How To Make Perfumes And Fragrances Last Longer

One Sunday last month, I got to church a bit late, they were singing already and so I hurried along to take a seat. A few seconds later, other people came in and sat down on my row and all of a sudden, there was this strong, overpowering smell of perfume. I looked to my left and all that smell was coming from the man in a nicely starched shirt beside me, and the perfume had a floral scent!

That left me wondering if he poured a whole bottle of his wife's perfume over himself while hurrying to leave home or if he was just one of those people that just spray on too much perfume. You know how it feels to be trapped in an air conditioned space with such a strong smell, I felt slightly nauseous for the rest of the service. Anyway, my point is this - sometimes, people tend to wear too much perfume on themselves thinking that will make them smell nicely all day long. It is wrong! You really don't have to take a bath with your favorite perfume, it'll just irritate people everywhere you go (interestingly, most times, the wearer doesn't seem to smell it!). Here are the things you can do to preserve that sweet all day smell instead.

1. The first thing to note is that perfume lasts longer on your clothes than on your skin. For certain perfumes, you'll find that you still smell them on your clothes even after a wash!

2. When wearing perfume on your skin, there are certain parts of your body to target called your pulse points - the wrists, behind the ears and inside the elbows. Those are the points that hold the scent better.

Via Trusper

3. Many ladies like to dab or spray fragrance on the insides of their wrist, which is correct. What is incorrect however is rubbing the wrists together after applying - that sort of flattens the smell.

4. Avoid keeping your perfumes bottles in warm and humid places like the bathroom, Heat, light and humidity break down perfume and lessen the quality of its fragrance, so follow the instructions on the bottle and keep in a cool and dry place!

5. Apply vaseline or unscented lotion (eg E45) to the parts you want to apply perfume on before you dab or spray, the fragrance holds on your body for longer that way.

6. To have something nice smelling in your hair too, spray some perfume on your brush or comb before you run it through your hair. 

7. Before you buy fragrances, note that those marked 'Eau de toilette' are milder and do not smell as strongly or last as long as those marked 'Eau de parfum'/'Extrait de parfum' (I wonder why those names are almost always in French though).

8. Try mixing different fragrances that complement each other to create a signature scent for yourself that lasts longer.

Again, please always remember to avoid pouring too much perfume over yourself, for the sake of people who will be in the same space with you all day. Ciao!

Cover image via Thehautenotes