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ToggleAfter getting that perfect fragrance, we bet you want to smell fantastic in the morning and all day. However, many fragrances fade away faster than you expect. Don’t worry; you’re most likely misapplying or didn’t get a high-sillage perfume. We’ve got you covered to ensure you feel fragrant the whole day.
This guide provides a simple breakdown of why a fragrance may fade fast and tells you what to do and avoid to make your perfume last longer. Read on for our pro tips.
Why Does My Perfume Not Last?
Have you ever wondered why your favorite perfume seems to vanish mere hours after application, leaving you frustrated and less fragrant than desired? From the chemistry of your skin to the quality of the perfume itself, several factors play crucial roles in determining how long your chosen fragrance lingers. Let’s explore them!
The Strength of the Fragrance
Fragrances have different concentrations, which affect their longevity. For instance, eau de toilette (EDT) lasts longer than a Cologne or body mist. If your fragrance fades fast, it’s because you use a perfume with low concentration.
The Nature and Quality of the Ingredients
You may wonder what ingredients make perfumes last longer. High-quality ingredients are the key to the best-projecting colognes. Perfumes with natural fixatives also last longer because these fixatives slow down evaporation. While they might be costly, a good-quality fragrance is key to making your perfume last longer.
Skin Texture
Your body chemistry and skin can affect your perfume longevity. For instance, perfumes blend poorly with dry skin, causing poor sillage. In contrast, hydrated skin is an excellent home for long-lasting fragrance.
The Application Method
If you spray the right way, you get the right effect. Your perfume’s longevity depends on how you spray it. For example, if you spray at least 5 to 15 cm away from your body or cloth, the fragrance disperses evenly and lasts longer. In contrast, spritzing into the air and walking through the mist means your scent will fade away faster.
What Makes Perfume Last Longer?
Perfumes with higher concentrations last longer than those with lower concentrations. Perfumes with prominent base notes also have longer shelf lives than those with prominent top notes. For instance, base notes with balsamic, woody, oriental, or spicier flavors have a longer shelf life. On the other hand, green, floral, and citrus scents fade faster.
To enjoy a long-lasting perfume, choose one with high concentration and a prominent base note. Here’s a breakdown of the concentration for different fragrances to help you select the best-projecting perfumes:
- Fraiche: 1 to 3 percent
- Eau de Cologne (EDC or Cologne): 3 to 5 percent
- Eau de Toilette (EDT): 6 to 12 percent
- Eau de Parfum (EDP): 13 to 20 percent
- Perfume/Parfum: 20 to 40 percent
How to Make Your Perfume Last Longer?
Dos:
1. Invest in a Long-Lasting Perfume
Getting high-sillage perfumes is at the top of our list of how to make your perfume last longer. These perfumes have a higher concentration, ensuring every spritz counts. Check your perfume’s pack or bottle for its concentration and choose an excellent fragrance sillage.
2. Use Roll-on Perfume Oils
Roll-on perfume oils have strong fragrances that can help you feel glamorous all day. They are also very reactive when in contact with body heat, increasing diffusion. Their design allows you to apply them directly to your pulse points. Even better, roll-on perfume oils are easy to carry around, allowing you to reapply conveniently.
3. Spray on Your Bare Skin
Spray your fragrance directly on your skin to improve its longevity. We advise spraying after a shower to allow natural body oils to blend freely with the fragrance. However, ensure you spritz after you dry yourself so you don’t rub off the perfume.
4. Keep Your Skin Moisturized Before Spraying
Apply oil-based cream or lotion to hydrate your skin before spritzing. Moisturizing before spraying improves fragrance projection and perfume longevity. Choose a matching fragranced moisturizer if you also want to complement your perfume. You can bet you’ll smell stunning throughout the day.
5. Aim for Your Pulse Points
Your pulse points are the best location to spritz your perfume. If you don’t believe us, ask Jacques Huclier, a perfumer at Givaudan. So, always spritz your perfume on the inside of your elbows, wrists, and the nape of your neck. You can also spray behind your ears and knees.
