Spray the perfume directly on your skin, not on your clothes, because the fragrance can leave some stains. Make sure that your perfume dries on the skin, and only then put on the clothes. You can also apply your perfume to the pulse points, which are not covered with your clothes.
Do not spray your perfume on your clothes. Bhide stresses, “In India, people mostly put their perfume on clothes. That is wrong. You are supposed to spray them directly on your skin for them to work their best.”
“Don't cover it up with your clothing,” he says, and instead target areas exposed to the air: the pulse points of the neck and the wrists or inner elbows, if you're wearing a sleeveless blouse. The only exception, however, is if you're in an intensely hot climate—then it's best to not apply scent directly to your body.
How can perfume negatively affect your skin? "Sprayed directly onto skin, perfume is so aggressive that it undermines skin's ability to protect itself against UV damage. That means that perfume-covered skin becomes more vulnerable to sun damage and ageing pigmentation."
Spray it onto your pulse points.
It's places like the inside of your wrists, inner elbows, below your belly button, behind your ear lobes, and the back of your knees. These warm spots on your body emit extra body heat, which helps to naturally diffuse a scent.
Perfume will stay longer on textile than on your skin. If you want your perfume to last longer, praying some on your clothes or scarf is a good idea. But be careful: some perfumes can cause stains on your clothes, especially the more concentrated perfumes with a darker, ambery color.
When applying perfume correctly, you want to hit all the right spots. "It's important to select the areas of the body that are naturally warm and moist, like the insides of the elbows, back of the knees, chest, and the sides of the neck," says Milèo. "These areas allow the perfume to be truly enjoyed.
You probably already know that you should spray perfume on your neck, but it's still worth mentioning! Beyond simply spritzing your skin, you may also want to consider wearing a necklace that contains a fragrance. These are specially made to contain an aroma and leave your neck smelling good all day long.
Chest – This area works well if you have a stronger scent and you want to ensure that you're not overpowering people. Since the chest is where you'll smell it the strongest yourself, it's more likely you'll be able to gauge whether it's enough or too much.
Like skincare products, your skin will react to fragrance based on its pH balance. In other words, how acidic your skin is will change how fragrance smells. Your skin's pH balance determines how sensitive it is, and how dry or oily it is.
Spraying perfume onto your armpits poses as another potential cause of irritation. The interaction between your perfume and your armpits' sweat glands could result in itching and burning.
When spraying the perfume make sure to distance the sprayer 4-6 inches or 10-15 centimeters from the skin. The reason for this is because that way you will cover the bigger surface on the skin and perfume will work much better as it's not oversaturated on a single spot.
Spray your fragrance towards your pulse points: wrists, neck, décolleté, behind the ears. Concentrated areas of heat will diffuse the perfume and help it linger longer.
However recent research suggests that, rather than masking odor entirely, fragrances may in fact be chosen to complement and perhaps enhance the volatiles present in an individuals' body odor.
Eating healthy and whole foods rich in antioxidants can help keep you smell good without cologne. Foods like berries, nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, and citrus fruits are all excellent sources of antioxidants that help keep the body clean from the inside out.
One study even showed that the genetic coding for a certain protein that binds on to smells and helps them reach the smell receptors in the nose, does vary within populations, so some people may naturally have a better sense of smell than others.
"Your ankles are always in motion, so it helps project the fragrance wherever you go," says Claisse. "It continues the scent from head to toe." Claisse recommends applying your scent on your body before putting on your clothes, so that the fragrance can absorb into your skin.
Reapply your perfume once throughout the day if you're wearing eau de parfum or every four hours if you're wearing eau de toilette. The most potent perfumes don't require a second spritz and can work their magic for a full 24 hours. When you reapply, spritz your perfume only three or four times.
Apply immediately after you shower
Your open pores will soak up the scent and leave your skin smelling fabulous all day long. However, don't apply the perfume while your skin is still wet as it will only rub off when you dry yourself!
Why doesn't fragrance last on me? Unfortunately for some people, your body chemistry causes perfumes to evaporate more quickly from your skin. Perfumers would say that your skin throws off fragrance. Instead of lasting for some 3 to 4 hours, it disappears within an hour, sometimes shorter.