UrbanUpdate

Cristiano Ronaldo could reliably advise you on a great number of things: how to get into the best shape of your life, for example, or how to run a massive global empire. Sadly, applying cologne doesn't seem to be on that list.

At an event celebrating his new fragrance, aptly named Cristiano Ronaldo Legacy, the world-famous athlete was photographed spritzing some of the scent directly onto his turtleneck. We get that this was probably just a moment of pantomiming for the benefit of the press, but Ronaldo's fan base includes a legion of impressionable young men, and we can't have them thinking this is an appropriate application method.

Directing a stream of concentrated essential oils and alcohol onto a garment—especially one made of wool or cashmere—is a massive grooming don't. Fragrances are made to be worn on the skin, where they can evaporate slowly and reveal their range of notes over the course of a day. But applying them to fabrics is a surefire way to help those fabrics break down faster than they would with normal wear and tear. It also more or less locks you into wearing that scent until the next time you have that garment laundered. What happens when you've doused a beloved sweater with Cristiano Ronaldo Legacy one week and want to wear it with Antonio Banderas Blue Seduction the next?

Read MoreNot the Face! A Handy Guide to Applying CologneBy Andrew Richdale

It's a much better move to let your scent rest on your actual skin (using one of these GQ-approved methods, naturally), dry a little bit, and then put on what you're going to wear. It might take a little extra time when you're getting ready in the morning, but it sure beats the slow and painful death of your new favorite piece of knitwear.

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