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Once you go chest, you never go neck

post #1 of 56
6/29/09 at 6:41am
Thread Starter 
My usual frag application routine was 3 to the neck (front, right-left) and once to my forearm. Due to the climate, sillage was always not a problem..longevity was good too for most scents. However, i always got hit by olfactory fatigue within an hour after application. I could still detect my SotD everytime i move my neck but i never could gauge how strong was the sillage. So recently my gf asked me the necessity of applying so much cologne every time we went out. I was kinda shocked and had a feeling i had become "Mr. Way too much cologne wearer". So after much research here i discovered that application to the unexposed chest was the recommended way to apply cologne.

I was sceptical at 1st about chest application. But soon enough i realised how much more i appreciated my SotD. Instead of a constant bombardment to my nose i got the occasional whiff all day long. Even the longevity and sillage of Clinique Happy, Chanel Pour Monsieur, Gucci By Gucci Pour Homme and Eau Sauvage were improved significantly. Meanwhile for powerhouses like Antaeus, Kouros and Azzaro PH, even 4 sprays to the chest doesn't make me nauseous. In the past even 2 sprays of any of those powerhouses made feel nauseous even lightheaded at times. So now i no longer apply to the neck instead its 4 sprays to the upper and mid chest area..sometimes an extra 1 or 2 to the forearms if i want a greater sillage coverage.

However i do notice that applying to the chest does decrease the sillage a notch or two compared to application to exposed skin (neck, forearms,etc). Has anyone noticed this?

Another disadvantage is my clothes now have to be washed after each wear because the cologne sticks to the shirt.

So i highly recommend application to the chest for those facing issues with longevity/sillage because Once you go Chest, You never go neck.

Another question: Does 4 sprays of Kouros to the chest seem excessive?
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post #2 of 56
6/29/09 at 6:59am
I like my sillage the way it is, but thanks for the recommendation! Your gf might have a sensitive nose, so just don't spray on the neck around her. If you liked your sillage when you sprayed on your neck, I say why not do it?

Oh, and about the 4 sprays of Kouros, 2 is WAY more than enough, 4 would be putting your nose and other people's noses at risk!
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post #3 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:22am
As far as I am concerned at least, the sillage on the chest area is truly great.
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post #4 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:25am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcjra View Post

I like my sillage the way it is, but thanks for the recommendation! Your gf might have a sensitive nose, so just don't spray on the neck around her. If you liked your sillage when you sprayed on your neck, I say why not do it?

Oh, and about the 4 sprays of Kouros, 2 is WAY more than enough, 4 would be putting your nose and other people's noses at risk!

I admit i like the sillage i was getting fr spraying the neck but the problem was it was too intense. Well for the 1st 30mins maybe it was great but when it goes on for about an hour it can be quite sickening.

I guess i better control the trigger a bit when spraying Kouros.
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post #5 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:26am
lol. How about i go half neck half chest.
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post #6 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ohhmygod View Post

lol. How about i go half neck half chest.

HAha..no discrimination here...carry on
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post #7 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:31am
Thread Starter 
My lower chest is one of the places that sweats the most..will that be a good place to spray?

Also, i spray one shot just below the neckline...is that considered too close to the nose to cause olfactory fatigue?
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post #8 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:42am
One other possibility to those that like the sillage from the neck application is to spray on the chest and then spray ONE spray to the back of the neck. That way when you walk past someone you leave a "trail" of scent behind you.
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post #9 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mtgprox05 View Post

One other possibility to those that like the sillage from the neck application is to spray on the chest and then spray ONE spray to the back of the neck. That way when you walk past someone you leave a "trail" of scent behind you.

I tried spraying to the back of the neck before but i tend to sweat a lot at the back of the neck so the scent gets sweated away literally.
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post #10 of 56
6/29/09 at 8:46am
Hey guys....chest sillage is even better when you have cleavage.
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post #11 of 56
6/29/09 at 9:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jardanel View Post

Hey guys....chest sillage is even better when you have cleavage.

