Passion for perfume: How to get the most out of your favorite scents

Spritzing on your favorite scent can brighten your mood, boost your confidence and of course make you smell great.

There are lots of products that provide the mood-boosting effects of beautiful smells. Body mists are applied all over your body and hair to envelope you in their delightfulness. And dry oil sprays condition your skin and lock in moisture while delivering a pleasing scent; they can also be used on the ends of your hair.

But many of us still look to traditional cologne or perfume for our signature scents. Did you know there are some dos and don’ts when it comes to perfume? We chatted with an expert perfumer from France to find out the tips and tricks to getting the most out of your favorite scent.

Expert opinion

Marypierre Julien is a senior perfumer for Fine Fragrance House of Givaudan, which has offices around the world, including Paris and New York City.

“I’ve been working at Givaudan for almost 20 years now,” Marypierre said. “I worked in three different countries. Now I’m back to my home country, France. But in order to join Givaudan, I studied perfumery at a school in Versailles.”

A global leader in fragrance creation, Givaudan’s perfumers, including Marypierre, have designed the world’s most sought after scents for more than 250 years, including the distinctive and exclusive Artistry Flora Chic™.

Considering her passion for scent, we’re happy to share her wisdom!

Where to apply perfume

The wrists are a common place to apply perfume, but do you know why? It’s because they are a pulse point. That means your skin is warmer there, helping to intensify the scent and the pulse helps radiate it.

 Behind the ears, on the neck, inside the elbows and behind the knees are also application locations to consider, Julien said.

“This way, when you move around, the scent ‘follows’ you, and it won’t be overpowering,” she said.

Do not rub perfume in

You may have done this since you were young: apply perfume to one wrist and rub against the other. Marypierre said this does more harm than good.

“That can actually compromise the final scent on your skin,” she said. “If you rub your wrists, you are actually breaking the molecules and disturbing the natural evolution of the perfume.”

Layer your products

A great way to extend your fragrance is through layering. Many scents come with accompanying products like bath gels or moisturizers. When used in combination, they make your lovely scent last longer.

Scented moisturizer or lotion, or even unscented, is especially useful because it gives your perfume something to bind itself to, along with your skin’s natural oils.

What else can I do with perfume?

You choose a scent because you love it. Why limit it? Marypierre suggested applying it to small, bamboo sticks or other items you can keep in your purse or bag.

“The (sticks) are very small, but because the wood is a good carrier and it carries the fragrance for a long time, you just have to reapply every week. That is something that I like doing,” she said.

What is the best way to store perfume?

Perfume bottles are often works of art themselves, so we are tempted to display them in a place to show them off: a tray on your bathroom counter or in your bedroom where the sun shining through the window can make them sparkle.

Unfortunately, Marypierre said those are not ideal places to store precious scents.

“Bathrooms are the worst place to store your perfume,” she said. “First of all because the heat varies way too much. It often goes very high and perfumes don’t like high temperature. And the second part is the humidity. It’s way too humid to store perfume.”

Sunlight can also be harmful.

“If I had to advise the most conservative and the ultimate place to keep perfume, as well as nail polish or lipsticks, it’s the fridge,” she said. “It’s hidden from the light and it’s cool, but if it’s not really possible, the dresser is a very good place to store your perfume.”

Learn more

Want to hear more from Marypierre? Read our Q&A about what goes into making a great scent, then visit Amway.com to read about the notes that were chosen for Artistry Flora Chic™ Eau de Parfum.