Perfume not lasting all day? You could be making these four mistakes

A signature scent is the hidden accessory of the perfectly refined wardrobe. Your perfume choices can communicate your personality or mood without saying a word. And, after you’ve left the room, your scent will long after - at least it should.

There’s nothing more frustrating than having to re-spritz every few hours. While travel perfume was invented for a reason, you want to make your scent to last all day long. But, before you go blaming your Eau de whatever and forking out the cash for a new fragrance, there are a few things to consider. After all, the way you store and apply your perfume goes a long way when it comes to making it last.

1. Eau de toilette vs Eau de parfum

The type of perfume you choose can be a massive indicator of how long it will last. Typically, Eau de toilette has a 5-15% pure perfume concentration and will last around three hours.

Eau de parfum has a slightly higher concentration of pure perfume at 15-20% and can last up to five hours.

Eau de toilette and Eau de parfum are the most popular types of perfumes on the market but you can also choose from Eau fraiche, Eau de cologne and extrait parfum. Extrait parfum is the strongest of them all, with a 20-40% perfume content lasting for up to eight hours. This type of perfume is a little pricier, but it’s also the best for sensitive skin as it contains the least alcohol.

2. Applying your perfume in the right places

When getting ready to douse yourself if a delectable floral or woody aroma, it’s best to remember that heat enhances fragrance. So, apply your perfumes directly to the pulse points on your neck, wrists, ankles and even the backs of your knees!

Do you rub your wrists together when applying perfume? One thing to note is that while many of us were taught to rub our scents to activate them, the friction actually degrades your aroma and can make it fade faster. Instead, just spray, dab and go!

Pro tip: if you really want your perfume to last longer, spray some in your hair! The strands of your hair act as your own personal diffuser, and every toss and flip can release a wave of fragrance.

3. Moisturiser is key

Perfume and dry skin just don’t mix. So, to make your scent last as long as it can, moisturise regularly with unscented creams and lotions.

On the contrary, perfume tends to stick better on oily skin. A good rule of thumb tends to be that the oilier your skin is, the less perfume you’ll need and the longer it will last.

4. Is your perfume expired?

Even perfume can expire. While most fragrances don’t have a set-in-stone expiry date, they usually last from three to five years, with some starting to degrade after just one. If your perfume starts to change in scent, colour or texture, it’s a good sign that your scent is beginning to go bad.

To keep your perfume potent for as long as possible proper storage is imperative. Avoid storing your perfume on a sunny shelf (no matter how pretty the bottle might be); instead, keep your fragrances in a cool, dark, dry place away from air conditioning, heating units and damp bathrooms.

Pro tip: remembering to keep the cap on your bottles and even storing them in the box they came with are super simple ways to preserve your fragrance.