Have you ever spritzed your favourite perfume in the morning only to have the scent vanish by lunchtime? You’re not alone! Keeping your scent fresh...
26 May 2025Have you ever spritzed your favourite perfume in the morning only to have the scent vanish by lunchtime? You’re not alone! Keeping your scent fresh from morning to night can be a real challenge, especially in the warmer weather but don’t worry – we’ve got you.
There’s a definite art to wearing perfume like a pro and luckily, we’re sharing five ‘perfume power moves’ to boost your fragrance’s staying power in the heat, as well as advice on fragrance layering from perfumer and fragrance expert Aude Asklöv.
According to TikTok, there’s a clever fragrance hack that’s a sure-fire way to make a fragrance last longer: applying a bit of makeup primer to your pulse points (like your wrists and neck) before spritzing on your perfume. Since primers are designed to grip makeup, they also help ‘anchor’ your fragrance to the skin. It’s a neater, non-greasy alternative to using Vaseline, and popular options like the e.l.f. Power Grip Primer or NYX’s Face Glue Primer are proving especially effective at a low cost.
In warmer weather, think outside the box and apply behind the knees or even around your ankles too. These areas warm more slowly, releasing scent gradually throughout the day - genius, right? A subtle waft every time you cross your legs or kick off your sandals.
If you don’t want your expensive fragrance to go to waste when you’re wearing it in warm weather, but don’t want to fork out for extra products, there are some brilliant cheap and free hacks you can try.
A great money-saver’s hack is to turn your clothes inside out and mist the lining – especially blazers, cardigans or even the lining of the current trending wide leg trouser. Fabric holds scent even longer than skin but spraying directly can stain delicate materials. With your scent in your clothes’ lining, you create a lasting scent ‘halo’ around yourself without risking fabric marks – subtle, elegant, and long-lasting.
Here’s one the French swear by. Discovery sets are great for lots of reasons, says French-born perfumer Aude Asklöv, but she says to think about how the different notes work in a perfume or when fragrance layering. “Think of perfumes as a wardrobe with different options for different occasions. Discovery sets or collections of complementary scents are ideal for this purpose, offering variety while maintaining harmony within a brand or fragrance family.”
“Today’s fragrance enthusiasts curate collections tailored to their daily lives,” she adds, “and this also ties into the rising trend of fragrance layering, allowing individuals to build personalised scent profiles. For example, a zesty citrus for energising mornings, switching to a romantic floral for daytime elegance or an afternoon outing, and finishing strong with a seductive woody note for evening. Fragrance layering like this creates a unique, evolving scent profile that lasts from morning to night.”
Chill your fragrance before you wear it. It may sound weird, but there’s science behind this hack! Pop your perfume bottle in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before you apply it on hot days - the cold helps stabilise the fragrance molecules, especially citrus and floral notes that tend to disappear fast in heat. Perfume is not a fan of sunlight and heat anyway, so always store your favourite fragrances in a cool, dark place to preserve the formula.
This time-served hack has been passed from generation to generation. Create your own fragrance balm by gently melting a mini pot of Vaseline (or scrape out old, unused lip balms decanted into a small travel pot), add your favourite perfume, chill in the fridge and voila! A bespoke longer lasting solid perfume balm that you can easily carry around with you all day and night. Fragrance clings better to oily or well-hydrated skin, so this creates a sort of base that slows down evaporation - meaning the scent lingers for hours longer without you needing to reapply.
Bonus tip: lightly spritz perfume onto your hairbrush before running through your locks. Your hair is a brilliant scent carrier, but spraying directly with fragrance might not be the best move as the alcohol in perfumes can damage hair, especially in sunlight. This way, you’ll leave a soft, lasting trail every time you swish your hair - without the risk of dryness.
And one final golden rule - don’t rub your wrists together after spritzing. It’s tempting, but it can actually break down the top notes and shortens your scent’s lifespan. Just spray and let it settle.
Fragrance is more than just the final touch of your outfit – it’s part of your presence. And with these pro tips, you can make sure your scent lingers beautifully all day long. For more scent hacks and fragrance tips, sign up to our newsletter for exclusive content and special offers from Perfume Direct.
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