Ever felt the compelling need to look at a person who has just walked past, leaving an alluring trail of their perfume? Chances are, the answer is yes. (For me, it is usually a girl wearing Chloe, or a guy who smells of Bleu de Chanel.)
I always believe that no matter how much time we spend on our clothes, makeup and hair, the one thing that immediately draws us to another person is their scent.
So why not make a lasting impression during this year’s party season by standing out of the crowd (dressed to the nines, no less) with your perfume.
Here are three tips on how you can make fragrances last longer:
#1 KNOW THE BASIC TRICKS
Before you start experimenting with scent, you need to know how to apply it first.
Sometimes we get lazy and all we do is spritz a cloud of perfume into the air and walk into it, but it will not last. Spraying directly onto your clothes can also stain them, so apply your perfume before you get dressed.
Always take the time to spray your perfume at the pulse points — your wrists, behind your ears, the inner elbow, the back of the knees and the nape of the neck — and anywhere that produces heat.
Remember that you should not rub your wrists together. It “spoils” the fragrance experience. The smell you get when the perfume first leaves the bottle is different from the smell you get after the perfume has been on your skin for a few hours. By rubbing your wrists together you accelerate that process. So you will “miss” how it smells on the first spritz.
You can also follow this old trick: Spray perfume into your hair. It will not prolong its wear, but it will help to leave a “perfume trail”. Don’t overdo it though, because the alcohol in perfume can dry your strands. In our weather, applying perfume to the nape of the neck can actually be enough to trap the scent in long hair.
#2 MOISTURISE FIRST
Apart from heat, fragrance clings better to well-moisturised skin, so use an unscented body lotion or cream before spraying perfume. Try these body lotions which are perfect for humid weather if you do not have the habit of applying moisturiser all over your body: 4 body moisturisers for humid weather.
If you really do not like the feeling of an all-over body moisturiser, you can selectively apply them to the pulse points; refer to point one above.
Online beauty community users have also suggested using Vaseline (or any form of petroleum jelly) in place of moisturiser. Wait for the moisturiser or Vaseline to dry, then apply your perfume.
#3 LAYER PRODUCTS IN THE SAME RANGE
Use shower gel, body cream and perfume of the same fragrance family to amplify the scent.
You might think that the fragrance disappears as you wash away the shower foam, but it actually lingers on your skin. Try sniffing your inner elbows after showering tonight: The scent is faint, but it makes a difference. The easiest way to think of this is like a makeup primer, which absorbs into your skin and makes a subtle but visible difference to the finished look.
Remember point number two? Moisturise with a body cream or lotion in the same scent. Many brands offer a whole range of body products for each fragrance these days. Here’s our pick: the iconic Chanel No. 5 range.
You really get the full works for this musky scent — body soap, body cream, deodorant and even a loose powder for the body.
BONUS: TAILOR YOUR SCENT BY LAYERING PRODUCTS FROM DIFFERENT RANGES
You can use the previous concept to tailor your scent without having to go out and buy a new perfume when you want something different, just switch out one of the products.
The trick to doing this is to go for light scents with complementary notes.
The L’Occitane Fragrance Beautifying Cream is meant to help perfume last longer, but its neutral floral notes makes it extremely versatile for layering with other fragrances.
Try it with the brand’s new Arlesienne perfume and smell like a blend of rose, sweet violet and saffron.
If you’re worried about clashing scents, always test fragrances in store first. Do not buy a perfume right away, because you should take note of how it performs over time. (You know how some perfumes smell lovely in the morning on you and turns horrible by noon? Avoid that.) Happy sampling!
Chanel No.5 Fragrance range, from $44, is available at all Chanel stores and counters. For more information, visit www.chanel.com/en_SG, and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
L'Occitane Fragrance Beautifying Cream, $53, is available at all L'Occitane stores and counters. For more information, visit sg.loccitane.com, and follow the brand on Facebook.