How do you wear your cologne at work?

[Hobbes]

Or alternatively, in a classroom-like setting?

I don't want to overwhelm people sitting around me, but I still want them to be able to smell it.

As of now, I just use one full spray on the chest.

[CologneJunkie]

I do one spray on the chest & then a spray on both forearms. I do double this for my "weaklings" like Kenneth Cole Reaction (my SOTD) & Clinique Happy.

[mikeperez23]

Or alternatively, in a classroom-like setting?

I don't want to overwhelm people sitting around me, but I still want them to be able to smell it.

As of now, I just use one full spray on the chest.

To properly answer your question, I need more info:

Do you work in an office environment and you sit close to your co-workers or are you a distance from them?

Work in A/C or outdoors?

Climate where you live - warm or cold?

What are you spraying? Eau de Toilette fragrances? Eau de Parfum?

Is the fragrance you're spraying in a large bottle (thus the sprayer of the bottle is longer and one spray let's out MORE liquid) or a small bottle (the opposite)?

[Renato]

I seriously doubt you'll be overwhelming them with one spray. To gauge an appropriate level, consider the people around you -
a. How much are the females wearing, and
b. Is the odor being emitted from the aftershave balms and underarm deodorants of the males not greater first thing in the morning than your single spray on the chest?

Several sprays will bring you on par with them, and probably a few more if you spray under your clothes rather than on open skin.
Regards,
Renato

[Hobbes]

To properly answer your question, I need more info:

Do you work in an office environment and you sit close to your co-workers or are you a distance from them?

Work in A/C or outdoors?

Climate where you live - warm or cold?

What are you spraying? Eau de Toilette fragrances? Eau de Parfum?

Is the fragrance you're spraying in a large bottle (thus the sprayer of the bottle is longer and one spray let's out MORE liquid) or a small bottle (the opposite)?

- Sit close to co-workers
- AC
- Right now it's cold, because it's winter
- Eau de toilette
- One of my bottles is a large bottle, one is a medium-ish (first is a 3.4 Allure Homme, second is a 75 ml Armani Code)

[mikeperez23]

- Sit close to co-workers
- AC
- Right now it's cold, because it's winter
- Eau de toilette
- One of my bottles is a large bottle, one is a medium-ish (first is a 3.4 Allure Homme, second is a 75 ml Armani Code)

Then I'll go with CologneJunkie's advice - 3 sprays should be fine. Perhaps 1 more for those with low sillage/longevity - BUT ONLY those, not the regular ones.

For the large bottle you might want to spray 1 less - for the small bottles/samples you might want to add 1 more.

[DOCPSYCHO]

I work in a hospital and on a psychiatric ward. So I am not bending over physically ill people giving them care. I usually spray one spray on my chest before I put my shirt on. Then if I have a sample bottle with atomizer I drop it in my pocket and refresh if necessary. Some of the stronger scents with great sillage one spray is almost too much. Aqua de parma colonnia assoluta is like this on me. MKK takes two sprays but other SL scents one spray is enough. Once I sprayed three sprays of Giorgio of Beverly hills VIP and my coworkers were gagging and begging me to wash it off.

Rick

[atrac]

Do you spray cologne on your skin or your clothes? Or both?

(Actually, I know the answer -- skin, of course. I'm just curious if people -- like me-- cheat and spray some on your shirt as well).

[mikeperez23]

Do you spray cologne on your skin or your clothes? Or both?

(Actually, I know the answer -- skin, of course. I'm just curious if people -- like me-- cheat and spray some on your shirt as well).

Sometimes I spray on my clothes, but usually not. I think you have to be careful about spraying scents on certain materials, since it can stain and/or damage the fabric, but generally you'll be safe spraying in the air and 'walking-into-it'...that is...if someone's not in the same room watching you, since performing this looks a little ridiculous even as it's effective.

[LeMâle]

I work with little kids, so they are all very excited about what cologne I may be wearing that day, especially this one kid who unfortunately likes to rub his hands on my arm where I spray the cologne, oh dear! Since I work in a very relaxed environment I'm fairly comfortable having a decent amount of cologne on.

