Perfume oil does not behave like a spray, and that catches a lot of people out. You dab a little on, lean in to smell it, and find almost nothing there. Six hours later someone standing next to you asks what you are wearing.
That is the whole point of oil. There is no alcohol carrying the scent up into the air, so it stays low and warm. It sits on the skin instead of leaving it. Once you understand that, applying it well is straightforward.
Use less than you think
One dab on each pulse point is usually enough. Perfume oil is concentrated, and the most common mistake is treating it like a body oil and covering half an arm. Start with two or three small touches, wait ten minutes, then add more only if you genuinely want to.
If you have over applied, do not scrub at it. A little unscented moisturiser over the top will soften it faster than soap will.
Go for the warm spots
Heat lifts scent. The parts of your body that stay warmest will push a fragrance out through the day without you doing anything.
- Inside the wrists
- The hollow at the base of the throat
- Behind the ears and along the jaw
- The inner elbows
- Behind the knees, especially in summer
Behind the knees sounds odd until you try it in warm weather. Scent rises, so a fragrance applied low keeps drifting up all afternoon.
Apply to slightly damp skin
Straight out of the shower is the best moment. Skin that still holds a bit of moisture grips oil far better than dry skin does, and the fragrance will last noticeably longer. If your skin runs dry, a plain unscented moisturiser first gives the oil something to hold on to.
Do not rub your wrists together
This one is worth breaking the habit for. Rubbing creates friction and heat, which burns off the lighter opening notes before they have had a chance to develop. Press your wrists together gently, or better still, leave the oil alone and let it settle by itself.
Hair and clothes, carefully
A trace of oil on the ends of your hair carries beautifully, because hair holds fragrance for longer than skin does. Keep it to the ends rather than the roots. On fabric, be more cautious. Oil can mark silk and pale colours, so test somewhere hidden first and stick to wool or heavier cotton, a scarf or a coat lapel.
Top up without starting again
Because there is no alcohol blast, you can reapply oil in the middle of the day without it clashing with what is already on your skin. One dab at the throat in the late afternoon lifts the whole thing again. Keep the bottle in a bag rather than a car, where heat will do it no favours.
Store it properly
Light and heat are what age a fragrance. A drawer, a cupboard or a box is better than a windowsill or a bathroom shelf above a hot shower. Kept somewhere cool and dark, an oil will hold its character for years.
The short version
- Apply straight after a shower, while your skin is still slightly damp.
- Two or three small dabs at the wrists, throat and behind the ears.
- Press, do not rub.
- Wait ten minutes before deciding whether you want more.
- Top up once in the afternoon if you like.
Every one of our oils is blended and bottled by hand, and none of them contain alcohol. If you are just starting out, the musk and vanilla blends are the easiest to wear day to day. If you want something with more weight behind it, look at the oud oils.