Sunday, November 27, 2011

Cologne for the Prom or Formal

Few events from high school will be as memorable as the proms and formal dances. If you are a guy, this is your chance to make a great memory for yourself and for your date. You get to dress outside your normal attire in a tuxedo, suit or at least something extra special. Philip for example owns a Black Alfani “Red Label” Jacket that fits his tall, lean body perfectly. He has worn it to banquets and other special events with an un-tucked button-up shirt, tight jeans and leather dress shoes. For the upcoming Winter Formal, Philip will combine his Alfani jacket with some new attire to provide the perfect look.

For prom and other formal dances, well selected cologne is a great way to top off the perfect look. If you wear cologne regularly, this is the time for something different and unique. If you don’t wear cologne, you still need to steer away from what other guys wear commonly. This means you need to steer away from popular colognes like Fierce (Abercrombie & Fitch), Eternity (Calvin Klein) and Aqua Di Gio (Giorgio Armani). Additionally, since this will be a special occasion, there is no reason to purchase a full bottle. There are plenty of colognes that offer sample vials on a card that can be purchased inexpensively online.

Colognes in a sample vial add extra value during proms and formals. You can purchase a subtle scent that might fade quickly, but keep an extra vial in the breast pocket of your jacket to keep yourself scented all evening. The sample vials will also allow you to purchase a handful comfortably before the event and try them out. With online ordering it is easy to find a large choice from a single source. Compare the descriptions of colognes available in a sample vial to the ones you know. Then order as many as you like. Online orders tend to be discounted. You can have a fun time experimenting with the different scents and even get your date involved in the selection process. Alternatively, you can surprise her.

On the day of the actual prom or formal, girls will spend the earlier part of the day getting their hair and nails done and their makeup perfect either at a salon or together at someone’s house. There’s no reason why you cannot treat yourself as well. A fresh haircut may or may not be in order, but a nice clean shave with a straight-edged razor from a barber is an absolute treat. It will feel great and you will look fantastic in any photos taken later.

After your visit to the barber, go home and enjoy a luxurious shower. Once you are ready to dress in your formal attire, make sure you are completely dry. Carefully pour about half a vial into your hand and apply the cologne to your chest. Rub it in with both hands. Then pour the remainder of the vial into your hand again and then rub both hands together. If there is still a small pool of cologne in your hand, apply it gently to your chest. Then apply your cologne-dampened hands to your throat. With your pinky fingers just touching your earlobes, rub the cologne in by bringing your hands together. Then rub your hands along your cheeks. And finally rub whatever cologne remains on your hands into your forearms.

At this point, you should immediately put on your formal shirt to keep the cologne from evaporating too quickly. This should all be timed so that when you are fully dressed, it is right when you want to leave. Be sure to put an extra vial of your cologne into the breast pocket of your jacket. Depending on how quickly the scent fades over the course of the evening, apply small dabs to your throat above the collar of your shirt as needed.

If you are feeling uncertain about what cologne to select, I have one top recommendation. It is Green Irish Tweed (Creed). A 1 oz bottle retails at over one hundred dollars. Even the sample vials are pricey when compared to other colognes. But this scent is well worth it. I’ve read in various places that this cologne was made specifically for actor Cary Grant. Whether that claim is true or not, it does a good job describing the masculine sophistication of this scent which releases a subtle aroma of wood, grass and moss that one might associate with a strong confident man from the beautiful Irish countryside.

As you take your time to select your scent, you may also want to consider the other scents Creed offers in a sample vial. These include Imperial Millesime, Silver Mountain Water, Himalaya, Royal Water and Santal. Other well-respected scents available in a sample vial include Angel (Thierry Mugler), Burberry (Burberry), John Varvatos (John Varvatos) Santos De Cartier (Cartier) and The One (Dolce & Gabbana).

Here’s one final thought. If you select a special scent for your prom or formal, for the rest of your life that scent will bring back the memory of your special evening for both you and your date. It is a small investment that will deliver a high value not only during the evening itself but for years to come.

Related Post: Cologne for a Teenage Guy

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