Believe it or not, if your perfume fragrance isn’t lasting all day, you’re likely applying it wrong! It’s odd to think there’s a “wrong way” to apply perfume, but it’s true. If you notice the fragrance fizzling out midday or have to keep applying it throughout the day, you’re likely not applying it correctly. Get more from what you paid for and help your perfume last longer by reading our tips on how you can make your perfume last all day long below.
Know What You’re Working With
A lot of science, particularly chemistry, goes into making a fragrance and making that fragrance last. Every scent has a unique formulation, even among seemingly identical products, like body sprays versus perfumes. While these terms may seem interchangeable, they have different labels for a reason. Which one you choose will greatly affect how long your fragrance lasts.
What primarily affect the strength and longevity of a fragrance are fixative ingredients and the fragrance concentration. Fixative ingredients, such as ethyl hexyl glycerin, don’t affect the overall odor of the fragrance and will make it last longer. Additionally, if you’re looking for a scent specifically formulated to last, you’ll want an extract rather than a perfume. Extracts have the highest ratio of fragrance to alcohol, with about 30 percent of the formulation being fragrance.
Spray on Moisturized Skin
Scent clings to moisture, so if you want to make your perfume last all day long, try applying lotion to the areas of your body where you intend to spray fragrance. You can use your typical moisturizing cream or body lotion. Some even choose to apply Vaseline before spritzing on their perfume. You can also mix and match, using scented lotions to add aromatic layers.
Spritz It on Your Hairbrush
Spraying your perfume on your hairbrush and brushing the scent through your hair allows the fragrance to permeate and cling to each strand. This permeation is partially due to your hair’s natural oils, coating every strand and giving your perfume moisture to cling to. However, you should avoid spraying perfume on your hair directly, as the alcohol can cause dryness and damage.
Apply on Your Pulse Points and Avoid Rubbing It In
Heat activates perfume fragrances because the carrier alcohol evaporates quickly, allowing the fragrance to bloom on the skin. Unfortunately, the faster the fragrance blooms, the quicker it dissipates and loses its scent. While you want the heat to activate the scent, you don’t want too much heat to make the fragrance evaporate and fizzle out—so, what’s the solution?
Rubbing your perfume between your wrists to activate the scent is a myth. Rubbing produces too much heat due to friction and will cause the scent to degrade faster. Instead, dab or spray your fragrance directly onto your pulse points, such as behind your ears, the sides of your neck, and your inner wrists and elbows. These areas give off enough body heat to activate the scent rather than degrade it. Therefore, you’ll have the perfect balance of body heat so you can smell amazing all day long!
