Evening is when I let a fragrance take up some room. Darker bottles usually mean resin, wood, leather or amber, and they are made for cooler air, restaurants and closed rooms. They do not need much of it. Two sprays, one on the chest and one on the back of the neck, is plenty. If you can smell it clearly at arm's length, it is probably already too much for the table.

Viktor&Rolf's Spicebomb Dark Leather has incense and dark leather in the name and sounds every bit as moody as it reads. Tom Ford's Ébène Fumé pairs palo santo with ebony wood, smoky and dry, and the one I would put on for a late dinner in winter. Dior's Sauvage Extrait is the deeper, more concentrated take on a scent many people already know, a good step up if the original has become too familiar.

PHLUR's Father Figure is soft and easy, and it dries down to a warm vanilla. Rabanne's 1 Million Elixir has tonka bean and woody amber, sweet and rounded, best after dark and in the cold. Jo Malone London's Cypress & Grapevine Cologne Intense adds amber to a green, woody idea, a lovely one for the days when you want depth without sweetness.

The tip I would give for all of these is to spray once on clothing at the collar as well as on skin. Deep scents sit and last on fabric, and a small amount goes a long way. Dry skin lets scent disappear quickly, so a little unscented lotion first helps it last through dinner.

Some days you just want to smell like a very good version of yourself. That is what skin scents are for. They are quiet, close to the body, and built mostly on musk, which is why they work in a small office or on a first date.

Viktor&Rolf's Spicebomb Metallic Musk mixes pepper and musk, a cooler take on the brand's spicy side. Clean Reserve's Skin is a musk and vanilla scent, warm and unfussy. DedCool's Mochi Milk is soft and milky, closer to a cozy sweater than a cologne. Prada's Luna Rossa Black has musk and bergamot, brighter than the others in this group. PHLUR's Vanilla Skin is the sweet one, and 5 SENS' Catch Feelings is the friendly, easy one for anyone who wants to keep it simple.

What I would skip: a heavy fragrance for a long day at a desk or a crowded trip, and any dark evening bottle in warm weather, where it becomes loud. I would also skip spraying over a scented body wash or lotion, which muddies everything, and I would not buy a bottle of anything from a single sniff of a paper card. Wear it on skin for a few hours first.

How I choose is fairly simple. Test on skin, not on paper, and give the scent a few hours to settle before you decide. What smells bright at the start often turns warm and soft by lunch, and the opposite happens too.

Spray on clean skin after a shower, on the chest, neck and inner elbows, and keep the bottle somewhere cool and dark, not on a sunny window sill. Start with one or two sprays and add a third only if you cannot smell it on yourself after an hour. You will always smell it more than anyone else does. If you want a tidy set, choose one bright bottle, one evening bottle and one musk, and rotate them by mood, weather and room.

I sorted this edit by the hour you wear a bottle, and a few scents sit in the gaps between day, night and bare skin. For the brightest mornings, Jo Malone London Orange Marmalade and Earl Grey & Cucumber are light and easy. Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk, with its coconut milk and musk, is the weekend one. For evenings, I would look at Tom Ford Oud Wood, Rabanne Phantom Elixir with oud and vanilla, and the two Spicebomb bottles from Viktor&Rolf. Dior Sauvage Eau Forte and BVLGARI Man Wood Essence sit between the two. If you want something closer to skin, Initio Musk Therapy is the one to smell. Wear Beach Walk with a plain white tee and nothing else.