Perfume Tips

Where - and where not - to apply perfume.

• Only spray onto wrists, elbows and collarbone. (Don't dab behind the ears - sebum producing glands in this area will alter the scent.)
• Avoid spritzing fragrance on skin that will be exposed when you go out in the sun as it may cause patchy pigmentation. 
• Don't spray on your cleavage - perfume contains alcohol which is an astringent and in the long term will cause skin to go crepe-y.

Making perfume last longer

• Apply your scent in the nude as soon as you've dried off from your shower and before putting on your clothes. Your body heat will intensify the base notes of the fragrance, so the sooner you apply it the better.
• Matching body creams moisturize skin and help prevent scents from evaporating too quickly. Apply it after you've put on your perfume.
• Avoid mixing perfume with other scents. Use either unscented soaps, deodorants and talcum powders, or use matching perfume and toiletries.
• Rub a small amount of Vaseline on to the areas where you apply your perfume. This will help the scent cling to your skin, making it last twice as long. As we age, our skin gets drier and our natural oils can't fix scent as efficiently.

Which and How much perfume to use

• As you get older, avoid heavy, fruity fragrances and sweet vanilla combinations.
• Update your fragrance with a new version of an old favourite. Perfume houses update their fragrances for a more modern scent. (An example is Eau Premiere, the younger 'sister' of Chanel No5.)
• Don't use too much - perfume overload is an age betrayer. Our sense of smell is less acute as we get older - you may think your perfume doesn't last as it used to or smell like it did - but other people will be able to smell it.
• Don't spray clothes with perfume - you'll only get the raw top-notes. The full scent is released in interaction with the skin.

Has your perfume changed?

• Your scent may really have changed. In the past 20 years, many classic fragrances have been subtly altered to compensate for ingredients that the International Fragrance Association has either banned or restricted as potentially carcingenic.
• Life changes - divorce, bereavement, new job, pregnancy - can make you want to change your regular scent. Perhaps it now feels too heavy, or just not right for you.

Good Housekeeping (various issues)