Welcome to Pherotalk. 
Yes, there is a lot of utter bullshit out there about pheros and you are right to be cautious. Hopefully you will soon find the good competing products and sellers in discussion here.
At thirty five, you have the full range of pheros, doses and mixes open to you hopefully a bit of experementing will show-up what suits you best.
Fo that reason I’d suggest the “Killer Newbie Kit” which has a togo of all the consumer range at a reasonable discount - You can also use the GC to bring the cost down further.
If you are wanting to spend less, I would suggest the following for more consideration:
Ammo - All round sexy,social and masculine feel that can be worn in most situations. Similarly the “Summer Ammo” variant is a more laid-back/social version of the same. At 35, you may be getting into the range of the 2x or “Heavy” Ammo but it is best to find your best dose with the 1x product first.
Instant Shine - Happy, feelgood and socially confident. AD’s most all round product that can help get a lot of attention in all the good ways. Good on its own and combines well with many other pheros, particularly Ammo.
IO - Social in a bright/bubbly way. Helps promote flowing conversation and makes it easier to talk to people and be talked to.
TUTH - A much more overt sexual, mainly for use with an established partner but also useful in raunchy environments like clubs and parties, esp when moderated by some IO/IS - don’t wear this to work or polite socials as it can make people edgy around you or piss guys off.
IG - A light and youthful smart/social feel that helps make a good impression. Smooth/suave and smart.
A314 - A much more mature status product that really delivers the goods at work but can be useful in projecting very high status and trust, along with solid LTR values. Good in clubs and sexual situations alongside a little TUTH around 30+ women who tend to be more tuned-in to its no-nonsense sex/status vibe but can scare-off younger ones who are more liable to like a softer, more fun/social signature.
As for scent, pheros do need it to diffuse effectively but most consumer products come in 6% Neroli, which is a light orange scent that settles to a fresh but very light level after 30 minutes or so - so you can combine quite effectively without stinking. A314 comes in 6% Akuto which is a light musky scent that again settles light. A314 oil also comes in a version of Akuto that is almost undetectable after half an hour or so and is the best choice for no-scent professional environments. Unscented can be got by special order but this is generally for experienced users who want to produce their own mixes - Newbies are strongly advised against it and the AD warranty will not apply to custom or unscented products.
All of these will co-reside well with Aqua di-Gio and many other good colognes. Ammo is the only one in a cologne scent and yes, I’ll say it is not my favourite, although Summer Ammo is in a different scent that is excellent.
Pheros do not work at all well on clothes - many fibers trap the pheros and don’t let them diffuse and often the clothes never get warm enough to diffuse properly anyway, so you need vastly increased and wasteful doses to get results. Pheros trapped in clothing can also cause stinky problems that are difficult to wash out. Skin, with its even blood flow is a far better surface to apply and clean, even pheros designed for clothing application (eg Alter Ego oil) will actually work better on skin at a much smaller dose.
