How to Make Your Fragrance Last Longer

Are you applying your favorite fragrance in the right spot?

Rose Pompon by Annick Goutal

Many people don’t realize the full impact of a fragrance and how it speaks for you without having to say a word. Your scent follows you wherever you go and lingers with each breath; so much so that it should be making and leaving an impression on the people that you meet. So whether or not you have a signature scent or you switch fragrances depending on the season, it’s clear that you want that scent to last as long as it can.

Sure, it’s important to choose a scent with specific notes that appeal to you and mix well with your natural essence and body oils but when you’re picking out a fragrance to wear, we want you to keep these four things in mind: projection, silage, intensity and longevity.

Projection (Distance) The projection of a fragrance is how far a scent radiates off of your skin and how it is perceived by others in the same room as you – if they are standing in close proximity to you or 10 feet away.

Sillage (Linger) The sillage of a fragrance is the length of time that a scent hangs around in the air after you leave a room. You can consider this your fragrance afterglow and scent trail that lingers when you are no longer present.

Intensity (Strength) The intensity of a fragrance is the strength and concentration of the notes, oils and aromatic compounds used in the final product. A fragrance will be stronger and more intense depending on the concentration and intensity of the notes, oils and aromatic compounds involved. In other words, it’s how hard the fragrance slaps you in the face once you catch a sniff of it which varies from Eau De Paufum’s, Eau de Toilette’s and Eau de Cologne’s.

Longevity (Endurance) The longevity of a fragrance is the amount of time that a scent clings to your skin. Similarly to the intensity of a fragrance, the longevity of a scent will depend on the concentration of the notes, oils and aromatic compounds used in the final product.

These terms are intimately related. Some fragrances can have great projection, poor silage and an intense scent and long longevity. On the other hand, some fragrances can have poor projection and low longevity while having a high silage and intensity. Honestly, it all depends on what is in the final product. And while you can’t control what’s in the bottle, there are a few fragrance tricks that you can do to help the scent last a little bit longer.

For starters, make sure that you’re misting your favorite fragrances on your pulse points to intensify the scent. Pulse points are the areas on your body that have the most veins under the skin, which makes them your hot spots. The heat will intensify the fragrance, help it to diffuse and release the top, heart, and base notes as you warm up throughout the day.

Sure, familiar spots such as your wrist and side of your neck are great areas to apply a scent, but to really make your scent last, try adding a spritz or two to a few of these other pulse points:

Pulse Points: - The Back of The Legs (Behind Your Knees) - Behind The Ears - Small of Your Back - Nape of Your Neck - Cleavage - Inside of Your Elbow - The Area Right Above Your Hip Bones - Belly Button - Hair - Under Your Arms

Fragrance is an art and your skin is a canvas. Once you purchase a bottle, you become the artist from and each pulse point on your body will help you get the most out of your scent.