These areas have thin skin and react to your natural body temperature. When you aim for these points, your fragrance heats up, allowing you to emit that splendid scent all day. You can rub some Vaseline on these points or mix your perfume with Vaseline to keep the fragrance longer.
6. Spray on Your Hair
Spraying on your hair can help your perfume scent linger longer than it would. Of course, you shouldn’t heavily spray your hair as it can damage it. A light mist on your hair or hairbrush before running it through your hair will do the trick. Ensure you also prioritize your hair ends as they lock in the scent better than the base. You can even get hair mists or fragrances to help nourish your hair and maintain a great scent.
7. Spray on Clothes Strategically
Have you ever discovered that your sweater still smells great a week after you applied that fragrance? Well, fabrics project fragrance better than you think, especially cotton, silk, and wool. So, after spritzing on your body and hair, ensure you apply your perfume to your fabric. Your scarves are a good option since you can use them once your scent fades. And avoid spraying directly on easily stainable clothing like silk or satin.
8. Layer Your Fragrances with Matching Scents and Products
Using other products that match your fragrance can help you optimize the duration of your scent. A lotion, body wash, or other skin products with the same scents will do the trick. You can layer your fragrance by applying these other products before and after using your main fragrance. Of course, ensure you spray a few times for better fragrance sillage.
9. Prepare to Touch-up Throughout the Day
Retouching your fragrance is a nice trick to make your eau de toilette last longer. Mop up some fragrance with cotton balls and keep them in plastic bags. Squeeze out all the air to keep it moist. Anytime you want to boost your scent, dab them over your pulse points again.
10. Store Your Perfumes Appropriately
Exposing your perfume to humidity and light can cause your fragrance to deteriorate. So, remove your perfume bottle from your bathroom and store it in a cool, dark area.
Also, although fancy containers are aesthetically appealing, they can alter your fragrance’s composition. They also allow air to get into the bottle, which can reduce your fragrance’s quality. So, keep your perfume in its original bottle.
Don’ts:
1. Don’t Rub on Your Pulse Points
Do you always rub your wrists together after you spray? This is a bad idea if you want to make your eau de toilette last longer. Rubbing heats the fragrance, disrupting its general formulation. It also breaks down the perfume’s structure and reduces its quality. Avoid rubbing your wrists to avoid messing with your perfume’s longevity.
2. Don’t Spritz Into the Air and Walk Through
Spritzing your fragrance into the air and walking through might give you that Hollywood feeling. However, this is not how to make your perfume scent last longer. Doing this means your fragrance will fade quickly. This is because neither your body nor your clothes will retain the fragrance. So, spray efficiently using the tips above.
3. Don’t Replace Your Deodorant With a Perfume
Don’t use your perfumes as a replacement for antiperspirants. Perfumes lack odor-banishing properties. So, using them as deodorant only damages your perfume formulation. The alcohol in the perfume can also cause a burning sensation, which you don’t want.
4. Don’t Use Expired Perfumes
Almost everyone forgets that perfumes have expiration dates. Can perfume expire? Yes, perfumes do expire, and even the best-projecting colognes can lose their scent after 2 to 10 years. Once expired, your perfume changes color and looks different. It also smells off because that fabulous fragrance you love has evaporated. So, does perfume expire? Absolutely, and when it does, it’s time to get a new bottle. If you’re still in doubt, please know that expired perfume is unsafe for your skin and should be discarded.
5. Don’t Shake Your Perfume Bottle
People sometimes think shaking their perfume before spraying improves the quality of the spritz. If you’re just like them, you’re wrong. This isn’t what makes your perfumes last longer. Shaking your fragrance allows oxygen into the bottle, reducing its quality and shortening its lifespan. So, avoid shaking the bottle before or after spraying.
Conclusion
There’s a right way to apply perfumes, and this affects how long they last. Now you know to store your perfume correctly and apply it to your pulse points for the best experience. Beyond this, choose perfumes with good sillage and follow the other tips above to make your perfume scent stronger and lasting.