Men’s fragrances come in all varieties these days and wearing the wrong one can be a huge mistake. We’re going to break down the different types/classes of scents women love and let you know when the best times are to wear them. Ultimately, what scents you wear are a highly personal choice so make sure you invest some time in finding the right ones and trying different scents out. Too much cologne is a huge mistake when it comes to interacting in any social or professional situation and especially when dating.
The fragrance world is wide but we’re here to guide you with a few simple tips, here are the best men’s fragrances women love!
General Tips
Try The Scent On Yourself First
Scents change and react differently for each person, so it’s very important to try a bunch of them and see what you like and what feedback is like.
Choose The Right Scent For The Season
Not only do you need to consider the scent but the seasonality of it. You want heavier, more masculine scents in the colder months, and lighter, cleaner fragrances in the warmer months. Think of it just like the seasonality of your wardrobe.
Go Light
Finally, and maybe most importantly, make sure you’re applying the right way and going very light. If you can smell it on yourself very strongly, you’re wearing too much.
Fragrances Women Love
For this article and video, our friends at Fulton & Roark sent us a range of different scents to explore and we’re going to give you a rundown on what we liked best when you should wear them. Each Fulton & Roark fragrance uses a blend of naturally sourced essential oils and premium fragrance ingredients and each cologne offers its own experience. These highly concentrated solid colognes offer a long-lasting and steady fragrance designed to keep you fresh. More subtle than liquid sprays, the solids aren’t as overwhelming (a huge pet peeve of ours!). The solid metal containers also travel easily in a gym bag, pocket or carry-on, allowing you to smell your best wherever and whenever.
In addition to a range of awesome scents, Fulton & Roark offers a handy and affordable tester kit so you can try all of their fragrances first. The tester kit is $16 but you also get a $16 credit back that’s good towards your first cologne purchase. Plus the kit ships for free. As a bonus for you guys, you can get 10% off your order with code ASHLEY.
We loved this one and Ashley can’t stop smelling this scent. We liked the leather notes combined with some hints of dried fruit that creates a warm feeling. It’s captivating.
Ashley loved the light, bright notes on this one which make it the perfect choice for the spring and summer months. You can smell the cedar notes which gives it a fresh, clean feeling while still being masculine.
This fragrance is light, but the green, mossy notes end up smelling a bit like chemicals. But, the citrus notes cut through those elements so you end up with a very nice scent that’s reminiscent of freshly-squeezed orange juice.
This scent is a bit overpowering for us. It almost had a sunscreen/spf scent that didn’t work for Ashley. This is one that could be heavily dependent on the wearer so while we recommend trying it for yourself, this one was a pass for us.
This fragrance was another one we really loved. It’s a bit sweet due to the vanilla but still smells masculine with the tobacco & leather notes. Women will love this scent as it will make them want to cozy up to the man wearing this scent, which is why it’s the perfect winter fragrance.
The magnolia notes remind us of the Spring and Summer months. It’s light and just smells really clean, especially with the cedar note you get at the end. We really liked this one.
For Ashley, there’s something about woodsy notes like cedar and mahogany that just smell really great on a man. This scent has those notes along with some citrus and floral notes that make this the perfect year-round scent.
Once you’ve got the basics of style down, it’s important to focus on those little things that can make or break your personal style and everyday look. Something as simple as a little mistake can totally throw off your look or ruin otherwise good style choices. Oftentimes its something as simple as how you present a particular choice. No matter what it is, focusing on the proper details and nailing those can save you from potential disaster. Some of these mistakes might be obvious but some you may not even know you are doing!
So, here are 10 ways you may be killing your style!
Being Overly Self-Conscious
Trying too hard can be as bad as not trying at all. Wearing trendy items that aren’t you or not wearing things that make you feel comfortable and confident are quick ways to ruin your overall style. People notice how you feel and if you’re feeling good about what you’re wearing and looking good, it will stand out.
