When you purchase a new scent and fall in love with its notes, you want everyone around you to notice when you walk into a room. You want people to ask you who you're wearing and you want the compliments to pour in. But, how do you really do that? Is there a way to wear perfume? Can you mix two of your favorite scents together to create a unique scent?

 

If you are looking for ways to make your perfume last all day and want to figure out how to make the most of your purchase, we got you. Here are some bits of information you may not have previously known.

Where Should You Apply Your Fragrance?

Coco Chanel has famously advised individuals to apply their fragrance where they want to be kissed. What this simply means is to dab or spray the scent on your pulse points, also known as the hot spots, such as the wrists, temples, behind the ears, back of the knees, nope of the neck, navel area, in the crease of your elbows and the small of your back.

The logic is that since the blood flows close to these zones, the heat from your body activates the fragrance oils. However, there is one thing you need to keep in mind- you may have seen people in movies and dramas rubbing their wrists together when they apply a fragrance. According to the perfume industry insiders, one should never do this as it affects the oils of the fragrance. instead, spray the scent, waft your wrists around, and patiently wait for the scent to dry for the best results.

How Much Perfume Should You Wear?

How much perfume you should apply completely depends on personal preference. However, it should be sufficient enough so that you can smell it and not too overpowering that it completely fills up the surrounding areas. Ideally, the scent circle should be as wide as your arm- only the people in your circle should be able to smell the scent that you have applied.

If you are unsure and really do not want to overdo the perfume, it would be best to take advice from a friend you trust. Moreover, apply your fragrance based on the occasion you have to go to. If you have planed a romantic night out with your partner, you will definitely want to put on some more perfume, as opposed to a day at the office or attending a funeral.

How Should Perfume be Sprayed?

Keep the fragrance bottle 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) away from the body and allow it to naturally develop on the skin. Remember, whatever you do, do not rub the perfume into the skin.

According to the renowned perfumer, Olivier Cresp, fragrance should be focused more on the hair than the body. This is a trick that will help the scent to last longer than when applied on the skin. Moreover, each time you flip your hair or move your head, there will be a natural whiff of your favorite perfume enveloping the people standing close to you. 

The great, late Estee Lauder has also suggested that you should spray perfume into the air and walk through the cloud of perfume to ensure that it lands all over you. 

Can More Than One Perfume Be Worn At the Same Time?

Absolutely. In fact, in the Middle East, women are known to wear seven fragrances at one time. The best part about fragrances is that there is no universal right and wrong. If you like something, you should definitely go for it and never be too afraid to play along with perfume. 

As you fall more in tune with fragrances and your sense of smell develops, you should be able to understand which scents enhance and compliment one another. This means that you should play around and experience with the scent from time to time whenever you feel like switching things up. Initially, you may try to wear two fragrances belonging to the same family together and that is completely okay. Gradually, you will become more daring and will be able to create your own unique mix of scents.

Can Fragrances Last All Day?

Depending on the kind of ingredients used and how dry your skin is, a fragrance can last for four to six hours. If you live in an environment that is dry or have dry skin naturally, the perfume will dissipate faster. 

As soon as you apply the scent, you should expect the head notes, also known as the top notes, to last for 5 to 15 minutes before they start to dissipate. The middle notes can take up to two to four hours to disappear. These make up the heart of the perfume. Lastly, the base notes, usually called "fond" last from four to six hours.

How Long Will a Perfume Last on You?

How long you should expect the perfume to last on you depends on the kind of scent you use and your odour footprint. Remember, everyone has a unique odour footprint. For example, how long a perfume will last on you depends on how oily or dry your skin is. Perfumes cling to oil which means that those with an oilier-complexion will enjoy long-lasting scents of their perfumes. 

How strong the perfume and the notes it uses also play an important role in determining how long it will last. Deep, rich base notes that use tobacco, woods, resins, and leather, tend to last longer. This means that you should not expect a fresh cologne to last as long as an Oriental one. 

If you have dry skin and want to make your perfume last longer, a trick is to apply a rich cream or smooth body lotion on the hot spots of your body and then apply the perfume. This will give your perfume something to cling to.

How Can You Make a Perfume Last Longer on Your Skin?

Moisturizing your skin will give the oils present in a fragrance something to cling on to, helping boost its power and its ability to last longer. If your perfume comes with matching body products, you can create a beautiful layer of fragrance on your skin. You can also use body lotions and body creams. These will add emollients which will help hold the scent longer.

If you cannot find a matching body product and cannot figure out any other scent that will compliment it, choose an unscented body lotion, butter, or cream that won't clash with your perfume. Think of these as primers for your perfume which will help the notes last longer.

Why You May Not Be Able to Smell Your Own Perfume After a Couple of Minutes

When you first spray your perfume, you may enjoy smelling the beautiful fragrance that you have grown accustomed to. However, after a couple of minutes, you may start to think the scent has disappeared? Does that really happen?

The answer is no. When the nose becomes desensitised, it becomes accustomed to the notes of your fragrance, which is why you may not be able to smell it after 30 to 40 minutes. However, don't worry; your friends and colleagues will definitely be able to.

What Things Factors Affect the Smell of Your Perfume?

 

Diet is a huge factor when determining how a fragrance will smell on you. Spicy foods affect the natural smell of your body, while meat-eaters may smell differently when compared to vegetarians. The environment you live in also plays a huge part in determining how your perfume will sit on your body. Hot and cold climates affect the length a perfume will last, as well as its intensity.

Moreover, age is also a factor that affects the smell of your perfume. When you get older, your skin will become drier. This is especially true around the years of menopause when hormonal changes take place in the body. This may mean that a fragrance that you have worn for many years now does not smell the same anymore. 

Some medications and health problems may also distort the scent of your perfume and the way it smells on the skin. Smokers have also reported that after a few years of smoking, they believe that their perfumes have changed. This is because smoking impacts their sense of smell.

Can a Perfume Change Your Mood?

Absolutely! Loads of people use fragrances to brighten up their mood. In fact, science has a term for this- "aromachology." It has been scientifically proven that different aromas and scents can affect mood and emotion. While they may affect you personally, they could also affect those around you.

For example, bergamot is a feel-good ingredient, while peppermint creates freshness and alertness, and grapefruit, interestingly, can make others believe that you are younger than your age. This is why people have a wardrobe of fragrances instead of one signature scent. They have a perfume to make them feel romantic, one that they can wear after a long, hard day at work, one to make them feel relaxed and at ease, one that makes them feel professional right before work, and one for the weekend. 

What Should You Do If You Are Allergic to Perfume?

If you are allergic to perfume, we would strongly recommend that you do not wear it. If you find yourself developing redness, rashes, itching, breathing problems, or coughing, right after you wear any kind of perfume, it is best to avoid it and look for an alternative way to wear fragrance. Many people with allergies will prefer to spray perfume on the inside of their clothing, like under the lapel or on a cotton pad that can be tucked inside the pocket. 

If you really do want to wear perfume but your skin does not react well to it, you should ask your dermatologist to run patch tests and determine what ingredient you are allergic to. Today, manufacturers list down common allergens, usually on the outside of the perfume box. Even though the vast majority may not be allergic to these ingredients, you could be.