Perfume is more strongly associated with women than with men, but men have always been drawn to fragrance as well. And why not? The sense of smell is powerfully connected to memory, and a fragrance can help others remember you—fondly, if you choose the right scent.

Generally, men’s fragrances are sold as cologne or as men’s fragrance. Eau de Toilette, a slightly more concentrated version of cologne, is another option for men. While women’s fragrances are often floral, men’s fragrances focus on clean scents that range from spicy to sporty, working with your body chemistry to create a scent that is uniquely yours. Though men don’t have as extensive a selection of fragrances as do women, new fragrances are constantly being developed.

As you’re choosing a fragrance for yourself, or choosing for the man in your life, consider that there are nine different fragrance types that may go into cologne: citrus, herbal, floral, fruity, leather, musk, powdery, spice and woody. Generally, a cologne contains three notes, made up from these types. The top note is what you smell when you first apply the cologne, and is often spice or a fresh scent. When it fades, the middle note, often citrus or spice, emerges and stays for about an hour. The complex base note remains the longest.

The top and middle notes of cologne are often citrus, which is a fresh scent that expresses confidence. This scent may be distilled from fruits like grapefruit, lemons and pomello. Calvin Klein’s Truth is one such citrus-based fragrance. Woody fragrances are more concentrated in the middle and base notes, within hints of cedar, patchouli and sandalwood. Leather, too, is a type concentrated in the middle and base notes, and may include a blend of wood tars, tobacco and honey scents. Because fragrances interact with skin chemistry, the scent of a high-quality cologne will be different on you than on another wearer, so some notes may come out stronger or more subtly.

Making a men’s cologne can be just as complicated a process as making a woman’s perfume, resulting in prices that can be nearly as high. Pure essential oils are carefully blended with just enough alcohol to carry the fragrance, and the base oils may be expensive, such as jasmine or sandalwood. Just like women can find inexpensive substitutes, though, men can find inexpensive colognes that have similar fragrances to high-priced designer colognes.

Of course, whatever your preference, test colognes before you buy. You’ll make sure both that the scent suits you and that there are no ingredients in the cologne that irritate your skin.

Whether you can afford high-end colognes like Fendi, Hugo Boss for Men and Giorgio Armani, or if you need to keep more budget-minded, choosing a cologne that matches your personality and the impression you want to create will lead you to be a memorable person to those around you. And women in your life, especially, will find you just that much more pleasant to be around.

In addition to the fragrance families, be aware that perfume has three different layers, which are known as notes. When you first apply a perfume, the top note is the most noticeable. This is a lighter fragrance note and dissipates quickly, especially when the fragrance has any alcohol content. Once the first note fades, the second note, or the heart of the fragrance, becomes more noticeable. This note is the one most strongly present in the perfume, with the third note serving as the base note, supporting the heart scent and helping last longer.

You should also keep the event and the season in mind when you’re selecting a designer fragrance. The general rule is to use light perfumes in summer and stronger perfumes in winter. Spring is a time for light and fresh scents, while autumn is a time for subtle woody scents. Finally, if you’re buying a gift of perfume, consider the woman’s personality, choice in fragrance and choice in dress. The perfect perfume complements the woman as she is.

With the rise of stars endorsing their own lines of fragrances, designer perfumes are some of the most popular fragrances available. Fashion-conscious women are especially drawn to these perfumes, as the star’s involvement in the process generally leads to the perfume being of a high caliber as well as giving the fragrance extra cache. Of course, stars don’t develop the perfumes that they lend their names to, but their endorsement does often mean a higher quality perfume—especially if they are more than the pop star of the minute. Even with high-quality designer fragrances, though, you need to try out the fragrance before deciding that it’s the right one for you.

As you experiment with designer fragrances, realize that there are a number of different fragrance families. One way of understanding fragrance families is to break them down into citrus, herbal, floral, fruity, leather, musk, powdery, spice and woody. In addition to these main categories, modern women’s perfume also includes the fragrance of cherry, chocolate, coffee, fruits and vanilla.

Of course, you have another consideration besides the fragrance itself—price. If you’re on a budget but choose the most expensive perfume at the shop for your signature scent, you won’t use it often enough for people to associate it with you. For a signature scent to truly express your personality, those around you need to associate it just with you. If you fall in love with an expensive perfume, find a less expensive perfume that uses the same family of fragrances.

As you look for your signature scent, enjoy the process. You’ll find out what makes you unique and find a new way to express yourself. You may need to try out more than one fragrance to find the one that expresses your true personality. Once you find a fragrance, people will come to think of the fragrance as an extension of you, and anywhere they encounter that fragrance, they’ll think of you.

stand out

Whoever you are, you want to show off your own style and personality. From clothing to hairstyle, you give others insight into just who you are. But your scent can do the same thing, in a subtle way, and can at times be even more important than how you look. With a signature scent—a scent that you wear almost exclusively—people you interact with regularly will come to associate your scent with who you are. And because scent is the sense most associated with memory, the connections between you and your signature fragrance will be strongly forged in their minds. Clearly, with scent being so powerful, you want to make the right choice. Happily, though, you have some time to experiment as you seek out your signature scent.

Before you get started, think about what you want to say through this fragrance. You may be saying much more than you think you are, so notice your own reactions when you breathe in the fragrance. For example, do the playful notes of citrus convey your personality, or does a woodsy scent better reveal who you are? Notice, too, how strong the scent is. If you wear a strong perfume, you demand the attention of those around you—but you may just strike them as overbearing in personality. A more subtle scent is usually better for your signature fragrance, since people around you will react to the scent without even registering that they smell it, giving you an aura of mystery.

The fragrance you choose should reflect both who you are and the image you hope to project to others. But how do you decide which fragrance reflects this? It can be a question of trial and error. Simply go to any fragrance shop and give a few perfumes a try. Buy a small amount of the one that makes you feel the best and wear it every day—to work, shopping, and socially. Don’t let anyone know you’re trying out the new perfume; just accept their compliments—or complaints—as they come. If they don’t know you’re trying out a new fragrance, they’ll only remark on it if they have something to say.

Relax theres another way: If you want to go about it a little more practically, take a look at our articles and fragrance reviews and get the right scent!