I have a fragrance addiction; a bad one. If I had five minutes to clear out a section of Selfridges (during my imaginary game show), you bet your ass I'm heading to the counters selling scents. The biggest problem is that more of my fucks are given to premium and unique fragrances and, sadly, they come with a heavy price tag. So using them sparingly and prolonging their lasting power is what I'm all about; luckily I've learnt a few tricks throughout the years to make this possible. However, before sharing them, it's important to note that fragrance bottles should be stored in cool and dry places, away from windows. Vampire style. The last thing you want is your fragrances expiring before they have to. But anyway, forget the bottles, let's talk about prolonging a scent's staying power on the body...
My first trick is to apply an un-scented moisturiser to the skin before applying your chosen fragrance. The oils in the moisturiser will help lock in the fragrance (and will also help nourish your skin in the process). Also, fragrances naturally last longer on hydrated and supple skin! The second - and super important - tip is to not rub a fragrance between your wrists after application. Doing this provides absolutely no benefits - it just causes the fragrance's top notes to disappear quicker.
My final piece of advice is centered around where you spray your scent...choose wisely. It's all about targeting your body's pulse points, as these warm areas help diffuse a fragrance across your entire body. Focus on your wrists, neck (I spray behind my ears), inside your elbows, below your midriff and behind your knees.
Now it would be wrong to finish this feature without spilling on two of my recent fragrance favourites; Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush & Calvin Klein CK2. Containing top notes of violet leaves, waterlily and nergamot, heart notes of rose, lily of the valley and freesia and base notes of vetiver and clean musks, the Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush (£54.00 Boots / $78.00 Sephora) is super floral and feminine. It is the perfect scent for summer and also packs a surprising amount of power for an eau de toilette!
As for the Calvin Klein CK2 (£39.00 Debenhams / $55.00 Sephora), this is a new scent designed for women and men. But don't let that put you off because this fragrance is a true adapter, providing a slightly different scent to each individual. Because of this, describing this fragrance is a little tough (not very helpful, I know). It is clean and fresh and neither feminine or masculine but trust me when I say it's amazing and really unique. It contains top notes of wasabi, mandarin orange and violet leaf, heart notes of orris root and rose and base notes of vetiver, sandalwood and incense.
My final piece of advice is centered around where you spray your scent...choose wisely. It's all about targeting your body's pulse points, as these warm areas help diffuse a fragrance across your entire body. Focus on your wrists, neck (I spray behind my ears), inside your elbows, below your midriff and behind your knees.
Now it would be wrong to finish this feature without spilling on two of my recent fragrance favourites; Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush & Calvin Klein CK2. Containing top notes of violet leaves, waterlily and nergamot, heart notes of rose, lily of the valley and freesia and base notes of vetiver and clean musks, the Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Blush (£54.00 Boots / $78.00 Sephora) is super floral and feminine. It is the perfect scent for summer and also packs a surprising amount of power for an eau de toilette!
As for the Calvin Klein CK2 (£39.00 Debenhams / $55.00 Sephora), this is a new scent designed for women and men. But don't let that put you off because this fragrance is a true adapter, providing a slightly different scent to each individual. Because of this, describing this fragrance is a little tough (not very helpful, I know). It is clean and fresh and neither feminine or masculine but trust me when I say it's amazing and really unique. It contains top notes of wasabi, mandarin orange and violet leaf, heart notes of orris root and rose and base notes of vetiver, sandalwood and incense.