Perfume is a highly aspirational product. It signifies a higher standard of living, a stylish and evolved lifestyle. Yet when it comes to understanding about how to use perfume, many of us lack it. We use perfume too loosely and inaptly. It's so funny that the usage of perfume and how it’s stored in our houses is inversely proportional to the effort we take to select and buy the product. For the sake of fully experiencing the olfactory journey, the knowledge of how to apply perfume is elementary. And mind you, it's not rocket science. It’s common sense. Yet, many do not know or know partially. This problem is more complex in India where the usage of perfume amongst general population is increasing with higher spending power. While a true lover of perfume in India will know the basic tips on how to make perfume stay on longer, there are several evolving users who would benefit immensely with tips on how to apply perfume. When used correctly, the experience of enjoying the fragrance and reveling under its aroma changes completely. Let’s go over some important points to remember while applying perfumes that are akin to small, cute secrets on how to make perfume stay on longer.   

 Step 1: Begin with Fresh, Hydrated skin.

The whole chemistry of scents plays out in conjunction with your skin and its warmth. The scents evaporate and release their aroma when they encounter your skin. If you skin is dry, the evaporation is faster. Conversely, if the skin is clean and hydrated, the perfume will evaporate slower. The best practice would be applying the perfume after a warm bath. Your pores will be open due to the steam and the perfume will penetrate better. Obviously, you must dry down your skin with a towel to remove excess water; a completely wet skin will not help. The next step to learning how to apply a perfume is to hydrate your skin with cream or moisturizer. This layer will help to hold onto the fragrance molecules longer on the skin which will result in a longer lasting fragrance. Ideally, you should opt for an unscented or lightly scented lotion. It will avoid conflict with the perfume fragrance. Many connoisseurs apply a touch of Vaseline particularly on their pulse points. It’s a great hack on how to make perfume stay longer.

 Step 2: Target your pulse points.

Speaking of pulse points, one of the most important tips for how to apply perfume is making your pulse points as your own aroma dispenser. Confused? See, the fragrance notes in perfume evaporate from the skin releasing their aroma as its trail. Our pulse points are warmer and moister. This makes the perfume not only absorb better, but the aroma chemicals in the perfume also react nicely. The fragrance experience can be felt in its entirety. More importantly, the choice of pulse points also matters – and yes, you do have multiple choices. The best pulse points to apply are your neck, chin, collarbones and behind the ears. We would always recommend that because these pulse points are closest to your nose, and you will continually get a whiff of the fragrance. Trust us, it will alter your mood. The other popular places are the wrists and inner elbows. When you are with our beloved, or are going on a date, spray it on your chest and shoulder blade too, and transform the whole experience.

Step 3: Build layers for a long-lasting scent.

One lesser-known tip about how to apply perfume and how to make perfume last longer is to do layering. So, what exactly is layering - for a few it is wearing two different perfumes (which we don’t recommend), but for most it is complementing the perfume with a deodorant, after shave, body lotion or shower gel of the same fragrance. So, when you apply a lotion of the same fragrance and spray the perfume, the whole olfactory experience compounds. The skin is dealing with the same aromas for evaporation and hence the fragrance stays longer. It is also a terrific way to achieve the sillage  - the scent trail that is left behind once you pass someone.  

Step 4: Spritz from a distance.

The aromas in perfume are tiny molecules that land individually and separately on your skin. When you spritz the perfume on your pulse point from a close distance, all these molecules land together on a small area of your skin. Your skin will appear wet with the perfume and trust us, that’s misleading because you psychologically feel that you have applied a lot of perfume. The pro tip on how to apply perfume is this – spray it on your pulse points from approx. 15 cms distance. This will ensure the molecules don’t get clubbed together and when they land on your skin, collectively they cover a larger skin surface. This basically means that the evaporation will take time and make the perfume last longer.  

Step 5: Don’t Overspray

What’s our intuitive thought when we think about how to apply fragrances to make it long lasting? Spray a lot – basic human reaction. Well, too much of anything is bad. The best way to understand how to apply fragrances is to know that a couple of spritz at more pulse points is more impactful than spraying a lot more at fewer pulse points. Also, another thing that tends to happen is that our nose gets used to a fragrance over a period and therefore we smell the same perfume lesser. That misleads people into spraying more the next time. But that’s not needed a lot.  A couple of spritz at more pulse points will do the trick just alright.

Step 6: Complement the fragrance by spraying some on the clothes and hair.

Applying a little perfume to your clothing is a great complementary tip for how to use perfume. Fragrances evaporate slower on fabrics than skin. They also interact differently with it as compared to the skin. So, it’ll be like the layering tip we gave earlier. But it will keep the scent going all day. However, we recommend a patch test first as several fragrance oil tend to leave a stain on the clothes. Another tip on how to apply fragrances is to apply some on your hair, either directly or with a comb. Again, do a patch test first.

Common mistakes to avoid while applying perfumes.

Don’t rub your wrists:

Yes, that suffocates the scent trail.

Do not wear two different fragrances together:

According to us, they kill the impact of both fragrances. Layering with a different product of the same fragrance is great but layering with the same product but different fragrance is avoidable.

Do not apply after wearing your clothes: 

The most common mistake on how to apply perfume. We can’t properly reach the pulse points when we apply the perfume at the last minute, when we are fully clothed and about to rush. Most of the perfume will miss the skin and spill over on the clothes. Best time to apply is just before you wear your clothes to step out. This needs a change of habit but is immensely helpful.

Must try perfumes from Dopamine Shop

Kissed by the Sea

A refreshing blend created with Aqua, Bergamot & Patchouli. A whiff this unisex scent will transport you on vacation.

Between You & Me

 A cosy unisex blend with Lavender, Nutmeg & Vetiver. As the scent hits your nose, your mind will smell the warm embrace of your beloved.

Dark Side of Vanilla

A statement unisex scent. Period. With Tobacco Leaf, Vanilla, and Wood. A classy diffusion that is spread across the room turning heads toward you

Deliciously Spicy

“Why so serious?” is the right question that goes with this playful unisex scent made up of spices cinnamon, saffron, and tobacco. This unisex scent is so delicious that you will want to eat it.

PS: Hey, do check out our Oud Unisex Perfume collection here. It is a trilogy of scents with Oud at the centre. A rare and unique collection of Oud Unisex Perfumes

Conclusion:

The secrets behind understanding how to apply perfume for him or perfume for her are straightforward and rooted in the science of how fragrances react with the skin. Once you know that, all the tips of how to use perfume given above will instantly start making sense. Using these techniques may require modifying habits but the magical olfactory experience that you will experience due to this will make all this worthwhile.