Wearing Clothing That Doesn’t Work for your body type
Working with your body type is a huge part of getting well-fitting clothing. Choosing items that will flatter and fit well is crucial. Some easy items to avoid are henley shirts if you’re not fit or muscular, Chelsea boots if you’re a bigger guy, and classic straight-legged jeans if you’re a thinner guy. Check out all of our Fit Guides for tips about different body types and how things should fit.
Over-accessorizing
Yikes, this can go wrong so easily, over-accessorizing can be a huge problem. Johnny Depp, you are not. Go easy on rings, bracelets, and other flashy items and go for more subtle, refined accessories to show some personality or flair. Stick with 1 or 2 items max, like a pocket square and a watch.
Wearing too much cologne
A little goes a long way, and there’s nothing worse than smelling someone from 5 feet away. Nobody (especially women) wants that. If you can smell yourself, it’s too much.
Not paying attention to the details
Again, the little things matter, so take care to focus on them. Things like not lint rolling your clothing (especially dark shirts, suits, and jackets), wearing wrinkled clothing (just get our recommended steamer), and not tucking in your shoelaces really matter with your overall look.
Speaking of tucking in shoelaces (something Ashley is always super focused on as a stylist), our friends at Straight Laces have an ingenious shoelace set up that creates a clean, tucked look and basically turns all your shoes into slip on’s. It’s such a smart, useful product and we’re using them on all our shoes personally and with Ashley’s clients. Seriously, they’re that good. Just for our readers and viewers, we’ve got a deal for 40% off 3 or more laces! Shop here and use code AshWeston40.
Not dressing your age
We’ve discussed how to dress well in your 40’s before and a big part of it is embracing your age and wearing items that are classy and age-appropriate.
Wearing dirty, old shoes
Hopefully, this goes without saying, but a bad pair of shoes can absolutely ruin your entire look. Keep them in good condition and shined up.
Not Grooming Regularly
Overgrown hair, beards, and fingernails are no bueno. Make sure you’re taking proper care of your grooming and putting your best foot forward. Especially important in professional environments. We’ve got a ton of tips in all of our grooming guides.
When items are faded (especially shirts, pants and sweaters), it’s time to send them off to the donation bin and get some replacements. If your sweaters are pilled, you just need to get a sweater shaver (we like this one best) to remove the little balls and get it back in good shape.
It may seem deceptively simple, but who does our advice apply to? We always strive to give our audience useful, practical advice about style, life, dating, and more, all from an experienced and thoughtful perspective. Whether it’s wardrobe tips for the season or advice on how to improve social skills, we always do our best to appeal to as broad of an audience as possible.
In this episode of 2 Minute Tuesday we’re diving into a great question about who should take our advice and why, so tune in and find out what we think!
Sexual Orientation Doesn’t Matter
Our life and style advice applies to all, regardless of hair color, body type, or sexual preference. We do our best to give our educated advice on style and life that should work for most, if not all people. Sexual preference is a highly personal subject to you and you alone, we’re just here to help you dress and live better, no matter who you’re into. So, you can take that idea out of the equation and just focus on it without the lens of sexual preference.
Essential Style Is Important, But Make It Personal
We always discuss the foundations of a timeless, Essential Wardrobe because it’s versatile and always in style. But that doesn’t mean you have to dress a particular way if it’s not you. Once you have the foundations of style built you can then add in your personal touches to make it your own. Like streetwear or “bad boy style”, your personal style shouldn’t feel like a costume or inauthentic, it should be a representation of your own personality, no matter who you are or what your sexual orientation is.
Proper grooming is one of the biggest things you can do to keep up a sharp overall look and put your best foot forward with women. You don’t have to have a complex routine or a million fancy products, just a few simple steps will help you stand out from the crowd.
Mouth / Breath care – Obviously bad breath is going to be a huge turn-off, so make sure you not only have good brushing habits but also take care of your breath.
Handcare – Dry cracked hands and dirty or unclipped fingernails are just gross! Find a good non-greasy moisturizer to use regularly and keep your nails clean and in check.
