19 Perfume Hacks to Make You Smell Amazing All the Time

1. If you want your fragrances to last longer (Why wouldn't you?), don't store them in your bathroom or other damp, warm places. Heat, light, and humidity will break down the perfume and lessen the quality of the fragrance. Instead, store them in cool, dry spots like on the vanity in your room and away from windows. Bonus tip: Use a pretty cake stand to display them. 

2. Rub Vaseline on your pulse points before spraying your perfume to make the scent last longer. The ointment, which is occlusive, will hold the fragrance to your skin longer than if you were to spray it onto dry skin.

3. Apply an unscented lotion before your fragrance. Oily complexions retain fragrances longer, so if you have dry skin, use a moisturizer first to help lock in the scent. 

4. Spray your perfume right after taking a shower and before getting dressed. The moisture on your skin will help lock in the scent. This will also prevent the fragrance from staining delicate clothes or jewelry. 

5. Don't dab the fragrance on your wrists after spraying. If you rub your wrists together, you'll force the top notes to disappear faster than intended and as a result make your fragrance not last as long. 

6. Target pulse points and warm areas on your body when spraying perfume. To make your scent last longer, choose a couple target areas (not all of them at once) from the chart below to spritz. The warm areas indicated will help diffuse the fragrance across your entire body and spraying your ankles and calves will allow the scent to rise throughout the day. 

7. For a lighter scent, spray the fragrance in the air and slowly walk into the mist. The spray will distribute evenly across your body and leave you with a hint of fragrance for occasions when you don't want to smell as strong. 

8. Spraying an alcohol-based fragrance directly onto your hair will dry it out, so instead spray the fragrance on your brush before running it through your hair. Your hair will be lightly scented and undamaged.

9. Or use a fragrance specifically designed for hair to make it smell better in between washes. Try Oribe Cote d'Azur Eau de Parfum.

10. Familiarize yourself with common fragrance terms so you know exactly what the sales associates are referring to when helping you find a new perfume. 

11. Pour the last bit of fragrance from an almost-empty perfume bottle into unscented lotion so nothing goes to waste. 

12. Create your own custom scent by layering fragrances. Spray a few fragrance blotters with different oils and perfumes and smell them at the same time to see if they complement each other. Once you find a combination you like, try them on your skin (your skin oils can alter the way a perfume smells). Spray the stronger scent first and then top it with the lighter fragrance so that the first fragrance doesn't overpower the second. 

13. If you're sampling perfumes and you spray yourself with something you don't like, use a makeup wipe to get rid of the scent. Fragrance sampling is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. 

14. Use business cards as blotter strips for sampling fragrances. No need to waste blotter strip paper.

15. To sample the true scent of the fragrance you're testing, wait until it has dried on your skin before smelling. The first scent you smell as soon as a fragrance is sprayed is the top note, which disappears after a few minutes anyway.

16. Spray your pillow with calming scents before heading to bed to help you sleep better. 

17. Spray cotton swabs with your perfume and hide them in sandwich bags inside your handbag for quick touch-ups throughout the day. It's much easier to carry cotton swabs in your clutch than an entire perfume bottle.

18. Line your dresser drawers with tissue paper and spray them with your favorite scent to make your clothes and towels smell amazing.

19. Wrap a scented soap bar in a thin layer of tissue paper and tuck it in your drawers with your clothes to give them a light, fresh scent.

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