How to Make Perfume Last Longer on Skin

There is nothing quite as frustrating as spritzing your favourite fragrance in the morning only to find it has completely disappeared by lunchtime. If you have ever wondered how to make perfume last longer, you are not alone — it is one of the most common questions in the world of fragrance. The good news is that a few smart habits and a better understanding of how perfume behaves on skin can make a significant difference, without spending a penny more on a new bottle.

Longevity depends on a combination of factors: the concentration of the fragrance, your skin type, how and where you apply it, and even what you put on your skin beforehand. Whether you wear something as bold as Tom Ford Black Orchid or as fresh and airy as a summer citrus cologne, these principles apply across the board. Let's walk through the most effective strategies.

How to Make Perfume Last Longer: Start with Your Skin

The single most overlooked factor in fragrance longevity is skin condition. Dry skin absorbs and releases scent molecules much faster than moisturised skin, which means your fragrance fades before it has a chance to settle. Hydrated skin, on the other hand, acts almost like a slow-release mechanism.

Moisturise Before You Spray

Apply an unscented body lotion or a dedicated fragrance-layering balm to your skin before spritzing your perfume. If you want to stay in the same olfactory universe, use a matching body lotion — many houses offer them alongside their hero scents. Santal 33 by Le Labo, for example, has a cult following partly because its body lotion and shower gel make the dry wood and cardamom notes cling beautifully throughout the day.

Shower, Then Apply

The ideal moment to apply fragrance is right after a shower, when your pores are slightly open and your skin is clean and faintly damp. Pat yourself dry, apply your moisturiser, wait 60 seconds, then spray. This simple sequence is one of the easiest long lasting perfume tricks you can adopt today.

Pulse Points Fragrance: Where to Apply for Maximum Effect

You have probably heard the advice to spray on your pulse points — but do you know why? Pulse points are areas where blood vessels sit close to the surface of the skin, generating warmth. That warmth helps to diffuse the fragrance molecules continuously throughout the day, projecting the scent into the air around you.