How to make perfume stick to me?

[WhyBeDennyDifferent]

I’ve got some lovely perfumes but I’ve given up wearing them as the smell vanishes after 30 minutes. I’ve tried spraying on top of moisturiser hoping that might create more of a base, but nope!
What am I doing wrong?!

OCSockOrphanage I think you might be right. Although DH has super sticky skin and still smells of Clinique happy when he gets home from work

The volatile ingredients in citrus-based perfumes are very volatile, and don't last long so perfumiers tend to "bolster" them with complementary notes that last longer.

Denny I'm a huge fan of citrus perfumes too. I've tested zillions and found the best for longevity are below. All quite pricey though!:

Hermes Eau de pamplemouse rose (lovely)
uk.hermes.com/perfumes/for-sharing/les-colognes/eau-de-pamplemousse-rose.html

Eau d'hadrien - Annick Goutal
www.johnlewis.com/annick-goutal-eau-d'hadrien-eau-de-parfum-100ml/p3451375

Atelier Cologne - Pomelo Paradis and also Bergamote Soleil
www.johnlewis.com/atelier-cologne-pomelo-paradis-cologne-absolue-30ml/p2849400
www.johnlewis.com/atelier-cologne-bergamote-soleil-eau-de-parfum/p2603677

Lemon Cloud
www.luckyscent.com/product/56300/lemon-cloud-nuvol-de-llimona-by-roca-perfums

I went to a perfume factory in France and was told that eau de perfume lasts around 8 hours but eau de toilette only lasts for 4 hours. They also suggested spraying it on pulse points (wrists and behind the ears) as the body heat is what triggers the scent and makes it last longer on your skin (never understood why some people sprayed perfume all over their hair??)

Fragrance clings to hair. It’s an excellent way to project scent. Although some people find it dries their hair out (not me personally).

Dab Vaseline onto the places you want your perfume to stick and then spray on top.

Don't use scented moisturisers as well as perfume.

Spray once behind each ear (on the neck) and dab gently with wrist, don't spray and smudge.

Lighter perfumes with citrus need a musky base for them to last.
I love cote d’azure by Lancôme as it has citrus opening, then a warm pink pepper /light rose middle and a musky base. It lasts but the citrus doesn’t.

I love the green teas by Elizabeth Arden, they have good longevity, and aren’t too overwhelming for those around.

But hand on heart, I hate the way everyone oversprays now. I find it awfully rude to fill a room with perfume.

Most people overspray and they really stink: some strong balmy perfumes (like red door, or anything heavy on the patchouli) even give me an asthma attack.

So do think twice before you drench yourself in a heavy perfume, not everyone thinks longevity and a huge spillage is “good” especially in a closed space like an office, public transport, restaurant, or auditorium.

I think most the modern perfumes are quite vile: they're loud and brash, and very cheap smelling, even if they were expensive. Flowerbomb and those sugary and patchouli ones like Prada’s candy, and jimmy choo ones are particularly suffocating. I hate freesia in a scent also.

I prefer those fumes which stay close to the skin and only project a bit if it’s warm.

I love the verbena scents from l’occitaine, but find the verbena hair conditioner is the best for subtly lasting throughout the day. That’s better for your hair than spraying alcohol perfume onto it.

Sorry but i disagree with everyone saying its you not noticing, type of perfume etc. I spray stuff on and it disappears! Everyone agrees I do not smell of perfume!

I still use it but find scented moisturisers of same scent eg jo malone body lotion plus perfume on clothes is best.

Not read the thread.

I used to know a lady that travelled as a perfume representative. She was very glamorous and always smelt of expensive perfume and I asked her about it. She told me that she sprayed/dabbed her perfume onto a piece of cotton wool and tucked it into her bra and that it lasted the entire day; it has warmth from your body but, doesn't mix with your skin oils etc. I don't do this anymore and I rarely wear perfume nowadays but, I might just start to do this again when I do.

dabbed her perfume onto a piece of cotton wool and tucked it into her bra

Sexy! Especially if it drops out!

After you've applied perfume to you, if you spray a bit into the air ( a few spritzes up and down quickly so it forms a momentary cloud) and walk through it you get a nice all over subtle fragrance as it settles but lightly on your clothes. Do this before you put on any jewellery though.

