Spraying on that spritz of a favorite fragrance is often the final step in many people’s ‘get ready for work‘ morning routine, almost like adding the final accessory to an outfit of the day before walking out the front door. And whether your morning commute involves driving to work, hailing a cab in New York, or jumping on the tube in London, it’s safe to say that the scent you leave the house with has somewhat faded by the time you reach the office.
Fast forward to the end of the day, and that scent may have all but diminished as you’re running around from meeting to meeting, heading out for lunch, being exposed to the elements… and when it’s time for after-work drinks or that dinner date reservation you’ve been looking forward to, there’s no other choice but to indulge in another round of spritzing – which inevitably means carrying your fragrance around in your bag throughout the day. And while there isn’t really anything wrong with this (but more on that later), knowing how to make a perfume last longer can only help the situation – and may even help to make your favorite bottles serve you a bit longer too!
Here at Dukes Avenue, we know the importance of fragrance and how it can boost the wearer’s confidence and make anyone feel more put together, so we’re sharing our tried and tested methods on how you can make your perfume scent last longer, answering the most common questions our readers have on smelling good all day long!
- How to Layer Perfume
- 1. Use Shower Gel
- 2. Use Matching Body Lotion or Body Cream
- 3. Apply Perfume After Showering
- 4. Spray on Pulse Points and Heart
- 5. Use Vaseline on Pulse Points
- 6. Do Not Rub Wrists Together!!
- 7. Use Matching Hair Mist if Available
- 8. Spray on Clothing – with Caution!
- 9. Place Matching Soaps in Clothing Drawers
- 10. Spritz on Blotting Paper, Handkerchiefs or Cotton Buds and Leave Them in Your Handbag
- Choose the Right Perfume
- Look After Your Perfume
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The Top 17 Ways How to Make a Perfume Last Longer
Making perfume last longer is about so much more than spraying it in the right places – it’s about knowing how to choose the right scent from the offset, how to effectively layer the scent, and finally, how to care for the fragrance so that it retains its efficacy. We’re covering all of these aspects, and by the end of the article, you’ll know exactly what you can do to make the scent last longer.
How to Layer Perfume
The art of layering perfume can be defined in one of two ways – both are correct. Layering perfume is a technique that involves carefully applying more than one fragrance at a time, with the goal of creating your own unique and custom scent. Layering perfume is very much an art, and it takes a fair amount of thought to blend more than one fragrance to create a new smell that is actually pleasing.
So much can be said about layering that goes beyond the scope of this article, but for our purposes on how to make a perfume last longer, layering can also mean using a variety of body products from the same line as the perfume so as to reinforce the scent. Here’s how to do just that:
1. Use Shower Gel
When it comes to layering body products of the same line as your fragrance, it all starts in the shower. When showering or taking a bath, naturally, you’ll be using a soap or shower gel to cleanse your body, and unless your shower gel is an unscented body care product, it will likely have its own fragrance – a faint touch of which remains on the body once you’re out of the shower.
If the scent of your shower gel differs from that of your perfume, the layering of these two different and mismatched scents could result in a whole new smell altogether. Of course, this could be intentional, but if you’re looking to prolong the scent of your favorite perfume, then the best way to layer the fragrance is to match your body wash to your fragrance.
The good news is that most mainstream fragrances do indeed offer complimentary shower gels, with the only downside being the higher cost when compared to the average drugstore shower gel. For the best value for money, consider looking for gift sets of the fragrance, which can sometimes include matching body lotion or shower gel for a discounted price.
2. Use Matching Body Lotion or Body Cream
It goes without saying that the next step in the fragrance layering journey is to apply a matching body lotion or cream after stepping out of the shower. Aside from the whole idea of layering the scent, it’s a known fact that dry skin will not hold on to scent as well as oily skin, so moisturizing is crucial to ensure a long-lasting scent!
3. Apply Perfume After Showering
We know that using the matching shower gel and applying matching body lotion or cream is only going to improve the longevity of your scent, but is there an ideal time to apply your perfume? The answer to this is yes – and that is straight after showering and applying your body lotion! The reason is not solely related to layering, but rather, it’s about taking advantage of your skin being prepared, primed, and ready to hold on to any scents applied to it.
