At the end of the day, we’re all slaves to time. Its flow carries us forward through life, and try as we might with our mindfulness and anti-aging creams, none of us can escape its ruthless current. But honestly, why should we want to?

Our age isn’t necessarily a detriment, so long as we know how to take it in stride. After all, let’s face it: everyone loves a silver fox. Honestly, have you seen Idris Elba?

The trick to graceful aging is to accept the maturing of your body, and allow your lifestyle to mature along with it. If we can’t escape the flow of time, we might as well ride the rapids.

The secret’s in the notes

Part of a “maturing lifestyle” is maturing your choice in fragrance. Just like wearing distressed skinny jeans, a man should stop smelling like a Hollister Co come age 30.

There are certain fragrance families that say “young, wild, and free” and others that say “bold, established, and sophisticated.” If you start wearing the latter too early, you run a chance of overwhelming your peers; cling on to the former and all you’ll smell like is a midlife crisis.

It can be unclear what fragrance notes and concentrations thereof are right for your demographic. We’ll help you figure it out with this handy guide to finding the proper cologne for your maturity, with examples of just what you should be looking for.

Teens to 20

If you’re looking into wearing cologne in your later stages of adolescence, you’re already ahead of the curve! This means that just about whatever you wear, you’ll be leagues ahead of the boys around you.

Remember that at this stage of life, rebellious self-expression is not only acceptable but somewhat encouraged. So go wild! Find a scent that feels right. If you’re a bit more mature for your age, try the other colognes in this article—or you could try some fragrances that really only a teen could pull off.

For instance, this is just about the only time you can hone in on sweet fragrances, so maybe try something like the sweet and aquatic Polo Blue by Ralph Lauren. Delectable fruity notes of melon, orange, and cucumber are mellowed out with basil, sage, and geranium, with an underlying maturity in its woodsy suede base.

As an eau de toilette, there’s no risk of overpowering the senses. Just don’t overapply to overcompensate, and the girls are sure to lean in when they notice you smell a little bit sweeter than everyone else.

Early to mid-20s

Congratulations, boy, you’re finally a man! Getting close, anyway. Now that you’re growing up, it’s time to freshen up and smell your age (and by “your age,” we don’t mean frat-sweat and beer).

Right now, your goal should be figuring out who you want to be and setting the foundations for your success. That’s exactly why you want the image of a guy who has it together—dress for the job you want, right?

It’s time to ditch the sweeter scents and go for a more mature vibe. Not too mature, of course—you don’t want to smell like your professor—but just enough to give off the impression that you have things handled. Like a guy who you can trust to plan a vacation.

Try for some fresh spicy scents, like the popular Dior Sauvage (you do have some dilution options with this one, but don’t graduate from eau de toilettes just yet). Notes of juicy, zesty bergamot—carefully grown and cultivated with perfumer Francois Demachy to create Dior’s signature essence—are trailed by a woody-sweet breath of ambergris and driftwood. This makes for a refreshing pick-me-up that, even on a campus full of strangers you can never quite place, is sure to leave a pleasant impression.

Late 20s to early 30s

Alright fellas, time to ditch body spray and graphic tees altogether. You’re a man coming into his own now, and you’ve got to mean at least a little bit of business. It’s time to smell like a real adult, one who’s unique and knows it—just not in any way that’s going to disrupt the office or social gathering.

The goal is to stand out, but not too much—you’re not a kid anymore, and loud self-expression just looks socially unaware. It’s a thin line, but at this point in your life and career, you should know how to handle a balancing act.

Keep it unique, but fresh. Though you could move up to a stronger eau de parfum for a day out and about, perhaps stick to the eau de toilette or traditional cologne in the workplace.

One option for you is the energizing Chanel Allure Homme Sport (available in all three of the aforementioned dilutions). The crystalline accord up top and the resplendent vetiver that follows serve to lighten the woodsy, spicy soul of the fragrance into something that evokes the clean fresh air of a morning in nature, followed by a smooth mature base that paints the image of a man who loves to work hard and enjoy an exciting life in style.

Mid-30s to early 40s

We’re finally getting there; now is when we climb over the hump from youth to true maturity. This can be a difficult adjustment period—time is creeping up on you, and you may begin to question who you are and what you’ve been doing.

There’s no need for a crisis; remember that your entire life has literally led up to now. You’ve taken these years to learn and get to know yourself better than anyone else ever could. Though knowing oneself is an endless journey, you should be more than familiar with your deeper self by now: your values, your morals, what you want and how you’ll get it.

With an established place in the world that you’ve worked so hard to own, it’s about time you start showing yourself off! Get a bit more exciting with your choices; shop for unique scents, and try not to hold yourself down with society’s standards.

You’re leaving youth behind, so don’t cling to it; try getting more sophisticated with complicated scent profiles, like 1872 from Clive Christian. This scent is citrusy yet rich, with a woody earthiness and fresh green resins. It’s a unique, but not overbearing, men’s cologne—just enough to make people wonder after they catch a whiff.

Mid-40s and beyond

A gentleman ages like a fine wine and you, good sir, are reaching vintage status. For the first time since your teens, you’re officially allowed to express your style without a single care. Be as loud and as bold as you wish, whether that means remodeling your living room around a showcase of your tobacco pipe collection, or just dying your hair pink.

At this age, you can really truly get weird with your cologne. So let’s double down on this new stage in your life with Vintage from John Varvatos. This distinct (and potent) fragrance blends notes like wormwood, rhubarb, juniper berries, cinnamon, and tobacco, for a truly unique and surprising scent profile. Take a journey of olfactory twists and turns; from a fresh green opening to a smooth leathery base, with a spicy-sweet transition in between.

Look at that, gentlemen; we’ve made it.

Age gracefully with ScentBox

As your life’s stage changes, so should your scent and style. With ScentBox, you’ll always be prepared for the next stage in your life! Our monthly subscription will keep you stocked with new designer colognes, so you don’t even have to bother with shopping for them. Wear them now, or take note of them for later—it never hurts to be prepared! And if you decide you’re happy with what you have, you can cancel at any time, no strings attached.

Time’s flow is ceaseless. There’s no sense in not enjoying the ride. Get ready for a long, glamorous life, and smell great in every moment of it!