I don’t wear perfume/cologne at all—I enjoy many scents, but there are so many people who are sensitive to fragrances that it seems rude (my SO can’t stand perfumes, so I don’t wear any anymore). I’d avoid it in crowds and offices, and recommend only wearing it if you’re going to be spending time with someone that you already know enjoys it—otherwise there’s absolutely nothing wrong with simply keeping clean. Most people smell pretty okay naturally unless they’ve gotten very sweaty/dirty or haven’t washed in a long while. (Some people even prefer natural smells over perfumes.)
As for use: less than you think. Only you and someone in your “personal space” should be able to smell it. Don’t spray it all over—use very small amounts on “pulse points”: wrists, behind ears, throat. (This is harder to do with sprays than oils; it’s easy to spray too much.) What kind: something you like. What smells good sprayed in the air in a department store may not smell as good along with your own natural scent, so you may want to test at home before wearing something in public. Ask someone at a department store or perfume shop to help you if you really have no idea what to get, and don’t be embarrassed about it; if they are at all good at their job, they will be able to guide you toward scents of different types based on what you like—fruity, musky, floral, woodsy, light, heavy, what-have-you. If you don’t know where to begin, think about other smells you like: fresh-cut grass, vanilla, ocean air, Irish Spring soap? If you have a significant other, ask what they like too...
(This is knowledge I have not used in a long enough time that I’d completely forgotten I had it!)
I don’t wear perfume/cologne at all—I enjoy many scents, but there are so many people who are sensitive to fragrances that it seems rude (my SO can’t stand perfumes, so I don’t wear any anymore). I’d avoid it in crowds and offices, and recommend only wearing it if you’re going to be spending time with someone that you already know enjoys it—otherwise there’s absolutely nothing wrong with simply keeping clean. Most people smell pretty okay naturally unless they’ve gotten very sweaty/dirty or haven’t washed in a long while. (Some people even prefer natural smells over perfumes.)
As for use: less than you think. Only you and someone in your “personal space” should be able to smell it. Don’t spray it all over—use very small amounts on “pulse points”: wrists, behind ears, throat. (This is harder to do with sprays than oils; it’s easy to spray too much.) What kind: something you like. What smells good sprayed in the air in a department store may not smell as good along with your own natural scent, so you may want to test at home before wearing something in public. Ask someone at a department store or perfume shop to help you if you really have no idea what to get, and don’t be embarrassed about it; if they are at all good at their job, they will be able to guide you toward scents of different types based on what you like—fruity, musky, floral, woodsy, light, heavy, what-have-you. If you don’t know where to begin, think about other smells you like: fresh-cut grass, vanilla, ocean air, Irish Spring soap? If you have a significant other, ask what they like too...
(This is knowledge I have not used in a long enough time that I’d completely forgotten I had it!)