Take care of overly dry or oily skin – You’ve got to keep that moneymaker in good shape and women notice the skin on your face (obviously!) much more than you might think. Find the right cleanser and moisturizer that works for your skin type. If your skin gets oily, invest in some facial wipes to tone it down.
Groomed hair – Your hairstyle is definitely a preference thing, but finding not only the right style/cut for your look and making it a regular part of your routine are things every man should put importance in. Regardless of how long or short your particular style is hair, that’s wild/unkempt or gross/dirty are never going to be attractive to a woman.
The right smell – Wearing deodorant/antiperspirant should absolutely go without saying, BO is definitely a no-go, but this also goes for body wash and soap. But there’s also a limit. My stance on cologne is well documented but if you choose to wear it, GO EASY, don’t be the guy who wears too much.
Lip care – Just like your hands, chapped, cracked lips are gross. Women will definitely notice your lips (especially if they’re thinking about kissing you) so do yourself a favor and invest in some proper lip balm and use regularly. Our favorites: R&D, Jack Black, Caudalie, Kiehl’s,
Beard maintenance – Many of you guys chose to have different levels of facial hair, and that’s totally cool, but it’s a privilege, not a right. No matter how much you have that you take good care of it. Keep it trimmed and in check and take care of the skin underneath as well. If your beard is patchy keep it very short or lose it completely and if your beard is more full, make sure it’s trimmed or shaped properly.
You’re never too young to start thinking about your skin and having the right routine is a critical part of a solid overall grooming routine. But, that doesn’t have to mean complex or expensive. Whatever type of routine you develop, simple or complex, just stick to what’s comfortable for you, but make sure you’re addressing your skin’s basic major needs. To get you started or help you develop your existing routine, here are our favorite tips for healthier skin.
1. Address problems first
Acne? See a dermatologist. Dry and flakey? Start finding moisturizers that work best for you. If they’re serious or you’ve tried a bunch of stuff yourself to no avail – go see a professional first. Marketing and sales people likely won’t help and if you have major issues you’ve got to start there.
2. Moisturize every morning and night
Healthy skin starts with regular moisturizing, period.
3. Eye cream at least every night
Fights the signs of aging and fatigue. Especially important for those of you who travel frequently.
4. Sunscreen
Every. Damn. Day. No questions asked. Yes, it’s that important and easy to manage as most good moisturizers have sunscreen in them already.
5. Gently exfoliate daily
Scrubbing away dead skin and dirt will help your skin look and feel better, plus your other products (moisturizers, etc) will work better.
6. Get enough sleep
Don’t underestimate how important a good nights sleep is healthy skin.
7. Hydrate
Believe it or not, drinking a lot of water is the most important tip for healthy skin.
8. A healthy diet
The foods you eat, both good and bad, can impact the health and look of your skin.
9. Exercise
In addition to contributing to your overall health and well-being, regular exercise and sweating clears your pores.
10. Lower stress
However you manage your stress, sleep, exercise, meditation, breaks, whatever, how you feel on the outside impacts your skin more than you think.
In this article and video, I wanted to to show you the best morning skincare routine for men and the men’s skin products that work well for men with all skin types and for different ages, whether you’re in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s. 50’s and beyond! Be sure to check out my night time skincare regime which goes hand-in-hand with this article.
Just know that no matter your skin type, the below steps won’t change, only the products will. This is sage advice passed down from my friends that I discussed in the intro video, who’s entire job it is to make my client’s skin look movie-star good. So don’t take my word for it, take theirs!
Regardless of whether you take a shower in the AM or PM, (I suggest showering at night) there’s no need to wash your face with cleanser in the morning since you should have gone to bed with a clean, moisturized face. Unless you’re a heavy night sweater or your dermatologist recommends washing two times a day, just splash some cold or luke warm water on your face to remove anything that accumulated on your face overnight and pat dry with a towel. That will be plenty, I promise.