...or chest hair. Hopefully not both.
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post #12 of 56
6/29/09 at 10:31am
That's a great way to put it, but I've never been a "neck" guy -- chest always for me
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post #13 of 56
6/29/09 at 10:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amit View Post

That's a great way to put it, but I've never been a "neck" guy -- chest always for me

How many sprays on your chest on average? and which part of the chest?
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post #14 of 56
6/29/09 at 10:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

How many sprays on your chest on average? and which part of the chest?

2 sprays per nipple, plus one spray in between -- followed by 2 sprays to the tummy if it's a weaker frag.
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post #15 of 56
6/29/09 at 11:03am
I go for both and don't mind who may think I'm 'Mr. Too Much Cologne'. My wife doesn't mind. Glad you like your new application method, but a word of advice: don't always give in to your gf's complaints, it may set a bad precedent.
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post #16 of 56
6/29/09 at 11:16am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amit View Post

That's a great way to put it, but I've never been a "neck" guy -- chest always for me

Me too!

Normally, two or three sprays to the center of my chest depending upon the volume dispensed by the sprayer and the strength of the fragrance.
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post #17 of 56
6/29/09 at 11:25am
I usually spray three times along the sternum, once under each arm (I use an unscented crystal deo) and once on my back.
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post #18 of 56
6/29/09 at 11:45am
I personally spray on neck, chest and arms.
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post #19 of 56
6/29/09 at 4:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

Another disadvantage is my clothes now have to be washed after each wear because the cologne sticks to the shirt.

Well, someone needs to say it. I'd rather hope that you'd wash your shirt after ever wear in any case.

That said, why not wait a little until you put your shirt on; or alternatively, rub that fragrance in?



Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

Another question: Does 4 sprays of Kouros to the chest seem excessive?

No.
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post #20 of 56
6/29/09 at 4:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr_Rudi View Post

Well, someone needs to say it. I'd rather hope that you'd wash your shirt after ever wear in any case.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr_Rudi View Post

That said, why not wait a little until you put your shirt on; or alternatively, rub that fragrance in?

Yes!

Everything works much better if you let your fragrance dry-to-the-touch before covering it with clothing.

[I do not put oils on areas that will be underneath clothing - they will get stained.]
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post #21 of 56
6/29/09 at 5:17pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr_Rudi View Post

Well, someone needs to say it. I'd rather hope that you'd wash your shirt after ever wear in any case.

That said, why not wait a little until you put your shirt on; or alternatively, rub that fragrance in?





No.

I do wait for maybe 1 or 2 minutes before i put my clothes on. I'm in the rush most of the time so i don't think i have like 10-15 mins to spare in order to let the fragrance dry. Nevertheless i guess i'll try to let the fragrance dry properly 1st.
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post #22 of 56
6/29/09 at 5:34pm
I was a "neck" sprayer back in the day, and my excessive sillage was kindly pointed out to me by friends. I resolved it by using very little scent, and generally getting NO sillage. Since becoming a BNer, I began using the chest and under the arms for most frags, and have found it to be much better for getting controlled sillage and nice longevity.

Under the arm gets me a little bit different results than down the shirt or between the pecs. I find that under the arm increases the relative amount of base notes just a bit, and results in a slightly "lower" set of notes than I obtain by normal chest sprays. This seems to help make feminines come across more unisex. But I have to be careful. Counterintuitively, if I clamp down my arms, the frag heats up, and it can result in a stronger scent within about a minute or two. Conversely, if I keep my arms spread out a bit, it cools down the frag, and sillage is reduced. This gives some nice voluntary control over sillage. Under the arm is also a nice way to gauge how much scent is enough. Once under each arm is about equivalent to normal application of a high end deo stick. I may add only two sprays to that - one on the chest and on light one on one arm. I find that it rarely gets out of hand that way.
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post #23 of 56
6/29/09 at 5:55pm
I'm a big advocate of spraying to the chest to maximize personal sillage while not offending others, though I sit a lot and so I can't say how good this would be if you are usually doing a lot of walking. As to Kouros, one spray to the ankle (with pants leg then pulled down to cover the area) was way too much for me !
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post #24 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:09pm
My husband sprays a spray or two on the chest and just to the bottom of the sternum. He has oily skin and this helps. Yes, a hairy chest does help hold the fragrance. Always lets it dry before donning a shirt. (The evolutionary reason for hair by some scientists--to spread those pheromones!)

