At first glance, perfume might seem like scented alcohol, water you just spray on and that's it. However, it takes a little finesse to learn how to apply perfume correctly.
If you've ever wondered why your perfume only lasts an hour or two, the reason may be that you're not wearing it in the best way.
Francois Demachy, Dior perfumer, says that "the best perfumes evoke a memory when you smell them."
This means that, to smell your favorite perfume, it is essential to learn the correct way to apply it.
This is a multi-part guide to help you learn how to get the most out of your perfume.
1. Find your favorite perfume
This may seem obvious, but not wearing something you really like will make everything else pointless.
That's why it's important to test a potential perfume several times before buying it. Always spray the perfume on your skin when you test it.
You can consult our articles on " How to find your essence: Part 1 " and " Part 2 " to guide you when choosing a new fragrance.
2. Choose the appropriate concentration
One of the most important things you should do when you find your favorite perfume is to choose the right perfume concentrations.
You will then know that these concentrations vary from one perfume to another and affect the sillage and projection, along with some other subtle things.
All scented products fall into one of these main categories:
- Eau Fraiche 1-3%
- Eau de Toilette 5-15%
- Eau de Parfum 15-20%
- Parfum / Extrait de Parfum 20-40%
Most perfumes come in Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum concentrations.
You can find out more about this topic in the post " Basic knowledge of perfumes: Perfume concentrations "
3. Choose the perfume for the appropriate occasion or season
Another important point to consider before buying a perfume is choosing the right perfume for specific occasions and seasons.
This will largely depend on your lifestyle, your workplace, and where you live in the world. Daytime fragrances are typically lighter, more citrusy, fresher, and don't last as long. It's common to associate these types of fragrances with spring and summer.
On the other hand, evening fragrances are stronger and denser, with "heavier" notes. Heavier fragrances are often associated with the autumn and winter seasons.
4. Spray perfume on the skin
The ideal way to wear perfume is by applying it directly to the skin. Perfume products are designed to interact best with our skin and body heat.
That's why we recommend applying fragrances to the warmest parts of your body, which will produce the best results. Here are six recommended places to spray your perfume:
- Spray above the ears
- Spray behind the ears
- Spray on the neck around the cervical area
- Spray on your back
- Spray on each shoulder
- Spray on the inside of your elbows
5. Knowing the appropriate points
This section is directly related to the recommended places to spray your perfume. These places are your pulse points.
By spraying on these warmer parts of your body, you will maximize the effect of the perfume and prolong its projection and longevity.
This is achieved thanks to your body heat, which helps to diffuse the fragrance naturally. The neck area, behind the ears, and wrists will activate the perfume throughout the day.
6. Apply to hair
For those who have trouble with perfume lasting on their skin, another alternative is hair. Hair is known to retain perfume longer than skin and is a fantastic fragrance carrier.
Be careful with the number of sprays; ideally, use half the usual amount, as perfumes with alcohol can dry out your hair.
An ideal way is to spray the brush or comb with perfume and comb your hair a couple of times.
7. Don't rub, massage your skin
We've seen this "phenomenon" everywhere. Your mother does it, your friends do it, and your grandmother does it: rubbing perfume on their wrists.
If you're one of those people who do this, we recommend you stop right now. Unfortunately, this will only make the perfume dissipate faster, as it disperses the lighter fragrance molecules, causing it to last less time.
Instead of rubbing the perfume into your wrists, after spraying the perfume, you can gently massage your wrists a couple of times, and maintain this habit without affecting the perfume.
8. Do not spray too close to the skin
If your skin feels too "wet" after you spray your perfume, you're probably spraying too close to your skin.
Spraying from a distance of 15 to 20 centimeters will prevent those huge drops of perfume and, potentially, your clothes from being "stained with perfume".
If you are using oils, or a fragrance without the spray nozzle, we recommend avoiding places where the perfume could come into contact with clothing.
9. Less is often more
You've found your favorite perfume and you're enjoying it to the fullest. A generous spritz envelops you in the most beautiful fragrant cloud. You're happy.
But one day, you realize that the scent bubble has shrunk so much that you can barely smell your perfume, and now you don't know if your perfume has gone bad or what the problem could be.
If this has happened to you, don't worry. Many people overspray their perfume and block their olfactory receptors. The solution is to use no more than two to four sprays at most. Also, avoid applying it near your nose to prevent olfactory saturation.
10. Spray after showering
First things first, skin hydration is a major factor in how long your fragrance lasts. Perfumes interact fantastically with warm skin, and the scent is easily absorbed through open pores.
Make sure your skin is dry, and apply it after showering or bathing. This will make your fragrance last all day.
11. Moisturizes dry skin
Oily skin retains fragrance better than dry skin. That's why it's a good idea to apply an unscented lotion to your pulse points and the rest of your body before applying perfume.
A small amount is enough, and ideally, you should apply the moisturizer after showering. This brings us to some other great alternatives below.
12. Apply petroleum jelly
A helpful way to make your fragrances last longer is with petroleum jelly. Massaging petroleum jelly into your pulse points will make your skin oilier, allowing the perfume to "stick" to it. Because the perfume adheres to the petroleum jelly molecules, the fragrance will last longer.
13. Spray and don't take "walks in the fog"
Another romantic "strategy" that we've seen in friends or in movies are those disastrous walks through the fog that people take.
Besides wasting money and spray if you do this, you're also not applying the fragrance correctly.
Alcohol-based perfumes are made to be applied to bare skin for many good reasons, and none of them is staining your clothes or furniture.
14. Spraying on clothes is a double-edged sword
Generally, spraying your perfume on your clothes isn't something we recommend. The thing is, while you'll get greater projection and longevity of the fragrance, it also has disadvantages.
Depending on the concentration of the perfume, it can leave unpleasant stains on the fabric, and when it does, you will be forced to wash that particular garment the same day to prevent the fragrances from mixing.
Jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, and even wristwatches can be damaged by perfume, so be mindful of that as well.
15. Combine your fragrances
The final tip in this first part of the guide on how to wear perfume is based on layering fragrances. Did you know that some perfume lines are designed so you can combine two or more fragrances and create something completely different?
One of these lines is Tom Ford 's "Private Blend." The fragrances in this line enhance and complement each other. We recommend combining Tobacco Vanille with Oud Wood to highlight the woody aspects of Oud Wood and add an extra dimension to the sweetness of Tobacco Vanille's pipe tobacco.