For every man, fragrance is an invisible element of his personal style, but it is not always easy to find the ideal one among a multitude of options.

This guide will help you choose a fragrance that will suit you perfectly and express your style and uniqueness!

✨ Types of Perfume

The amount of essential oils in a perfume determines its type. The higher the concentration of essential oils, the longer-lasting and more intense the fragrance—and therefore the higher its quality and price. There are 5 main types based on how intense they smell on you.

• Eau de Cologne: The lightest fragrance, lasting around 2 hours. It has a refreshing scent, is sold in large bottles because it is diluted with water/alcohol, and is affordable. Historically, it was made from citrus essential oils.
• Eau de Toilette: Light and subtle, ideal for everyday wear, especially during the summer months. It lasts 2–4 hours and contains more essential oils than Eau de Cologne.
• Eau de Parfum: Contains a higher concentration of essential oils and lasts 4–5 hours. It has a strong scent and works well on hair and clothes. It is more expensive than the types above.
• Pure Parfum: The most intense and luxurious fragrance, with a pure composition. Apply sparingly; it lasts 4–6 hours and is a popular choice for evenings out.
• Eau Fraiche: A light fragrance that does not last long. It contains a high proportion of water, alcohol, and essential oils. It is less long-lasting than Eau de Toilette/Parfum.
• Body Mists: Very light fragrances with a low concentration of essential oils. They are used all over the body, leaving a subtle, fresh scent.

✨ Fragrance Notes

Although the exact composition of most fragrances remains a closely guarded secret, most can be identified by their dominant notes. An experienced “nose” can break down a fragrance’s scent pyramid into three notes:

1. Top notes (high notes): these are the notes you smell immediately after applying a fragrance. They create the first impression, last from 5 to 10 minutes, and play an important role in choosing a fragrance.
2. Heart notes (middle notes): the middle notes form the “body” of the fragrance and become noticeable around 20 minutes after application. They usually last from 3 to 5 hours and define the fragrance’s character.
3. Base notes: base notes emerge after around 40 minutes and transform the fragrance as it interacts with your skin, creating a rich, lasting scent that makes it “unique” to you and can last up to 10 hours.

Tip Richer, heavier notes are ideal for colder seasons and evening outings. For warmer days or everyday wear, opt for lighter, fresher notes.

✨ Fragrances and fragrance families

Most fragrance experts classify scent profiles into 4 main families to describe the characteristics of fragrances and the spectrum through which our noses interpret scents:

• Fruity & Citrus: This family includes all fragrances whose dominant base notes are made up mostly of various fruits, such as lemon, orange, bergamot and mandarin, or ocean-inspired notes. Fragrances containing citrus notes evoke a sense of freshness, coolness and cleanliness, making them ideal for the warmer months of the year. Recommendations: Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Eau de Parfum, Acqua di Parma Fico Di Amalfi Eau de Toilette and Versace Man Eau Fraiche Eau de Toilette.
• Woody: Pleasant scents from earthy aromatic oils, such as woods, sandalwood, wildflowers, cedar, amber and, generally, all the scents of the forest. These notes add warmth to these fragrances. Recommendations: Dolce & Gabbana K Eau de Toilette, Dior Sauvage Eau de Parfum and Bvlgari Man Wood Neroli Eau de Parfum.
• Spicy & Oriental: Intense fragrances whose compositions contain various sweet scents, such as peppery spices, seasonings, chocolate, vanilla and resins. These notes make the fragrance suitable for the winter months. Recommendations: Ysl Y Eau de Parfum, Emporio Armani Stronger With You Eau de Toilette and Prada Luna Rossa Black Eau de Parfum.
• Floral: This category includes fragrances composed mainly of aromatic floral oils, with a preference for flowers such as roses, orchids, jasmine, carnations and lilies. These fragrances are light and ideal for morning and afternoon outings. Recommendations: Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Eau de Toilette, and Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme Eau de Toilette

✨ Choose the fragrance that suits you

Keep in mind that every fragrance smells completely different on each person’s skin when it blends with their natural scent.

You might smell the same fragrance on a friend and not like it at all, yet absolutely love it on your own skin. That’s why it’s best to try it on your skin before buying it.

• Try the fragrance on your skin rather than on paper testers.
• Avoid trying lots of different fragrances on the same day, as your sense of smell may become confused. Trying up to 3–4 fragrances at a time is fine.
• If you’re going to try more than one fragrance, refresh your sense of smell between tests by smelling a tea bag or coffee beans.
• The best place to test a fragrance is the inside of your wrists. Spray it once or twice and wait at least 15 minutes before smelling it again, so the heart notes have time to develop. As mentioned, the same fragrance can smell completely different on different people.
• Never rub the fragrance into your skin, as this can alter the final result.

