So you’re ready to take your fragrance game to the next level. Good for you! A quality cologne will set you apart from many other men, whose underarm deodorant (or lack thereof) makes their scent speech.

Not to say there’s something wrong with smelling ordinary. But sometimes you need a little edge, and a good cologne will provide just that.

When it comes to buying a cologne, many men prefer to visit retail stores. The obvious advantage is the fact that you can try a variety of fragrances before making a decision. But there are some disadvantages:

1. Your selection will be limited to what is in inventory.
2. Attributes such as longevity and sillage may not be accurately evaluated.
3. Each cologne will smell different when it’s on your skin and reacts with your body’s chemistry. Which means that what you smell after you get home and spray some will probably be different than what you smell on a sample card.
4. Your purchase may be influenced by someone else’s opinion, like an attractive customer service assistant who doesn’t understand your tastes as well as you do.
5. You will probably pay more than necessary.

With these considerations in mind, you may prefer to buy your cologne on the internet, effectively rolling the dice and “blind buying”, hoping for the best. In fact, I have had quite a bit of success buying colognes blind. Now, I share my tips to do it with you.

Tip #1. Consult the experts. YouTube is a great source of cologne reviews from various respected gurus and insiders. Search “best men’s fragrances” on YouTube to find a wide variety of top 10/20 cologne lists. Take some time and take note of fragrances that sound appealing. Pay special attention to those who make multiple lists. And don’t be quick to write off a particular cologne because it got a bad review.

Tip #2. Read customer reviews. There are a handful of popular fragrance review sites on the internet. I have found fragrantica.com to have the most useful information. Below is a brief guide to interpreting the information you will find on Fragrantica.

1. Examine the “major chords”. These are the general scents present in each fragrance. Base your decision to buy a cologne on the deals you like or dislike very much. It can take time, trial and error to determine what your tastes are.
2. Examine the bar graph. In the center column is a bar chart that shows customer reviews, including the number of people who love, like, and dislike the fragrance. Beware of fragrances with a large number of dislikes. In general, the more you like and love a fragrance, the more likely you are to like or love it.
3. Completely ignore Fragrantica’s description of the fragrance. Most of these are just fluff and have very little useful information.
4. Examine the Longevity Y Wake up fragrance ratings. These are very important. Longevity refers to how long a given fragrance remains detectable. The best-smelling cologne is of little value if it fades after an hour or two. Be careful when buying colonies described as short-lived.
5. Sillage refers to how well others can smell a fragrance. You may not want to be the type that everyone smells from 10 feet away. If so, the wake may not be critical to you. Personally, I wear cologne more for my own benefit than other people’s, so I don’t get too hung up on sillage.
6. To reiterate, longevity is very important. And where the taste of a particular fragrance is subjective and determined by the individual, longevity and sillage tend to be more a matter of science and fact. Meaning, a cologne known for its poor longevity probably won’t last long on your skin either.
7. Optionally, read customer reviews. If you do, don’t give them too many actions. Invariably, some people will love all colognes, while others will hate them. Many people like to use five dollar words, trying to sound sophisticated without actually saying anything. I’ve found that the best reviews (and the only ones I generally consider) come from women.

Tip #3. Buy in colony. I have done all of my shopping on eBay, although there are other places to buy as well. When making a purchase, I suggest abiding by the following guidelines.

1. Only buy from sellers with excellent customer satisfaction records. This is to make sure you don’t end up with a fake/imitation, which are known to exist.
2. While looking for good deals, avoid really good deals, as they may be counterfeits or imitations.
3. Buy a 100ml (~3.4oz) bottle instead of a 50ml bottle as there is much better value in a 100ml bottle. Chances are if you’ve done your homework, you’ll like the cologne you’ve chosen and want to wear it from time to time, even if it’s not your favorite. You could also have a good supply, again considering how little money you save by buying a 50ml bottle.
4. Buy less expensive colognes on your first few purchases. Remember that you are still trying to establish exactly what your tastes are. And don’t always equate price with quality, as some very popular colognes are also very cheap.

At about $20 per 100ml, perry ellis red 360 It’s a safe first purchase in my opinion. This is a fresh, masculine fragrance that is not too strong and is known to be liked by women.

At $10 per 100ml, cuban gold It’s not too big of a risk. This has a somewhat unisex/subway smell to it in my opinion. A lot of people like Le Male, a more expensive and popular fragrance.

You can find other potential first-time buyers by searching for “cheapest colony lists” on YouTube.

In conclusion. Acquiring the ideal cologne is a matter of trial and error, because even after you find one that you really like, there are inevitably others that you will like better. Ideally, you should create a collection of fragrances, so you have options in the way you smell based on the time of year, the occasion, and your particular mood.

Remember that due to many unpredictable factors, there is an element of “blind buy” even when you shop at retail stores. So whether you’re visiting a retail store or shopping online, spend a reasonable amount of time doing your research before you buy. This will help ensure that each new purchase adds a cherished fragrance to your collection, rather than becoming a regret.

All the best in your fragrance search!