One of the most desired compliments a person can get is, “you smell good!”. Something about a pleasant scent not only increases your personal confidence but it makes you way more attractive to the general public.
Beard washes, balms and oils have scents of their own. They are very light and do not affect your natural scent nor tamper with any colognes that you use. However, the right scent can blend in with the distant smell of your beard products, to create a divine combination that will have you smelling good all day!
Let’s start by looking at the different terms used in the fragrance world that could help you figure out your scent even more.
Parfum- this is the most concentrated fragrance. Colognes that fall under this category are very strong to the point where one spray can last you 24 hours. The downside is that such fragrances are very expensive.
Perfum- indicated on a fragrance bottle as Eau du Parfum, such fragrances consist of 15-20% pure perfume essence. This is also quite strong and will last you about 5-8 hours.
Toilette- Eau du Toilette is one of the most commonly used fragrances. It contains 5-15% pure essence which is then dissolved in alcohol. This usually lasts for about 3 hours so you might want to carry it around with you if you have a hot date at the end of the day!
Aftershave- this is the least concentrated scent, with only 1-3% of pure essence. This is why it does not really affect any other fragrances you may want to use besides it.
There are different scents that are perfect for different occasions. There are four main categories to choose from, which are woody notes, oriental notes, floral notes and fresh notes. Just from these titles, it would be safe to assume that the woody notes would work well for a night out while a floral note would be perfect for a garden wedding.
Woody notes typically consist of scents like vanilla, sandalwood, leather, musk, tobacco among other woody scents. We do not recommend this for a smoker because that tobacco smell may become overpowering when mixed with the woody scent.
This is a unique scent not only because of the way it smells but because it becomes more noticeable as the day goes on, magnifying how perfect it is for a night out. Colognes like BVLGARI- Man, Givenchy- Gentleman, Mont Blanc- Individual, are the scents for you if you wish to achieve a woody note.
Oriental notes have hints of cinnamon, clove, incense and amber. These warm scents create an intense, almost spicy smell. This is also perfect for a night out. You can wear it to an evening party or to your favourite bar but it may not be an appealing scent for a breakfast meeting.
If you are looking for a new cologne for your next dinner date, try oriental scents like Dolce & Gabanna- the one gentleman, Polo- Black, Dior- Sauvage, which will have you smelling alluring all night.
Floral notes consist of rose, jasmine, lilac and other flowery notes. These colognes will smell like a garden. It is human nature to associate gardens and fresh flowers with a beautiful morning. This is exactly why a cologne with a floral note will receive more compliments than any other note earlier in the day.
Colognes like Thierry Mugler- Angel, Tom Ford- Black Orchid, Zara- 80 and Calvin Klein- Eternity are perfect for your breakfast meetings and garden weddings.
Fresh notes as the names suggests, have a fresh scent. These are fruity, green, water and citrus scents which consist of ingredients like grapefruit, lemon, orange, mint among other ingredients. These ingredients can also be found in Mandevu products and leave you smelling as fresh as a fresh load of laundry, when mixed together.
These notes are also perfect for the day time. They are especially helpful on a warm day because the fresh notes mask all other scents that your body may emit due to the heat! Jimmy Choo- Man, Versace- Pour Homme, Adidas- Pulse, Calvin Klein- Free and Giorgio Armani- Code are the colognes you should invest in for this scent.
Remember that smelling good helps you feel good and look good. Some scents will smell celestial on you while others will be repulsive against your skin. Make sure you try them out and experiment before you settle for one and make a purchase. Find the note and fragrance that is just right for you!
Mandevu’s got you smelling good!
Words: Ciku Kimani
