Want A Perfume That's Going To Last All Day? Reach For These Scents

Perfume has come a long way from the Mesopotamian villages of 2000 B.C. These citizens used scent in the form of incense for religious traditions, as did the Egyptians before they began the practice of adding scented oils to long baths. The Greeks further liquified scents for perfume, and the Arabs made it manufacturable. In the 1600s, the French began using perfume to compensate for the lack of hygiene during the era. In the early 1800s, most perfumes derived their scents from singular ingredients. By the 2000s, perfume makers were incorporating multiple scents and synthetic chemicals into one bottle. Chanel pioneered products with these components (per McGill).

Despite the centuries of innovation and dozens of brands from which to choose, like Dolce and Gabbana, Lancôme, and Dior, some perfumes scents last longer than others regardless of brand. If you want to smell your best all day long, delve into the nuances of perfume-making and choose wisely.

Multiple scents comprise modern-day perfumes. Most perfumes can divide these "notes" into top, middle, and base notes according to how long the scent of each note lasts. Top notes hit the nose first, but do not last. Middle notes make up most of the scent. However, base notes are the scents that last the longest — sometimes for 6 hours or longer. Why do some scents last longer on the skin than others? It comes down to heavier molecular structures (per Edens Garden).

When speaking to Who What Wear, Brianna Arps of Moodeaux called base notes "the fragrance's anchor." Base notes are often scents like sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli, and musk. Therefore, when looking for a perfume that will last for hours on end, reach for perfumes with one or more of these scents. David Moltz of D.S. & Durga echoes these claims and specifies that, "Musks and woody ambers last the longest and are the workhorses of our industry." Patchouli and sandalwood are both categorized as woody ambers (per Mecca), so watch out for different terms for scents when doing research. 

There are multiple popular methods for applying perfume. Some people spray into the air and walk through the mist. Others spray their scent of choice on their clothing, but experts advise against this approach: It could leave stains, and the fragrance isn't likely to stick around.. Aside from choosing certain scents, you can make your perfume last longer by applying it to certain locations on the body.

Try applying perfume on the body's "pulse points." These locations include the wrists, elbows, throat, and behind the ears. These are warm parts of the body with ample blood flow, hence increased body heat that will boost your fragrance. And remember, there is a such thing as too much scent. Two to four sprays will suffice, but the amount depends on the concentration; for instance, perfume is more concentrated than eau de parfum and eau de toilette, so you won't need to use as much. Use rubbing alcohol to remove scent if you feel that you've sprayed too much.