6 factors that affect how long your fragrance last

You pay big bucks for your perfumes, but they never seem to last beyond a couple of hours. From choosing the right notes to proper application, here are six factors you never knew that affect the longevity of your fragrance.

1. Where you’re storing them 

Where you keep your scents is very important, as heat and natural light can oxidize the liquid and change its composition. To prevent losing precious notes and altering the fragrance’s smell, store your beautiful bottles in a cool and dark place. It helps keep the perfume as true to its intended smell as possible. The easiest way? Store them in their original boxes. Not only is the packaging beautiful, but also protect your precious perfume from direct sunlight.

2. How moisturized your skin is 

If you have dry skin, your fragrance will never be able to last as long as you want it to. The reason? There’s nothing for the fragrance to hang on to, thus making it evaporate even faster. Try using an unscented body lotion or jojoba oil to hydrate your skin before you spritz – it is very similar to our skin’s natural oils and won’t alter your scent’s profile.

3. What season you’re in 

The kind of climate you’re in affects both the way your fragrance projects and its lasting power. Cold weather holds stronger, lusher floral notes in check, which is why your tropical perfumes will smell all wrong during winter or autumn. Conversely, lighter scents work better in summer and spring. Heat and humidity also changes the way a perfume smells throughout the day, because heat volatilizes essences faster and humidity makes you sweat more, thus changing the scent’s composition.

4. Where you’re spraying 

If you’re looking for a subtle scent all over, try spritzing in your hair or clothes. This creates a diffused scent and hangs far longer than bare skin. But pulse points – areas such as the back of knees, neck, inside of elbows and wrists – emanate more heat than anywhere else and helps release scent throughout the day. 

5. How concentrated it is

The longevity of a scent also depends on the amount of oils in its formula. Perfume comes first, with the highest level of oils, followed by eau de parfum, then eau de toilette, with the lowest oil concentration and highest water and alcohol ratio. The less diluted your scent is, the longer it lasts. 

6. How you apply it

Do you usually rub your wrists together? Stop doing that, because fragrances are layered on top of one another in complex combinations (another reason why they are so expensive), and the heat and friction released during that action breaks the formula up and shortens it’s lasting power. If you must, try dabbing lightly instead.

SOURCE: House of Caress