The most common complaint about an affordable perfume is that it disappears within an hour. Usually the perfume is not the problem — how and where it is being applied is. A few changes make the same bottle last noticeably longer.
Why perfume fades
Fragrance lifts off the skin with warmth and evaporates. Three things decide how long that takes: how much oil the fragrance contains, how warm and how moist your skin is, and what the perfume is sitting on. You cannot change the first after you have bought the bottle, but you can change the other two.
Apply it to moisturised skin
This is the single biggest difference. Dry skin has nothing to hold the fragrance, so it evaporates almost immediately. Apply an unscented moisturiser or a little plain lotion first, let it absorb, then spray. On moisturised skin the same perfume commonly lasts hours longer.
Applying straight after a shower, while the skin is still slightly warm and damp, works for the same reason.
Where to spray
Fragrance rises, so spray low as well as high:
- Inside the wrists
- The side of the neck, below the jaw
- Behind the ears
- Inside the elbows
- Behind the knees, for a long day or evening
Hold the bottle a hand's width away so the spray lands as a mist rather than a wet patch.
Do not rub your wrists together
Everyone does it and it works against you. Rubbing generates heat and breaks down the lightest notes, which is exactly the part that gives a fragrance its opening. Spray and let it dry on its own.
Spray clothes as well, carefully
Fabric holds fragrance far longer than skin does. A light mist on a scarf, the inside of a collar or a jacket lining will still be noticeable at the end of the day.
Two cautions. Test on an inside seam first, because some fragrances mark light or delicate fabric. And keep it away from silk and from anything with a printed surface.
Storing it properly
Heat and light break fragrance down faster than anything else. A bottle kept on a sunny windowsill or in a bathroom that steams up daily will smell different within a year.
- Keep it in a cupboard or drawer, away from direct sun
- Avoid the bathroom, because of the temperature swings
- Keep the cap on; an open nozzle lets alcohol evaporate
- Keep the box if you have it, as it blocks light
Layering, if you want it to last all day
Using a scented body wash or lotion from the same family as your perfume gives the fragrance a base to sit on. It does not need to be the identical scent — a plain vanilla or musk lotion under a warm fragrance, or an unscented lotion under anything, both work.
A note on how much to use
Two to four sprays is enough for most fragrances. The person wearing a scent stops noticing it within twenty minutes, which is why people keep adding more. If you are unsure, ask someone you trust rather than going by your own nose.
Choosing the next bottle
If you are picking a new fragrance rather than getting more out of one you own, our guide on how to choose a perfume covers notes, families and what to expect at different prices.
Browse perfumes, or message us on WhatsApp at 0345 6650894 if you want help picking one for a gift.