How to apply perfume

Here are some tips to applying fragrance to get the most out of your scent and make it last longer.

The right way to apply fragrance
To apply the perfect amount of scent, put it on when you are just out of the shower and before dressing. Dab perfume on pulse points (no more than six if you’re applying it on the backs of knees or ankles) or three sprays of eau de toilette or eau de parfum right after drying off. The scent will become a part of your skin, easing through your clothing rather than sitting on top of it. Scenting before dressing also prevents sprays from staining or fading clothing.

Layering fragrance products to enhance perfume scent
Perfumers have always warned against warring fragrances. If you are going to wear a perfume, they say, it should be layered – powder, lotion and cologne should all be the same perfume to avoid olfactory clashes. If you want to wear the same scent you’ve always worn but worry that it may cause you trouble at work or in public, you may decide to lighten it by wearing eau de toilette instead of perfume, or you may choose a scented bath gel, body lotion or powder instead and keep the spray or dab-on scent for wearing on special occasions.

Finding your signature scent
The traditional stance on perfumes has been that each woman finds her ‘signature’ scent and it becomes part of her personality, scenting her closet, her lingerie and her handbag. Women have often chosen the same perfume their mothers’ wore, making it part of a family tradition. New thoughts on perfumery encourage women to make more than one scent part of their ‘signature’. Single note perfumes such as rose, orange, blossom, amber or jasmine are often sold in order to give women the chance to acquire a scent wardrobe to match the mood of any particular day or event.

This piece originally appeared here