How to make your fancy fragrance go the extra mile

It might be because of the light and fresh notes which tend to not last quite as long as woody or floral ones…or it might be how you use your fragrance. Stretch that precious spritz with these tips from Sunpac:

1. Know your EDT from your EDP: Are you using an “EDT” eau de toilette, or an “EDP” eau de parfum? An eau de toilette typically contains around 8-15% fragrance oil which lasts about 4-6 hours, whereas an eau de parfum contains roughly 15-30% fragrance oil and can last 8-10 hours.
2. Moisture holds fragrance: To make your scent last longer, try applying a fragrance-free body lotion all over before you take out your perfume.
3. Steam and spritz: Heat helps diffuse fragrance, so the perfect time to use your perfume is after a steamy shower, when your skin and body temperature is high. Also, your skin will be free from sweat, oil and impurities which can interfere with your fragrance.
4. Work with layers: Did your perfume come with a matching body lotion or maybe even a shower gel? Use it! Layering a fragrance will increase the longevity of the scent and could even enhance it.
5. Work with pulse points: Your skin is the thinnest at your pulse points (insides of your wrists and elbows, behind your ears, on your neck and the back of your knees) meaning the veins are closer to the skin, making these areas warmer. And as we now know, heat helps diffuse fragrance. TIP: We tend to want to rub our wrists together after applying perfume – for fragrance’s sake, don’t do it. This seemingly harmless rub can not only alter the scent – it can make it disappear!

Now that you know what to do to get the most out of your perfume, take a look at some of our favourite fragrances for him and her:

1. His and hers: Go oriental with top notes of cardamom and pink peppercorn, heart notes of aromatic lavender, orange blossom, rose geranium and base notes of tonka bean, white musk and cashmere found in the Mercedes Benz Sign Eau de Parfum (R1895.00 for 100ml) for him. Pair your scents by opting for a sophisticated accord composed of sandalwood, vanilla, musk and cashmere woods with the Mercedes Benz For Woman Eau De Parfum (R1495.00 for 60ml) for her. Sounds sexy? It is!
2. Love an uplifting scent? Layer your fragrance with Superdry Re:Vive Body+Hair Wash (R95.99) and Superdry Re:Vive Body Spray (R79.99) for an invigorating and zesty vibe powered by notes of cardamom and lemon.
3. Perfume for your curls: While normal perfume can dehydrate your hair, due to the alcohol inside it, we have found this cute Curls In Bloom Hair Perfume (R69.95) that doesn’t contain drying alcohol and will leave your hair smelling like green apples, lily of the valley and sandalwood. BONUS: It also fights frizz, leaving hair soft and nourished throughout the day.