Having a hot shower will help to open your pores and allow for better absorption, while the steam also helps to diffuse the fragrance and open up the aroma. After showering, simply pat your skin dry or gently absorb any water with a towel, and apply a generous helping of body lotion or cream. Once the cream is absorbed, follow with a few spritzes of your signature scent. It’s important never to apply perfume onto wet skin as this will only get rubbed off when toweling, and it’s also equally as important to allow the perfume to dry on the skin before getting dressed.
4. Spray on Pulse Points and Heart
We’ve looked at how to layer the same scented products effectively, and we know it’s best to apply perfume after stepping out of the shower, but is there really an ideal place to spritz your favorite scent? This is probably something that many readers will already know, in that is best to spray perfume directly onto your pulse points – the wrists, the neck, the inner elbows, behind the knees, and behind the ears.
Just like steam from the shower helps to diffuse the scent, the heat from our bodies does the same. The pulse points are areas where blood pumps closest to the surface, making them warmer points to spray – and thus making them the best at emitting the smell of your perfume.
Some even argue that it’s worth spraying your perfume directly over your heart, linking the fragrance you are wearing to how you are feeling that day. Cat Chen, the founder of Skylar clean beauty brand, recommends associating your perfume of the day with the act of setting an intention or self-love affirmation so that each time you smell the perfume, you are reminded of your intention or affirmation. While not everyone may resonate with this, one thing is for sure – emotions aside, if you spray it over your heart, the scent will travel upwards, and you’ll definitely smell it more!
Photo: © Babi Galeane from Pexels via canva.com
5. Use Vaseline on Pulse Points
To really bind that scent to your skin, apply a small amount of petroleum jelly such as Vaseline to your pulse points before you apply perfume! This one is a real game-changer when it comes to making the fragrance last longer.
6. Do Not Rub Wrists Together!!
There are some big no-nos to be aware of when applying perfume. One of the most commonly made mistakes is rubbing the wrists or elbows together after applying the fragrance. It may feel natural to want to rub in the fragrance or dry it by rubbing it in, but the reality is that all this is doing is breaking up the molecules and helping the top notes to evaporate quicker. This ultimately results in a scent that does not last as long and one that may be slightly different from the intended smell!
7. Use Matching Hair Mist if Available
And while we are on the subject of wearing perfume right, try to avoid spraying your perfume directly on your hair. The alcohol in the fragrance can be hugely damaging to your hair over time and will only encourage it to dry out. That’s not to say that nothing can be sprayed on the hair – nowadays, many mainstream brands produce matching hair mists as one of the final steps in the perfume layering process. These mists are specifically developed without alcohol and can be sprayed directly onto the hair without causing damage.
8. Spray on Clothing – with Caution!
Have you ever sprayed perfume on a coat or sweater and noticed that you can still smell the scent of your perfume the following day? Truth be told, fabrics tend to hold the smell of perfumes much longer than the skin, but it’s important to know what material is suitable for holding perfume and which material is more likely to stain.
When it comes to the longevity of holding the scent, natural fabrics like cotton, linen, wool, cashmere, or even silk are best to retain the smell of your perfume. That being said, be sure to be extra cautious when spraying onto delicate fabrics like silk or cashmere, especially in lighter colors. Whatever material you are spritzing, always be sure to spray at a few inches distance, and never close up!
9. Place Matching Soaps in Clothing Drawers
This is a real treat for any lover of scent. When purchasing a perfume, have a look to see if the brand also produces a soap of the same scent. Chanel is the first brand that comes to mind, offering matching bars of soap for some of their staple fragrances, such as Chanel No. 5 and Chanel Mademoiselle. Try placing these soaps in lingerie drawers to keep your delicate underwear smelling luxuriously fabulous.
10. Spritz on Blotting Paper, Handkerchiefs, or Cotton Buds and Leave Them in Your Handbag
For that little extra something in the layering process, try spritzing your favorite scent onto a cotton handkerchief, a piece of blotting paper, a cotton bud, or a cotton pad, and place it into your handbag. You may not always remember it’s there, but whenever you open your bag, you’ll be met with a subtle scent of your favorite smell.