BTW, spraying on the chest when your manly chest happens to be at the level of most people's noses will get people to notice your sillage, I guarantee it. Ballroom dancing with tall men sticks a woman's face right into their perfume, so use good judgement. For instance, at 6'3"--this tall perfume-user attracted notice with a pint of eau de jasmine, I'm sure. Is that a great chest, or what? And probably hairy, too, reading of the incredibly thick auburn whiskers and the menton bleu.

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/se...role=sit&rNo=2
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post #25 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:27pm
Thread Starter 
Great to know so many find spraying to the chest effective.


But does anyone notice any drop in sillage when spraying to the chest opposed to spraying to exposed skin (neck,wrist,etc) ?
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post #26 of 56
6/29/09 at 7:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

I do wait for maybe 1 or 2 minutes before i put my clothes on. I'm in the rush most of the time so i don't think i have like 10-15 mins to spare in order to let the fragrance dry. Nevertheless i guess i'll try to let the fragrance dry properly 1st.

Most fragrances are alcohol-based, they only need a couple of minutes to dry.
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post #27 of 56
6/29/09 at 8:06pm
The holding and dispersal of scent are based on skin oil, skin temperature and movement. That is why women spray in the cleavage.

Think about where the human body has hair. The scalp/hair, for instance, have a lot of oil, though this is not always the ideal place for scent in this day and age. (In bygone times, people used scented hair pomades--for men, it was macassar oil. Think about those "lace" or fabric antimacassars still seen on chair backs, esp. on airplanes.)

I would recommend covered areas of the body--loosely covered by clothing. The fabric holds the body heat in and the movement disperses the scent.
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post #28 of 56
6/29/09 at 8:17pm
I am completely un-scientific about the number of sprays or what body parts to spritz.

I spray my chest, back of my neck, forearms and biceps. I spray heavy because of skin type and am usually in a social environment 45 minutes after spraying on a scent. By then, what started out as over-application is now the perfect amount for my skin.
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post #29 of 56
6/29/09 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

Another question: Does 4 sprays of Kouros to the chest seem excessive?

Yes.
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post #30 of 56
6/29/09 at 8:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Primrose View Post

The holding and dispersal of scent are based on skin oil, skin temperature and movement. That is why women spray in the cleavage.

Think about where the human body has hair. The scalp/hair, for instance, have a lot of oil, though this is not always the ideal place for scent in this day and age. (In bygone times, people used scented hair pomades--for men, it was macassar oil. Think about those "lace" or fabric antimacassars still seen on chair backs, esp. on airplanes.)

I would recommend covered areas of the body--loosely covered by clothing. The fabric holds the body heat in and the movement disperses the scent.

Really good explanation. How about parts of the covered upper body that tend to sweat a lot? is it recommended to spray those places ?
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post #31 of 56
6/30/09 at 1:37am
Primrose has lent a more eloquent explanation than I could as to why I prefer spraying the chest. I find that two sprays to the chest are more than adequate, three for light fragrances. Seems to do the trick for me, though your mileage may vary.

Incidentally, the only time I've ever applied four sprays was back in high school when I had a bottle of the stuff they douse the Hollister stores in. Weak sauce, so to speak.
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post #32 of 56
6/30/09 at 1:40am
I'm an "spray on the undershirt at chest level" sprayer. If no undershirt, I spray on the fabric itself. All else failing, I will spray on chest.
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post #33 of 56
6/30/09 at 11:42pm
Thread Starter 
One thing has been bugging me about spraying to the chest...

The sillage we get when we spray to chest..is it fr the chest or the shirt? I wore Fahrenheit few days ago and i could detect the sillage strongly for 4-5 hrs. Then i changed my shirt and Fahrenheit was totally gone. My earlier shirt still smelt strongly of Fahrenheit.
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post #34 of 56
6/30/09 at 11:48pm
i DON'T understand the whole 'chest' revolution, it doesn't emanate well when i do it!! I spray on my neck and arms, the spray on your naked chest before you put on your t shirt thing doesn't work, i tried it and it barely sends the smell.
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post #35 of 56
6/30/09 at 11:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dudester! View Post

i DON'T understand the whole 'chest' revolution, it doesn't emanate well when i do it!! I spray on my neck and arms, the spray on your naked chest before you put on your t shirt thing doesn't work, i tried it and it barely sends the smell.

