How-to: tell when your man’s fragrance has gone off

There’s nothing worse than a bad stench that just follows you around…especially when that bad stench is attached to your man!

Off perfume and cologne can be positively stinky. Even the sweetest of scents can start to smell repellent if left too long, so knowing the lifespan of your fragrance is essential – for the sake of your nose – and everyone around you! Here’s some simple tips on keeping your man’s fragrance fresh…

Know the shelf life
The average perfume has a shelf life of around five years. If it’s a pure perfume (ie: not an ‘eau de toilette’) then it’s shelf life can be as little as one to two years. If you read the ingredients list on the back of your perfume packet, you’ll get a rough idea of how long it will last by looking at the alcohol content. A high amount of alcohol equals a longer shelf life, because alcohol acts as a preservative agent.

Look at the colour
When a perfume starts to reach the end of it’s lifespan, the colour of the liquid will usually begin to turn darker, so take note of any visible changes in your scent.

The sniff test
Of course the most obvious way to tell if a perfume has gone off is to give it a smell. A perfume that is at the end of it’s life will start to develop a different scent to it’s usual one. It may smell stale, watery or more pungent than usual. This, in combination with a change in colour is usually the best way to tell that it’s time to ditch the bottle and head to the shop for a new perfume.