Should you spritz the air and walk into the cloud of perfume? Spray perfume on your wrists and rub them together? Does it really belong behind your ears? Find out how to apply perfume the correct way, and find out who gets to decide what the “right way” is after all.
Perfume and Beauty
Perfume is truly one of the oldest cosmetics. It’s been around for thousands of years…and it’s probably been worn incorrectly by a large number of people for just as long. France has probably contributed more to the perfume industry than any other country, with the possible exception of ancient Egypt (where the first perfumes were discovered). It was in the 18th century that perfume became trendy in France, particularly among the noble classes. So when it comes to wearing perfume, French perfumers are definite experts.
Applying Perfume
Do you put perfume on your wrists and rub them together? If so, you’ve been committing a cardinal perfume sin, according to perfumers. You’re actually never supposed to rub perfume on your skin. Spray it instead. Rubbing skin creates friction, and that creates heat. The heat changes the scent, so you’re actually ruining your perfume as soon as you put it on. To maintain the smell, get out of the rubbing habit.
When you put on perfume, make sure you know what you’re wearing for the day first. Perfume should only be applied to skin that’s going to be exposed to air. Otherwise, all that scent isn’t doing you any good. Put perfume on pulse points that will be exposed. This includes your wrist, your neck, your ankles and your inner elbows.
And before you stop, go ahead and perfume your hair, too. Perfume lasts much longer on hair than it will on skin, because skin is naturally oily and may sweat. This can destroy the scent. To perfume your hair, spray a little bit of the scent on a comb or brush and use this tool on your hair, rather than spraying your hair directly. The alcohol in perfume can cause your hair to dry out.
A Signature Scent
When you know how to put your perfume on correctly, your scent will last all day long. It’s no secret that scents can trigger and create memories, and it’s part of human nature to respond to certain smells. Make yourself intoxicating with a properly-applied, long-lasting scent.