How To… Get The Most From Your Perfume

Enhance your fragrance experience with these daily tips & tricks

Dos and don’ts, tips and tricks — whatever you want to call them, we reveal the fail-safe basics to help you get the most out of your perfume.

How to apply perfume correctly

A light mist sprayed directly on the body is by far and away best practice here. While stepping through your very own fragrant cloud may feel chic (and who are we to stop you? You do you, sister!), it’s not an effective or indeed economical way to apply your perfume.

Next: keep your distance. Pulling the trigger at point blank range is a no-no. Allow a delicate mist to grace your skin, averting the wet, messy buildup of essential oils that occurs from close-range application.

And one more thing: no rubbing of wrists. Doing so can interfere with the composition of your fragrance. Above all, be gentle and allow the notes to evolve and unfold naturally on the skin.

Perfume application points on the body

Pulse points. Pulse points. Pulse points.

Pulse points radiate heat which, once overlayed by perfume, aids the slow release of your fragrance. Spray on inner wrists, inner elbow, behind the knees — even the top of the abdomen — for best, most consistent results.

Fragrance Fatigue

It’s tempting to lavish in your favourite scent. But beware: over-application can cause what is known as Fragrance Fatigue. Applying the same fragrance from the base of the neck up, day in, day out, can overwhelm and overexpose the olfactory sensory neurons, rendering the scent less perceptible to the wearer over time.

Mindful application, to areas of the body below the base of the neck and away from the nose, will help to prevent fatigue and preserve a vigorous sense of smell. Remember, entice the nose, with a recommended maximum number of four sparys.

How to make perfume last longer

A great longevity hack is the use of body lotion. Pre-application of pharmaceutical-grade body cream, lotion or moisturiser — or any high-quality unscented equivalent — acts as a fixative, binding the fragrance to the skin for longer. In the same way emollients trap water in the skin, fragrance oils are drawn to moisturisers, allowing the perfume to hold for longer and thus extending its lifespan.

Fragrance layering

If you’re open to more than one fragrance at a time, layer your perfume. A base-rich fragrance combined with a lighter, fresher perfume over the top will add volume and texture, encouraging the interplay of raw materials which in turn can strengthen the silage of the overall projection.

How to store your fragrance

Store in a cool, dark place, preferably in its original packaging, stowed inside a cabinet, closet or similarly enclosed storage space. It’s important to remember that heat and light destabilise perfume, and can cause the formula to oxidise, resulting in a metallic olfactory characteristic. Displaying your collection is great, but it’s better off out of view.

Perfume Travel Tips

When it comes to perfume, never travel solo. After all, you're unlikely to wear the same outfit day and night — so why should fragrance be any different? Having two distinct fragrances allows you to tailor to the occasion. We recommend one for daytime — something light and fresh — and one for evening wear and special occasions, something bold and more distinctive.

Travel Sprays

For those scented touch-ups, the all-important perfume atomiser or travel spray is the essential accessory you can’t do without. Atomisers, refillable and interchangeable with all your favourite juices, or single-use, single-scent travel sprays, ensure that you’ll never be left in the lurch when a retouch is required. Pop a couple in your travel bag and you're good to go!