10 Cologne Hacks for Men – How to Make Fragrances Last Longer

Fragrance wearing has been around for thousands of years and is practiced by both men and women. It can lead to a better first impression and increase your confidence–so with that in mind, here are 10 great techniques for making your scent last all day.

According to the book, Neurobiology of Sensation and Reward, fragrance wearing may elevate one’s social status and attractiveness, and might also elicit highly emotional associations and responses. Fragrances can also increase one’s perceived trustworthiness and can also make the wearer feel much more confident as well. We have experienced these benefits ourselves!

How To Make Cologne Last Longer

For most men, a quick way to finish off a morning grooming routine is to spruce themselves with their favorite fragrance before they head out the door and while this might seem like a great way to make the fragrance last longer, it oftentimes doesn’t last by the time you’ve reached your destination. The goal here is to make sure that our carefully selected fragrance will last us all day long, so check out these simple cologne hacks.

1. Check the Concentration Level

It’s important to know that there are different types of colognes and a general understanding of their concentration and purity level will give you an idea as to how long those scents might last. For example, perfume has the highest concentration level ranging from about 15 to 40 percent. This ensures that the scent will last for around 8 hours. It’s great to find a scent that has a stronger concentration level that you truly enjoy wearing. 

By the way, we’ve discussed concentration levels and the different technical terms for scents (such as parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne, and more) in our in-depth guide here. Also, if you haven’t found your distinguishing scent yet, check out our recommendations of classic men’s fragrances here.

2. Apply Right After You Shower

As mentioned before, applying your fragrance right before you head out the door seems logical but in actuality, it’s best to apply your fragrance right after you shower. “But won’t it dissipate as I go through the rest of my grooming regimen,” you might ask. Actually, no. This is because when you step out of the shower your pores are still open; this is the perfect time for your body to be able to absorb the cologne and to lock-in that aroma.

That way, we begin to achieve our goal of making the scent last longer. This is much better than trying to spray it on yourself when you’re fully dressed. This is because the cologne will then latch onto the fabric and eventually, dissipate much quicker, and oftentimes, it runs the risk of being able to stain your clothing rather from oil or the alcohol content.

3. Moisturize Your Skin

For the skin to lock in the cologne scent, it should first be hydrated so apply a lotion or cream underneath but keep in mind the scent of your moisturizer should not be overpowering your cologne. Ensuring that your fragrance is the dominating scent here, is going to give you a confidence boost and help others perceive you well for the very first time. Walking into a workplace or a casual gathering with a cloud of 12 scents could be seen as both confusing and perhaps upsetting to others. The subtle scent of your fragrance should help enhance your presence to others; not force them away.

An extra tip here will be to apply petroleum jelly onto your pulse points. This helps ensure that you have an additional barrier between your skin and the cologne, helping prevent complete absorption so that the cologne will last much longer. 

4. Harmonize Cologne with Other Scents

If you can’t get a hold of a fragrance-free lotion, make sure that the scent itself does blend well with your cologne. Some brands will offer a matching lotion or cream even a body wash. This will help ensure you achieve that harmonious scent. That being said, it’s also very important to make sure that our aftershave is not competing with the aroma of our other products in the grooming repertoire.

5. Apply On Pulse Points

Another important rule in applying fragrance so that it will last longer is applying it to pulse points on warm areas of your body. The heat in these areas will keep this thing going all day long. The pulse points are your chest neck, lower jaw, forearms, inside of your elbows, and behind your knees. This is a lot of areas, so if you’re just starting out, try two or three areas first–and when you’re comfortable wearing more fragrance, then you can start to spray on more of these warm areas.

Keep in mind it’s important to position the nozzle three to six inches away from your skin and to only spray yourself about two times per area if your cologne is of regular intensity so that you’re not too overpowering when you enter the room.

6. Don’t Rub Your Skin

Although rubbing your wrists together after first applying a fragrance might seem like a sensible thing to do, it’s actually not a great idea. This will kill the note and it will not allow the fragrance to absorb into your skin. The rubbing friction actually breaks down the molecules of the scent, making the scent disappear much faster. I personally have made this mistake numerous times; it’s something we see a lot of people do and we all just happen to repeat it.

7. Discreetly Reapply When Necessary

If you need a midday boost of your scent, it makes sense to reapply your fragrance. However, carrying around an entire bottle of fragrance is not only inconvenient but trying to spray in public places is not gentlemanly and also it might be upsetting to others and some might even be allergic.

A great technique is to spray your cologne onto cotton swabs and then to put them in a plastic sandwich bag to ensure the moisture is not escaping. It’s easy to carry around all day and when you need a touch-up, you can simply reapply by dabbing these onto your pulse points. Consider stepping into a restroom or somewhere private to reapply. 

8. Line Your Clothes Drawer with Cologne

Although we don’t recommend spraying your clothing directly, you can make sure your signature scent will attach itself to your clothing in a proper way by lining your clothing drawers with tissue paper that has been sprayed with your favorite scent. This helps you keep your aroma throughout the day even at a whiff. 

9. Store Your Fragrance Properly

To make sure that your cologne keeps its smell and quality for as long as possible, it’s important to understand where we should be keeping fragrances within our homes.

• Don’t store it in your bathroom. This is because the chemical makeup can get completely messed up by the changing temperatures and humidity from when you shower.
• Keep your cologne in a cool and dry place. Perhaps your bedroom drawer or even your closet help ensure its quality. 
• Avoid exposing your fragrances to sunlight. This will break down the chemicals and the potency of your fragrance and will surely make your cologne expire much sooner.

It’s also very important to check the expiration date to make sure that your fragrance concentration is intact and this will help ensure that it will last as long as possible. You’ll find this information on the bottom of your bottle or on the label. Some companies list the period after opening which gives you information as to how many months the cologne can last before it expires. Typically though, fragrances can last up to three years when handled properly.

10. Keep Fragrances in Their Original Bottles

Lastly here, to make sure that your cologne lasts longer, it’s important to remember to keep it in the original bottle in which you purchased it. There are very fancy bottles on the market today but exposing your fragrance to the air and making it evaporate is not a great idea. This will upset the fragrance itself, its potency, and the chemical makeup. 

Conclusion

It’s important to remember that fragrances enhance a man’s overall confidence level but remember, less is more. Practice these fragrant acts along with a proper grooming repertoire so that you can smell great and fresh all day long, and not commit scent blunders. To save yourself from more common grooming mishaps that so many men commit, check out our video here.

Do you practice any of these fragrance hacks? How long are you able to make your cologne last? Share with us in the comments!

Outfit Rundown

I’m wearing a burgundy and light gray checked sport coat with a light blue dress shirt and a really unique pocket square from Fort Belvedere. I’m pairing that with a dark brown belt, khaki pants, dark brown dress shoes, and I’m accenting this with a navy and burgundy shadow stripe sock also from Fort Belvedere. If you like to find great accessories like these, check out the Fort Belvedere shop.