[Russ]

I try to err on the light side. Spray under the clothes. I'm familiar enough with my frags to know how much to apply for the desired result. The desired result being that it's only noticeable from up close. We had to tell our own sillage queen to pare it down to sub eye stinging levels.

Fragrance shouldn't be a distraction in the workplace.

[MikeFromManhattan]

The same as anywhere else I go. I spray each wrist and on both sides of the neck. I refresh right before lunch - if it's a strong cologne, only on the shirt, otherwise the same as the morning. Then the same before I leave to go home.

[kbe]

For work:

Almost always from a 5ml roll-on decant. The amount depends on the fragrance. A dot or two more for 'weaker' sillage/lasting frags ( i.e.Geir Ness Geir) and a dot or two less for 'stronger' sillage frags (i.e. Aramis Havana). Generally, for a 'middle of the road' sillage frag (i.e.Dali's Le Roy Soleil Homme) I apply as follows

Two dots on the back of the neck, a dot or two on the chest, a dot on the inside of each foot, just above the ankle and to be covered by sox. When I say dot I mean just a slightly 'wet touch' with the ball of the roll-on, not a wet drag across the skin. This keeps the frag from becoming overbearing and keeps it low profile which is exactly what I want for work. If I note too much sillage then I remove/reduce some dots with a damp paper towel. If the frag really begins to disappear later in the day I might refresh with a dot or two to my feet as before.

However, when off work, look out! Dot/Spritz mania can occur!

[bbobkc]

I work in a children's hospital and put on 2 sprays on my neck and 2 on my wrists. I have never had a complaint that it is too strong. Very few comments at all actually. One day I had just put on 4 sprays of Guerlain Vetiver and literally sat next to a nurse and I asked her if it was too strong and she had to lean into my neck even to smell it. Then she said it was very subtle. A few days ago my boss told me that it was hospital policy that no one can wear cologne. A big fat bummer. Whats a guy to do?

[Ron199]

When my Dog,run's away from me, I guess I over sprayed!

[Hobbes]

Good responses, thanks everyone

How about in the classroom though? In my situation, I'm literally less than a foot from two other people and don't want them choking on my frag.

[LeMâle]

Good responses, thanks everyone

How about in the classroom though? In my situation, I'm literally less than a foot from two other people and don't want them choking on my frag.

I say choke away. You'll look back on it and remember how much you disliked whomever it was you caused to suffer. Only joking, just try and exercise caution.

[LiveJazz]

It depends on the work environment. I like Renato's advice. How much are the women wearing? If their perfume doesn't both anyone, yours had better not either.

I work in a very business-y environment, and I rarely catch anyone wearing a scent. So I share a spray between both wrists, and that's it. I don't really care about sillage anyway, and I can just sniff my wrists when I want. Plus, I wear so little that I wear whatever the hell I want.

[myaccolades]

I wear 1-3 sprays to the chest/neck (under clothes, on skin) and one on my left wrist (which I distribute to my right wrist and promptly rub behind the ears). I think this is an appropriate amount considering it takes me 1.5hrs to get to school and, by then, the fragrance is nice and subtle.

It's a lot better than the girls in class who just spray their fragrances once or twice while IN the classroom. I believe fragrances should be allowed in schools/workplaces but some of the girls in my class just take it way too far with their in-class spraying.

[RCavs]

I spray with less parcimony...
Twice on the neck (front and back), one spray on each arm and one spray on the chest.

[ROBERTO]

Or alternatively, in a classroom-like setting?

I don't want to overwhelm people sitting around me, but I still want them to be able to smell it.

As of now, I just use one full spray on the chest.

My dear Hobbes I wear cologne at work the same way I wear it to sleep.....

[chad278]

this is such a useless topic to advise on, since only you can work out how much different stuff projects on you. for example, adp colonia (the original) lasts all day on my (and i'm talking 12 hours plus) and that's a single spray. it's crazy. other people complain about poor longevity.

my two cents: i'm a little conservative at work, but when i was at school, i just thought 'to hell with it!' and wore however much i felt like.

