Be a Man!

Our one and basic concern for men: try to smell great, guys! Every man likes to be flattered but he who doesn’t smell good, rarely is. Take this advice seriously, especially before you step out to buy one of the season’s ‘in’ or top rated scents. Geographical conditions and seasonality plays an important part in how a fragrance will smell on you; a perfume that smells of musky  manliness in Paris can smell murky in the heat and humidity of Karachi or Islamabad in summer. So which one is right for you? Before you choose, let me give you some useful clues…

GO OUT, TEST IT OUT
The problem with trying a scent inside a store, where the air-conditioning is in full blast, is that it holds the aroma in place. Perfume reacts with heat to release its aroma, so in order to get a sense of how your perfume actually smells, spray it and then go outside. If, after a day of walking

around under the sun, driving, etc., you still like it, then go for it.

SEA OVER SWEET AND SPICY
Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio Blue Edition starts similar to a strong breeze from the sea that is enlighteningly accompanied by aquatic elements. Are you crazy about  curries and all kinds of spicy food? Well, the smell of a perfume doesn’t change with spice levels you consume, but the smell of your skin changes as rich or spicy dishes can have an effect on the pH level of perspiration and odour. Avoid sweet scents and go directly to the marine division. The salty element of seawater is most appropriate to counteract the high acidity of your skin.

GO EASY ON THE AROMA
L´Homme Libre Art Edition by Yves Saint Laurent is a scent with ingredients like bergamot, basil, violet leaf, nutmeg, pink pepper, and vetiver. During warm weathers it is better to go unnoticed than overpower to an extent that you give others around you a headache. Stronger fragrances will precede you when you enter and will leave your place or office only after a while. Say no to high density perfumes and go for an EDT (eau de toilette). The strength of aromatic compounds in a perfume extract is about 40 percent and Eau de Cologne is usually just 10 percent, which is much easier on the senses.

THE SPORTS EDITION

L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Sport by Issey Miyake is a fragrance of crisp freshness and energy, like a deep breath at the top of a mountain peak. Over the last few years, all major international brands have launched ‘sport’ versions of their top-selling fragrances. And this is great news, even if the only exercise that you practice is zapping in front of the TV. It’s just a useful marketing trick to sell freshness. Sporty fragrances are often specially formulated to be livelier and refreshing.

CITRUSY COLOGNES
West Indian Lime by Crabtree & Evelyn has the scents of fresh citrus and rich spices of the British West Indies. Are you one of those (rare) men that don’t like perfumes and would prefer something that works like an aftershave? Colognes (with just six to seven percent concentration) with citrus notes (think mandarin, lemon, lime, etc.) are perfect for you. They are light, airy and with some grassy or woody bases like sandalwood or blond woods. They aren’t robust enough to anchor most formal scents, but are lovely to wear to work and leave a good impression.

PREPARE YOUR SKIN FOR PERFUME
Not many men will enjoy reading this but washing with soap is not good enough to clean up; you need to scrub up! Dead cells tend to make perfumes smell bitter. And scrubs are more necessary for men than women because men have thicker skin; body hair traps oil, dirt and grime. Let’s start  exfoliating the four major areas in need to benefit your aroma: face, neck, back and chest.

HIT THE SHOWER, BOYS
In Pakistan, weather conditions rule! And to ensure a ‘smell-good feeling’ it’s essential to stay clean. Water (in a simple shower) cleanses your skin and opens your pores, providing a good base for your cologne that really won’t smell good when mixed with dirty skin. So if you spray it on sweat, get ready to smell like vinegar. Also, the skin temperature is vital for the evolution of a scent, so make sure that your body is as cold as possible.

SPRAY IN THE AIR
The walk-through technique allows wider dispersal of the fragrance, avoiding heavy concentration in one spot. Avoid rubbing your skin after applying your scent because rubbing will also break and release odour molecules, causing total chaos in the evolution of the essence. Women generally have a more sensitive nose than men, so trust them and after applying, ask a woman to sniff and approve it. We would advise you to ask someone you know instead of a random (albeit sexy) bystander!

DO NOT MIX
You shouldn’t wear cologne with scented deodorant, aftershave or worst: other fragrances! If a perfume has top, middle and base notes, it’s because it´s designed like a music composition. The difference between them is their volatility - when one evaporates, it creates a symphony in three movements. Mixing two fragrances is equivalent to several bands playing at once and with different scores.

DO NOT STOCK UP!
In cold countries, a fragrance can last for years, but with the sun, rising temperatures and humidity in Pakistan, forget it! Once you open it, your perfume has only six months of shelf life. The advice is not to buy more than one at a time and not stock them. It is a lousy investment. And keeping your scents in the bathroom is a crime. Find a dry, cool place and not very bright. And give away the ones you won’t use in the next six months, before the anatomy of the perfume dries out or changes!