Ways to Make Perfume Last Longer

So you’re trying to figure out ways to make perfume last longer. Reapplying can be a hassle, plus perfume bottles can take up a lot of space in your bag, not to mention that delicate glass bottles can be damaged when you’re taking them with you. What’s more, perfumes can be expensive, and you want to make the most of each bottle.

Getting the hang of making your perfume last longer can reduce how quickly you run through bottles. With that, here’s our list of the 8 ways you can make your perfume last longer.

8 Ways to Make Perfume Last longer

1. Apply your perfume to clean skin 

If you treat perfumes like a shower in a bottle- stop right now. It’s not working. Unclean skin can accelerate the breakdown of bacteria that causes body odor. So if you’re looking to make perfume last longer- shower.

Make sure to pat yourself dry first, as wet skin can dilute the perfume and cause it to fade faster. 

2. Moisturize your skin beforehand

Using a hydrating, long lasting moisturizer is another way to make perfume last longer. You can use an unscented moisturizer if you want to maintain the original smell of your fragrance, but if you’re up for it, mixing in a fragrant moisturizer to layer with the smell of your perfume can be a life changer. For example, a perfume with vanilla notes would blend together perfectly with a body lotion that smells like sweet coconut! Some perfumes have matching lotions that usually come in gift sets. You can check them out for yourself right here. 

This is a very important step because unmoisturized skin causes the perfume to evaporate fast, making the perfume last a very poor amount of time. 

As dry skin causes perfumes to evaporate faster, moisturizing the spots you spray on is a great way to make perfume last longer.

3. Pay attention to perfume expiry dates

Yes, perfumes can expire. It seems basic, but you might want to assess how old your fragrance is. Expired perfumes can be harmful to your health, causing skin irritation, allergic reactions etc. They also don’t perform as well as regular perfumes. The essential oils might have broken down and decomposed, making the fragrance last less long and even smell foul. 

Perfumes from brands like Chanel or Gucci don’t expire quickly due to the quality of the product, and can last for years. Thus, investing in high quality brands is an ensured way to make perfume last longer. The exact shelf life and longevity of perfumes during day-to-day wear depends on the notes and the weather. 

4. Store your perfumes properly 

Storing your perfume in a dark place that isn’t subjected to rapid changes in temperature is another way to make perfume last longer. A vanity or a cupboard is best suited for this. Perfumes that are exposed to bright light are less potent and last much less time than perfumes stored in a cool dark place. Places like bathrooms can have a high rate of heat fluctuations because of hot showers, and this is going to curb the lifetime of your perfume. 

Make sure to properly seal your perfume after every use so the fragrance has no chance of leaking and altering the quality of the perfume. A perfume subjected to intense light and temperature lasts for less time than expected. 

5. Don’t rub your wrists together once you apply the perfume 

It might feel instinctive to rub your wrists together after applying your perfume on your wrists. Rubbing your wrists together is going to burn away the top notes of your perfume and make your perfume last way less time than if you don’t. If your skin feels too damp after the application of the perfume, feel free to dab the perfume to help it dry quicker. This way the perfume doesn’t rub off the top notes. 

If your perfume takes longer to dry than usual, you can try spraying the perfume from a bit farther away to avoid it spraying as a single drop. Being mindful about your method of application is a great way to make perfume last longer.

6. Spray your perfume on your clothes.

Perfume sprayed on clothes isn’t disturbed by natural body oils and sweat. Clothes sprayed with perfume tend to smell fragrant till it’s washed. So, in addition to applying perfume on your pulse points (wrists and neck), applying the scents to your clothes is an efficient way to make perfume last longer. 

Please note that perfumes can stain the fabric and make the inks bleed occasionally. Make sure to be careful and do your research beforehand. Some stains are removable, but sometimes the damage done by the alcohol and essential oils of perfumes can be irreversible. 

7. Spray the perfume on your hair.

This way to make perfume last longer works best if you have long hair. Spritz your perfume in your hair before you head out and put your hair up in a ponytail or a bun. As the day progresses, you can let your hair down, causing a wave of fresh scents to radiate from you. After all, who doesn’t like great smelling hair?

In conclusion, a small number of tweaks on how you wear your perfume can help you get the maximum results your perfume can give.  

8. Choose a fragrance with a higher concentration.

Did you know that the same fragrance is sold in different concentrations by perfume producers? There are a variety of options like Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, Parfum and body mists. These have different essential oil concentrations and perform differently when it comes to longevity. Choosing a fragrance type with a higher essential oil concentration, like a Parfum or an Extrait de Parfum, is another important way to make perfume last longer.

Here’s a very helpful article that explains the different types of perfumes, their essential oil concentrations and how best to use them.

9. Pick your perfume depending on the weather

On hot days the essential oils in perfumes are more likely to heat up and evaporate. This leads to the perfume lasting less time on the skin. If the essential oil molecules are on the larger, heavier end, it’s relatively more difficult for them to evaporate. So for a hot summer day, perfumes with heavy essential oil molecules are recommended. These include woody, musky and balsamic notes. So a perfume with sandalwood and musk notes will last you a longer time on a summer day compared to any other note. 

On cold winter days, go for a perfume with notes that have stronger projection that can penetrate through layers of clothing like vanilla notes, leather notes, cinnamon and cardamom notes. 

10. Pay attention to the base notes of the perfumes

Heavier base notes make for perfumes that last longer. These base notes are less volatile compared to others, so they evaporate slowly and keep you smelling great all day. The heaviest base notes are woody, spicy and leathery.

With that, we’ve come to the end of our 10 ways to make perfume last longer. Have we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below.