--By Kim Moshtaghi
We all know someone who layers her perfume, making it difficult to breathe around her... and then there are the people that could use a few more sprays. Taking the middle road is the best way to go, but often the difficulty occurs when you're trying to keep the smell lasting longer without overwhelming yourself or others. There are just four easy steps to make perfume last longer.
Step 1: When taking a shower, try using a body wash with a similar scent as your perfume or buy the matching fragrance body wash. This will get your skin smelling wonderful and get your skin prepped with a fresh-smelling base. I use
St. Ives Swiss Vanilla Body Wash because it goes well with my
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. The vanilla plays off the notes in Coco Mademoiselle. Try a body wash that complements your fragrance. This is a good start to for a longer lasting, yummy smell.
Step 2: Know your skin type! Just like picking a face wash or face cream, knowing your skin type may determine whether you should go for an Eau De Toilette, Eau De Perfume, or Perfume. Eau De Toilette has between 3-8% compound combined with oil and water. Eau de perfume has 10-15% compound perfume solution, and perfume has the highest concentration at 25-50%. For example, if you have dryer skin you should opt for Eau de Perfume because your skin would have a harder time absorbing perfume, therefore decreasing the longevity. Typically Eau de Perfume will do the trick, but if you are really desperate try the potent Perfume. For a great smelling Eau de Perfume that typically lasts, try Chanel’s Allure. I found an amazing site that has fabulous fragrance deals. They're offering the
3.4 oz bottle of Allure for $96.75 compared to Nordstrom’s $115.
Step 3: Moisturize your body with scented or unscented lotion. Either way, moist skin will retain the fragrance better. Try
Eucerin Everyday Protection Lotion to keep your skin soft with a healthy glow. For a citrus smell, try
Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena-- you'll get triple moisturized and smell like an island.
Step 4: Be aware of your pulse points. Pulse points are the area where the vessels are closest to the skin. Applying fragrance on pulse points keeps your fragrance alive. The pulse areas are: temples, behind ears, base of throat, between breasts and behind the knees. So mist your pulse points and surprise yourself with whiffs of perfume throughout the day.
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Kim Moshtaghi is a contributing writer for Adventures in the Stiletto Jungle. Born in Germany, Kim is currently based in sunny Del Mar, California, where she also serves as Stiletto Jungle's Director of Sales and Promotions. Kim has a communications degree, a third degree black belt, and a totally covetable Gucci handbag collection.
