10 Ways To Make Your Perfume Last Longer

For those of us who don’t have the budget to splash out on expensive perfumes on a regular basis, one of the biggest worries is how to make the fragrance stick. It is disappointing how some of my favourite perfumes don’t seem to last long enough, forget about lasting all day. I’ve come to the conclusion that some scents just do not have staying power, no matter how good they smell. However, there are some things you can do to keep your perfume from fading. Here are 10 tips on how to get the most out of your pricey perfumes.

1. Buy the right kind

This is a mistake I’ve seen girls make all too often: Splurge on an expensive bottle and then wonder why the scent won’t last. Read the label and be sure you’ve bought a “perfume” and not a body mist. Always buy bottles labelled Eau de Parfum (instead of Eau de Cologne/Toilette). They are concentrated formulas and contain more oils, which means the fragrance will last much longer.

2. Hydrate First

Have you ever noticed how girls with oily skin seem to retain perfume better? That’s because perfumes do not adhere well on dry skin. If you have dry skin, be sure to moisturise well before spraying your favourite perfume. Alternately, you can also use an unscented body oil like almond oil.

 

Elie Saab Le Parfum Coffret Eau De Parfum Spray + Body Lotion (Rs 6,374)

3. Put it on after a shower

Your skin retains perfume best when it is moist. Spraying perfume after you’ve showered and moisturised — and before you put on your clothes — will not only lock in the scent but also prevent your clothes or jewellery from getting stained. Bonus tip: To make your favourite scent last longer, buy a set that includes a perfumed moisturiser.

4. Spray Your Pulse Points

Pulse points generate heat and perfumes activate and evolve best when applied on these areas. The heat couple with your body’s natural oils and pheromones helps develop the fragrance into a scent that is unmistakably your own. Behind your ears and your décolletage are the best areas to spray.

 

Eclat D’Arpege Eau De Parfum Spray (Rs 3,724)

5. Don’t rub your wrists together

Your wrists are another warm pulse point area. If you like to spray your wrists, don’t rub them together after spraying. The friction breaks down the top notes of the perfume and alters the scent, affecting its longevity.

6. Choose strong base notes

When choosing a perfume, look for ones with strong base notes — i.e. the longest-lasting, most dramatic notes in any fragrance. Strong base notes like vanilla, musk, pine and patchouli last longest, so keep that in mind while perfume shopping.

7. The best place for lasting fragrance is…

… your HAIR! If you want to leave a scented trail behind, you should know that hair carries presume best as it latches on to hair fibres. However, perfume has alcohol in it so spraying it directly may dry out your hair. What you should do instead is lightly mist perfume on a hair brush and gently run it through your hair for a long-lasting effect.

 

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (Rs 9,091)

8. Avoid Citrus scents

Citrus notes and floral scents are known to fade fastest, so you might want to avoid buying them when you’re shopping for a new, long-lasting scent.

 9. Storage matters

Fragrances should be stored in cool, dark places. Don’t store them in humid places like the bathroom or extremely cold places like the fridge since the heat from showers and cold temperature will break down the oils in the perfume. Extreme temperatures dramatically affect the quality and longevity of your perfumes.

10. Spritz in your closet

If you want the added bonus of your clothes smelling like your favourite scent, spray your perfume on some tissue paper and line your cupboard with them. Your clothes will hold on to the fragrance — albeit mildly — but it will be there nevertheless. You could also wrap a scented soap bar in a thin tissue paper and leave it in your cupboard to mildly scent your clothes.