A Man For All Seasons: The Best Men's Cologne For Spring

What are the best men's fragrance and cologne for the spring time? Spring is in full bloom and with winter on the way out, you want to wear something that hints at the last bit of winter while teasing of an on coming summer. When spring is in the air, you may also want to have something with a bit of the carnal in it as well. I mean, it is a time of rebirth, blossoming, and new life.

Everyone's got their personal favorites and enjoyments based on time of year and mood. Here's a few of my favorites for Spring and why I chose them!

Happy by Clinique for men is all citrus and all spring. Will also go well into the summer months as well, but for me this a perfect daytime scent for Spring. It's more of a daytime fragrance and goes well when you're wearing bright colors.

Anytime you want to evoke a light fresh, crisp, feeling this is the choice. Happy literally makes you happy.

I found Happy rather by accident. Most good finds are happy accidents. (yes I just went there)

A friend mentions she saw an add for the ladies version and thought this was the coolest name for a perfume. A couple days later I'm passing through Macy's and see the Men's version of it. Took one whiff and was done. Now my wife buys it for me as a gift and life is good!

The main tones are citrus and there seems to be a hint of marine in there. People find it refreshing, easy going and definitely unique.

Because it's heavy in the citrus, it tends to burn off faster than most. Initial application will probably last for 5-6 hours. So, the trick is strategic application. A spritz to the chest, a little on the arms and one down the back of the neck.

DO NOT GO OVERBOARD! There really is, especially with cologne, such a thing as too much of a good thing. Less is more in this situation.

In High School, when every one else was wearing Polo, Drakkar, and Eternity, I was off in a different direction all together. Quite normal for me to be off in a different direction. I found a strong affinity for music and movies from an era I didn't belong too. The 20's - 40's. When I was 17 no less. I stumbled on Jazz music and while Depeche Mode, New Order and The Pet Shop Boys were still king, there was something wonderful, magical and mysteriously intoxicating about this music called Jazz.

Being off in a different direction meant I was in the drama club and sang in the Madrigal Choir instead of sports. It also meant an annual competition between high school choirs that would drop me in Washington D.C. and on two different cruises to Mexico. So one night in the spring of 1991, I hit the gift shop on the ship and saw a very cool looking bottle with the perfect name and bought it straight away without even smelling it first. I knew it would be perfect for me. It was and it became my signature scent for quite sometime.

Jazz by Yves Saint Laurent was released in 1988. It's fresh, woody, and has a real old school flavor to it. It completely lives up to it's name. Jazz is spontaneous and gives vitality to the player and the listener. As does this fragrance. Jazz smells like freedom. First wearing this elegant scent on the open ocean is freedom.

Jazz is best worn in the evening and will suit you all year long. Personally I like wearing it in the spring so I can go back in time a little bit. Either back to 1991 or 1937. All depends on my mood really but both work!

Speaking of freedom and the open ocean, you can not screw up an aquatic cologne in Spring time. Nothing goes better with Spring then the smell of the sea air and life in blossom and bloom. Spring time is indicative of flowers and grass and things that make me sneeze. Spring is also a time of shifting seasons and yearning for summer. Summer is always a time of freedom. From time off, vacation, July 4th. It's coming and we're all looking forward to it of not straight up ready for it.

The ocean in all it's splendor has been the purest most powerful symbol for freedom to many and the drive to explore beyond the common ground you're on is created every time you look to the horizon from the sand.

What does that smell like?

For me it smells like Nautica Blue or Cool Water. Both evoke the mystery of the open ocean. Both are fresh. Both help take you somewhere else.

Which is for most the denouement of a good fragrance. A good fragrance will take you on a journey while leaving you right where you are.

A denouement can be defined as "the final outcome of the main dramatic complication." Fragrance and perfume is complicated and a good one will be dramatic and it will connect you with something beyond flesh and blood.

Flirt Tip Sidebar: If you know you're going to be in a hugging setting and have your sights on hottie, a very light spritz on the back of the neck is ideal for "lighting" up your target.

Reality Tip Sidebar: I have no idea if this actually helped or hurt the cause, but it was considered back in the day a sure fire way to melt the said hottie and get one step closer to a make out session!

Below are 3 flashback colognes that I will give honorable mention to BUT in no way suggest a resurgence. But hey! If you want to go there, I'm all for it!

Polo spent a good amount of time in the glove box of my buddy Jeff's truck. Sitting right next the pack of gum. Fresh breath and smelling good were very important in High School. Always there when the need presented itself to smell fresh. I mean heck, you never know when you're going to run into some girls and need to be at your best.

Drakkar Noir has got to be the all time stereotypical high school fragrance. At least any time I hear it or smell it, it's 1988 all over again and unfortunately not in a good way. I'm sure Drakkar has it's fans still and for some it may be a signature scent, but as I mentioned earlier there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Personally, if I can separate myself from the 8 out of 10 lockers in the gym that smelled like feet, dirty shorts and Drakkar, I like how it smells. But much like this song from the 80's you can totally overdo it!

Finally, Eternity for me kicks in around '89 and for me gets attached to all things late 80's that were cooler than me. I was convinced that in order to wear this cologne you needed a better wardrobe than I would ever have (meaning you had multiple pairs of Z Cavaricci pants) and odds were also good your parents bought you a German made car to drive to school. Neither a reality for me! But I'm not bitter...

High School for most is filled with wonderful memories and a few (ok, maybe more) things we regret or wish never happened, but like the Spring time it is a feverish time of growth and discovery and an important part of who we are now. Mind you all of this was brought on by scent... a true testimonial of the power of fragrance!