Once you’ve chosen a fragrance you like, look for a shower gel or aftershave from the same range. They may have similar notes, so the scents won’t clash. Used together, they’ll create a cleaner, more intense scent.

✨ How to wear perfume correctly

As a general rule, your perfume should not be noticeable from more than half a metre away. So, use an appropriate number of sprays and don’t overdo it.

• Always apply it to clean, dry skin, ideally after showering, when your pores are open and the fragrance will last longer. If you have dry skin, apply a little more; the opposite applies to oily skin.
• Fragrance comes through best on the warmer parts of your body, namely the chest, neck, inside of your elbows and wrists, shoulders, and behind your ears. This doesn’t mean you need to spray all these areas at once. In fact, if it’s a new fragrance, it’s best to stick to 1–2 areas until you get used to it.
• Never rub the fragrance into your skin. Spray it on the areas you want and let it develop on its own.
• Never spray directly onto your clothes, as the oils may leave stains or damage the fabric. It will also smell quite different from when it’s applied directly to your skin.
• It goes without saying that you shouldn’t wear different fragrances at the same time.
• As mentioned, most fragrance ranges come with matching aftershave and shower gel, which work together to take the final result to the next level.
• High temperatures intensify a fragrance, while low temperatures tone it down. So, choose lighter fragrances in summer, and try richer notes in winter.
• Most fragrances take around 30–40 minutes to reveal their base notes after application. So, it’s a good idea to apply your fragrance at least 30 minutes before you reach your destination.

✨ Match your fragrance to the occasion

Just like your clothes, your fragrance is an extra “accessory” that completes your overall outfit. Choose it to suit the occasion or the season.

• Summer wedding: Choose a light, citrus-based fragrance, but be mindful of how much you apply so you don’t overpower the room. You don’t want people to smell you from across the room and outshine the bride and groom.
• Job interview: In most cases, it’s best to wear a barely noticeable fragrance to an interview. However, in today’s modern workplace, it’s nice to show that you take care of yourself, so a subtle, woody fragrance will complete your look.
• First date: Wear the fragrance you love, as it reflects your personality and shows who you are. After all, you want your date to get to know the real you, and if you like bold, masculine fragrances, that should be clear from the start.
• Night out clubbing: If you’re a regular at clubs, you may already have the right fragrance in your arsenal. Opt for spicier, heavier scents, especially since you’ll sweat in the warm club environment, intensifying the fragrance and helping it last all night.

✨ Preserve and protect your fragrance

Your fragrance contains alcohol and ingredients that are sensitive to light, temperature and humidity, so if you want to preserve its intensity, there are a few simple things to keep in mind when storing it:

• Store your fragrance in a cool, dark place, ideally in a cupboard, away from humidity, sunlight and high temperatures. As you can imagine, your bathroom usually has the opposite conditions, so it’s best to keep it somewhere in your room.
• A simple, practical solution for the summer months is to put it in the refrigerator. The low temperature will help keep it cool, preventing its scent from changing and ensuring the fragrance stays strong until the very last drop.
• Of course, remember to put the cap back on the bottle after each use to prevent evaporation.

✨ Top men’s fragrances

As you may have gathered if you’ve made it this far, choosing a men’s fragrance is entirely subjective and comes down to your style and personality. Most men will try out quite a few fragrances before finding the one or two that suit them and feel truly unique to them.

If you are afraid of experimenting, there are always the timeless classic men's fragrance options you can try:

1. Calvin Klein CK One Eau de Toilette 100ml: a classic unisex fragrance that exudes freshness and cleanliness, which women prefer to smell on men.

2. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme Eau de Toilette 100ml: a particularly successful fragrance from the very beginning, stands out for its vibrancy and island-inspired scent.

3. Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette 100ml: Combines dynamic spicy notes like Sichuan pepper with softer ones like lavender. The ideal marriage of two worlds.

4. Davidoff Cool Water Eau de Toilette: the cologne... of dad! A fragrance you either love or wear because it is beloved, as it reminds you of the coolness and freshness of the sea.

5. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Eau de Toilette 75ml: a unique and sexy men's fragrance that divided men and drove women crazy, remaining a best seller for many years.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme Eau de Toilette: one of the oldest and most successful men's fragrances, it smells intensely clean and professional, which is why it became synonymous with masculinity and success.

7. Hugo Boss Hugo Eau de Toilette 75ml: the signature fragrance of the famous fashion house Boss, is a scent you recognize on the street from the intense notes of lavender and green apple, which exude a distinct masculine freshness.

8. Hermes Terre D' Hermes Eau de Toilette 50ml: a fragrance with intense earthy characteristics and freshness.

9. Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette 50ml: a beloved fragrance that combines musk, mandarin, and mint scents, preferred by those who feel more sophisticated.

10. Giorgio Armani Code Eau de Toilette 30ml: timeless and masculine with an intense spicy aroma.