You choose the right shoes for the occasion. The right outfit. Even the right hairstyle. So why should your fragrance be selected with anything less than the same diligence?

Gone are the days when a single bottle was all you needed. Nowadays a man’s top shelf must buckle with an array of wonderfully over-designed bottles if he is to hold any hope of getting on in life.

With a surplus of scents befitting only formal events and others made solely for the casual day-to-day, this is your guide to sniffing out the best for every situation a modern man faces. When it comes to standing out, the nose knows.

At Work

The aim of the nine-to-five slog is to snag the corner office, not whiff like the old leather chair inside it. Any sensible employer would turn their nose up at an over-perfumed staff member whose scent enters the office before them.

So what smells like team spirit? Something light with an aromatic undertone will make the airspace around you fresh, without causing your desk neighbour any headaches. In other words, opt for subtle smells when you’re at the coalface to save yourself getting burned.

Citrus scents are a particularly good choice. However, they do tend to diminish more quickly than others, so keep a bottle or travel atomiser in your bag for a midday top-up.

After Work

Socialising with colleagues (and that includes your boss) is a necessary evil to get on in any industry. But to avoid post-work drinks feeling like groundhog day, it pays to switch up your fragrance when moving from business to pleasure.

Of course, you still want to retain some veneer of professionalism. To do so, opt for something heady and distinctive, which can be achieved by looking for notes such as amber and ambergris. It’s unlikely a colleague will be wearing anything similar.

Or you could play it a little safer with a modern classic like Givenchy Gentleman, which is woody and aromatic, thanks to its heart of patchouli and vetiver, without being so overpowering as to stop anyone from wanting to share your bowling lane.