Not Created Equal

I have been obsessed with smelling good lately. It is one of those things that just make you feel complete afterwards. So for me, I feel like I am slightly adulting properly when I put on a daily fragrance. Here recently, with me getting into perfume more, I have noticed that not all smells are created equal. For me, growing up it was about the look of the bottle and how it smelled on me right after I sprayed it. I never took in to account with me that Love Spell had to be reapplied every couple hours to continue to smell it all day long. Yes, I started with the Victoria Secrets and Bath and Body Works scents. Nothing wrong with that and I will share a trick or two with you later on about how I get all my scents to last longer even VS and BBW.

Strengths and Weaknesses

When we go to buy a fragrance sometimes we aren’t really looking at the words on the bottle as much as we are the bottle. So the best thing we can do for ourselves is understand what all these terms are. That we can assess if something is worth the money and will it do what you need it to do. Also, below I will mention the word concentration and that is the amount of oil in the perfume. The lower the concentration, the more the alcohol filling the space…..Sorry guys!

• Eau Fraiche
• Eau de Cologne
• Eau de Toilette
• Eau de Parfum
• Extrait de Parfum

So What Does This All Mean?

The first one being Eau Fraiche, which has a 1% to 3% concentration, and this is the least lasting scent you will find. This will last you roughly, around two hours. Though it’s just an estimate don’t expect it to last to long. Next, Eau de Cologne has a 3% to 5% concentration and will usually wear off after two to three hours. Now we get into the concentrations we see more of which is Eau de toilette. It’s concentration is 5% to 10%. This will give you three to four hours of aroma. Eau de Parfum is long lasting with a concentration of 15% to 20%. We will see the scent lasting anywhere from 4-10 hours. Of course, it’s usually more expensive, but we are seeing more and more brands making more affordable eau de parfum. Extrait de parfume has the highest concentration coming in at 20% to 40%. This one is the highest and longest lasting just like we like it.

The Meat of The Sandwich

We are now going to get to the main thing we look for when we are looking for a new scent. It’s the smell of course. When we look for perfume, we are spraying it to see if we like the smell that we well be smelling for at least the next couple of hours. This is going to be called notes. There are three set of notes in one fragrance. Top, middle, and bottom notes are what you smell when you spray that scent.

Top Notes

When you first spray a fragrance, this is what you will smell. These may be referred to as opening notes. Again, explaining the first sentence. Top note scents are the lightest and most likely the first to fade. You will smell these for 5 to 15 minutes after you spray and they will either attract you or push you away all together.

Middle Notes

Also referred to as heart notes. Yes, because they are in the middle portion of the scent making pyramid. Middle notes are noticed at about 20 minutes after you spray. So the top notes fade out and these fade in. The middle notes are what hold the fragrance together and make for a smooth transition of the scent. This section makes up roughly 40 to 80% of the fragrance and last about 60 minutes.

Base Notes

Base notes peak through after the fading of the heart notes. This is usually the most dense and intense part of the fragrance. These notes are the signature notes of the scent and the foundation in the making of the scent. This scent is what you will smell majority of the time because it stays on for roughly six hours. So I would suggest spraying a scent and letting it sit for a day just to see how you like it and how it smells against your skin. Also to make sure the smell doesn’t cause a headache because I have encountered that also.

Tips To Make It Last

So when discovering certain scents I had to find ways to really make it last. The type of stuff that slaps your nose when you hit the corner or linger a bit after you have left. After some trial and error I found some things that helped achieve this reaction.

• Layering with all the same scent helps the scent last longer(body wash, lotion, and spray from one line)
• If I have a lotion or oil with the same scent of perfume I’m wearing, I add to a thicker lotion or baby oil gel and then apply. It holds on to the scent longer.
• Apply vaseline to your hotspots, then apply oil on top of it. After that oil, you then want to spray on your scent in those same spots. It’s going to warm up the oil and scent together. Making for a longer lasting experience.
• Also, just combining scents with perfume oil with the same base notes helps keep it lasting as oil has the highest concentration

Where to Find Perfume Oil

There are tons of places you can find perfume oil. If you want to go local, try to find a local perfumery or fragrance store. You may also find some in your local beauty supply store. For online, I have found quite a few on Etsy and Amazon. Check the reviews and read labels for ingredients. Just to make sure there are not ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction for you. Remember, check the notes in your fragrance and use oils along the same line.