Believe it or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to apply a fragrance. Here’s your guide to how and where perfume should be applied. We’ve also included some tips to make the best use of any scent, as well as some mistakes to hopefully avoid along the way.
Less is More When You Know Where to Spritz
Fragrance wearers often over-spray themselves in the morning thinking that it will make their scent last longer. Although this certainly starts the scent off stronger, your fragrance will still fade throughout the day. To avoid overwhelming your senses—and anyone else’s—start the day with 1 or 2 sprays directly on your pulse points.
Pulse points are warmer areas of the body that act as natural diffusers when emitting a scent. We recommend spraying your wrists and the sides of your neck. For less conventional but still effective areas, try experimenting at the inside of the elbow or the back of the knee.
Rubbing After Spritzing Will Change the Scent
This might be a harder habit to break. After spraying the fragrance once or twice directly on your pulse points, resist the urge to rub it in. Rubbing your wrists together produces heat that will break up the scent’s composition.
You know those First notes that you sense when you spray a fragrance—the ones that probably caused you to fall in love with a scent in the first place? Rubbing will cause these First notes to fade much quicker than intended, changing the overall scent.
Wear it With Confidence
Chances are, if you think your fragrance smells good and you wear it with confidence, other people will think you smell great, too. But if you're still worried about what others think, use Scent Space to decide how your fragrance interacts with those around you.
Want only you and your partner to enjoy your fragrance? Shop the Personal Collection
Want a noticeable fragrance that won’t overpower the room? Shop the Expressive Collection
Want a trailing fragrance that will not go unnoticed? Shop the Bold Collection
15 comments
Funny to read this today! I got the commodity milk sample pack and was raving about how good the marshmallow one smells after 10-30 mins. I had sprayed it up and walked into the mist. Today I went over board and sprayed it directly on myself and onto my wrists while rubbing and I didn’t have the same experience. Not bad, but different notes throughout the day. I think I prefer one spray and walking into the mist!
I love spraying two spritz on my lower back. When I get up from a hot chair, I leave a light scent rather than whatever was in the fabric before me.
Sonia,
It’s true, hair is a good carrier for fragrance. But we would advise against spraying your hair unless you’re familiar with the brand and their formulations. Certain ingredients can actually dry out the hair over time.
I spritz my pulse pulse points then behind my neck on my hair line. I heard the fragrance clings to the hair line is that true?
Hi Jorge,
It’s really up to you! Try one spray on each side of the wrist, one spray on each side of the next, or both! Experiment and see what works best for your skin chemistry.