Step 2: Eye Cream
Like I mentioned in my men’s night time skin care routine article & video, if you’re in your late 20’s and beyond, then using eye cream is very important as a preventative measure if you’re younger, or a maintenance measure if you’re older.
Quality eye creams are expensive, but will easily last a year or two since you’re using so little (a pea-size amount, at most), so don’t worry about running out quickly.
Life Pro Tip: Keep it in the fridge when not in use so the chilled cream can help reduce puffiness around the eyes, especially in the morning.
Take a little on your ring finger tip and dab it around the orbital bone area, including your upper eyelid, until it blends in. This is demonstrated in the video at the top.
The Best Eye Creams For Men
$37 – Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye Concentrate – Good, entry level anti-aging eye oil if you’re under 30 that works very well for the price. $49 – Filorga Optim-Eyes – This one we tried on a whim after a French pharmacist highly recommended it and it was really good for the price. $340 – La Prairie Luxe Eye Lift Cream – If you’re an older gentleman (age 30+) this stuff is a game changer and well worth the price. You’ll notice a huge reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, as this cream delivers intense hydration and firmness. After a year of daily use, you’ll still have 50% of it left – so it goes a LONG way.
Step 3: Spot Treatment
This step can be skipped, but it’s such a small, 5 second step that it’s really worth the minimal time investment. Spot treatments get rid of pimples quicker, as opposed to doing nothing or popping them.
Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxides are great spot treatments for getting rid of zits or blemishes before they’ve formed or been popped. In testing, subjects responded better to one or the other, so give each a try for about a week or two and from them on, only use the one that worked best.
If you’ve already popped the zit, don’t put either the Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatments on them. Instead, use an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin because the skin has been broken and now you’ve got to treat the literal wound. If you put the acid or peroxide on it, or just leave it alone, the zit will be redder longer and possibly leave a scar, which you can avoid or diminish significantly with an antibiotic ointment.
Whether you’re using a spot treatment or antibiotic ointment, take a little and dab it onto the problem areas and move on to the next step after about a minute.
The last step of your morning skincare routine is crucial. You should be wearing a daily SPF moisturizer on your face, ears, neck and arms – every.single.day and irregardless of whether you work indoors or outdoors. If you’ll be outside for extended periods of time or participating in outdoor activities, then you should be using a more heavy-duty sport sunblock on your exposed skin.
$28 – Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20 – for dry to normal/combo skin This is hands-down the best moisturizer and SPF combo for it’s price. It’s a broad spectrum, chemical blocker that blends into your skin nicely. If you buy the 8.5oz bottle, it should easily last a long time for daily use.
$25 – Kiehl’s Facial Fuel SPF 15 – normal to oily skin This moisturizer is super lightweight and absorbs quickly. They offer two different versions – with or without SPF.
$27 – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30 – dry skin It’s super hydrating, evens out your skin texture, and isn’t greasy feeling. I can’t recommend this one enough. There’s two different versions – with or without SPF.
$350 – La Prairie Line Interception Power Duo SPF 30 – for dry to normal/combo skin This is the king of moisturizers with SPF. If your budget allows or you’re an older guy, DO NOT hesitate to get it. It goes on evenly, absorbs quickly, evens out your skin tone, reduces wrinkles, and protects really, really well, without making your skin shiny. Every one of my test subjects that tried it loved it.
In this part of my Men’s Grooming Series, I want to go over the best men’s facial night time skin care routine if you want to have clear, good-looking skin, regardless of your skin type or age. Over the last year, I’ve been blind testing products on my male friends, family and clients and this video and article is the result of all that testing. I’m going to go over how to do each step of a solid night time routine as well as discuss the products that tested extremely well.
Just know that no matter your skin type, the below steps won’t change, only the products will. Some men don’t care or want to do all of these steps, so I’ll note that ones that can be skipped but unless you’re naturally blessed with great skin, you’re going to have to work at it to have the best skin possible. This is sage advice passed down from my friends that I discussed in the intro video, who’s entire job it is to make my client’s skin look movie-star good. So don’t take my word for it, take theirs!
