How To Make Your Fragrance Last Longer (& fix other complaints)

I love my perfume & perusing fragrance reviews is a strange pastime of mine (well my SO seems to think so anyway). One thing I come across quite often are complains about different perfumes such as:-

• This perfume only lasts 5 minutes on me! 
• I love the (Top/Middle/Base) notes but something turns strange 
• This doesn't smell the same on me as it does on my friend/mother/aunt

There will always be fragrances &/or notes that you like, or don't like - this is personal taste - but some of the common complaints are due to the way it is worn & is usually fixable. Let me show you how!

BACKGROUND

I started (seriously) collecting perfume bout 4 years ago when I ran out of my signature scent & decided to broaden my horizon. It wasn't that I didn't like it any more, I just wanted to try something new. That one "new" fragrance turned into 2, and then 3, and then 4.... well you get the picture.

BAD EXPERIENCE - STRANGE NOTE?

One of my first few fragrances in my collection all those years ago was Insolence by Guerlain. I found & tested this on my skin at the department store. It worked well & I loved it. I realised that I had to have it (as you do!). Those of you who have experienced Insolence you will know that it is LOUD. It's a love it or hate it scent. I find it extremely complicated, sweet yet creamy & luxurious.

I found Insolence at a great price & eagerly purchased it. After wearing my new favourite a few times I found that occasionally it would take on a very odd, sharp "washing powder" note* that would irritate my nose to the point that I disliked it. This strange note was not present all the time so I knew it wasn't normal, but because of this I didn't wear it as much anymore.

*I've since found that a few fragrances develop the sharp washing powder note if the perfume is not worn correctly (see below). It seems to be a floral trait but I haven't tracked it down to any particular note.

BAD EXPERIENCE - 5 MINUTE SCENT!

So, around the same time as my Insolence experience, Summer came & as Insolence is definitely a Winter fragrance (big on the vanilla which can be overbearing in hot weather) I went looking for a new Summery scent.

I ended up getting Dior Addict 2 by Dior, which is a pretty fruity perfume which has a gorgeous BLAST of sparkling grapefruit in the top notes. I totally love it, but unfortunately it didn't seem to last long on my skin.

After reading a few reviews the general consensus was that Dior Addict 2 is a scent that "doesn't last long" & I've found that this seems to be an attribute of fruity fragrances that don't have a heavy base (such as vanilla, sandalwood or amber). Well, I loved the new fragrance & I wasn't about to write off a Dior!

So here is my solution!

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Shower & cleanse your skin with the cleanser of your choice (whether that be liquid cleanser, shower gel, even soap).
2. After your shower pat your skin dry, however keep your wrists & upper neck area slightly damp
3. Before dressing smooth a NON-SCENTED moisturiser into your wrists & upper neck. Don't over do it!
4. Dress & continue your morning routine & give the moisturiser a chance to sink into your skin for about 5 minutes
5. Spray your chosen fragrance on your wrists & neck.
6. That's it!

WHY DOES IT WORK?

Perfumes MUST HAVE a clean canvas for the true notes to come out - exactly as they are meant to smell.

Natural oils or dirt present on the skin will change the notes. This is why a fragrance might smell different on one person to the next.

Moisturiser (funnily enough) keeps the moisture in the skin which makes your perfume last longer.

MY PERFUME RULES

• You MUST MUST MUST exfoliate your skin (wrists, neck, inner elbows, declorage) at least once every fortnight. Dead skin cells will hinder the true notes of the perfume coming out.
• Only put your perfume on CLEAN skin. After your shower is ideal. If you won't be showering make it a point to wash your skin with your favourite non-scented cleanser in the sink.
• Remember: if you can't smell your fragrance, it doesn't mean that other people don't smell it. Your nose may have become used to it. If you think your scent is disappearing ask a friend if they can still smell it. 9 times out of 10 they will be able to.
• DONT OVER SPRAY! Get to know which of your fragrances are strong & only need ONE full spray, or TWO small sprays (eg Insolence, Flowerbomb, Hypnotic Poison, Dior Addict) and which lighter perfumes may need full coverage (wrists, neck, declorage. Spraying more doesn't mean it will last longer, you'll just end up walking around smelling like you've marinated yourself in it. NEVER nice for others, even if it's the best fragrance ever.
• You DON'T have to buy the perfume lines moisturiser/mousse/oil/body shampoo/powder etc to "layer" the scent. If you're on a budget (or don't like throwing money away) just find an unscented moisturiser & cleanser. Personally I would rather spend the extra money on another fragrance!
• If you have a choice, purchase the EDP over the EDT. It is better quality. The only exception to this rule is if you prefer the smell of the EDT then that's what you'll be choosing. 99% of the time the EDP smells better than the EDT anyway.
• Before you buy - even if it's a great price - always test a potential new fragrance on your skin. Spray it using a store tester, continue your shopping & if you still like it after an hour (and you can't wait) go get it!

So, before you write off that purchase or gift as a dud, try this! If you still don't like the way it smells, it's not for you!

Review: Demeter Honeysuckle

I was first introduced to Demeter online & decided to try & find a store that stocked this brand to test. Gee it was REALLY hard to find these colognes in Sydney, but I tracked them down to an obscure pharmacy in a shopping mall.

It was a lot of fun testing these fragrances, they have scents such as Thunderstorm (imagine how the air smells after a thunderstorm! It smells like that!), Dirt (smells just like dirt!), Kalhua (the drink), Vanilla Cake Batter (Mmmmm!) & Sex On The Beach (ummm - well smells like neither sex or the beach but its a pretty scent!).

Although intrigued, I decided not to buy any of them as they were quite expensive for a novelty cologne. Colognes are known not to last long - they are below EDT (Eau de Toilette) in the fragrance pecking order, so they were definitely not worth the price they asked for. I'm guessing other people decided the same thing, because the next time I went to that mall (for other reasons) they were no longer stocked.

Fast forward a few months!

I saw Demeter Honeysuckle online for quite a good price & had been lemming a Jasmine or Honeysuckle scent, so I read a lot of reviews, most seemed positive & purchased it unsniffed - I like a gamble! I was also impressed how they pulled off the Thunderstorm & Dirt colognes so I assumed Honeysuckle would be a cinch for them!

Finally it arrived! I was excited to get this cologne! I unpacked & sprayed it straight away. It was at that point that I was immediately assaulted by a synthetic baby powder scent.

******** KAPOW! ********

It was so strong & smelt nothing like Honeysuckle. I waited it out & luckily it turned into a nice powdery scent that lasted surprisingly well despite the experience of previous reviewers - quite a few hours. But. No. Honeysuckle.

Verdict: Demeter's Honeysuckle is a nice fragrance, safe for work (if you don't spray too much) non obtrusive or offensive, maybe even comforting but NOTHING like Honeysuckle, nosiree. I discovered that if you sniff the nozzle there is a tiny hint of flower, you could possibly even imagine it was Honeysuckle, but no, it's not there.

I may try another Demeter fragrance in the future if I'm up for another gamble, but not for a while!

If you're after a Honeysuckle fragrance, look elsewhere. If you like a baby powder scent (which Demeter also make - I wonder if that smells like Honeysuckle???) this is perfect.