Nail paints and fragrances are the two of the most used cosmetic products in the beauty industry. However, both face the problem of durability that many brands try to tackle in every new product that they launch. Almost all the advertisement trying to sell a perfume or a deodorant have two most significant claims, one that it isn’t just gas but a liquid scent that would allow your bottle to last longer, and two that its durable that would allow it to last longer on your body as well. As most of you must have discovered by now, although strong claims are made by brands about their products’ durability, every fragrance reaches a point sooner than expected when it wears off. Here are a few hacks that you can use to make your regular fragrance or even those that promise a longer duration, to stay even longer.
Moisturize the Skin
It is very important to keep your skin hydrated for its youthful appearance. Another key use that adds to this is the fact that it can even make your perfume last longer. Oily skin has been scientifically proven to retain a fragrance for longer compared to dry skin. So, while you might curse your oily skin, here is one benefit that others will envy you for. You can even use Vaseline on the areas where you’ll spray the perfume, as it does the trick even better. The particles of the moisturizer hold the perfume which eventually slows down the perfume’s fleeting away process. It’s always best to moisturize your skin with fragrance-free moisturizer before applying your perfume, for better longer lasting results.
Spray and don’t Rub
While it might sound like a sound plan to rub your wrists when you apply a perfume, it really isn’t helping the fragrance get absorbed into the skin. rubbing actually breaks down the molecules of the fragrance, ultimately making it fade away faster. Not only that, the perfume loses its original scent, and get mixed up with body odors, creating an effect that it wasn’t supposed to in the first place. Thus, one should spray the perfume directly onto the skin, holding the bottle 15-20 cm away from the body. Not only does this keep the constituents of the perfume intact, it even allows the fragrance to spread evenly throughout the body.
Apply to Your Pulse Points
More often than not people don’t know the difference between a deodorant and a perfume and would use one in place of the other. Deodorants are used to cover up unpleasant body odor. Some even contain antiperspirants, which is why it is mostly used for the armpits or other areas that produce a large amount of sweat. Perfumes, on the other hand, are meant to add to your personality like an accessory, rather than covering up or hiding any unpleasant odor. Thus, the next time you are out to make a gift for someone, make sure it’s a perfume and not a deodorant if you don’t want to tell them that they smell bad by what you gift. Consequently, the areas where a perfume is applied is different from that on which a deodorant is sprayed. Perfumes are generally sprayed on the pulse points of the body, namely, inside wrist, inside elbow, behind ears, collarbone, and behind the knees. These points radiate heat and assist a fast evolution of the fragrance.
Use it directly After Shower
As I have mentioned already, the fragrance gets activated by the body heat. Another thing to be noted here is that once you are out of a hot shower your pores are open, which will allow the molecules of the perfume to get absorbed better into the skin, effectively elongating its scent, something that we felt was happening by rubbing the perfume on the skin. Applying it directly after the shower and before wearing your clothes also protects the clothes from getting stained by the chemicals present in the perfume.
Protect the Perfume
It is important that the perfume is stored right in order to maintain its fragrance and shelf life. Humidity, heat, and light can deteriorate the quality of your perfume, which can also be why it isn’t as effective as it once was. It is thus essential to store the perfume in a dark place, or one which is not in direct exposure to the sunlight. Another important thing to remember is that the perfume shouldn’t be stored in the bathroom for the atmosphere is very damp there no matter how hard you try to keep it dry. As for protecting it from the vapors, it’s best to buy perfumes in a spray bottle for the nozzle ensures the least exposure to unwanted vapors. A deteriorated perfume not only loses its scent but in some cases, it might even harm the body because of the chemical reactions that might take place with exposure to what is harmful.
Choose the Right Perfume
As you must have gathered by now, not all perfumes are meant to last long and the problem lies in their base notes. Base notes in perfumery, are not the bass notes in music, but much like the latter they constitute the composition of a fragrance and are descriptors that can be sensed on the application of the perfume. While there are three types of notes in all fragrances, top/head notes, middle/heart notes, and base notes, the last one is the most defining of the three as it constitutes the main theme of the perfume. Thus, its best to choose the fragrance with the strongest base note is the durability of the perfume is your goal. Citrus, ginger and other fresh base notes tend to fade off faster, while the best base notes are made by Patchouli, Pine, Woodsy, Cedar, Vanilla, Frankincense, etc.
Mix and Match
Who ever said that you can’t be creative with your perfumes? Why not mix two fragrances together and create a new one, which will not only smell different but last longer. Layering perfumes can also help in making them stay for a much longer period of time. As one gets trapped under the other, there is always a slower rate of evaporation. However, ensure that you don’t apply more than two layers for the last thing you want is for people to hold their nose when you walk by, for too much scent can ruin the show. Another point to be kept in mind while mixing and matching is the characteristics of the products. The concentration, heaviness, and intensity of the perfumes should be considered before blending them, for example, the fading rate depends a lot on the amount of oil contained in a perfume. Parfum has the maximum concentration (20%) of essential oil, and consequently follow Eau de Perfume (15%),eau de toilette (8%), body mist and Cologne (5%).
The last thing to note here is that a branded perfume is always better than a random one. It’s okay if you don’t want to spend on fragrances but what isn’t alright is spending on one that might harm your skin or expire early. Choose your fragrance wisely depending upon the impression that you want to leave on the occasion in question, for your scent contributes a lot to your personality and says a lot about you.
