#BEAUTYSCHOOL: HOW TO MAKE YOUR PERFUME LAST

Question: I can barely smell my fragrance on my skin an hour or two after spraying it—what can I do to make it last longer?

Answer: If you've been wearing the same perfume for years or even months, you've likely become desensitized to smelling it on yourself, which is why it feels like it's not working. But that doesn't mean that others can't smell it, so resist the urge to spritz on more than you did when you first started wearing it. Instead, follow these tips.

1) Moisturize. The ideal time to spray perfume is right after a shower when the heat has opened your pores and you've applied body lotion. The more hydrated (and yes, even oily) skin is, the longer fragrance will last—it's why we're all more sensitive to scent in the summer heat.

2) Spray it on your clothes. "One way to make fragrance last longer is to spray it on your shirt or, in the colder months, on your coat or leather jacket," says David Frossard, creative director ofFrapin and co-founder of Liquides Imaginaires. But, he acknowledges, spraying it on your skin is what "adds a special element to the fragrance."

3) Choose an oil formulation. "Oils are definitely the most long-lasting because they cling to the skin and are less volatile, but the subtlety of the notes won't be the same as in an eau de parfum," says Frossard. We like Kai Perfume Oil and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Pure Perfume Oil.

4) Add a heavyweight note. You don't have to switch to cologne, but look for perfumes that mix feminine notes with woody, animal or spicy ones. Frossard recommends oud, cypriol, cedar wood and clove.

5) Hit the less traditional pulse points. The wrists and neck are no-brainers, but try spritzing your ankles and behind the knees, too, so the scent rises. 

6) Don't rub your wrists together. It creates friction that inhibits the perfume's top notes, making the scent slightly different and duller.

7) Store it properly. Perfumes get distorted when exposed to light and extreme heat or cold, so the bathroom and fridge are off-limits. The ideal dark, dry place? Your closet.