Covering up unwanted scents (from bars, body odor, cigarettes, etc), pheromones (chemical that makes a person more attractive or desirable), and boosting your natural scent are three of the most common reasons people wear perfume and cologne. Each reason has an effect, not only on the person wearing the perfume or cologne, but also on the people they encounter as well.
The manufacturing process - of perfume and cologne - and what goes into it is extremely complicated. The chemicals alone interact with our bodily chemicals and our skin. This interaction is what causes perfumes and colognes to smell differently on different people. (Additionally, this interaction is so complex that the foods you eat can even cause your perfume to smell differently.)
As silly as this may sound, it is a very important fact. The sampler cards at stores allow you to smell a perfume or cologne in its natural, pure state. However, once it is on your skin it will smell completely different. The only way you will know how a perfume or cologne will smell on you is to test it on your own skin, like inner part of your wrist.
Regardless of how perfumes and colognes are made, people wear them for many different reasons. When people wear perfumes and colognes, they usually feel better about themselves. The ironic part of all of this is that the perfume and cologne actually has a positive effect on the people surrounding them as well. (This only works, of course, if you do not lather yourself with it.)
It has always been easier, or more acceptable, for women to wear perfume. Men have always had a tendency to shy away from colognes because it is marketed as "make yourself smell pretty". Looking at it this way, it is not very masculine. However, manufacturers intentionally create cologne with masculine smells like spices so they do not have the sweet smells that perfumes have.
This being said, there are men that do wear cologne and these men are typically more confident in themselves and generally can easily catch the attention of others. Confidence, in anyone, will make him or her appear more attractive. However, the cologne plays a role in this as well.
Wearing perfume or cologne is a sign that someone takes care of themselves and cares about how presentable they are. It is possible that, for men, this is why they are more attractive when they wear cologne, as this is a quality most women adore. Regardless, a psychological reaction happens to the people around you if you are the one wearing the perfume or cologne.
Even though many of the intricate details are unknown, wearing perfume and cologne boost your confidence and the way other people see you. Simple improvements that we make for ourselves change our outlook and overall life experiences. Something as simple as wearing perfume or cologne could open a new door for people. Even if it does not, your overall confidence level will rise - not a bad trade off for trying something new.
