1. SHOWER FIRST

Take a warm shower or a bath before spritzing perfume. The steam opens up your pores, which makes your skin hold onto the fragrance longer. The trick is to apply the perfume on towel-dried skin, as a wet surface causes scents to disappear quicker.

2. HYDRATE YOUR SKIN

Keep your skin hydrated with body oil, lotion, or balm before applying any fragrance. Perfume lasts longer on hydrated skin as it tends to ‘stick’ to it. You can use both unscented and perfumed products if you want to mix and match scents for a unique twist.

Did you know that rubbing your wrists together negatively affects the performance of your perfume? The motion actually makes the top notes disappear faster. Try tapping your wrists together instead, or dab your wrist on another pulse point to spread the remaining fragrance.

3. USE A HIGH CONCENTRATION

Choose a perfume with an oil concentration of 20-40 per cent, such as an eau de parfum or an extrait de parfum. As explained in Escentials (page 12), these types of perfume have a higher longevity and generally last all day long.

4. APPLY ON PULSE POINTS

Pulse points are places where your veins are closer to the skin’s surface, where your body temperature helps develop and diffuse the scent. For example, think of pulse points such as your neck, your wrists, behind your ears, the inside of your elbows, and your décolleté.

Did you know that your heart is also a pulse point? Applying the fragrance there allows you to radiate the scent, with the heart acting as a diffuser – what’s more poetic than that?

5. SPRAY ON CLOTHING

Fabrics tend to hold perfume longer than the skin because sweat and natural oils wear off the scent. That’s why applying a fragrance to your clothes is a good way to amplify and elongate the scent. However, be careful with applying perfume on light colours, as the liquid can stain. While applying a fragrance to your hair can also help the scent to linger longer, try not to do this too often, as the alcohol in fragrances could damage your hair.