Answers from The Cologne Guy

Welcome!

You are visitor number xxxx since a heck of a while ago.

Last updated on 04/13/98

First of all, in the midst of infomercials and advertising everywhere- I want you to know I'm only doing this to help out anyone and everyone... for absolutely no reason at all! I just felt like it! Secondly, this is a LIVE page- all current info- the new additions will be very clearly marked every week so you won't have to sift through the whole page! I will also try to post all new questions of relevance I receive (anonymously, of course), so enjoy!

Who the heck I am!

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Todd, and I am a board certified C.F.S.S. (Certified Fragrance Sales Specialist) from the internationally renowned Fragrance Foundation. (There are less than a thousand certified people in the entire United States) I managed the Men's Fragrance bar at a major department store in California for several years. (I just recently stepped down so that I can put forth more effort into this web page and its future!) We occupy very little space, but our department pulls in over a million dollars a year for our store, so they pay pretty close attention to us. I've been at the sales game for over seven years now, so I tend to know a few tricks of the trade. I've done everything from sell cars (I hated it) to sell shoes (hated that too), but I love selling fragrances! I also write a Q &A column periodically for one of the premier fragrance industry magazines;

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Common questions about fragrances...

What's the difference between cologne and after shave?

Cologne-

Lasting ability: They tend to last all day (But it depends on your skin chemistry & a few other factors)
Amount of fragrance oil: Moderate percentage (4% to 8%)
Where to use it: Areas called "pulse points", ie. your wrists, chest, and neck. (Pulse points are areas where your blood vessels are closest to the surface of the skin. Therefore, when you put fragrance there, the warmth of the blood "pulses" off the fragrance very subtly every time your heart beats.)
Where not to use it: ON THE FACE. Unless you have a face of steel, you wouldn't want to put cologne on your freshly shaven skin, because the amount of oil could irritate it. That's why they created...

After Shave-

Lasting ability: Not more than an hour or two (Because it has much less oil than the cologne)
Amount of fragrance oil: Very low percentage (1% to 3%)
Where to use it: Only on the face, otherwise it's a waste.
It's gonna sting like crazy! (I tend to go for the no pain approach myself, so I use an after shave balm, which is explained later)

They were designed to be used together, but not many people do because it gets expensive fast! Although, when you do use them together, you'll find that your fragrance will last longer throughout the day- and you actually use less of each product!

What are fragrance "notes"?

Fragrances are made up of lots of different scents- sometimes hundreds of them ~ otherwise known as "notes." The unique balancing act in the mixture of these notes is what gives a fragrance its distinct personality. The breakdown below, is the general rule of thumb for perfumers as they create their masterpieces...

Top notes:

The lightest of the bunch- disappears within 5-10 minutes, and usually consists of citrus (lemon/orange), minty, fruity,or light spice ingredients.
Middle notes:

This is the part of the fragrance that you'll notice after about 15 minutes of wear, and last for an hour or so. They tend to be medium spices (cinnamon), light woods/moss, or heavier citrus/fruity scents.
Bottom notes:

The base notes tend to be the heavier, longer lasting ingredients- like wood, leather, heavy spice (pepper), and tobacco. The base notes are the last thing you'll smell from your fragrance, and last for several hours.

Why does one cologne last all day, and another doesn't?

This one depends mainly on the acidity of your skin, but the amount of oils used in a fragrance is crucial. Some people's skin just destroys anything you put on it, and others will hold the lightest cologne all day! This has to do specifically with how oily, dry or acidic your skin is.

Someone that has dry skin tends to lose their fragrance fairly quickly because there's not a whole lot of moisture to help keep the cologne locked in. Conversely, oily skin will tend to hold fragrance much longer, because it's the oil in a fragrance that makes it last. So if your skin has a lot of oil, it will work with the fragrance to keep it locked in.

Now for the acidity. We all have slightly different levels of acidity in our skin which is called our pH level. The actual pH level difference between everyone is minute, but each ingredient in a fragrance reacts differently with our individual level. For example, a spicy fragrance with wood in it will work well with me, but on you- the wood specifically may react differently, because of your pH level. Nothing's wrong with you or the fragrance- it's just nature!

