After all, scent is a powerful bodily reaction, with a stronger link to memory and emotion than any of our other senses. That's because smells are processed differently than what we see, hear, touch or taste. According to Venkatesh Murthy, chair of Harvard's department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, smells are handled by the olfactory bulb, the structure in the front of the brain directly connected to the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, and the amygdala, which does the emotional processing.

So that explains why it feels so good to spray yourself with an old favorite scent. Like pulling on a weighted blanket, it brings instant comfort. Just a few spritzes can also unlock different facets of our personality—be it sophisticated, sexy or sporty. This also explains why one Valet. editor confessed to spraying one scent in the morning before the day and another one before getting into bed.

While I've enjoyed the novelty of revisiting my old favorites, I've definitely graduated to more sophisticated and intellectual fragrances these days. Bottles from D.S. & Durga, the Parisian perfume house Ex Nihlo and classics like Aqua di Parma. Hurly says this happens as men get older because we have a little more cash to spend on ourselves and are willing to invest in quality. The payoff is that these fragrances, formulated with higher quality raw ingredients, have more promising sillage—an industry term for the degree to which a perfume's fragrance lingers in the air when worn.

He also says that after you've experimented with several different genres of colognes, it's probably time to choose a signature scent. “When it comes to the one you'll wear, through and through, you really have to nail down how you want to be perceived,” he says. For example, you can't wear something heavy on spice or leather all the time; it simply feels too polarizing to your colleagues or mismatched on bright summer days. “Save that cologne for dates, or for peak winter—since it invites closeness and is inherently sensual. Instead, find something softer, more balanced, and less suggestive.”

His recommendation? Aim for approachability. “You need to decide if you want to be complimented on your scent (and even asked which one it is), or if you want it to be so subtle that it is simply present and positive,” he advises. “There are a billion options that fall in this range, and they are in fragrance families like florals, woods, aromatics, greens, citruses and more.” You'll find something that feels like you, or that gives you that extra air of confidence. But both the experts I spoke with (and I, myself) agree that it's smart to have a few reliable regular fragrances—even if one remains your signature. We're so much more than one scent can capture. Even if that fragrant plume of air captures so much.