Where to apply perfume
The best places are warm areas of skin that aren’t washed or rubbed often. Your body heat helps the perfume rise and spread, which is why these spots are often called “pulse points”. It’s the warmth that matters, not the pulse itself.
- Behind the earsWarm, sheltered and close to your face, so you and people near you notice it.
- Sides of the neckThe classic spot. Body heat carries the scent up and around you.
- Base of the throatSits under a collar, so it releases gently through the day.
- ChestUnder your clothes, the scent rises through the neckline. A good choice for the office.
- Inner elbowsWarm and rarely rubbed, so perfume often lasts longer here than on the wrists.
- WristsHandy for testing, but they’re washed and rubbed the most, so perfume usually fades here first.
- Backs of the kneesFor warm weather, shorts or skirts. The scent rises as you move.
Where not to spray: around your eyes and mouth, on broken, irritated or freshly shaved skin (the alcohol stings), and on skin that will be in strong sun if a perfume has ever irritated you. If your skin reacts to a perfume, wear it on your clothes instead, and stop using it if the reaction continues.
How many sprays?
There’s no right number, because perfumes vary so much in strength, but these are sensible starting points. Richer Eaux de Parfum and Parfums usually need fewer sprays than Eaux de Toilette; our EDT vs EDP vs Parfum guide explains why. Editorial inference
| Setting | Starting point | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Office, gym, or anywhere close to others | 1–2 sprays | Chest, under clothes |
| Everyday | 2–3 sprays | Neck and chest, or inner elbows |
| Evening, outdoors, or a light EDT | 3–4 sprays | Neck, chest and clothes |
How a perfume fades
A perfume doesn’t evaporate all at once. Its lightest ingredients, the top notes, go first; the heart follows; and the heaviest base notes stay longest. That’s why a scent smells different after an hour than it did in the first minute, and why the “fading” you notice early on is often just the top notes leaving.
This is also the best clue to how long a perfume will last on you. A scent built mostly from citrus and light top notes will always be brief, however you apply it. One built on woods, amber, musk or vanilla has more in reserve. Each of our perfume pages lists the key notes, so you can check before you buy; Terre d’Hermès and Black Opium lean on the heavier side, while Light Blue is fresher and lighter.
10 ways to make perfume last longer
Moisturize first
Perfume tends to fade faster on dry skin. Apply after a shower, once your skin is dry, over an unscented lotion. A thin layer of petroleum jelly on the spot works too.
Spray, don’t rub
Rubbing your wrists together warms and smears the perfume, which can hurry the top notes away. Spray and let it dry on its own.
Hold it a few inches away
A few inches from the skin lets the spray land as a light mist rather than a wet patch that runs.
Choose warm spots, not just wrists
The neck, chest and inner elbows are warm and rarely rubbed or washed. See the diagram above.
Add a spray to your clothes
Fabric usually holds scent longer than skin. A spray on a scarf, collar or the inside of a jacket keeps a trace going all day. See the cautions below.
Layer with matching products
If the perfume comes with a matching shower gel or body lotion, using it underneath builds a base for the spray to sit on. Our perfume layering guide covers pairing two scents too.
Pick a richer version
If a scent always fades on you, try its Eau de Parfum or Parfum, or a perfume with more woods, amber, musk or vanilla in the base.
Store the bottle well
Heat, light and air all break perfume down. Keep the cap on and the bottle somewhere cool and dark, ideally in its box, not on a sunny windowsill or in a steamy bathroom. More in does perfume expire?
Carry a top-up
A small decant or travel spray lets you refresh at lunchtime. Our guide to samples, decants and travel sprays compares what they cost.
Check before you re-spray
Your nose stops noticing a smell it’s used to, so your perfume may still be there when you can’t smell it. Sniff a sprayed sleeve or ask someone before adding more.
Spraying clothes and hair
Clothes
Perfume on clothes often lasts longer than on skin, because fabric doesn’t warm it or absorb it. The trade-off is that it won’t develop in quite the same way, since skin warmth is part of what moves a scent through its stages.
- Usually fine: cotton, linen and wool, especially darker colors. Wool and knitwear hold scent well.
- Test first: silk, satin, and white or pale fabrics. Some perfumes are tinted, and oils can leave marks. Spray an inside seam and let it dry.
- Avoid: leather and suede, which can mark and hold the scent for a very long time.
Hair
Hair holds scent well, but perfume is mostly alcohol, which can dry it out. Rather than spraying directly, mist a hairbrush and brush it through, or spray into the air above your head and step under the mist. Some brands also make hair mists designed for this.
Why perfume fades fast on you
- The perfume itself. Fresh, citrus and aquatic scents are built from light, quick-evaporating materials. No trick will make them last like a heavy amber.
- Dry skin. Perfume has less to hold on to. Moisturizing helps.
- Heat. Warm weather makes a perfume louder but shorter. In cold weather it’s quieter but can hang around longer, which is why richer scents suit it: see our best fall and winter perfumes.
- Nose blindness. Your brain tunes out a smell that stays the same, so you may stop noticing your perfume long before others do.
- An old or badly stored bottle. If a perfume smells sharper, sourer or flatter than it used to, or has changed color, heat and light may have damaged it. See the signs a perfume has gone bad.
Common questions
Where should you apply perfume?
On warm areas of skin where it can rise with your body heat: behind the ears, the sides of the neck, the base of the throat, the chest and the inner elbows. Wrists work too, but they get washed and rubbed the most, so perfume tends to fade there first.
Why can’t I smell my perfume after an hour?
Often it’s nose blindness: your brain tunes out a smell that stays constant, so you stop noticing your own perfume while people around you still can. Before re-spraying, smell a piece of clothing you sprayed or ask someone nearby.
Does rubbing your wrists together ruin perfume?
It doesn’t ruin it, but it doesn’t help. Rubbing warms and smears the perfume, which can make the lightest top notes fade faster. Spray and let it dry on its own.
Does perfume last longer on clothes or skin?
Usually on clothes, because fabric isn’t warm and doesn’t absorb perfume the way skin does. The trade-off is that the scent develops less, and some perfumes can mark delicate or light-colored fabric, so test on an inside seam first.
Should I spray perfume in the air and walk through it?
You can, for a very light veil, but most of the perfume ends up on the floor. Spraying skin or clothes directly uses less and lasts longer.
Does Eau de Parfum always last longer than Eau de Toilette?
Usually, but not always: the ingredients matter as much as the concentration. Our EDT vs EDP vs Parfum guide explains why.
This guide gives general, widely shared advice on wearing perfume, not our own measurements. Timings are typical patterns and vary by perfume, skin and climate. If a perfume irritates your skin, stop using it.