How to pick a cologne: Finding your refined scent.

Alright, gents. It’s time for a pit check.

How are you smelling?

No matter the answer, we’re not here to judge. Some of you have had a rougher, more physical day than others, and that’s fine. But, you need to keep track of how you smell. If you’re smelling just plain fantastic right now, then good job. If your body aromas need a little work, we’re here to help.

Today, we’re going to teach you how to pick a cologne. Getting this right comes with a ton of benefits, so pay attention. How you smell can be the difference between a hot date and a night alone, a swanky promotion and a dead-end career. That might sound extreme, but people respond to smells. It’s time to learn how to play into that.

What’s in a scent?

Wait a minute.

Why should you even care so much? Isn’t part of the natural masculine appeal raw confidence? Shouldn’t you be confident in how you smell and not worry so much?

Well, that’s about half right. Confidence is great, and if you genuinely don’t care about how you smell, then that’s your thing.

But, confidence should be borne of knowledge and certainty. It’s not about blatantly ignoring something just because you haven’t spent enough time really contemplating it.

And, most guys smell. It’s the cost of masculine hormones. We do sweaty things, and it comes with unpleasant odors. That’s just how this stuff works.

With all of that in mind, it’s ok to think about how you might smell. Better than that, it’s ok to make a plan. You can actually steer into a signature scent that helps you make an impression. Not only will you smell good (which is a nice confidence booster), your well-picked scent will help people remember you positively.

Really, it’s all in a scent. The sense of smell creates powerful connections, and you want that working in your favor.

So, what are the options?

There are more colognes in the world than we could hope to count. How are you supposed to find the perfect option for you and what you’re trying to convey?

You have us, of course!

We always try to make these things as easy as possible for you, and it’s why we have carefully engineered two different MANSCAPED™ colognes. We’ll explain each one in great detail below. Then, we’ll give you some tips for choosing the best cologne for any occasion.

We’re fully aware that there are more than two cologne fragrances in the world. We’re going to emphasize the two we know best (since we engineered them and all), but this advice is intended to be universal. If you know how to think about your scent, you can find a good option, and you can even pair your scents to pursue something original and deeply evocative. 

Refined™

Refined™ is the original cologne scent by MANSCAPED™. We made it to work with all of our Ultra Premium products, including body wash, shampoo, deodorant, and more.

The Refined™ scent is designed around the concept of feeling clean and fresh. It evokes a subtle yet distinct air of gentlemanliness. We achieve this by dashing it with a light citrus burst. We mix in some light woods scents, and we anchor it with a note of vetiver. 

The Refined™ scent is perfect for a day at work, an evening in high society, networking functions, and any other scenario where your primary goal is to present yourself as a gentleman. The Refined™ aroma tells people that you are a man of substance, style, and class.

Persevere™

Persevere™ is our new scent, and we took a different angle with this one. It is still carefully engineered to complement our existing scents, so you don’t have to worry about clashing with your body wash.

But, it’s a completely different take on smelling like a man.

Persevere™ focuses on woodsy, natural, outdoor scents. It’s designed to evoke ideas of strength and masculinity — a man of strong character.

This cologne is great throughout the day and for evening functions. With its mix of mystery and familiarity, it will give you an allure similar to that of great, unexplored forests.

When you want to trade in subtle style for boldness, Persevere™ is a great option.

How do you choose your scent?

We have two scents that are great for very different purposes. You probably have other colognes too, and as long as they smell nice on you, then by all means use them at the appropriate moments.

That last phrase is the tricky part, through.

What is the appropriate moment? How do you choose the right cologne for the right time?

It doesn’t have to be hard. There are really two things you want to think about. First, does the cologne mix well with how you already smell? We already told you that our two scents are designed to work with our hygiene products. Your other colognes might not be, so test them and see if they clash. Get a second opinion while you’re at it.

Assuming your cologne options really do work, then it all comes down to the occasion. What are you doing? Where are you going? What feelings do you want to evoke while you’re there?

If you can answer those questions, then you can pick a good cologne.

If you’re not sure yet, we’re going to take you deeper down this rabbit hole so you can really explore the idea of picking a scent with purpose.

Think about where you’ll wear it

The whole point of your signature scent is to evoke specific feelings and reactions. It only makes sense that you want to pick your scent based on what you’re doing and where you’re heading.

Before we get into all of that, it’s time to let you in on the ultimate cologne secret. Are you ready? This is going to blow a lot of minds.

You can have more than one scent.

Yep.

That’s the big secret. As long as your different scents work well with your existing scent (more on that in a bit), you can try to smell like a manly forest in some scenarios and an advanced socialite in others. It really is ok.

Now that we’ve spilled the beans, let’s think about some of the places where you’ll want to have a nice cologne and how that might impact your choice.

Work

Everybody works, and most of you reading this don’t work in the same place. That means that there isn’t one universal scent that is ideal for all workplaces. If you’re the garbage man, you have a good job, but your cologne probably doesn’t matter too much.

A high-powered lawyer might not favor the same scents as a lead software engineer. You get the idea. If you wear the cologne at work, think about what you want to smell like at work, and go from there.

A date

Hopefully, we all go on dates too — even those of you who have been married for more than 10 years. If you’re trying to impress a lover (or maybe just a potential lover), then what kind of scent is right? Are you going for raw masculinity, or does a refined, gentlemanly aroma sound better?

Browsing hobby haunts

When you’re doing stuff for fun, you still want to think about how you smell. Sure, outdoor or sweaty fun doesn’t revolve around your cologne, but we all have indoor hobbies, too. Maybe you’re just shopping for gear, or maybe you’re really into trading card games. Whatever it is, think about the impressions you want to make here too.

School

Whether you’re a full-time student or taking a pottery class to meet some ladies (or any other reason to be in any kind of class), classes tend to be a social thing, so you want to smell nice. Are you feeling refined or rugged in your class?

In the club

When you’re hitting the club or undergoing any other decidedly social activity, your scent matters a lot. Do you always want to smell like the same guy at the club, or do you want to rotate between ruggedly masculine and subtle gentlemen's scents?

These common places to wear cologne are really only here to get your thinking motors turning. You really can contemplate how you smell during any activity in your life. Then, you can make an informed decision about how you’re going to smell from now on.

Consider what you already smell like

The “why” behind your scent matters a lot, and hopefully, you’re thinking more carefully about that.

But, there’s another element to this decision, and it’s just as important.

What do you smell like without your cologne? Do you smell like soap? Fresh laundry? Body odor?

There are a lot of possibilities, and the one thing you want to avoid is clashing your signature scent with other smells that don’t mesh well. 

Here’s an easy example. After an intense workout, don’t just douse yourself in cologne and call it good. You need to shower first, otherwise your evocative scent will be the eye-watering mix of corn chips and overactive perfume oils (don’t forget that body heat makes cologne more potent). Nobody likes that combination, friend.

In order to choose the right cologne for the occasion, you need to consider whether or not you can (or do) shower beforehand. What does your body soap smell like? How about your deodorant?

When you consider all of this, then it starts to become clear why MANSCAPED™ has worked so long and hard on this total formula lineup. All of our goods are designed to work together in a harmonious concert, so you don’t have to worry about clashing scents. Between that and our powerful tools that regulate and prevent body odor, you’re in good hands.