10 ways to make your perfume last longer

You put on a fragrance you love in the morning, and by lunchtime you can't smell it. It's one of the most common complaints about perfume, and it's usually fixable. How long a scent lasts depends partly on the perfume and partly on how you wear it.

Here are ten habits that make a real difference.

1. Start with moisturised skin

Fragrance holds on better to hydrated skin than to dry skin, which lets it evaporate faster. Smooth an unscented moisturiser over the places you're about to spray, and let it sink in for a minute first. A scented lotion works too, as long as it won't clash with your perfume.

2. Apply it after a shower

Clean skin straight out of the shower is warm and hydrated, which is the ideal base. Pat yourself dry, moisturise, then spray. It's also the best time to make it part of your routine, so you never forget.

3. Choose a stronger concentration

The name on the bottle tells you how much fragrance oil is inside. An eau de toilette has relatively little, while an extrait de parfum has the most. More oil generally means a richer scent that stays on the skin for longer. Every Immortal Extraits scent is an extrait, so two or three sprays go a long way. Read extrait de parfum vs eau de parfum for the full explanation.

4. Spray your pulse points

Pulse points are where blood vessels run close to the surface, so the skin there is a little warmer. That gentle warmth helps a fragrance lift and unfold. The best places are the sides of the neck, behind the ears, the inner wrists and the inner elbows. Our guide to pulse points goes through each one.

5. Don't rub your wrists together

It's a habit almost everyone has, and it's worth breaking. Rubbing creates friction and heat, which makes the lightest, brightest notes at the top of a scent fade faster. Spray, then simply let it dry on its own.

6. Spray from the right distance

Hold the bottle about 10 to 15cm from your skin. Too close and the fragrance pools in one wet spot; too far and most of it ends up in the air. At the right distance you get a fine, even mist.

7. Mist your hair, gently

Hair is good at holding scent, and it moves as you do, leaving a soft trail behind you. Because perfume contains alcohol, don't spray it straight onto your hair from close up. Mist it from a distance, or spray your hairbrush and brush through.

8. Give your clothes a light spray

Fabric holds fragrance for longer than skin, especially natural fibres like cotton and wool. A light mist on a scarf, collar or jacket lining can carry a scent well into the evening. Test a hidden spot first, and avoid delicate fabrics such as silk, which can mark.

9. Layer it

Using a body wash or lotion in the same scent, or simply an unscented one, builds a base that the perfume can cling to. Layering two fragrances can also work, but start with one spray of each and see how they get on.

10. Store the bottle properly

Heat, light and air slowly break perfume down, and a fragrance that has started to turn won't last as well on the skin. Keep the bottle in a cool, dark place with the cap on, and away from the bathroom. Here's how to store perfume so it stays at its best.

One more thing: you may just be used to it

Often a perfume hasn't faded at all; your nose has simply stopped noticing it. It's called nose blindness, and the people around you can usually still smell it. Before you reach for the bottle again, read why you can't smell your own perfume.