Perfume 101
Tips for applying it, prolonging its hold on the skin, and keeping its bottle as long as possible.
First thing to remember is that the hold will depend on the type of fragrances you apply and the notes. Perfume with more than 20% oil concentration will last up to 8 hours, while cologne with a much lower fragrance concentration (about 2% to 4%) will last about two hours. Eau de Parfum has between 15 to 20% and will get you a solid four to five hours of fragrance. As for the notes, citrus, floral and aromatic notes are classified more as head and heart notes evaporating the fastest. On the other hand, woody, amber, or musky notes are base notes, the tenacity of which could last for several days. (keep in mind a fern can be very light while showing a beautiful tenacity, and a very opulent floral, like tuberose, will have a sillage of several days...)
To diffuse it optimally, spray on the pulse points where the body temperature is the highest because the heat helps the diffusion of the perfumes (the inside of the wrists and the elbow, under the lobe of the ear, in the hollow of the neck. Clothing, mainly made of natural material such as wool or silk, can also be excellent diffusers and keep a scent longer. Moisturize your skin; a body cream applied before your perfume will help to fix a scent.
Humid and hot weather will spread a scent, while cold and dry will keep it close to the skin.
To keep a bottle of perfume alive, keep it away from light (this will considerably reduce oxidation phenomena) at low temperatures and in a dry place. ( a fridge is a good place and will significantly extend its life expectancy)
And finally, to make a scent last longer, switch. Wearing the same perfume daily makes our nose and brain no longer react to stimuli, making us believe that the scent is gone. Regularly changing fragrance, therefore, makes it possible to diversify the messages sent to our brain and thus counter its addiction phenomena.