I've only worn cologne that women have given me and asked me to wear. My wife prefers for me to use unscented anti-perspirant and a light amount of a cologne of her choosing.

Some women have told me that an all-too-obvious amount of cologne simply reeks of desperation, which ties into what you already wrote. Essentially, men are often dumb and desperate.

Really, I think the biggest benefit is that it makes guys 'think' that it helps, thereby giving them more confidence - which, IMHO, is what matters most (unless you can figure out a way to spray a six-figure income or brad pitt looks).

If it really takes these scents to get women excited, why are hippies having so much sex?

'chouli oil, dude!! (well, and pot)

I actually proofed it again on my sidekick, which is not easy, but I hope this has less mistakes.

Now back to more important matters like why a bottle of perfumed water can cost 60 bucks a bottle.

Cologne-wearing has always seemed to me like it belonged to a subculture that I was not, and had no interest in being, a part of, so I've always just ignored it. To me, it's not much different from wearing earrings or tattoos or St. Louis Cardinals gear. It's something other people do in their subcultures, not something I do in mine.

Check out this Hai Karate advertisement. It's almost exactly the same theme as Axxe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAnU9zT87j4

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way or has this experience.

There, I explained it. :)

the only way you can get away with that is if your in your very early teens 13 to 17 I say that because I was guilty of wearing to much Paco Rabanne in my very early youth, I'm all natural these days, but I do use "Red Zone" body wash 8 hour scent technology.

Perfume is like ketchup for the body. If the meat isn't rotten, you don't need ketchup, and if the body is recently bathed, you don't need fragrance.

Personally, I have three bottles of cologne--two were gifts--and they're all just about full. If I go out, I may put a very small amount on, just enough so one might smell it if they leaned in close. I've actually been complimented on my smell more when I'm wearing nothing.

I do think some women like cologne, although I do believe there are more who don't. I really believe that it's advertising that causes so many men to believe that all women want their men to have a masked scent. That, and the fact that men are really only conscious of their own natural scent when they're smelling especially bad.

That's why it's imperative to bed a gal ASAP. You've got to see what kind of morning face she's got going on.

In an added note, the Calvin Klein OBSESSION for women gave me a literal instant headache whenever I smelled it in it 80's heyday. And to make matters even more surreal, the girl to whom I lost my virginity wore it.

1) Geographic variance. I've noticed that cologne seems more popular, more frequently used, on the East Coast. Jewelry too, on men.

2) Generational variance, with two caveats. I've noticed that it seems more men of my father's generation (though not my own father) use(d) cologne. I hypothesize that in California, the general lack of humidity reduces the need to cover-over the sweaty odor one cultivates of the East Coast's humidoric splendor. Caveat one: see note #1, since many people in California came from places East of California. Caveat two: the products Scott is referring to is targeting a new generation.

3) Quantity. For men and women, there is absolutely nothing worth than any scent that overpowers. If you step into an elevator and notice a strong scent, that's way, way, way too much. Now, this can be applied to any scent: cologne, perfume, body odor, a bouquet of flowers, a particularly stinky cheese, post-exercise sweat, post-other-things-sweat, hair-spray/gel/foam. My wife will sometimes wear perfume, and I only really notice if when I get really close to her, so she's probably doing it right, because it is subtle. 8 Schteeve is clearly doing this right because when a woman hugs him, she notices.

4) Scotch, really? I wish my wife were one of those. I have to choose between the pleasure of scotch and the pleasure of kissing my wife.

Personally, the closest I've come to this is after-shave, but I never understood the alcohol-based ones that burn your face when you slap it on. I've settled on a gel that helps soothe my skin and leaves behind, perhaps, a tiny scent that no one in an elevator would notice, unless she were licking my face. Hm. Maybe I should wear a sign...

It's just so much better to just wash your clothes, take a bath or shower (but do so, no questions asked) and look as clean as you can. I do, however, indulge in scented oils every now and then for the nice little "high" you get.

I'm surprised chocolate or cocoa wasn't listed as a scent that she would like; how many hits do you think that would get?

20 One thing that annoys me even further in regard to Quantity; more often than not, people will dump a lot of perfume or cologne on them to cover their body odor. I've encountered this so much that now whenever I smell people approaching before I see them, I dodge them for fear of getting hit with that double-whammy. Yikes!

My Grandpa used to slather on the Brut or Musk and it was really bad. I do think he showered less than preferable.

I agree with the whole jewelry and cologne being more east coast. Let's be honest, it's more Italian behavior, even when Irish or Hispanic types do it. Trying to be Mafia-style. I swear when they wear too much cologne, they should be forced to scrub it off. I guess that I'm proposing a form of ethnic cleansing. Maybe I should rethink this.

I guess I'm trying to come up with a reason beyond a cultural typology, though now that you mention it, those observations seem true enough. If you've met Jews from Florida, same deal (having some relatives of that kind)...

Do you think the humidity logic holds up? Sure, after multiple generations, it may become cultural, but to start with, perhaps in the age before omnipresent air conditioning, you might imagine summertimes where people just stunk to high heaven because of the constant moisture building up on them in their clothes. Hence, a need for men to compensate and become better smelling?

Contrast with the whole 1930s open-air living movement that drove many to Los Angeles, and you might see people adopting new and different personal hygene standards... ?

Regarding cinnabon et al., according to studies, the combo of lavender and pumpkin pie are the boner inducers. Or something like that:
http://www.scienceofsmell.com/scienceofsmell/index.cfm?action=completedsexual

Or just google "lavender and pumpkin pie".

Increase in vaginal blood flow. Notable odors: "good and plenty" + cucumber: +13%, baby powder +13%, lavender and pumpkin pie +11%, baby powder and chocolate +4%, perfume +1%, men's cologne -1%, charcoal bbq meat -14%, cherry -19%. (Hirsch & Gruss)

Always bringing the class to the Toaster.

Hispanics using cologne is not Italian-wannabe behavior. If you lived in the tropics, you wouldn't need someone to explain men's fragrances to you--in a country where it's almost always hot and humid, and most people don't have air conditioning, there are only so many times a day you can shower. You go to the Caribbean and cologne's everywhere, and among some circles it's practically considered rude to go without it.

As for Cinnabon, they employ some homely people, at least on the East Coast. The scent of cinnamon can only take you so far.

28 Don't forget in the poorer areas, it's not uncommon to wear the same outfit over and over again.

Please let me reinforce that I'm not saying it's a majority of guys on the east coast, just a bigger percentage follow this behavior than any other place in the country. Part of the culture.