Cologne, Aftershave, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, etc.

[Joshua]

My wife bought be a bottle of cologne for Christmas several years ago and I've yet to get through it. It's made/labeled by the "Phat Farm" clothing company and she told me she had sampled several scents and this one reminded her of me. Don't know if I should be offended or not, but I tend to wear it quite sparingly.

I use Neurtrogena "Rainbath" bodywash and I use Apple Cider Vinegar for my scalp and face (keeps my dermatitis in line, but does make me stink a bit after a shower). I bounce between using old spice deodorant and an alum stone/crystal. My wife likes scents, I personally do not.

[KenB]

If I wear a scent, which is as rare as Haley's Comet, I use Grey Flannel. I have found a lot of places are now "scent free" in order to accommodate persons that have bad reactions to these aromas. I have found that I really can get a bit "choked-up" with some stronger scents.

[Tobus]

I've noticed that memories bring up scents in my imagination, too.

For some unknown reason, the olfactory senses are very closely related to memory. So it's not surprising that while smells can take you back to a fond memory, your memory can also recall smells very vividly. It's fascinating, isn't it?

And on the subject of memories with cologne and such, I've heard it said that many women will be attracted to men whose smell reminds them of their fathers.

Well, I've been using Aqua Velva Blue after shave since I was 13.

What is really interesting is that the product has not really changed at all over the years. Even the size and shape of the bottle has remained constant. Until just recently. The last time I bought some I discovered that the familiar glass bottle had been replaced by plastic. Same size and shape, just different material. It actually made me sad, I was so used to the glass bottle since my childhood!

Do you still have one of the old glass bottles? Just buy the plastic ones and dump the contents into the old bottles. Problem solved. If you don't have a glass bottle, I can send you one. I've been using the same bottle of Aqua Velva for about 10 years now (you know how it is for us bearded guys... there's very little to shave), so it's "vintage", lol.

[biblemonkey]

I am usually a little allergic to perfumes/colognes but I do wear original scent Old Spice deodorant and occasionally Calvin Klein Obsession or Euphoria which my wife likes and I seem to be far less allergic to. I always make sure to use them sparingly as I know that the one wearing the scent is often less aware of it's intesity after a few moments than the people around them. Most of the time if I want a scent other than just being clean I will use a scented oil from Auric Blends. Natural, not allergic to any of their blends, gentle and long lasting scents.

Of course this is all very rare for me as these days I am just not that into perfuming.

[ForresterModern]

I shower with a bath gel containing shea butter (for my winter dry alligator skin) that has a slight vanilla scent, but according to my wife she (a very sensitive sniffer) cannot smell any scent but "clean" when I get out of the shower. Unscented stick deodorant. Watermelon flavored toothpaste (kids variety but I absolutely despise mint). Unscented shampoo on what little hair I have left. No aftershave or cologne.

So for the most part I am an unscented guy, unless you count what develops from my own body through the routine non-sweaty day.

One thing about perfumes and colognes is that within about 15 minutes after the wearer puts it on the human brain actually blocks out the wearer's sense of that particular smell, so the wearer is the worst person to decide if they need MORE at any point in the day or evening. Remember this please, and ask a friend or even nearby stranger if your scent is still there before deciding to put on more. This is the classic reason many particularly older women often reek of whatever scent they are wearing, as if they had steeped in it for a couple hours. They cannot tell they still carry the scent so they put on more until they can smell it again to be sure they smell nice, all the while smoking out the rest of the zip code with their particular choice of air pollution.

[flyingshamrock]

I'm a bit of what my wife calls " a Metro-Sexual" so I always spray one quick shot of Burberry London once I get out of the shower. I'm a firm believer in moderation though, the fragrance shouldn't be over powering.

[creagdhubh]

Burberry
Nivea
Taylor of Old Bond Street Jermyn Street Collection

Cheers,

[creagdhubh]

I'm a bit of what my wife calls " a Metro-Sexual" so I always spray one quick shot of Burberry London once I get out of the shower. I'm a firm believer in moderation though, the fragrance shouldn't be over powering.

I am too. Most definitely.

[Lyle1]

Is it just me, or is the whole "scent allergy" thing pretty new? I had never heard of it until a few years ago, and now it seems that a whole lot of people have it. It all seems very odd to me.

No it isn't new, but I think it wasn't recognized or acknowledged; people suffered in silence. On the other hand, some people think the incidence of environmental allergies is on the rise.

I sometimes have a reaction to the smell of after shaves, but it must be an ingredient reaction. Old Spice is the worst for me. On a 10 minute car ride with a friend I started to feel queasy even before I smelled the very faint odor of Old Spice. I spent the rest of the brief ride wondering whether I would vomit or pass out first.

I like Azzaro, Paco Rabanne, Obsession for Men, and almost anything from Casswell Massay. I like the Casswell Massay samplers for traveling. Now that I'm retired and my daily grooming routine is rather simplified, so I rarely wear cologne on a daily basis.

I have vivid memories of the heady fragrances of the 70's, particularly patchouli (oil was better than cologne) and musk. I remember wearing a cheaper brand with a musk base to work one day and having a nurse ask me what I was wearing. When I told her that it was a musk cologne, she leaned in closer, took another sniff, and said, "Damn, my husband doesn't smell that good wearing musk!" I had a great day after that!

[piperdbh]

Since I loathe, hate and despise the smell of perfumes and colognes, none for me, thanks!