When it comes to your sense of smell, you probably don’t think twice about what your scent preferences are. If you love the smell of vanilla or mint, that’s great! Maybe you have a more complex olfactory response; maybe you like the smells of freshly mowed grass, pine needles, and hot asphalt in the summertime. Whichever your scent preference, chances are good that you wouldn’t think twice about soaping up if someone asked you out.
But for some men, their sense of smell can be excruciatingly overwhelming. So much so that the mere thought of letting another person – much less another person who is going to be smelling your scent for months on end – get close to you is enough to send them running for the hills. And let us not even talk about how repulsive some men find their own body odor. As a result, there aren’t many things that most men can do when it comes to avoiding being smelly. Here are some mistakes that men make when wearing cologne and how to avoid them:
You’re only wearing cologne for special occasions.
If you only wear cologne on dates, at special events, and/or to impress a girl, you’re probably going to end up smelling like a bottle of liquor. While wearing cologne can make you feel more confident and attractive, it only works if you’re wearing it regularly. Even a half-hearted attempt to shower with cologne is better than not using it at all. If you don’t feel confident in your cologne-wearing abilities, you’re bound to make more mistakes. Plus, smelling nice isn’t just for girls. A man who smells good is going to be more inviting, even if he’s not trying to be.
You’re only wearing cologne when you know you’ll be meeting a girl.
Too much of a good thing can be bad. So, if you only wear cologne when you know you’ll be meeting a girl, you’re probably going to end up smelling like a bottle of liquor. A good rule of thumb is to wear cologne when you shower daily and when you go out, even if you don’t plan to meet anyone specific that day. Even if you’re not trying to impress a girl, smelling good is going to make you feel a whole lot better, even if it’s just for a few hours. You can always take a spritz of cologne and then wash it off when you get home.
You’re not washing your clothes before wearing cologne.
Dirty laundry is going to leave a bad smell in your clothes. No matter how good your cologne smells, if your shirts are covered in sweat and bacteria, that scent is going to be a million times stronger. And the smell is not going to be pleasant. Either wash your clothes before wearing cologne or air dry your clothes before hanging them up so that your clothes don’t smell. Let’s face it, you’re not going to smell like a fresh rose if your clothes smell like a locker room.
You don’t change up the scents in your wardrobe often.
Every now and then, mix things up by changing the scents in your wardrobe every few months. That way, no scent will overstay its welcome. And if you want to keep costs low, mix your scents yourself at home. You don’t have to spend tons of money on cologne. If you keep your own scents simple, you can create your own bottle that uses just a few, relatively inexpensive, scents.
You don’t apply after-shave/cologne as often as you should.
It’s not a bad thing to apply a spritz of cologne a few times a week; in fact, it’s a great thing. That’s how you’re supposed to use it. But daily applications of cologne are not necessary. Although cologne will have a relatively short shelf life, it should be good for a few months. If you’ve been wearing cologne every day, it may not be the cologne that you’re smelling; it may just be the scent of you. That’s why it’s important to apply to re-spray and change up scents every few months.
Watch out for other men who make these mistakes.
If you’re not sure if a man is making one of these mistakes, try to engage him in conversation that doesn’t revolve around his body odor. If he can’t keep the conversation away from his BO, then he’s likely focusing on the wrong thing. Men who are focusing on their BO are usually those who are making one of these mistakes. And if you’ve been making these mistakes, it’s time to take a break. If you can clean up your game and start smelling better, you’re going to be more inviting, even if you’re not trying to be.
