10 Tips On Achieving Long-Lasting Scents

Most times, we find the perfect perfume with the most amazing scent, then it has one major flaw. After a few hours, you’re wondering if you sprayed on any perfume before leaving the house because you can hardly smell anything…Well, I have some few tips to help you make your perfume last longer and be worth the cash you paid for it.

A little gist on how perfume works- If the perfume never evaporated, we’d never smell it! The scent molecules evaporate and perfume the air around us, where our sensitive noses detect the scent. Different components of the perfume evaporate at different rates which means that the perfume will change over time.

There are several factors that contribute to the staying power of a fragrance. The most important thing to consider is what type of fragrance you’re buying. The most popular types of fragrances in this part of the world are Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette. Eau de Parfum has a greater concentration of scent than Eau de Toilette so it lasts much longer. Eau de toilette is a lighter type of perfume preferable for daytime wear while Eau de Parfum could be considered as a night-time cocktail dinner version. Eau de Parfums are generally more expensive.

The length of time any perfume will last also highly depends on the person wearing it. Body temperature, weather, and skin dryness affect how fast your perfume launches off your skin. People with oilier skin retain fragrance longer than people with dry skin. Oily skin consists of natural moisture and that’s why it holds in scent longer, the oil binds the fragrance to the skin and results in a more controlled release of scent over time. On dry-skinned people, the fragrance tends to bounce right off. PH levels (amount of acidity in our skin) also vary slightly from person to person. Our individual levels of PH will determine how each ingredient in a fragrance will react.

The way fragrances are stored is very important too. Keep the bottle in the box away from light and heat, which could ruin the scent and make it less long-lasting. Environment and individual body chemistry are also factors that could affect the staying power of a scent.

Ten proven ways to help you in  applying perfume and keep the scent for longer…

1. Layer the fragrance. Layering begins during the shower. Use soap, shower gel, shampoo or conditioner of your desired scent. After toweling yourself dry, rub lotion or fragrant moisturizer to establish the scent on your whole body. Some scents also come in talc form, so dust all over your body before getting dressed.

2. Pulse points play a major role upon where we should apply our perfume. These are the areas that produce heat to which in turn releases the scent of your perfume. The pulse points are located at the temples, the base of the throat, between the breasts, the wrists, the bend of the elbow.

Pulse points that you have to pay more attention are at the back of the knees and the ankles. Since scent travels upward, these scent locations are very important. And most people skip these pulse points when applying perfume. Don’t apply behind your ears – instead, go for the jaw line, close to the ear. There are certain glands behind the ears that will interact with the smell of your perfume.

3. Apply lotion before applying your perfume. A lotion having the same scent is an excellent way to make your perfume last longer. But if you don’t have a matching lotion, apply an unscented lotion. If you decide to use a lotion with a different scent, make sure that it doesn’t clash with your perfume. If you have oily skin, a light dusting of fragrance bath powder will help to reinforce the fragrance without adding oils you don’t need.

4. When you spray perfume on your wrist, never rub it together because it would “compress” the scent and won’t allow the scent to develop naturally with your body chemistry.

5. To make the scent long lasting, you have to spray right after you are out of the shower, because your pores are still open.

6. Spray perfume before putting on any clothes or before wearing jewelries. Some perfumes leave indelible stains on clothing and accessories, especially synthetic fibers and pearls.

7. Spray your hairbrush with a favorite scent and run it through your hair.

8. Put a bit of vaseline (olive oil or shea butter would work well too) on the points you plan to spray on. The scent will adhere better.

9. Spray yourself from a distance of 12 inches then step into the fragrant cloud you create. This helps to distribute the scent over your entire body. A very good way to get this done is before you get dressed, while you are still naked, spray your perfume into the air and walk through it as it falls.

10. For Ladies, you can wear a small cotton ball infused with your favorite woman’s perfume inside your bra for a long lasting scented impression. That way you can avoid applying perfume right into the folds of the skin in that area, where sweat can cause irritation.

Remember, the trick to perfume application is not quantity, but quality. The longer your perfume lasts when you wear it, the less you have to use (and that saves cash!). However, perfume is a cosmetic. It’s only temporary, and no matter what you do, it will eventually evaporate completely.

Enjoy it while it lasts!