In my testing with cleansers, I was a little surprised to see that the ones everyone liked, regardless of their skin type, were the gels. They’re good because they foam up a little bit, they’re not harsh, and they don’t dry out or overly moisturize your skin. They’re perfect for basically all skin types.
Next, take your handy bamboo wash cloth, and using the slightly rougher side, give it a really gentle (GENTLE!) pass around your face, neck, ears, and back of neck.
Do that everyday, but gently and you’ll have the best skin of your life. We did a specific video about the bamboo washcloth because it’s simply amazing and there hasn’t been a single person who’s tried it that doesn’t also rave about it.
You don’t need exfoliating cleansers or those really horrible microdermabrasion tools because they’re awful for your skin, the environment and don’t work half as well as this wash cloth that’ll last you for a few years if you chuck it into the washer every few weeks. Seriously, the cloth is amazing. If you get anything from this article – get that. Beware that there’s a lot of different versions of this cloth, but the ones linked in the article is the only good one that also is in stock and ships quickly.
Step 2: Toner
After getting out of the shower, quickly pat dry your face and slap on a little bit of toner with your hands on your face, neck and back of neck.
Toner will remove any excess dirt or soap left on your face and neck and prepare your skin to absorb the other products you’ll be adding in the next steps.
Some people think it’s unnecessary, but if you’re wanting to have the best skin possible, you need to do it. It’s up to you, but I’d recommend it since it’s literally a 5 second step. One tip – avoid the one with alcohol, otherwise they’ll dry out your face like crazy!
After the toner dries, it’s time to add a little serum – a nickle-sized amount should do it.
Serums, while not absolutely necessary, will help with specific issues your skin may be having. A vitamin C serum, like the Mario Badescu one below, will brighten and even your skintone and slowly (over the course of many months) fade age spots and scars so they’re not as noticeable. If you’ve got sun spots or acne scars, definitely start using a vitamin C serum. Other serums, like the Sisley or La Prairie ones below are for people want a little extra moisture – which is especially important if you’re over 30, since your skin will need extra moisture to look youthful and healthy.
You really don’t need much serum, not more than a nickel size, usually, so these will last a LONG time (the La Prairie one just finished after 18 months). Give it a little bit of time to absorb into your skin and move on to the next step.
The Best Serums For Men
$45 – Mario Badescu Vitamin C Serum – Especially good for dry skin or during the colder Winter months. It brightens and evens your skin tone while giving a little more moisture. $90 – Kate Somerville Mega-C Dual Radiance Serum – Especially good for mature skin. It’s another awesome vitamin-C serum that is cream based instead of Mario Badescu’s oil serum. $93 – Sisley Purifying Re-Balancing Lotion – This is a great one if you don’t need any scars or spots faded but still need extra moisture and want to even your skin tone. $250 – La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-In-Lotion – “Wow” is the feedback from all the test subjects. If you’re an older guy (30+ years old), it’ll help lift and firm your skin, so I can’t recommend this one enough.
Step 4: Eye Cream
Just like I mentioned in my morning skincare routine article/video, if you’re in your mid-twenties and beyond, it’s time to start using an eye cream. This is a preventative measure if you’re younger and a maintenance step if you’re older. The quickest way to tell someone’s age is by the wrinkles around their eyes. I think a lot of men don’t think about this step as part of their skincare routine – and it shows.
You won’t see benefits right away – it’ll take a few weeks or months to be noticeable to others. Lots of test subjects said they started getting compliments of looking “refreshed”, which means it’s working! Do yourself a favor and take a picture when you start and take another one a month later and compare them to really see the benefits.
You should be using an eye cream morning and night. Quality eye creams are expensive, but will easily last a year or two since you’re using so little (a pea-size amount, at most), so don’t worry about running out quickly.
Life Pro Tip: Keep it in the fridge when not in use so the chilled cream can help reduce puffiness around the eyes, especially in the morning.
