How to store perfume so it stays at its best

A good fragrance can stay beautiful for years, or start to turn within months. The difference is usually where it's kept. Perfume is delicate: its ingredients slowly react with light, heat and air, and once that happens the scent can't be brought back. The good news is that looking after it is easy.

What spoils perfume

• Light. Sunlight, and the ultraviolet light in it, breaks down fragrance molecules. A bottle in a sunny spot can change surprisingly quickly.
• Heat. Warmth speeds up the chemical reactions that change a scent and makes the alcohol evaporate faster.
• Air. Oxygen slowly oxidises fragrance oils, dulling the bright top notes first.
• Changes in temperature. A bottle that warms up and cools down every day ages faster than one kept somewhere steady.

The best places to keep it

• A drawer, cupboard or wardrobe in your bedroom.
• Its original box, which blocks out the light.
• A shelf away from windows and radiators, if you like to see your bottles.

Room temperature is fine. What matters is that it's dark and doesn't swing between warm and cold.

The worst places

• The bathroom. It's where most people keep perfume, and it's the worst place for it: steam, heat and humidity every day.
• A windowsill or sunny dressing table. Direct light is the quickest way to spoil a fragrance.
• The car. It gets very hot in summer and cold in winter.
• Near a radiator, fireplace or oven. Constant warmth ages perfume fast.

Small habits that help

• Keep the cap on. It keeps air out and protects the spray.
• Store bottles upright. It's kinder to the seal.
• Don't decant it more than you need to. Every transfer lets air in. For travel, a small atomiser filled from the bottle is fine.
• There's no need for the fridge. A cool, dark cupboard does the job, and taking a cold bottle in and out of a warm room can do more harm than good.

How long does perfume last?

There's no fixed expiry date. Kept well, many perfumes stay good for several years after opening, and longer before. Lighter, citrusy scents tend to change sooner, while richer ones built on woods, vanilla and resins often age more slowly.

How to tell if a perfume has turned

• It smells sharp, sour or a little like vinegar, especially on the first spray.
• The fresh opening has gone flat or smells metallic.
• It doesn't develop on the skin the way it used to.

A change of colour on its own isn't always a sign. Fragrances that contain vanilla, like Coco Vanille, can slowly darken over time while still smelling exactly as they should. Trust your nose first.

Travelling with perfume

Keep your bottle in your hand luggage rather than a hold suitcase, which can get very cold or hot. Check your airport's rules on liquids before you fly. A 50ml bottle like ours fits within the usual 100ml limit, but rules vary.

Looking after the bottle also helps the scent last on your skin. For more tips, read 10 ways to make your perfume last longer.