[renperd]

Only once have people complained about my ehibitionist habits wearing perfume. One was the receptionist next door from my office lamenting the fumes caused by TL pour Lui (Lapidus). I have since dumped that offensive juice on an unsuspecting friend who sold it off to another making a neat little profit. I almost never hit myself with fewer than five shots, regardless of the strength. Crude and adolescent some would say, but as long as I get compliments and no migraines, there's no reason to show restraint. How else am I going to get through 50 bottles before they turn into vinegar?

[gts]

I wear one on each side of the neck, one on the chest & one on my left wrist (for smelling purposes) if it lacks projection/longevity I'll do a far spray on my shirt. I don't want to limit my sprays as like most on here I have a ship load of fragrances to get through. I have never re applied in the past but might consider buying some atomizers so I can do so.

[cameron]

1-2 sprays to chest depending on potency of the scent.

[hednic]

3 Sprays - two to the neck and one to the chest.

[Roby]

One on each side of the neck after I've had a shower and got dressed.

Basically the last thing I do before I leave the house for work.

If I've had a shave that morning then I'll apply non scented balm and leave it to soothe the skin and then spray the EDT on my neck after I get to work, that way I find it doesn't burn my skin.

[Ken_Russell]

Cannot truly tell, at least not entirely on-topic, since I work from my home office.
Yet, even if my respective scent is merely any SOTD, still, some basic rules apply: when I am rarely called on for a meeting with customers, employers etc. or I receive them at my office, I simply apply the scent in sparser quantities, mainly few sprays on my chest and/or avoid the too casual, overpowering scents etc. or even go scentless.
Also, I tend to apply very little scent, irrespective of its strength, projection, longevity, for an additional reason: in general, my work schedule is a quite demanding and often overlong one, thus I would not like excessive amounts of fragrant vapors to distract me.

[bigsteve]

I don't think there are too many frags where one spray is enough. I never spray less than 2... one on each side of the neck... even with my powerhouse scents. With some of the weaker ones, I go with like 4 sprays, with the additional 2 to the chest.
No one's complained yet, unless they're just afraid to...

[orochi7k]

I usually go with 2 on chest then 1on the base and the back of the neck

[reinhard5490]

Eau de Cartier will do. its pretty simple and linear, will hardly offending anyone in the office (or class)

[NewHaarlem]

1/4 (quarter) to 1/2 (half) spray on each side of my neck.

[fragnifiscent]

i just do one spray to the wrist for my own personal pleasure

- - - Updated - - -

i just do one spray to the wrist for my own personal pleasure

[pbjguy]

2 to the chest, maybe a spritz on the wrists. What is nice about the chest is it gets into your fabric and tends to last better. If I am going out to a party, I spray a couple more to the base of my neck.

[barclaydetolly]

Generally, one to the chest and right wrist, two to the left wrist.

But I've been wearing most of my scents for a while now, and know which ones to double up on or lay low.

Spiriteuse Double Vanille? No more than two sprays, or I'm a vanilla cloud.
Chergui? Add two more sprays to the chest. I just like smelling this one.
Neroli Portofino? Add three sprays, or it's gone too quickly. It doesn't seem to overpower.

I'm sure there's no universal answer to the original question.

[docluv45]

I agree that there are several aspects to take into account when judging how much to wear. Since I would like to maximize the chances to actually smell what I apply, mostly I target the neck/wrists. Wearing under clothes maximizes the chances that some of the fragrance will never enter the air around me that day which seems a waste. Wearing on clothes does run the risk of harming the fabric or staining, but also usually lasts longer--I rarely do this.

The strength of the fragrance matters of course, less of things that reek and more of things that are subtle would be the general rule. It never hurts to ask someone you trust if you may be overdoing it. I'm pretty sure the size of the bottle does not matter. The spray nozzles vary from bottle to bottle and that makes a bigger difference. Some will douse you in a bucketload while others barely provide a mist. The spray nozzle draws a fixed amount per spray which is not dependent on the length of the tubing to which it is attached.

[del]

Two big sprays on to the chest area, and about one to one and a half sprays distributed around the neck area.



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