A few simple steps before spraying your chosen scent could find you smelling like roses all day long.
Buying Fragrance
When buying a fragrance always look for offers or sets which give away a free body cream or shower gel with the product. Using these before spraying will add to your scent lasting longer. This is known as layering your product.
As you have just made a purchase, don’t be afraid to ask the assistant for a sample as well. Chances are if you like a new sample, you will be back to buy it.
Hydrate your skin
Skin that is well hydrated will hold on to fragrance longer. There are many ways to hydrate your skin – body cream, oil sprays, hydrating shower gels. If you can, use complementing or fragrance-free products before spraying your scent.
Dry or dehydrated skin will not hold the fragrance as it will just absorb it due to the lack of oil, so you will find the scent vanishing quickly.
What’s your strength
Get to know the different strengths of fragrance. You may like a lighter spray in the morning or throughout the day, and a more intense scent at night.
Cologne is the lightest scent and can be sprayed and refreshed as required.
Eau de Toilette (EDT) is a light scent and should last 2-4 hours.
Eau de Parfum (EDP) is much stronger and is designed to last 4-8 hours.
Parfum is the strongest and most expensive as it is pure concentrated scent. This can last all day.
Fragrance Tips
Spray fragrance at a distance onto pulse points. These are your wrists, neck and the inside of your elbows where the doctor takes your blood. These areas have veins close to the skin and warm the fragrance.
Avoid rubbing your wrists together when spraying these as this crushes the molecules in the scent. Just allow it to dry naturally.
Fragrance will settle down after about 15 minutes as the top note of the fragrance dissipates and you are left with the heart note.
Fragrance will also last longer if you spray your clothes or your hair. When spraying your hair, spray your hairbrush, then brush through the hair. This allows time for the alcohol to evaporate before you run the brush through your hair, as alcohol tends to dry out your hair.
Avoid spraying fragrance onto the neck and décolleté. The sun could sensitise these areas and lead to hyper-pigmentation, as well as sensitive skin.
Storage
The quickest way to destroy fragrance is by keeping it in sunlight. The box is as eye-catching as the bottle, so this is the best place to keep it.
Avoid storing fragrance in the bathroom as the temperature changes will have an effect of its shelf life.
Don’t store fragrances in the fridge, as this temperature could be too cold for certain molecules.
If you don’t have a box to store it in then a cupboard or drawer will do.
Create your own
Some brands have an array of fragrances which can be worn on their own or layered with other scents in the range, allowing you to create your own bespoke scent. Try your combined fragrance on the back on one hand first to decide if you like it or not. It’s easy to wash your hands and get rid of the smell if you don’t.
Fragrance Families
Get to know what you like. Fragrances have four families:
Fresh – citrus scents
Floral – flowers are the most popular with women
Woody – wood scents
Oriental – spicy scents
You may like fragrances from all of the families or just one, but knowing which family you are drawn to helps you when choosing your next fragrance.
Finally
Wear the fragrance you are thinking of buying. It will smell different on you than it does on a paper blotter.
I hope this helps you enjoy your fragrances.
As always, great info and advice. I always look forward to your blogs as I always learn something new.
Keep up the good work.
Sian xx