Well, I guess it depends on what you are doing. Mine never fell out during my working day and it's not compulsory just a suggestion. Some people used to spray their under-slip but, nobody wears those nowadays.

If you can smell your own perfume all day it doesn’t suit you!
You should not be able to smell your own perfume, so carry on wearing them please. (I started work on the Clarins counter and was taught about perfumes)

For me it's not that I can't smell them, nobody can. It just seems to evaporate on my skin.

For Christmas I got the Penhaligon’s exotic travellers sample of 5 of their perfumes. All but 1 have stayed on me for 6 hours. Expensive perfumes but ultimately worth it.

Some scents last far longer on clothes - the cotton wool or scarf tip will work on those.

Price bears no relation to longevity. Try any of those Elizabeth Taylor white florals for a perfume that won't go away whatever!

Longevity is because a perfume has good mid and base notes. As pps have mentioned, citrussy perfumes rarely last. Jo Malone are utterly notorious for not lasting, but this is not because they are Eau de Colognes strength but because many have a classic cologne structure, with a lot of citrus and no base.

BTW, EDPs are often only slightly more concentrated than EDTs, and will not last 'twice as long' whatever sales people say. Two sprays of ETD is more actual perfume than 1 spray of EDP for example. In addition, the projection of an EDT will often be greater than an EDP - an EDP will lie closer to the skin and may not be smelled by anyone near you.

Careful!!

I once thought the perfume wasn't sticking until I'd put it on, gone out, was stationary in a queue in a shop and it suddenly whacked me (and everyone around me) in the face. I was standing there cringing at my odour

If you can smell your own perfume all day it doesn’t suit you!
You should not be able to smell your own perfume, so carry on wearing them please. (I started work on the Clarins counter and was taught about perfumes)

Sorry, this is nonsense and actually typical Clarins mumbo jumbo nonsense. It really is. I bet you believe that rubbing your wrists together 'crushes the molecules' (yep, also heard from Clarins, ffs).

If you wear the same perfume all of the time you will stop smelling it. People who suffer from perfume fatigue like this are often the people who put more and more on because they can barely smell it and end up offending all and sundry.

If you actually like and enjoy perfume, then you will almost certainly have several, for different moods and different occasions (who wears the same clothes all the time? Or the same shoes or makeup?). This will stop perfume fatigue and you will be able to smell yourself by simply rotating them.

If you are a perfume nut like me and have enough perfumes to wear a different one for several years (yes, really) then you will always be able to smell them. And you will know for certain that some last far longer than others, and will put the bottle in your bag for a top up if necessary!

Most perfumes now are dilute watery versions of their former selves... Arpege is an exception. I tend to use Milton Llloyd dupes because they last longer. Their Opium dupe is sensational. I also use perfume oils from Perfume Parlour.They all have great longevity and sillage.
It is trial and error.

There are some good citrus scents that last ages, but they tend to either be synthetics or mixed with others complementary ingredients. Aqva Amara Bvlgari springs to mind (although its a little bit masculine!).

Like others have said you need to do some research and have a look at what's out there. Any perfume with Rose tends to be really well in terms of performance, fragrances from the Mancera and Montale fit this well.

Poison EDP was a knock out for hours afterward!

pickleme
You've just reminded me of Giorgio.

the smell of that would survive nuclear warfare,

I have 15 perfumes in my 'wardrobe' and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle lasts the longest for sure. I can smell that on myself hours later. I can even sometimes smell it when I'm ironing an item that I wore it on after it's been through a launder.

Most of the Dior perfumes I have used are very long lasting.
Chloe by Chloe is long lasting and a select few Chanel ones;
Chance, Chance Eau Fraiche, Chance Eau Vive (not so much Chance Eau Tendre), Coco, Coco Mademoiselle
Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb
Marc Jacobs Decadence
I also find Ghost - Ghost is long lasting.
I have hundreds of perfumes and only about 20 of them are particularly long lasting!

I have the same problems with some perfumes.I can't remember who told me that some perfumes react with your skin which makes them fade. I've also found that the more expensive scents are worse for it.

Try using the toiletries in the perfume range to increase it's longevity. So the shower gel, moisturiser and body spray in the same scent.