Many people find selecting a new aftershave a difficult task. Typically a new aftershave can cost a reasonable amount of money and many people are unwilling to take a risk on a fragrance that they are unsure if they will like wearing over a period of time. Choosing an aftershave needn’t be as tricky as many people think however, and by spending a little time before even entering a store you will find the task far more straightforward.
One of the reasons many people feel choosing an aftershave is difficult is simply because they are unfamiliar with the way that a fragrance is constructed. I am going to start this article by looking at the how aftershaves are constructed and what scents are commonly used in them which will hopefully give you the confidence to go out and try something new.
Aftershaves, like perfumes, are built up from top notes, heart notes and base notes. Each fragrance will fall into one of these 3 groups depending on how long they linger on the skin after the
aftershave has been applied. The top notes are those that are instantly noticeable as soon as the aftershave is applied. Typically these are sharp citrus scents such as mandarin or grapefruit and will begin to disperse after about 15minutes. As the top notes begin to subside the heart notes become more apparent; they typically last from 30minutes to an hour and really tie the whole aftershave together. After an hour or two the top and heart notes will have faded completely leaving just the base notes. These are the rich, often woody, scents that will remain for the rest of the day; most commonly these are scents like cedarwood, vanilla and musk.
So when selecting a new aftershave you need to consider that it will evolve over the course of a day, and not simply smell exactly as it does when it is first applied. Choosing an aftershave based purely on a quick smell of the top notes in a perfumery is one of the most common reasons that people purchase an aftershave that they end up disliking after wearing it for a few hours. I was given a
Hugo Boss aftershave last christmas that I never wore due to slightly underwhelming top notes, however once I let the scent develop I fell in love with it. Instead take your time when choosing an aftershave; take samples of a few that sound promising and test how they develop over the course of a day. By doing this I am sure you will be able to find an aftershave that suits you perfectly.
