The first spritz of a sublime fragrance will always be a captivating experience, leaving the wearer uplifted, inspired and hungering for more. It is only natural to crave the unparalleled scent of a favourite perfume, and to wonder how to prevent the experience from coming to an end.
Fortunately, there are a great many methods that can be employed to extend the life of a fragrance after application, so read on to discover The House of Creed’s best tips to make fragrance last longer and smell stronger.
A Considered Application
The method in which a perfume is applied plays a key role in how long it lasts, as well as the intensity of the scent as it dries. Follow these application steps to maximise the power of your fragrance.
A Clean Approach
Fragrance is best applied on freshly cleansed skin, to avoid being diluted by the natural scent of the body, as well as by previous perfume applications. Clean skin is also usually warmer, fresh from the hot water of a shower or bath, with a stronger blood flow due to the heat, which further helps to improve the radiation of scent from the skin.
The fragrance will still blend with the natural scent of the wearer throughout the day – this is in fact an important aspect of fragrance as it creates a unique dimension for every individual – but by reducing natural scent to start with, the fragrance can be enjoyed at full strength for longer.
Soft Skin, Strong Scent
Not only does well-moisturised skin feel softer and look healthier, it also helps to increase the longevity of a fragrance. When skin is plumped with moisturising oils, perfume evaporates more slowly from the surface, and therefore diffuses more consistently and over a longer period of time. To achieve the optimum moisturisation, apply a body lotion or oil to freshly cleansed skin, and spritz the fragrance over the top.
This also helps to improve the fragrance’s sillage - the perfumed trail that follows the movement of the wearer. In order to avoid detracting from the fragrance however, it is important to use an unscented oil or lotion, or instead select from one of The House of Creed’s luxuriously formulated body care products, scented to match a selection of iconic fragrances.
A nourishing body oil is available in scents to match Green Irish Tweed, Silver Mountain Water, Aventus for Her and Love in White.
The Perfect Placement
It is vital to choose the optimum placement for your fragrance, in order to maximise its impact. Whilst there are a great many ways that a perfume can be applied, some yield eminently superior results.
The Warmer The Better
There are certain parts of the body where blood pumps particularly close to the surface of the skin. These are known as pulse points, and can be found at the crook of the elbow, the wrists, at the neck just below the ears, behind the knees and at the ankles. Because of the increased flow of blood, the skin is naturally warmest in these areas.
This means that the fragrance will be heated in these places more than on other parts of the body, and therefore the scent will emanate from the wearer more effectively, creating that coveted cloud of irresistible perfume.
From Head To Toe
The power of an all-over application of perfume should not be underestimated. It is natural to assume that applying fragrance in the areas that are closest to the nose will yield the best results, but it is not quite as simple as that. In order to reach other people most effectively, a fragrance must be carried on the air, and for this, there must be air flow.
When the wearer moves, the breeze created by their movement will bring the scent out into the surroundings, even if the point of application is low down on the body. In fact, this means that an application of fragrance at the ankle pulse points can be particularly effective, due to the ankles being one of the most physically active parts of the body.
With every step, plumes of air are whipped up around the ankles and feet - as can be seen by the way a diaphanous gown or light linen trouser will ripple as the wearer walks - and so the same is true of perfume applied in this area. Apply a spritz of perfume at the pulse points of the ankles in addition to areas higher up the body, for a longer lasting perfume that creates a pleasingly consistent aura of fragrance.
The Perfect Application
Pulse point application plays an important role in the performance of a fragrance, but one drawback is that these areas are often also covered by clothing. The scent of perfume applied to the skin will be hindered when thick fabric is worn over the top, but there are methods to help avoid this issue.
A simple option is to just apply fragrance to any pulse points that will not be covered by the items of clothing you are wearing – behind the ears, the wrists, and around the ankles are areas commonly left either wholly or partially bare.
Fragrance can also be applied to the hair, by lightly spritzing the scent onto a hairbrush and gently brushing it though from the roots to tips. The heat from the scalp will warm the fragrance and help it to radiate, while the natural movement of the hair – whether the sway and tumble of longer styles, or the easy breeze that ruffles short hair – will allow the fragrance to carry as well.
When Keeping Covered
Fragrance can, however, also be applied to clothes if desired, without any worry of dimming the power of the scent when done correctly. Fabric can hold scent beautifully – indeed, inhaling the perfume of a loved one on a scarf is one of life’s most classically romantic moments.
But it is important to apply fragrance to fabric very carefully. Allowing the fabric to become ‘wet’ by the spritz may lead to staining – both because of the high percentage of natural oils in the finest perfumes, and because some perfumes will be darker in colour than the material, and thus may be visible even if only a fine spritz is applied.
