Store & Wear Your Cologne Like a Pro

Store Bottles
Correctly

Think of fragrance as a living organism—one that's very sensitive to environmental changes. Award-winning perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, likens his bottles to those of Champagne. You'd never leave a good bottle of bubbly in the sun or in a steamy bathroom before you're ready to drink it, right? Your cologne doesn't like going from cold to hot. Those shifts in temperature and humidity affects the “freshness” of the scent and can make more natural ingredients like certain oils and extracts smell a little rancid after a while. Sunlight can also alter your fragrance's smell and color. Put another way: These bottles aren't cheap, so treat them well, okay?

Think Small

As you can see, you want to wear your fragrance while it's fresh. Which means it should be consumed (not kept for years). So smaller bottles allow the juice to be enjoyed at its peak freshness before light and oxygen (the natural enemies of perfume oil) break down the scent's molecules. If you're not sure how often you'll be wearing it, or prefer to wear a variety of scents, avoid spoilage by purchasing bottles no larger than 3.4 ounces.

Spritz (Don’t Rub)

It's an almost unconscious habit: You spray one wrist and then press it against the other one. Maybe you then bring it up to your neck. But experts will tell you that this is absolutely not how you should be applying fragrance. It has the potential to “bruise” the scent by disturbing the molecules of the fragrance. Plus, the friction created by rubbing heats up the skin, and that produces natural enzymes that will change the course of the scent.

Keep It Light

This is the number one mistake most men make. And we get it. You like how your cologne smells and so you figure that if some is good, more is even better. But subtlety should be the goal when it comes to fragrances. Spritz your pulse points—each wrist and the sides of the neck—where you body emits heat naturally. This helps fragrance notes develop quicker on the skin. If you want to ensure the scent stays around, hit the back of your neck at the hairline, too.

Layer With
Intention

This is a pro-level move, but if you're feeling confident, it's a great way to develop a truly signature scent. Got a new fragrance that you'd like to mix with an old favorite? Jacques Huclier, a senior perfumer at Givaudan (whose creations include Gucci Guilty Pour Homme), recommends sticking to notes from the same olfactive family when layering scents on top of one another. He finds that combining a lighter fragrance with a more supportive scent allows for extra absorption into the skin, which maximizes the overall effect and makes for a more complex dry down throughout the day.