Take a little on your ring finger tip and just dab it around the orbital bone area, including your upper eyelid. This is demonstrated in the video.
The Best Eye Creams For Men
$37 – Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye Concentrate – Good, entry level anti-aging eye oil if you’re under 30 that works very well for the price. $49 – Filorga Optim-Eyes – This one we tried on a whim after a French pharmacist highly recommended it and it turned out to be very good and moisturizing for the price. $340 – La Prairie Luxe Eye Lift Cream – If you’re an older gentleman (age 30+) this stuff is a game changer and well worth the price. After a year of daily use, it’s only halfway gone. You’ll notice a huge reduction in the appearance of wrinkles, as this cream delivers intense hydration and firmness.
Step 5: Spot treatment
Along with a serum, this step can be skipped, but again, it’s such a small, 5 second step that it’s really worth the minimal time investment. Spot treatments accelerate the pimple forming process and get rid of them quicker as opposed to doing nothing or popping them.
Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxides are great spot treatments for getting rid of zits or blemishes before they’ve formed or been popped. In testing, subjects responded better to one or the other, so give each a try for about a week or two and from them on, only use the one that worked best.
If you’ve already popped the zit, then don’t put either of the Salicylic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatments on them. Instead, use an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin because the skin has been broken and now you’ve got to treat the literal wound. If you put the acid or peroxide on it, or just leave it alone, the zit will be redder longer and possibly leave a scar, which you can avoid or diminish significantly with an antibiotic ointment.
Whether you’re using a spot treatment or antibiotic ointment, take a little and dab it onto the problem areas and move on to the next step after about a minute.
The last step of your night time skin care routine is also the most important. Without this, all the the other steps are wasted because at the end of the day, healthy skin is moisturized skin. So this step, aside from cleaning and gentle exfoliation, is the most critical. What you 100% have to do, two times a day, is to put moisturizer on your face, neck, ears and back of neck. The main issue I ran into during testing is that good, budget friendly options are few and far between. I included the ones that really stood out, regardless of price, but with moisturizers you almost always get what you pay for, aside from the two exceptions I found below.
If your morning moisturizer, which I talked about in my Morning Skincare Routine article/video, doesn’t have SPF in it, then you can also use it as a night time moisturizer. But if your morning moisturizer does have SPF in it, which I would highly recommend, then you’ll need a separate night time moisturizer since SPF will clog your pores if left on your face for extended periods of time.
The Best Moisturizers/Lotions For Men
$12 – Mizon Black Snail All In One Cream – For the price, there’s nothing better – plain and simple. It’s extremely moisturizing, goes on easily and absorbs quickly. Don’t be fooled by the small size, this will last you quite a while since a little goes a long way. $25 – Kiehl’s Facial Fuel – If testers felt the snail cream was a little too “slimy”, they preferred this one since it absorbs really well and quickly. $27 – Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream – If you’ve got dry skin, then this moisturizer is for you. It’s super hydrating, evens out your skin texture, and isn’t greasy feeling. I can’t recommend this more. $275 – Sisleÿum for Men Anti-Age Global Revitalizer for Normal Skin Sisleÿum for Men Anti-Age Global Revitalizer for Dry Skin – If your budget allows, this stuff is fantastic. My test subjects said it’s easily in the top 2 of best moisturizers they tested. It’ll leave your skin looking super healthy and nourished. If you’re prone to razor burn/bumps, then also use this as an aftershave – it works wonders. $450 – La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream -This is the crème de la crème of anti-aging moisturizers and you will, frankly, pay for it. If you’re an older man and asked me for the best moisturizer, this is what I’d recommend 100% of the time. Good lord is this stuff amazing in regard to hydration, firming and helping to even out and smooth your skin.
In order to realize the most benefits from your skincare routine, you’ve got to determine what type of skin you have so you can get products specifically designed for a man’s skin type. Since it’s a very visual set of instructions, please see the video below and enjoy!
