1. You expect it to smell the same all day
When you first spray a fragrance, you only smell the top notes, and fragrances normally have three levels — the top, heart and base notes. If you want to check how a perfume changes, keep the blotter and smell it throughout the day.
2. You smell it too fast
When you’re trying out a new perfume wait 30 seconds to smell it, so that its alcohol content (if it has any) has time to evaporate.
3.You’re stuck in your ways
Just because you haven't liked a certain note in one fragrance doesn't mean you'll hate it in all perfumes. A perfume can have anywhere from 10 to 200 ingredients — the balance is very delicate in each fragrance, so don't discount certain notes based on preconceived ideas!
4. You smell too many scents without taking a break
Never test more than three different perfumes in succession. Try sniffing coffee beans in between spritzes, as these absorb and neutralise smells. Another trick is to clean the palette by drinking water between sniffs!
5. You don’t try anything new
Try to keep an open mind! Choose a fragrance that expresses your individual style and personal taste, rather than resorting to what you’ve been wearing for years.
6. You’re storing your fragrance in the wrong way
Extreme sun light, heat or cold upsets the delicate balance of the oils within your fragrance, changing its scent. Always keep your fragrances in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heaters.
7. You don’t know where to spray
The saying goes: spray perfume where you want to be kissed. Sound funny? Well there’s some truth in it. Perfume is activated by body heat, so spraying at your pulse points (behind your ears, on your neck, inner wrists, chest, and behind the knees) will help your scent last longer.
8. You’re rubbing your wrists together
Rubbing your wrists together actually causes your perfume’s top notes to fade quicker than they would otherwise – air dry instead!
9. You think that your friends perfume will smell the same on you
Body chemistry is the final ingredient in any fragrance— the way a perfume smells on someone else, is different from how it will smell on you. The only way to properly test a scent is to try it on your own body.
10. You expect your perfume to stay on all day
Fragrances aren’t typically designed to last a whole day. As a general rule, body mists will last about an hour and cologne keeps its scent for an average of three hours. Eau de toilettes should last about four hours and an eau de parfum can stay on the skin for around six. The strongest (and most expensive) type of scent is a parfum – they can last around 16-hours.
