Applying perfume may be the simplest part of your routine, and you probably don't put much thought into it. However, while quick and easy, there are some rules you should follow when it comes to spraying your perfume. Where you spritz your fragrance and the amount you apply matters.
Spraying it in the wrong places will lead to the scent fading faster. How you store your perfume is also crucial. We have a guide for where to spray your perfume and the dos and don'ts to enjoy your fragrance for longer.
Spray Perfume on Your Pulse Points
When you get a new perfume or eau de cologne, you can’t use it the same way you’d apply essential oils or deodorant. To make sure your perfume smells the way it’s intended, make sure you spray fragrance on your pulse points.
Your pulse points are the areas of your body where your veins are visible or are close to the surface. These areas are places like inside your wrists, behind your ear lobes, inner elbows, belly button, and back of your knees.
Pulse points produce more body heat than other areas. By spraying or dabbing your perfume on these areas, you will help the scent linger all day. The warmth from your skin naturally diffuses the scent of your eau de toilette or eau de parfum.
Spray It Directly to Your Skin
Your perfume needs a place to anchor to and linger. You may think your clothes are the perfect place to spray your fragrance. However, the best place to apply it is directly on your skin. Your skin's natural oils will hold on to the scent. You can also layer your perfume over lotion to give it extra grip.
Spray and Walk Through
You probably know someone who likes their perfume a little too much. You can smell this person after they've left the room because they sprayed on so much. It's overwhelming, and you don't want to be known for an overpowering scent!
You want to spread your perfume out rather than spaying it all in one area or a lot everywhere. You only need to put on enough to have a pleasant scent, not create a cloud around you. Your perfume should only complement and enhance your natural scent.
One way to spread out the scent is the spray and step. You probably grew up doing this with your body mist. Instead of doing it clothed, do it before you get dressed. Spray a few spritzes of perfume into the air and walk through it. You'll have a light layer of the scent on you that will linger but not be too much.
You can do this with clothes on, but make sure some of it is getting on your skin. However, be careful because perfume can stain clothes, so if you're wearing fabric like silk, you may want to apply it directly to your skin.
Keep in mind that perfume doesn't interact with perfume the same way your skin does. It may smell a little different on your clothes than it does on your body, but it will still smell nice.
Spray Perfume After You Shower
Instead of applying your perfume before leaving the house, try putting it on after you shower. When you get out of the shower, your skin is warm, and your pores are open. It's the ideal time to put your perfume on because it will better absorb into your skin.
Post-shower, you should dry off and apply moisturizer head to toe. You always want to hydrate your skin first because perfume evaporates faster on dry skin. Try Coconut Verbena Body Lotion from Spongellé. It contains the perfect combination of shea butter, jojoba oil, and vitamin E to nourish your skin. The ingredients will also give your perfume something to grasp onto so it lasts even longer.
Spongellé made the perfect perfumes to apply after you shower. Try the Morning Bloom scent that is part of our Private Reserve Petite Eau de Toilettes. It has warm notes of spice, musk, and exotic flowers. Spritz it over your lotion or even apply petroleum jelly to your pulse points for a scent that lasts throughout your day.
Don’t Rub Your Perfume
You've probably seen someone spray their perfume on their wrists and then rub them together. It's one of those things that most people have seen so many times they think that's how it should be done, and they develop the habit themselves. It's time to break the urge to rub your perfume into your skin.
When you rub your skin after applying perfume, you cause the scent to evaporate faster. You also create friction by rubbing, and the sudden heat can change the scent. The fragrance's top notes will fade before they can settle onto your skin. You won't even have the chance to enjoy the smell that made you love your perfume in the first place.
By not rubbing your perfume into your skin, you allow it to mix with your natural oils. It will slowly develop into the full scent unique to you and your body chemistry. You can dab your perfume on but try to remember not to rub!
Perfumes To Try
We have a number of recommendations if you're on the hunt for your next favorite perfume. They all have poetic yet sensual fragrance notes that you'll fall in love with as soon as you smell them. These irresistible scents are great options to add to your routine or make your signature scent! They come from our new Private Reserve Perfume collection.
Our perfumes are all:
- Travel-Friendly
- Paraben-Free
- Sulfate-Free
- Cruelty-Free
- Come in a recyclable glass bottle
Peony Flower: It has top notes of rose stems, petitgrain, and red apple. The middle notes are damascone rose, waterlily, and papaya flower. The top notes smell like cashmere and clean musk.
Black Orchid: The top notes are bergamot, juicy mandarin, and orchid petals with middle notes of jasmine, black gardenia, and lotus flower. The base notes are ylang-ylang, sandalwood, patchouli, and vanilla.
Morning Bloom: The top notes are green citrus, tangerine, and grapefruit tonic. The middle notes are lotus flower, jasmine, and dewy lavender. The base notes are sheer moss, musk, and cashmere woods.
Blackberry: It has top notes of sparkling citrus and blackberries with middle notes of pink jasmine and vanilla sugar. The base notes are sweet musk and white amber.
Understanding Top, Middle, and Base Fragrance Notes
After reading the above, you may be wondering what top, middle, and base notes are?
Top Notes
The top notes are also known as headnotes or opening notes. It's what you smell first when applying perfume. These scents are made of light molecules that evaporate faster than the other notes. However, the top notes are crucial because first impressions are what matters most sometimes.
Middle Notes
The middle notes are what you smell after the top notes evaporate. It's the heart of the fragrance since it makes up the body of the perfume. They are well-rounded scents, usually with floral or herbal aromas. The middle notes generally last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.
Base Notes
The base notes are the last scent notes you smell before your perfume evaporates completely. The scents from your top notes are long gone by this time, with the middle notes still lingering. The middle notes and base notes combine for the full body of the fragrance.
The base notes leave a lasting impression since they can stay on the skin for hours. They have the heaviest molecular structures of all the perfume oils, so they are extra long-lasting.
Perfume Tips & Tricks
We have a few more perfume tips and tricks before you go.
Layer Your Scents
You can layer your perfumes if you have two complementary scents. The best perfumes to layer are single note fragrances with one with all three notes. You don't want to layer two full-body fragrances together because they can be too overpowering.
Avoid Your Hair
You don't want to apply perfume with your hairbrush or use it as a conditioner. These fragrances are alcohol-based and can dry out your hair. If you are going to spray your hair, make sure it's a scent that doesn't contain alcohol, or you could end up damaging your hair over time.
Where To Store Your Perfume
You may not even think twice about where you're storing your perfume. However, it matters where you keep your fragrances.
If you keep it on your bathroom counter and then take daily hot showers, it will affect your perfume. The water and humidity in the bathroom can lead to significant changes in the perfume's composition and will shorten its shelf life.
You also don't want to store your perfume under any form of light, especially sunlight. It can break down the properties of your perfume. Instead, keep it in a cool, dry, dark space, like your closet or a bedroom dresser. The scent will stay intact, and your perfume will last much longer.
Spray Away
Spraying your perfume will still be the most effortless part of your routine. But now you know where to spritz your favorite fragrance and how to smell it all day long. Remember where your pulse points are and apply it after your skincare, and you'll be good to go! Spongellé has all the heavenly scents you'll be sure to love!
Sources
Dry skin - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic
How to Break a Habit: 15 Tips for Success | Healthline
What are top notes, heart notes, and base notes? Fragrance notes explained | Perfume