Choose the Right Perfume
The bottom line is some fragrances hold their scent better than others…
11. Opt for Higher Concentrate Types of Perfume
The type of perfume you choose will vary in fragrance oil concentration, depending on whether it is an eau de toilette, an eau de parfum, or an extrait de parfum. It’s this level of concentration which dictates how strong a perfume is and how long-lasting it will be when worn.
We’ve published a whole article on the differences between EDP and EDT. Still, in a nutshell, eau de toilettes typically have a lower fragrance oil concentration of around 15%, while eau de parfums have a concentration level of around 20% to 25%.
On the far side of the spectrum are extrait de parfums, which typically have the highest concentration levels of around 30%, and on the other side are body mists, which have the lowest level of concentration of around 1% to 3%.
It goes without saying that the higher the level of concentration, the longer-lasting the scent will be.
Photo: © Anneleven via canva.com
12. Choose Fragrances with Certain Base Notes
Fragrances are all crafted with top notes, heart notes, and base notes, but it is the base notes that will last the longest. If scent longevity is important to you when purchasing a perfume, it makes sense to select fragrances with strong base notes such as vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood, or any other wood notes. These will typically have the longest-staying power as opposed to fresh, fruity, or floral fragrances.
Interestingly, gourmand fragrances, that is, fragrances that include ‘edible ingredients’ like chocolate and honey, are also known to be exceptionally long-lasting scents.
Look After Your Perfume
The last few ways how to make a perfume last longer are all about actually looking after the bottle of perfume and storing it the way it was meant to be stored. Here are some tips you can easily implement today.
13. Don’t Store Perfumes in the Bathroom
Although it makes sense to spray on your favorite scent shortly after jumping out of the shower, that doesn’t mean your perfume should be stored in the bathroom! The light, heat, humidity, and dampness may cause the ingredients in the perfume to deteriorate, and this could result in the scent of the perfume changing or weakening – meaning it might not last as long as it should!
14. Store Perfumes in a Cool, Dark Place
And so, if perfumes shouldn’t be left sitting pretty in the bathroom, then where should they be left? Perfumes should be kept anywhere where the light, heat, and humidity cannot reach them, so it’s best to store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Photo: © DoroO from Getty Images via canva.com
15. Keep the Perfume in the Box
But what happens if you want to keep your fragrances on display on your dressing table or shelf rather than keeping them tucked away in a cupboard? Since it’s best to keep your perfumes away from anything that might cause the scent to degrade, it’s best to keep any perfumes on display in the box that they came in. Your dressing table will still look pretty, but at least your perfume scent will remain intact!
16. Do Not Use Expired Perfumes
Has the scent of your perfume changed a little since you first bought it? Has it slightly changed to a darker color, yellowed, or suddenly appears cloudy? Maybe it just smells a little off? If this all sounds familiar, it may mean that that bottle of fragrance has passed its prime, and it may be time to discard it. Some perfume can last up to 10 years, but once it starts to change color and begins to smell slightly rancid, it won’t last very long on the skin anyway.
17. Don’t Shake the Bottle
Remember we spoke about carrying your fragrance around in your handbag at the beginning of the article? This is why it’s not the best idea. A perfume bottle is designed to remain still so as not to upset the ingredients. By shaking the bottle or keeping it in a bag, you could risk air entering the bottle, which will speed up the process of the ingredients deteriorating and, ultimately, reduce the quality of the scent.
If you are a lover of fragrances and scents, be sure to check out other perfume-related content published on the blog, such as Why Perfume is So Expensive and the Best Perfumes Quotes and Captions for every occasion.
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Sarah is a syndicated freelance writer and editor of Dukes Avenue. She founded Dukes Avenue in 2018 as a creative outlet while working at a London hedge fund. What initially started as a small blog has become a widely read luxury lifestyle online publication targeted at the modern woman, with content curated to inspire readers to live their best and most fulfilled lives. Sarah has lived in London, Malta, and, most recently, the United Arab Emirates and uses her travels and experiences to inspire much of the content.
