Solid Colognes are a great way to incorporate a scent into your everyday carry or travel rotation, without risking a spill or broken bottle of cologne.

Incorporating them into your routine is easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind to get the most out of the product.

Don't dig into the cologne

Solid Colognes contain much more concentrated fragrance, in the form of essential oils, than Beard Balms and other wax-based products, and are therefore much softer.

Be careful to simply glide your finger over the surface of the cologne to apply it, as opposed to digging your fingers into the tin and scooping the product. By keeping the surface of the solid cologne smooth, you have much more control over the quantity of product on your fingers, and will waste less as a result.

Gliding your fingers across the surface to collect the cologne will also make sure that you have the correct amount each time. Fragrance is something that is easy to over-do, but by keeping the amount of cologne that you're applying relatively even each time, you're at much less of a risk to over-apply.

Apply to pressure points

Solid colognes work best when applied to areas that allow the essential oils in the blend to naturally evaporate and release scent, as they don't rely on other ingredients like alcohols to aid with evaporation.

Apply the colognes to areas like the wrists or the base of the neck, as these areas are generally warmer than average, and allows the essential oils to evaporate properly and put off scent as they should. A good rule of thumb is to feel for your pulse - if you can feel it with relative ease, it's probably a decent place to apply your solid cologne. 

Don't be afraid to touch-up

One of the drawbacks of using essential oils to provide the scents for colognes is the time that the scent hangs around. Synthetic fragrances generally keep their smell longer than natural ones, so one application can last up to 48 hours.

If you're looking to keep the scent of your solid cologne noticeable longer than a few hours, it might be a good idea to re-apply a small amount of cologne over the same area. This ensures that the scent remains fresh, and works better than simply applying more cologne to begin with.

Applying a small amount of the cologne to items like clothes or hair can also help to retain the fragrance, as these materials provide more surface area for the fragrance to stick to. Be careful not to over apply, as the cologne can leave marks on some materials.