If you want to buy cologne as a gift for your father, brother, boyfriend, husband or any man on your list, it's probably easier than you think to get them a scent they'll love. Just keep a few tips in mind and it'll be hard to go wrong.

Don't buy cologne for a man who doesn't wear cologne. At worst, you'll seem like you're giving him a hint that he smells less than fabulous all on his own! If it's not someone you're very close to, there could be allergies or sensitivity to colognes and different scents involved. Many people don't wear colognes and heavy perfumes by choice for these reasons. Only buy cologne for someone that does wear cologne.

If it's a co-worker gift exchange or for someone you don't know much about, do a little research. Ask people close to them about their favorite colognes, or even whether they wear cologne or not. You may think you should be able to get close enough to give them a sniff, to find that out on your own. And you may, if they do wear a specific brand you recognize. But some aftershaves and deodorants have a strong, lingering scent much like cologne. It can be hard to tell the difference, if you don't have an experienced nose.

If you can find out which colognes he likes, then you've got a great starting point. You can search online or head to the department store fragrance counter with the list of his favorites. Either way, you'll get recommendations for colognes with the same type of notes. A man who really likes the scent of CK, a unisex fragrance with hints of pineapple, papaya and bergamot may not enjoy a gift of Drakkar Noir with its much richer spicy, citrus and sandalwood tones. If he already wears a brand of cologne, go for others with the same qualities.

One important tip is to not buy cologne you haven't smelled yourself. This is like playing nasal roulette. You don't want to discover the scent is particularly ghastly after you present it to him with a smile. You also don't want to discover than you've given someone a scent so strong that he must spray it in the air and simply run through the fallout to avoid stares and wrinkled noses while at work.

If you really find a scent overpowering or unpleasant, even if you're on a budget and it's the right price, pass it up. This holds especially true if it your guy you're buying for. If it's not something you're going to want to smell on him, don't buy it. While it's true that men are typically a bit less fussy about their fragrances than women, that doesn't mean that they'll wear anything. You wouldn't buy him an argyle shirt if he's more a flannel kind of guy, so don't buy cologne for your guy that smells like leather and sandalwood if he's more of a sporty, citrusy personality.

Photo credits: cathyse97

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Men's Fragrance, cologne

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aftershaves, allergies, brother, co worker, cologne, colognes, department store, gift exchange, great starting point, papaya, perfumes, pineapple, roulette, sandalwood, scents, smile, unisex fragrance