When it comes to truly smelling your best, a slap of aftershave just isn’t enough. You’ve got to go that extra mile, and a touch of cologne is what makes all the difference. Smelling good isn’t something that’s talked about so much for the men in the world, but it’s never too late to learn!

So, gentlemen, let’s talk about fragrance. There’s an art to the scent and a science to the art, and it’s about time we learned about them both.

The science

Once you look at the processes behind it, perfumers are all just chemists. Jean-Pierre Houri (former director-general of the International Fragrance Association) even told The Guardian that an educational background in chemistry is a helpful boon when becoming a perfumer.

Which ancient chemist came up with harvesting and applying deer musk, we don’t know for certain. Likewise, someone had to make the leap to incorporating ocean-cured ambergris expelled from the intestine of sperm whales, a product that smells pungently of manure until it floats around in the sea for a couple of decades and sweetens up.

So how do these odd ingredients—as well as the more kosher examples, like citrus and sandalwood—go from their natural state to a sprayable fragrance? It all begins with one of several processes that extract a raw material’s aromatic compounds.

When it comes to extraction, different methods work best for different materials. Citrus rinds, for example, can handle the intense pressure of the expression process—but that’s about the only material for which it’s worth the risk.

Distillation is a more advanced method that uses boiling water and steam to filter materials’ constituents into a condenser, where the resulting product cools back into liquid form. The essential oils and water separate themselves, as they do, and the oil is siphoned out.

Meanwhile, in “dry distillation,” or rectification, the raw material is heated and its oils condensed without any water involved. This gives the final product a roasted, smoky facet, a nice touch for any fragrant woods or amber.

Organic solvent extraction is the favored method for animal-sourced materials (though usually replaced by synthetic replicas nowadays) and fibrous ingredients that are too fragile for distillation. Raw materials are introduced to a solvent that dissolves the aromatic compounds; the resulting extract is processed to separate the solvent, processing for anywhere from a few hours to a few months.

Another method is the classic enfleurage technique, developed in southern France in the 1700s. The technique involves soaking flowers too fragile to distill in a tray of odorless animal fat for days, then washing the fat with ethanol. To be honest, though, soaking flowers in fat could be considered a bit antiquated.

From these processes, we’re able to extract aromatic compounds that are diluted in a solvent (usually ethyl alcohol) in order to create a proper fragrance.

The art

As the individual scents that make up a product, the extracts’ aromatic characteristics are referred to as notes. These notes are expertly layered in such a way that creates a unique scent experience in every fragrance. There’s a particular methodology to it, though, rather than a simple mix-and-match.

Colognes, and all fragrances, are made up of three categories of notes that progress and develop throughout the day. When you initially apply your cologne, that first impression of scent that drifts into the air is called the top or “head” note. They tend to be lighter scents like herbs and citrus.

Those head notes typically start wearing away within the first fifteen minutes, and transition into the middle or “heart” notes. These are quite literally the heart of the composition—they’re well-rounded, smooth combinations that act as the fragrance’s main theme. Common middle notes are nuanced florals, like neroli or lavender, sometimes spiced up with a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other full-bodied spices.

Heart notes will last longer than those at the head; once the top notes have fully and totally evaporated, the middles will begin to mingle with the base or “soul” notes. These make up the foundational structure and bind together the previous notes into a coherent symphony.

Base notes are chosen to add a new depth to the fragrance; rich scents often reminiscent of the earthy basics of nature. This very frequently involves some sort of woody notes, like soberly sophisticated cedarwood, or the softer touch of sandalwood. Other common notes include amber, oakmoss, and that classic musk.

Alone, these scents would be nothing special. But when carefully layered and combined, they’re why your cologne will drive the ladies wild.

The fragrance timeline

Something you should know about cologne is that it doesn’t last all day. The term “cologne” actually refers to the concentration of perfume oils in the product. While a 15-20 percent concentration eau de parfum will last on your skin throughout the whole day, colognes clock in between 2 and 4 percent. As such, they’ll only stick around for an average of three to five hours—but depending on the ingredients, that can be a bit flexible.

Aside from the concentration of the oils, the notes themselves can also determine just how long your cologne will last. We’ve covered how the notes progress over time; this progression is a result of the volatility of the specific compounds; how quickly they evaporate.

Oftentimes, you can actually tell how volatile a specific note is just by the “weight” of the scent. Light, fresh scents like grapefruit are more volatile, and last longer; meanwhile, a heady musk will stick around.

The weight and volatility of notes is part of how they’re sorted into olfactive families, and why particular families are so commonly chosen for certain note levels. Keep these rules in mind, and you’ll know what to expect from any cologne!

Smell your best, be your best

The art of smelling good can be a complicated one, but it’s beyond worth it. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be so confusing; ScentBox is here to help you make the hard decisions, so you can be on your way to turning heads. Get curated designer fragrances shipped to your front door every month for you to try with no fuss!Have trouble committing? No problem; our month-to-month subscription can be canceled anytime, no strings attached. Give it a shot, and let us join you in your journey to reaching your full potential.