Chapter 1: Basics

First off, let’s get the basics right.

• Deodorant’s (let’s call deo) purpose is to mask our body odor.
• Perfume’s purpose is to project its fragrance.
• Deo shouldn’t project fragrance and perfume shouldn’t (won’t) mask body odor.
• Congratulations, you have learned the basics.

Chapter 2: Deodorants

Have you ever watched those breathtaking deodorant ads? They are so breathtaking I had to open my window to let in some air and prevent myself from choking. All those ads in which a guy attracts wild women just by spraying a deo is BS. Why you ask?

1. Deo sprays project fragrance which doesn’t last longer than half an hour.
2. And if you are a person whose body odor is on higher side, then your smell mixes up with the deo’s and the resulting smell is disgusting. With such smell, forget about girls, you will even repel guys.

So, what should we do?

1. Use deo sticks that project minimal fragrance, not the sprays. I found Old Spice sport to be good. You can pick whatever you like, I’m just trying to say you don’t really need a fancy one.
2. Deos just mask the body odor but antiperspirants prevent sweating. So, no more wet under arms. If you are in colder regions or if you don’t sweat much, then opt for just the deodorant and not antiperspirant. Antiperspirants leave white residue, deos don’t. (For example, you will find Old Spice swagger deo stick and old spice swagger deo + antiperspirant stick. And now you know which one to choose, don’t you?)

Hurray! You have unlocked the Deodorant Hacks:

1. Use a deo stick, not the spray.
2. Deo should have minimal smell. Remember, its purpose is to mask body odor, not project fragnance and attract opposite sex.
3. Don’t even think of sharing a deo stick with your siblings/roommates.

Congratulations, you have learned all you need to know about deodorants!

Deodorant recommendations:

• I’ve only used Old Spice products because I really like the smell and also because they are bang-for-the-buck kind. Since I haven’t tried others I can’t really recommend any deo for men.
• For women, I definitely have to recommend Old Spice Wolfthorn. This is actually men’s deo, but it smells like candy mixed in sparkling water, and I think women would absolutely love it.

Chapter 3: Fragrances

Moving on to perfumes. Actually, use the term fragrance and not perfume. Hang on a bit and you’ll know why. Unlike deos, fragrances are not meant to mask smell, their purpose is to project their own smell. Every fragrance has smell, character and style. If you collect fragrances, you will realize certain fragrances don’t work the way we expect them to, some of them are seriously mysterious. (Bonus: Interesting stuff at the end of this chapter)

Fragrances are classified into four types, based on concentration of essential oils.

Name – Essential Oils Content

1. Eau de cologne (short name: Cologne) – 2–5%
2. Eau de Toilette (short name: EDT) – 4–15%
3. Eau de Parfum (short name: EDP) – 10–20%
4. Parfum or Perfume – 15–40%

See? Perfume is one of the categories, that’s the reason we shouldn’t categorize all into perfumes.

The more essential oil content, the stronger the smell and the longer the smell lasts. But that doesn’t mean perfumes are the best of them all. Colognes are good for indoors and work, EDT and EDP are for outdoors/clubs/parties, etc. Perfumes are very expensive and hard to find.

In US, people seem to refer women’s fragrance as perfume and men’s as cologne. Maybe to avoid ambiguity since not all people know what is what.

So, here are the Fragrance Hacks:

1. Fragrances are NOT for underarms.
2. Wear both fragrance and deodorant. Deo (stick) just for the underarms and fragrance one puff behind each ear, one on the chest and one on each wrist. If your fragrance is too strong, behind the ears should suffice. And never rub/pat your wrists, that will mess up the composition of the fragrance.
3. Always use deo/fragrance directly on skin. Never spray on clothes, they will leave oil marks.
4. Choose an unscented deo or one with minimal smell, otherwise its smell will blend with the smell of fragrance which we do not want.
5. If you work/go to college and have to sit by a desk for a long time, avoid spraying fragrance on your wrists and chest. Otherwise you would end up inhaling a lot and that would give you a nasty headache.
6. Some fragrances don’t smell good when you directly sniff them, but when they linger around you they smell magical. To test, spray it on your wrist and let the smell come to you.

If you want to smell nice, get compliments and attract opposite sex then you should let go of your deodorant sprays and start the fragrance game!

Congratulations! Now, you have the knowledge of fragrances!

Bonus:

• Few fragrances to let you get started..
• Fragrances for men:

1. 1. Date Fragrances (Smell sexy. Yes!)
      1. La Nuit de l’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent
      2. The One (EDP) by Dolce & Gabbana (so called panty dropper)
      3. F by Ferragamo Black (cheaper option – US $20 – smells synthetic too close. Puff behind ears and it smells divine when it lingers around.) I did try this and wondered if that amazing fragrance was coming from me.
   2. Day time Fragrances
      1. Invictus Aqua by Paco Rabanne (Women seem to love this for some unknown reason)
      2. Versace Man Eau Fraiche
      3. Perry Ellis 360° Red for Men (Cheaper option – $20 – same description as F by Ferragamo Black)
      4. Nautica Voyage – this one is very popular, so don’t expect out-of-the-world compliments. Nevertheless it smells so good and it’s very cheap.
      5. Mont Blanc Individuel – this smells exactly like the expensive Creed Santal. But performs better and costs so much less than Creed.

• Fragrances for Women
  • Video 1 (this one is fun to watch)
  • Video 2 (more options)
• Fragrances are expensive. But a single 3.4oz (100ml) bottle might last for about 6 months. If a bottle costs you $50, then it’s costing us less than $10 per month which is actually reasonable. Having said that, you can smell amazing even with cheaper fragnances. Just research which ones are good. Fragrantica – this site is like a Wikipedia for fragrances with lot of information like which frangrances are good in which season, how they smell, ratings and reviews.
• If you have questions on how and where to apply fragrance, watch this video by this amazing guy, Jeremy Fragrance. He applies on clothes (on shoulders) only when he goes to club, otherwise he avoids spraying on clothes.
• Most importantly, if you like how someone smells, let them know that they smell amazing and ask what they are using. This way, you are complimenting them as well as finding out the name of the fragrance which you genuinely like. Don’t you also think this is a great conversation starter? 😉

Cheers!! You have completed your training. Now, go out and smell amazing!