How to Get the Most Out of Your Perfume

A good perfume is an instant mood booster that lasts all day, and it’s a classic gift for just about any occasion. But what makes one perfume smell different from another? The answer is a combination of fragrance ingredients, some of which are natural and others synthetic. The most common scents used in perfume are essential oils, absolutes (a concentrated essence extracted from the plant); fixatives (natural or synthetic substances that reduce evaporation, increase perceived odor intensity, and improve stability); and solvents, which are usually alcohol based. Other ingredients may include coloring agents, preservatives, and stabilizers.

The earliest perfumes were made from a variety of natural ingredients, some of them quite strange—imagine spraying yourself with musk (derived from musk deer glands) or ambergris (made from petrified whale vomit). Today, most perfumes are created using a blend of both natural and synthetic molecules. The scent of a flower, for example, cannot be obtained naturally, so it is often synthesized to create the perfume note on its own. The same is true for other fragrances, such as calone, which provides a fresh, ozonous scent that can be difficult to duplicate using natural sources.

When choosing a perfume, it’s important to consider your personal preferences as well as the occasion and setting you’ll be wearing it for. A light spritz of a floral scent might be perfect for an outdoor garden party, while a deeper, woody aroma would be appropriate for a romantic dinner date.

To get the most out of your perfume, it’s important to apply it properly. To do this, you should spritz a few dabs on your pulse points—the areas of the body where your blood vessels are closest to your skin. These include the inner wrists, chin, neck (just below the collarbone), back of the neck, inside your elbows, and behind your ears (if you’re wearing a sleeveless top). These spots emit the most body heat, so they will help diffuse the scent more quickly.

Besides being an excellent way to keep your perfume from going off too fast, the right place to apply it will help to ensure other people can actually smell it. Avoid spraying your hair, and be careful not to overdo it on the bottom of your arms where you might rub your hands together.

The best way to find the perfume that works for you is to experiment with different ones—especially during warmer weather. There are many different scent profiles, and you might be surprised to discover that a perfume you thought didn’t work for you actually smells really nice on your body. To make things even easier, r/PerfumeAdvice suggests that you ask for samples from the store and try them out in a few different ways to see how they work with your personal chemistry. Then, it’s just a matter of finding the perfect perfume for you or your loved one.