Do men wear cologne?

Cologne is becoming popular with young men again.

Absolutely.

I used to until one summer on Fire Island and I dated a guy who asked me not to wear it b/c he liked my natural scent. I liked his, too, and never went back.

I have tons of expensive colognes received as gifts over the years. In fact I've asked people to cease gifting me colognes at all. I have stuck to my tried and true 4711 for decades and wear it daily. It's such a subtle scent and I have received countless compliments on my cologne for years. I find the hideously overpriced men's colognes to be an assault on the senses for the most part.

Only trash wear perfumes. No one wants to smell you.

A dab of Florida water on the wrists, but, don't gargle with it.

I want to buy a bottle of light summery scent, but something that lasts and not just gonna disappear after 1 hour.

I started ordering fragrance on-line during the shutdown, and have worn it almost every day since. I love it. It's quite nice if you know what you're buying and you wear it sparingly.

My sense of smell is dead because I’m a pot head and smoker. I have an ostomy bag and I currently camouflage with Bond No. 9 Lafayette or Diptyque Bois.

I know I’m a stinky person so adding some sweetness does no further harm and may help forgive the weed, tobacco, and shit. Nobody says anything, so perhaps I’m inoffensive.

Are your bottles in sunlight? How old are they? If they are stored well and pre IFRA restrictions they could be quite valuable.

[quote]I have an ostomy bag

now you're over-sharing

R11, office place “scent sensitivities” killed cologne in 2002.

You need a handicap to pull off cologne and I’m using mine for all it’s worth.

I have an extensive collection of parfums and colognes, and I wear them for myself, not for other people. When I still worked in an office, I had certain female co-workers who made a point of hugging me and sniffing my chest. It was a huge (and welcome) compliment.

r13 office hugging and chest sniffing was last OK in what occupation, in what decade?

R14, This was only a few years ago, in Health Insurance.

in flyoverstan? I dont think regular physical hugging is possible in professional offices nowadays.

Societally, we seem to be moving away from artificial fragrances. There are now 5 versions of white-bottle Tide (fragrance-free). Same thing is happening with artificial dyes. We don’t need this shit. I’m glad. Ever sing in a choir with some Axe body spray idiot?

I love to put a dab of cologne on after I shower, shave, and dress for work or special occasions. My favorite is Acqua di Parma, but I still spritz with the go to cologne for gay men in the 1990s...Obsession!

I've posted this photo before, in another thread. I live in Flyoverstan, and the co-workers who most appreciated my scent were Latin or Black women, and I was grateful for their embraces. My collection includes a lot of Caron, Guerlain and Chanel scents. I like the classics. I'm wearing Guerlain's L'Heure Bleu right now.

[quote] Societally, we seem to be moving away from artificial fragrances.

Nope.

[quote] In August of 2020, fragrance sales saw a sudden jump, and from there, they kept growing until fragrance became the only category to end 2020 “in the positive,” Jensen said. Since then, it’s been on a steady upward trajectory. “The growth rate has remained in the positive double digits. … It’s unprecedented, really,” Jensen said. It should also be noted that fragrance is currently the only beauty category where the prestige market consistently dominates the mass market.

[quote]This year, according to Circana data through September, year-over-year sales of prestige fragrance increased 14% in dollars and 12% in units. And luxury fragrance sales increased 15%. Fragrance was the fastest-growing beauty category in 2024.

Years ago, at the bar where I worked, these young guys would often come around with different things they had probably stolen and offer them as great gifts. I was looking at the cologne he had, and this big, fat slob black guy looked at me and said "Cologne is for Fags!" The salesman and I were JUST flabbergasted.

My Givaudan stock has done very well over the last 10 years. Doubling. Fragrance is big. A couple prissy old American gay men haven't a clue how big it is, apparently.

There has to be a balance between protecting people with serious allergies and allowing the rest of us to enjoy the pleasure of fragrances. I've tried using fragrance free laundry detergents and my clothes ended up smelling like BO.

I use perfume oil rollers on my wrists. I like scents but prefer that they stay close to me and don’t bother people unless they’re in my space. I get dupes of expensive brands at Oil Perfumery.

Cologne is disgusting.

If you don;t like fragrance, r26, for God's sake, don't wear it.

R19 I envy you that collection ! Id wear something different every single day . Ive worn cologne since the 70s and dont forsee stopping . R3 my last husband had a smell I was just crazy about . I made him use unscented soap so I could enjoy it . He once asked me to describe it and all I could come up with was sunlight and fresh bread ! That is until the MS started taking him then all the meds changed his smell permanently .

DL loves my special scent!

Every sit next to a fragrance addicted male or female on a train?

Despise scents on men.

And I despise armpit sniffers, R31 and men who insist they don't smell while reeking to high heaven.

I prefer parfums to colognes, and with parfums, it's pretty much a single dab. I don't appear in a cloud of scent: you need to get close to tell what I'm wearing. But I can assure you, it will be delicious. Caron Tabac Blond for today.

What a bizarre reaction, R32.

Are you okay?

r32's reaction is no more bizarre than yours, r31.

I hate everyone and everything in public life.