If in doubt, it is best to test with a cautious application of scent to an inconspicuous area first, to see how the fabric fares. Spraying fragrance on a kerchief or scarf is preferable, as the warmth from the pulse points in the neck will help the fragrance to travel.
If the fabric of other clothing can be safely spritzed without staining, the fragrance can be applied onto the part of the item that will lie above other pulse points as well. Even with full coverage clothing, if the item is very loose or the fabric is lightweight and delicate, it is possible to apply it to the skin and still enjoy the scent – just be sure to follow all of the other steps to maximise your fragrance’s lifespan and reach.
A Little Extra Care
Just as with all other items of exquisite craftsmanship, a Creed perfume must be treated with due care and attention to retain its superior quality. These measures will ensure your artisan fragrance collection maintains its exceptional scent, from the first spritz right through to the last.
How To Store Your Fragrance
Fragrance bottles are wonderfully ornamental. Jewel-like with their crystalline glass, beautiful labels, artistic flourishes, and of course the amber-coloured nectar glittering inside, it is tempting to proudly set out a perfume in full view, on a dressing table, cabinet top or shelf. However, direct sunlight is damaging to the delicate compounds contained within a fragrance – it can cause the molecules to break down, diminishing the scent and lessening its longevity.
It is essential to store a perfume in a place where direct sunlight will never reach, and even better if it is also removed from indirect sunlight as well. Fragrances should also always be kept in a room that maintains a stable, cool temperature, because fluctuations and high heat can also degrade the formulation, and for this reason it is advisable to avoid keeping them in a bathroom, or leaving one in a car.
Perfume Placement Ideas
There are still a great many aesthetically pleasing ways to display your perfume collection whilst following this advice. They can be arranged artfully inside a closable table-top cabinet on your dressing table, or placed standing up in a drawer, waiting for you to choose one like bon-bons in a confectionary box.
A dressing room with no natural light, or a particularly shady corner of the bedroom, will also make an excellent environment for perfumes to be set out on a shelf or tray. If there is space in the wardrobe, a section of a shelf could be given over to a fragrance display, perhaps alongside accessories such as watches or jewellery.
Another option is to use a protective pouch – an objet d’art in its own right, the House of Creed’s exquisite Perfume Sleeve is made from luxurious navy leather and will shield a fragrance from sunlight, whilst looking every bit as luxurious as the bottle contained within.
A Careful Touch
The care of a fragrance does not stop with the placement of the bottle however. Once the fragrance reaches your skin, it is imperative to continue to treat it gently in order to maximise its scent and endurance. Do not be tempted to spray on one wrist and rub the fragrance onto the other, or to rub it in behind the ears.
This will crush the fragrance, causing it to break down too quickly. Fragrance is best applied only as a spray rather than with physical touch – but if this is not possible, opt for a motion of one or two very gentle ‘presses’, rather than a vigorous tap or rub.
Make the Right Decision
The unique formulation of the fragrance you decide upon will play a large role in how long it lasts on the skin, so keep these tips in mind when shopping for a fragrance.
Good Chemistry
It is wise to test out a fragrance before purchasing, because perfumes can behave remarkably differently depending on the wearer, as a result of each person’s unique skin chemistry.
Apply the perfume following the steps above, and then go on with the rest of your day as normal, stopping to consider the scent at different times, to see how it changes. A fragrance can be tested out in this way using a sample bottle in store, or by purchasing a Fragrance Discovery Set.
The Best Blend
Choosing a fragrance with a high concentration of essential oils will ensure a deep, impactful and long-lasting scent. Eau de Parfums usually contain an essential oil content of around 10-13%, while Eau de Toilette contains around 3-8%. The House of Creed’s Eau de Parfum concentrations are much higher however, at 18-25% essential oils.
But while the concentration is undoubtedly important, there is more to take into account when it comes to choosing a fragrance with a long-lasting blend. The fixative ingredients in a perfume have a dual purpose - offering delectable notes that play either a central or supporting role in the overall scent of the perfume, and also helping to reduce the volatility or the overall formula, making the blend more stable and thus longer-lasting.
Rich, deep notes such as sandalwood, cedarwood, ambergris, vanilla, orris, vetiver, tonka bean and styrax are some of the most effective fixative additions, and all feature prominently in The House of Creed’s fragrance formulations, to ensure the fragrance can be savoured and enjoyed for as much time as possible.
Finding a beloved fragrance is one of life’s finest small pleasures, and often comes after a long period of trialling and testing. With this advice, you should be able to get the most out of your favourite fragrances, spritz after spritz.
