It's probably the question we get most in the store: "I can't smell it after an hour. Is it bad?" Sometimes the answer is yes. But far more often, it's something else entirely.
1. You've gotten used to it
This is the reason most of the time. Your brain is built to stop registering a smell it's been around for a while. It's called nose blindness, and it means you stop smelling your own perfume long before everyone else does.
Ask a friend or a colleague if they can smell it. The answer often surprises people.
2. Your skin is dry
Perfume lasts better on moisturised skin. Dry skin soaks up the scent and lets it evaporate faster. Put on an unscented lotion before you spray, so the fragrance has something to hold on to.
3. You rub your wrists together
It looks elegant in films, but it just rushes the light top notes and gives the scent a shorter start. Spray, and let it dry on its own.
4. You're spraying in the wrong places
Warm spots on the body project the scent: the neck, behind the ears, the inside of the elbows and the wrists. If you want it to last longer, spray your clothes too. Fabric holds on to scent for hours, sometimes days. Do a quick test somewhere hidden if it's a light or delicate fabric.
5. The concentration is low
Eau de cologne and eau de toilette are lighter and last shorter than eau de parfum and extrait de parfum. An extrait has the highest concentration of perfume oil and usually sits closest and lasts longest.
6. The scent is built to be light
Fresh scents with citrus and green notes are made of molecules that evaporate quickly. That's what makes them fresh. If you want a scent that lasts all day, look for notes like vanilla, woods, amber, resins and musk in the base. Our gourmand fragrances are a good place to start.
7. Storage
Heat, sunlight and a humid bathroom wear perfume down. Keep your bottles somewhere cool and dark, and they'll last longer.
The short answer
Moisturise, spray on skin and clothes, don't rub, and ask someone else before you decide it's gone. And if you want to try something that lasts longer before buying a full bottle, start with a discovery set, or come by the store at Badstuegade 16 in Aarhus and try them on your skin.
