How to make your perfume last all day

If your perfume seems to disappear by lunchtime, the bottle may not be the problem. Where you spray, when you spray and how you keep the bottle all change how long a scent lasts. These are the habits that make the biggest difference.

Start with moisturized skin

Perfume holds on to hydrated skin much better than dry skin, which simply soaks it up. Put on an unscented lotion a few minutes before you spray, or use the matching body lotion if your perfume came in a gift set. Right after a shower is the ideal moment.

Spray, then leave it alone

Pulse points are warm, and warmth helps a scent rise: the sides of the neck, the wrists and the inside of the elbows. Hold the bottle a few inches away and spray once or twice.

Then resist the urge to rub your wrists together. Rubbing heats the skin and breaks up the lightest notes faster, so the opening you liked in the store fades before you've left the house.

Let your clothes help

Fabric holds scent far longer than skin. A light mist on a scarf, a jacket collar or a sweater can last into the next day. Spray from about six inches away, and skip silk and very pale fabrics, since perfume oils can leave marks.

Hair carries scent beautifully too, but alcohol dries it out. Spray your hairbrush instead and brush it through.

Pick notes that last

Some notes are simply built to stay. Citrus and fresh green notes are the first to fade; woods, amber, vanilla and musk are the ones still there at night. If lasting power matters most, look for a warm base, like the sandalwood and vanilla in Guerlain Samsara, or the cardamom and cedarwood in YSL L'Homme La Nuit.

Concentration matters as well: an eau de parfum or extrait usually outlasts an eau de toilette. We explain the difference in EDP, EDT or Parfum?

Store the bottle well

Light, heat and humidity break perfume down, which makes the bathroom the worst place to keep it. A drawer, a closet shelf or the original box keeps it stable for years. Keep the cap on, too.

Don't trust your own nose

After twenty minutes or so, your nose stops noticing a scent you're wearing, even though the people around you still can. It's called nose blindness, and it's the reason many people over-spray. If you're not sure, ask someone close to you before adding more.

The short checklist

Moisturize first. Spray pulse points and don't rub. Mist your clothes. Choose warm base notes or an EDP for long days. Store the bottle somewhere cool and dark.