Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Preparing to apply perfume
• Part 2 of 4: Applying perfume
• Part 3 of 4: Choosing the right place
• Part 4 of 4: Using perfume
• Tips
• Warnings

Perfume can give your outfit that little bit extra, even if you only wear a T-shirt with jeans. Perfume can make a night out exciting and attract that cute guy to you. However, there are some misconceptions about how to apply perfume, where to apply it and what kind of perfume you should buy. Using perfume the wrong way can have dramatic consequences, and it can completely change the course of your evening. Fortunately, you can apply your perfume properly if you follow these simple steps.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Preparing to apply perfume

1. Find the perfect perfume. Don't use anything just because it happens to be from a well-known designer. Make sure you really love the top and base notes of the perfume.
   • You can immediately smell the top notes when you smell the bottle. These are mostly citrus, fruit and herbal scents. They usually fade quickly, so it's important to pay attention to the base notes as well.
   • The base notes are mostly woody and earthy notes. To find a base note you like, spray a little perfume on your wrist, wait 20 minutes and then smell it again.
   • You can also make your choice by going to a perfumery (like Douglas) and asking for help.
2. Choose a fragrance for day or night. If you're just going to the city, to work, or to the beach, you need a daytime fragrance. If you're going out for a night, eating out or dancing, try a fragrance just for the evening.
   • Pay attention to the packaging. Sometimes it says whether it is daytime or evening. If it is not explicitly stated, you can often see it by the packaging. A bright yellow or orange wrapper is usually of a daytime perfume. A fragrance for the evening often has a dark blue, red or purple packaging.
   • You usually spray perfume for the evening on or near your neck. You do that because it does not last that long to smell, and because you want a direct impact. In that case, you can rub your neck with some moisturizer first so that the scent is better retained.
   • You can apply a scent for the day around your hips or knees. That's because the fragrance rises as the day goes on, and because you keep smelling it there longer. You can apply some moisturizer there as well so that the scent lingers longer.
3. Take a shower or bath. Your skin absorbs the perfume better when you are warm. Make sure you shower or bathe nice and warm, so that your pores open well.
   • Use an unscented shower gel or soap, or one with a very light scent. The perfume shouldn't clash with the scent of your soap.
   • This is also a great time to moisturize your skin. Use cream or oil to help your skin retain the perfume.
   • You may also want to wash your hair if you want to apply perfume to it. Make sure to also use conditioner so that your hair is soft and can hold the perfume well.
4. Dry yourself off. After a hot shower or bath you should dry yourself well. If you don't, the perfume will not stay in place. Especially dry the hard-to-reach areas such as your knees, your neck and your hair. These are the so-called "pulse points", the places where you apply the perfume so that it works best.
5. Hydrate your skin. If you haven't already applied moisturizer while showering, be sure to apply it when you're dry. The perfume will hold onto your skin much better if it is soft and smooth, rather than dry and rough.
   • A lotion or oil works best. Put a little bit of it in your hands and rub them together. Then divide the lotion or oil all over your body.
   • Another great option is petroleum jelly. Perfume sticks better to the molecules of petroleum jelly than in the pores, so the scent can be smelled longer. Apply a little bit of petroleum jelly and rub it well into your skin.
   • The secret is in the "pulse points". These include the feet, knees, elbows, collarbones and neck. These are the places where you can apply perfume so that it is most effective.
6. Apply the perfume before putting on your clothes. Spraying perfume on your clothes can cause ugly stains, so that's not nice if you want to go out for dinner. Perfume also works much better on the pulse points than on clothes, because the molecules in the perfume must react with the skin.

Part 2 of 4: Applying perfume

1. Keep the bottle away from your body. You should keep it at least 12 to 18 cm from your body. Point the syringe towards your body. If your skin gets too wet, keep the bottle too close.
2. Spray perfume on your pulse points. These are points where the blood vessels lie close to the skin. Your skin is extra warm in those places, and because warm air rises, you can smell the perfume better. Some well-known pulse points are the collarbones, knees and neck.
3. Spray targeted. Instead of walking through a big cloud of perfume, you better spray on the "pulse points". Then the perfume works more effectively and you lose less of the scent.
4. Dab the perfume on your skin. If you don't have a spray bottle, you can simply apply the perfume with your hands to the "pulse points". Put a little bit of perfume on your fingers and gently apply it to your skin, rubbing it out in small circles.
5. Let the "pulse points" dry without rubbing. Don't put on your clothes until the perfume has dried. Wait at least ten minutes. Natural oil can change the scent of the perfume, so do not rub the areas with perfume anymore.
   • Rubbing your wrists is stubbornly wrong when one thinks about applying perfume. By crossing your wrists you destroy the perfume molecules and the scent evaporates.
6. Don't try to overdo it. A little is enough when it comes to perfume. It is better to apply a little too little than a little too much. You can always bring a bottle and apply some later if you feel like it doesn't smell strong enough.