Maybe u should try spraying chest only instead.
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post #36 of 56
6/30/09 at 11:50pm
Is there any health risks to spraying the armpit area? Seems like a good place.
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post #37 of 56
6/30/09 at 11:50pm
^and not spray neck and arms? then how would the smell radiate better?
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post #38 of 56
6/30/09 at 11:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sokkou View Post

Is there any health risks to spraying the armpit area? Seems like a good place.

Not sure about the health risks but but spraying there sure hurts like hell. Many years ago when i started using frags i sprayed to my chest and armpits. The pits really give good longevity but the scent seems to develop differently.
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post #39 of 56
7/1/09 at 12:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dudester! View Post

^and not spray neck and arms? then how would the smell radiate better?

Well no harm in trying though.

This thread should shed some light.
http://community.basenotes.net/showt...hlight=clothes


I was very sceptical at 1st too but after a few times i was sold. How much do u spray normally?
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post #40 of 56
7/1/09 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jardanel View Post

Hey guys....chest sillage is even better when you have cleavage.

Forget the sillage, cleavage alone is awesome.

However, let be the devil's advocate for the neck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-edCROAzmp4 see after 2:11
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post #41 of 56
7/8/09 at 3:50am
Thread Starter 
Just for a test i sprayed 3 shots to my neck of Gucci Envy today. After a couple of weeks of spraying to the chest only, suddenly spraying to the neck really made me uncomfortable. Sillage was really good, better than chest only application but for almost 5 hrs i had to endure the constant strong sillage of Envy. Even when i was having my lunch i could smell Envy. well for the 1st hour it was great being able to smell Envy constantly but by the 2nd hour i just wanted to wash it off. Surprisingly my nose did not get fatigued even after enduring a constant bombardment to my olfactory system for 5 hours or more.

So that's it, chest application still works the best for me. Sillage maybe significantly less but longevity is increased.
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post #42 of 56
7/8/09 at 5:13am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sokkou View Post

Is there any health risks to spraying the armpit area? Seems like a good place.

I do recall vaguely that it is not good to spray on armpits, as thats where alot of toxins are released.... my late aunt who had a long battle with breast cancer was the one that told me, she did a lot of self research(web and books) on what to avoid, and fragrance was one of the many things she had to give up. I havent otherwise heard about it from any other source.
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post #43 of 56
7/8/09 at 6:34am
she may enjoy nuzzling your neck a lot without feeling like she's treading water in cologne if that's even a viable concept.

next girlfriend may like nipples a lot in which case you try to please as much and as many as possible and not forgetting yourself in the mix.
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post #44 of 56
7/8/09 at 11:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oviatt View Post

...or chest hair. Hopefully not both.

Lol...
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post #45 of 56
7/8/09 at 11:49am
After reading this thread, I decided to try out the whole chest vs. neck application. I sprayed on my chest three times and once to the neck immediately after exiting the shower this morning, and I allowed the cologne to dry for 5 minutes on my skin before putting on clothes (I brushed my teeth and etc). The "apparent" strength of the scent seemed diminished as I could barely notice the scent 45 mins after getting dressed. But because I'd tried the scent on my forearm alone the day before, I knew the scent would still be there after an hour even if I couldn't smell it myself. What is most interesting is that after 6 hours I got the most beautiful wafts of the scent coming over the top of my shirt collar! And, It smelled better then than it had the day before on my forearm. What convinced me is that the scent normally has poor longevity on bare, open skin. I'm a chest man from now on!
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post #46 of 56
7/8/09 at 12:39pm
I am a bit confused, above you wrote unexposed chest, but shouldnt fragrances be applied directly on bare skin?
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post #47 of 56
7/8/09 at 4:47pm
I can see how that could have been a little confusing. You should definitely apply fragrance to bare skin and let it dry before getting dressed. As far as chest vs. neck, because the chest is covered with clothes, the scent is retained better on the chest. The fragrance seems to eminate from the open skin of the neck more quickly.
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post #48 of 56
7/8/09 at 5:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shermanirving View Post

but a word of advice: don't always give in to your gf's complaints, it may set a bad precedent.

