CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOGNE

Men, I know how hard it can be to choose the right cologne. Is it too strong? Does it represent me? Will girls like it? Here a few tips that will hopefully help you in making the right decision. Read on...

Choosing a cologne is not a task to take lightly. Much like choosing the proper suit, a cologne must fit you and your lifestyle. Finding the right combination to complement your lifestyle enhances your presence in the room or group and often makes a better first impression than any handshake.

The Sporty Man
Just because you lead an athletic lifestyle, doesn’t mean you have to smell like a locker room or old sports gear. If you know how to pick a cologne, the right fragrance can enhance your own natural scent and heighten it to reflect your world and attract like-minded women.

Best cologne options
Versace Pour Homme: A youthful mixture of musk on the bottom and bergamot riding over the top give the man under 30 an invigorating scent for any activity.

Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani: A warm Mediterranean breeze comes to mind with Acqua Di Gio. The citrus top notes overlay a warm persimmon and bergamot blend. This is the scent for the young gentleman in his early 20s. Its gentle top notes have a strong foundation in the spicy undertones, revealing an energetic aroma.

The Young Pro
Regardless of your career path, you should do your best to present yourself in a professional manner, which means being well-groomed and smelling like you actually care about your work. And that’s when knowing how to pick a cologne becomes an important part of your life.

Best cologne options
The One by Dolce & Gabbana: This unusual mix may not work for the older man, but it’s spot-on for the young professional out to make a good impression.

Paul Smith Extreme Cologne: The irreverent Paul Smith has created a lighter scent for the young career man with an edge. If you’ve got a creative side that’s a little off-kilter from the typical company man, you’ve found your kindred spirit in Paul Smith’s Extreme.

The Man’s Man
Being a man is complicated existence, but these colognes give you a touchstone of what you ought to be. They are unwavering in their presence. This type of scent is a throwback, if you will, to a time when being a man’s man meant something.

Best cologne options
Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme: One may not often think of YSL as being so masculine, but L’Homme stands out as a new timeless scent for today’s complicated man.

Gucci by Gucci: If ever there was a complicated fusion of aromas, this is it. The cedar wood and patchouli base give rise to spices such as bergamot and black pepper with tobacco before revealing floral top notes. The complexity here is too much for the man in his 20s and is better suited for the gentleman in his late 30s. Someone who’s seen just how damned dangerous and conflicted the world can be and appreciates a cologne that does not hold back.

The Urbanite
Living an urban lifestyle often means being ready for anything when the phone rings, which is why you should carefully pick a cologne that allows you to go from meetings to cocktails to court-side seats without a thought. Doing so also means knowing how to pick a cologne with strong green cedar or green citrus notes that thrive against a life lived amid concrete and steel.

Best cologne options
Calvin Klein Men-Euphoria: Brazilian redwood, patchouli and amber set the stage for cedar leaves and black basil with raindrop accord serving as a light opening note. Notice the use once again of patchouli, which is quickly becoming popular as an accent base note for younger men who have not graduated to the more sublime aromas.

Hermes D’Orange Verte Cologne by Hermes: A French classic that may be the only scent to outlast them all and the perfect all-day cologne with its green and citrus blend. If you’re tired of the complex equations of modern colognes or if your day takes you from the casual to the formal in mere hours, D’Orange Verte is worth a try.