They say that clothes make the man. However, it’s often his choice of fragrance that sets him apart from his peers. Global fragrance sales are booming, with the market worth more than €46.5 billion in 2022.
Male consumers represent the fast-growing market segment, with more than ever spending a premium on the scents they wear. Thinking about investing in a new cologne? Read on for the lowdown on what to look out for.
Try Before You Buy
While you’ll make a saving by purchasing fragrance online, it’s a good idea to sample the scent you’re interested in before handing over your cash. Think about heading to a nearby stockist and making use of a courtesy spray.
Alternatively, order fragrance samples online for a fraction of the cost of a full bottle. Cologne changes in character over time, especially if it’s a premium one with an ingredient list dominated by all-natural essential oils. You’ll want to see how the aromas develop over a day.
Know Your Notes
You don’t have to be a professional perfumer to understand the complexities of cologne. Having a basic knowledge of top, heart and base notes is enough to guide your buying choices. The top notes are what hit your nose first. These tend to be light and uplifting citrus aromas. The heart, or middle notes, take a little longer to develop.
However, it’s the base notes that are the real signature of a cologne. Take Creed Aventus as an example. Lemon, bergamot and pink pepper dominate the top notes, while the heart is a combination of fresh florals like patchouli and jasmine. However, it’s the earthy base of oakmoss, cedarwood and birch that give this fragrance its rich and masculine character.
Fragrance Families
As well as notes, you’ll need to get to grips with fragrance families. As with women’s fragrances, men’s cologne can be split into a few key categories. Fresh fragrances are dominated by zesty grasses and citrus notes, while woody ones tend to be rich in notes of leather and oak. Although floral scents are typically encountered with female fragrances, you’ll still find a few male fragrances in this group.
Finally, there are oriental fragrances. Refined ingredients like frankincense are common here, with most oriental scents geared toward the unisex market.
You’ll also want to pay attention to concentrations. An eau de toilette might seem like a budget-friendly choice, but it tends to contain relatively few essential oil extracts. As such, you’ll need to reapply after a few hours. Looking for a long-lasting alternative?
Eau de parfum is the way to go, but you’ll need to pay a premium for it. Essential oil concentration tends to be much higher here, sometimes as high as 15%. Once applied, eau de parfum will usually last for at least seven hours.
While they cost more, these fragrances can work out the cheaper option in the long run. Because you’re not going to be constantly reapplying your scent throughout the day, a single bottle will last for months, if not longer.
