Why do Nigerians smell so badly? No, I’m not talking about body odour (that one day sha), I mean, why do we spend so much on bad fragrances and then bathe in it? I don’t want to dabble in the argument of best-smelling Nigerian man, but as someone whose top compliments are, “you dress so nicely” and “you smell so nice”, I’ve earned the right to discuss this topic, and you must lend me your eyes.
A lot of Nigerians don’t have a personal, unique scent; they don’t even know what they like or how wearing perfume and cologne works. A lot of Nigerians with money all smell the same because they buy the same expensive but bad-smelling perfume, and will always leave you struggling to breathe at every encounter. I fit lie give you?
The Big boys will wear the same fragrance in the sun, wear it for an evening cocktail event, and then on Sunday to a one year old’s birthday party. They will empty a full bottle of oud on their body and leave the elevator smelling like an Arabian perfume parlour in Doha. They don’t understand the concept of “less is more’’; if it’s not choking the next person, it’s not strong enough.
Many Nigerian men lack identity; they don’t know what works for their skin or the perfect cologne for the right environment, and instead just follow the trends. If it’s not strong or expensive, they don’t want it. You don’t even want us to talk about the Nigerian musician with money; they reek of sweat and an unhealthy mixture of oud and weed before their show, and it’s amplified by the to-be-expected little hint of body odour after their performance.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of this bad behaviour, and men need to do better (some women too). The choice of cologne or perfume should not be determined by the popularity of the brand or its exorbitant price. A good fragrance should help boost your confidence and play a huge role in your personal branding; people should remember your smell even when you are not physically there, not because it overpowers them each time you meet, but because it’s subtle but memorable.
Fragrances comes in families such as Citrus, Floral, Woody, Gourmand, Aquatic, Spicy, Fruity, Herbal, and Green. The goal is not to wear every single one, as each one of us have particular scents that appeal to us and work with our body chemistry, but to find yours and stick to it. It does not matter how affordable or expensive it is; you need to understand the notes of your choice of fragrance and the right time to wear it for the best results.
Sometimes, a shelf filled with expensive perfumes gives that “money miss road” vibe, someone with no personal style, driven by peer pressure, with motivation from Instagram reels. I want to bet that most people who bathe themselves in perfume suffer from extreme peer pressure.
Here’s something we all need to learn: during the daytime, lighter, fresher scents work well; for the office or meetings, subtle, clean scents; deeper, leather scents at night, and richer, expressive scents for parties. A signature scent builds recognition, and the right scent elevates your style.
Perfume and cologne performance depend on the concentration of the oil in it. Parfums/Extrait are stronger, and in some cases, they last longer than 8 hours. Eau de parfume lasts for about 6 to 8 hours. Eau de toilette last for less due to lower concentration, about 3 to 5 hours, and Eau de Cologne lasts for less.
It does not matter if you empty an entire bottle on your body, it will mostly perform to its full strength depending on the concentration. We already live in a very humid country; it makes no sense suffocating the next person just because we need to flex. Heat amplifies oud, no need to apply too much. With cologne, 2 to 4 sprays, 2 to your pulse points does the magic,
Not all expensive perfume smells great; be a class act, smell different.
Mass is over.
Love & Peace,
Nobs