Cologne and aftershave: How to find your signature scent

Reading time: 4 mins

A young man in a light grey tshirt touching his jawline while looking at himself in a mirror.

Looking good is only part of making an impression. Smelling great is another way to make sure you stand out from the crowd, but knowing how to pick a fragrance and an aftershave isn’t always easy. With our fragrance guide for men, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of how to find your signature scent.

Top notes and base notes: How fragrances change over time

If you’re new to picking a fragrance, you might have heard people talking about ‘notes’, but what are they? Here’s a quick rundown of exactly what the different note types mean and what influence they have on a fragrance guide:

Top notes are the first scents you’re going to notice when you spray on your cologne. They’re often fresh scents, floral or citrusy. They're quick to evaporate, only lasting up to around 15 minutes. That means this isn't the scent you're going to be carrying for the rest of the day.
Heart notes, or middle notes, emerge as the top notes fade. These are often spicy or fruity scents and usually last for up to an hour.
Base notes are the part of the fragrance that lasts the longest and tend to be deeper and richer. They’ll usually kick in a little after the fragrance is applied, mingling with the heart notes, and linger for several hours. They’re often smoky, woody or musky.

So, over time, the fragrance you’re wearing will change as some scents evaporate and others come to the foreground. This is important when you’re considering how to find a signature scent. If you like the top notes of bergamot, and you're less keen on the base notes of amber, bear in mind that the amber is the part that's going to last longest.

How to pick a cologne

You've pinned down what you need to know about scent, but how does that translate to how to pick a cologne?

As we’ve mentioned, the first scent that makes itself known when you apply a fragrance will be the top notes, and those won’t last too long. This can make picking a fragrance a challenge. You can’t just spray on a sample, decide you like the scent and buy it on the spot, because that won’t tell you what your cologne will smell like later in the day.

Fortunately, the manufacturers know this struggle as well. Some places offer miniature bottles of fragrance for sampling or even sample sets. This is a pretty safe method and helps to figure out how to find your signature scent: rather than buying a full bottle, with the risk that the scent will develop into something you’re not a fan of, you can buy a few small sample bottles and experiment.

Another very useful method to answer how to pick a perfume is to let someone else be your fragrance guide. If you meet someone who’s wearing the cologne of your dreams, just ask what fragrance they’re using. You can either seek it out yourself or use it as a starting point for finding other fragrances: if you look up the scent and find out what notes are involved, you’ll be able to find similar colognes more easily. When you’ve pinned down a couple of colognes you like, consider which ones are most fitting for different occasions.

Heads-up: even if you’re confident you know how to pick a perfume and have found the scent of your dreams, be weary of applying too much of it. If you’re not sure whether you’re using an overpowering amount of cologne, ask a friend whose opinion you trust.

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How to choose an aftershave

The perfect scent demands the perfect shave. Once you’ve exfoliated and sharpened up your facial hair with the Philips OneBlade Pro, what aftershave should you be reaching for?

Choosing an aftershave differs from selecting a cologne because their purposes vary:

Cologne is primarily for adding a pleasant fragrance, making scent selection key.
Aftershave, however, focuses on soothing and disinfecting the skin post-shaving, with its scent being less important as it's not meant to last.

You’ll still want to like the smell of your aftershave, but you’ll be taking other things into account. Here’s how to choose an aftershave:

What type of aftershave are you looking for? Gels tend to be light and cooling. Balms are richer and heavier, but they’re better if you’re looking for something with moisture, making them a good choice for dry skin. Lotions can go either way, so check how they’re advertised.
Does your aftershave contain alcohol? Alcohol is a disinfectant, so it can be helpful if you’re prone to nicks and cuts, but it can also dry out your skin. If you’re prone to skin irritation or your skin tends to be on the dry side, go alcohol-free with your aftershave.
Do you want a scented aftershave? As mentioned, aftershaves aren't generally intended to have a lasting scent and will often linger for under an hour. If you've picked out the perfect cologne, though, you might prefer an unscented aftershave to prevent the two scents from competing.

Now that you know how to find a signature scent, go out and put it into practice. On top of how to pick a fragrance, you can master the art of making a first impression with exactly the right facial hair.