Thread: nooby needs help

hey, can someone explain to me this "notes" thing, I dont understand it, also I want to start using cologne or eau de toilette if that what its called, however ive never worn one, so i dont know how to apply it, or any good brands. Could someone enlighen me?

can anyone help me

I don't know what your refering to. "Notes"??

top notes ans base notes, i dont know what they mean, also I dont know how to apply it

Well, here is what I know on the subject, and its very little. A cologne is a strong scent and an "toilet" is much lighter. There is a third, I think intermediate step as well.

I've heard of "notes" as being the scent of a cologne but scent is very subjective and men have no clue what smells good to a woman so its a pretty pointless concern.

I think a man should have a few colognes to work from, not just one. I put the cologne on my wrists. That allows me to keep it away from my very sensitive nose all day and to target where I apply the scent simply by moving my arm/wrist to a location near the girl I'm working on. Afterall women don't typically hang out by my neck or some other place close by and if they can smell the cologne that far away its probably bothering someone else. If I'm wearing a scent that a woman doesn't like I simply move my hand back. Natuarally, you can also move the wrist to her neck area and put your scent on her so she can take it home with her to think about you.

For the complexities of notes and such, you'll just have to wait for someone with more knowledge then me.

I think you'll find the answer you're looking for in concern to "notes" here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_note

If that's not clear enough for you pm me and I will try to give a better plain English explanation. I actually make my own colognes and aftershaves, although I do buy commercial scents as well because I just can't achieve certain scents I like sometimes. With that said, I feel I can probably field most questions you might have about cologne.
What cologne you should wear can depend on many factors including, but not limited to: the occasion, your age, your significant other's preferences, what time of year it is, and believe it or not even the selection of colors represented in your clothes. Scents are in many ways just like colors, some are bright and energizing, others are dark and somber. If you wish to achieve a certain "aura" with your style and scent it is usually more effective to make sure your scent matches your appearance once you better understand the intricateness of the world of scent.
Just remember anyone can spritz on a store bought scent, and being a commercial scent, you have to accept there are many other people out there who will smell just like you. The trick is to "make it your own" in the eyes of those who meet and, in turn, smell you. You don't want someone to smell your cologne or something similar elsewhere and say "That smell reminds me of that cologne (your name here) wears"....you want them so say "That smell reminds me of (your name here)" ...It's a small but distinct difference(if you google it, there are several guides on how to "make a scent your own"). The sense of smell above all other senses is most closely connected to memories. A perfect example is how many members say they keep products such as william's shave soap and old spice aftershave around because it reminds them of their fathers...a scent can stay with you and awaken old memories many many years later.
As far as the proper way to apply a cologne, first you need to decide if you want a spray/vaporized scent or a open top "splash" scent. If it is a sprayed scent the proper way to apply is to actually give one to two quick strong sprays at head level in the air in the space about a foot in front of you, as the mist settles walk forward into the "cloud" and let it settle on your torso region.
A splash scent is best applied on the underside of the wrists, then rub your wrists together briefly then dab any remaining cologne on your neck just below the ear.

Well I think I've covered everything I could, but if you have more questions, feel free to pm me.

wow defunkt, that was seriously helpful, thanks alot. I was actually considering getting some blotter card tests at a professional perfumery (if thats the shops that sell colognes professionally), that way I can decide about what you said about the parts of the year aparently citrus scents work better in hot parts of the year and musty scents work better when its cold, guess I just gotta work out which is best for each season again thanks for the helpful info

You're more than welcome. Best of luck to you, I have no idea what age range you're in, or price range, but some of my favorite colognes are the scent for men by French Connection in the United Kingdom (FCUK is the label they use...wonder why they had all there products pulled from American stores???? haha) also a strong favorite of mine is Estee Lauder's Pleasures....they start off with a citrus top note and end with nice spicy base notes, a very good all occasion scent to start with...I prefer spicy base notes as opposed to the musk and balsamic base notes which tend to be preferred by older persons. I being a twenty-something find the above listed fragrances to be similiar but a little more mature than the popular "Polo"(by Ralph Lauren) and "Curve"(by Claiborne) of my highschool years.
Whatever you end up choosing, remember you don't want to smell like you showered in it, but like it's just as natural as your own body odor....just much more pleasant