks to their subtle notes.
Bishop recommends the following scents for year-round use. All are clean and floral, while possessing traditional masculine accents:
Cologne by Thierry Mugler ($50 for 4oz)
Tam Dao by Diptyqu ($88 for 50 ml)
06 Amanu by Odi($125 for 100ml)
Aventus for Men by Creed ($195 for 4oz)
Fougere Royale by Houbigant($170 for 3.3oz)
A big thanks to Barney for adding his two…SCENTS!! (I’M SO SORRY, I HAD TO)
Anyone still reading after that totally obnoxious (but let’s be serious, absolutely necessary) pun? All right, for you remaining guys, tell me:
I haven’t worn cologne since I was 17 (I’m now 34). I prefer to let my pheromones do the work.
I did the same thing – I quit wearing cologne after high school, but then I started again when I was 34. I only have one bottle and its usually whatever my wife has given me for a gift. I don’t mind wearing it now…and I kind of like it.
Ditto StyleDad, although I retired a little later (maybe 22?).
All I have to do is remember to shower and my wife says she loves the way I smell! 🙂
I have been using Nautica Voyage for a few years now. I got it as a gift from my then-girlfriend, now-wife who picked it out. If you have a significant other, having them go pick out something they like is always a good option if you aren’t sure which way to go.
I agree with this in theory, but what if it smells totally different on you than it did in the bottle when she smelled it?? I think fragrance shopping is a great date activity – you can pick something you both like out together!
From what I’ve read on this subject it takes about an hour for the cologne to show its true scent after you spray it on. Also, one spray at the throat, or behind the neck, or on the inside of each ankle are apparently the best places to apply it.
I usually get a bottle of colonge every Christmas from my mom, I usually just have to let her know which brand I want. Last year I got Ysl and I have been getting complements all year. Some women from work have been baring the nose in my chest. A bit awkward but I at least know they really like it.
burying?
Thanks Megan – I think I’m gonna try the Cologne by Thierry Mugler ($50 for 4oz)
Hey, I wear Italian Cypress by Tom Ford. It’s a great year long scent, not over powering but still woodsy so ya smell like a man
Creed Aventus – is by far the best cologne I have ever tried, although a little pricey it is well worth it – every time I use it people stop me and ask what I’m wearing. Ralph Lauren Blue smells a little like this and is by far cheaper.
My 2nd go to is Ralph Lauren Purple label, again expensive but well worth it – it has now been discontinued and is now only sold at Ralph Lauren stores.