Cologne can be tricky for even the most trendy man. You need to choose the right cologne that complements your natural scent, spray the right amount (too much cologne can be overwhelming) and store it properly.

Not to worry, FragranceX has put together a guide that covers how to apply cologne the right way. We’ll relay some of the most important information here.

Buying the Right Cologne for YOU

The first step to smelling your best with cologne is to find a scent that mixes well with your body chemistry. Everyone has natural oils on their skin, and everyone’s oils react to scents differently. One cologne that smells great on your buddy may not smell the same on you.

For this reason, you should make sure to test several colognes before you find your signature scent. You will likely need to go to a department store to do this, or you can order samples online.

When you’re at the fragrance counter, have the attendant help you identify which kind of smells you gravitate towards. There are fresh notes, woody notes, floral notes and oriental notes. The counter will likely have test strips of paper you can initially test many different colognes on.

Once you’ve chosen a few favourites, it’s time to test them on your body. Simply spritz the cologne on your skin and wait at least 30 minutes before testing the smell. If you would like to test several at once you can spray each wrist with a different cologne, and also each inner-elbow. We wouldn’t suggest trying more than four fragrances on your skin at a time.

Understanding Fragrance Concentrations

If you find a winning cologne, you will need to figure out which concentration you would like to buy. They range from “perfume” which is about 20-30% scent extract to “eau Fraiche” which is only 1-3% scent extract. “Eau de perfume”, “eau de toilette” and “eau de cologne” are in the middle. The more concentrated the scent, the more pricey the fragrance will be, but the longer it will last.

Applying Cologne Correctly

When you are ready to wear your cologne, make sure you follow the basic rules of cologne usage so that you don’t over-apply or apply in a way that will make your cologne wear off more quickly. Here is the proper way to apply:

1. Apply after your shower on dry skin. Your pores will be open and absorb the scent better.
2. Hold the bottle 3-6 inches from your body. This will give you the perfect application amount.
3. Apply to the heated areas of the body. This includes your neck, chest, pulse points, forearms or inner elbows. Do NOT apply to all areas at once, choose one area to start. If you notice that the scent fades quickly or is not noticed, you can try adding one more area.

Beware of being nose-blind! You can get used to the scent fairly quickly and think that you have under-applied. If you can no longer smell your cologne but you have sprayed it on two areas of the body, we recommend checking with a friend or family member before applying more.

There are some major don’ts when applying cologne as well:

• Don’t rub the cologne into your skin, it messes with the natural molecular bond formed with your skin oils.
• Don’t spray a mist cloud and walk through it (most of it ends up on the floor).
• Don’t splash cologne on your skin. If there isn’t a spray, turn the bottle upside down on your finger and pat on skin sparingly.
• Don’t spray on your clothing. Not only does this muck with the body-chemistry scent, but it makes the cologne fade faster.

Now you should be an expert at putting on cologne! You can check out the infographic below for some quick tips, a scent concentration guide and more.