Part 3 of 4: Choosing the right place

1. Comb some perfume through your hair. Fragrance lingers in fibers, so your hair is a good place for perfume if you want to smell good for a long time. The perfume is also retained by your hair products such as shampoo and conditioner, keeping the scent good for longer.
   • Simply spray a little on your comb or brush. You can also put some perfume on the brush or comb with your hand. Make sure the perfume is all over your hair, not just a few spots.
   • Make sure you don't put too much in your hair, because the alcohol in the perfume will dry out your hair.
2. Put a little perfume behind your ears. At this pulse point, the veins are very close to your skin. Put a little bit of perfume on your fingertips and dab it behind your ears. Perfume behind your ears has an immediate effect, and is perfect for a night out.
3. Rub some perfume on your collarbones. Your neck and collarbones have many dimples due to the bone structure. The perfume can lie in there well and react with your skin. You can put some perfume on your fingertips and spread it on, or you can spray it directly from the bottle, 12 to 18 cm away.
4. Spray some perfume on your back. Your back is not a very logical place for perfume. But because your back is usually completely covered with clothing, the scent stays for a long time, and it is not too overwhelming when you are out and about. You can also have it applied by a friend if you cannot reach it yourself.
5. Put some perfume in the back of your knees. Since your knees are always moving during the day, a lot of heat is generated there. As a result, you smell the perfume extra well, and the scent increases further during the day. Put some perfume in the back of your knees with your fingers, or spray it on with sufficient distance.
6. Apply some perfume in your elbows. Like your knees, your elbows are also "pulse points" that are in constant motion and generate heat. Dab some perfume into the hollows of your elbows, or spray it from a distance of 12 to 18 cm.
7. Put a little perfume in your belly button. This is a crazy place for perfume, but it stays for a long time and it reacts with a "pulse point". Your shirt is also over it, so it doesn't smell too strong. Put a little perfume on your fingers. Rub your fingers around and through your belly button to apply the perfume.

Part 4 of 4: Using perfume

1. Learn how your perfume smells on you. Everyone's skin reacts differently to different perfumes. Note if you can still smell the perfume after a few hours. Also check that your skin is not allergic to a particular perfume.
2. Reapply your fragrance every four hours. You don't keep smelling even the best perfumes forever. Ask a friend or family member if they can still smell anything. Often you have gotten used to the scent yourself, but others still smell it strongly.
3. Use an alcohol swab and a hand cleansing gel. If you think you may have applied too much perfume, use an alcohol swab with some hand cleansing gel to wipe the area. Then you can dry your skin and reapply the perfume. Make sure you don't put on too much this time.
4. Keep perfume in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Heat and light can change the chemical composition of the perfume. The scent can then change, and that can go wrong during your date. The best place to store perfume is the refrigerator.
5. Check the expiration date of your perfume. Like other products, perfume can spoil. If you smell a pungent odor when you open the bottle, it is a sign that your perfume is too old.

Tips

• Do not put your perfume bottles in the sun, as this will spoil the scent sooner.
• If perfume isn't your thing, but you still want to smell subtly, try a shower gel and matching scented body lotion.
• Try a new fragrance every now and then. If you always have the same perfume, it gets boring, and you don't smell as well as you get used to it.
• Ask for a new fragrance before Christmas or your birthday.
• If you don't like perfume, you can try body spray.
• Try a fragrance for men. Some men's fragrances are also great for women.
• Do not wear deodorant with a different scent, as it will be too intense.
• Keep your perfume in the fridge, then it will last longer.

Warnings

• Do not put on too much perfume, because that is not pleasant for other people.
• Don't bury yourself in a cloud of perfume. A few small squirts here and there are enough.
• Do not spray perfume when you are wearing clothes. It can stain your clothes, and the perfume hangs in your clothes, not you.
• Everyone has a personal "scent circle" about an arm's length from your body. Nobody should smell your scent unless he / she steps into your circle. Perfume should be subtle, a personal message that you send to people you come into contact with.
• Never rub your wrists over each other (or no more than once to transfer the perfume to your other wrist), as rubbing generates heat that causes the perfume to evaporate faster.
• Many liquid perfumes are petroleum based. Solid perfumes usually do not contain this substance.