Believe it or not- your own nose can play tricks on you too! Have you ever noticed sometimes you'll put cologne on in the morning, and by noon you don't smell it anymore? But people walk by you and say, "Your cologne smells great!" This is a classic case of the receptors in your nose becoming full. You see, your nose can only take so much of one particular scent- then it just tunes it out! So to beat this one- try putting on less cologne in the morning, as not to overpower your nose.

Tips!- Before you buy your cologne, see how it does on your skin by wearing it around for a while. Usually about ten minutes should do. Any salesperson that doesn't let you do that- is a salesperson I'd stay away from!

When you first spray your fragrance, it may seem a little strong. That's normal, every fragrance has some alcohol in it, and it just makes the top notes of the fragrance seem strong. Like, if it's a sweet cologne it'll seem even sweeter in the beginning! The alcohol will evaporate in a few minutes- so just give it a little time.
Just for your protection... If you ever buy a fragrance at an off the wall shop, Perfumery, or whatever- ask to smell the bottle you are buying! You'll be able to tell right away if it's bad. Sometimes a street vendor will do a switch-job on you, and there's even certain shops that have merchandise I know the vendors didn't sell to them- so where did they get it? And how long ago? Watch it!

Why do they put alcohol in there anyway?

[Quote from my esteemed colleague, a master perfumer for over 30 years, Jean-Pierre Subrenat]

"The purpose of alcohol in colognes is to solubilize the essences contained in the fragrance, and help that fragrance diffuse once on the skin (the alcohol is used as a vector or a carrier to the perfume). If you were to apply pure fragrance on your skin, nobody would be able to smell it unless they were on top of you!"

So it's not in there just to water down the cologne and give the manufacturer a bigger profit!

What's the difference between cologne and eau de toilette?

In women's fragrances, there is a BIG difference! It has to do with the concentration of fragrance oil in the bottle. Eau de toilette has more oil than eau de cologne(the official way of saying it) does, and therefore lasts much longer. The cologne tends to have more alcohol too, because there's much more "empty space" when there's not as much oil.

But, generally in men's fragrances there is NO difference between the two. If it's an American maker, they'll usually call it cologne, and if it's European, they'll tend to call it eau de toilette. The main difference you want to look for there is between the cologne and after shave. Although, there are a few companies who do use the real method of classification. Some examples are: Chanel, Boucheron, Escada, and Guerlain. In those cases, go for the higher concentration of oil (eau de parfum). It'll cost a little more, but the richness and lasting ability will far outweigh the cost!

Here's the official fragrance hierarchy from highest concentration to lowest, with their corresponding percentages of fragrance oil:

Parfum or perfume: 15% to 30% (mainly in women's fragrances)
Eau de parfum: 8% to 15%
Eau de toilette: 4% to 8%
Eau de cologne or cologne: 2% to 5%
Body splash: 1% to 3%

Tip!- If you want the parfum or eau de parfum (the highest concentration of oil in men's), but don't want to pay the high cost... Ask if the company makes a refill bottle. The refills are the same size as the full bottle, but they're not full price! You won't get the sparkly container, but who cares- you wear the fragrance around all day, not the sparkly container! That'll usually save you at least $25.

Should I get a spray or a splash cologne?

This one's really just a personal preference between whether you like to splash on your cologne or spray it. You'd be surprised, though, how many people think that because it's a splash- it's the after shave- or the fragrance is less concentrated- or some other old wive's tale. The contents of the spray and splash are exactly the same. The obvious differences are that one has a spray, and the other just twists off, but those differences do play a major role in the preservation of the fragrance...

I only use sprays. First of all, they're not as messy to put on.( I hate splashing on a cologne and having it drip down my arm and onto my clothes!) Second, with a splash, you're constantly opening the top, and therefore exposing the fragrance to the air. When the fragrance is exposed to the air- a little bit of alcohol is going to evaporate every time and voila! -you are slowly lessening the shelf-life of your cologne! Third, some people actually put the mouth of the bottle on their skin. Your skin has a natural bacteria on it at all times, and unfortunately when you touch the open bottle to your skin, the bacteria backwashes into the bottle and contaminates your cologne. This, once again, shortens the shelf-life. A spray, on the other hand, is sealed- so you're almost always guaranteed the full three years of life from the bottle! (The only reason I say almost, is because it also depends on how long your bottle was sitting on the shelf of the store.)

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What to look for when you're out shopping.

