Why you should avoid misting your signature perfumes - according to the pros

When it comes to our signature scents, the temptation to frolic in a cloud of their irresistible notes is almost too much, but according to the pros, it should be avoided for longevity's sake...

For many of us, applying perfume is as paramount to our morning routine as facial cleansing or brushing our teeth and thus, investing in long-lasting perfumes that are designed to stick all day and leave a good-smelling impression wherever we go is essential. That being said though, even selecting the most potent blends from the selection of best perfumes for women might not guarantee a lasting aroma, especially, it seems, if you're known to mist your perfumes.

According to fragrance experts, this technique can actually lead to your fragrances to fade faster - but luckily, they have shared what to do instead to help your signature milk perfumes or perfumes with jasmine go the distance...

Emma South

Jo Malone's Fragrance and Lifestyle expert, Emma South has shared expertise on why you should avoid misting your signature scents.

Michelle Feeney

Founder of popular perfumery Floral Street, Michelle Feeney shares expertise on why you should avoid misting your perfumes...

Why misting your perfume might be working against you

If you're someone who likes to breeze through a cloud of perfume (who doesn't, right?) but find your scent wanes after a few hours, the culprit could indeed be your application. Perfume reacts to the skin and most importantly heat, so in order to get the most out of your favourite floral fragrances and woody scents, it needs to come into contact with your skin. 

As Michelle Feeney, Founder of Floral Street explains: "It's generally more effective to spray it directly onto your skin, focusing on pulse points such as the wrists, neck, and behind the ears." 

Emma South, Fragrance and Lifestyle expert at Jo Malone also adds, "Some people enjoy misting the air in front of them and walking through, it certainly adds a flamboyant flourish to applying scent and an even distribution but inevitably some will be lost to the atmosphere."

By applying the precious blends directly onto your person, you ensure that it "comes into direct contact with your skin, where it can interact with your body heat and natural oils to create a longer-lasting scent," says Feeney. Spritzing your signature scents into a cloud of good-smelling particles can also waste far more than just spraying it on your skin. And with perfume being on the more premium side, you may be keen to conserve every last drop.

What to do instead of misting your perfume

Of course, all of this is not to say that you can't mist your scents. There's nothing wrong with doing so, it's just not the best method if you want your perfumes to really last. If you're a loyal perfume mister or prefer a lighter application anyway, Feeney adds that "you can still spray the perfume into the air, but then immediately walk through the mist to allow it to settle on your skin."

Alternatively, South recommends misting your scent at a 20cm distance from your skin, "this way you capture not only the pulse point but also the surrounding area to give a rounded effect. "

If you want both a lasting scent and to walk through a cloud of your favourite perfume, you can also try first applying it to your pulse points (on your neck and wrists, for instance) before then misting it onto your clothes and so on. 

This is actually the technique woman&home's Digital Beauty Editor, Aleesha Badkar, swears by. "I always apply my signature (Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540, in case anyone's curious) on my wrists and neck before misting it over my hair and clothes. I find this helps the luxe notes to swirl around me and reawaken throughout the day as I move. But if and when it fades from my clothes, I can rest assured that I still smell good - thanks to its presence on my pulse points." However, she does warn to be mindful when spraying your clothes, as some perfumes can stain more delicate fabrics, like silk or satin.

Our team's go-to long-lasting scents

And in case you require a new long-lasting perfume, here are three vetted scents - known to linger...