Explorer is the other side of Montblanc, and it goes for a slightly more rugged, outdoorsy mood. Where Legend feels like a well-cut jacket, Explorer feels like the same jacket in a place with weather.

The Explorer Eau de Parfum is the standard, and the one to smell first. Explorer Platinum is a variation on it, and Explorer Infinite Eau de Parfum Spray is a fresh woody one built around lemon and patchouli with musk. Explorer Extreme Parfum is a woody, leathery one and the most concentrated, so I would wear it out to dinner rather than to a desk.

I like Montblanc fragrances for men who do not want to think about cologne too hard. The bottles are clean, the names are obvious, and the family is easy to follow: if you like one, the neighbour on the shelf is probably good too. That is a rare thing in fragrance, which is usually a maze of names.

A useful test is to wear one Explorer for a full week. By day three you will know how you feel about the middle of it, and by day five you will know if your coworkers say anything, good or bad. Fragrance is a habit, and habits are built slowly.

Spray Explorer on the chest under a collar, where body heat lifts it gradually through the day. If you are sharing a car or a lift, one spray less than you would use at night is a courtesy.

An office asks for a different kind of cologne. You are sharing air with people in meetings, and a fragrance that fills a room at seven in the morning is not doing anyone favors. This group is what I would pick from: fresh, clean, and pleasantly quiet.

Jo Malone London's Yuzu Zest is the cleanest of the first six, a bright citrus cologne that disappears politely after a few hours. Maison Margiela's Replica Under the Lemon Trees, with citrus and musk, is soft and sunny. Tom Ford's Costa Azzurra, with lemon and oakwood, is fresh and woody. Armani Beauty's I Will, with vanilla, and Prada's Paradigme, with amber and vanilla, are the warmer picks, and Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Beau Narcisse, with tonka bean and vanilla, is the sweetest, better for cold days than for a crowded office.

What I would skip: anything heavy and sweet on a warm day in a small room, and any large number of sprays. Two sprays is plenty, and for the lighter citrus bottles, three is fine. Citrus notes fade fastest, so carrying the small bottle for a midday top-up is reasonable, and nobody will notice one quiet spray after lunch.

I also like to keep one cleaner bottle for meetings with people I have not met before. It is a small thing, but a first impression that smells fresh and forgettable in a good way is not a bad first impression. Apply at home, not at your desk, so the first burst has faded by the time you sit down.

To choose, ask yourself three things: where you will wear it, how long you will be around other people, and what the weather is doing. Warm and sweet for evenings, citrus for offices, something in the middle for the weekend.

If you want a single bottle to cover most days, Legend Eau de Toilette or Legend Spirit is the easy answer, and a citrus cologne from the last group is the natural second. Two bottles, one for warm months and one for cold, is a better system than ten you rarely finish.

Buy a small size first if one is available. Spray on skin, not on a paper strip, and leave it for a few hours before deciding. Keep your bottle in a cool drawer, not on a sunny shelf. And if someone asks what you are wearing, you have probably picked well.

The office colognes get you through the day, and I like to keep a warmer bottle for after you have taken the tie off. Vanilla runs through most of this shelf, so it is easy to compare. Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir and Le Male Le Parfum with Lavender & Vanilla are the sweet end, and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and Vanilla Sex go deeper. Maison Margiela Replica By The Fireplace is the cozy one for cold nights, while Replica Beach Walk is the light one. Prada Luna Rossa Black and Ocean, plus Armani Acqua di Giò Eau de Parfum Intense, suit anyone who finds vanilla too sweet. Rabanne 1 Million Elixir is a bold choice for dinner. What I would skip: Heretic Dirty Vanilla in a quiet meeting room, since the name suggests it is not a quiet scent. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together What Do These Fragrances Smell Like and Mugler Perfume.