One of the questions we get most is how to apply perfume. Of course you can just spray it wherever, but there are definitely optimal ways of doing it if you’re looking for subtlety and longevity, both of which are super important when you’re indulging in a high quality fragrance. Here are five suggestions that will help you get the best-smelling effect from your scent.

1. Less is more. This is especially true if you’ve been wearing a scent for a while. You’ll naturally become less sensitive to it over time, so you’ll be tempted to get more heavy-handed with it to assure yourself that the scent is still there. But err on the side of subtle, rather than obnoxious. Chances are that people close to you will pick up on the scent when they’re close enough (it's called sillage, if you want to be fancy), and you don’t need to douse yourself with it like it's bottle of champagne after you just won a Formula One race. Stick to no more than 2-3 sprays per application, especially if you’re wearing anything stronger than an Eau de Toilette.

2. Heat is the frenemy. Think of your body heat as a campfire, and your fragrance is the wood. The hotter the fire, the less time it takes for that wood to burn up. Your body heat is what helps release the scent into the air around you, and that’s a good thing, but prolonged heat will hasten how quickly it vanishes on your skin. You can't help being. a hottie, but to preserve the quality of your fragrance when you're not wearing it, keep it in a cool, dark place. And remember that when it’s hot out, be prepared to re-apply a bit more often.

3. Know where to apply. You’ll hear a lot of different suggestions on how to apply perfume, like spraying it into the air and walking into it (which can just waste a lot of product), or applying it to pulse points (as though you're supposed to know what those are). Opinions vary here, but we’ve found the best places to apply your scent is a mix of areas – some where the scent start to dissipate immediately, and some where it’ll linger longer. This gives off a steadier, more consistent scent for as long as possible. Starting at the top, we like Hair (the nape of the neck is perfect), Underarms (it’s weird, but it works), Inner Elbows, and Wrists. HUEW.

4. Be aware of your competing scents. Tricky. Pretty much all of the other personal care products we use – hair products, lotions, makeup, deodorant – have their own fragrances. It’s hard to avoid them altogether, but be mindful of all the different scents you might have on you that you might have forgotten about, and try to steer clear of products that have strong fragrance. Try using minimally scented or unscented lotions, such as Aveeno or Eucerin. Only one scent should be the predominant one, everything else should be subtle, or nonexistent. Too many competing scents on your body is like overfilling your plate at the buffet line...everything gets a little gross.

5. Don’t rub. After spraying, resist the temptation to rub it in. It doesn't really help. In fact, the friction of rubbing just creates a bit of extra heat, which then makes the fragrance to evaporate faster on the skin (see #2!). Instead, just apply and let it dry.

Other questions on how to wear perfume? Let us know, because we love this stuff!

-KS