Remember to apply it directly—not spritz into the air and walk through the cloud of perfume. Spraying it directly onto your skin makes it last longer.
An unscented moisturizing lotion is the easiest choice since you’ll be applying scented perfume afterward. Use an unscented deodorant, too. Scented deodorant can clash with the perfume and diminish its scent. However, if desired, you can match the scents of your moisturizer and perfume. Many beauty brands even offer moisturizers and perfumes as matching sets, so you don’t have to find a match yourself.
Spray some perfume over your heart, too! Of all your pulse points, your heart is the strongest, so it can effectively diffuse the scent of the perfume. Don’t rub your wrists together while applying perfume to pulse points. Rather than enhancing the scent, rubbing causes the fragrance to break down faster. You can also do a general sweep of your body from head to toe while applying perfume, but applying to pulse points is a good way to ensure the scent sticks.
Be careful not to spray perfume directly onto clothes that stain easily, like silk. Perfume may smell slightly lighter on your clothes than on your skin, but it should still essentially smell like your perfume of choice!
Generally, eau de perfumes last about 5 hours while eau de toilettes last 3 hours. However, you can make both last longer using the other tips on this list!
“Edible” notes like honey, chocolate, and vanilla all last a very long time, so any perfume that contains those base notes is a great choice!
If you don’t want to do the testing yourself, some brands even offer paired fragrances designed to be layered together. Not only does layering prolong the time your perfume lasts, but it’s also a great way to develop a signature scent for yourself.
Roll-on perfume oil is also usually compact and easy to carry around. Toss some in your purse and bring it with you throughout your day so you can reapply as necessary!
If your perfume came in a box, it helps to keep it stored in the box long-term to protect the bottle from light exposure. Discard your perfume when it expires. Perfume has an average shelf life of 3 to 5 years, though some may last as long as 10. Check the perfume’s packaging for a more exact expiration date.
