“I wear aftershave every day, but by about midday the scent has completely gone – where should I be spraying to make it last?” Adam via email.
Location location location. Not just a snappy catchphrase that applies to property, but also the prime real estate on your skin that helps fragrances smell stronger and last longer.
As Adam points out, it can be annoying if the bulk of your olfactory efforts are enjoyed by fellow commuters rather than colleagues or an after-work date. So allow me to put my two cents scents in.
Most of us have heard at one time or another that the best place to apply a fragrance is on so-called ‘pulse points’. This refers to areas on the body where blood passes closest to the skin and are therefore warmer, such as on the wrists or behind the ears.
However, this is an eau de no no for two reasons: firstly, heat drives off the scent faster, essentially speeding up its life cycle; secondly, these areas are those most exposed to the air and therefore the fragrance dissipates more quickly.
A much better technique is to activate your scent through movement. Apply a few spritz to the chest area (between your skin and clothes) to allow it to waft upwards and out of the neck of your shirt, as well as to the biceps and crook of the arm.
Beyond this, ensuring the skin is well moisturized can add precious hours to the life of a scent, as can opting for more concentrated eau de toilettes (EDTs), which generally last twice as long as aftershaves.
So there you go, Adam. No longer settle for smelling good 60 percent of the time. Instead, follow these simple rules and 60 percent of the time, you’ll smell good every time.
