Thread: Scent Conflicts?

I have been reading a lot about the various types of after shaves (blams, lotions, traditional AS).

I was wondering if anyone uses cologne with an AS? If so, do you ever have scent conflicts?

I have sensitive skin so I went with proraso white aftershave lotion. It is really hard to smell what you smell like since your senses adjust.

I am just wondering if anyone has problems with using cologne with an aftershave.

I realize it probably depends on the particular AS and how long the scent lingers, but any input would be appreciated.

I do use cologne and AS together at times. I have not really had conflicts but I do normally get colognes and AS that smell similar so they generally complement each other. If I have a cologne that really doesn't match up I will just use witch hazel as my AS that day.

I'm a bit of a cologne snob so I wear ONE scent at a time, which is really the way everyone should do. There are some rare circumstances I break the rule.
I use a very light scented soap (crabtree and evelyn siena) and a non scented aftershave balm (nivea sensitive moisturizing whatever aftershave balm). Cold towel after the shave should strip any light fragrancing from the soap. Fragrance free deodorant/antiperspirant and then I choose a cologne.

I guess apply that. Some people are about layering scents but I think that only worked for bad 70s porn star dudes.

I've never used cologne, only AS. I've always thought AS was the same as Cologne just a weaker formulation so I never saw the point of using both.

For me, I use a scentless AS and then a lotion based AS with scent.

I just started using the proraso white AS and have asked myself the same question. I am not sure if I would use the AS with a cologne as well. My way around it is to shave at night LOL

Originally Posted by Ochavez

I just started using the proraso white AS and have asked myself the same question. I am not sure if I would use the AS with a cologne as well. My way around it is to shave at night LOL

I think that is what I am going to end up doing. Plus, it makes it easier to shave at night since I am new to this.

AS is not created equal, by far. Creams and lotions barely carry a scent past an hour, while the splashes can hang on for a while. Others even "re-activate" somewhat with sweat.

At the same time, I've never found a cologne that really hit the sweet spot. They seem either too obvious or too discreet. Personal body chemistry has a lot to do with it, and while it seems that some few can wear a cologne well, most others, apparently including me, can't really pull off a strong scent. I've received cologne as a gift that somebody "liked", and yet I've never received more than one unsolicited compliment on a particular cologne or AS. Still searching...

Where I've been more successful is with body sprays. I don't worry about scent conflict because body spray is pretty subtle and only deodorizes when I sweat. I've tried most from Axe, and they all smell pretty similar. I use MKmen now since my wife is a rep, and it's also about the same kind of scent. Being a man is perhaps a bit more about not smelling bad, than smelling particularly good, and a man's face and wrists are not what smells bad when we sweat. Overkilling cologne just mixes a bad smell with an overpowering scent. Body spray actually prevents the bad wet dog smell before it has a chance to start. I can't imagine a masculine cologne or AS scent that would really conflict very much with a body spray, but I have found recently that the lavender and rose shaving cream sample scents I just got, don't really work with it. Then again, the identifiable portions of the shaving cream scents seem really transient, and don't really linger at all past any sort of post-shave treatment.

So far, I'm liking the Grafton from Truefitt & Hill, so I might spring for the full range of products in that scent, once I'm done with all my sample testing. It seems to work well with most of the men's body spray scents I've tried.