Mr. Shermanirving is a wise man and we should all heed his excellent advice.
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post #49 of 56
7/8/09 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by timkm1 View Post

After reading this thread, I decided to try out the whole chest vs. neck application. I sprayed on my chest three times and once to the neck immediately after exiting the shower this morning, and I allowed the cologne to dry for 5 minutes on my skin before putting on clothes (I brushed my teeth and etc). The "apparent" strength of the scent seemed diminished as I could barely notice the scent 45 mins after getting dressed. But because I'd tried the scent on my forearm alone the day before, I knew the scent would still be there after an hour even if I couldn't smell it myself. What is most interesting is that after 6 hours I got the most beautiful wafts of the scent coming over the top of my shirt collar! And, It smelled better then than it had the day before on my forearm. What convinced me is that the scent normally has poor longevity on bare, open skin. I'm a chest man from now on!

Great to hear !
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post #50 of 56
7/8/09 at 6:57pm
Getting the lower regions of the body make it all more gratifying and lasting. It all travels upward. Wait, this thread is about kissing a woman right?
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post #51 of 56
7/8/09 at 7:00pm
Thread Starter 
Guys and Girls,

I need your opinions on this.
Lets say i spray both to the chest and neck, maybe 2 sprays to neck and 4 sprays to chest. Is this even advisable? I always thought that neck=more sillage,less longevity and chest=less sillage, good longevity. So wouldn't spraying chest and neck be the best of both worlds?
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post #52 of 56
7/9/09 at 8:45pm
I think it is the best of both worlds, but you still have to be conscious of the fragrance which you are wearing. If you're wearing Kouros, I would only recommend ONE spray to the neck, where as you could probably get away with up to 3 sprays to the chest. For less 'outspoken' scents, you could wear more sprays to the neck. I've found this system to work best for me. I get the longevity I need (chest sprays), yet I can enjoy the scent as it eminates from my neck.
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post #53 of 56
7/9/09 at 8:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by timkm1 View Post

I think it is the best of both worlds, but you still have to be conscious of the fragrance which you are wearing. If you're wearing Kouros, I would only recommend ONE spray to the neck, where as you could probably get away with up to 3 sprays to the chest. For less 'outspoken' scents, you could wear more sprays to the neck. I've found this system to work best for me. I get the longevity I need (chest sprays), yet I can enjoy the scent as it eminates from my neck.

Thanks for the feedback. Right now i'm trying a combination of 3 sprays to chest and 2 sprays to neck, which i tried with Kouros yesterday. Seems to be working for me so far. Damm i'm contradicting the tittle of my own thread
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post #54 of 56
7/10/09 at 1:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by monsieur_sparkle View Post

Mr. Shermanirving is a wise man and we should all heed his excellent advice.

My thoughts exactly.

Incidentally, I'm pro chest. Frags smell great but taste awful, so I don't spray them anywhere I think I'll be tasted.
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post #55 of 56
7/10/09 at 9:52am
Ok...I always thought the best formula for good sillage/longevity is to spray the chest, neck, and wrists? I do 1 spray to the chest, 1 to each wrist, touch the inside of my elbows with my wrist, and either spray each side of my neck and do a slight spread to my throat, or I do 1 spray to one side of my neck and then spread. It depends on the strength of the fragrance. I have a co-worker that tells me I wear too much cologne, but I thought I was quite moderate with my application.
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post #56 of 56
7/10/09 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larwiz View Post

Ok...I always thought the best formula for good sillage/longevity is to spray the chest, neck, and wrists? I do 1 spray to the chest, 1 to each wrist, touch the inside of my elbows with my wrist, and either spray each side of my neck and do a slight spread to my throat, or I do 1 spray to one side of my neck and then spread. It depends on the strength of the fragrance. I have a co-worker that tells me I wear too much cologne, but I thought I was quite moderate with my application.

I guess u were spraying to much to the exposed skin areas. The sillage must be really far reaching especially during the 1st hour or so. Here's a suggestion, lessens the amount u spray to the neck/wrist/elbows and instead spray more to the chest/abdomen. This way your sillage won't reach out too far but your longevity will be better thanks to the chest sprays. End of the day its up to u to judge which works best.
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