Apply your perfume: the 5 golden rules to make it last longer according to experts

How to apply your perfume in order to diffuse it as well as possible and for as long as possible? Answer in 5 points.

In “Le Grand Livre du Parfum” (Editions Contrepoint), we can read that “the staying power of a perfume depends on two things: concentration and composition.”
Indeed, the more a juice has a high concentration of perfume, the more it is tenacious. Thus, an eau de parfum (concentrated at 10 to 15%) always lasts longer than an eau de toilette (8 to 10%) or an eau de cologne (concentrated at 5%).
The composition also comes into play. The fresh notes, citrus or floral, are made up of light molecules, which evaporate quickly. On the contrary, the heady, vanilla, amber notes are heavier, and therefore less volatile: they will last longer on the skin.
Fortunately, there are some basic reflexes to know, whatever the perfume chosen, so that it lasts as long as possible on the skin.
Also to know: the more we wear the same perfume, the more our brain identifies it as our personal smell, in order to no longer assimilate it so as not to saturate it. This explains the feeling of no longer smelling your own perfume on yourself. Hence the interest of changing it regularly, in order to be able to take full advantage of it…

The 5 golden rules for optimally applying your perfume:

1.Spray on strategic points

Coco Chanel advised to wear perfume wherever you want to be kissed. And that’s a good trick. Spray the perfume at a distance of 10 to 20 cm from the skin, on each pulse point of your body: the heat which emanates from it will increase its diffusion tenfold.
To know :

1. in the crook of the neck, on both sides,
2. on each side at the base of the ear, at the hairline,
3. in the hollow of the chest,
4. in the hollow of the wrists,
5. in the crook of the elbows.

For those who want an even more intense diffusion, finish by spraying a cloud in the air, and cross it, to be enveloped in perfume, all in subtlety.

2. Bet on the variations of your favorite perfume

Soap, body milk, moisturizer and even deodorant… Many brands offer their eau de parfum: a good way to amplify your wake without emptying your bottle. The most effective of them being perhaps the hair mist (whose perfume concentration will be much lower than that of an eau de toilette). On the one hand, its scents are increased tenfold, because the head is the hottest area of ​​the body, therefore the one that diffuses the best. On the other hand, hair is a powerful odor sensor.
Also, avoid spraying your skin perfume directly on your hairthe alcohol it contains, drying, is clearly not recommended for the health of the hair fiber.

3. Always apply your perfume on well hydrated skin

The perfume does not adhere to dry skin: the ideal is therefore to wear perfume when you get out of the shower, just after applying a moisturizer for the body. The perfume molecules will attach to the moisturizer, and will thus have a better hold throughout the day.
Use a moisturizing formula with a neutral scent, or better, the moisturizer or body lotion version of your perfume. You will quickly find that your wake will last much longer.

4. Don’t rub your perfume

Just as we can tend to “spread” our perfume once sprayed on the skin, the first reflex when we test a perfume is to spray it on our wrists, then to tap them against each other. Big mistake, as explained Francis Kurkdjian for Vogue.com : “This habit of almost unconscious application, of spraying a little perfume on your wrists and then pressing them together before reaching your neck, is actually a very bad reflex. The friction created by rubbing heats the skin, which produces natural enzymes that modify the evolution of the fragrance. The most impacted notes are the top and heart notes, as well as the dry-down (the last, and longest diffusion period of your perfume)”.
The right gesture: spray your perfume in strategic places, then don’t touch it anymore, simply let the molecules unfold naturally.
And for a flawless trail on any occasion, always have a travel spray in which to slip your favorite fragrance, for a touch-up at any time of the day.

5. Perfume your clothes (and your closets)

This is controversial advice, as no medium beats the skin for a fragrance to fully unfold. But perfuming your clothes, especially in autumn-winter, remains a very good way to amplify your wake. Spray a little perfume on a scarf, a scarf or inside a coat… The scent will unfold all around you at the first gust of wind, and will remain captured by the fabric for days.
Also, natural materials such as wool, cotton or cashmere diffuse odors much better than synthetic materials. Beware of fragile materials, such as silk or satin, which would stain immediately.
Another option: slip a fetish, or a perfumed puck, impregnated with your perfume, into your cupboards and your drawers. It will spread there to subtly perfume all your clothes.

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