On your next leisurely stroll around the mall to buy some cologne, keep these tips in mind:

You'll actually get better service if you're not a know it all. It's true, speaking from personal experience- when someone comes up and wants to just show off their supposed knowledge to impress their friends-at my expense, I don't give extra special service. Some people come in and talk like an encyclopedia, and frankly it irritates the heck out of us! We're in the business of helping, not being a sounding board for someone's insecurity. And in reality, I'll be much more generous with the freebies to the more humble person.
I would be irritated if someone asked this of me, but hey- I'm here to tell you the secrets! When it comes time for you to purchase your fragrance, only take a box that is shrunk in plastic. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting a bottle that was returned by someone else! (Some of the unwrapped boxes could have just been used for display though, and not sold yet). There may not be anything inherently wrong with the unwrapped box, but better safe then sorry! Do note- that not all fragrance companies use plastic wrapping- just look at the majority of bottles in the case to tell.
[What if it's not in plastic? Then how do you know if it's been used?] Look for fading in the color of the box. That would mean it's been sitting in the case under fluorescent lights for quite a while. Also, avoid a box that feels unusually "soft" in comparison with the others. That would show it has received a lot of handling- whether returned or just moved around from shelf to shelf forever.
Ask what the return policy is! Some stores make you keep your receipt, and some at least the box, but some don't let you return at all! And, for those stores that don't let you return their merchandise... I wonder why! Sometimes it's worth paying a little more if you know you're not stuck with it!
Economically, the bigger bottle is always better, but step back and really ask yourself a few questions...
- How often do I wear my fragrance? ie. only weekends or special occasions?
- How much do I really want to spend? It's easy to get wrapped up in the romance and forget what you're really spending!
- And, is it a gift for a distant third cousin in Bermuda?

Don't buy a cologne just for the freebie. If it's got a free gift, usually it needs it! Although I must say out of all fairness, that almost all companies have some sort of a free gift going at one time or another.
When your nose starts to get worn out from smelling a few fragrances, ask for the coffee beans! I know this sounds funny, but it really works! You just smell the coffee beans, and it clears your nose right up. Then you can go about your fragrance selection with a new nose! If the counter doesn't have any, then you can either smell something plain- like your shirt, or just take a break for ten minutes. Don't hurry your selection, or you'll risk going home with a fragrance you hate in the morning. Anybody that doesn't let you do that, isn't somebody you want to buy from- because you'll end up buying the cologne they want you to buy- not what you really like!
Instead of spraying every cologne you want to smell on your skin, just ask for some blotter cards. Blotter cards are just blank cards that companies send in to sample their colognes on. The cards are great just to get an idea of the type of fragrance you like, but unfortunately their pH level is nothing like your skin's! So when you get it narrowed down to a few fragrances, spray each of them on a separate place on your body, ie. your wrists, neck, arm, etc. Then walk around for ten minutes, to see what they do on you!
When you get it narrowed down to a fragrance you want to buy, and you're choosing between the small and the large- always listen for the "exactly's" or the "almost's" For example, when the pitch for the larger bottle is being made, listen for, "the larger is almost double for only $10 more!" or, "the larger is exactly double the size for only $10 more!" Sometimes there's a big difference in ounces- and ounces are what you're paying for! When in doubt, ask for the exact amounts. Some common sizes are as follows...
- Small: 1.7oz, Large: 3.4oz (very common for American colognes)
- Small: 2.5oz, Large: 4.2oz (very common for European colognes)

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My Top Ten cologne choices for THIS month:

April 1998

This area was formerly known as the rarely changing "Top 15 men's fragrances of the week by sales figures." Well, I heard from you that it didn't help much because sales figures are boring, and really just say who advertised more that week. So - I have decided to take all of your advice and tailor the section to something more personal. Whether it be new colognes, seasonal colognes, etc. ~ I'll be giving you an idea of what someone actually in the industry is choosing to wear...

Hilfiger Athletics, by Tommy Hilfiger (not reviewed yet)
Gucci Envy for Men, by Gucci (not reviewed yet)
Extreme Polo Sport, by Ralph Lauren (not reviewed yet)
Chrome, by Loris Azzaro (not reviewed yet)
Acqua di Gio', by Giorgio Armani
Cigar Aficionado, by Paul Sebastian (not reviewed yet)
O2xygen, by California North (not reviewed yet)
Dolce & Gabbana, by Dolce & Gabbana
Herrera for Men, by Carolina Herrera
CKbe, by Calvin Klein

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