mindcandy pennies from the overgenerous lunatic

Perfumes for men: why its not a gay thing

Most guys think perfumes are for girls or a gay thing but in reality, its for anyone for wants to make an impression. The word perfume itself comes from the word fume in latin, as in ancient times fumes and incense were used to worship the Gods, and somehow they were used to give scent to the bodies of the men and women of that time around the time of the ancient greeks and romans. These later evolved into liquids over time but the name and connotation still remained over the centuries. These liquids were made of plant oils, honey, and animal fats, depending on the formulas and location. In Ancient China, flowers were either made into pomades or pickled in alcohol for use by the people of the time.

But the history of bottled perfumes in the west stems from Catherine de Medici's time, where gloves were scented with oils and plants to make them smell more pleasant. And from that time onwards scented gloves became the in thing. Later, the cologne was invented, first as a health tonic alongside with older pleasant smelling tonics such as Queen of Hungary waters that were meant to consumed by the individual. It was the invention of cologne that stemmed the whole trend of making bottled perfumes from plant oils. Some were a mixture of multiple oils. King Louis the 14th (i dont think he is gay) used perfumes extensively as bathing was not the trend at that time. Later, the birth of modern perfumery was marked with Guerlain's Jicky, one of the first perfumes that featured a different scent over time. Prior to this, perfumes smelled the same throughout.

So in the history of perfumes, many men has used it along with women but why is it now associated with gayness when a man wears it? Kings and noblemen have used it and they're definitely not gay so where does the whole funny idea come from? It's thanks to the homophobia and lack of exposure. Perfumes are one of the most effective fashion statements for guys and they are used to leave an impression. Many people have this really funny perception that perfumes are used for seduction. they *do* have a small role in that, but that is not the main purpose.

If impression plays an important part when meeting with people, definitely every little detail matters. getting into a tuxedo but smelling like an old shoe is not going to leave good impressions. You gotta obviously smell nice. But that is not enough if you're gonna grab the attention of the girl in the small black dress who's wearing Chanel No5 at the corner. You have to smell like a gentleman too. In short, courtesy, personality and presentation is required in all amounts to make a good impression and smelling correctly is an important part of the equation because without one, you'll be just one of the extras in the show and no one really notices you. If you look the part and play the part well but dont smell the part, isnt that very odd? Might as well complement it by smelling nice.

And no, smelling like the beach on a funeral is not appropriate which is why you can never have a single perfume for all occasions. For example, the aquatic Bulgari Aqua Marine may be a great fragrance to wear during an outing with friends or vacation, or even the office but not appropriate for a blue tie event, which demands a darker, deeper and more opulent scent. So having one for each possible scenario would make you fit in the picture more. A basic collection would have at least 5 different scents. Signature scents are overrated these days, but if you dont get bored of scents, why not but do bear in mind it will not help you get noticed the way you would want to in most situations. If you do want a signature of sorts, get scents with certain accords that you want: such as vanilla for example which is mine. I chose mine based on the significance and effects it has on people: vanilla is sensual, playful yet matured and a contradiction of sorts which represents me in more ways than one.

To choose the right perfume, imagine yourself in some possible scenarios and what would you want to smell like. Then, search online for recommendations. If you want you can start testing around, first on paper and if you feel its agreeable, test it on you skin because they WILL smell different. never buy a perfume just because it smells good on paper. A good perfume would be one that is still on your wrist after 2-3 hours. You do not want something that disappears even before you reach the office do you?! because that will be quite costly as you would need to spray it on your clothes to make it last. Of course, do not overapply perfume. If you start to choke in 1-2 hours after applying, thats too much and will probably be the reverse of the effect that you would want to achieve. Do scale it accordingly so that people will just experience an aura of scent around you, not as a farting skunk. 2-3 sprays at the neck or chest should suffice with most scents but again it is up to the scent itself and how it projects from your body. Best is to ask friends around you if they smell anything.

In short perfumes are important as the clothes you wear and the impression you want to give to others. If you just dont care, thats what others perceive you as and would people wanna be around those who dont care? hmm. Again, Perfumes are not everything. it's a small booster as the rest will still have to depend on how you carry yourself.